Note: This one took me and came out longer than I expected. I actually have a couple other stories that I really should be working on, but this was a nice distraction from the dead ends I hit with those stories. I was thinking about doing a myungyeol story for this prompt, and I still might, but for now this'll do.

Cat Got Your Tongue?

Pairing: Sungjong/Sungyeol

Prompt: Cat/dog runs away and other person finds it.

"So... Is this your cat or..."

Sungyeol snaps out of his daze to focus on the guy in front of him. His mouth opens and closes a couple times before the words come out. "Uh, yeah, she's mine."

The guy holds out the little hairless cat towards him, but Sungyeol only stares dumbly at the other. Five whole seconds pass before Sungyeol's brain processes that the guy is trying to give him back his cat and he should probably do something instead of just standing there like an idiot.

"Oh, sorry," he says as he reaches to retrieve his Jureumie. She quickly makes herself comfortable in his arms, leaning into him and letting her eyes fall shut. When he looks back at the guy, he has a hand on his door and a polite, but not necessarily friendly, smile on his face. Sungyeol takes that as his cue to leave. "Um, thanks for, uh, my cat." He walks away without waiting for a response. He'll probably just end up embarrassing himself some more anyway.

•••

So Sungyeol might have a little crush on his next door neighbor. And he might be using "accidentally" losing his pet cat as an excuse to talk to him. As bad as it sounds, he thinks it might actually be working for him. That's if the smile his neighbor gives him when he answers the door is anything to go by.

Sungjong (he had learned the guy's name the second time he'd gone searching for Jureumie) is standing in the doorway with the cat cradled in his arms and the most dazzling smile Sungyeol's ever seen on his face.

"I'm starting to think someone has a crush on me," he says as he hands the cat over to her owner. Sungyeol nearly drops her in his surprise.

"W-what," he stutters, wincing slightly at the nails digging into his skin as his pet tries to save herself. He's been hoping Sungjong would realize that the whole "lost pet" thing is just an excuse, but he didn't actually prepare for it.

Sungjong gestures at the cat, now hanging onto Sungyeol's shoulder. "I meant Jureumie." Sungyeol doesn't miss the way the other's lips tremble slightly as if he's trying not to laugh.

"Oh, right, the cat. Of course." Somehow he always manages to embarrass himself. "I guess she really likes you." Like owner, like pet.

Sungjong leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms (and Sungyeol nearly loses his mind from the sight). "You know, if you're interested in me there are much simpler ways to show it."

Again, Sungyeol is caught off guard, but he manages to keep a good hold on Jureumie this time around. His eyes are wide as he looks back at Sungjong. The other holds his gaze cooly, his mouth still twitching with restrained laughter. "What makes you think I'm interested in you?" Sungjong gives him a pointed look that makes Sungyeol want to shove the words right back into his mouth. Subtle wouldn't be the word to describe his efforts. Even if it took four meetings until Sungjong brought it up. Sungyeol shifts in his spot, unsure of what to say or do. Did his neighbor like him too? Is he supposed to ask him out now? What if he says no? Or worse, yes?

Almost like he's reading Sungyeol's mind Sungjong says, "I would love to go out with you sometime." The sincere smile on his face assures Sungyeol that this is really happening.

"Really? I mean, yeah, sure, we should go out sometime. Totally." Sungyeol's a second away from screeching from joy and doing a stupid victory dance. But that's much too embarrassing for anyone else but Jureumie to witness. "I should go now, but I'll call you--well, maybe not. I'll just--"

"Send your cat with a note?"

It takes a moment for Sungyeol to get the joke. He lets out a small laugh, sensing this was just the beginning of Sungjong teasing him about his wooing methods. But that just means it worked, so he doesn't think he'll mind.