Chapter Text
Zhang Jiahao has been working at the pet clinic for almost 5 years now. Ever since he graduated as the top of his class, he has been interning at the clinic near to his house, and he is well-loved by all his clients. Therefore, after just finishing his internship, the owner of the clinic had to beg him to stay full-time, and Jiahao gladly did right after his internship ended.
He is soft-spoken yet firm when it comes to the animals' well-being. He loves all kinds of animals; they’re adorable in his eyes. But if anything, he always has a soft spot for cats.
“Mao-mao, it will just hurt a little, okay? I promise that after this, you will be very healthy.” The cat in Jiahao’s hand squirms and mews, but let him do it anyway. Jiahao smiles as he presses the thin needle softly and pulls out, giving the orange cat a gentle pat, “You did well, baobao.”
That should be the last for today, Jiahao sighs before he stretches his body. He can’t wait to go home and soak in a long, warm bath later today.
“Dr. Zhang, can you come over for a while?” A voice called out from the corridor just as he walked out of his room. Jiahao turns his head towards the front counter before walking over.
“What is it, Fan?” Jiahao hovers over the other man before he notices a cardboard box on the table, and his heart drops instantly. There are three very malnourished kittens; one of the three has an open wound, with blood seeping out. He rushes to carry the box inside his room again, and Bingfan rushes over as well.
The fatigue long gone as he worked on the orange kitten’s wound slowly, a screeching mewl came ou,t and Jiahao had to shush him gently, removing what seemed to be a sharp thorn sticking on the skin. He slowly bandaged the kitten’s leg and made sure none of the other kittens were hurt.
“Who is the owner? I need to let them know how to properly disinfect the wounds later on,” he gives a small pat on the three kittens’ heads in turn as they lean in to his touch. Bingfan just fumbles as he looks up at Jiahao, his lips pressed thinly, “about that… a customer brought them in saying that they saw them placed in front of the clinic.”
A cold shiver runs across Jiahao’s skin. He looks down at the kittens on his arms, and his grip on the box tightens.
“Do you think we can contact a pet shelter tomorrow? Maybe we can place them there for now,” Bingfan suggests, his fingers typing on his phone screen seemingly to search for more information.
“I’ll bring them home today, we’ll discuss it tomorrow, I guess.” Jiahao's eyes soften when the grey kitten weakly pushes his tiny head against his hand. “They’re all rather malnourished, so I’ll take care of them for a while.”
—
Jiahao rests the cardboard box on the floor of his living room. He’s lucky to live alone because his family won't like him coming home with stray animals out of the blue, despite being very supportive of his career choice. “Come on, little ones, let’s get you all cleaned up, okay?”
The three kittens mewl back at him as if they understand him, and he laughs. “Don't look at me like that, you’re all filthy right now, and there’s no way I will let you three roam around when you’re covered in dirt, so bear with me, okay?”
He slowly lifts the three kittens and brings them to his bathroom before placing them in a tub and filling them up with warm water just enough to reach the kittens’ bodies. He tests the water before slowly putting the black and grey cat down first; they don't seem to have much energy to resist or fight.
Jiahao brushes the two gently before working on the orange kitten on his lap, using a smaller brush to avoid his wounded leg. “Good boy, you’re all cleaned up now.”
Luckily, he got some cat food in stock for emergencies after he had to take care of his neighbour’s cat last time. “Let’s eat first, okay?” He places three small bowls and fills them with an equal amount of food, and the three kittens rush to eat as if they haven't been fed for days.
The sight is really breaking his heart. It didn't take long for the food to be gone, and he smiles in satisfaction, knowing that the kittens are not a picky bunch.
“I don't have a name to call you three for now, I’ll call you sesame paste, taro, and little orange,” he points at the black, grey, and orange kitten in turn, getting a round of complaining mewls from them. “What? Do you guys not like the name? Or you guys have another name in mind?” He furrows his eyebrows at them, crossing his arms, and he swears the black cat is giving him a side-eye.
The grey cat tugs on Jiahao’s sleeves as he drags him back to the box they came from, and Jiahao raises his brow at the gesture. “What is it?” Another meow, and he looks over at where the cat is pointing, and his eyes go wide for a while.
There are three names written on the bottom of the box, the handwriting seems scrawny but readable, “Leo… Geonwoo… Anxin?”
Are cats usually this smart? This little fellow seems to be pointing at a certain name as if declaring that it is his name. Can cats understand human writing now?
“You’re Geonwoo?” Jiahao tries to sound out the syllables on his tongue, and the cat mewls in response, seemingly proud and happy.
“Which one is Leo?” he turns his back to the other two kittens, and the black cat meows in answer. Jiahao is very, very fascinated. “So you must be Anxin,” he points at the orange cat who is leaning over Leo weakly.
Jiahao sighs softly, scooping the three kittens and giving them small kisses on their head, “Okay, I will use your names for now. And until you guys are recovered, I promise to take good care of you three. My name is Zhang Jiahao.”
—
One day becomes a month, then three months.
Bingfan calls him out for being too soft-hearted, and the thought of sending the kittens to a pet shelter is long forgotten. Jiahao quickly gets attached to the three and Anxin is also recovering well enough to be so cheeky, waking him up by sitting on his face early in the morning.
“Anxin… Get off,” Jiahao growls slowly, his arms reaching out to pry the orange cat from his face. Waking up to Anxin’s soft tummy on his face is becoming a daily habit now, and he’s not sure if this is something he enjoys waking up to, but whenever Jiahao wants to scold him, he mewls and looks up at him with the biggest, roundest eyes. How can Jiahao be angry at that?
Geonwoo jumps on the bed not long after, purring as he leans his head against Jiahao’s arm, his little paws kneading softly on his waist, and Jiahao lets him. Leo is still, curling up like a ball below his feet, warm, unmoving, and Jiahao hums softly at the sight. Three of his cats have different personalities, and he is uncovering a lot of their new habits along the way.
Anxin is playful in a cheeky way; he likes to test Jiahao’s patience and always presses his buttons. He’s a little menace, but also the sweetest little bundle of joy that Jiahao can't help but love because he’s always roaming around Jiahao like a clingy baby. He looks up at Jiahao whenever he does something wrong or is about to be scolded. Jiahao knows better not to give in, but so far, he has lost every single argument against the proud cat.
Geonwoo looks slightly older than Anxin. He’s a beautiful grey cat who is also clingy and enjoys Jiahao’s personal space a little too much. Geonwoo loves to knead Jiahao’s tummy when he’s lying back on the couch, then nipping at his skin softly, making Jiahao laugh because it’s so ticklish. He’s a well-mannered cat all in all, until he’s around Anxin, so Jiahao had to separate them from time to time.
Leo… Well, Leo loves to sleep. He’s always near the window, sleeping and stretching his paws under the warm sunlight. He is quieter than the two but always the first one to find Jiahao when he’s feeling under the weather. He hovers around Jiahao quietly, swiping his tail around Jiahao’s leg, and rests there quietly. He doesn't ask for a lot of attention, but he will constantly make sure to let Jiahao know that he’s there.
Jiahao grows to love the three cats a lot, and he doesn't think that he will be this content with having three additional babies to take care of. He will bring the three to the clinic during the day when he’s working and keep them in a little corner of his office.
Bingfan and the other employees love to play with them from time to time, although Bingfan always complains about Anxin scratching him whenever he wants to kiss the little cat. “He only lets you kiss him, that’s not fair!”
“He loves me most, that’s too bad.” There’s a small confident smirk painting Jiahao’s lips as he gives Bingfan a knowing shrug.
—
The days are passing by rather quickly, and his cats are no longer as small as they used to be. It doesn’t stop Anxin from sitting on top of his face, though and Jiahao complains that he almost died in his sleep one peaceful Sunday when Anxin refuses to move. If it weren’t for Leo smacking Anxin away, Jiahao could’ve really died. He scolded Anxin a lot after that and then went back to cuddling him after 5 minutes.
It’s been almost 3 years since the day he adopted all three of them, and he’s getting used to having company. He’s barely out with his friends or colleagues anymore, using the “I have my kids waiting for me at home” excuse every single time. Bingfan and Kaiwen nagged him a lot for that, but it’s alright, he’s not someone who likes to go out that much anyway.
However, some things just can’t be avoided, and Jiahao finds himself sighing for the tenth time that day. “Come on, Hao-ge… It’s been so long since we all saw each other, it’s our dance club reunion!” Bingfan begs, slinging one arm around Jiahao’s shoulder. Jiahao lets him, but it doesn’t mean he’s agreeing.
“I don’t like big crowds, you know it… That’s why I’ve been avoiding reunions for years now, Fan.” Jiahao settles himself on the floor, preparing some tuna for the cats. Bingfan plops himself beside him, “Just show your face for a while, okay? I promised the rest you will be coming…”
Jiahao rolls his eyes, ignoring him. “Besides, Junseo hyung is also coming, you know! He’s finally back here after studying abroad for years,” Bingfan chirps happily, “I know you and Junseo were very close back then.”
He tries not to flinch at the mention of the name, although his fingers stutter just slightly; he hopes that Bingfan doesn't catch on. “That’s so random. Why is he even back here?” Jiahao finishes the last bit of the food prep before placing the bowls around his three cats.
“Apparently, he got some news to share with us, some rumour said he’s going to get married soon, so he’s apparently here to give us the invitations,” the other boy shrugs, leaning back slightly to play with Anxin’s tail, only to be returned with a hiss.
Jiahao’s blood runs cold. Junseo… is getting married? A bitter smile paints his lips before he nods slowly, “Where and when is the reunion? I’ll see if I can drop by a while.”
“Really? Are you serious? No backing out, okay! I’ll tell the rest now to confirm. I’ll text you the details.” Bingfan is fast on his toes, standing up and grabbing his things before he dials up another friend, probably Kaiwen or Lin. “I’ll get going now, I’ll see you soon, ge!”
Junseo… Kim Junseo… His name still leaves a bitter taste on Jiahao’s lips. The other boy was a transfer student from Korea years back, and they only got to know each other because of the dance club. Gentle and kind Junseo who lingered quietly around Jiahao, asking him to teach him Chinese with his broken accent. The boy who always sit a little too close to him during practice until their sweaty fingers brush against each other. Junseo, who laughs so pretty like all the stars in the sky, is within his beautiful black pupils. Kim Junseo… who left for Korea without any proper goodbye.
Jiahao didn't even have the courage to confess before he went away. But he can still remember that one drunken night where Junseo ended up in Jiahao’s dorm, all wasted and warm, leaning onto him. That one drunken night when Jiahao’s heart couldn't stop beating loudly inside his chest, ready to burst from the butterflies. The touches that lingered a little too long, the words he wanted to blurt out but couldn't… and that small stolen kiss he landed on Junseo’s soft, plump lips.
The next day, Junseo didn't even remember what happened. Jiahao called it a blessing in disguise because he hoped to keep that little secret to himself and bring it to his grave.
“Thanks for taking care of me, Hao-ya. You’re really the best,” Jiahao smiled because that was all he could do.
News of Junseo’s departure came abruptly. Kaiwen burst through the door of the practice room, and everyone looked at him like he was crazy. “Jun-ge is leaving for Korea today… I don't know why, it’s just- I don't know why he would suddenly go away like that.” He was breathless, and the whole studio buzzed in disbelief at the news.
“Will he come back?” Zihao asked quietly
“I don't know… I don't think so. I heard from the club manager that he’s dropping out.”
Jiahao cried a lot that night because he thought that Junseo was everything he ever needed to breathe, but couldn't have– all because Junseo didn't like him that way. He knew Junseo wasn't even into boys; he would smile bashfully at the girls confessing to him, and Jiahao hated how much he had to pretend it was okay.
He really loved Junseo, and he had to let his first love go just like that. In silence, without answers.
And now Junseo is getting married? Jiahao bites his bottom lip tightly until he can taste metal flooding his senses. Leo meows and climbs up on Jiahao’s lap to lick the blood on his lips, Jiahao trembles as he curls himself around Leo. A small sob breaks the silence, and both Geonwoo and Anxin circle around Jiahao quietly as if they’re comforting him.
That night, the time drags longer than usual, and Jiahao finds himself crying himself to sleep surrounded by his three cats.