Chanyeol let out a breath, pressing his index finger to his bluetooth as he climbed out of the car, briefcase safe in his hand. This was going to be a long call, he’d ducked out of the office before their Junmyeon had gotten back to them about changing the trajectory of the project but he needed to get back. Monshi was still a young pup and he needed to be there at least some of the time, she wasn’t going to be properly socialised otherwise. At least if he was home he could work and just get her used to other people being around her.

He noticed as he unlocked the front door that she wasn’t barking as loudly as she usually did when he got home and worry began to worry at the edge of his consciousness. Was she okay? It wasn’t snake season and he was pretty sure there was no gaps in his gate so something serious would have needed to happen for her to not be heralding his arrival.

Routine usually dictated that Chanyeol would place his briefcase on the kitchen counter and shuffle into his home office, switching his computer as he’d never even left work, routine also went out the window when he looked through his back doors and saw someone halfway across the fence. That’s right, he wasn’t inside his yard, more sort of stuck as if he’d been attempting to climb across and then found the task impossible, hanging there rather than climbing back down. Dropping his briefcase and allowing, Kyungsoo to rattle on in his ear, Chanyeol quickly moved through his small living area, pulling back the glass doors with a coordination he was surprised by given the situation.

“What in the hell are you doing on my fence?” Chanyeol asked, and he probably would have raised his voice further were it not for the way the man already jumped at the sound of his semi-yell. His feet still planted on the tiny patio space, Monshi traipsed over, jumping up high, at his hand, a move he’d not expected to see from her any time soon. Usually she barked and even bit at his hand if he dared put it near her head.

Turning his attention back to the man still stuck on the fence he was greeted with furrowed brows and what he could only guess to be an apologetic pout. “My name is Jongdae. I heard your dog. I wanted to say hello.” And in spite of the fact that he was half hanging over Chanyeol’s side of the fence Jongdae seemed to believe this was a perfectly reasonable excuse to be there — almost to the point that Chanyeol was inclined to believe him. Almost.

Raising a brow, Chanyeol took a few steps towards the area of the fence that Jongdae was hanging over, eyes trailing along his body and starting a little at how short he appeared to me. “Why are you dangling like that? Like why didn’t you just climb back down?” he asked, leaning against the fence and looking down at Jongdae’s face.

“Well it goes like this,” Jongdae paused and Chanyeol leaned closer, narrowing his eyes as he tried to give a silent guess at what his explanation would be now, instead all he was rewarded with was Jongdae’s fingers squeezing his nose tightly. “There is no story you giraffe, just not everyone is born with stilts for legs.” The comment probably would have been more scathing if Jongdae wasn’t looking up at him from an angle level with his chest and his legs weren’t dangling awkwardly on the other side of the fence.

The thrum of a hum rumbled through Chanyeol’s chest, that turned into a laugh as it burst into the open air. “D’you want some help to get down or are you gonna keep pretending that you’re not lookin’ ridiculous right about now?” he asked, smirk pulling at the right side of his mouth, matching his already raised eyebrow.

What Jongdae did couldn’t really be counted as hesitation before he stretched out his arms and twinkled his fingers. Holding back his laughter shook Chanyeol’s body as he tucked his arms around Jongdae’s midriff, scratchy sweater irritating his skin as he lifted the man up and over the fence. Shorter man safely on the ground Chanyeol was about to speak before Monshi ran over from where she’d been scratching against the door to get in. “How’d you get her to calm down? I’ve been trying to get her to chill for the last month.” he asked, small smile coming to his features as Monshi ran between their legs playfully.

Even when he was standing squarely across from Chanyeol, Jongdae was fairly short, at least a head between them, a big head. “I just gave her some of the treats left over from when my brother and his wife visited with their dog,” Chanyeol watched as his eyes turned to nothing more than gentle curves and his mouth that was already turned up the edges pulled into an even wider smile. He had to remind himself that it was odd to find someone that had practically trespassed on your property good looking.

The reminder didn’t work and Chanyeol let his eyes roam the ruffled hair of Jongdae, narrowing his gaze as they settled once again on the man’s overly warm smile. “Okay…well, thank you I guess? She seems a lot more relaxed. I was gettin’ worried about her.” That at least wasn’t a lie, Chanyeol was thankful and knowing that he had someone on hand that could get Monshi to behave was pretty encourage — he’d been despairing a little on how to care for her.

Jongdae bopped his head a little, even rocking on his feat a little before leaning around Chanyeol and pointing towards the fence that led out of his yard. “I should probably get going then…” he trailed off as he turned his eyes from the gate and back to Chanyeol. There wasn’t really anything that he could do other than agree so Chanyeol nodded, flashing him a quick smile before stepping aside, clearing the way to the gate.

There was a bit of awkward shuffling but Jongdae was out the gate in no time, retreating safely over to his side of the fence, Chanyeol too began to head inside, wondering if they’d ever speak again when he heard the man’s voice floating across the fence.

“Call out to me any mornings you need help! I’m a writer so as long as I’ve got my laptop I’m okay to dogsit~!”

In spite of all better sense Chanyeol found himself calling out the affirmative as he toed his shoes off before he headed inside, Monshi hot on his heels.

AN//

written before chanyeol had revealed toben!!!
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