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Knock, knock, knock.
“Caesar?” Leewon calls from outside the office’s door. “It’s me.”
No response. Leewon tries again, but he is only answered with silence.
Nodding towards the nearest Sergeyev bodyguard, Leewon fishes his own key and unlocks the door. He expects either a snoozing Caesar or a very busy Caesar, unable to answer the door.
What he finds, however, surprises him. Well, a little, he supposes.
Caesar, in his other form, is having a nap on the warm rug, bathing in the late afternoon sunlight. From where he stands, Leewon can see that he is deeply asleep, judging from the way the husky’s chest rises and falls.
Chuckling to himself, Leewon sets down his briefcase and the food he’d brought on the table. With quiet steps, he approaches the sleeping dog, sits down on the rug, and gently, very gently, strokes his soft fur.
“I told you so,” Leewon murmurs, settling the husky’s head on his lap, “you’ll have quite a long day with paperworks.”
The dog rumbles in his sleep, instinctively seeking Leewon’s warmth. A moment later, his eyelids flutter awake, his nose sniffing Leewon’s hand.
“No, continue sleeping,” Leewon says softly, “Goodness knows you’ll never catch any sleep again once you’re back in the mansion.
The husky whines, then shamelessly crawls up to rest on Leewon’s lap.
“You shameless little…” Irritated, Leewon sighs, but continues stroking his fur anyway.
The office is enveloped in comfortable silence, Leewon’s fingers on Caesar’s fur. For once, Leewon feels his own exhaustion slipping away, replaced with a strange sense of comfort.
“I’m supposed to ask you about the current status of the hyenas slowly infiltrating the city,” Leewon tells Caesar. “But I guess that can wait, can’t it?”
The husky lets out a sigh, and very gently nips Leewon’s free hand. Way to ruin the mood, Leewon.
“Just letting you know,” Leewon swats Caesar’s snout away, “in case you’re wondering why I dropped by.”
You’re a welcome visitor. You can always come here if your clients annoy you.
“The only client that annoys the living shit out of me is you, Caesar.”
The husky lets out a series of barks that Leewon knows is his own version of a laugh.
Come sleep here beside me, Caesar beckons, silver eyes on Leewon. I’ll keep you warm.
Leewon wills his heart to calm down at his words. “I’m fine. Just go to sleep.”
Not sleeping anymore, then.
Leewon exhales, frowning. “You’re very annoying, you know that.”
The husky grins, all teeth and playful gaze. You’ve made it clear to me so many times.
He then gets off Leewon’s lap, and shifts into something larger, something more dangerous and menacing—and wraps himself around Leewon’s body.
This is better, Caesar, now in his wolf form, sighs contentedly. Human warmer.
“You’re welcome, Caesar.” Leewon mutters sarcastically.
Caesar makes that strange laughing sound again, this time louder.
Leewon leans his weight against Caesar’s soft body, and closes his eyes. The scent of wolf fills his nostrils—fur, cool pine, winter breeze. A scent that he first found off-putting, given his cat nature.
A scent that eventually becomes his own solace, no matter how many times he’d denied it.
Leewon swallows a sigh. Swallows the welling pain somewhere in his chest, swallows the thoughts that slowly consume his mind.
It can be easy, like this—having a momentary repose in the middle of a rough week in Caesar’s space, bantering every now and then. It can be easy, like this—forgetting their stark differences and just bask in each other’s presence.
It can be easy, like this.
You can have me, like this.
Caesar’s voice in his head jolts Leewon in surprise, and the latter’s cheeks flame in embarrassment. “Now why were you—?!”
Oh, my little cat. You’ve forgotten how close both of us here we can literally read each other’s head so easily —
Leewon snaps, “I don’t snoop in your head like I’m some—!”
The wolf sighs, and then, with a bright glow, he shifts into his human form. Leewon lets out an (embarrassing) squeak, covering his face with his hands.
“Shit, will you at least warn me before shifting back into your human form!” Leewon growls, flustered. “And put on some clothes—hey!”
Caesar laughs lightly, wrapping Leewon with his arms and placing him on his (bare) lap.
“You can always have me, in any way that you want,” Caesar murmurs, his lips on Leewon’s hair. “In any thing that you want me to be.”
Leewon remains silent, red face still hidden with his hands. His heart jumps in his chest, something resembling hope blossoming from somewhere within him.
Something akin to…akin to…
“And what would you ask for in return?” Leewon asks, rather snarkily.
Caesar’s lips lift into a smile and kisses the top of Leewon’s head.
“All you have to do is stay with me, my little cat.”