“WONWOO!”

The scream was so loud, Wonwoo had to move his phone off of his face to stop his ear from falling off. Trying not to lose all hearing, Wonwoo shouted back, “JEONGHAN!”

“I DID IT MAN!” Jeonghan screamed from the other end, not lightening up. “I FREAKIN KILLED IT AT NATIONALS!”

Processing what his eager friend was saying, Wonwoo smiled from ear to ear. Laughing, he hollered, “THAT’S AWESOME! DUDE, I TOLD YOU! WHAT DID I FREAKIN SAY?! I NEVER DOUBTED YOU!”

Jeonghan laughed and tried to catch his breath. The awards’ ceremony had just finished up and he was getting his stuff out of the locker room. There was a bunch of noise around him but he knew he had to call Wonwoo. “Thanks man! God, this is crazy!”

Wonwoo was always so proud of Jeonghan. He really was an amazing swimmer. “I wish I could’ve been there,” he said, tilting his head back to look at the night sky.

“Yeah me too,” Jeonghan replied as he got a slap on the back from one of his teammates. He smiled back at him before telling Wonwoo the bigger news. “But you know what this means right?”

“What does this mean?”

“You forgot?!” Jeonghan shouted. “I told you to think about it!”

Wonwoo was hit with a wave of realization followed by an even greater feeling of guilt. “Right,” he said softly. “LA.”

“LA, WONWOO!” he cheered. A ton of screams followed behind him. He chuckled and said, “I’m going to LA in a couple days!”

“You’re gonna have such a great time,” Wonwoo told him.

Hearing the tone in his voice, Jeonghan’s smile slipped away. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. “You’re not coming with me, are you?”

Wonwoo’s chest ached. He wished anything that he could tell Jeonghan he’d go with him, but he just couldn’t. “I’m so sorry, Jeonghan. I really can’t.”

Biting the inside of of his cheek, Jeonghan knew it was a long shot. Still, it . Slowly nodding, he tried to remain cheerful. “It’s okay, I get it. It’s a huge trip and you’ve got stuff.”

“Jeonghan, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay man.”

Wonwoo could practically hear his weak smile. He did the same. “You’re gonna kill it there.”

Jeonghan chuckled. “It’s gonna be so hard, but I hope you’re right.”

Feeling so guilty for even getting Jeonghan’s hopes up, Wonwoo asked, “Is there anything I can do?”

Jeonghan took in a deep breath and smiled. “Yeah, actually, I was gonna ask you.”

“What is it?”

“I’m gonna be there for like a whole two months,” Jeonghan explained. “And I can’t really afford the hotel that the team’s planning to stay in the whole time. I was wondering if you knew anyone I could stay with? It’d be a huge favor.”

Immediately, Wonwoo thought of Joshua and Vernon. But before he offered up their names, he realized how big of a deal that would be. How would Joshua be able to jump in peace with a stranger in his apartment? Would it jeopardize them in anyway? But as he thought of the safety of his friends, he thought of how much this friend needed this. “What time would you be going to practice?”

“I still go at night. So I’d be gone from like 6 to 10 or 11 every night.”

Wonwoo grinned. “Yeah, definitely. When I go, I always stay with my friends Joshua and Hansol. They’re Korean and they speak fluently. You’ll probably get along with them really well. Let me just ask them. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

“Really?” Jeonghan asked, not wanting to be impolite about this. “Cause that’d be so great. I think you’ve mentioned Joshua to me before actually.”

Wonwoo smiled. “Yeah, he’s a great guy. They both are. I’ll call him after I talk to you and ask.”

“Thanks so much, man. It means a lot.”

“It’s the least I could do.”

Jeonghan smiled and was about to say more when he heard his coach call everyone to the bus. “Hey dude, I’ve gotta run.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Thanks again.”

Wonwoo chuckled. “Of course. Congratulations on everything, Jeonghan.”

A huge smile on his face, Jeonghan was grateful to still have Wonwoo. “Thanks. Bye dude.”

“Bye.”

As the call clicked to an end, Wonwoo placed the phone in his lap and watched Jeonghan’s picture disappear from the screen. He took a second and glanced all around him. He’d been sitting at the same bus stop for about half an hour now, so he assumed the bus wasn’t coming any time soon. Motorcycles and mopeds sped past him as people made their way through the bustle. Wonwoo smiled. Ho Chi Minh City was so lively at 7 o’clock. Actually, it was lively all the time, but Wonwoo really appreciated it at the moment. He’d always liked Vietnam.

He sat there for a few minutes before pulling up his phone again to call someone else. He only waited through three rings. “Hello?”

Wonwoo smiled. “Joshua Hong,” he said in his best American accent.

There was a laugh from the other end. “Jeon Wonwoo,” he replied in his perfect Korean.

Wonwoo laughed back. “How’s San Francisco?”

“Stupid,” Joshua immediately replied. “I don’t understand the universe. I’m literally 6 hours from home. Why the hell would they ship me here? It’s almost mocking me.”

Laughing a little harder, Wonwoo replied, “I think it is mocking you.”

“Maybe I should’ve just tried getting home.”

Wonwoo thought it over before advising against. “I don’t think so. You don’t know what could’ve happened. What if you still got thrown somewhere at 6?”

Joshua sighed. “I guess you’re right. Ehh, it’s not too bad. I’ll be home in an hour. How’s Ho Chi Minh City?”

“Gorgeous,” Wonwoo immediately replied. “Nothing new.”

“Lucky. I wanna go again.”

Wonwoo smiled before remembering why he called in the first place. “Hey, how would you feel about housing a fugitive?”

“Depends,” Joshua said casually. “How much am I getting paid?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Sounds promising.”

Breaking their joke, Wonwoo giggled. “Okay, maybe not a fugitive but an athlete. Remember my childhood friend, Jeonghan? I think I might’ve mentioned him.”

“Oh yeah, you’ve talked about him.”

“Yeah, well he’s coming to LA for like two months for this huge World’s Swim Tournament. It’s a pretty big deal and he’s kind of REALLY good,” Wonwoo explained. “And he needs a place to stay while he’s there. I feel bad I can’t go with him, so I really wanna do him this favor. But I totally get it if you’re not comfortable having someone stay with you guys. I’ll just tell him it won’t work if that’s the case.”

Listening carefully the whole time, Joshua took in everything Wonwoo said. Upon hearing the request, he knew how risky it could be, and Wonwoo definitely knew that too. Which meant he wouldn’t be asking if it didn’t mean a lot to him. “He needs somewhere to stay for two months?”

Wonwoo nodded. “Yeah, two months. He’ll be gone most of the time though for practice. Jeonghan’s always liked practicing at night and his coaches love him so they let him. He won’t cause any problems.”

Joshua smiled. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Really?”

He chuckled, a little surprised at himself for agreeing so easily. “He’s a good friend of yours, right? Then if he needs a place to stay, we have a place for him.”

“Thanks, Joshua. I know this is a big deal and I know it could make things harder for—”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Joshua interrupted. He really didn’t mind all that intricate stuff. All he wanted was to do this for his friend. “I’ll be fine. There’s Vernon, too. When I go, I’ll just give him the same excuse I give everybody. It’s good. Don’t worry.”

Wonwoo felt so lucky to have such good friends. He was a little jealous though that both Jeonghan and Joshua would get to hang out together in LA while he was stuck on the other side of the world. “Thanks. I think you guys will get along. Jeonghan’s really cool.”

“Yeah? He’s not just gonna crash in the guest room and not talk to us?” Joshua teased.

Wonwoo laughed. “No, no. He’s pretty awesome.”

“Yeah, we’ll show him a good time while we can. Send me the guy’s number. I’ll talk to him tonight.”

“I’ll do that. What’re you gonna say when he asks how we know each other?”

“Ooh, that’s a good question.” Joshua thought it over real quick. “Huh, I’ll have to think about that one.”

It was 5am in San Francisco and Joshua was spending the night at another girl’s apartment. She seemed really nice and was actually still awake. Joshua stepped out onto her balcony to answer Wonwoo’s call. As nice as she was, Joshua always preferred the company of one of his friends.

“It should be something cool,” Wonwoo commented.

“Like you caught me when I was robbing a bank.”

“Or we met swimming with sharks.”

“Or when we went skydiving.”

“Or in the middle of a bull fight.”

Joshua couldn’t help but crack up. “Our lives are a lot more exciting in our imagination.”

“I think ours are plenty exciting,” Wonwoo smiled.

Joshua looked out from the girl’s balcony. He could see the Golden Gate Bridge. He smiled. “I guess you’re right.”

— — —

Joshua
Hey is this Jeonghan? Im Joshua
Wonwoo’s friend
He just gave me your number so I could say hi :)

Jeonghan
Hey! Yeah this is Jeonghan
Thanks for texting me
And ya know
Letting me stay with you XD

Joshua
Yeah no problem anything for a friend of Wonwoo
I hope you feel comfortable here

Jeonghan
I really appreciate it thank you
Yeah idk if Wonwoo told you but its cause I can’t afford the hotel for that long

Joshua
Yeah np I totally understand
I live with my younger cousin and moneys always tight
I get it :)

Jeonghan
Your cousin Vernon right?

Joshua
Yeah Vernon
Or you can call him Hansol his korean name
Thats what Wonwoo calls him

Jeonghan
Cool
Thanks again I dont want to cause you guys any problems

Joshua
You wont you seem really nice already XD

Jeonghan
Lol thanks
Youre quite the gentleman

Joshua
Haha yeah I get that a lot
So when are you coming to LA?

Jeonghan
I fly out in two days
Yeah I’ll be there for two months
Training practicing getting ready for the competition

Joshua
Wow yeah Wonwoo said youre a really awesome swimmer

Jeonghan
Lol thanks
Im not that great or anything tho

Joshua
Are you kidding?
Youre flying out for an international swim meet
Im pretty sure that says something about how good you are XD

Jeonghan
Thanks again :P
Yeah I practice a lot so I wont be home most nights

Joshua
Dont worry that wont be a problem
Well I’m excited to meet you now Jeonghan XD
You seem pretty cool

Jeonghan
Yeah you too
It’ll be a fun couple of months I promise
You won’t regret taking me in

Joshua
Lol I’m sure I wont

— — —

“Running Man?” Seokmin asked as he flipped through the channels.

“Sure, but I never know any of the guests,” Mingyu commented, slumped on the couch and fiddling with his keychain. Sushi sat on the armrest right beside him, napping away.

Seokmin chuckled as he kept looking through. “That’s cause you live under a rock.”

“That’s what Wonwoo said.”

Smiling, Seokmin looked over to find Mingyu playing with his keys. “What is that?”

“Hmm,” Mingyu sat up a bit and replied, “Oh, it’s just something Wonwoo gave me.”

“He’s getting you gifts already?” Seokmin teased, putting his hand out. “Can I see it?”

Handing it over, Mingyu grimaced. “You buy me gifts all the time.”

“Yeah, but they’re things I find at the thrift store,” he joked. Looking at the koala, Seokmin read the word across it. “Melbourne?”

“Yeah, his parents work at a travel agency. They have stuff like this all over the place,” Mingyu lied. He came up with that the other night when Seungcheol asked.

“I was gonna say he probably got it during his last mission. Spies travel everywhere,” Seokmin added, handing it back to him. “Are you into koalas now too?”

Mingyu chuckled. He turned over to Sushi and his head, getting an appropriate pur in response. “Cats are still cuter.”

Seokmin watched his friend. For the past few weeks now, he’d noticed a change in Mingyu. It wasn’t drastic and it wasn’t bad, but something was different. As skeptical as he was about the person, Seokmin had to admit that Wonwoo was becoming a significant player in his best friend’s life. Days when Mingyu came home from hanging out with him, he seemed brighter. He was bubblier. He wasn’t always so down or reserved. He seemed...happier. And even if Wonwoo was a spy, Seokmin was grateful he was treating Mingyu so well.

“Wonwoo gets along with them.”

Mingyu grinned and looked back to the keychain. He’d been thinking about Wonwoo a lot lately. It was all involuntary, but it was nice. “Yeah, they really like him.”

“Do you really like him?” Seokmin boldly asked.

Mingyu scoffed and looked up at Seokmin. “You know how I feel about stuff like that.”

Seokmin couldn’t help but flash a huge smile. “That wasn’t a no.”

“Seokmin—”

But Seokmin didn’t want to lighten up on the topic. It was time to explore it properly. “Mingyu, I know how you feel about all that stuff,” Seokmin said, not letting his friend say more. “I totally get it and I respect it. But that doesn’t mean you have to fight anything you may be feeling for Wonwoo.”

“I don’t feel for him that way,” Mingyu argued.

“Then how do you feel for him?” Seokmin asked. Spreading out his arms he said, “If there was no stigma, if there was no title of relationship or liking or love or whatever crap, how would you describe how you feel about him. Forget everything you hate. Don’t relate anything you say to those fluffy emotions. Just…” He looked Mingyu in the eyes, knowing that his brain was churning. Somehow he could tell Mingyu needed help with this. “...tell me how you really feel.”

Mingyu stared at his friend for a second, unsure of how to answer him. He had never done what Seokmin suggested before. He never strayed away from his belief of how stupid relationships were. To think in new terms meant realizing new things and Mingyu was scared. “Seokmin, I don’t know…”

“Of course you know,” Seokmin said encouragingly, seeing Mingyu’s hesitation. “We all know. It’s just a matter of letting ourselves know. Everything you feel is in there, Mingyu. Don’t be worried about whatever you’re worrying about. And it’s just me. Talking doesn’t do anything.”

Mingyu really appreciated Seokmin’s steadiness, but he was still having a hard time. His brain was going off and his heart was weirdly pounding. It was almost ridiculous how much Seokmin’s request was getting his body working. How do you feel about Wonwoo? That’s literally all I have to think about and I can’t even do it.

Seeing his struggle, Seokmin straightened up and sat closer to him. Slapping Mingyu’s knee, he said, “Okay, I’ll start.”

Mingyu smiled. “Seokmin, what do you—”

“A few weeks ago,” Seokmin blurted out, “when we were at 10/10, I ran into a guy and nearly dropped all of our drinks. Remember?”

Searching his memories, Mingyu nodded. He remembered the stranger catching the drinks and he remembered that he seemed familiar. That was the same time he was really upset with Wonwoo. Thinking about that weirdly made him grin. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Well that guy I ran into was really cute,” Seokmin admitted. “I didn’t say anything for a while now because obviously it doesn’t mean anything, but he was cute. He had nice eyes. And for the past few weeks, I’ve been fantasizing about being with him.” Seokmin saw Mingyu twitch. “Not being with him like that, but just being around him. I’ve been thinking about talking to him and getting to know him and just that stuff. And I don’t know, it’s so stupid but it’s nice to think about.”

A little grossed out, Mingyu was amused by Seokmin’s efforts. “So how do you feel about him?”

“I feel…,” Seokmin started, trying to be a good example. “I feel like...I want to see him again. That’s how I feel about him.”

“That doesn’t really answer—”

“Doesn’t matter!” Seokmin interjected, throwing his hands up. “Doesn’t matter, because I know that’s how I feel about this total stranger.” He saw from his face that Mingyu was starting to understand. “Think in terms like that. How do you feel about Wonwoo?”

Letting everything soak in, Mingyu fell silent. Seokmin waited patiently.

But I really don’t know, Mingyu thought. He kept calling Wonwoo a friend, and that’s exactly what he was, but he knew what a friend was. A friend was Seokmin. A friend was Seungcheol. Was Wonwoo like that? Why did Wonwoo feel different if he had the same title? What was that feeling that he gave Mingyu so many times? That one where his heart would beat so fast and he’d even blush a little. Was that something outside of friendship? If he thought like Seokmin was telling him…

“I really like Wonwoo,” Mingyu admitted, making Seokmin smile from the corner of his lips. “I do really like him. That I can’t change. But I don’t want anything like—”

“But you like him,” Seokmin interjected.

“Seokmin—”

“No, stop worrying about all that stuff you worry about,” he insisted. “Just try, try to think outside of those terms.”

Trying the best he could, Mingyu momentarily relinquished all of his stereotypes towards relationships and couples. He tried to take away his prejudice and not associate anything with them. Without that, he began to think of Wonwoo.

Seeing Mingyu’s focus, Seokmin slowly asked him, “Now, how do you feel about Wonwoo?”

“I feel…,” Mingyu slowly started, trying to find the words. His eyes trailed over to Sushi who was now just as engaged in the conversation. Mingyu softly grinned at him and his head. “...like he’s a cat.”

Seokmin could hardly control his joy from hearing that. It was just nice to see Mingyu accept what he and Seungcheol were already seeing. Sitting back into the couch, Seokmin shook Mingyu’s shoulder. “I’m glad you noticed.”

“Yeah,” Mingyu said, still realizing what he just admitted to himself for the first time, “he’s a cat.”

For the next half an hour, Seokmin and Mingyu hung out until Seokmin had to head off to work, leaving Mingyu and Sushi by themselves. With his phone in hand, Mingyu twirled it between his thumb and index finger. “Should I call him?”

“Meow.”

Checking the time, it was only 2:00. “There’s plenty of time.”

As he continued to contemplate his next course of action, there was a knock at the door. Mingyu looked over at the white cat. “Are you expecting someone?”

Sushi didn’t respond so Mingyu took that as a no. He got up and went to the door, not bothering to check through the peephole. Immediately, he was taken aback. “Wonwoo?”

“Hey,” Wonwoo replied with a big smile. “You busy?”

“Uhhh, no. I was actually about to call you,” Mingyu told him.

That made Wonwoo smile even bigger. “Good.” Stepping past Mingyu, he walked into the apartment. Slipping out of his shoes, he found Sushi standing up on the couch, as if seeing who was there for himself. Wonwoo waved at him. “Hey Sushi!”

Looking satisfied, Sushi sat back down. Mingyu, on the other hand, was still a little surprised. Closing the door behind him, he asked, “What’re you doing here?”

Wonwoo spun around and spread out his arms. “What? We’re friends, right? Friends can’t stop by another friend’s house?”

Finally smiling, Mingyu couldn’t hold back his eye rolls. “Some notice would’ve been nice. What if I wasn’t home?”

“Come on, Mingyu. If you’re not with me then you’re obviously home,” Wonwoo teased.

“Whatever.”

Laughing, Wonwoo plopped himself down next to Sushi, petting away. “What were you just doing?”

Mingyu came over at sat next to him. “Seokmin just left for work and I was gonna call you. I’m not really doing anything.”

“See, you’re lucky I just happened to be in the neighborhood.”

Mingyu scoffed and looked at him suspiciously. “Why do I highly doubt that?”

“Because you have trust issues.”

“Right, that’s why,” Mingyu played along.

Wonwoo chuckled and let Sushi crawl into his lap. “Seungcheol and Seokmin let your friends stay inside?”

“Only if they’re clean,” Mingyu commented. “Yeah, they like them and all, it’s just a lot of them are pretty dirty from living outside. But if it were up to me, they’d always be allowed indoors.”

“Of course,” Wonwoo laughed. He lifted Sushi and looked him right in the face, examining him closely. “So Sushi’s the cleanest?”

Mingyu nodded. “Yeah. Seungcheol lets him come in cause he’s always well groomed somehow.”

Wonwoo could see that. As he was getting on the nose, he got an idea. Lowering Sushi, he looked to Mingyu. “Have you ever bathed the others?”

Mingyu raised an eyebrow at him. “Cats bathe themselves.”

“Yeah, but you can still give them a bath, right?”

“These guys are tough street cats,” Mingyu pointed out, Sushi’s head. “I don’t think they’ll want to take a bath.”

“But if they’re all cleaned, then they can come inside.”

That made Mingyu stop. His heart was pounding and a huge smile came onto his face. “That’s a good idea.”

— — —

“Boba, come back!” Mingyu yelled as he nearly slipped on the wet bathroom tiles.

Making a run for it, Boba was drenched and heading for the living room. Dripping water everywhere, she was not having it with this bath. Luckily, Wonwoo was there to intercept. “Gotcha!” he declared as he popped out of the corner and scooped her into his arms. Struggling, Boba refused to give up. Now soaking wet, Wonwoo tried to calm her. “Shhhh, shhhh,” he hushed as he her and headed back towards Mingyu. “It’s okay. It’s okay. It’ll all be worth it after, I promise.”

Mingyu’s amazement was written all over his face as Wonwoo slid past him and stepped into the bathroom. “You should really lock this door,” Wonwoo pointed out.

“I was getting to that,” Mingyu replied as he shut it behind him.

Wonwoo slowly and easily lowered Boba into the tub of warm water. She immediately squealed and clung to his shirt. Wonwoo laughed and looked over at Mingyu. “A little help here?”

“Come here, Boba.” Mingyu pulled her off of Wonwoo, but her claws snagged onto his shirt. “Let go,” he told her, trying not to be too commanding.

As if glaring at Mingyu, Boba released and proceeded to meow in annoyance. Chuckling, Mingyu kept his arms outstretched so she couldn’t grip anything. He knelt on the bathroom floor to be at her level. She screamed even louder as she grazed the water. “Trust me, Boba!” Mingyu exclaimed. “You’ll love sleeping inside tonight!”

Still splashing around, Boba took a little longer to subdue. When she was finally calm, Mingyu gave a sigh of relief. “Good job, Boba. Good job,” Mingyu said softly as he started pouring in some more soap.

Wonwoo chuckled and slid down the wall to sit next to him. Sopping wet, he had to admit, “This is harder than I anticipated.”

Mingyu laughed and started lathering Boba’s back. Even though she was calm, Boba scowled at him, clearly upset with what was happening. “These guys aren’t used to baths, but I bet Boba’s the toughest out of all of them. The others should be easier.”

Nodding, Wonwoo smiled and looked down at his white t-shirt. It was pretty see-through now thanks to the water and there was a tear by his shoulder thanks to Boba. It was okay though. He wasn’t that fond of the shirt. He was way more fond of Mingyu. He looked back up and said, “You owe me a new shirt.”

Keeping a hand on Boba, Mingyu twisted around. The second he saw Wonwoo, he had to stop himself from gasping. He was weirdly overwhelmed by the way his shirt clung to his stomach and how he could see the skin of his shoulder. Mingyu had to keep himself from blushing. He just turned back and chuckled, shaking his head. “Your shirt’s fine.”

“In what world is this fine?”

“It’s fine,” Mingyu said again, trying to keep his cool. Boba was obviously enjoying his suffering, smirking at him slyly. “You’ll be fine while we wash the others. I’ll loan you one of my shirts after this.”

The idea of wearing something of Mingyu’s made Wonwoo’s heart race. It was definitely worth ruining this lousy t-shirt. “Who else do we have to wash after her?”

Scrubbing behind her ears, Mingyu said, “Well, Sushi’s fine so we can leave him. There’s just Berry, Kiwi, and Mr. No Name out front.”

“Really? That’s it?” Wonwoo asked, “Why did I think there’d be way more?”

“A lot of the cats I know are just around town, like Donut and Milkshake. I wish they’d come visit though. That’d be really fun.”

Smiling, Wonwoo stood back up. “I’ll go get the next guy. Are you okay here?”

Mingyu scoffed. “You act like you’re the expert all of a sudden.”

“Maybe not with cats,” he said as he ruffled Mingyu’s hair. “But I’ve become very well versed in Mingyu.”

Mingyu kept his head down as the blush washed over his cheeks. He held his breath until he heard the door shut behind him. Letting it all out, he felt like his chest was exploding. He couldn’t explain what had just happened but it was warm and nerve-wracking. What the hell was that? And as he tried to figure it out, he looked up and saw Boba’s smug- face. He glared at her and tried to shake off his flustered expression. “What’re you looking at?”

But she just kept smiling at him. “Shut up,” he told her. “It’s nothing like that, okay?”

Boba just sat there and let him dowse her in some more water. Even though she was in the bath, she could tell it was Mingyu who was drowning, in his own emotions that is. “Seriously,” he said, “I don’t know what’s up with everybody today. First Seokmin and now you. Come on, I already admitted he’s like one of you guys. What more do you want from me?”

She still didn’t say anything, which started to annoy Mingyu. “Do you want me to admit he makes me get all weird? Do you want me to have to say that rip in his shirt was weirdly...nice to see? Do you need me to say these things out loud before you’re satisfied?” he asked haughtily. But she just kept smiling. Irritated, he dumped some cold water on her back as an act of revenge. “Shut up.”

Mingyu argued with her a little more before Wonwoo came back. With Berry squirming in his arms, he struggled to shut the door with his foot. “Hey, hey, buddy! Calm down!” he tried to ease him.

From the ground, Mingyu was drying Boba in his lap, rubbing the towel back and forth all around her. Watching Wonwoo was too entertaining so he decided not to help. “You doing okay there?”

Unamused, Wonwoo managed to lower him into the tub. Much to his surprise, Berry didn’t try to run away. Instead, he just let his paws soak before the rest of his body joined in the bath. “You’re so weird,” Wonwoo chuckled, surprised by how easily he got in the water.

“What?” Mingyu uttered, thinking Wonwoo meant him.

“Oh.” Wonwoo twisted around, slightly embarrassed since he didn’t even realize what he just did. “Uh, I was talking to Berry.”

And that really made Mingyu’s heart go off. Without his permission, a giant smile popped out of his lips. Unable to control his feelings, Mingyu just kept cleaning Boba. “Ya know, if you’re not careful, people will think you’re a crazy cat person like me.”

Seeing the boy so happy made Wonwoo smile right back. “That wouldn’t be too horrible.”

“I need a house full of cats,” Mingyu declared. “That’s what I need. Just a big ol’ house with plenty of room for the cats. I’d take all of the ones from the park and the cafe and the alleys home and they could be a family with me.”

Wonwoo sat down on the tile floor to start washing Berry as Mingyu began to brush Boba. Hearing the boy talk about cats was one of his new favorite pass times. “What would this house look like?” he asked, letting Mingyu explain more of his fantasy.

“Mmm,” he thought it over. “It’d be spacious so there’d be plenty of room for everyone to explore if they wanted. There’d be rooms dedicated to different things. Like there’d be a lot with just scratching posts and cat towers and play structures. There’d be a napping room for when they got lazy. Plenty of places for them to climb around.” As he spoke, Mingyu’s voice exuded how much heart was behind his words. He was just oozing with love for these felines.

And Wonwoo couldn’t get enough of it. “Would there be a better system to get them all clean?”

“Definitely,” Mingyu said with certainty. “No longer would they have to suffer in a bathtub if that’s not what they want. Berry over there may not mind it, but Boba,” he said as he lifted her towards his face. “She’d get something special. Haven’t worked through all the kinks, but I’ll somehow get a cat washer that doesn’t require too much water.”

Wonwoo chuckled, “Like a car wash but a cat wash?”

“Exactly,” Mingyu laughed. He put Boba back down and finished up on her fur. She gave him a reassuring purr, letting him know she appreciated it. “She hates the bath but she loves to be brushed. Somehow, we’ll make it work for her.”

“What about food?” Wonwoo asked. “What would all of them eat?”

“Anything they want,” he said proudly. “I’d hire a professional chef to cook any meal they could imagine. Kiwi would love that. She’s always rummaging through garbage cans and coming out with the best stuff even after I feed her. I’m surprised she’s not a hundred pounds or something.”

“She will be if she lives in this house of yours,” Wonwoo teased.

Mingyu smiled. “She deserves it. She’d be so happy that way.”

Wonwoo’s heart was fluttering just listening to this side of Mingyu, the side that held nothing back and expressed his utter and devoted love for something. “And where would everyone sleep? Do they all get their own rooms?”

“If they wanted, but I bet a lot of them would just love to lounge around and end up on a sofa or something. Remember Milkshake from the park?” Mingyu asked.

Recalling their first real talk, Wonwoo smiled into his chest as he rubbed soap over Berry. “I remember.”

“I bet she’d still love to sleep outside for some reason,” Mingyu commented. “So they’d be able to choose where they stay. There’d be a nice porch and nice back yard if they ever want to roam around. A lot of cat beds all over the place. It’d be perfect for them.”

In love with Mingyu’s heartfelt imagination, Wonwoo asked, “And what about people? Where would they fit into this?”

“Well, the house would definitely be big enough for Seokmin and Seungcheol if they still wanted to live with me. This would be a house where humans and cats live together in harmony,” he said with a big smile. Boba meowed in agreement.

Wonwoo grinned and could hardly contain the pleasure he felt inside. He wasn’t sure if he should ask this next thing, but he decided to anyway. “And what about me?”

“You?” he uttered, still smiling down at Boba.

“Could I stay with you in the cat house?”

Mingyu flicked his head up and found Wonwoo beaming at him. He could clearly see some sweat on his brow from tracking down Berry. There was an easiness in their gaze, a warmth that Mingyu couldn’t explain, so he didn’t try to. He tried to follow Seokmin’s advice from earlier and let everything go. So he just scoffed. Rolling his eyes with a smile on his face, Mingyu replied, “Wonwoo, you’re basically like a cat already. You’ve definitely gotten the approval of all these guys, especially that grey guy outside. Of course you can stay with me.”

Wonwoo could feel his heartbeat intensify as he was overwhelmed with joy. Smiling from ear to ear, he replied, “Thanks. I look forward to moving in one day.”

Mingyu laughed and leaned his head back against the wall, imaging what that would be like. “Yeah, me too.”

— — —

Exhausted, Wonwoo plopped himself on the couch and let out a huge breath of air. “I’m so tired,” he declared, keeping his eyes shut and letting his head lay back.

As he was just sitting there, the cat with no name hopped up to rest on his lap with him. Wonwoo chuckled and his head as Mingyu joined them. Smiling at the two of them, Mingyu continued to look around the whole apartment. Boba and Berry were exploring the countertops in the kitchen while Kiwi was snooping around the space under the dining table. Sushi, already familiar with the inside, seemed to be leading all of their explorations. Mingyu was exploding on the inside. He couldn’t remember a time when he was so happy. Reaching over to pet the grey fellow with Wonwoo, Mingyu said, “This is amazing.”

Wonwoo laughed and asked, “Aren’t you tired?”

“Who cares?” he asked with a huge grin. “They’re all inside! That’s never happened before.”

“They seem to like it.”

“I wonder what Seungcheol’s gonna say when he comes home,” Mingyu realized.

Thinking it over, Wonwoo said, “I bet if he sees you this happy, he won’t mind.”

Mingyu smiled back at Wonwoo and let his gaze drop down a little. “Hey, do you still wanna borrow a shirt?”

“What?” Wonwoo looked down and saw the tear at his shoulder. He’d forgotten all about it. “Oh yeah, I forgot. Sure, can I borrow something?” he asked as he lifted the cat off, gently placing him on the couch cushion.

“Yeah, come with me.” The two of them got up and Mingyu lead them to his bedroom. Having been there before, Wonwoo wasn’t surprised but being in Mingyu’s room always got his heart racing. Standing behind Mingyu, he watched as the boy searched through his closet. Wonwoo could see his wardrobe was limited to t-shirts, hoodies, some button ups, and a few flannels. Cute, he thought to himself, imagining what Mingyu must look like in everything.

Flipping through to see what was clean, Mingyu found a grey t-shirt that seemed suiting. He took it down and handed it to Wonwoo over his shoulder. “This should work.”

“Thanks,” Wonwoo said as he took it.

Scanning through a little more to see if there was anything better, Mingyu replied, “Yeah no problem. You know where the bathroom is to change. Sorry, I don’t really shop so it’s a little old, but—” Mingyu’s words cut off as he finally turned around. His eyes grew wide and he froze for a solid five seconds before turning back around. Feeling his face heat up, Mingyu shielded his eyes and screamed, “OH MY GOD! WHY ARE YOU SHIRTLESS?!”

While Mingyu was talking, Wonwoo had casually slipped out of his tattered shirt. He didn’t get the chance to put on the other one before Mingyu freaked out. Surprised, Wonwoo laughed hysterically. “What?! Why can’t I just change here?!”

Involuntarily, Mingyu twisted back to see all of Wonwoo’s exposed skin. He couldn’t look for very long before he covered his face again. “Uh, go ahead!” he exclaimed. Blind, he rushed towards the door. Wonwoo watched, amused, as he struggled to find the doorknob. “I’ll be in the living room when you’re done!” Without another look, Mingyu slammed the door shut behind him, leaning against it as he tried to catch his breath. WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! he screamed internally. He had no idea why seeing Wonwoo’s nice chest and toned stomach and strong arms and well-defined…

Nope! Stop thinking about it! Mingyu’s heart was racing and he was a nervous wreck. As he was clutching his chest, trying to calm himself down, he looked down to find Boba smugly staring up at him. He was not in the mood for her sass. Glaring at her, he flatly said, “Go away.”

Satisfied with how flustered he was, she obliged and walked away. Mingyu let out a huge sigh of relief.

From the other side, Wonwoo was smiling from ear to ear. He didn’t take off his shirt with the intentions of getting Mingyu all riled up like that, but it was a nice aftermath. He’d never seen Mingyu react...like that before. It was oddly refreshing. Wonwoo was weirdly pleased that he could get Mingyu that flustered, as if it made him realize he wasn’t the only one feeling things in this friendship. Chuckling to himself, Wonwoo couldn’t stop seeing Mingyu’s flushed face. Cute. Tossing on the t-shirt, he opened the door and stepped back out to the living room. There, he found Mingyu on the couch with Sushi and his phone. “Sorry about that,” he said, sitting down beside him.

Mingyu didn’t even look up. “It’s okay. Is the shirt comfortable?”

Wonwoo chuckled and reached for the TV remote. “Very.”

Mingyu glanced up to see what he was turning on. “Do you wanna watch something?”

Slyly looking over at him from the corner of his eye, Wonwoo said, “Are we not gonna acknowledge how you just ran away from me like that?”

Feeling his arms tense up and trying not to blush, Mingyu turned his attention back to his phone. “Nope.”

Laughing, Wonwoo started,“Mingyu—”

“Let’s not talk about it,” he interrupted, reaching over and grabbing the remote from Wonwoo’s hand. He stared straight ahead at the TV, not even flinching. “Do you wanna watch a movie?”

Scoffing because of how ridiculously cute Mingyu was being, Wonwoo crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch. “Sure, let’s watch a movie. What do you want to watch?”

For the next few minutes, they decided what to watch until they settled for The Avengers, the first one since they both agreed it was better than the second. As they watched and talked and commented a bit, Wonwoo couldn’t help but think about what happened back there because of his shirt. Finally, unable to hold it in any longer and in the middle of Thor’s entrance into the movie, he turned to Mingyu and said, “Okay, I gotta make fun of you for how you reacted earlier.”

Oh my god, he’s killing me. Trying his hardest not to let his face turn red, Mingyu rolled his eyes. “We’re not talking about that.”

“Oh come on,” Wonwoo teased, scooching closer to him. Jabbing him in the ribs with his elbow, he asked, “What was that, huh?”

“That was absolutely nothing,” Mingyu replied, having a hard time focusing on what was on the screen. He’s actually trying to make sure I die.

“Why do I find that hard to believe?”

“I just didn’t think you were gonna change right there, okay,” Mingyu admitted, saying nothing more.

Wonwoo smiled. “But we’re friends, right? Can’t a friend change in front of a friend like that?”

Sure, yeah, we’re friends, Mingyu sarcastically thought, but then he realized what he was thinking and quickly shook it away. “Sure, yeah, fine.”

“Then why’d you run out like that?” Wonwoo pushed, grinning like the cat he could be.

It’s like he and Boba are teaming up on me. “I was surprised.”

“At what?”

“That you would just strip like that!” Mingyu exclaimed, making Sushi jump beside him.

Wonwoo laughed and let his head lean on Mingyu’s shoulder. “Okay, okay, fair enough. I guess the same would happen to me if you just took off your shirt randomly.”

Giving a sigh of relief, Mingyu felt the weight of Wonwoo on him. It was oddly nice. “Thank you. Now can we just get back to the movie.”

Wonwoo sat back up and faced forward. A yawn escaped his lips as he repositioned to get comfortable again. “Alright, alright. I might fall asleep though. I’m wiped.”

“Yeah, me too,” Mingyu agreed, yawning as well. Lying deeper into the couch, he put his feet up on the coffee table. “This is also why I need a cat washer. Takes away all this work.”

Wonwoo chuckled and rested his eyes for a moment, letting his lids lay shut. “But like you said earlier, it was worth it.”

Mingyu ended up doing the same, closing his eyes to relieve their strain. “It totally was.”

“They all seem very happy inside,” Wonwoo said, feeling the tiredness kick in a bit more.

“I know, especially Mr. No Name. I think he just likes hanging out with you.”

Wonwoo smiled. “Well, who doesn’t?”

Mingyu smiled softly, his words also finding the same softness. “I guess you’re right.”

Wonwoo’s voice also lightened up. “I think he’d appreciate me changing in front of him.”

“Now that I doubt.”

“You should never doubt me.”

The spacing between their conversation grew larger. “I always do though.”

“I...am extremely reliable.”

“I never said you weren’t.”

The silences drew out as they each started drifting off.

“Mr. No Name thinks I’m reliable,” Wonwoo said drowsily.

“How could you know that?” Mingyu asked sleepily.

“Because…” He took a while to finish. “I...am...awesome.”

Breathing softly, Mingyu replied, “Yeah...right.”

“You...are…” But before he could even finish with another word, sleep took over. Thankfully, Mingyu wasn’t waiting. He was out like a light.

— — —

“Too.”

Wonwoo shook awake and that was the first thing out of his mouth. His vision still hazy, he wasn’t sure what exactly had happened. It was one of those times when you fall asleep but have no real recollection of it, as if you were put under a spell of some sort. He scanned his surroundings and found the grey cat right next to him, making him smile. When he turned to his other side, he smiled even bigger.

Mingyu was fast asleep, arms crossed over his chest with Sushi cuddled up along his side. Wonwoo realized what must’ve happened. Wow, we actually fell asleep. With the movie still playing in the background, he took a moment to just admire how relaxed Mingyu looked in his sleep. He’s pretty amazing, Wonwoo couldn’t help but think. Hearing the movie behind him, Wonwoo noticed which scene they were on and how far along it was. He pulled out his phone to check the time. His heart sunk when he saw that it was 5:30pm. It meant he had to go.

Slowly, trying not to stir Mingyu, Wonwoo stood up and stretched out his arms. His grey friend was now awake and stared up at him with longing eyes, telling him not to go. Wonwoo grinned down at him and pet his head. “Tell him I said bye,” he whispered.

As Wonwoo headed for the door, he felt that ache in his chest, the same one he felt every time he left Mingyu. This time a little more since he didn’t get to properly say goodbye, but the day was so great together that he didn’t mind. It was better to let Mingyu stay in his peaceful state than to wake him up just to leave. As he slipped on his shoes, Wonwoo gazed back at the sleeping Mingyu. His chest rose and fell so rhythmically, Wonwoo was mesmerized. He was so captivating in Wonwoo’s eyes. With one last longing glance, Wonwoo sighed and smiled as he opened the door and headed out. But just as he opened the door to go…

“Wonwoo!”

Wonwoo’s eyes grew wide, startled from the break in his silent departure. But he immediately smiled once he realized what was happening. “Seungcheol, hi!” he exclaimed as he stepped out of the apartment. Still not wanting to wake Mingyu, he closed the door behind him even though he could see the key in the boy’s roommate’s hand.

But Seungcheol just chuckled. “Sorry, I heard that you were here. I don’t know why I seem so surprised.”

“It’s okay,” Wonwoo laughed. “I was actually just leaving, but I’m glad I got to run into you.”

“Mingyu didn’t walk you out?” he asked.

“Oh yeah, actually Mingyu’s asleep,” Wonwoo explained.

“He’s asleep?!” Seungcheol uttered. “What’d you guys do to tire him out? Mingyu usually naps after stuff, so he must’ve been really knocked out.”

Wonwoo smiled. “Umm, you’ll see when you get inside. But yeah, he’s really tired so I’m just gonna head home now. I’ll text him later when he’s up.”

“Good, good,” Seungcheol said. “Well, I won’t keep you much longer.”

“Yeah, it’s always nice seeing you, Seungcheol,” Wonwoo said as he started to walk away.

Seungcheol waved and put his key in his pocket, realizing he didn’t need it anymore. “You too, man. Come over whenever you want.”

“Thanks,” Wonwoo chuckled. “I’ll see you later!”

Seungcheol watched as the boy turned to leave, glad that Mingyu had someone he was becoming so close to. He was also glad that he told Wonwoo not to give up. But just as Seungcheol was about to turn the doorknob and walk inside, he remembered something from the other day. Actually, he remembered someone. “Hey, Wonwoo!” he called back.

Wonwoo spun around and yelled back, “Yeah?”

Seungcheol wasn’t really sure how to ask. “Umm, can I ask you about something?”

A bit far away, Wonwoo walked back so he could be in a more appropriate speaking range. “Yeah, sure. What is it?”

“Umm, the other day,” Seungcheol started, trying to remember exactly what had happened. “I was with Mingyu and someone came up to him asking about you.”

Now close enough, Wonwoo stopped. He felt his throat go dry and a chill run down his spine. He had a feeling he knew what Seungcheol was going to say, but he didn’t want to hear it. Still, he had to ask, “Who was it?”

“Some guy with pink hair,” Seungcheol said. “He said his name was Jihoon.”

Wonwoo’s heart was beating like crazy, but now it was for a different reason. This time was a lot less pleasant than earlier that day. “Yeah, I know him.”

“Well he was talking to Mingyu about you and…” Seungcheol trailed off trying to find his words. “I don’t know, Mingyu was just really uncomfortable and that guy just rubbed me the wrong way.”

Wonwoo nodded slowly. Aside from his heart beating, he could feel himself fuming inside. The idea of Jihoon or Soonyoung going up to Mingyu and bothering him and making him feel bad was disgusting. It made him furious. “He’s not a good guy,” Wonwoo said to Seungcheol.

That made him a bit concerned. “Is he dangerous?”

“No, not like that,” Wonwoo explained. “But he’s definitely someone who gives me a hard time. I’m so sorry that he went up to you and Mingyu. I’m really sorry that you had to even meet him.”

“No, it’s not your fault,” Seungcheol defended him, knowing who the enemy was. “I was just concerned because of how interested he seemed in you.”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo said solemnly. “He and his friend, they’ve always given me a hard time.”

There’s another one, Seungcheol thought. That didn’t make him feel any more comfortable. “I’m so sorry,” he said. There was a second when neither of them said anything. Both were just thinking about what this all meant. Finally, Seungcheol looked at him and said, “Do you mind if I ask?”

“Ask what?”

“What do they want from you?” Seungcheol asked. “Like, does he think Mingyu knows something so he went up to him?”

Wonwoo took a deep breath and thought over what was being asked of him right now. They were simple questions with not so simple answers. “Jihoon’s a reporter,” he started, which already seemed to throw Seungcheol off guard, “and he’s been following me for a while. And he thinks I have some ‘crazy secret’ or something newsworthy. He went up to Mingyu cause he’s been noticing that we’ve been hanging out more and I don’t normally make friends that easily. He thinks that Mingyu could know something.”

Seungcheol’s mind was cranking in this new information. He didn’t really know what to do with it. All he knew was he had to make sure it didn’t hurt Mingyu. When he didn’t say more, Seungcheol curiously interjected, “And does he?”

For some reason, that made Wonwoo smile. There was this weird warmth in his chest when he realized how much Mingyu knew about him and how he kept it a secret. It meant that he cared, and that he could be trusted. So Wonwoo trusted him. “You can ask him,” Wonwoo said as he started to back away again. “If he wants to, he can explain everything.”

Wonwoo knew how much power he was giving Mingyu in that moment. Mingyu could tell Seungcheol everything if he wanted to, and that would be another person Wonwoo had to worry about holding his secret. But that idea didn’t bother Wonwoo. For some reason, he trusted Mingyu with all the power the universe granted him.

Not sure how to fully take that response, Seungcheol nodded and softly grinned back. “Thanks. I’ll talk to him.”

“Good,” Wonwoo said, now leaving for sure and waving back. “Bye, Seungcheol.”

“Bye, Wonwoo,” Seungcheol said as he finally turned the doorknob to go inside. His brain was wracking with what Wonwoo had just said, but he didn’t have much time to think further.

“Meow.”

The second he shut the door behind him, Seungcheol found Kiwi staring and meowing up at him. It took him a moment before he glanced around and found Boba and Berry and Sushi and Mr. No Name and Mingyu. All inside. All everywhere.

Frozen and eyes wide, Seungcheol was in shock. But after a moment, he managed to scream, “MINGYU!”

Awakened from his slumber, Mingyu jolted forward. The second he saw Seungcheol’s distraught face by the door, he knew what was happening. He shot to his feet, threw his hands up, and yelled back, “I CAN EXPLAIN!”

again im so sorry that its been so long! this chapter just took me forever to write again for whatever reason but here it is! hopefully you enjoyed :D but yes now we have some Jihan going and just a lot of cat stuff XD thank you for being so patient and commenting and subscribing and upvoting it all means a lot to me <3 hopefully again the next chapter doesnt take as long but yeah exciting things are going on so im a little busy XD i graduate high school this friday so thats awesome but after that time should be better and trust me when i say i really love writing this stuff and want to spend a lot of time on it XD thanks again and until next time!