Jongin freezes as he enters the spacious, quiet apartment, eyes instantly drawn to the two figures on the couch before him. Perhaps what brings his direct attention to them aren’t the way their hoods are pulled low over their faces, masks securing whatever was left for the eye to see, but rather the way one man was sprawled out, long legs opened wide and soles planted firmly on the tiled floor, an arm wrapped tightly around the second male who had somehow bundled up his thin, lanky frame into a cocoon against the first man’s side, his arms secured around his waist and head resting on his chest. The possessive intimacy of the situation has Jongin shifting uncomfortably, palms becoming clammy. He swallows a little, and though he can’t see any of their eyes, he can feel the intensity of the first man’s gaze burning through his skin, as if he’s taunting Jongin, daring him to have a taste with the promise catastrophic consequences.

His head then turns from Jongin’s direction, who has been standing pathetically for the past couple of minutes, focussing on the man in his arms. “Sehunnie, he’s here.” The first male whispers, voice heavy and rough, the free hand that had been resting on the couch, reaching up to cradle the other’s face. Even from where he’s standing, Jongin can tell how careful and gentle his movements are. He hears a low whine and maybe a grumble from Sehun as he shifts, a low deep chuckle emanating from the first, who must be Chanyeol, soon after.

Jongin averts his gaze when Sehun sits up gingerly and stretches his thin frame, most definitely not focussing on the way his sweater rides up, exposing a sliver of pale, perfect skin on his incredibly flat stomach. It’s pathetic how he has to force himself to not shudder and swallow down the flood of saliva that rushes from his glands. He’s so ed and he hasn’t even started yet.

“You’re Jongin.” Chanyeol states.

Jongin’s gaze returns to the two on the couch so quickly, he momentarily dizzies himself. “Yes.” He states as calmly as possible. They’re sitting formally now, Chanyeol’s legs closed and Sehun’s back ramrod straight, one leg crossed over the other and palms on his knee. Dainty, Jongin thinks. “You must be Chanyeol and Sehun. Nice to meet you.”

Sehun’s the first to pull back the hood of his sweater, revealing a shock of long, platinum blond hair, sharply plucked brows and sleepy eyes. His fingers curl around the frail elastic of the face mask secured behind his ears and Jongin’s eyes follow every movement of the long, thin digits as they pull it off with smooth, almost graceful movements. Jongin doesn’t know what to do other than stare at the prominence of Sehun’s nose that tapers down to a small, pink mouth and incredibly sharp jaw. Those pretty lips curl into a warm smile before he reads out ‘likewise’ being spoken from them. Then Chanyeol does the same. His appearance counteracts his voice tenfold but the fire in his eyes are surely there. Chanyeol’s large ears, messy russet-coloured hair and wide smile does nothing to mask the danger radiating from his handsome frame and Jongin wonders if this is his payback for deleting the circular memo off Jongdae’s laptop when he’d gone to the bathroom so he wouldn’t see it and respond to offer up his assistance, therefore closing the window of opportunity which led to Jongin immediately being chosen by Junmyeon for the task.

He is not a horrible person. It’s just that work has been terribly slow these days, confining him to menial office visits. He hasn’t had a house call in months… until now. Jongdae, being the lead veterinarian at the clinic, is always chosen first when a job comes and that cheeky, witty bastard almost never passes up an opportunity, citing that his love for helping animals outweighs his personal commitments. Which is a bunch of bull, by the way. Jongin knows he does it only to piss him off. It’s something Jongdae and Baekhyun do quite often, piss him off. And it’s only because he’s the youngest vet at the clinic, the baby of sorts.

“So,” he begins, walking further into the room when he’s sure that Chanyeol won’t walk over and knock his teeth out for staring at his friend? Boyfriend? Cousin? “Would you like to show me your boys?”

Chanyeol snorts, a smirk tugging at his lips as he tries not to laugh. Only then does Jongin realise the innuendo, face heating considerably. “What?” Sehun questions, brows furrowed and lips turned down as he looks between a near hysteric Chanyeol and an embarrassed Jongin. “I don’t get it.”

“I didn’t mean that!” Jongin defends. The weight of the stethoscope around his neck suddenly feels heavier, Sehun’s naivety magnifying his mortification.

“I can show you our boys.” Chanyeol drawls sleazily, spreading his long, lean legs, the material of the skinny jeans stretching against his thick thighs. Jongin swallows hard, almost biting his tongue in the process and tries his best not to cry.

“What are you talking about? They’re in the rooms to the back.” Sehun snaps, suddenly annoyed by the lack of inclusion and understanding. He stands, glaring holes at Chanyeol and then Jongin before swiftly retreating down the hall. Chanyeol’s laughing fully now, slapping his leg and Jongin cringes, quickly following after Sehun. As soon as the man opens the door, a white ball of fluff comes barrelling out and right into his owner’s legs.

“Vivi baby.” Sehun coos, dropping to his knees and scooping the enthusiastic dog into his arms. Jongin watches on, entranced as the puppy over Sehun's face, the man laughing prettily though the sound is a little dry around the edges. Still, it goes straight to his pathetic little heart, fluttering wildly especially when Vivi barks up at Jongin with his big round eyes, tail wagging viciously and Sehun smiles at him and says, “He likes you.” He chuckles when Jongin lowers himself to the floor, giving the dog a generous scratch behind the ear.

“Most animals do but none of them are as handsome as this boy. I'm honoured, Master Vivi.” Jongin winks, blowing a kiss at the dog who yelps playfully, almost breaking free from Sehun's arms.

“Where's Chanyeol's dog?” He then asks.

Sehun sighs and stands, his dog still secured tightly in his arms. “We try to keep them separate as much as possible. Toben's in our office.” It's literally across from the bedroom. When Sehun opens the door, Jongin hears a low growl before a black poodle cautiously steps out. The dog then scurries past both him and Sehun, barking playfully at Chanyeol who comes into the hallway. The man grins widely, a dimple forming on his cheek.

“Is the vet giving you trouble, Tobennie?” He babbles sweetly, dropping to the floor and allowing the dog to climb onto his lap.

Jongin chuckles and walks over, planting himself on the ground next to Chanyeol. He takes a deep breath to calm himself. He's here to do his job. He didn't destroy his morals just to chicken out because of two stunningly gorgeous men. Chanyeol's cologne is faint but intoxicating and it leaves Jongin's head feeling a little fuzzy and wanting more all at once. “If it's okay with you, I'd like to examine him. Just a general checkup before I get down to business. I'll have to do the same with Vivi as well.” He states, looking to Sehun and receiving a small nod.

Chanyeol shrugs and gestures at the dog now resting comfortably on his lap, head lying on his crotch. Jongin stares. And stares. “Well?” The man questions sounding half-amused. He refuses to look up, certain that his client is smirking at him, that infuriating -wetting smirk. With shaking fingers, Jongin snaps on a pair of latex gloves and gingerly reaches out, lifting Toben's head off Chanyeol's crotch and begins examining him. He’s careful, too careful so that he doesn't accidentally touch Chanyeol inappropriately. He might kill Chanyeol later but that's not his nature so Jongin mentally agrees to just kill himself. Once Toben checks out as fully healthy, he lets the dog return to his lethargic position, breathing out a sigh of relief and wiping the beads of perspiration that had formed on his forehead during the general. This is much more nerve wracking than his final year veterinary examinations. He's so ashamed of himself.

“Vivi's turn.” Sehun hums, walking over and letting the dog climb down onto Jongin's lap. Jongin checks out Sehun's dog carefully, eyes occasionally straying to Sehun's feet that are cushioned by comfy-looking house slippers. The black fuzzy material compliments his pale, long toes so well and Jongin fights the urge to reach out and touch, run the tips of his fingers over the protruding veins and maybe his lips too. , is there anything unattractive about Sehun? Even his toes are a masterpiece. Jongin's in the middle of a crisis, he accepts, when he finally lets the dog go, discarding the gloves and wooden palette in the same bag he’d put Toben’s check-up materials in.

“Okay, they're both perfectly healthy. Now, let's see the problem.” Jongin watches as Chanyeol gives Toben a few light taps on his with a large palm, the dog whining before getting up and off Chanyeol's legs. As soon as he's up though, he starts barking loudly, baring his teeth and jumping around erratically at Vivi who reciprocates the actions equally.

Jongin studies their behaviours, a pout adorning his lips. When Vivi finally launches at Toben, Jongin instructs the owners to take their pets away from each other. “So, what do you think it is?” Sehun asks with a sigh.

“I read your file and did some research before coming. You said that you two moved in together several months ago. The dogs have always been cordial, right?” Chanyeol nods thoughtfully when Jongin looks at him. “Right up until two months ago when they suddenly turned hostile towards each other. Do they behave that way around other dogs?” He asks.

Sehun purses his lips and Jongin unconsciously smiles. “Nope. They're both fine at the dog park.”

“Even with each other?” Jongin ventures.

“Well yeah, most times.” Chanyeol responds.

“So maybe the issue is with the building itself. They're both spayed but there could be another dog in here that may have recently moved in. Sometimes these things affects animals, especially sensitive ones like dogs and cats.”

Sehun stares blankly at the floor for a beat before his eyes suddenly widen. “Oh my god. Kyungsoo hyung's dog.” It's as if the revelation is monumental. Chanyeol's lips part as the lightbulb goes off in his head.

“.” He mutters. “Even the timing is perfect.”

Jongin smiles triumphantly. “I don't expect you two to move but I can suggest a few tips to make their relationship easier.”

“So are our dogs the problem or Kyungsoo’s dog?” Chanyeol questions skeptically.

“A bit of both. But the core of the problem is the new dog. You're going to have to get Vivi and Toben accustomed to your friend's dog. I'd say the park is a good place to start since its neutral grounds. Don't force them though. Just gradually bring them together. It's going to take quite some time.”

“How long exactly?” Sehun looks down at his puppy and pouts.

“Optimistically, a month. In realistic terms, a few months. Maybe three. It depends on how often you let the dogs meet too.” Jongin states. “Oh, I brought the vitamins you all asked for.” Jongin reaches into his messenger bag and pulls out two bottles of vitamin pills, one for each pet.

“Ah, I forgot about those. Thanks.” Chanyeol accepts them. “We already have an account with the clinic so just send us the bill and we'll do the payment via credit card.”

Jongin laughs, standing and stretching a little, ignoring the way both Chanyeol and Sehun eye him darkly. Honestly, how appealing can he be? He knows he is