Minghao has learned a lot about cats by taking care of Mihi. The most important fact is that cat farts are deadly weapons. Minghao couldn’t breath and his eyes stung as he tried to air out the room. It was another typical night: he got home from work, he fed Mihi, he ate dinner, Mihi curled up with him, he tried to push away the thoughts of Vernon, and then Mihi farted. Minghao opened the window to let fresh air into the room. When Minghao first brought Mihi home, he was afraid of opening the windows incase the cat decided to leave but he knew it wasn’t his choice if Mihi stayed or not. Surprisingly Mihi didn’t even try to leave and Minghao was happy to have them around. Mihi meowed at him demanding cuddles and Minghao gladly obliged.

Minghao woke up to his alarm screaming at him and Mihi knocked it off the table it was on. The alarm fell silent as it layed on the ground with the batteries popped out. With a loud groan Minghao started his normal daily routine: getting out of bed, petting Mihi, going to the bathroom, petting Mihi, pushing Mihi out of the bathroom, taking a piss, taking a lukewarm shower, drying off, leaving the bathroom, petting Mihi, getting dressed for work, petting Mihi, feeding Mihi, opening a window, petting Mihi, saying goodbye, driving to work. It was boring but Minghao was finally happy and he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Well except maybe for Vernon. Speaking of Vernon, Minghao wondered if he would see the guy anytime soon but at the sametime he didn’t want to see him. Lately Vernon has been ordering less and on the rare occasion he does Minghao never knows what to say because Vernon either looks sad or emotionless. Minghao was never good at feeling nor with comforting, anyone who doubted him could ask his high school friends, they were a prime example of his lack of emotional support. Minghao sighed when he walked into Angelo’s.

“What’s up with you?” Mingyu asked the moment the shorter sighed.

“Nothing, just tired?” Minghao answered but it sounded more like a question but Mingyu nodded his head in agreement. That was one things they always agreed on, early mornings . They talk for a while as they munch on the food Angela brought in from home, Minghao didn’t have to help in the kitchen anymore since Jisoo and Minhyuk started working. They were nice and already so much better than Sungmin. Angela was pleased by this as well, allowing herself to relax a bit more. Minghao’s thoughts were interrupted when Mingyu’s phone pinged.

“Who’s that?” Minghao asked when he noticed the frown on the taller’s face.

“My friend, he’s upset because his pet ran away and hasn’t come back.” Mingyu was typing a reply. “The lil guy escapes almost every other day and doesn’t come back for days but Hansol was always able to find her.” Mingyu pauses to read a new message. “It’s been more than a month now so everyone is trying to softly break it to him that she’s probably dead.” Minghao felt bad for the dude.

“Maybe she’s going on a Homeward Bound adventure.” Minghao offered light heartly.

“That would be amazing but I doubt it, she’s come home beaten up before. It was just a matter of time that she never returned or he found her dead.” Mingyu had an unreadable look on his face.

“I hope he finds her. It always to lose those who are important to you.” Minghao muttered softly and Mingyu gently nudged him.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to bring anything up.”

“No, no it’s cool, I’m over it now.” Minghao shrugged it off and smiled at the older. “Let’s see if we can sneak some brownies or something.” Mingyu followed him excitedly, no one could reject brownies.

Minghao decided to change things up during his break, instead of taking a nap in the breakroom he stopped by the 24 hour gas station. It’s weird how things look different during the day. Before Minghao could walk inside he heard someone yelling. Being the curious person he was Minghao peeked over his car to see what was going down. Shockingly it was Vernon who was being yelled at by a woman, he looked angry as he clutched a bunch of flyers close to his chest. Minghao wanted to help him but Vernon was already stomping away from the women. Should he go after him? Minghao quickly shook his head and continued with his original plan. He walked inside and made himself some instant ramen. The store clerk looked bored when Minghao walked up to her, he looked around as she scanned the items. Minghao noticed a flyer on the bulletin board, it was a missing cat poster. The cat on the poster was Mihi and Minghao heart sank.

“Excuse me but can I take this poster?” Minghao asked, she nodded and told him his total. Minghao handed her his card as he ripped the poster off and placed it into his shopping bag. He sat in his car as he ate his delicious noodles and looked over the poster.

Name: Eunae Choi

Gender: Female

Owner’s Name: Vernon Choi

Contact Info: (xxx)-xxx-2258

Reward: 540,000₩(~$500)

Was this a blessing or a curse? On one side this could bring the two of them together, on the other side Minghao pretty much katnapped Vernon’s cat. To his defence, Mihi Eunae looked like a stray and didn’t have a collar. Minghao called the number on the poster but no one picked up, he tried five times but each one went straight to a full voice box.

“I’ll just hand deliver her to him when he orders next time.” Minghao muttered to himself.

“Oh !” Minghao quickly started up his car, he was going to be late from his break. Mingyu gave him a cheeky smile when he arrived five minutes late.

“You owe me more brownies, I told Angela you were in the bathroom.”

“Thanks man.” Minghao nodded at him. “You’re going to get fat if you only eat brownies.” Minghao joked and Mingyu snorted at him.

“I can eat whatever I want, thank you very much.” Mingyu told Minghao before taking his deliveries out to his car.

“See you later.” Minghao waved at Mingyu as he pulled out of the parking lot. The dinner rush was about to start so Minghao took a moment to hype himself up. Twenty deliveries later and Minghao was ready to go home and cuddle up with Mihi Eunae but the gods have smiled upon him. Angela smirked as she held up a black carrier bag, that meant Vernon made an order.

“Thanks Angela.” Minghao rushed to grab the bag and run out the door, ignoring Angela’s cries of “Ask the dude out!!” He quickly drove to his apartment to pick up Mi- Eunae. Minghao double checked the location, he hoped it was going to be Vernon’s house but it was one of the warehouses. Oh well, he could make this work.

Minghao messed around with the radio as he drove. All the stations were either on commercial or playing songs he didn’t like. Eunae was napping in the backseat snuggled inside the jacket he threw back there a few days ago. They would be arriving at the warehouse shortly and Minghao came up with a game plan. He will park close to the warehouse, give Vernon the food, tell him to wait then go back to the car and get Eunae. Minghao contemplated if he should tell Vernon that Eunae was the cat he adopted or leave that out. Minghao parked and got the pizzas out from the passenger seat, with a quick look at a still sleeping Eunae, he walked to the warehouse’s sidedoor. The door slammed open and a woman almost crashes into Minghao. He dodges last minute causing the panicked woman to stumble onto the ground.

“Please help me!” She shrieked, trying to cling to Minghao but he moved away from her. Minghao recognized the woman, she was the one who yelled at Vernon this afternoon. Man, this is almost like Jaekwan again.

“Why aren’t you doing anything? Help me!” She finally manages to get back onto her feet. “They’re trying to kill me, they’ll get you to if you don’t do something.” She stumbles towards him again.

“Uhhh, I’m just here to deliver pizza, sorry lady.” Minghao really didn’t want to deal with her. Lucky for him one of Vernon’s dogs bolts out the door and jumps onto the woman, she screams so loudly it makes Minghao cringe. The large dog drags the struggling woman back into the warehouse. Vernon is standing in the doorway staring at the older guy. Minghao walks up to him calmly.

“I think you ordered 3 pizzas, 4 orders of cheesy rolls, 2 orders of garlic knots, 3 orders of cookies, and 5 orders of brownies.” Minghao looked at Vernon but the younger didn’t move. “Earth to Vernon you home?”

“Oh, right...” Vernon takes the tower of boxes and passes them off to someone else behind him.

“It seems your ‘party’ is getting pretty wild.” Minghao joked lightly.

“Yeah you can say that…” Vernon looked conflicted, one of his friends starts to whisper into his ear but Vernon elbows the dude, telling him to go with the others. Minghao and Vernon stared at each other for a while, Vernon chewed on his bottom lip and Minghao shifted from heel to heel, both were in deepish thought, until Minghao remembered why he came here. Well, other than delivering pizza.

“I forgot something, wait here.” Minghao jogged over to his car opening the back door. He didn’t hear the footsteps following behind him until Vernon had Minghao pinned to the back seat. Oh no, did they just crush Eunae? Minghao didn't hear a crunch so maybe she moved but he couldn’t ponder on that because Vernon was leaning closer to his ear.

“I like you Minghao, I really do but I can let you go.” Vernon whispered threateningly. If they were in any other situation Minghao would have been scared but Vernon was pressing up against him and it was doing things to his body. Damn you hormones. Before Minghao could talk his way out of whatever this was, Eunae meowed from the front seat, she jumped to the backseat right above Minghao’s head. She at Minghao’s forehead then moved on to Vernon’s face.

“Eunae!” Vernon cried as he sat up, straddling Minghao’s back. He picked the cat up and nuzzled his face into her fur.

“Surprise.” Minghao wheezed out from under Vernon.

“Oh sorry!” Vernon quickly got off Minghao. “Where did you find her?” Minghao got up and closed his back door.

“You remember Mihi?” Vernon nodded. “Taa-daaaa~ Yeah I thought she was a stray since I saw her around the gas station I visit a lot.” Minghao rubbed his neck. “When I saved her from the dog I decided to take her in… Then I saw the poster in the gas station and I called a few times but you didn’t answer so I thought to deliver her to you directly.” Minghao smiled sheepishly at the younger guy.

“Thank you.” Vernon said softly. “Maybe your the reason she always went back to that gas station.”

“What can I say I’m a magnet.” Minghao wiggled his eyebrows at Vernon.

“Dude gross.” Vernon shoved Minghao lightly, they laughed and leaned against the car.

“I’m really thankful that you found Eunae but I still can’t let you go.” Vernon sighed.

“I figured, so are we going to talk about this like adults?” Minghao asked boredly. “Can we chat somewhere warm tho? It’s cold as balls out here.” Minghao shivered.

“Yeah, the warehouse has heating in the side rooms.” Vernon lead Minghao back to the warehouse.

“Wait!” Minghao yelled and Vernon stopped immediately. Minghao pulled out his car keys and pressed the lock button, the car chirped twice. “Okay, please continue.” Vernon chuckled and Minghao swore he could hear angels.