Wonwoo felt strange. His sleep had been restless and unsatisfying and as much as he'd tossed and scratched at his nest it just felt too hot and oppressive.

He stalked Junhui around the house as he got ready for his regular dawn run. "I don't think I'll run today," Wonwoo said softly as he watched Junhui lace his sneakers. "I don't feel well."

Junhui eyed him with concern before pressing a cool hand to his forehead. "Warm..." Junhui mumbled, "maybe you're coming down with something. Do you want me to stay home?" Wonwoo did. He desperately wanted to cling to Junhui's shirt and cry for him to never leave his sight but he knew he was being silly. "No," he said as he pulled away, "run with Soonyoung."

He paced incessantly as he waited for Junhui to leave. The hot sick feeling wouldn't leave him and he began to sweat a little. "Here," Junhui pressed his cup into his hands. "Drink this before I go." Wonwoo sipped at the water and tried to keep it together and finally relaxed a little. Until the arrival of Soonyoung's car in the driveway triggered something deep inside. He paced and growled as Junhui stared at him. He circled near the door, every hair on him standing on end, sweat glimmering across his brow as he seethed and snarled. "Petal?" Junhui approached him softly as the snarl turned feral, "Do you want me to stay?"

Wonwoo turned and his dark eyes flashed as he crowded Junhui towards the corner. His breath was coming in and out in fast and frantic gasps. He pressed himself against Junhui and leaned in close enough to smell his skin and he inhaled and closed his eyes as they clouded over with a little aggression and way to much possession. Every instinct he had told him to trap Junhui with his body, to protect him against the intruder, to keep him safe and for himself. When he realised Junhui was trembling he snapped out of it. "Sorry," he mumbled, ashamed of himself, he had swore he would never make Junhui afraid of him.

"Go run," he said as he turned to hide in his den. Junhui thought about following him but in the end he let the little fox have his space. He just stood, slightly shaken, watching him disappear into his room and into his den.

When he returned the house was silent. "Wonwoo?" he called out as he lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "Wonwoo? Where are you petal?" He usually wouldn't intrude but he had to know he was okay. When he unzipped the door to the blue tent he was hit with a wall of damp oppressive heat.

"Oh.... Wonwoo are you okay?" The little fox was pressed up against the back of the tent. His hair was damp with sweat and he was wearing nothing but one of Junhui's T-shirts. "D-don't come closer..." the fox panted as a sickly sweet smell hit Junhui's nostrils. "Okay..." Junhui backed away from the doorway. "I won't come in. But I need to call someone to help you. Can I do anything to make you feel better?" Junhui was worried and knew he had to call a hybrid doctor. Wonwoo was really sick. "Wait.." Wonwoo called out, his voice thick and hoarse, "I want something." "Anything," Junhui said quickly as he turned back to the tent. "C-can I have your tshirt please? The one you're wearing?" Junhui frowned in confusion but pulled the sweat soaked shirt off and tossed it into the tent where the fox snatched it up and pressed it to his face.

"Sorry Hao, it's an emergency, otherwise I wouldn't ask." Minghao said he understood and he did. Junhui never took sick leave unless something was really wrong. Junhui hung the phone up and dialled the number of the first hybrid doctor he found and breathed a sigh of relief when he said he would come right away.

"Thank you for coming," Junhui said when he opened the door. "No trouble at all," the doctor said as he walked inside. He was handsome with a kind face and a little black carry bag which he placed on the dining table. "I'm Doctor Hong. Can we sit?"

Junhui quickly filled out the paperwork and handed it over for the doctors inspection. "A fox? Very unusual," Doctor Hong mused as he read the information Junhui had supplied. "Age unknown, history unknown, it's not ideal but I guess the best thing is to just have a look at him."

Junhui went to the doorway of the tent and opened it again. Wonwoo was curled up with Junhui's dirty workout tshirt pressed against his face and a hand under his tshirt. "Wonwoo," Junhui called softly as he tried not to stare. "I've brought a Doctor here. He's going to make you feel better." "Better?" Wonwoo echoed as he sat up. His nose tested the air as he crawled towards Junhui and held his hands out. "Stay with me. Don't leave me..." tears streaked his face as he fell into Junhui's arms and the man immediately felt the force of his illness. His body felt like it was on fire as Junhui helped the little fox out of the den.

Doctor Hong took one look at the fox and smiled. "I know exactly what this is. I'll just check a few things out though," Wonwoo clutched at Junhui's hand as the doctor took his temperature by poking a device in his ear. He hissed at him when the doctor lifted the hem of his tshirt to check what was underneath but the doctor was unbothered. "Congratulations," he beamed at Junhui. "He's a late bloomer, you were probably getting impatient, but your hybrid had finally gone into heat." Junhui scowled a little as he tried to process what the doctor was saying. "What? Like... in heat?" He'd barely skimmed over the vague information in the hybrid pamphlets he'd been given by the pet store. Wonwoo blinked at Junhui, then the doctor, before scuttling off back into the safety of his den.

"Yes. I assume you've been waiting patiently for a while?" The doctor smiled at Junhui who vehemently shook his head. "No, what kind of sick pervert do you think I am?" "Oh, I am sorry, I just assumed..." the doctor suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. "I am sorry. Hybrid owners usually get their hybrids neutered before their first heat if they aren't, erm, interested in them in that way. Or they have a breeding pair. I just assumed because you only have him that you would be, um, excited about this. It's quite normal and common, sexual relations between hybrids and their owners, and nothing to be ashamed of."

Junhui sighed. "Can you give him something? Something to make him feel better? Like a pill or injection for something?" The doctor chuckled a little as he stood up and collected his bag. "I'm sorry. He'll get through it with plenty of fluids and a fair amount of pain. But there's only one thing that's going to make him feel better." He didn't have to spell it out. Junhui knew what he was implying.

"Do you take bank transfer?" Junhui asked as he pulled his phone out and Doctor Hong handed over a card with his details. "If he isn't back to normal in three days call me. Being late to mature, and this being his first heat, he's really going to struggle. Unless you're prepared to be a fully responsible pet owner and help him." "Isn't that, I don't know, using him?" Junhui whispered as he looked around conspiratorially. "No," the doctor laughed again as he opened the front door, "his body is struggling but he's fully lucid and coherent. He's able to consent if that's what you're worried about. See you next time."

The doctor was gone.

Junhui didn't know what to do.

What was the right thing to do?