---

Despite his numerous attempts at convincing himself otherwise, Sehun does end up bringing Jongin to work with him the next day. Of course, Jongin had to swear not to leave Sehun's office save for bathroom breaks, although Sehun is at least 99% sure that Jongin wasn't even listening at the breakfast table whilst he told him (Sehun figures Jongin was too busy dunking his head in his cereal bowl trying to get the last drop of milk to notice).

Sehun first started to rethink his decision when Jongin, without a warning, laid (or rather, slammed his hand down) on the horn after a magpie landed on the hood of the car earlier. Conveniently, they were waiting at a red light, and Sehun doesn't think he's ever been a victim of such evil looks after scaring the crossing pedestrians out of their wits subsequently. However, Jongin seemed to be more upset about the magpie flying away than the old men shaking their fists at him in anger.

They wordlessly pull into the parking lot shortly after, Sehun cursing himself for forgetting to lock the doors when Jongin throws his door open whilst he's still backing into the parking space. Thankfully, he doesn't end up damaging the car next to them and Sehun hurriedly grabs his briefcase before walking around the car and gesturing at Jongin to come out. He watches as Jongin skips ahead of him, and he's so fast on his feet that Sehun knows that he won't have time to save Jongin if a car were to turn the corner. Thankfully, the road seems clear, and Sehun blinks when he sees Jongin pulling on the door handle to no avail.

"You need to use your card," Sehun chuckles, quickly scanning his ID card, a squawk leaving his lips when the door automatically opens and hits Jongin in the face. He's about to ask Jongin if he's okay when he hears footsteps behind them, and they both turn their heads.

"Nice going," Baekhyun says, emitting an unattractive cackle as he sends Sehun a thumbs up. "Good morning to you, too." He sends Jongin a smile before the latter skips into the building. "Good to see he hasn't died of sugar overdose," he chuckles when Sehun holds the door open.

Sehun chuckles. Perhaps he should bring his own candy jar to keep in his office, considering how well it worked yesterday. "Not yet, at least," he says absentmindedly and quickly apologizes to Baekhyun when he hears loud scampering noises coming from the staircase. "See you later--"

--

Skipping up the stairs, which reminds him of a staircase he saw in one of the Barbie princess movies he watched with his foster sister, Jongin figures that it's perfect that Sehun works here, since this place reminds him of a castle, which goes hand in hand with Sehun's prince-like features. His tail still aches as a result of falling out of bed at some point during the night, after hastily waking up from a nightmare. When an overly worried Sehun questioned him, Jongin simply replied that one of the scary mannequins in the store earlier was chasing him. In turn, after seeing just how shaken Jongin was, Sehun decided to treat him to a glass of warm milk, much to Jongin's delight. Jongin figures that perhaps he should have nightmares more often as he reaches the small window by the railing. 

Sehun's car shines in the sunlight below and Jongin finds himself staring a little longer than necessary when a crow lands on a branch on one of the trees. His ears perk up as he presses his face against the glass, only to nearly trip down the stairs in surprise when he hears a voice behind him.

"Hey." Chanyeol stares at Jongin with an unreadable look, the latter cowering at the sound of his voice. His nametag gleams in the sunlight coming from the window and Jongin nearly gags when he inhales the strong smell of men's cologne.

Jongin blinks, back pressed against the wall as his tail slowly falls and lands between his legs. He feels his own pulse echo in the empty stairway as Chanyeol continues to stare at him without saying a word. He remembers his mother's (and well, Sehun's) rule and tries keeping his hands as still as possible when Chanyeol doesn't leave. "Uh...hi-"

"Since you nearly scratched my face off earlier," Chanyeol says, his eyes never leaving Jongin's face and voice low as he chuckles humorlessly, "I think you owe me something for the inconvenience." A whiff of laundry detergent from his suit hits Jongin's nose when he leans in closer. "Don't you?"

Jongin blinks again, body tensing when Chanyeol suddenly places a hand on the wall inches from his face. The strong smell of chemicals and detergent makes him turn his face away in disgust, and he flinches slightly when he feels Chanyeol place a finger under his chin. Jongin soon finds himself face to face with the taller again, ears folded back as he avoids Chanyeol's gaze. Jongin figures that just about everybody in the building must have chosen to avoid using the stairs at exactly this time, much to his dismay. "Uh-- What are you--" He yelps when his right ear gets tugged on.

"I've heard that if I scratch you here--" Chanyeol gives Jongin's ear another tug, making the latter hiss under his breath. "You'll purr. Is it true?" He his head to the side, his gaze burning into Jongin's soul as the latter whimpers silently. He's practically pressed up against Jongin at this point. "Is it?"

"Jongin, where the hell are you? If you're up there, get down here," Sehun calls, his voice echoing off the walls and penetrating the silence subsequently. He huffs before jogging up the stairs, coming around just as Chanyeol takes a step back and nods at him. He nods back and sighs slightly when he sees Jongin, who hears Chanyeol mutter something under his breath before rushing down the few steps towards Sehun. "Wrong stairway, silly," he chuckles, ruffling Jongin's hair. He looks up and watches Chanyeol walk up the stairs and disappear. "What were you two talking about?" 

Jongin is silent for a minute before nuzzling his face in Sehun's neck, once again tickling the latter's cheek with his ear. "I don't like him," he mutters, kneading Sehun's tie as he attempts to stop the buzzing of his nerves. In the distance, he hears the fridge door being opened and he whips his head up, eyes glittering as he pokes Sehun's cheek. "Food?" he asks repeatedly, feeling his stomach growl.

Swatting Jongin's hand away, Sehun gets back at Jongin by poking the latter in the ribs, which (probably) rightfully earns him a swat to the face. "Why don't you like him? I mean, he doesn't go around pushing others into ponds all the time," he says, rubbing his cheek. "I mean, I'd say he's the scariest when he's hungry, but yeah." He checks his watch and sighs. "Lunch isn't until another three hours--"

"But I'm hungry," Jongin whines, his back head still aching slightly from pressing it against the wall just now. "Will they be mad if you go on break a little early?" he asks and heads over to the window when a magpie flies by. Sehun has to rush over and slam his hands down on top of the lock before Jongin has a chance to unlock it.

Sehun honestly doesn't think three hours qualifies as 'a little' early, but he keeps the remark to himself as he ushers Jongin away from the window. "How about relaxing on the couch until it's time to eat? I'll let you know when," he says, patting Jongin's back when the latter pouts. "And Baekhyun's working on an important report, so try not to bother him today, okay?" 

Jongin nods absentmindedly. "Fine," he hums, gripping Sehun's sleeve as they make their up the stairs, the correct stairs, and his eyes soon land on a door that's standing ajar. He's pretty sure it's Baekhyun's door, and he doesn't hear any typing so he figures it wouldn't be an issue to peek his head in and perhaps ask for some candy. He watches as Sehun stops by his own door and turns to look at him. "Uh...I'm gonna go to the bathroom," he says meekly.

Sehun sends Jongin a look before he nods. "Alright," he says, checking his watch. "Don't get lost, okay?" He waits until Jongin nods to retreat back into his office, making sure to leave the door open to make it easier for Jongin to find his way back.

--

Jongin stands in the empty hallway, ears twitching as he turns to face Baekhyun's door, and he hopes the latter won't be angry with him for sneaking in and asking for some candy. He creeps closer to the door, standing next to it for a minute before opening it slightly and peeking his head in.

It's not Baekhyun's room, as Jongin quickly notices, and Jongin is about to run back to Sehun's office when he realizes that it's Baekhyun's friend; the man who literally looks a cat despite not being a cat. Jongin finds him relaxing slightly as he awkwardly stands in the doorway, his tail straightening in alertness when the man looks up and at him from the pile of papers on his desk.

The brown haired male is silent for a minute before his eyes seem to flash in recognition. "Hello again," he says softly before resuming writing something on the paper in front of him. When Jongin doesn't even move a muscle, he puts his pen down. "Can I help you?"

Jongin stands glued by the threshold for a minute, only choosing to enter when a flock of birds fly by the window. He trots over and presses his palms against the glass, eyeing a single feather that comes falling down. Behind him, he hears papers rustling. "Do you have any candy?" he asks, grinning. It's not until the smell of mint and green tea hits him that he realizes just how much he loves Sehun's scent. 

The older male blinks before he shakes his head. "Cats aren't supposed to eat that stuff," he says bluntly. "You better get back to Sehun before he gets worried," he adds before shuffling a few papers and placing them aside. When Jongin only starts inspecting his office, he sighs. "I think I might have something, hold on--"

Jongin watches in curiosity and beams when the man tosses a lollipop towards him, which he easily catches with one hand. Without a warning, he trots over and sits on the edge of the desk. Now that he's close enough, he can make out the name 'Kim Jongdae' on the man's nametag. Jongin blinks, thinking he's heard the name before, but quickly gets distracted when he proceeds to unwrap the lollipop. "What are you working on?" he asks, craning his neck in an attempt to get a glimpse of Jongdae's computer. 

"Report," Jongdae replies without averting his gaze, only to flinch when Jongin accidentally knocks a box of business cards to the floor with his tail. "Could you please be careful?" he huffs, clearly regretting his decision to let Jongin stay as he runs a hand through his hair. He silently mumbles something along the lines of 'So irritating' under his breath before getting back to work. 

Jongin easily picks up on Jongdae's remark and he shrugs. "You're forgetting that we have good hearing," he giggles, seemingly unfazed by the insult as he wraps his lips around the lollipop. "It's a cat thing, you know? We do that sometimes, but I'm getting better at controling it!" he adds with a grin as he points to his tail, which he's still swaying back and forth unconsciously.

"Yeah, I know all about that, unfortunately," Jongdae says bitterly as he gets off his chair and proceeds to pick up the cards on the floor. When he picks up the box, he blinks when he sees Jongin is no longer on the desk. A loud groan leaves his lips when he sees Jongin perched on the chair, away at the lollipop and as happy as can be. "For 's sake, you're wearing shoes--" He flies over and gives Jongin a harsh shove, which nearly causes the latter to fall off the chair. "Has Sehun not taught you anything-- Get down!" After Jongin hops off, he brushes the seat off before sitting back down and mumbling to himself.

Biting into the lollipop, and instantly regretting it when half of it shatters and crumbles onto the floor, much to Jongdae's dismay, Jongin his head in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Jongdae blinks, sending Jongin a tired look. "...What do you mean?" 

"You said you know all about that," Jongin says, giving the lollipop a big . "What did you mean by that?" He eyes the rows of cacti sitting on the bookshelf behind Jongdae's shoulder. They're shaped like squares and he stares in fascination.

"Oh, that," Jongdae sighs, leaning back in his chair and running a hand down his face. "I, uh, used to have one," he says and picks up a pen. He resumes signing papers, only to still when he feels Jongin staring at him from across the room. "I used to take care of a cat hybrid, Einstein-"

"Really?" Jongin's eyes light up. He doesn't think he's ever talked to a former hybrid owner (he really hates that word for reasons he can't explain) and he finds himself discarding the half eaten lollipop on the floor as he walks up to the desk. "Was it fun?" he asks, tail wagging and Jongdae prays he doesn't end up knocking anything else over.

Jongdae shrugs. "Wasn't really my thing, I guess," he mumbles, adjusting his tie. "I mean, I barely knew anything going into it, like, I hadn't done any research at all, which I probably should've," he adds absentmindedly as he scribbles something on a piece of paper. Silence fills the room and he sighs loudly. "Look, I appreciate your company, but I've got stuff to d-"

"Some are luckier than others," Jongin interrupts, fiddling with an eraser and apparently being completely oblivious to Jongdae's sounds of protest. "Like, some end up in good families and some end up in terrible families." He thinks back to his old friends, and best friends, who are probably still out on the streets and struggling to survive to this day after being abused. It makes his stomach boil. "I had friends who were unluckier than me, like, they'd get mistreated and ignored and forced to do stuff they didn't wanna do." He pouts and Sehun's face suddenly pops into his head.

Jongdae nods repeatedly, but even Jongin can tell that he's barely paying attention. "M hmm, some just have it easy," he mumbles whilst typing. "You're lucky you've got Sehun to take care of you, though, he's always been telling us how fascinated he is by you lot." He sends Jongin an exaggerated smile. "I'm just not a cat person, that's just how it is, now could you please leave me al--"

"What was its name?" Jongin asks, leaning against the desk and resting his head in his hands. His eyes sparkle with interest as his ears twitch. Jongdae sends him an irritated look, but he continues to pry as he practically climbs onto the desk subsequently. "Tell me!" He bounces up and down eagerly as Jongdae sighs, only for Jongin to feel his blood run cold when Jongdae speaks a second later.

"Luhan."

--

Sehun stretches his long limbs and accidentally knocks over the trash can in the process. His back is starting to ache after sitting upright in a ninety degree angle for twenty minutes straight, but one look at the pile of completed papers and assignments next to his coffee cup and all is forgiven. He spins around in his chair, resting one leg on top of the other as he looks out the window.

"Well, someone's looking dapper," Baekhyun snorts as he peeks his head in the doorway and sees Sehun sitting in the middle of the room, eyes closed as he lets the sunlight hit his face. 

Humming something in response, Sehun reaches behind him and nearly knocks the cup over as he picks it up and brings it to his lips. "You could say that," he responds, ignoring the numbing pain in his back. Something feels slightly off but he blames it on his lack of caffeine lately.

"So you got a lot done, then?" Baekhyun chuckles, a hint of envy in his voice as he runs a hand through his unbrushed, bright red locks. "Wish I could say the same," he adds bitterly before pulling his phone. "I'm going to lunch soon, wanna come?"

Sehun is silent for a minute before he blinks, not having heard Baekhyun's last question as he stares blankly in front of him. He stills, cup inches from his lips as his brows furrow. "Yeah, I...have," he mumbles, mainly to himself, before it hits him. ---

"Uh." Baekhyun blinks when he notices Sehun's expression. "Is...that not a good thing, or--?" He chuckles to himself and cracks his knuckles. "Better than--" He doesn't even get to finish his sentence when Sehun suddenly rushes past him and into the hallway. "...So I'm guessing that's a no to lunch, then...?"

--

Sehun nearly trips over his own two feet as he makes his way down the hallway, running a hand through his hair in exasperation as he curses to himself. At first, he figures Jongin might be hanging out in the break room and Sehun immediately sighs when he can only imagine the mess that awaits him in that case. However, a loud crashing noise, closely followed by a shriek, fills the air a second later and Sehun halts. He soon realizes that Jongdae's door is ajar and he instinctively jogs over and peeks his head in. And to say that Sehun lowkey wishes his break room theory was correct would be an understatement as soon as he looks inside.

Jongdae is lying on the floor, partially still seated in his office chair as he covers his face with his arms before Jongin, who is sitting on top of him, quickly lashes out and strikes him in the head. Sehun rushes over and barely manages to drag Jongin off of Jongdae when Jongin, who flinches at Sehun's touch, bangs his shoulder against the desk, and Sehun can only watch in dismay as a jar of ink tumbles off the edge (along with various other objects) and quickly stains Jongin's hair, neck and shirt a dark blue color. In the commotion, Jongdae blindly reaches out and manages to grab Jongin's ear, which results in the latter hissing sharply before slashing Jongdae again. As he shoves Jongin away, Sehun hears the former growl something along the lines of 'How dare you hurt my best friend' before he scampers off and into the hallway.

Groaning loudly, Jongdae manages to stand up, with the help of Sehun, and they both fix the chair before the latter buries his face in his hands. Jongdae isn't too badly hurt, save for a few scratches on his neck and forearms, but the look on his face is definitely one that sends a shiver up Sehun's spine, and he quickly leaves the room when it's painfully obvious that Jongdae wants to be left alone. 

--

Once he enters the hallway, Jongin clenches his jaw in fury, walking around in circles as he tries pulling himself together. Never in his life did Jongin think that Sehun's colleague would be the one responsible for ruining his best friend's life, especially somebody as kind looking as Jongdae. Jongin immediately thinks back to the day Luhan came to him and showed him whip marks after being dragged outside and repeatedly whipped with a belt, closely followed by another series of beatings after accidentally tearing down a curtain. It's times like this Jongin is extremely thankful he's (mostly) only been taken in by kind-hearted families who (sort of) understood him, which is why he finds himself rushing towards Sehun when the latter appears in the hallway a minute later. 

Except he soon halts when he sees the look on Sehun's face, and Jongin feels his ears droop when Sehun puts his hands on his hips. "Uh--"

"What was that for," Sehun says low in his throat, a groan leaving his lips as he runs a hand down his face. The entire hallway smells like ink, and the smell only grows stronger when Jongin walks towards him and attempts to give him a hug. "Wait, hold on, stop-- Get away-- Sheesh, you're filthy--" He places a hand on Jongin's shoulder and tries keeping the latter at a reasonable distance. He eyes the already dried ink on Jongin's neck, in his hair and, even worse, all over his back. "Jesus Christ--" He sighs again when Jongin sends him another doe eyed look. Nevertheless, he sends Jongin a stern look. "Go apologize to Jongdae."

Jongin blinks. Now that he thinks about it, he hadn't even noticed he's covered practically from head to toe in sticky, foul smelling ink. He figures he looks strange, but he's too busy trying to get his head to stop spinning. It doesn't really work and he frowns. "Why?!" he exclaims perhaps a little too loudly, since Sehun shushes him susbequently. "I didn't--"

"You scratched him and could've hurt him badly," Sehun says strictly, keeping his voice low as he watches Jongin's ears droop even more, if that's even possible. His boss comes down the hallway momentarily and he nods at her before gently ushering Jongin inside his own office. Once he closes the door, he sighs, patting himself on the back for finishing nearly all of his work as he walks over, grabs his briefcase and slings it over his shoulder. "Come."

Jongin watches Sehun through his bangs as he hangs his head. "...Where're we going?" he asks and coughs when the strong scent of ink finally catches up to him. He follows Sehun when the latter walks towards the door and opens it. When they step outside, he hears Jongdae as he converses with some woman, and Jongin tightly grips Sehun's sleeve when they walk past an office that reeks of laundry detergent and Axe. Jongin feels his ear throb subsequently and he winces.

"Home," Sehun simply says and makes sure to let Jongin walk in front of him as they exit the building and step out into the chilly October air. He definitely doesn't fail to notice Jongin's unusually calm demeanor; the way the latter's tail loosely hangs between his legs and how he keeps his gaze fixated on the gravel beneath them as they walk towards the parking lot. Sehun doesn't comment on it, though, as well as the ink possibly ruining his seats, and they wordlessly climb into the car subsequently.

Resting his head against the window, Jongin rests his tail in his lap as he stares at the other cars outside. So this is where it ends, he thinks to himself as Sehun backs out of the parking space, a hard, heavy knot forming in the deepest parts of his gut; an all too familiar feeling at this point. However, this time, it feels a lot heavier than usual. Every time Jongin has been kicked out, it's always been at his families' house, so he figures Sehun might drive him somewhere and drop him off for good. Jongin just hopes it won't be in a dark, creepy alleyway, but he doesn't get a chance to think about it any further when Sehun speaks.

"I'm gonna roll the windows down a bit," Sehun says, pressing the respective button when the smell of ink makes him lightheaded. The cool air immediately fills the car and he watches as the small tufts of black fur on the tip of Jongin's ear blow in the wind. "Jongdae could lose his job for that," he says silently after a period of silence. Next to him, Jongin doesn't say anything, but Sehun doesn't miss the way his tail trembles nervously. They ride in silence for a few more seconds until he's forced to stop at a red light.

As he inhales the smell of cold leaves and smoke from a bonfire somewhere, Jongin sighs loudly, but the sound is instantly deafened by the breeze. Jongin vividly remembers Jongdae's near horrified expression at the way he growled after hearing Luhan's name, and Jongin sighs again when he feels the knot in his stomach tighten. "Tell him I'm sorry," he says and his voice is nearly drowned out thanks to the wind. 

The light turns green and Sehun accelerates as they approach the intersection to his house. "What got into you, anyway? You know better than to--" He blinks, nearly swerving when Jongin sobs loudly. "What--"

"He was mean to my best friend," Jongin blurts out before he can stop himself, and he mentally slaps himself. He can feel Sehun's questioning gaze burning holes in his temple and he exhales shakily. "...His name's Luhan and Jongdae was his...uh, caretaker," he mumbles so quietly Sehun hardly catches it. He wants to leave it at that and change the subject, but the mental image of Luhan's tear streaked face pops into his head and before he knows it, he's telling Sehun everything; how ecstatic Luhan was to finally have found a new home, how he later started noticing Jongdae's anger outbursts whenever he did something wrong, the day the verbal abuse turned physical and how Luhan was repeatedly forced to sleep outside in the freezing cold during the Winter as punishment (and later complained to Jongin about potential frostbite, which the former unfortunately could do nothing about), how he was initially beaten with a shoe, which soon turned to crowbars and tools, and how he was forced to endure it for six months before snapping and scratching Jongdae, which resulted in the latter whipping Luhan across the face with a belt before Luhan gathered enough courage to escape and run away. Jongin can't help the single tear that rolls down his cheek when he recalls every detail of the day Luhan came up to him, eyes red rimmed and hair a mess as he showed Jongin his scars and bruises, and how he, when asked, would rather 'scratch his own eyes out and throw himself in front of a bus' than find another family. Jongin remembers being especially torn at Luhan's confession, considering that he was a week into living with his fourth foster family, who loved him to bits. "...Yeah."

Sehun wonders if he rolled the window down enough, because he's starting to feel so lightheaded he contemplates pulling aside, but he keeps driving, hands clamping the wheel as he reminds himself to focus on the road, after staring at Jongin every now and then. He suddenly feels a great deal of confusion, given Jongdae's story, but it's not until he sees the tears Jongin's usually sparkling eyes that he feels his blood boil. Sehun finds himself unable to say anything at first, but he soon finds himself opening his mouth to speak. "I'm really..., I'm so sorry about that, I really am," he says sincerely, voice gentle as he overtakes another car. Suddenly, the mental image of Jongin, crying and mistreated, pops into his head and he grips the wheel until his knuckles turn white. He takes a few deep breaths before clearing his throat. "Where, uh...where is he, right now?"

"Probably roaming the streets somewhere," Jongin says, wiping his eyes. "It's...I think he's happier that way, though," he adds and shivers when the temperature inside the car drops to zero degrees. "Like-- God, he respected Jongdae so much that he just let it happen--" Next to him, Sehun isn't saying a word, and Jongin briefly wonders if the former will drop him off on the street, too. "I-"

"Poor guy," Sehun sighs, biting his lip. "That son of a ," he growls under his breath before inhaling deeply. He supposes that that does (sort of) explain Jongdae's random temper tantrums around the office every now and then, but even so, he mentally curses the latter to all eternity. "Talk about some people not being fit to look after pets." 

"I'm happy you're not like that," Jongin blurts out and slumps in his seat. He can't bring himself to look at Sehun, so he opts to stare at the blurry trees as they drive past them. "At least you can accept us for who we are, you know? I mean, maybe you can't, but at least you don't go beating us for it," he says, closing his eyes when a harsh breeze hits him in the face. "Sometimes I just really wanna get in touch with him and ask how he's doing--" He hastily wipes his eyes dry before biting the inside of his cheek, keeping his head hung low as he feels the car turn sharply. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hate me--"

Sehun doesn't say anything. Instead, he reaches across and places a hand on Jongin's shoulder, giving it a firm rub. He suddenly remembers how Jongin had confessed to never being able to bring himself to hate humans no matter what, because good humans do and will always exist even if there are terrible ones out there, and Sehun feels his heart clench when he thinks back to what Jongin said just now - how happy he is at having been so lucky all his life, and Sehun has to briefly take his foot off the accelerator when he unconsciously steps down a little too hard. The sun is setting quickly and Sehun wordlessly rolls the windows up when he realizes he's got goosebumps all over his arms.

Jongin kneads the material of his pants as he continues to look out the window. He has no idea where Sehun will drop him off but he hopes there are at least some cozy bushes nearby, since he's starting to feel awfully tired. However, it's not until a familiar looking pond comes into view that he blinks in confusion. "Why're we--" His ears twitch in confusion as Sehun parks the car in a desolate area and gestures at him to get out. Jongin does, albeit reluctantly.

Shivering when he steps out, since the temperature has shrunk by at least ten degrees, Jongin shoves his hands into his jacket pockets as he follows after Sehun. All he can think about is how terrifying falling into the water felt, and Jongin momentarily wonders if Sehun will dump him in the same place they met when they end up on the bridge a minute later. The wind has stopped blowing and has left Jongin with a hairstyle closely resembling a crow's nest. Surprisingly enough, Sehun's hair is as neat and perfectly styled as usual. Jongin figures it must be a human and cat thing.

They stand on the bridge in silence for a brief moment before a small ripple appears in the water, and Jongin blinks when Sehun stares at him fondly. Now, Jongin has established since the very beginning that he'll never, ever hit or hurt Sehun, but if the latter really is planning on grabbing him and tossing him into the water before leaving him forever, Jongin knows for a fact that he will not be hesitating to slash Sehun from head to toe. As the seconds pass, Jongin feels his tail sway back and forth in caution, bracing himself to strike the second Sehun grabs him.

Sehun doesn't grab Jongin. In fact, Sehun simply gets down until he's laying on his stomach, and Jongin blinks when Sehun gestures at him to do the same. Slowly, Jongin lowers himself down onto his stomach until his chin is resting against the edge of the bridge. He watches the water rushing below, inches from his face, and smells the wet leaves and mud flowing in the stream. An ice cold droplet of water splashes up and hits Jongin square in the eyes, and Sehun can't help but chuckle in adoration at the sight of Jongin's expression as he whines in discomfort. 

Blinking rapidly, Jongin mumbles a low 'Shut up' before exhaling slowly and relaxing his shoulders. He figures he looks awfully strange, lying on his back with a giant blue stain on his back, but he doesn't have the energy to spare it a thought as he stares up at the horizon. The sun is setting and is on the verge of gradually painting the sky a pale, orange color, and Jongin vividly remembers enjoying a similar view whilst out boating with his third foster family, a week before they rejected him. 

Speaking of rejection, Jongin turns his head, only to blink in confusion when he notices that Sehun is still lying next to him, looking as peaceful as ever as he eyes a few birds flying above. "Uh--" He swallows when Sehun turns to look at him. "I...I...what...why are-- Why are we here?" he asks, hoping he didn't sound all too dumb as he shifts into a more comfortable position. Jongin looks back at the sky, which is already beginning to change colors, and Sehun feels his heart skip a beat when he sees the glow of the evening rays reflecting in Jongin's brown eyes, momentarily turning them a dazzling copper color. They lie beside each other for a while, and as the sun continues to set, Sehun notices the fur on Jongin's ears sparkle, almost like they're lined with gold, and the way they twitch in contentment makes him fight the urge to reach out and scratch the area behind them.

Sehun reaches down and submerges his finger in the water below. It's surprisingly warm despite it being freezing cold outside. He's about to speak when a large ripple appears in the water subsequently, which makes Jongin flinch in alertness. "You said fishing made you happy," he says with a fond smile.

Jongin blinks. It actually takes him a while to realize that Sehun isn't, in fact, planning on trying to drown him, and he finds himself grinning widely. Honestly, he was absolutely certain that Sehun had paid zero attention to his long speech yesterday, which makes the fuzzy feeling inside his gut grow that much bigger. Another ripple below soon grabs his attention and the next thing he knows, he's plunging his hand beneath the surface. His fingers graze against the scales of the animal but it manages to escape, much to his dismay. As he makes a second attempt, with water dripping from his hair, Jongin doesn't even need to look to know that Sehun is staring at him. Jongin finds himself accidentally letting go of the fish in his hands when he feels himself blush ever so slightly. 

Sehun watches Jongin attempt to catch a third fish, a warm feeling spreading across his chest when Jongin squawks after being splashed again. In worry of Jongin possibly getting too carried away and thus falling off the bridge, Sehun subtly grasps Jongin's shirt. They gradually lose track of time as they lie before the sunset in absolute silence, the only audible noises being an occasional noise of frustration on Jongin's behalf when the latter constantly fails to catch a fish.

As seconds turn to minutes and minutes to hours, the evening sun gradually finishes warming up the water before disappearing behind the horizon and erasing its golden rays. Jongin hums to himself as he lazily sloshes his hand back and forth in the water, which is now lukewarm. He figures that every living thing beneath the surface has gone to sleep for the night, and he wipes his hand on his sleeve before resting his chin on his hand. Jongin still feels Sehun's hand on his back as the latter keeps a steady hold on his shirt, and he's about to ask Sehun if he's okay with getting his suit and tie dirty when the latter speaks.

"I like that you showed me this place," Sehun hums, eyes closed as he uses his free hand to pick up a flower floating in the stream below. He dries it off before gently placing it in Jongin's hair, right behind the latter's ear. "Maybe you should've gone with the hula dancer, since you look so good in flowers," he chuckles and squawks loudly when Jongin splashes him. "That was a compliment--!"

"Yeah, well, you're cheesy," Jongin huffs, adjusting the flower on his head in an attempt to conceal the blush spreading across his face. The petals tickle his ear but he figures keeping it there won't hurt. Suddenly, he's even more determined to catch something, and he's sort of really glad he was born with lightning fast reflexes when he plunges his hand down and locks an incoming fish in an iron grip. With an excited squee, he places it on the bridge, its desperate thrashing causing water to fly everywhere.

Sehun stares in both awe and fascination, watching wide eyed as the fish thrashes for air. He doesn't know if he should laugh or cry when Jongin reaches into the water and retreives a large rock. "Wait, no, hold on-- What are you--" He winces, squeezing his eyes shut when Jongin brings it down, effectively rendering the animal braindead before the latter tosses the rock back into the water. Well alright then. He opens his eyes and winces in disgust when he sees the blood stains (and other questionable things, as well) on his suit jacket. "Oh my God--"

"My first family taught me that," Jongin says, unfazed as he runs a bloodied hand through his hair. When Sehun only moans in disgust, he rolls his eyes. "It's better than biting into their heads to kill them, right?" He pokes Sehun's face, mouthing a low 'Oops' when Sehun's cheek gets covered in blood subsequently. Grinning, he picks up the fish and holds it up right in front of Sehun's face, the latter nearly falling off the bridge as he scrambles to get away. "It's for you!"

"I'mgoodthanks," Sehun croak-garbles, trying not to sound ungrateful as he adjusts his tie. He's briefly thankful for Jongin's old foster family for teaching him said trick, since he doesn't know how he'd react to Jongin sinking his teeth into a fish he caught with his bare hands less than thirty seconds prior. He doesn't think he wants to know, either. "Christ, look at you--" He runs a hand down his face when he sees the blood all over Jongin's hair, hands and chest, and Sehun briefly prays for his (brand new) car seats. However, he finds himself chuckling when Jongin's eyes twinkle with joy. "Don't put your fingers in your mouth or you'll get sick." He flies forward and slaps Jongin's hand away when the latter proceeds to do just that. "That wasn't a goddamn invitation!"

Jongin shrugs. "I've done it before, I only got a little sick," he says before his eyes lighten up. "I've caught way bigger ones than this, though!" He spreads his arms out as wide as he can, a grin plastered on his face. "I once caught one this big, by myself!" Even though he's (sort of) aware that that's a slight exaggeration, it's not far from the truth, at least not in his eyes. "Bet you can't top that," he sniggers, jabbing Sehun's shoulder and transferring more blood onto the latter's suit.

Sehun chuckles. "Can't say I have, so you're definitely ahead of me," he hums, resting his head in his hand as he lies on his side. "Wouldn't really call myself a fisherman at all, to be honest," he adds, tracing invisible patterns into the wood, only to grimace when his finger comes in contact with fish guts (which has Jongin giggling for thirty whole seconds). "I mean, I wouldn't really say that my family particularly enjoy fishing, anyway." He makes a mental note to not bite his nails or anything like it until he washes his hands.

Jongin goes silent for a minute until he his head to the left. "That's not true, though," he says. "I mean, the enjoying fishing thing, that is," he adds and wipes his bloody palm on his sleeve.

Sehun blinks and looks up from his invisible drawing. "What do you mean?"

"Because I'm your family, and I enjoy fishing," Jongin simply says, a fond smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, before a firefly a few feet away sends him running off subsequently. 

Sehun remains on the bridge for a full minute, his head blank and chest warm as he watches Jongin scurrying around in his peripheral. It suddenly hits him that a full grown man running around in the grass covered in blood at this hour might not be the most reassuring sight for any potential passerbyers, so he slowly gets to his feet, careful not to step on the gooey fish carcass as he brushes himself off and walks towards Jongin. Even though the sun has set and it's nearing total darkness outside, Sehun can make out Jongin's bright smile as the latter stands with his hands cupped together. 

"Look, look!" Jongin squeals, moving his fingers just a little bit and Sehun blinks when he sees the firefly in his hands, which illuminates his fingers and parts of his face. "Isn't it pretty?" He's bouncing up and down in glee and Sehun fights the urge to pinch his cheeks. "I've never caught one before!"

"It is," Sehun says, nodding as he watches Jongin release the glowing insect subsequently. It flies up, illuminating the sky and briefly blending in with the stars above before flying off and disappearing. "My friend caught one of those and kept it in a jar, it was magical." He rubs his neck as he recalls the memory. "Jeez, we'd better get back and take a bath--" Suddenly, an elderly woman walks past them and Sehun attempts to shield Jongin as she looks in their direction. After she leaves, he turns around, only to furrow his eyebrows in confusion when he sees Jongin nowhere in sight. "Jongin?"

Sehun scans the area for a minute, only to question his sanity when it seems as if Jongin has quite literally disappeared into thin air. A certain worry suddenly blooms inside Sehun's gut, since the park a few feet away is notorious for being used as a hangout place for drug addicts and strange people at night. Sehun suddenly feels himself growing a lot more worried when he realizes that Jongin would, in fact, be very easy to kidnap, which only makes Sehun wonder if he should call the police. However, a black tail appearing from behind one of the trees in the distance nearly makes Sehun collapse in relief, and he jogs over to it. 

"Jongin, come on, we should be heading back," Sehun says, feeling himself shiver when a droplet of water in his hair runs down his neck. When Jongin doesn't reply, Sehun thinks the younger is playing hide and seek, but it's not until he takes a step forward that Jongin hisses loudly. What the- "Jongin, come out, it's getting cold out and you really need a bath." Sehun blinks as Jongin growls behind the tree, and it suddenly clicks. Oh. "We'll make it quick, okay? You can't go to bed looking like that--" He attempts to put a hand on Jongin's shoulder, only the latter to miss his hand by an inch when he lashes out and attempts to slash him. "Hey-! Come out right this instant unless you want to walk around covered in blood and ink for the rest of your life--"

"I don't want a bath," Jongin scowls, partially hidden as he attempts to become one with the tree. It doesn't work, and he instinctively lashes out again when Sehun attempts to grab his arm. Guilt soon erupts inside of him, but he still refuses to budge when Sehun calls his name again. He doesn't know how many times he's been scolded every time he was forced to bathe or shower, but he knows for a fact that he hates it a little bit more each time. 

Sehun blinks. "What are you gonna do, then?" he huffs, putting his hands on his hips. He groans in disgust. "Please don't tell me you yourself clean," he says, not even wanting to hear Jongin's reply as he attempts to coerce the latter again, to no avail. "So you're just gonna stay out here in the cold wearing filthy clothing? That doesn't sound like a very good plan to me." He rolls his eyes when Jongin only scoffs. "Come on, take a bath for my sake, at least--"

Jongin shakes his head. "No--"

Sehun sighs in exasperation. "Will you do it for a glass of milk afterwards?"

Jongin shakes his head again. "I don't wanna--"

"I have some old bath toys from when I was little, I'll let you use them--"

"Only kittens play with toys," Jongin scoffs, although he won't deny that the idea makes his ears twitch.

"Jongin, please, it's getting dark out--"

"I have perfect vision!"

"You know what I meant!"

"I still don't want a bath!"

"Jongin, could you please--"

"No!"

Sehun rolls his eyes. He doesn't know what's worse, arguing about bathing with a fully grown man or the fact that, to anybody who might pass by and look in his direction, it's going to look like he's yelling at a tree. Sehun isn't sure, but he's at least 100% sure that that's going to get him arrested on the spot. He's about to say something else when he sees a young woman walking her dog a few feet away, and as they approach, he pretends to shrug carelessly. "Alright, your choice, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Sleep tight." He turns on his heel.

Once he unlocks his car, Sehun climbs behind the wheel. Surely enough, the German shepherd soon picks up Jongin's scent and starts barking frantically, and Sehun only chuckles to himself when Jongin practically jumps ten feet in the air from his spot behind the tree. The next thing Sehun knows, Jongin is scrambling into the passenger seat before slamming the door shut, nearly fracturing his tail in the process. Except Sehun soon grimaces when he realizes that Jongin managed to get blood all over the seat in the commotion, and he sighs before turning the key in the ignition. "Changed your mind, I take it?"

"I hate German shepherds," Jongin stammers, cowering in his seat as he watches the dog turn its head in all directions in search of the 'cat'. As they head for the main road, he blinks before pouting. "I still don't want a bath," he mumbles, pressing the window button and rolling the glass down. A moth flies inside the car and Sehun is thankful Jongin doesn't trigger the airbag when the latter slams his palm down on the dashboard and crushes the insect. 

"Right, but you still need one," Sehun chuckles, locking the doors for good measure. "You're not sleeping on my bed looking like that, that's for su--"

"I don't need one!" Jongin crosses his arms in protest. "And I'll just take my clothes off!" he retorts, eyeing his own reflection in the rear view mirror. "I don't want to--"

"Your hair's filthy, ," Sehun laughs, shaking his head in amusement as he turns on the right blinker. "I'm sorry, my friend, but you've managed to ruin my brand new seats with both ink and animal blood and guts, so you're taking a bath if I have to chase you around the house all night." He pulls up into the driveway a few minutes later, grabs his briefcase and exits the car. What takes place next is an exhausting fifteen minute wrestling match as Sehun literally attempts to pry Jongin from the seat as the latter clings onto the headrest for dear life.

Sehun is in the middle of contemplating whether he should, somehow, just dump the entire car in the bathtub with Jongin still inside when he manages to win Jongin over by suggesting that the latter imagines that he's bathing in milk instead of water. For some reason, it actually works and Sehun quickly ushers Jongin towards the house before the latter can plan his grand escape.

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