With You (TaeJin Short Stories)

Adopt None; Attract One

Taehyung declared a month ago that today would be the best day of his life. Hands down. No competition. Beats the day he was born. Beats every other useless day.

He hops his way to the adoption center, borderline giddy, skin feeling all tingly. He hasn't decided if he'd get a puppy, or a doggie, or a kitten. Jimin, his best friend already has a cat. So, may not that? Or maybe a cat so that Jimin's cat can have a cat buddy.

Cat buddy. Yep.

As soon as he steps into the adoption center, he is visually overwhelmed. Cute puppies and doggies and kittens and cats all over the place. It's too much for his eyes to take. Too much cuteness. He wonders in panic if he has enough time to go and say hello to each of them. He has to see each of them for obvious reasons. He has to greet them. And pet them. And give them neck scratches. And kisses (if allowed) and lots, and lots, and lots of love.

He is so distracted by all of them that he wastes the first few minutes rooted to his place. When he realizes other potential adopters are rushing in, he turns to his left and starts from the first doggie.

He loses track of time. For obvious reasons. Because all the animals are so damn cute. Even the cat that scratched him right across his arm. Damn cute. He could cry all day (he cried over a doggie already). And, this is the very reason he knows Jimin is currently chiding him over the phone call. Because his soulmate knew that Taehyung would get diverted from the task at hand, that he would coo over the pets, and forget to actually adopt one.

After the end of the one-sided phone call, Taehyung, with new determination starts to walk by the pets again. He sees that a lot of them have already found homes and it makes him teary eyed. He waves to each of the animals that are being taken to their new parents.

When a poodle leaves, yapping happily in the arms of a girl, he sees Him. He sees Him and knows he wants Him.

He's little. Brown hair, black at the roots. Big brown almond eyes. Little paws. Most boopable nose ever. And, he's looking at Taehyung. Right at him.

He hears the bells. He hears the violins play. He hears the church prayers. He hears the fucking big bang explosion of the universe in his head. This is the one. This little ball of fluff is his. All his.

He's already thinking of names, dreaming of dates, about all the cute clothes as he rushes towards The One.

Just as he reaches out to pet it, his head bumps with another, both releasing howls of pain.

He looks up, rubbing the side of his head to see a guy.

Brown hair, black at the roots. Big brown almond eyes. Massaging his own head with his cute sweater paws. A reddening nose, pink cheeks, and he is looking at Taehyung. Right at him.

"Mine," the guy says, his plump lips firm.

"Huh?" Taehyung replies, intelligently.

"Puppy. He looked at me!" the guy exclaims, moving closer to The One.

Taehyung gains his senses. "Nope. He looked right at me!"

"Yes. Happy that he is mine and not yours!" the guy squeaks cutely. He crouches and tears the extra name tag and # of the pup to submit at the counter. "You are too slow."

Taehyung frowns as he observes this. Belatedly realizes in horror that he is losing The One. He follows the sweater-pawed-guy hurriedly. He says, "You – you can get another pup. There are so many."

The guy shakes his head as he joins the line at the counter. He says, "Same for you too. You can get another one. Not this one. He's mine."

The line's moving forward and Taehyun gulps. He wants The One. He needs The One. He tries again, "Please. I waited for this day my whole life. He's calling out to me."