Chapter Text
"He's definitely a cat."
"I don't think so... sunbae gives off a different vibe."
"Okay, so what vibe is he giving off, then?"
"I don't know. Just not a cat."
"You don't know! You're crazy, Vernon-ah. I've never seen a guy who screams 'cat' more than Wonwoo sunbae."
"I'm with Seungkwan on this one. I think he's a cat, one hundred percent."
"Finally, Lee Chan, you and I agree on something. And that's hyung to you, you brat."
"No, no, you guys are wrong, I'm telling you!"
"You sound real sure of yourself, but how would you even know if he's a cat or not? Besides his vibe."
"Because I'm a cat. I know what we're like, and Wonwoo sunbae doesn't match that. I'm willing to bet on this, I'm serious."
"Lunch for me and Chan for a week."
"You're on."
"And drinks!"
"Hey- wait, no I didn't agree to that-"
Mingyu, who had been listening in shamelessly on this amusing exchange, pressed a hand against his mouth to stifle his laughter. He took a moment to compose himself before popping his head over the cubicle wall and resting his arms on top of the divider.
"What are you three so fired up about?" he asked with his very best angelic smile.
"Manager Kim!" Chan yelped while Seungkwan nearly swore, catching himself at the last second. Vernon merely blinked at Mingyu with wide eyes, his pointed ears sticking straight up.
"We were just talking about, uh, lunch plans-" Seungkwan babbled at the same time that Vernon asked, "Manager Kim, do you know what kind of hybrid Assistant Manager Jeon is?"
Seungkwan and Chan shot glares at Vernon, who shrugged his shoulders, his thin tail bobbing along with the motion behind his back. If it weren't for Seungkwan's rounded bear ears and Chan's adorably floppy dog ears, they might have been a smidge more intimidating. The three of them were too cute, Mingyu cooed to himself.
"Why, are you curious?" he teased, unable to resist the opportunity handed to him on a silver platter.
"Of course!" Seungkwan huffed. "How is it possible that not a single person in this company knows what Wonwoo sunbae is? Is it really that much of a secret?"
There was one person, and Seungkwan was looking right at him. Mingyu wouldn't tell him that, though.
"It's probably on his file. But anyway, don't you think there's a reason that he's keeping his traits private?"
Chan raised an eyebrow. "Manager Kim, you're speaking like you know what that reason is."
Speak of the devil. All four of them looked up when they noticed Wonwoo coming around the corner, a folder tucked under his arm and a coffee in his hand. His sharp eyes narrowed in suspicion when he noticed the attention, and he looked away entirely when Mingyu let his teeth flash as he smiled.
"Maybe I do," Mingyu said in a vague tone, smiling innocently. "Maybe I don't."
"Argh, Kim Mingyu, why did I have to get stuck with you of all people as my boss?!" Seungkwan exclaimed, his hands flying to his head to tug on his bear ears in frustration. Both Vernon and Chan reached over to gently pry his hands away, though the pout on Seungkwan's lips stayed stubbornly in place.
"Yeah, I love you, too, my precious Seungkwannie," Mingyu laughed as his tail wagged lightly at successfully riling Seungkwan up yet again. "Now get back to work."
"We're on our lunch break!"
Mingyu waved the protest off over his shoulder.
He headed straight to the office that he shared with Wonwoo, finding the man in question standing at the whiteboard wall with his back to the door. Mingyu took a moment to admire the view, the broadness of Wonwoo's back and shoulders narrowing down into his tiny waist. He thanked every god and deity out there that Wonwoo knew how to dress to accentuate the lines of his body. Perhaps it was a given, considering that they worked for one of the most successful fashion magazines in the country, but there was no harm in having a moment of gratefulness.
"Whatever you're thinking, stop it," Wonwoo called out, not even sparing Mingyu a glance. Mingyu's wolf ears perked up at the sound of his voice, and he stuck his hands into the pockets of his slacks as he approached, grinning.
"Always assuming the worst of me, aren't you? How'd your meeting go?"
"Good. The layout for the LV spread needs some slight tweaking, but everyone's on track for once. It's a miracle, honestly. Seems like yours went well, too, seeing as you had time to terrorise the juniors."
"We were having a friendly conversation!"
About you, Mingyu chose not to add.
"The meeting, Manager Kim."
"Ah, right. We're all set for the last shoot tomorrow, and the marketing team will get their final revisions to us by the end of today."
"End of today? Seriously? Did you scare them into agreeing or what?"
"Hey, that's your thing, not mine."
Wonwoo muttered something under his breath that sounded awfully like, "Unintentionally."
Mingyu's lips twitched into a fond grin. Wonwoo never did manage to shake his reputation. The two of them started at CARAT around the same time, and though they were in different departments, they'd heard of each other's names long before they ever met in person. It was quite the surprise for Mingyu to discover that Wonwoo was rather unlike his 'icy and no-nonsense' image that circulated around the company.
"You know, I was thinking that you and I should get drinks tonight," Mingyu said, aiming for casual as he leaned against a spot on the whiteboard that was free of Wonwoo's near illegible scribbles. "It's been a while."
"You want to go drinking two weeks before deadline?" Wonwoo shot back with an unimpressed raise of his eyebrow. He returned to sticking photos to the board with the cute animal shaped magnets that Seungkwan bought him as a gift. When he was acting all aloof like this, it was easy to see why others would see him as a cat. Mingyu knew better than that, though. Jeon Wonwoo was a lot more sly than he might have seemed upon first glance.
"Exactly, it's two entire weeks before, not the night before. Where would we even find the time to drink then? I do take my work seriously, I'll have you know."
"Sure you do."
"Come on, Wonwoo. I know for a fact that you have nothing planned tonight. You told me yourself, remember? Let me help you relax a little."
Mingyu was slowly winning him over, he could tell. Wonwoo's hand stuttered in speed as he wrote annotations beside his photos on the board, and he was refusing to look in Mingyu's direction. Mingyu could practically see the cogs turning in his head, processing the offer. And if he pushed a little more-
"I know you missed me while I was in Japan."
-Wonwoo's ears would turn pink.
The colour was so soft and pretty that Mingyu just wanted to bite him all over.
"...Your place," Wonwoo muttered as he looked up at Mingyu from under his eyelashes. His lips were drawn into a tiny frown that was dangerously close to a pout. "I don't feel like going out today."
"Okay. I'll buy your favourite," Mingyu agreed easily. It didn't take long at all for him to get through Wonwoo's fronts. Perhaps his hard-working assistant manager really did have some pent-up stress that needed to be alleviated in the way that only Mingyu could give to him. It was a feeling beyond mere satisfaction, knowing that Wonwoo kept coming back to him over and over again.
For a split second, Wonwoo's eyes darted down to Mingyu's lips, fast enough to be mistaken as mere imagination. Then he turned his face away and raised his marker to the whiteboard once more.
"Now if you're done, you should get back to work, Manager Kim."
"But I'm on my lunch break!"
Jeon Wonwoo's dating history could be summed up in one word: abysmal.
He'd managed to keep this information to himself for years despite droves upon droves of nosy co-workers, so he really couldn't have predicted that he would choose to divulge everything to Kim Mingyu, of all people.
"Worst ex?" Mingyu had prompted earlier as he refilled Wonwoo's cup with rice wine. It wasn't a cup in actuality, more like a dented dollar store noodle pot because Mingyu didn't have anything else suitable for rice wine. It was sweet, though, the things that Mingyu did for him. What was the question again?"
"You go first," Wonwoo muttered, swirling the pot to mix up the sediment before bringing it to his mouth. "I need to think about this one."
"Let's see... I don't know, I think I've been pretty lucky with my past relationships. All of them ended on good terms. At least, they did to me. Oh, wait, there was this one time that I dated a cat for a few months in university. Looking back, she was pretty mean to me... but I was kinda into it at the time, you know what I mean? She had a huge kink for tail pulling."
"...I assume she was the one doing the pulling?"
"Yep. And one day when we were fooling around, she yanked so hard that I pulled a muscle, and I cried on the floor for like, half an hour. I still remember how much it hurt, felt like she nearly ripped it off!"
Wonwoo giggled as Mingyu brought his tail close to his chest and hugged it almost protectively, pouting. At times like this, he reminded Wonwoo more of a puppy dog than a wolf. Cute.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he abruptly stopped laughing. It was a good thing that his face was already flushed from drinking. He could feel himself growing hot under his collar. He hastily reached for the rice wine bottle, only to be disappointed when a few measly drops trickled out into the pot.
"That's it?" Wonwoo asked, blinking slowly in disappointment.
"I only bought one," Mingyu frowned. "That's how much you usually drink. You want more?"
"Mhmm."
"Here, take my card-"
"I don't wanna get up."
"Seriously? You're making me go get it for you?"
"You were the one who invited me, so take responsibility," Wonwoo pointed out with an accusatory finger. "And I'm older than you, don't forget. Have some respect for your elders, Mingyu-ya."
"And don't forget that I'm technically your superior, Wonwoo hyung."
Wonwoo shivered at the sound of the word, secretly pleased. He'd never given his explicit permission for Mingyu to call him hyung, but it soon stuck after the first time. Wonwoo liked it too much to tell him to stop and redraw the lines of their professional boundaries.
Not that 'professional boundaries' really mattered when they were fucking on the regular.
Wonwoo breathed out, "We're not at work now, are we?"
For a moment, Mingyu held Wonwoo's gaze with dark eyes. It was a familiar look, one that Wonwoo saw whenever he was underneath Mingyu, and the sight of it made his breath hitch. It was too intense for him to handle when he was unprepared and defenceless.
Eventually, Mingyu rolled his eyes lightly and huffed, "Fine, fine, I'll go. You want one more of the same, right?"
"Yes. Please."
"Okay. Sit tight, hyung."
"Thank you."
Mingyu grabbed his keys and patted Wonwoo's head before he left, knowing that Wonwoo's reflexes would be too slow to bat his hand away. The door locked behind him with a cheery beep, and Wonwoo was left alone. He often complained at work that Mingyu was too noisy with his constant chattering, but the silence without him made something stir in Wonwoo's chest. Maybe it was just the alcohol.
Out of curiosity, Wonwoo poured himself a bit of Mingyu's whiskey. He had never been a fan of hard liquor, preferring to stick to drinks with a low alcohol content and mild taste. He knew that he would hate it just by the smell, but he drank it anyway.
Awful, just as he expected.
The acrid taste of alcohol was so strong that Wonwoo's stomach lurched, and it burned as it slipped down his throat. He stuck his tongue out and scrunched up his face, shuddering as he forced it to stay down. If Mingyu were still here, he would've started teasing Wonwoo about it. He stood up on wobbly legs and made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water to rinse the foul taste out of his mouth.
Wonwoo knew his way around Mingyu's kitchen quite well by now, and he was yet to decide on how he felt about it. They had spent countless mornings here eating breakfast before heading to the office separately so that they wouldn't arouse suspicion by arriving together. Tomorrow would be no exception.
Part of him knew that he shouldn't have been doing this with Mingyu. Drinking and spending the night in each other's arms, waking up in the same bed. It would be easy to fool anyone into thinking that they were something more. Wonwoo couldn't help it. These were the repercussions of having casual sex with someone who was, to use Mingyu's own words, technically his superior. Someone who also just so happened to be Wonwoo's exact type. It was like some kind of fucked up cherry on top of the entire affair.
After Wonwoo's chain of disastrous relationships, being with Mingyu was like an oasis in the desert. It was near impossible to give it up when he had everything he'd ever wanted in a partner right in front of him. If he were more of a strong-willed person, he would have ended things long ago. In fact, he would have stopped it all before it ever got a chance to grow this far out of control. There was no way that this could possibly end well for him.
Exhaling slowly, Wonwoo brought his water back to the coffee table where they were drinking and flopped down onto Mingyu's heated floor. His thoughts were growing heavy, his cheeks were burning, and somehow he only just noticed that Mingyu's scent was everywhere. He couldn't resist the urge any longer. He let his ears pop up but quickly regretted letting his tail come out when it ended up trapped awkwardly in his pants.
"Damn it," Wonwoo cursed under his breath.
That was how Mingyu found him upon returning, fumbling with the buttons on the back of his dress pants and growling in frustration.
"What the hell are you doing?" Mingyu snorted in amusement as he set a plastic bag from the convenience store down on the table. "How did you get even more drunk while I was gone?"
"Stupid buttons," Wonwoo grumbled in response. "My tail is stuck."
"Just borrow my shorts, hyung. Wish I could take a video of you right now, no one would believe me if I said I caught Assistant Manager Jeon acting all silly like this."
"Ugh, shut up."
Wonwoo changed right there on the floor after Mingyu brought him a pair of shorts, completely uncaring of Mingyu's eyes fixed on his legs. They'd been naked together more times than Wonwoo could count, so this was nothing in comparison. Huffing, he yanked off his tie and flicked open the topmost buttons of his shirt as well, his body growing hot and flushed. He eventually pulled himself up to sit properly again and reached for the new bottle of rice wine that Mingyu bought.
"Been a while since I saw these," Mingyu murmured, reaching over to pinch one of Wonwoo's fox ears lightly. The touch startled Wonwoo while he was pouring himself a drink, the rice wine nearly splashing over the edge. Wonwoo's ear twitched, and he swatted the wandering hand away so that he could drink in peace.
"Hey, hyung, you still haven't answered my question yet," Mingyu pouted, leaning in close enough that Wonwoo's eyes automatically fixated onto the mole on the tip of his nose. "Tell me about your worst ex. You've had time to think about it, right?"
In all honesty, the thought had crossed Wonwoo's mind maybe once during the time that Mingyu was out. He said flatly, "All of them."
"No, come on, don't cop out," Mingyu laughed, pulling back and putting some more space between them again.
"But I mean it. Every single one was terrible."
"Then tell me about all of them. We've got the time."
"Fuck, I'm not drunk enough for this. Why do you even want to know?"
"Because I'm curious about you, Wonwoo hyung. I know all about what you're like at the office and what you're like in bed, but nothing besides that. We've never talked about things like this."
Wonwoo's face felt like it was on fire, and Mingyu's heavy gaze was fanning the flames. They weren't friends. Not really. They were co-workers who slept together after office hours. He couldn't think of any possible reason that Mingyu would want to know about Wonwoo's dating history.
Even so, once he started talking, he found that he couldn't stop. Somewhere in his foggy head, he was aware that he should have stopped talking several sentences ago, and yet he was still blabbering away, totally uncaring of whatever nonsense was coming out of his mouth.
Han Dohyun, Wonwoo's first boyfriend at the tender age of seventeen. Funnily enough, Wonwoo's first heartbreak wouldn't come until much later. Dohyun was an outgoing and moderately popular rabbit senior, and he had been drawn to Wonwoo's quiet nature. Supposedly. The cracks began to show themselves when Dohyun complained that he was too shy and tentative for a fox. Wonwoo couldn't get hard the first time they tried having sex, and Dohyun dumped him on the spot before finding himself a new boyfriend less than a week later.
It was then that Wonwoo had a rather startling realisation about his preferences.
He dated around quite a bit in university to confirm his suspicions. He liked being taken care of, liked being praised. He wanted someone bigger than him who could tell him what to do and be gentle with him afterwards. But as it turned out, it was near impossible to find anyone who ticked all of the boxes that Wonwoo was looking for. It certainly didn't seem like he ticked anyone's boxes, either.
No one really wanted a fox who was more on the submissive side. Taking charge wasn't his favourite thing in the world, so some found him too passive for their liking. Others enjoyed how obedient he was, but what they really wanted was someone smaller and cuter. He even tried dating a fellow fox once. Didn't last long. That asshole had been so smug about getting to top that Wonwoo got up and left before even a single item of clothing had come off.
Jeon Wonwoo was just a bit of fun, not someone to keep for real. Every time he became even the tiniest bit hopeful about a relationship, it crashed and burned just months later. Sometimes weeks.
Then came Seo Haejun.
They met in Wonwoo's third year, and he fell hard and fast. Haejun was perfect for him in every imaginable way. A lion with a strong sense of pride and self-confidence, someone who knew exactly what Wonwoo needed and was more than capable of giving it to him. He made Wonwoo feel cared for and adored, even if they didn't spend a whole lot of time together outside of the bedroom. Haejun chalked it up to him being a busy pre-med student and their clashing schedules. Wonwoo, being so head over heels and blindsided by his infatuation, believed him.
"That bastard was bragging to all his friends about fucking me," Wonwoo scoffed, his words slurring together after making his way through more than half of the bottle throughout his story. "And he'd been sleeping with other people behind my back the entire time."
"What an asshole," Mingyu muttered as his face scrunched up with disgust.
"Worst part is, he had the audacity to tell me that I was the one who misunderstood, and we were never exclusive, never seriously dating."
"I hope you punched him."
"I used his number to sign up to every scam I could find."
Mingyu barked out a laugh at that, slapping Wonwoo's shoulder lightly. Wonwoo was momentarily distracted by Mingyu's smile and the way that his pointed canine teeth stuck out. They were so cute in times like these. Other times, he wouldn't exactly call them cute. Like when they were busy digging into his skin and making him cry out. He shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of his encroaching dirty thoughts, but it somehow made them multiply instead.
Mingyu was just so close. Close enough for their thighs to brush together. Close enough to kiss. As soon as Mingyu's laughter settled down, Wonwoo couldn't hold himself back any longer.
He surged forward to kiss Mingyu, clumsier than usual. It was more like an off-centred smashing of lips together, but judging by the soft growl he got in return, Mingyu wasn't complaining at all. The next thing Wonwoo knew, there were hands on his waist and he was being hauled onto Mingyu's lap. It was always so easy for Mingyu to manhandle him like he weighed nothing at all, and the thought never failed to make his head spin.
Mingyu pulled him close enough for their chests to meet, one arm around Wonwoo's waist and one hand cradling the back of his head. The touch was possessive in a way that made Wonwoo moan, his tail twitching with excitement.
They weren't friends. Not really. But fuck, their sexual compatibility was beyond compare.
"Idiot," Mingyu murmured between hurried kisses. His hold around Wonwoo's waist tightened as he spoke.
"E-Excuse me?" Wonwoo spluttered, a flash of indignation cutting through his arousal.
"Your stupid ex, I mean. He had no idea how good he had it. What kind of crazy bastard would ever cheat on you?"
"You're not making sense. Less talking."
"So demanding," Mingyu teased, yelping when Wonwoo tugged on one of his wolf ears to shut him up.
Their kisses grew progressively sloppier as Wonwoo squirmed in Mingyu's lap. It soon escalated into real grinding, desperate and clumsy jerking of his hips. The feeling of his bare legs rubbing up against the fabric of Mingyu's slacks wasn't enough. Wonwoo needed more, needed the skin to skin contact that he craved so much. He reached for Mingyu's belt buckle, only to be stopped by warm hands closing around his wrists.
"Not tonight," Mingyu murmured, kissing the corner of Wonwoo's lips.
"We're not gonna do it?" Wonwoo mumbled, disappointed. "What the hell did you invite me over for, then?"
"You're drunk out of your mind right now. This is all you get."
"Then give me more."
"Ask nicely."
Wonwoo bit back a whine, his teeth digging into his bottom lip. When Mingyu spoke to him like that, he would do just about anything.
"...Please, Mingyu. Please kiss me more."
"Open your mouth."
Wonwoo's brain turned to mush in his head, all other thoughts wiped clean as Mingyu began to fill every corner. His scent, his touch, his kisses. Wonwoo was going to turn into a total mess right there in Mingyu's lap, and he was helpless to stop himself. He wanted Mingyu's teeth against his neck, Mingyu's cock buried deep inside him, Mingyu's hands gripping his hips hard enough to bruise. He ached to be marked up like he belonged to Mingyu.
Wonwoo broke away from the kiss to moan airily into the crook of Mingyu's neck. He would've cringed at how breathless and pitiful the sound was, but the alcohol swimming in his veins made it hard to think of anything else besides the carnal pleasure of being pressed up against Mingyu. He wanted so much more than this, and he was just seconds away from begging.
Mingyu squeezed the back of Wonwoo's neck with a firm hand, holding him in place. Wonwoo whined softly as his hips twitched involuntarily in a feeble attempt at seeking out more friction. Somehere in a rational corner of his mind, he knew that Mingyu wouldn't give it to him tonight even if he begged. Perhaps it was for the better. If they were going to sleep together, Wonwoo wanted to remember every second of how good it felt.
He pressed lazy kisses against Mingyu's neck, sucking gently so that he wouldn't leave a mark, even though he wanted to. Mingyu merely sighed and allowed it, tilting his head to accommodate for him. Wonwoo kept rocking in Mingyu's lap at an increasingly slow pace, riding out the last sparks of his arousal with the occasional soft moan. Though they'd barely touched each other, he felt so good that he thought he might have been satisfied with getting off like that.
The fire in Wonwoo's stomach eventually dwindled down, leaving nothing but a pleasant warmth washing over his body in waves. The hand on the back of his neck travelled up to the ears on top of his head. Mingyu scratched lightly at the base where soft hair met even softer white fur, drawing a content noise from Wonwoo. The drag of Mingyu's short nails over that sensitive spot made him melt.
"This okay?" Mingyu murmured, his voice full of something like affection. Wonwoo was probably imagining things.
He only hummed his approval, feeling himself beginning to slip away. Fuzziness crept around the edges of his mind as he let himself sink further into Mingyu's arms. He inhaled a shaky lungful of Mingyu's scent and purred softly, lulled further into relaxation. How strange it was, he found himself thinking, that he was so familiar with Mingyu's body and yet he still wouldn't call them anything more than colleagues. He wondered what it would be like if he could have this every night, every morning.
These were the kinds of dangerous thoughts that Wonwoo would normally never allow himself to indulge in. With his rationality weighed down by the alcohol and his sleepiness, however, his unrestrained mind was free to wander. His ears caught the sound of Mingyu's voice again, a low rumble offset by that cute lisp.
"Hey now, don't fall asleep on me," Mingyu chuckled, still petting Wonwoo with gentle motions. He pressed a soft kiss against the top of Wonwoo's head.
"I won't," Wonwoo mumbled back, but his promise was forgotten the moment that his eyes slipped shut.
It was the first time that they had spent the night together without having sex.
Truth be told, Mingyu had almost fallen asleep on the floor with Wonwoo in his lap, all content and curled up against his chest. He was just starting to doze off when reality slapped him in the face and reminded him that they needed to sleep in an actual bed. It had been a bit of a struggle to get up without waking Wonwoo, but, well, Mingyu hadn't been going to the gym for years with nothing to show for it.
Not knowing what was appropriate to do in this kind of situation, Mingyu simply laid Wonwoo down on one side of the bed and pulled the covers over him. Wonwoo immediately drew them closer around himself, burying his face until only his white fox ears poked out. Mingyu could have sworn that his heart swelled to twice its usual size, and a blush sprang to his cheeks even though he knew that Wonwoo was sleeping.
This kind of thing had been happening more frequently as of late. Mingyu wasn't used to being so flustered by someone else, especially not in such perfectly ordinary situations like this. It wasn't even as if Wonwoo was trying to be cute on purpose, and maybe that was what drove Mingyu so wild. That was just how Wonwoo was. Utterly and irresistibly adorable.
Mingyu quietly brushed his teeth, did his nightly skincare routine, and tried not to think about how sweet Wonwoo looked sleeping in his bed.
He returned to find that Wonwoo had somehow bundled himself up even further in the covers, pulling them completely towards his side. It was no matter, since Mingyu's body ran hot anyway. Mingyu settled onto his side facing Wonwoo, entranced by the way that his fox ears twitched in his sleep every so often. Was it normal to find someone this endearing?
Sometimes, Mingyu really had no idea what he and Wonwoo were doing. Sex partners, fuck-buddies, friends with benefits. Colleagues with benefits? There was no simple label that could neatly encompass the arrangement they had somehow fallen into without ever talking about it.
At work, Wonwoo acted like they were nothing more than co-workers. When they were alone, he would show Mingyu his vulnerable side, peering at him from under his eyelashes instead of tilting his head up to meet Mingyu's gaze. He would let Mingyu touch him and manhandle him and pull such sweet noises from him. And now, he had curled up in Mingyu's bed and made himself comfortable as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It was all starting to become rather confusing, but whatever they were, Mingyu was enjoying it. He was happy to let Wonwoo lead, even if it seemed that Wonwoo wasn't exactly aware that he was the one leading at times. As long as it didn't affect their work life, there was no harm in having a little fun after hours. Things would get unnecessarily complicated if he started overthinking. Maybe they didn't even need a label at all.
In the morning, Mingyu woke to the sight of Wonwoo's back and his own hand outstretched across the space between them. The tail end of his dream was fresh in his mind, though the details were slipping away from him quicker than sand falling through his fingers. All he could remember was a lithe, warm body and a mischievously seductive smile.
Wonwoo was still fast asleep, judging by the sound of his deep and steady breathing. Mingyu took a moment to watch the rise and fall of his shoulders before sitting up with a stifled yawn. This was something he was used to, being an early riser.
While Mingyu was cooking breakfast for the two of them, Wonwoo walked into the kitchen as if he were summoned by the sounds. His eyebrows were scrunched together as he rubbed at his sleepy eyes, and his mouth was set into a deep pout. He was still wearing his clothes from yesterday, wrinkled beyond saving.
"I'm gonna head out first," Wonwoo mumbled, pulling at the hem of his shirt. "I need to get a change of clothes."
"Are you okay to drive, though? You had a lot to drink last night," Mingyu frowned over his shoulder.
"Ah... but I have no choice. I can't come into the office like this."
"You can borrow my clothes. And I'll drive us to be safe."
Wonwoo's mouth fell open in a tiny, rounded 'O'. It would have been much cuter if Mingyu wasn't currently panicking at the utter nonsense that had just left his mouth. What the hell was he thinking? He wasn't thinking at all, that was the problem. There was still a line between them despite their unspoken arrangement, and he'd just gone and stomped all over it. Fuck.
For a long moment, Wonwoo only stared at Mingyu with wide eyes. And then, ever so quietly, he asked, "Are you sure? That's okay with you?"
The tension drained out of Mingyu's body as quickly as it had built up. Immensely relieved that he hadn't screwed everything up, he breathed out a secret sigh and replied, "Of course, but is it okay with you?"
"I mean, yeah. I appreciate the offer."
Well, if Wonwoo was going to be all casual and nonchalant about it, then so was Mingyu.
"Alright," Mingyu smiled, setting a bowl of kimchi fried rice topped with a sunny side up egg on the counter. "Eat up. I'll go find something for you to wear."
"Thank you, Mingyu," Wonwoo said almost shyly, taking a seat and digging in almost immediately. His expression turned into one of pure bliss with the first bite, his fox ears twitching in happiness. Mesmerised by the sight, Mingyu very nearly forgot that he had to get ready for work as well.
One quick shower later, Mingyu was rummaging through his closet and drawers for a set of clothes that would fit Wonwoo. He managed to find a light blue button up that he'd grown out of, but a suitable pair of pants was proving to be quite elusive. Mingyu knew that Wonwoo actually had to get most of his pants tailored, and while they were similar in height, Wonwoo's waist was much narrower than Mingyu's. All of a sudden, he came across a pair of dark dress pants that looked too small to be his own.
"Hey, I think these are yours," Mingyu declared, heading back to the kitchen and holding up the pants for Wonwoo's appraisal.
"Oh! I've been looking for those," Wonwoo answered, perking up. "I didn't even think that they might be here."
"I got you a shirt as well, let me know if it doesn't fit."
"Thanks, I will."
Mingyu ate his own breakfast while it was Wonwoo's turn to wash up and get dressed. Midway through his morning Instagram scrolling, Wonwoo called out for him from the bathroom. Mingyu found him peeking out through the gap in the partially open door, his hair and the fur of his fox ears still damp.
"Mingyu, can I borrow your shirt garters?"
Saying that Mingyu's brain malfunctioned would have been an understatement. As soon as he processed the words, it might as well have triggered a fatal system error in his brain.
"Huh?" he asked very intelligently.
"Your shirt garters," Wonwoo repeated, a hint of embarrassment in his voice this time. "I need to borrow them."
"Yeah- uh, yeah, sure. Hold on."
Mingyu whipped around just in time to hide the way that his face erupted into flame. Heat spread across his face like a wildfire, stretching to his ears and down his neck. It wasn't that Wonwoo had never worn shirt garters before. In fact, he wore them quite often. Mingyu still remembered the first time that he peeled off Wonwoo's slacks to reveal that drool-worthy sight.
No, the thing that was making him lose his mind was the thought of Wonwoo wearing his shirt and garters to work. Where no one else would know that the clothes he was wrapped up in belonged to Mingyu. Where no one else would know what Wonwoo had hidden beneath just one layer of fabric.
Alright, so Mingyu had a bit of a possessive streak. It was no big deal. He was a wolf, after all, and he always did like seeing his partners in his clothes. Not that Wonwoo was his partner, exactly, but he was skirting the edge of some grey area close to it. It was a patch of uncharted territory on the map of their somewhat complicated relationship.
The bathroom door was shut again when Mingyu returned with the shirt garters, so he put them on the floor and called out to Wonwoo to let him know. He then went back to his bedroom and tried not to combust as he picked out his accessories for the day. Watch, cufflinks, and after a moment of contemplation, a silver tie pin. It was a little more formal than his everyday style, but he felt compelled to dress up for some reason.
After one final spritz of cologne, Mingyu was ready to venture out and face Wonwoo. At least, he tried to convince himself that he was ready. He didn't know why he suddenly felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest. He knew that he couldn't stall forever though, so he squared his shoulders and opened the door.
Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Wonwoo wearing his clothes, so pretty that it seemed almost like a dream. Wonwoo was rolling the sleeves of Mingyu's shirt up to his elbows, the rest of it neatly tucked in with the help of the garters. It accentuated his narrow-waisted and broad-shouldered figure, making the contrast even more devastating. He wore no tie, leaving the top two buttons undone and revealing an enticing sliver of skin.
As Mingyu walked into the living room, Wonwoo smoothed both hands along the top of his head to put his fox ears away. His tail was already hidden from sight, too. Mingyu couldn't help the small pang of disappointment in his chest, for he had come to know what it meant for them whenever Wonwoo hid his traits. As soon as they stepped out of the front door, they were simply Manager Kim and Assistant Manager Jeon again.
But this time, evidence of the night they spent together lingered. Mingyu's clothes on Wonwoo's body, and very faintly, a light mingling of their scents that did not budge even though they had both showered. They were usually much more meticulous with the clean up. By morning, there would be nothing left to even suggest that they were together the night before. Wonwoo in particular was very good at switching back into strictly business mode. It was as though he had a wealth of experience in this kind of thing.
"Ready to go?" Wonwoo asked, pushing off from the back of the couch where he was leaning.
Mingyu merely nodded in response, too busy trying to keep his thoughts in check and his eyes from lingering too long. If he couldn't keep himself together before they even left his apartment, he had no idea how he would make it through the day. He wasn't some hormonal young pup anymore. His self-control had to be better than this.
Seemingly oblivious to it all, Wonwoo gave him a small smile and headed towards the front door. Though he knew it was just a figment of his imagination, Mingyu could have sworn that he saw Wonwoo's silky white tail swishing behind him as he walked. Teasing, beckoning for Mingyu to chase after him if he started to run.