When Seongwoo woke up, his first thought was to check on the snowy marshmallow in both looks and behavior samoyed puppy. He was curled up at the foot of his bed, a massive cotton ball. Daniel had wanted to sleep with him but he was much too large in his dog form and he could not stand to be in his human form for much longer after they had mated. Mating took out a lot of energy on him apparently.

Before sleeping, Seongwoo had made him shower and blew his hair dry first. Then, he had transformed his gorgeous body into his canine one and curled on the floor. Seongwoo had laid on his side on the floor for a while, using the dog’s shoulder as a pillow and petting his head.

Daniel, it turned out, had a tendency to fall asleep quickly, just a minute after closing his eyes. He moved and barked in his sleep as if he was chasing a squirrel. It had been adorable and kept Seongwoo up despite he eventually went to bed and had work the next day.

While Daniel was still asleep in the morning, he messaged his manager that he would be taking a sick day because he was allowed to do that a couple of times a year. He simply didn’t feel like going to work today. He got up very slow and quiet, put his feet in a fuzzy pair of seal slippers and tip toed into his living room. He was in the middle of cooking scrambled eggs when the puppy came out much later, sniffing all over the ground like he was tracking the delicious smell.

When he trotted into the kitchen, Daniel lifted his head, beady black round eyes sparkling, his tail wagging slapping against the counter and fridge in the narrow room, fluffy, soft ears twitching, and barked brightly. Seongwoo smiled over his shoulder and paused in stirring to wave the spatula at Daniel.

"Good morning to you too. Sleep well?"

Daniel barked that he had slept extremely well and nodded to clarify in case he hadn't been able to get the message. Their mind reading skills were as sharp as ever, even more so possibly now that they had bonded. Seongwoo could actually hear Daniel’s deep, thick, accented voice.

"That's good. I wasn't able to sleep well because you kept me up with your sleep barking. I decided to take a day off. I told your friends you will be home later tonight. Anyway, we can get you groomed and practice for the interviews."

Daniel sat next to him looking up with a head twitch and whined. Seongwoo sensed he didn't like being groomed for some reason.

Seongwoo narrowed his eyes and took on a motherly tone, "Your hair is too long in both forms. You shed all over my room."

Daniel barked and stamped his foot, denying it. Seongwoo raised an eyebrow and smirked with amusement.

"Are you so sure about that? I bet there's a pile of white fur where you slept on my rug."

He set down the pan on the table with two plates and forks. Daniel rushed into the room before him and plopped down over the spot with a guilty but trying to feign nonchalance expression. There was evidence of the mess by a cloud of white fuzz floating about around him.

"Don't try to fool me, Kang Daniel. Move aside. Three two ..."

Daniel followed his finger and moved away. Seongwoo gasped at the huge amount of fur on his rug. It was enough to make a mattress or rug of its own. He looked over at Daniel who was hiding his nose under his paws, avoiding his eyes. He was clearly embarrassed and feeling apologetic.

"It's okay, sweetie. But we are getting you groomed today most definitely. I don't like dander or dirt and especially I'm bothered by loose hair. It's why I don't have an animal in the first place. Change into your human form while we eat, okay? Fur might fly into our food."

Seongwoo went to get the vacuum. Daniel changed into his human form and slipped into the pajamas that matched with his own, navy blue to his black. He winced and covered his ears, sensitive to the sound as Seongwoo vacuumed.

"Sorry. All clean now. Let's get you some ear plugs next time. I don't need them. I have my ears."

"Wow, that's cool!" Daniel exclaimed and clapped as Seongwoo demonstrated his exceptional ear folding talents.

A few moments later, Seongwoo popped them out by moving just his mouth. Daniel stretched out on the bed, holding his stomach and hitting a pillow as he burst out laughing. He laughed for so long eventually Seongwoo went out to the dining room because he was hungry. Daniel came out, still snickering and wiping tears. He sat down and smiled sweetly at Seongwoo.

"You're so funny, hyung. You should have been a comedian. no wait you're so pretty. You should have been a model. Ah, but you're so expressive, you should have been an actor. Why are you so multi-talented and perfect? It’s just unfair to the rest of the world~" Daniel gushed with adoration.

Seongwoo flushed, laughed awkwardly, and pressed under his nose, feeling flattered but bashful at the sudden attack of comments. He never got used to this, how Daniel was open with his thoughts and seemed to like him to the point of worship.

"I'm not talented. I've had lots of times where I've heard I was no jaem to the point I have a trauma. I am clumsy, I get lost all the time, and I have a terrible memory. It's a wonder I got into my field considering how terrible I used to be at math in high school. I'm nothing special so those glamorous professions wouldn't help me. Now eat up before it gets cold."

Daniel said that he disagreed but obediently ate, smiling foolishly around his fork and watching Seongwoo with interest and adoration. Seongwoo watched his hands and plate as he ate, smiling and snorting with amusement here and there. Daniel had a hard time with stabbing the smaller bunches of eggs and when he tried to scoop the yellow, sponge-like pieces, they fell off the edge and scattered all over the table.

"Try using a spoon together with the fork."

Seongwoo brought over a spoon and showed him how to scoop the smaller pieces into his spoon. Seongwoo held his hand over his mouth, biting his lip trying hard to hold back his laughter since Daniel was being serious. Daniel looked adorable as he concentrated intensely, his mouth pursing, caterpillar golden eyebrows furrowing, and pretty almond eyes crossing.

Seongwoo teased lightly, "What are we going to do when you get to using chopsticks? That's much harder than this. How do you guys eat at home?"

"We usually cook in our human forms but eat in our animal forms. They gave up trying to teach me how to use utensils. It annoyed me so I would just throw them or chew on them. Darnit!"

Seongwoo snickered as Daniel accidentally dropped half the spoonful of eggs he had painstakingly gathered back on to the plate. "Poor puppy. It's alright. We all have to learn these things sometimes. You are basically a baby in the human world. You will get it. Don't get frustrated and keep trying. Here, I'll help."

Seongwoo held his wrists and taught him how to do it slowly, keeping his arms steady to prevent from another accident that deprived the hungry shifter of grub.

After eating, Seongwoo sat Daniel down in front of his vanity mirror and they discussed how to cut it. Daniel told him that usually he just cut his own hair with an electric razor. Seongwoo was rather impressed his hair looked this decent, having attempted but failed to cut his own hair, almost going bold in one spot with the tool. Seongwoo explained what he was thinking of and showed a picture. He thought Daniel would look good with his hair thinned and shaved at the sides and back the top long but not as shaggy, straightened and moved to the side.

"If that's what you want, I will do it, hyung. If you think I would he hot bald or my hair a foot long in a ponytail, I would do it. I want to look like your ideal. That way you will want to mate with me every day."

Daniel took his hands from his head and pulled them to his lips, beaming at him through the mirror. Seongwoo rested his arms on his shoulders and blushed as Daniel kissed his wrist and palms. They both were thinking of their incredible night as they spotted a couple hickies and bite marks. Daniel and smelled his wrist, closing his eyes and looking drugged with happiness.

"Hmm, you smell like me. It's fantastic. You're really mine now. My Ong..." he murmured huskily.

Seongwoo blushed and bit his lip, hiding a smile behind Daniel's head, his heart thumping like crazy. The way that Daniel spoke and thought of him in such a possessive manner still got to him terribly.

"Hmm, I am..."

"When can we mate again, hyung? Today?"

Seongwoo's eyes went big and his mouth dropped. He met Daniel's gaze in the mirror, looking hopeful and expectant. Seongwoo flushed deeper.

"Are your symptoms acting up?" he muttered shyly.

"Well, they seem to have settled down for now. I'm not sure about later. I did say I want to mark you several times more."

"Um ...can we wait for the bruises to fade a bit first? I'm feeling a bit worried for my skin..."

"Sure. Whatever you wish hyung. We can just do human mating then, unless my symptoms come back terribly strong. Marking can be just a couple times a week."

Seongwoo grew hot at the thought of and more marking sessions. He hid his red face in Daniel's neck, hugging his chest, and groaning. Daniel seemed pleasantly surprised, thinking he hadn't thought Seongwoo would ever be this sweet and clingy.

"Actually, I am pretty cold and standoffish but when I like someone I get like this. I can be quite clingy and I like to be babied. I like guys to take care of me. But I don't know if that can happen. You're younger than me and I know more about the world…"

"That's true but you're clumsy, you get lost, and you forget things like you said. I'm the alpha here. I can take care of you, hyung. I will be like your bodyguard and your manager, not just your boyfriend. I will make sure you don't forget things and that you're never bumped by anyone on the street. I'm strong and I've got a good brain. Just wait and see how I baby you better than any other human. Alphas are good at that. It's my instinct to care for you."

Daniel reached up and pet the top of his brunette head gently. Seongwoo laughed and kissed his neck, squeezing tighter, his insides turning with excitement at the sound of that. He had been living so long on his own. He missed being babied by boyfriends. He missed feeling loved and cherished. He had a feeling that Daniel could make him feel more so that way than anyone ever had. He was already looking forward to it and picturing their days together in his home.

"A part of me doesn't believe this but another part of me does. You seemed very in control and caring last night despite being new to this with humans. I had a great time. Thanks for leading me through and not hurting me and caring for my skin and sore muscles after."

Daniel brushed his arms and beamed at him through the mirror. "You're very welcome hyung. Let's go out and get me prettified to Seongwoo's style. I want to be your ideal, like I said. It's driving me crazy."

Seongwoo laughed and ruffled his hair as the pup's ears and tail popped out and he bounced on the chair, barking.

Daniel was sitting in the leather chair in front of a mirror in the barber shop. Seongwoo was getting a trim next to him, explaining and showing photos of how he wanted the other’s cut to go.

"What if they shave off all my hair by accident?"

 Daniel sent a message through his mind, shaking his legs and anxiously shifting his eyes. Seongwoo looked up and met his gaze through the mirror. He put the puppy instantly at ease with a soft, reassuring smile.

"They are professionals, they won't. If we don't like it, I will yell at them and demand a refund."

Daniel hummed and cocked his head with a curious, confused look. He didn't know what that was. Seongwoo laughed. Daniel pouted, complaining openly about Seongwoo teasing him for being ignorant. He was sensitive to not knowing as much as Seongwoo at certain times.

"No, that wasn't it. You're just adorable, that's why I laughed."

Daniel kept sticking out his naturally pink, plush lips and being sulky. Seongwoo found it adorable enough to melt into a puddle of goo.

The hairdresser said he was finished with Seongwoo and would be starting on Daniel. Seongwoo checked his look first and fixed his bangs so they were waving at just the right angle off his forehead that he preferred. He didn't look any different. He had kept this style for years because he going it suited his face the best and was luckily still stylish.

He turned his chair to be close to Daniel, sensing he was anxious about becoming ugly. Seongwoo was certain that even without hair he could never be ugly, but it was clear that he was attached to and proud of his hair/fur, which was why it was kept long. He really needed a cut though. His pretty eyes were barely visible if his hair fell forward.

When the hairdresser sprayed water and combed it, Seongwoo gasped. It was all the way to his nose tip! That was horrendous.

He tisked, scolding aloud, "You're going to get regular cuts from now on. It's not good for handsome men to look sloppy. You won't get a job if we don't clean you up, even with your charm or even if you speak eloquently."

"I hate strangers cutting my hair. I have a trauma..."