Chapter Text
Minho looks at the Small puppy sitting perched on his table, wrapping a small pink bow around its neck and scratching its head slightly before signalling for it to jump off, back into its owner's arms. He smiles when he sees the older man cooing and giving it head pats, scrunching the small bow between his index finger and thumb and beaming at Minho.
A grooming apprenticeship had been the perfect role for Minho to step into, after years of a useless engineering degree at university had taken up all of his time, headspace and social life. Not that he really had one, apart from his small group of friends.
But when Minho found the grooming salon downtown was looking for a part-time groomer, he had clicked apply, not really hoping for much. He had received an email later that week with an interview time slot and was offered the position shortly after. He was now 3 years deep into the job, senior stylist promotion under his belt, and countless loyal customers.
At first, the job was daunting, not something Minho had been prepared for. Not all of his clients were friendly; some even clawed or bit him while he tried to manoeuvre them around his table to trim their nails or comb through their fur. But after a few months, he was a natural, probably helped that he grew up with 3 cats, who he bathed and combed thoroughly as much as he could, partly for their comfort and partly for his.
The grooming salon he works for isn't very noticeable to the naked eye. Nestled down a bunch of stairs underground in a small alleyway, somewhere quiet, unseen, safe. It was specifically for Hybrids. Minho was sincere and delicate with his way of working with Hybrids, affectionate even, knowing how scary it must be for them to have to do something that could be so daunting. But his studio was set up with neutral lighting, no windows, but a fresh flow of air. Somewhere quiet, discreet.
His eyes dart up as the bell above his door rings loudly through the salon.
“Hi, Minho-Ssi.”
Minho notices the voice straight away, followed by the familiar face standing in his doorway, a regular client.
“Channie-hyung, how can I help?”
Chan had been a regular client of the salon before Minho started working there, but they had quickly formed a bond from seeing each other so regularly.
Chan is a wolf hybrid, strong, protective and fierce, with grey hairs that trail through his black curls, a broad chest and strong, powerful eyes. Minho had been pretty damn scared the first time they met, but quickly found Chan was the sweetest person in a particularly hard shell.
Along with Chan came many rescued Hybrids. Minho looked after them all, giving them the treatments that they deserved, bathing, clipping their nails, grooming their fur, placing small bows and accessories on them to make them feel pretty.
“Well, I was actually wondering if you could help this little guy out?” Chan steps slightly to the side, revealing a timid man standing just behind him, with an oversized hoodie hanging over his head, and a cap slotted underneath. His hair hangs down over his face and cascades over his shoulders messily. Minho’s eyes squeeze shut as they run over the man's frame. He is shy and so timid, curling in on himself and not making eye contact with Minho or anyone else, for that matter.
“And this is?” Minho questions.
“This is Jisung. We rescued him earlier today. He had been left on the side of the road just outside of town in one of the country lanes, and didn't know his way home. We took him to the doctor first, he had some treatments, but now he needs…” Chan's eyes trail over Jisung's frame. “He needs some cleaning up.”
Minho’s heart sinks, weight heavy in his chest. The world is so unfair to Hybrids, not ever really understanding the difficulties they face, he saw it and knew it all too well. “Of course,” he mutters, before stepping forward from behind the counter.
“Hey, Jisung. I’m Minho.” He smiles softly.
Jisung looks up through the hair covering his eyes, makes eye contact with Minho and gasps. Minho thinks the dullness of his eyes shows everything he needs to know.
“Hi.” Jisung speaks back.
“Do you think you could come and jump up here?” Minho asks, patting his table.
Jisung nods, squeezing Chan's hand tightly before making his way over and climbing onto the table in front of Minho. He perches with his legs dangling off, body tense and rigid.
“Do you mind if I…” Minho gestures to his hat. “Take it off?”
Jisung’s eyes dart back to where Chan stands, panic washing over his features.
“It's ok, Jisung. Minho is a professional, just like the doctor.” Chan smiles warmly.
His eyes fix back on Minho, who stands with an eager look on his face. He nods shyly before pushing his hood from over his head.
Minho’s hands are light when they grasp the edge of Jisung's cap, pulling it off and freeing the tangled hair atop his head. Something in him shifts, a pain, an ache. Minho wants to hold Jisung tight and tell him it’s going to be ok. He stays professional instead, placing the cap on a chair and gathering some tools.
“There we go. Not hard, hm?” He smiles.
Jisung smiles back weakly, still nervous, picking at his nails when they dig into his thigh before retracting again.
Minho waits, watching as his body relaxes a little before he speaks again. “Let’s get you fixed up then shall we.”
Chan eyes Jisung, before nodding, a small ‘its going to be fine’ acknowledged between them.
“You can.” Jisung coughs, his voice small, almost nonexistent. “Please, it hurts.”
Minho gives Chan a knowing look. “I can imagine, Jisung. It’s all knotted back here, but don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.” And with the sentence hanging in the air, he begins to work his way through the tangle of Jisung’s hair.
Around 30 minutes pass in mostly silence, aside from the occasional check-in with Jisung, to which Minho thinks he is handling for the most part pretty well. A few hisses here and there, some curses thrown in for good measure when Minho snags his comb in a particularly thick knot.
Chan stands all the while, watching closely, a relaxing presence for Jisung.
“So, are you thinking of staying with Channie hyung?” Minho speaks after a while.
Jisung stays frozen solid where he sits.
“Oh, oh no, he erm. I can’t,” Chan mutters.
Minho’s facial expression probably says it all when he scowls at Chan.. “What do you mean no?”
Chan shakes his head as if to beg Minho not to say anything further; luckily, Minho drops the subject. Focusing on shaping the hair around Jisung’s nape and human ears before shaping around his feline ears that form through the now shorter locks on top of his head.
Minho notes that Jisung’s kitten ears are a gorgeous colour, brown under the naked eye, with flickers of gold in between layers of particularly thick fur, which look like they sparkle when the light skims past them just right. Gorgeous.
He trims the remaining hair, thinning out the layers with his scissors before stepping back to admire his work. Chan looks floored, clapping as Minho finishes and places his tools back onto the table.
“Wow, you look like a different person, Ji!” Chan exclaims.
Minho smiles beside him. “Go take a look.” He soothes a hand over Jisung’s shoulder, the younger flinches, and Minho removes his hand quickly.
Jisung jumps off the table, sheepishly dragging himself over to the mirror at the other side of the room, which is covered in a loose blanket. Light reflections always distract his clients, so Minho keeps it hidden away.
He pulls the blanket back to reveal the mirror to Jisung, who, when catching his own reflection, audibly gasps.
Minho stands just to the side of the mirror now, watching as the colour flushes back into Jisung’s face, his once dull cheeks now bright pink with a pretty blush, his lips parting in awe. Once dull eyes hidden under a stack of matted hair sparkle brightly under the reflection of the natural lighting. Minho thinks he looks beautiful.
“So, what do you think?” He smiles.
“I-.” Jisung tries and fails. Before a single tear rolls down his cheek.
Chan strides over, soothing hands finding his shoulder. Jisung doesn't flinch this time, and Minho thinks that maybe it’s comfortability. They have only just met.
Still, Jisung looks happy with it, fixed up, handsome, but still very much broken.
“You don't have to say anything, Jisungie. As long as you’re happy.” Minho smiles again, comforting.
“Y-yes.” Jisung manages. “Can I use your restroom?”
“Of course, it’s just down the hall.”
As Jisung ventures down the hall, Minho glares at Chan again, who looks back with a sad expression.
“I really wish I could Min, I do!” Chan sighs.
“What is he going to do? Where are you going to leave him?” Minho frowns. “He needs looking after, Hyung.”
“I know! But I have Felix, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to add another feline into the mix right now!”
“Have you ever thought that might help?” Minho tuts.
“It’s not Felix I’m worried about, it’s Jisung. I don’t want to overwhelm him, he’s better living with someone alone. Not around a bunch of rowdy hybrids.” Chan frowns.
Minho thinks it over for approximately one second before his mouth takes over. “I’ll take him in.”
Chans eyes widen. “Min you can’t -“
“I said, I’ll take him in,” Minho repeats. “He needs help, someone he can trust.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea… he’s, he’s troubled.” Chan winces.
“I’ve looked after hybrids before. Just temporarily, until they are confident to go it alone, he just needs some comfort right now.” Minho sighs.
“Hybrid rabbits and hybrid cats are not the same, Minho.”
“I looked after cats when I was younger, ok? I’ve got this.”
Jisung returns quietly, interrupting their conversation.
Chan glances at him, then back to Minho. “Erm, so Jisung. You know how we didn’t know what to do after this? How do you feel about staying with Minho for a little while?”
Jisung looks startled. “W-why?”
Chan visibly grimaces.
“We just think it's best you have some space right now, your own room, some time to settle before you are surrounded by other people hm.” Minho tilts his head.
Looking still very confused, the blood drains from Jisung’s face again.
Chan quickly wraps an arm around him, which he seems to sink into. “Hey! Hey, don’t worry. Look at me.”
Jisung turns to stare into Chan’s eyes. Minho notices the way his ears seem to twitch a little.
Chan continues. “Minho is really helpful with things like this, he has a big house, plenty of space, plus he makes a great budae-jjigae.”
The thought of food makes Minho’s stomach grumble, which breaks Jisung and Chan's little moment. Jisung’s eyes scan over his body instead. “O-ok hyung, I’ll go.”
“Okay, that’s good and hey! I’ll come and see you, ok? You have my number, hm?” Chan finishes.
Jisung nods.
“Let me close up and then we can go and grab your things from the car, yeah?” Minho asks.
“I-I don’t have anything.” Jisung mumbles.
Minho looks at Chan, who looks back with a sadness Minho can’t quite decipher.
“Well, all the better for me, I don’t have to see Chan’ awful car.” Minho laughs, trying to break the tension.
🐾
The shop is closed in a mere 10 minutes, Minho finishes his paperwork for the day, and hands Jisung his cap before pulling down the roller shutters on the outside of the building.
“Right, text me if you need me ok?” Chan smiles.
Jisung and Minho both nod. “We will be fine.” Minho adds.
“Ok, Jisung, see you soon, ok.”
With that, Chan disappears in the opposite direction down the alleyway.
Minho flings his bag onto his shoulder. “So, hungry?” He smiles.
Jisung’s eyes stay locked to the floor. Hard to notice under the peak of his cap, but his voice comes out quiet when he finally responds. “Really hungry.”
“Ok! What are you craving right now?” Minho questions.
Jisung shrugs.
“I know a sushi place, if you like sushi?” Minho questions again. At this point sounding like a broken record.
Jisung nods. “I like sushi.”
Minho smiles, although Jisung doesn’t look up to notice. “Then follow me.”
🐾
The walk to the restaurant doesn’t take too long, as it is only a short distance away from the salon. Few words are exchanged between the pair, more so Minho asking questions and Jisung nodding or replying with a simple one-worded ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There are a few things, however, that Minho notices.
The first being, Jisung, is very skittish; he flinches when cars drive by or when there’s a loud noise near him, his body automatically curling in on instinct as if he needs to protect himself. Minho notes he also avoids people’s gaze, can’t look anyone in the eye, every time someone passes them in the street, he quickly darts to stand behind Minho like a protective shield.
Still, here they sit at their table, Minho’s eyes locked onto where Jisung reads the menu anxiously.
“So, what are you thinking to order?” Minho asks once he notices Jisung finally close it.
“Erm, I don’t have any money,” Jisung murmurs.
“Jisung, I’ve got it covered. Ok?”
Jisung looks up, then, Minho notices he avoids eye contact, still nervous, shy, scared. “Ok Minho-ssi.”
Minho smiles at the politeness before a waitress appears at the table. He makes short time of ordering a mixed platter for them both and drinks for each of them.
“Hyung.” Minho speaks once the waitress has left.
Jisung’s brows furrow. “I’m younger than-“
“You can call me hyung,” Minho interrupts.
“Oh,” Jisung nods. “Oh, ok, hyung.”
They spend their meal in silence. Minho watches as Jisung piles as much food in his cheeks as possible before chewing and swallowing in one go. If he didn’t know better, he might have thought his hybrid was a hamster. He notices faint details about Jisung that really irk him, curiosity inching up his spine. He wills it away, not wanting to push for any more information than he already has.
In truth, Minho is a little bit stumped. He didn’t think this through before he offered to take in another hybrid. Chan was right, rabbits are pretty easy to look after in hindsight, but a cat hybrid, Jisung, for that matter, one that clearly has seen the worst days he possibly could have? Well, if his bruised knuckles and ripped clothes are anything to go by, at least. Completely different.
Minho shifts in his seat when he notices Jisung has eaten the entirety of his plate. He looks down at his own before picking up two more rolls and silently placing them on the empty plate in front of Jisung.
Jisung looks up at him, then back down at the plate before smiling slightly and stuffing them straight into his cheeks.
Minho thinks he likes the view.
🐾
Arriving at his apartment, stomachs very much full and an awkward atmosphere surrounding them, Minho slides the key into the lock.
“Welcome to your new home, Jisung,” he smiles, kicking off his shoes.
Jisung steps inside sheepishly. “Home,” Jisung repeats almost like a question.
Minho closes the door behind him and gestures for him to take off his shoes, which he does, then proceeds to stand near the front door as Minho makes his way to the couch.
“Jisung,” he calls.
Jisung startles.
“Sorry! Minho cringes at himself. “I didn’t mean to scare you. But please, make yourself at home.”
Jisung looks down at his clothes and then back at Minho’s white sofa. Minho picks up his expression pretty quickly.
“Shit! Clothes, wait, let me run you a bath, would that be ok?” He asks, standing from the sofa and walking towards him.
Jisung nods.
“Ok, let’s get you cleaned up then.” He claps before he’s off down the hall, slowly followed by a tense Jisung.
Minho runs Jisung a bath as he watches, cap now placed onto the bathroom counter, ears sinking back and forth with the sounds of the running water. Minho tips in a quarter bottle of bubble bath, and it quickly forms bubbles in the warm water, which Jisung swats at as he sits on the closed lid of the toilet. Endearing. Once the tub is full, he stands back a little. “Do you, do you need help?”
Shit, he hadn’t thought this through.
Luckily, Jisung’s voice breaks him from his predicament.
“N-no, I’ll be ok. Thank you, Hyung.”
“Ok, good, that’s great. I’ll find you some clothes, and pop them into the bedroom on the left, ok?”
Jisung nods again before Minho disappears, leaving a towel draped over the heater.
He quickly prepares his empty guest room, placing a handful of pillows and blankets onto the ready-made bed and a bunch of stuffed animals in the corner for comfort.
He sighs when he makes it to his own room, rummaging through his drawers for some suitable clothing. He settles on a dark pair of sweatpants and an oversized hoodie, comfortable, something to sink into.
A short while later, Jisung clicks open the bathroom door. Minho hears him rush down the hall before another door slams closed behind him. He doesn’t pry, instead, he sits and waits for Jisung to come back out of his room. But the time never comes.
30 minutes pass by quickly before Minho decides it's time for him to make his own way to bed. He passes by the guest bedroom door where Jisung still sits quietly inside, tapping lightly.
Hiss.
Minho flinches at the sound that echoes through the wood.
“S-sorry!” Jisung exclaims from behind the door.
“No, I’m sorry. I scared you.” Minho realises. “Is everything ok?”
“Y-yes hyung.” Jisung manages.
“Ok, goodnight, Jisung.” He yawns. Minho doesn’t push for further conversation. Today must have been a lot for Jisung, doctors, groomers, being around multiple strangers. Minho doesn’t know his background, where he came from, or what’s happened to him.
He plays it over and over as he lies awake staring at his ceiling. What if he is hurt? His brain asks, before he shakes away the thought with the realisation that he has been to a doctor, they would know.
What Minho really wonders, though, is why he is the way he is. Startled easily, scared, anxious, avoidant. He supposes it's just down to the change of environment. Minho’s not completely oblivious when it comes to cats, he had them as a child after all, but quickly, with a strange feeling circling in his gut, he remembers that hybrids and pets are not the same.
🐾
In the morning, Minho is woken up by loud cry coming from the room down the hall. His ears ring at the sound, and his hair stands up on the back of his neck. It sounds like Jisung is in pain.
Minho shoves the comforter from where it’s still wrapped around his body, climbing out of bed faster than he should, considering the blood will surely rush to his head, and sprints down the hall.
“Jisung?” He shouts through the door, just loud enough over the panicked cry behind it.
“Ahhhhh!” Jisung shouts again.
“Jisung! I’m coming in.” Minho announces, before he has time to register what he’s doing, he throws open the door.
Jisung is sitting just in the corner of the bed, his — or rather Minho’s — hoodie is bunched up around his chin, his ear caught in a tangle of fairy lights Minho had installed when he first moved in. They wrap around Jisung’s ear in a tight loop, pulling it taut.
“Shit!” Minho winces.
Jisung hisses as Minho draws closer.
“Jisung-ah. I need you to trust me, ok?” Minho speaks, his voice smooth, soft. “I won't hurt you. I promise.”
Jisung cries out again, trying to pull away, but instead, he causes the wire to pull even more. “Get Chan Hyung!”
Minho’s heart sinks. He knows Chan will be busy, but as of right now, he hasn’t earned Jisung's trust.
“Ok.” He says steadily. “Wait here, I'll be right back.” He turns on his heel to leave, but is stopped by another loud cry.
“AH! Don't leave me.” Jisung yelps from his corner.
Minho’s heart sinks. “Jisung-ah, I can’t help if you won’t let me near you.”
“Please!” Jisung begs.
Minho looks at him helplessly and eyes the strings caught around him, taking a deep inhale.
He steps nearer, watches as Jisung tries his best not to hiss, to not shake with nerves. He reaches over the top of Jisung's head, and he cowers underneath Minho’s shadow. “It's ok.”
When he’s close enough, he wraps a hand around the wire. Jisung seems to be trying, but with his lack of trust and surely awful past experiences, he can’t help it. Minho knows that's probably why, when Jisung’s claws sink into Minho’s calf, he simply winces but ignores it. His hands grasp the wire on either side as he leans forward and bites into it with his teeth, snapping it into two pieces. One section is still wrapped around Jisung's ear, but the other now hangs from the ceiling, frayed from Minho’s bite.
Jisung's body instantly slumps down from his upright position onto the bed below. His claws slowly retract from Minho’s skin.
“Stay still, Jisung,” Minho whispers as he holds the tip of Jisung’s ear with his index finger and thumb, carefully unwrapping the wire and throwing it to the other side of the room. “There, you are all good, ok?”
Jisung shakes his head, grasping at his own ear as Minho steps away quickly, giving him space.
Blood drips down his leg, and Jisung whines when he notices. “Oh! I’m s-sorry, hyung!”
Minho grabs a tissue from the bedside table. “It’s really nothing, I get this all the time working where I do.”
Jisung fiddles with the sleeves of his hoodie.
“Let's get you something to eat, yeah?”
Jisung nods and scoots off the edge of the bed, following Minho to the kitchen.
🐾
Sitting cross-legged on the sofa, Jisung picks at his plate of food. Minho watches him intensely, making sure he eats enough to keep him going until dinner time.
“I have work today.” Minho is the first to break the silence.
Jisung looks up at him with pleading eyes.
“Don’t worry. Chan is going to come here for a few hours, just so you're not alone, ok?”
“Ok, Hyung. Thank you.” Jisung nods.
Minho finishes off his food and places a TV remote in front of Jisung. “Here, put whatever you want on. I need to get ready, but I'm just down the hall if you need me.”
As he retreats to the hall out of sight of Jisung, he takes a deep exhale. Jisung is clearly troubled, untrusting and cautious. Minho wonders if his ear is ok, how he got tangled in the first place, although he knows he can’t just pry or get close enough to look and see if everything is ok.
He showers quickly, not wanting Jisung to be alone for too long.
He wraps a towel around his waist and brushes the long lengths of his hair before shoving a beanie hat over his half-dry locks. He unlocks the bathroom door with a click, and as he steps out, he comes face to face with Jisung.
“Shit! You scared me.” Minho laughs slightly.
“S-sorry Hyung.” Jisung’s eyes are red, swollen, and a little teary.
Minho wants to curl him up in his arms and tell him everything is going to be ok. But of course, he can't.
“Hey! Hey, look at me, it's fine. You don't need to apologise for everything, Jisung-ah. I just didn't expect you to be there at all.”
“I was trying to take the hoodie off.” Jisung sighs.
Minho tilts his head to the left, confused. “What?”
“When I got tangled. I was trying to take the hoodie off, or well, the hood.”
“How? I mean… what happened?”
“I couldn't hear anything, the hood was over my ears, and I got scared when I woke up and couldn't hear anything, so I sat up too fast. I pulled the hood off, but it got caught in my nail, and so I started panicking, and then the light fell down, and it tangled in my ear, and—”
Minho reaches out to Jisung before his hand retreats back to his side. “Woah, woah, woah, Jisung. It's ok, you are fine, ok?”
Jisung nods sheepishly. “Thank you for having me here.”
“It’s really not a problem, Jisung-ah.” Minho smiles. “No hoodies for you then, hm?”
“But. They are warm. I just, I don't like that I can't hear anything.”
Minho nods in agreement. “I understand."
Chan arrives 10 minutes before Minho is set to leave. For the remainder of the morning, Jisung had sat in silence on Minho’s sofa. Not speaking to Minho even slightly, whenever he asked him a question, he responded with one word. But Minho supposed that was normal; he doesn’t know Minho yet.
“Jisungie!” Chan smiles when he walks through the front door.
Jisung's ears perk up instantly. “Hyung!”
Chan takes a seat next to Jisung on the sofa as Minho slots his feet into his shoes. “See you both later.” He calls back as he makes his way out of the door.
🐾
Chan updates Minho on Jisung’s mood throughout the day, and Minho responds in the intervals he manages to grab between clients. It's a pretty busy day, and he finds himself more restless than usual, itching to get home, to check on Jisung himself, make sure he is ok, feed him something and make sure he is comfortable.
His mind still conjures up one thousand thoughts on why Jisung is the way he is, what he could have possibly been through and if anyone had hurt him. Jisung is sweet, from his mannerisms to his voice. He needs to be taken care of, and luckily, Minho has a gravitational pull to care, to look after, to fend for Jisung.
As he packs up his things for the end of the day and pulls the shutters closed, ideas whirl around his head, and one particular one brings a smile to his face.
On his way home, Minho runs to a nearby clothing store, picking out 4 hoodies of different fabric and sizes, patterns and colours — not that he really thinks Jisung will care about the colour of them, really — and by the time he gets home, his smile is brighter at the idea of helping Jisung.
🐾
“I’m home,” Minho announces his arrival as he walks into his apartment.
Chan is just packing up his bag to leave, and Minho smiles when he sees Jisung lazing on the sofa, throwing a ball up and down into the air and catching it carefully.
“How is he?” Minho asks quietly.
Chan glances over to the front room. “He’s not bad, nervous… but they all are at first. I’m sure he will come around.”
Minho nods. Hopeful.
“I need to go. Felix has been texting for the past hour, but listen, if this gets too much, you know where I am, yeah.”
“It won't." Minho quickly mutters out.
Chan stares at him in confusion.
“Get too much, I mean, it won’t.” He corrects himself.
Chan nods, tapping Minho lightly on the shoulder before he clicks open the front door. “See you soon, Jisung-ah.”
Jisung waves back and curls back into the sofa.
The apartment falls silent.
Minho grabs his bags from the floor, wiping over the dining table before unloading the hoodies from inside the bag and laying them flat on the wood. He walks to the far side of the kitchen, grabbing a pair of scissors and placing them next to the hoodies.
🐾
“Jisung-ah, dinner is done.” Minho taps on the bedroom door.
Shortly after Chan had left, Jisung had retreated again. Minho didn't pry, instead, he just made a large batch of kimchi rice and hoped that it was to Jisung’s taste.
Jisung strolls into the kitchen with a quirk in his brow. “It smells really nice in here, hyung.”
Minho perks up at the sound of Jisung’s voice in his space again. He turns on his heel, placing a bowl in front of one chair at the dining table. “Kimchi rice.” He smiles.
Jisung looks down and smiles at the full bowl of food in front of him.
“Hungry?” Minho asks.
Jisung just nods once, pulling up a chair and slotting himself under the table.
Minho sits opposite, watching the way Jisung eats a little more eagerly now, as if his day with Chan has settled him a little. He watches his cheeks bunch up with food before he swallows it down with a satisfied gulp.
When enough time has passed of them being in each other's company without Jisung being startled or retreating to his room, Minho fiddles with the folded clothes on the kitchen surface.
“Jisung, I erm, I got you something,” he mutters, unsure of how Jisung will react.
“Oh?” Jisung mouths around his mouthful of food.
Minho walks closer and places the folded hoodies in a pile next to Jisung on the table. “Here. I thought they may help, with it being cold and all.”
Jisung looks at the pile and back to Minho in confusion.
“Hoodies.” Minho smiles — but it’s small, unsure.
The way Jisung's eyes widen before he grabs the top one and unfolds it is almost comical. “Wow. You didn't need to, I would have just worn the other one.”
Minho waves a hand in the air. “You could do with some of your own at some point. Just, try it on!”
Jisung's hands curl into the hem as he tugs it over his head, the drawstrings catching just underneath his chin as he pulls it down. The size is perfect, and the colour brings out the blush in his ever rosy cheeks.
“Can I?” Minho gestures as Jisung begins to fiddle with the hood behind his neck.
With a scared but trusting nod, Jisung removed his hands. Minho grasps the hood and pulls it softly over Jisung's head, and as he does, Jisung’s ears slot neatly into the two holes Minho has cut out of the fabric.
He sighs in relief at his guesstimation of how far apart Jisung’s ears actually would be and where exactly he would have to cut the hood for them to slot in. Or maybe it wasn't a guestimation, maybe he really did pay Jisung just that much attention.
Jisung's ears twitch as Minho steps away. His hands come up to pat at the hood, and when he feels his ears, his smile could brighten up the whole room. “My ears.”
Minho nods. “I cut the holes. Can you hear ok?”
Jisung nods in earnest. “Yes! Perfectly.”
“Ok, good. I hope it's ok.”
If Jisung’s heart-shaped smile, wide eyes and shy blush are anything to go by, it's more than ok.
And Minho feels proud of the small gesture that just might earn Jisung’s trust.