Yuuri breathed in deeply once he entered the sanctuary grounds, smiling at the familiar scents and sounds. His flight had been delayed for two days due to the bad weather and only the multitude of pictures he had in his phone kept his homesickness from overwhelming him. Adjusting his bag on his shoulder, he lifted his suitcase from the trunk and carefully grabbed the duffel that held the materials Leo had given him.

They'd spent the weekend talking over the animals and what their individual needs were, and Yuuri was lucky enough to have gotten to greet them in their temporary enclosures. He'd forced himself to hold his tongue at the shape they were in, but nothing on the planet could have stopped him from cleaning their space himself since the staff were dragging their feet.

He and Leo had given them quite a lecture and Yuuri was satisfied to see those that were negligent pack their things and leave for good.

"Yuuri. How was your trip? Did you sort out the things you needed to?"

He nodded and thanked Otabek when he grabbed his suitcase. "Yeah, it was good overall. We might have to speed up their transfer, though. The lion's hip isn't getting better and the doctors don't want to risk doing a procedure so close to the day he's supposed to fly, in case there's complications. The volunteers made it okay?"

He repressed a sigh when he saw Otabek's grimace and led them both to the house. "That bad, huh?"

"It's… there's something off, but I don't know what and it's driving me crazy. Their papers are organized and there's nothing blatantly obvious, but they had so many cameras and they both had a laptop with them and I don't know. I just don't feel good about it. And one of them is very… opinionated."

Yuuri hummed and paused to think, smiling when they passed one of their hyena enclosures and Sammy ran up to the gate, calling for his attention. He crouched down and scratched her chin and head, laughing when she pressed herself against his hand and smothered his arm in kisses.

"They might just be for keepsakes. They did travel a long way and I'd want to keep some pictures too, if I was in their shoes. And the only thing I can think of for the laptop is for work purposes or keeping in touch with family." Yuuri bit his lip and stood up with a final pat to her head before staring at him warily. "They did sign the NDA, right?"

"Yeah but that's another thing. Jared said that it seemed like they forgot how to spell their name cause they asked for another sheet to sign and he said that the tall one looked uncomfortable signing it, too. It's just weird."

His stomach clenched uncomfortably and he nodded his agreement as they continued down the well worn path. "Yeah. Um, usually I let the volunteers have their electronics on them whenever they leave the sanctuary but I don't want to risk anything and I trust your judgement. Especially after last time with JJ."

"If you're worried about them getting lost or needing help we can give them the guest phones. They'd only be able to call the numbers already programmed into it and there's no camera for them to take pictures."

Yuuri smiled at him and relaxed his shoulders. "Yes, let's do that. Did Phichit already settle them into their rooms?"

Otabek snorted. "As if I could stop that man from giving them the full house tour. The only reason he's left them alone is to go spend time with the disasters."

"How are they? They're probably not used to spending so much time away from the house."

"They've been good. They're really liking that installment you set up before you left. The jungle gym one with the holes they can hide in?"

He laughed at the imagery his brain provided and came to a stop in front of the house, dropping his voice so no prying ears could hear him.

"Thank you again, Otabek. I know you don't like the idea of strangers living with us for a month, but we really need the extra help. I promise I'll make it up to you, yeah?"

His friend sighed. "You don't have to thank me. I just… you know how I am with new people."

"Yeah, I get it. Come on, it looks like it's going to rain and I don't feel like getting wet right now." He didn't wait for a response and pushed the door open, relieved to be home. Phichit was missing -probably to retrieve Momo and Marley- but Guong Hong was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, typing on his laptop and crossing out lines on his notebook while he paid the bills.

His head snapped up when he heard the door open, and Yuuri flushed at the bright grin tossed his way. "Yuuri! You made it back safe! How was the trip? Leo? He didn't look tired, did he? I always tell him not to overwork himself but you know how he is and-"

Yuuri laughed and pulled him into a hug. "He's doing well, I promise. I made him take a day off just to be safe, too."

Guong Hong sighed happily and squeezed his back before letting him go. "You're the best. Phichit went to grab the kids and Viktor and Yura are still resting since they're not used to the time difference yet."

"Alright, thank you Guong Hong."

They moved to the living room and Yuuri sunk into his favorite bean bag with a small groan, closing his eyes as he ran his fingers across the soft, fluffy fabric. His friend laughed at him and Yuuri waved him away with a laugh.

"You don't know how tired I am. Like, if I could sleep for a couple months knowing nothing detrimental would come to this place or the animals, I would. In a heart beat."

"I'm sure you would. But we have an enclosure to build and animals to care for and Phichit would probably cry if you left him alone for that long."

He opened an eye and turned his head towards him. "Not you?"

His friend blinked before he chuckled. "I would be sad, but I wouldn't cry. I would probably ask for a raise whenever you woke up, though."

Yuuri snorted, sitting up when he heard the back door open. "I'm sure I'd give it to you. For compensation of what you had to deal with while I was gone, if nothing else."

"Yuuri!" Phichit yelled when he came into view, Momo and Marley on each of his shoulders. "I brought your children!"

He didn't even get a chance to sit up before they jumped off of the Thai man and he let out a loud 'oomph' when they both landed on his stomach. Giggles burst from his chest as they climbed over him, their tiny feet digging into his stomach and sides and Yuuri was overtaken with bright laughter when they finally reached his neck. Marley was tugging on his ear lobe and he turned his head towards her when she got more demanding, only to squeal and pull away when she stuck a finger in his ear.

"No, my girl," He told her through receding laughter. "You know we don't do that."

She puffed her cheeks out and turned her head away and Momo had no problem with squeezing himself between the two so he could play with Yuuri's glasses. He sat up with only a little trouble and managed to situate himself so he was laying back with Marley on his leg playing with a loose string on his leggings and Momo entertaining himself with his new toy on his shoulder.

Phichit grinned at him when he saw him recording the scene, purposefully ending it and snapping a last picture just because. Yuuri was about to call him out on it when Otabek cleared his throat from beside him.

They both looked at him questioningly and Yuuri frowned when he nodded to the spiral stairway in the corner of the room, following his movement only to feel his breath catch.

Viktor didn't know what he was expecting when he heard that the big boss was coming home that day. A large man, he had thought. Someone with bulging muscles and maybe a missing eye with a ton of scars from the animals he worked with. He pictured them being extraordinarily smug and sure of themselves, self centered with an inflated ego just because he was the one shrouded in mystery that the world was after.

The picture he had painted for himself proved to be for nothing, even before he saw them.

Yura had stayed in his room last night, both of them planning and strategizing how they were still going to get their assignment to work before promptly giving up and deciding that they'd have clearer minds in the morning.

Their room had been beyond both of their expectations, with a king sized bed in the middle of one wall and wooden logs surrounding them with an earthy scent that was somehow soothing and comforting rather than overwhelming. There was no TV in there, and their host, Phichit, had told them that the house only had two of them in total despite the absurd amount of rooms it held. One in the living room and the other in the boss's room, another hint that had Viktor hiding his scoff at.

The view itself made up for it, though. Windows took up the entirety of the wall opposite of their bed and just beyond it was a patio with enough room for two chairs and a small cooler that Phichit assured them was stacked with all kinds of beverages, both alcoholic and not. The wooden beams were amazing and Viktor was sure that he'd be taking them in later, but it was the scenery beyond that really took his breath away.

He knew that he'd seen the area before in the assignment folder, but the digitized pixels and blurred splotches of trees had nothing on the real thing. Everywhere he looked, there was something that made him do a double take. Whether it was the light breeze that ruffled the savannah grass or the tall, willowy trees where birds he'd never seen before sang, it was enough for him to reach for his camera only to remember that it had been confiscated. Still, he couldn't bring himself to sulk for long, especially the first time Yura and himself heard their first roar.

They had looked at each other in shock before identical smiles grew on their faces, full of wonder and amazement and something else that was both excitement and bone deep terror all at once.

This was it. They were here at the sanctuary people would kill to get into, and all they had to do was get a couple of pictures back to Russia and present them to Yakov.

No pressure.

Then again, everything that Viktor had been thinking of and stressing over blanked out before disappearing completely, and the only thing that held his attention was the most stunning man he'd ever seen, right there in front of him.

Yura cursed lowly when he stopped in the middle of the staircase, but he didn't care to respond to him and instead bent himself over the rails more, trying to crane his neck so he could see the man easier.

He stole his breath just by sitting there; loud, joyous laughter coming out of him in delighted waves as two small monkeys walked all over him, his cheeks flushed prettily and his eyes shut with how big he was smiling. He turned his head to address either Phichit or Otabek, Viktor couldn't bring himself to care at the moment, and he couldn't control his gasp if he tried when he was gifted with the long, pale column of the man's neck. He followed the line across his clavicles and moved on to his shoulder and arms, swallowing at the way his biceps strained against his shirt and rode up on his abdomen when he leaned away from the animal perched on his shoulder, and Viktor had to grab the railing tighter to keep himself up, feeling faint when he saw no hair under the man's belly button.

He shaved, and Viktor didn't even know that was a turn on until he found himself wondering if he shaved other parts, as well. How soft would it be if he touched it? Would it be more sensitive than the rest of his body? He could imagine the man beneath him, shudders going through him as Viktor raked his fingernails lightly in a downward line.

Viktor gulped, trying to push away the enticing imagery.

Yura glanced at him and then to where he was looking before snorting his disgust and yanking him up by his arm, dragging him behind him as he stepped down confidently. "You're a pig, old man. We're here for work, not a fling."

Viktor didn't even bother responding to him, not when they reached the bottom of the stairs and he was finally able to see his dream man's eyes. They were magnificent, and Viktor felt himself blush at the way they widened once he spotted him, his mouth -and that was something he was deliberately not going to think about until he was alone and in the shower, thank you- forming a small O shape as he regarded him. They held eye contact and it felt like the world had stopped, Viktor holding his breath and waiting for something to happen.

"Well," Phichit announced cheerfully, smirking when he saw the both of them jump before looking away hurriedly. "It seems like we're all here. Why don't we move this to the dining room so we can go over the rules, yeah?"

The man nodded his head and murmured something to his friend, holding up his hands and chuckling when the monkey on his shoulder ran down his arm eagerly before hopping to the next and returning to his neck, this time on the opposite side.

Otabek was the one to help him up and Yura frowned as the two of them followed them, Viktor walking slowly so he didn't stumble. He tried not to sigh when he saw both of the seats on the man's sides had been taken and reminded himself that he was still a stranger, so it was okay.

For now, anyway.

"Alright, let me do the introductions and then we'll get any questions you have sorted out before we go over the contract again. Good?" Phichit looked at everyone and nodded once, satisfied. "Good. Okay, so you two already know me and Beks and Guong Hong, so I won't bother redoing that. This Yuuri, he's the founder and CEO of Katsuki's Animal Kingdom and he's been the one in charge for over eleven years now. He's literally the animal whisperer, I swear to God, so go to him if you have any concerns over the animals here."

Viktor grinned when the love of his life, Yuuri, covered his face and groaned, hints of a smile peeking out from behind his palms. "Phichit, please. I have to try to look professional, okay?"

"Mhmm, sure. You can do that later when Leo comes. But more importantly, these are our new volunteers, Viktor and Yura Stanilav. They got here a couple days ago but we decided not to give them the grand tour until you were here, that way you could go over everything and make sure there's no loose ends."

Yuuri smiled at his friend gratefully before letting out a sigh and turning towards them, his face more serious but still open enough to be called friendly. "It's nice to meet you, Yura and Viktor. As Phichit said, I've been running this place for a long time and I'm happy that you two decided to help out. We have a big project coming up that you two will be helping with, so prepare yourself to get down and dirty outside with us."

Viktor choked and put his drink down in front of him, ignoring the way Otabek scowled at him and Phichit's interested glance. He really couldn't let his guard down with this one, could he?

He listened to the rest of Yuuri's introduction, captivated by the different, authoritative demeanor he switched to naturally when it came to his business. He talked with his hands and paused a lot to make sure there were no questions before going on, pausing when one of his coworkers had anything to add in. He could see Yura taking mental notes and was almost, almost ashamed when he forgot why they were there for a minute.

"Do you have any questions?" Yuuri asked them half an hour later.

Viktor bit the end of his pen as he thought, an old habit that had yet to die. He shook his head and glanced at Yura, who leaned back in his seat with crossed arms and a mumbled 'no'.

"I can only think of one, but I think that's it unless Yura comes up with something."

"Go for it." Yuuri encouraged, face set in interest as he leaned forward.

Viktor coughed lightly and licked his lips under the attention, something he's never done in all of his years as a journalist. "You said that there was a project we'd be getting pretty hands on with and I was wondering if you could tell us what it was? Just so we can prepare ourselves."

"Oh, right. I'll make sure to give you all the details, but I'd like for you to sign another NDA. It's just another safety precaution after an… incident occurred a couple years ago."

He swallowed heavily, masking it by taking another sip of water as he nodded. He knew that Otabek had seen their flaw on the last one when they both had almost written their real names by pure muscle memory. They had been lucky there was even an option to sign a different contract, and even then it wasn't until Viktor had accidentally tipped his water bottle over with his elbow.

"Yes, that's fine. Sorry if our penmanship is a little rough, we're still kind of sleep deprived and not all there yet." He beamed at Yuuri as he accepted the papers, missing the sharp look Otabek sent to his friends as they dragged the pen across the line. Viktor shoved down all the guilt he was feeling. It was a job and it was literally life or death with what happened to these animals. He could pull off a persona for a month.

Maybe. A couple of weeks, at least. He caught a small tendril of ink coming from behind Yuuri's shirt as he bent down to pick up his pen and swallowed dryly. He'd aim for two and a half, that was his new goal.

"Thank you." Yuuri handed the papers to Phichit and then stood up with a stretch, bracing himself just in time for a flying monkey to land on his outstretched arm before pulling him closer to his body and peppering his head with kisses.

"Are they trained to do that?" Yura asked skeptically.

The three of them sent horrified looks their way. "Of course not!" Phichit told them with an attitude. "If we could train them to do this then we wouldn't be dealing with them stealing everything."

Yuuri rolled his eyes good naturedly and nudged him. "They don't steal stuff, they're just curious."

"Still, Yuuri! Do you know how many times they stole my fruit from me? Or my brush? Or my pillow?"

Otabek sighed and shook his head, patting him on the shoulder as he passed to put his glass away. "That's because you let them sleep with you like Yuuri does."

"I just want them to love me!" Phichit wailed. "Have you seen the pictures I've taken, Beks? They look so comfortable and adorable and they always snuggle up with him and ugh! I'm allowed to be envious, okay?" He narrowed his eyes at Yuuri's muffled laughter and turned to point at him, gaping when Momo shoved his finger away.

Yuuri fell into hysterics at his best friend's face, devastated as if the world had fallen. He couldn't hold his pout for long though, since Marley trotted into the room and reached out for him. His heart melted and he grabbed her eagerly, making sure she was comfortable from where she was clinging to his side before sending a playfully smug look to Yuuri, who rolled his eyes at his efforts with a short laugh.

"Alright, now that that's settled, why don't we do something more interesting?"

Viktor leaned forward eagerly and saw Yura perk up from the corner of his eye. "Oh, yes please! What are we going to do?"

His heart skipped a beat when Yuuri flushed under his enthusiasm, his cheeks coloring and making him look ethereal, even with the animal still sitting on his shoulders and messing with his hair with his small hands, something that oddly touched Viktor when he recognized the grooming for what it was: affection and bonding.

"We're going to give you a tour of the sanctuary, but we'll mainly be where you guys will be helping out. I'd suggest putting on the work boots, too. It can get messy out there."

Yura stood up hastily and ran in front of him with sparkling eyes. "Are we going to see the big cats?"

Yuuri looked taken aback and he took a steady breath to calm himself. Apparently, this man could literally stand there and do nothing and he'd be breathless. Not that he minded, of course. He'd gladly set up a shrine for him back at home.

"Don't mind him," he cut in when the man started to speak. "We heard the roaring last night and got a little excited to meet them." He ran a hand through his hair sheepishly, smiling to himself when he saw chestnut eyes follow the movement.

"It's no problem, we're all used to it by now and we still get goosebumps sometimes. They're really amazing animals and we're lucky to be able to care for so many of them."

Phichit clapped his hands with a wide grin and handed two pairs of boots to them, laughing at their faces when they took it between their forefingers. "They're not that bad, I promise. They're actually pretty comfortable, if I do say so myself. You just gotta break them in and then you'll be fine."

They eyed each other dubiously before doing what they were told, prioritizing the need to see the animals over their own comfort. Yuuri gave them a couple facts about the place as they headed towards the back gates, and Viktor wasn't ashamed to say that the sheer size and security of them intimidated him.

"The animals are just beyond here," Yuuri announced, his shoulders straightening as he regarded them with steely eyes. Viktor couldn't help the way a light shiver ran through him at the expression. It was sexy. Very sexy.

"A couple of rules before we go in, though. First, under no circumstances are you to physically engage with them. Some of them get quite territorial and I don't feel like sending you home with a finger or hand missing because you thought you could pet them through the gate. Second, don't get in the way. There's people working out there, cleaning the roads and feeding the animals and doing their day to day duties. Lastly, and I don't think this will happen today, but for future reference if you see anyone driving with an animal in the back, don't move. It's different if we're on the ground because they can't harm you through the gates, but if they're on a vehicle and get excited or aggressive they could lunge at you and tip over the car, in which case both the animal and the driver get hurt."

He looked at them both and smiled when they gave their agreement. "Great! Alright, let's head in."

The guards let them in at his wave and Yuuri smiled to himself when he heard their simultaneous gasps. He was long used to the view by now, but he never got bored of the volunteer's awed surprise when they first stepped foot in the sanctuary.

There were seventy enclosures total, soon to be seventy three, and all of them were spread out over his fifteen acres of land. Small dirt roads split them up and there were no signs since the staff were all familiar with where the animals were placed. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, since they switch out their habitat every two weeks for enrichment purposes.

"Viktor! Look! There's a black panther and it's coming this way and oh my gosh I-"

Otabek snorted at the blonde's enthusiasm and watched his friend walk closer, splaying his hand on the fence and grinning when a large face was rubbed against his palm.

"This is Obsidian," Yuuri introduced, laughing when his hand got pushed out of the fence with the muscular body leaning on it. "He has seven other brothers and sisters, but I think they're hunting right now."

"Hunting?" Viktor asked with an excited smile. He strained his eyes to see beyond the foreground, but could only make out blurs that he was sure were only trees.

"Mhmm, we like for them to tune into their instinct so we hang up a carcass for them to find. But it seems like this boy already had his fill and wanted to say hi."

"He's gorgeous," Yura whispered.

"He is." Yuuri gave them a couple more minutes to ask their questions before moving them along. They stopped every time an animal came up to him and each and every time the two Russians would fall in love.

Yuuri was getting anxious to move on, though. He hadn't had a chance to see Vicchan yet and he was missing him dearly. Phichit snorted when he bit his lip and started to fidget, looping his arms through the new volunteer's arms before leading them away.

"Come on, somebody's getting impatient to see his baby."

"Baby?" Viktor asked with alarm, his eyes darting to search his hands for a ring.

Yuuri blushed and turned away, mumbling something about a lion before walking in front of them and taking a right, trusting that they'd follow him.

"He's married?"

Phichit held back a laugh at the obvious disappointment in the older man's voice that he tried and failed to hide. "No, he's about as antisocial as you can get while still owning a business. I was talking about Vicchan, who he actually does treat as his baby, believe it or not."

"Vicchan?"

"Yup," the Thai man popped the p and made sure Otabek was still with them before going on. "He's the first lion Yuuri saved and he's been here since the sanctuary opened. He's going to be twelve this year, I think."

Yura sped up and bit his cheek to keep from grinning as widely as he wanted to. "We're going to see the lions?"

"Mhmm. They're the menaces that wake us up before the sun rises to feed them, pretty sure they're the ones you heard roaring the last couple nights, too."

"We did, yes. I have to admit that at first it was… unsettling." Viktor smiled when that got him a few teasing jabs, happy that he was getting along with Phichit. Yuuri's best friend. That had to get him some brownie points, right?

"Okay, we're here. And it looks like Yuuri couldn't find it in himself to wait for us. Jerk."

Otabek chuckled and crossed his arms, looking expectantly into the enclosure. "What did you expect? He went straight to the house after the airport so he didn't get a chance to say hi to him yet. I'm sure he'll spend a couple hours out here with the other animals too, once we go back inside."

"Does he do that often?" Viktor asked curiously, knowing he should probably be writing down the information he was getting and making notes of what he was seeing. Don't get him wrong, he was making notes but most of them were far too inappropriate for the workplace and he doubted Yakov wanted to hear what his many, many thoughts were on the man he was sent to get intel on. Or how he was going to start planning their wedding the minute he got back into his temporary room.

"All the time," Phichit groaned. "Sometimes we have to literally drag him inside cause he loses track of time."

"Huh."

"Holy shit! He's gonna get killed!" Yura yelled suddenly, jerking him out of his head and making him whip his head towards the enclosure. His heart dropped at what he saw and he made a step towards the gate but was held back by Otabek.

"Calm down, he's not going to hurt him."

"But it's a fully grown lion! And it's running straight for him and he's not doing anything and I do not want to witness an animal mauling that I could've prevented on my first day here!"

Phichit stared at him with his jaw unhinged. "Wow. I thought I was dramatic, but you put that thought to rest now, didn't you?" Viktor glared at him, about to snap back when the man shook his head and pointed to Yuuri again. "You're going to be so embarrassed afterwards and I'm never going to let you live it down."

He groaned and mourned about how he didn't even get a chance to talk to him as he watched the scene play out, his hands clenched on the fence in front of him. He made to look away before Yuuri went down, but it was like that moment when you knew a plate was going to fall and everything was going in slow motion and you just watched because you knew you wouldn't be able to get there in time before disaster struck.

Except there was no disaster. Yuuri did go down, because a lion just jumped into his open arms and Viktor almost let out a hysterical laugh because he was crushing on an insane person who didn't have any self preservation whatsoever.

But there were no pained yelps or cries for help like he was expecting, only bright, unrestrained laughter as the man ran his hands through the fur of the animal that was five times the size of him. Viktor watched, dumbstruck as they rubbed their heads together, the lion standing over him before laying on top of his body so the only thing they could see left of the man were his shoes and little tufts of black hair that the big cat nuzzled and licked. Another lion, female this time, joined them and soon the man had managed to sit up while they rubbed themselves along his sides, tails flicking happily.

Viktor recalled what Yakov had told him, the insinuations of animal abuse and neglect, and didn't think he could be more wrong.