Wonwoo had laughed when Mingyu suggested they go visit an animal shelter. But the alpha had been serious, and there they were, sitting in Mingyu’s car right outside.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
If Wonwoo struggled to trust himself around babies, he wasn’t sure animals were the best plan.
“Yes, I’m sure. You need to prove to yourself that you have a handle on your emotions, even when situations get out of your control. I’ll be right beside you the whole time. And there won’t be anyone in there but you and me.”
“I thought you said it was an open shelter? That they had people in to play with the animals every day?”
“It is. But they offer private slots for people who need them. I asked for one of those.”
“And they just gave it to you?”
“No questions asked, just a friendly chat so they knew whether to keep certain animals offside while we’re in there.” Mingyu turned in his seat, resting his arm along the back of Wonwoo’s. “Don’t look so worried. It’s only dogs, maybe a few cats. I think they have a goat or two in the yard as well.”
“It just feels bad to visit when we know we’re not taking one with us.”
“Not this time,” Mingyu agreed. “But once you know you’re okay around animals, maybe in the future…”
That put a different slant on it. “Oh, like a test run?”
“Exactly like that.”
They got out and walked toward the entrance.
“You like animals a lot?” he asked Mingyu. The alpha seemed to enjoy the orchard’s cats, and Wonwoo had seen him stop to pet a dog while out on a run.
“Yeah. I’m definitely more a dog person. Meshes better with my personality than a cat. I could never have one, though, because work took me away so often. I always thought when I eventually settled down, it’d be the perfect time to get one.”
Mingyu rang the bell, and they waited.
“And you’re thinking of settling down? At the orchard?”
Staying at the orchard hadn’t seemed to be on Mingyu’s agenda before now. But maybe the alpha’s plans were as nebulous as his own.
“I don’t know,” Mingyu admitted. “It sounds nice, in theory, but I’m not sure I’m there yet. I miss my work. I want to get back to doing something more than lugging equipment around the yard and planning for next year’s harvest.”
“Never pictured yourself as a farmer, huh?”
“Never.”
They were interrupted by a woman answering the door.
“Good morning. Sorry for the delay, one of our rabbits escaped. It was a lot harder to catch him than it should have been. Come on in, we have the visitor’s room all set up for you. Dogs first, then cats if you’re up for them. We don’t do it the other way around because the cats’ scents get the dogs riled up, and it takes all day to calm them down again.”
She grinned and waved them inside.
“It’s Mingyu and Wonwoo, right? I’m Suhyun.”
Mingyu took over the introductions. “Nice to meet you, Suhyun. I’m Mingyu, we spoke on the phone. And my shy friend here is Wonwoo. Thanks so much for having us.”
YOU ARE READING
𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫 || 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐖𝐨𝐧
FanfictionBoth on the run from their pasts, Mingyu and Wonwoo find themselves at the orchard. Was it chance that brought them there or were they called home? Wonwoo is too tangled up in the idea of who he's running from to realize the truth about who he's run...
