Jongdae swallowed hard, patting his hair down and resisting the urge to check his reflection one last time. Not being human was alright and at least somewhat accepted as long as you didn't look... nervous. A nervous werewolf was just as bad as a nervous vampire - in both cases, people started fearing for their blood.

No, he was composed and had nothing to hide. He had a respectable job and he'd never hunted anything bigger than a stray fox (which had basically walked between his teeth, really, and the bad taste in his mouth had been the absolute worst).

The "Little Frying Pan" wasn't exactly big or well-known, but word had traveled that the owner didn't care about your... background, as long as no trouble was caused.

Tiny bells announced his arrival and provoked suspicious clattering sounds from the room behind the counter.

"I'll be right there!"

Jongdae stayed at a safe distance from the counter (not because he was scared, but because approaching slowly might make him look even more harmless). There was no denying that his fingers were a bit white from how tight he was holding onto the strap of his backpack, but his expression remained relaxed. So far, there was neither a pan in sight nor the smell of food in the air. The latter was a relief - not like Jongdae could afford being picky at this point.

When someone popped up behind the counter, his worries immediately lowered to a bearable level.

"Good day, Sir, and welcome to the Little Frying Pan. My name is Kim and I'm the owner of this humble place. How can I help you?"

The man was young, probably around his age, his voice slightly breathy, cheeks flushed and hair a mess. It was always so much easier to appear slick when nobody made you feel... tousled. It was a werewolf thing.

"I need a place to stay," he began with a smile, closing the distance, but not touching the counter. Werewolves tended to be charming but unlike vampires, they were on the touchy, obnoxious side, and Jongdae wasn't here to flirt. "Do you have any free rooms?"

"Sure. How long are you planning to stay?"

Jongdae didn't hesitate, his smile taking on a dutifully awkward edge.

"Permanently? If you offer that..."

The other tilted his head, and the way he regarded him changed immediately.

This was it, this was the first test he had to pass.

He met the other's probing gaze with a cheerful smile of his own.

"We do offer that," Kim said slowly, and averted his gaze as he opened a book, flipping the flimsy pages.

"It would be 12 coins a month, breakfast costing extra unless it's Sunday, when it's free, washing facilities are in the basement," he rattled down, tapping the end of his pen on the book, "and we also expect our residents to maintain a certain level of cleanliness, but that should be obvious, shouldn't it?"

The last part was spoken with a smile again, directed at Jongdae.

"Of course. I work at the post office, so my income is stable."

The other's expression lit up a little at that.

"At the post office? That sounds nice."

Jongdae's polite smile didn't falter. That he was mostly being paid for sniffing out potentially dangerous contents, he didn't mention. There were rumors about the post office employing werewolves, and it wasn’t in Jongdae's interest to admit that it was mostly to use their elevated senses. No, the more human he appeared, the better.

"Alright then, let me get the paperwork out of the way," Kim muttered, already scribbling something down and giving Jongdae the chance to really take him in. He was handsome, no doubt. There was definitely no fear to be smelled on him - not yet at least - but it was hard to tell what he smelled like, with all the dust and faint, but biting remains of vinegar clinging to his skin, betraying that he’d been cleaning the backroom prior to this. A hint of soap was all Jongdae could make out, and by then, the other was already looking at him again.

"Would you like me to show you our available rooms before we proceed? I should have offered that straight away, sorry," he chuckled sheepishly, and it was so unguarded that it almost made Jongdae nervous for his sake. Almost. Because right then, he was too busy gearing himself up for the inevitable.

"Ah, there's something else," he began, and despite there being no one around, he leaned in just a little.

Instead of backing away, the other leaned in, too, with an encouraging look on his face. Now he could smell something else beneath the stench of vinegar. Something subtle and distinct.

"I'm not... exactly human," Jongdae murmured quietly, probingly.

"Oh," Kim breathed out slowly. There was no change in the air except for mild, tangy confusion.

"You're a vampire?" he asked quietly.
Jongdae scoffed, he couldn't help it.
Acting a little civilized really was enough to convince people that they were facing a vampire. Because that's what vampires were - alluring, smooth and intelligent. Unlike crude, barbaric, dog-like werewolves. No matter how bitter, he should be the bigger person and take it as a compliment. At least he hadn't made a comment on how he was pretty short for a vampire.

"It's a little... more hairy than that," Jongdae trailed off carefully, and for a moment, Junmyeon blinked, the confusion growing a little more dense before it lifted all at once.

"A werewolf?" he asked, and upon seeing Jongdae flinch, he lifted his hands apologetically.

"Sorry," he said, a little quieter this time. "Yes, I get it. So... you need anything extra? I've never had... one staying here. If this is about stray hairs, don't worry about it-"

He kept talking, and while he was definitely rambling, and while there was definitely a sense of awkwardness in the air, there was still no fear emanating from him.

Jongdae could only stare as the other talked himself into a hole, too dumb-founded to react.

"-and it's not like I'm going to tell anyone. So if there's anything you'd like me to know or pay attention to, you can just tell me," he ended. Jongdae only belatedly realized that he was done because the other was fixating him with a comically expectant, earnest look.

"Uhm," Jongdae began, at a complete loss for words.

Kim hummed encouragingly.

Helplessly, he shrugged.

"A- room on the first floor would be nice," he finally admitted.

"Of course," was all the other said, already bustling around the counter to lead him down the hallway, stopping mid-way, offering his hand and first name.

"By the way, you can call me Junmyeon. Since you're going to stay here for a while."

"Jongdae."

Junmyeon didn't ask what he needed a room on the first floor for, saving both of them the awkwardness.

He also only made the mistake of closing Jongdae's window once on a full moon and didn't even reach for the fire rake when Jongdae appeared before his window that night, feeling mildly embarrassed.
 

Maybe it was the fact that Junmyeon liked to appear a little more scatterbrained and harmless than he really was that being around him was so relaxing to Jongdae, who hated not having the upper hand in that regard.

Maybe it was his distinct, pleasant scent that made him spend time with the other whenever he could, helping him clean or repair things around the house (combining both their mediocre carpenting skills usually brought in results of some kind).

Maybe it was something else entirely.

All he knew was that months passed by without a hitch and coming home after a long day stopped being a dreadful experience. In fact, Jongdae couldn't remember the last time his home had felt so safe, and he couldn't remember ever having a human be this important to him.

One day, Jongdae came home to a simple, but nice-looking cushion on the ground of his room. It was very clearly a dog bed and Junmyeon had been very awkward about it.

It was also that very moment that Jongdae knew they were more than acquaintances because instead of ripping his throat out - which would be the obvious reaction - Jongdae hadn't commented on it at all. He didn't throw it out either. Having the stray hairs gather on the cushion instead of his bed turned out to be an actual relief.

Yes, Jongdae's life had taken a turn for the better, and Junmyeon would easily say the same about himself - these days, people seemed to think twice before attempting to rob or threaten him.
 

Jongdae knew that Junmyeon wasn't his human, not technically.

Just how technically speaking, he wasn't Junmyeon's, either.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't rip out the throat of anyone daring to cause him trouble.