Chapter Text
“You should look into getting a companion. A hybrid, I mean. You seem lonely.” Minho speaks suddenly.
“Huh? Me?” Chan replies. He’s sitting in the passenger seat of Minho’s car, getting a ride home after their closing shift at the bakery. The ride was quiet until Minho spoke; the two were content listening to the low hum of the radio and the heavy rain pattering against the windows.
Minho nods, keeping his eyes trained on the wet road ahead of them.
“You don’t go out, you’re so quiet. I don’t even think you have any friends besides us at work.”
Chan feels his cheeks flush. “How would you know that?”
“Am I wrong?”
Silence.
Minho grins. “That’s what I thought. You should at least visit a few places. There’s shelters all over the city, hyung. I’m sure you can find someone to keep you company.” He finishes gently.
“Mmm,” Chan begins, “I wouldn’t want to just take someone into my home though. What if they didn’t want to be adopted? Do they even have a choice if I’m the one signing the papers?”
Minho hums, taking his time to respond. They’re stuck in downtown traffic, so there’s no need to rush the conversation.
“That’s true. But isn’t that the point of finding someone for you? They wouldn’t just be taken in, it would be mutual.”
“But you took Jisung in on the first visit, didn’t you?” Chan asks. Jisung is Minho’s companion, a pretty brunet squirrel hybrid.
“That’s different. We clicked on the first visit, and we both agreed it would work out.” Minho smiles at the thought. “That’s very rare, most people take a while to find their way.”
“I guess so.” Chan agrees.
The rest of the drive is quick, the traffic evens out and Minho picks up his pace. They spend the time talking, Chan asking Minho more questions about his journey with Jisung.
“Everything’s going well, very well actually. He was a little skittish when he first got home, but he’s doing much better now.” Minho gushes.
“That’s great, I’m happy for you, Minho.” Chan smiles.
Minho pulls over in front of Chan’s apartment building and sighs. He glances over at Chan, watching him scramble to grab his jacket and bag.
“Oh shit.” Chan groans. “I left my umbrella at the shop.”
Minho cackles, leaning forward over the wheel to catch his breath.
“Welp, that’s too bad. Get out of my car, my Jisungie is waiting for me! I promised him I’d have movie night, I can’t do that with you whining in my car.” He unlocks the door and claps Chan on the shoulder, urging him out.
“Alright, I’m going!” Chan shouts. He grabs the handle of the car door, wrapping his fingers around it when he feels Minho’s hand on his shoulder again. It’s gentler this time, more of a reassurance than anything.
“You’ll think about it?” Minho asks.
“I dunno, Min.” Chan winces.
“For me? Please?” Minho puts on a dramatic pout and bats his long eyelashes up at his older best friend.
Chan groans. “I’ll think about it.”
“You promise?”
“I promise I’ll think about it! I’ll consider, heavily! Is that good enough for you? Can I leave now?” Chan looks down at his invisible watch, then back up at Minho. “You don’t seem to be in much of a rush to get back to your precious Jisungie?”
Minho gasps. “Oh shit, get out!” He yells again. Chan obeys, and Minho finally drives away, leaving Chan in the pouring rain.
He quickly snaps out of his daze, speed walking onto the sidewalk and into the lobby of his apartment building. In that short moment, the rain managed to soak his clothes and face, leaving him damp and smelling like pennies. He sighs heavily, choosing to focus on getting into the comfort of his own apartment instead of the rain soaking through his clothes.
He makes it home at last, wasting no time and quickly changing into dry clothes. He pads back into the common area of his apartment, standing in place to decide what to do with the rest of his evening. His stomach growls, helping him decide. Dinner it is.
//
A rough hour later, Chan finds his way back into the kitchen to dispose of his cup of instant noodles. He notices the full trash bin and groans. Today is trash day. But the rain. He would have to go all the way outside to drop the garbage bag off on the curb to be picked up. If he doesn’t do it today, he'll have to wait until next week. That doesn’t sound too bad, Chan thinks, Better than going out in the rain again.
He walks away from the garbage, content with his decision. He barely makes it out of the kitchen when he gets a whiff of the trash waiting to be taken out. Alright. Trash time.
Chan wrangles the full trash bag out of the bin and carries it over to the front door, where he shoves a random pair of sneakers on. He grabs his keys and tightens his hoodie over his head, tying the strings in a bow under his chin. Just get it over with.
Outside, in the pouring rain, Chan walks with a scowl. The garbage drop off is around half a block from the front of his building, in front of the alleyway separating his building and the small convenience corner store. He quickly walks to the chunk of concrete with other garbage bags piled onto it and flings his own into the pile.
Turning on his heel to speed walk back to the warmth of his own home, he hears a sharp yelp. The sound is enough to startle him in place, and he stands in front of the dark alleyway. Just go home, it’s probably a rat or something, his inner voice urges. But something feels… Off. The yelp was way too loud to be a rodent and- is that a person?
Chan glares down into the alleyway, straining his eyes to try and make out the dark figure that seems to be leaned against the rough brick wall of the building. Now, Chan knows himself to be very levelheaded and if this were any other day he would’ve been cuddled up in his bed by this point. But today the pit in his stomach is practically forcing him to get closer to the mouth of the dark alley, so he does.
“Hello…?” He calls out. Stupid decision; what is this, a shitty horror movie? He sighs, reaching for his phone that’s lodged in the pocket of his sweatpants and flicks on the flashlight. He aims it ahead of him and gasps at what he sees.
“Oh goodness, are you okay?!” Chan asks over the pouring rain. He steps closer and kneels in front of the person, the hybrid, that cowers in front of him. His hands hover, unsure of what to do with the other being. The hybrid appears to be a male, and he looks terrified. He’s got long floppy ears that hang down by his shoulders and they’re covered in dirt, drenched with rainwater. His face is wet, rain mixing with the tears that flow from his eyes in rivers.
“Can I help you- is that okay?” Chan asks again. The hybrid stares up at him in fear, quivering. Chan can’t tell if he’s shaking from fear or from the cold of the rain against his bare skin. He has his knees pulled up to his chest, only a torn tank top and a pair of sweatpants that look at least three sizes too small covering his frame. Chan takes the silence as an answer and quickly removes his own warm hoodie. He holds it in front of the other man, waiting for him to take it.
“F-for me?” The bunny croaks, his eyes shifting from the hoodie to Chan’s face. His voice is raspy and shaky, making Chan frown.
“Yeah, for you. Do you need help putting it on?” When the hybrid nods, Chan moves closer slowly. He helps the hoodie over the bunny’s head and gently gets his arms through the sleeves before scooting back again. Even with the new warm hoodie, the bunny hybrid continues to cry. He rubs the soft sleeves of the sweater over his face to wipe his tears, but they don’t seem to stop.
“Are you lost? Someone must be looking for you.” Chan pushes. He inches a bit closer to the distressed hybrid out of habit before an idea hits him. “Do you want to come inside with me?” He asks. The hybrid gasps and shoves himself away from Chan, squeezing into a corner up against a dumpster. Chan curses himself internally. Of course, ask the scared man if he can come with him, no context, nothing, real smart.
“I won’t hurt you, I promise. I just don’t want you out in this heavy rain anymore, you can come inside with me and I'll help you warm up, okay?” He rambles.
The bunny sniffles and stares hard and long, clearly weighing his options. He wipes his face with his sweater paws, making Chan coo internally. The hoodie is huge on his small body and Chan thinks it’s adorable.
“I can make you a warm meal and you can have a nice warm bath? Does that sound good?” Chan bribes. Every second that passes he finds himself more attached to the pitiful hybrid in front of him, he’ll do whatever it takes to get him under his wing.
“You’re not tricking me?” The bunny asks.
Chan shakes his head quickly, “Of course not, I would never do something like that.” He stands, holding out a hand for the bunny to take, which he does. The hybrid holds onto Chan’s hand like a lifeline, making Chan wince a little. He can deal with it.
“It’s not too far of a walk, we should be there very soon.” Chan tells him. He wraps a protective arm around the bunny’s shoulder, trying to shield him from the harsh elements as much as he can.
//
Quickly, as Chan promised, they make it back to his apartment building. Chan leads his new company into his apartment and breathes a sigh of relief. He leans against the wall of the foyer and lets his eyes shut, grateful to no longer be out in the rain.
“I’m sorry! Oh no, please don’t be angry!” A voice chirps up from beside him, making him jump. Right, he has a hybrid to take care of now. Chan looks over at the bunny and finds that he’s still crying, even more than before.
“What’s wrong, why would I be angry?” He brings a hand up to gently rub across the crying hybrid’s cheeks to wipe some of his tears away, but they keep coming.
“Your floor! It’s all wet and dirty now because of me.” The hybrid sobs, hiccuping over his words. He stands on his tiptoes to try and minimize the amount of dirty rainwater that gets to the floor, but the movement only makes more droplets fall from him.
“Oh that’s no problem, it’s okay.” Chan soothes. “It’s not your fault, I’m not mad at you. It’s just some water, I can clean it up no problem!”
“I can clean it up for you, since I made the mess.” The bunny sulks. He’s stopped his fidgeting but continues to cry and shiver.
“Nono, don’t worry about it. Let’s get you out of these dirty clothes. I’ll run you a warm shower so you can wash up, sound good?” Chan changes the subject quickly when he notices the growing puddle underneath the hybrid. When the bunny nods, Chan takes his hand again and leads him down the hallway and into his spare bathroom. He grabs him a clean towel and washcloth, then sets the water to a nice warm temperature. When he turns around he gasps when he’s met with the hybrid's nude figure.
“Let me grab these from you.” He reaches for the bundle of dirty clothes that the bunny is holding quite tightly to his chest.
“No!” The bunny yells suddenly, startling Chan and himself with his volume. “M’sorry, I just- you can’t take these. I don’t have anything else to wear, I need them!” He begs. His crying picks up again and he rubs a sleeve of the hoodie under his nose to catch the snot that leaks from it.
“See? S’got boogers on it, now you really can’t take it.” He pouts.
Chan chuckles but stops when the bunny’s pout deepens, “I’m not taking them from you forever, I wanted to put them in the wash. I have clothes for you to wear when you get out of the shower, nice warm clothes like that hoodie you like.”
The bunny stills for a moment as he thinks about what to do. “Do the other clothes smell good too? Like the hoodie?” He asks.
Chan’s face contorts into one of confusion. “Smell good? What does it smell like?”
“I dunno but I like it.”
“Hm. I can try and check? Will you be okay for a few seconds if I leave?” Chan asks.
“Leave?! B-but what about the clothes? Are you gonna come back?” The bunny panics. “You said you wouldn’t trick me!”
Chan bites his own lip as a punishment. He’s scared the poor hybrid twice already and he hasn’t even gotten his bath. He’s naked and scared and crying in front of a stranger and all Chan seems to be able to do is freak him out even further.
“It’s okay, I’m not leaving you. I’m coming back, okay?” Chan starts. “I meant to say I was going to get another one of my hoodies so you can smell it, then tell me if it smells the way you like. Can I do that?” He pushes his luck and reaches a slow hand over to sit between the bunny’s long floppy ears. When he doesn’t get a negative response, he scratches gently and gasps when the hybrid’s foot begins to stamp against the tiles of the floor.
“Oh, sorry. You have to be quick though, come back fast, please.” The hybrid mumbles, stepping aside and allowing Chan access to the bathroom door.
“I’ll be so fast, promise.” Chan responds. He quickly jogs over to his room and grabs a random hoodie from his closet and sniffs it. It doesn’t smell like anything at all, maybe a faint trace of laundry detergent. On a whim, he grabs another hoodie, this one from his laundry basket, and sniffs that one. Smells like armpit and gym sweat.
A sharp cry breaks him out of his hoodie-sniffing session and he rushes back to the bathroom with a speed that nearly makes him run into the doorframe.
“What happened?!” Chan drops the hoodies onto the ground and holds the sobbing bunny’s face in his hands, searching for any injuries. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” He lifts his arms and checks his neck for anything, but there doesn’t seem to be any new injuries present.
The man in front of him stops his hysterical sobbing, quieting down to the pitiful sniffles. “No, you were taking so long… thought you left me.” He mumbles.
Chan was barely gone for thirty seconds, so this is news to him. “I’m so sorry for scaring you, I was going as fast as I could, little bunny.” He says, the pet name slipping from his lips without a second thought.
“It’s okay, I forgive you.” The hybrid responds. “S’Changbin, by the way.”
“Huh?”
“My name. My name is Changbin.” He looks up at Chan through his lashes and sniffles. “D’you have any tissues? My nose is runny.”
Chan could melt and die from the sheer amount of cuteness aggression coursing through his veins. But he has to stay strong, his Changbinnie needs a tissue for his runny nose.
“Of course,” Chan reaches for the toilet paper and pulls some off, handing it over to the bunny. “My name is Chan, if you were wondering.”
“I know, I saw it on your bottle.” Changbin wipes his nose with the tissue, pointing to the empty bottle of medication that sits on the bathroom counter and sure enough, Chan’s name is printed on the label. It’s an old bottle of antibiotics from when he had the flu a couple of weeks ago, he never got around to throwing it out.
“Oh.” Chan flushes. “You’re a smart cookie.”
Changbin nods before focusing his attention on the hoodies Chan dropped on the ground when he returned. “Are those for me?” He asks.
“Oh, yeah! I brought two of them for you, you can smell them both and tell me if either of them smell ‘good’ like the one you have now.” Chan picks up the hoodies and holds one in each hand. He extends them over to Changbin one at a time and lets him sniff.
“Oh, this one this one!” Changbin shouts. “This one smells better!” He grips at the black hoodie and grins.
Chan grimaces. “This one? Alright… I’ll keep it out for you to wear once you finish showering.” Of course, Changbin chose the sweaty stinky hoodie. Having him shower would be pretty much useless if he clothed himself in a stinky hoodie directly after, but Chan will pick and choose his battles.
“Okay, the shower is still warm, so you can get in now. Do you need any help in there or are you okay by yourself?” Chan distracts Changbin with the warm shower as he gently pries the bundle of clothes from his arms.
“No, I think I’ll be okay.” Changbin says. He peers into the shower and hangs his hand under the running water, sighing at the warmth.
“If you need me, just shout, okay? I’ll go get the rest of your clothes and start on some soup for you. Is there any kind of soup you like?” Chan asks. He wants the bunny to actually enjoy his warm meal, so he needs to know his preferences.
“Um- chicken?” Changbin asks. “I-If you can, if not I’ll eat anything you have.” He quickly adds.
“Chicken soup it is.”
//
Chan lingers in front of the closed bathroom door for a few minutes before he forces himself to start cooking. It’s weird, he’ll admit it. But he’s just nervous! He left Changbin alone for not even thirty seconds and he freaked out, how’s he supposed to be calm leaving him alone in the shower?
When he doesn’t hear any sudden cries or sounds of distress, Chan deems it safe for him to head to the kitchen and begin the chicken soup. He’ll make enough for three, just in case Changbin wants seconds. He starts with getting out the ingredients; chicken, vegetables, broth, and other things. He checks the cabinets and finds a box of noodles, perfect! Chicken noodle soup.
After the soup is settled on the stove, Chan hurries into his room to pick out the rest of Changbin’s clean clothes. He finds a pair of sweatpants that were too small for him in the back of his closet and chooses those, then grabs a pair of socks and a tank top. All of the underwear in his drawer look like they’ll be too big for the bunny, but it’s all he has. He gathers the clothes in his hands and makes his way to the bathroom.
“Changbinnie?” Chan calls. He knocks on the door gently as a heads up so the bunny won’t startle. He does anyway, a short muffled yelp sounds through the door.
“Y-yes?”
“I have your clean clothes, can I come in and give them to you? I’ll be in and out, I’ll just put them on the counter.” Chan explains.
Changbin takes a moment to respond, but after a moment he shouts, “Uh- okay! You can come in!”
Chan turns the knob of the bathroom door and lets himself in, quickly dropping the clothes on the counter like he said he would.
“They’re right here for you. Shout if you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen.” He reminds the bunny, who simply hums in response.
Good, he’s got his clothes. Chan leaves the bathroom, picking up the pile of Changbin’s dirty clothes on his way out. He quickly puts them into the wash before going back to the kitchen to grab some paper towels. He pads his socked feet over to the front door and cleans the small puddle of rainwater that Changbin left. Once the floor is clean, he’s back in the kitchen to keep an eye on the soup, leaning against the counter as he scrolls aimlessly on his phone.
//
It’s just a shower, relax, Changbin tells himself. The water’s already set, so what if there’s four different knobs on the tap, he doesn’t even have to touch those.
He takes a final deep breath, his nose twitching as he steps into the shower. The water is so warm and it feels heavenly against his skin- until it starts to burn. His body is littered with cuts and bruises from his time on the streets, some more recent than others. He winces, but continues to wash up.
The shower itself didn’t take long at all, although it really should’ve. Changbin scrubbed everywhere he could reach and he felt clean for the first time in ages. He was even able to scrub his bunny ears, they were covered in dirt.
Ready to step out of the shower, he’s faced with a new challenge: turning the water off. There’s so many knobs and pieces of metal, he doesn’t know which one turns the water on or off, which ones make it warmer or cooler. He can’t stay in the shower forever, Chan’s cooking for him and he’s hungry. He feels his eyes begin to well up with tears again, a whine creeping up his throat before he’s startled by a knock at the door.
“Changbinnie?” Shit, it’s Chan.
Changbin squeaks out a weak sign of life to let Chan know he’s still alive.
“I have your clean clothes, can I come in and give them to you? I’ll be in and out, I’ll just put them on the counter.”
Oh god, he wants to come in. He said he’ll be in and out, Changbin can deal with a two second interaction. He won’t let Chan know he’s on the verge of another sob session. He just has to keep his voice steady enough to not worry Chan. He can do that, no problem.
“Uh- okay! You can come in!” Was that good? It sounded good. He hears the door open and Chan’s smooth voice fills the small bathroom.
“They’re right here for you. Shout if you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen.” Chan says, and his voice is so soft, so kind, it makes Changbin want to spill all his worries and let Chan fix them. He doesn’t spill anything but silent tears from his eyes as he forces out a hum. The bathroom door closes, and he’s alone again. With the water still running.
He decides to just get out of the shower for now, his fingers are starting to prune and he wants to smell the nice hoodie again. He steps out, leaving the water running down the shower drain. That’s a problem for dressed Changbin.
The clothes Chan left for him are neatly folded on the counter, all Changbin has to do is dry off and put them on. Sounds easy enough.
The towel that Chan left for him, oh so kind, is soft and thick. Changbin dries himself off as best as he can, his ears and hair continue to drip onto the black bath mat under his feet. He gets the pair of too-big underwear and the tank top on, and his eyes land on the thick black hoodie that hangs on a hook behind the door. Finally, he can put it on.
Sniffling, he grabs a piece of toilet paper to wipe his tears and his nose with. He doesn’t want to get this hoodie dirty, Chan might take it away from him if he does.
Changbin stands on his tip toes to reach the hoodie off the door, his round damp tail twitching behind him along with his nose as he gets a whiff of the fabric. His excitement is quickly gone when he remembers a crucial piece of information; he can’t put hoodies on by himself. He can take them off just fine, but putting them on? He gets stuck every time without fail. Whether his arm is in the head hole or his head is in an arm hole, the hoodie never manages to fit him properly without assistance.
But he doesn’t need assistance this time. He has to do it on his own, unless he wants Chan to come and see the state he’s in. Covered in tears that just won’t stop falling, struggling to put a stupid sweatshirt on: embarrassing.
Changbin tries to remember how Chan had put the hoodie on him not too long ago, before he’d saved Changbin from the scary cold alleyway. The memory makes him whine and he bites the inside of his cheek to stifle the noise. He lifts the hoodie up and shoves his head in, hoping it’ll come out of the right hole.
It doesn’t. Now he’s stuck.
He can’t see, he’s got an arm in one hole, his head isn’t in any hole, and he’s starting to panic again. He has to put this hoodie on and sort out the water issue and- chicken! Changbin sniffles a little harder and the delicious scent of chicken fills his nose. He flails around in the confines of the hoodie a little more but it only seems to make him even more stuck.
“Oh nonono, come on!” He whines, frustration building. The soup is nearly done, Chan’ll be on his way to check on him any second now and he’s still stuck!
Changbin stops his flailing and accepts his defeat. He stands in place with damp feet and a stamping foot, tears flowing down his face and soaking the fabric of the hoodie that’s pressed against his face. His arms are twisted above his head and the water is still running.
He’s finished; Chan will come and check on him and wonder what the hell is taking him so long to get out of the bathroom. He’ll see Changbin tangled in the hoodie and wasting his warm water and he’ll be so so upset, maybe he’ll even ask Changbin to leave. Politely, of course. He’d be disappointed and ask Changbin to leave with that same kindness in his voice that he used to ask Changbin to come with him in the first place. And Changbin will leave; he’ll go with an empty stomach and no nice smelling hoodie to take with him.
Changbin’s stomach rumbles and it stops his train of thought, putting him onto a new one. No, he’ll ask for help. He won’t ruin this opportunity, he can’t leave Chan and his nice warm apartment and his probably-delicious soup. So, Changbin does the first thing that comes to mind. He takes a few deep breaths to try and quiet down his sobs enough to allow him to speak, and he yells.
//
The alarm Chan set for the soup goes off and he jumps. He turns off the stove to let the soup cool down a bit before turning to set the table. He sets out some napkins and fixes the table cloth to keep himself busy. He wants the meal to be satisfactory for Changbin, and he’s a little embarrassed at the way he’s acting. Fixing the table cloth, seriously?
Awkwardly, Chan walks back to the kitchen to get out some bowls and spoons for the soup. He finds that there’s only one clean bowl, so he goes to wash another one. His hands are wet and soapy and he’s humming a tune as he washes the bowl. Changbin’s shower is taking quite a long time, Chan thinks. He probably hasn’t had a good bath in a while, he’s probably scrubbing everywh-
“Help me, please!”
What the hell was that?!
Chan drops the bowl in the sink and sprints, he sprints, down the hall; who cares if the bowl breaks.
“Is everything okay?!” He shouts from outside the bathroom door. He presses his ear against the door to try and listen for a response, but all he can hear is muffled sobbing.
“No, I need help!” Changbin shouts. His voice sounds heavily muffled and it makes Chan panic. What if he can’t breathe? Is he hurt?
“I’m coming in, Changbin.” Chan announces before he lets himself in. The sight in front of him makes him heave a sigh of pure relief. Changbin stands on the bath mat, tangled in the hoodie he was so excited to wear. His left foot is stamping aggressively and it’s messing with his balance, making him stumble from side to side as he cries.
“Oh, Changbin.” Chan sounds. He steps closer to the bunny and pulls the hoodie off of him entirely, making him stumble again.
“I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to get stuck!” Changbin panics. “I was tryin’ to be fast but I couldn't do it by myself and- and the water, it’s still on!” He coughs over a sob, giving up explaining.
To say Chan was shocked would be an understatement. He thought Changbin was dying and he was… stuck in a hoodie? Chan is grateful it wasn’t anything crazy, of course, he just didn’t think a hoodie would cause this much commotion.
“You’re okay, it’s alright. I got the hoodie off of you, you’re not stuck anymore.” He soothes, but his words fall upon deaf ears. Changbin continues to cry and his little nose continues to twitch. Chan watches as the bunny pulls his long, damp ears over the pair that sit on the side of his head and presses, seemingly trying to block out the noise.
The bathroom is pretty loud and all over the place right now, no wonder Changbin’s freaking out. Chan steps behind him and reaches into the shower to turn the tap off. The bathroom is silent now, save for the pitiful cries coming from the hybrid. He seems to relax a little with the water off, though, and Chan takes another chance at speaking.
“Changbinnie, it’s okay.” Chan places his hands over Changbin’s and gently pulls them away from his ears and holds them in his own. “See? It’s quiet now, I turned the water off.”
Changbin looks up at Chan with a lethal pout, but his tears are slowing down.
“Are you hurt?” Chan worries.
Changbin shakes his head, “No, m’fine. I’m sorry, really, I am. Please don’t be mad.” His voice shakes when he talks, his hands come up to his chest as he fidgets nervously with his fingers.
“What would I even be mad at, hm? You didn’t do anything wrong.” Chan says, keeping his voice quiet. He places a hand on the small of Changbin’s back and leads him out of the bathroom, down the hall, and into his own room.
“Is this better? It’s not as bright or loud in here as it was in the bathroom.” He asks. Changbin nods, but he begins to cry again.
“M’sorry, I keep crying, you must be so annoyed already.” He sobs out. He covers his face with his hands as he cries, embarrassed with the way he’s acting as a guest.
“I’m not annoyed, I could never be annoyed with you.” And it’s true, Changbin has Chan wrapped around his finger. “Come sit, you’re okay.”
Chan leads him over to his bed and helps him settle. He stands over Changbin, unsure of what to do next. Ah, he’s still holding this stinky hoodie.
“Lift your arms, baby.” Chan commands. Changbin complies, and Chan begins to pull the hoodie over his shivering body. “Good, you’re doing so well, bunny.” Chan coos. He gets the hoodie over Changbin’s head and over his arms, then fixes it around his waist to make sure he’s comfortable.
Changbin rubs the back of his hand under his nose to catch the boogery drip, making Chan pout. He walks over to his desk and grabs a handful of tissues then returns to the crying bunny, ready to baby him some more.
“Here, let me clean you up,” Chan gently cleans the snot off of the hybrid’s nose, smiling when it twitches under the tissue. “It’s okay to cry, you can cry all you want. You must’ve been so scared outside all alone like that, hm?” Chan nods when Changbin cries a little harder at his words.
“It was so dark, and cold,” Changbin whimpers.
“I know, little bunny,” Chan responds. “But you’re okay now, right? You’re nice and clean and warm, yeah?”
“Mhm,” The bunny sniffles, “Thank you so much, I won’t ever be able to repay you for your kindness.” He pouts.
“Don’t worry about that, you being safe is more than enough for me.” Chan nods. He lets Changbin cry out his emotions, choosing to busy himself by massaging the hybrid’s shoulders. He smooths a hand over the bunny’s head and scratches between his damp ears, peering down at his foot to watch it stamp against the floor. Eventually, Changbin stops crying and rubs a closed fist over his eyes. His stomach growls, making him perk up.
“Sorry…” He mumbles, blushing.
“It’s alright, it’s my fault for forgetting the soup; got too busy messing with your cute ears.” Chan gives Changbin one final head pat before he steps back, holding a hand out for Changbin to take.
“Let’s eat!”
//
Chan helps Changbin settle into his seat at the table and prepares a bowl of soup for him. He places the bowl down in front of the waiting bunny, who gasps.
“Oh, thank you! This smells delicious!” Changbin grins.
“You’re welcome. What do you wanna drink?”
“Um, just water please.” So polite, Chan thinks.
Chan places a glass of water in front of Changbin with a smile, watching as he nearly inhales the soup. The hybrid coughs, reaching for the glass of water as he struggles to breathe.
“Uh oh, slow down, Changbinnie. The soup isn’t going anywhere.” Chan fusses, patting the choking bunny on the back firmly.
“S’rry.” Changbin muffles into the mouth of the cup.
Chan walks back to the kitchen to give Changbin some space as he eats. He feels a chill run down his spine and he lifts the hood of his sweater over his head to warm himself up.
(Changbin watches him from his spot at the table, tail twitching in pleasure as he nibbles on a piece of chicken. He goes to lift the hoodie of his sweater up too, but stops when he remembers his hair and ears are still damp.)
Bored in the kitchen, Chan decides to move to the living room. On his way there, he checks on Changbin and finds him with a small pout on his face and a nearly empty bowl of soup.
“What’s wrong? Do you want more soup?”
Changbin nods. “Yes, please.” He lifts his bowl and hands it to Chan, who refills it and gives it back to him.
“Better?” Chan asks. Changbin nods, but he’s still pouting. “Are you sure? You can tell me if something’s bothering you, I won’t be upset. Does the soup not taste good? I can make you something else to eat-“
“No! I mean- no, the soup is good, it’s great, thank you.” Changbin cuts Chan’s offer short and spoons some noodles into his mouth, sighing at the warmth. “I jus’ wanna put my hoodie on too, like you.” He lifts a hand to point up at Chan. “But my hair’s still wet, and my ears.”
Chan grins. “Oh, you wanna match with me? Is that it?” He teases.
“If I could, I would.” Changbin sulks, taking in another mouthful of soup.
Chan hums, thinking of a solution. “I can dry your hair for you! Is that okay?”
“Oh, yes, please!” Changbin beams. Chan smiles before jogging down the hall and reappearing with another soft towel in his hands.
“I’ll towel dry it for you while you eat, you just sit still and enjoy your soup.” Chan says. He moves to stand behind Changbin’s chair and drapes the towel over his head. He begins to rub at the hybrid’s head, effectively towel drying his head of thick, black, curly hair.
“Your hair’s very pretty, Changbinnie.” He comments. Changbin mutters a small thank you and Chan grins when he notices the bunny’s tail twitch. “I’m gonna start on your ears now, you tell me if I’m being too rough, okay? I don’t wanna hurt you.”
“S’ok, I can take it.” Changbin replies over a piece of pasta, making Chan frown.
“That’s not what I asked you, though.” Chan takes the towel off of Changbin’s head and changes his angle so that they’re facing each other. “You’ll tell me if I’m hurting you?”
The change in tone makes Changbin squeak, and he nods. “I will, promise.” He blinks his wide eyes at Chan and relaxes when the other man smiles at him.
“Good, thank you.” Chan begins to towel dry the long, white, floppy ears in front of him.
The two remain quiet, the only sounds filling the small apartment being Changbin’s occasional sniffle and slurp of a noodle. Chan busies himself with thinking. He’s got a stray bunny hybrid in his apartment, what?! He doesn’t know where Changbin is from, who he’s from. Chan could go to jail for abduction! No, he won’t. He needs to make sure Changbin is safe, first. He seems fine on the outside, but who knows what the time spent on the dirty city streets has done to the hybrid’s body internally.
“I was thinking,” Chan starts, startling Changbin and making him jump. “Sorry. I was thinking, since I have tomorrow off from work, I could take you to the vet?”
“The vet?!” Changbin shouts. He turns around in his chair to face Chan, who stares back at him with the damp towel in his hands. “Y-you can’t take me there, please no!”
“Why not? I just want to make sure you’re healthy, that’s all.” Chan questions. He frowns when he spots the tears in Changbin’s eyes, he didn’t mean to upset him.
“B-but the vet is scary! It’s full of doctors and nurses and people with mean faces and sharp sharp needles! You can’t take me there!” He’s trying so hard not to cry, but Chan can tell. He’s blinking away his tears and his voice wavers, his cute nose working overtime with all the twitching.
“Okay, alright. How about we move somewhere more comfortable and talk. I’m all finished drying your hair.” Chan lifts the hoodie of Changbin’s sweater over his head and makes sure his long ears are comfortable. “Good? Is it comfy?”
“Yes, it’s good, but please, I don’t want to go to the vet. I’m fine, there’s nothing wrong with me, I promise!” Changbin whines. If he has to speak any longer he’s sure to start crying again. He rubs at his wet eyes as he follows Chan into the living room and onto the couch, tucking his legs under himself.
Chan sits next to him and doesn’t say anything, just watches Changbin try not to work himself up. His lip is quivering and his fingers fidgeting.
“You can cry, it’s okay.”
“I won’t.”
“That’s okay, too.” Chan nods. “Would you feel better about the vet if it was a friend of mine?”
Changbin whines for a moment, but nods. “You wouldn’t be friends with a mean vet, at least I don’t think you would.”
“Of course not, he’s very nice.” Chan confirms. “He’s a hybrid himself, a dog hybrid. Very smart, too.”
Changbin seems to relax at that, letting his shoulders slump into the couch. He lifts his hands up to rub at his eyes again, a yawn escaping him.
“Oh, you must be exhausted. I have a spare room you can sleep in, would you like that?” Chan offers. “Or you can sleep in my bed and I’ll take the spare room?”
“The spare’s good, thank you.” Changbin mumbles. “I’ll go. To the- the vet, I mean. I’ll go to the vet with you tomorrow, if you’ll still take me.”
Chan smiles again and Changbin notices that he has dimples, one on each cheek. “That’s great, Changbin. I’m sure you’ll do very well tomorrow.” He holds his arms open and sends a questioning look to the hybrid, who takes the chance and lunges himself into Chan’s arms.
“Thank you, Chan. For everything.” Changbin muffles into the fabric of Chan’s hoodie. Chan hums, wrapping his arms around the bunny’s figure and holding him close.
“Of course, little bunny. You’re always safe with me.”