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There was no noise in the apartment. Well, almost no noise. The only thing you could hear were the soft purrs erupting from Taeyong’s chest, his kitten ears flat against his head and his tail happily swishing around as Yuta drew circles on his hips.
Taeyong had fallen asleep while the duo was watching a movie and so Yuta had decided the best thing was to turn it off and wait for Johnny to return home in silence instead. He was overworking again, and despite the ache Taeyong had expressed feeling after reading the text in their group-chat, Yuta couldn’t be more proud of what Johnny had become.
After college, the two boyfriends decided to move in together into a small apartment downtown. It was close to the elementary school Yuta worked at—at the time—and Johnny had all the time and space in the world needed for continuing the small business he had set up during their years in college with one of their best friends Kim Doyoung.
Two years after graduation they moved to a bigger apartment further into the city, where Johnny and Doyoung had managed to rent a building for their booming business. Yuta was forced to change schools and had to turn to teaching Japanese at the high school down the block. Not that he minded, he loved the kids, but his heart kept yearning for the innocence of little kids and their soft voices.
Four years after graduation both Johnny and Yuta realized there was something missing in their lives, a hole waiting to be filled. They found that filler in Taeyong, a soft kitten hybrid that was still in a shelter because everyone deemed him too old or too shy.
Regardless of the warnings the workers from the shelter had given the duo, Johnny and Yuta fell in love with Taeyong and his soft white ears and non-matching grey tail at first sight. With a lot of patience and consistent love they had no problem giving, Taeyong grew closer and closer to them.
It took months but now the kitten was constantly begging for attention when he felt like he needed it, not afraid to ask for anything and altogether the cutest thing both Yuta and Johnny had ever seen.
And here they were now, seven years down the line after graduation and living in Gangnam of all places, a house resembling a townhouse fully theirs to decorate and live in. Johnny’s business, NCT corp, grew further and further and now they were global, several investors from all around the globe working on projects with them to secure a greener and better future for the world.
Such a big business led to late nights and no matter how much Yuta missed his boyfriend, he was also immensely proud. He cherished the regular weekends Johnny had off, where they’d spend all the time they could gather together curled up in bed, on the couch, taking a stroll in the nearby park or just going out and having fun.
Sometimes Yuta would be grading homework –he had returned to elementary kids at the school nearby—and he’d look over at Johnny and Taeyong wrestling on the couch, the never ending amount of energy from the kitten hybrid equally as exhausting as it was endearing.
Or they’d be tangled up together or out for groceries and Yuta would receive at least fifteen pictures of Taeyong walking around because Johnny could never stop taking pictures of them, or anything else really.
It was endearing and Yuta loved having four thousand pictures of Taeyong stored in his phone, or the rare profile shots Taeyong would sneakily take of Johnny when the older wasn’t looking.
‘’—Keurri?’’ Yuta opened his eyes, greeted with Taeyong’s big eyes looking at him from his position on the Japanese boy’s chest. Yuta smiled at the nickname, one of his hands raising to play with Taeyong’s white ears. Taeyong purred.
‘’When’s ‘nny coming home?’’ Yuta chuckled at Taeyong’s half pout, the sluggishness from just waking up messing with his system. Yuta placed a kiss against Taeyong;s forehead. ‘’He’ll be home in about—‘’ Yuta turned his head to grab his phone and check the time. ‘’—ten minutes, kitty.’’ Taeyong smiled, his ears perking up and his tail wrapping around Yuta’s waist.
‘’Missed him. Love you!’’ Yuta smiled, his chest blooming. Taeyong had this endearing habit whenever he showed any of his owners/boyfriends affection, he made sure the other wasn’t feeling left out. They never truly felt that way, but the fact that Taeyong was worried about that was extremely endearing to both Yuta and Johnny and immensely appreciated.
‘’Love you too, baby. Now, why don’t you—‘’ Yuta watched Taeyong scrunch up his nose cutely after Yuta booped it with his finger. ‘’—clean up your toys and go pee like you said you would before the movie started while I go and fetch us something to drink for when Johnny-hyung comes home, alright?’’ Taeyong pouted jokingly but nodded, rushing to get off of Yuta’s lap and slipping into the hallway on his fuzzy socks.
‘’Careful kitten!’’ Yuta called out, waiting till he heard the bathroom door down the hall shut close before getting up.
As Yuta prepared three glasses of wine –a tiny one for Taeyong because the kitten couldn’t handle his alcohol that well—he also cleaned his and Taeyong’s dishes from their dinner and before he knew it he heard the front door unlock and an excited squeak come from the living room where Yuta hoped Taeyong had cleaned up his toys.
He didn’t want Johnny to have to do anything today. Johnny, Doyoung and several of their board members, lawyers and investors had been working on such a big project –solar panels for apartment complexes in several smaller cities in Korea, China, Malaysia and Japan—Yuta wanted Johnny to relax. Tomorrow would be the official signing and after that there was a big office party to celebrate, but for now the three of them were going to have their own little celebration.
By the way Taeyong clung onto Johnny as the older walked into the kitchen Yuta could tell Taeyong was more in a kitten mood than in a human mood. The boy was perfectly independent, even had a job at a dancing studio close to the school Yuta worked at, and didn’t want to be treated any differently most of the time, but sometimes Taeyong had his moments where he wanted to be babied and coddled.
Yuta and Johnny were more than willing to do that and sometimes, very selfishly, Yuta and Johnny pushed Taeyong into said headspace. Only if they noticed that Taeyong really needed it, though.
‘’Hey baby.’’ Yuta blushed. Despite Johnny calling him that from their very first date, Yuta was still extremely weak to nickname. ‘’Hey love.’’ He replied, walking up to Johnny and kissing him softly.
‘’Hey!’’ Taeyong pouted, demanding the attention back from his boyfriends. Johnny snickered, hiking Taeyong up by his butt. ‘’I missed you too kitty.’’ Seemingly satisfied, Taeyong slumped back down against Johnny’s chest, the kittens face in the crook of Johnny’s neck with soft purrs leaving his throat.
‘’How was it?’’ Yuta asked, pulling back to hand Johnny his glass or sweetened white wine. Yuta took a sip of his as Johnny smiled. ‘’Amazing. The whole office was in a happy mood, I didn’t see one sour face all day. The moment the last autograph was registered on the semi-contract it was as if the entire building let out a collective sigh.’’ Yuta smiled back at his boyfriend, fondness and pride in his eyes.
‘’That’s wonderful, love. I’m so proud of you.’’ Despite being a full fledged twenty-eight year old, Johnny couldn’t help but beam. ‘’Love you.’’ He responded, taking a sip of his wine and turning around.
‘’And how was your day? Did you have a lot of fun with Keurri, kitten?’’ Yuta followed them to the living room where Johnny sat down on the couch, rearranging Taeyong to be sat on his lap. Taeyong nodded hastily. ‘’Lots and lots of fun! We watched movies and ate snacks!’’
‘’Now kitten, that’s not all we did.’’
‘’We went shopping! Bought lots and lots of groceries.’’
‘’Oh did you now? Good job kitten!’’ Taeyong beamed at the praise, his tail swishing in satisfaction.
They fell into comfortable conversation, sharing stories about their day and sipping on their wines as the last bit of the sun went down behind the trees in front of their house. Taeyong sobered up a bit, slipping out of the headspace he had been in all day and he was now seated next to Johnny, talking and laughing along.
Yuta stayed quiet for a moment as he listened to Taeyong and Johnny talk, the sudden fondness bubbling up in his body growing almost too overwhelming. The love he felt for both of these boys was insane, something he had never expected when he moved to Korea all those years ago.
Finding Johnny among all those students that were following the economics course in their second year was a miracle to Yuta. He had decided to take the course last minute, pressured by his friend Ten to stock up on the credits so he wouldn’t be as stressed during their third year.
He was grateful Ten forced him to sign up for that class for those exact reasons. Less stress and finding the love of his life.
Finding Taeyong was like magic, an angel appearing in their lives just when they needed it. Granted, Johnny and Yuta went to the shelter, but Taeyong still being there was meant to be.
Yuta watched as Johnny placed a kiss in between Taeyong’s ears, the kitten getting up from his spot.
‘’Yuyu?’’ Yuta shook his head, getting back to earth as the hybrid kissed his cheeks. ‘’I’m going to bed yu.’’ Yuta frowned before he remembered the fact that Taeyong had an early dancing class to teach tomorrow.
‘’Alright kitty, we’ll be there soon.’’ Taeyong nodded before skittering off to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
‘’By the time he finishes brushing his tail we’ll have finished our wine.’’ Johnny spoke up, making Yuta chuckle. He leaned over to rest his head against Johnny’s shoulder, grabbing his unoccupied hand and intertwining their fingers.
It was quiet, but not a bad version of quiet. They were enjoying each-others company, soaking it into their skin because it had been a while since they’d been able to just sit down and have a drink together.
‘’I am going to be so—so happy when that deal is done.’’ Yuta confessed, earning him a soft whine from Johnny. ‘’I’m sorry baby.’’ Yuta shook his head, ‘’We’ve talked about this love. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I’m so fucking proud of you.’’
‘’I can hear a but coming up.’’
Yuta swatted at Johnny’s shoulder.
‘’But, it’s true. We’ve missed you around here, a lot.’’ Johnny sighed, taking a sip of his wine before looking out the window onto their balcony. ‘’I know, and I’ve missed you guys a lot, too. After this deal gets wrapped I’ll be home a lot more.’’ Yuta beamed, placing a kiss on the skin he had just swatted at.
‘’Johnny! Yuta!’’ A screech and a loud hiss could be heard from upstairs and the two humans were up in an instant, their wine glasses barely placed on the coffee table before they rushed up the stairs.
‘’Kitty?! What’s wrong?!’’ Johnny yelled as they rushed to their bedroom. ‘’Mouse!’’ Another loud hiss came from Taeyong as they swung open the door. Yuta stopped running in the halfway, doubling over with laughter.
‘’A—a mouse? Really—Really baby?’’ Yuta walked into the room, greeted by Johnny laughing on the bed and a very pouty Taeyong seated on the highest shelf in their walk in closet.
‘’You—I can’t breathe—you’re a cat, baby.’’ Johnny wheezed, clutching his stomach. Yuta wasn’t much better, trying to hold in his laughter as he walked into the closet, grabbing a hold of Taeyong’s hand.
‘’It’s safe, baby. We’ll take care of the mouse.’’ Taeyong’s tail hairs were on end, his ears perked up in fear and Yuta thought it was endearing.
‘’Just because I’m a kitten doesn’t make me wanna catch mice.’’ He grumbled, walking past a still laughing Johnny and swatting at him with his tail on his way out.
‘’Take a—Jesus Johnny—take a breath.’’
‘’I’m—I’m trying.’’
‘’I can hear you!’’ Came from the hallway, making Yuta snort. ‘’We almost have him, baby!’’ He responded, shrugging as Johnny looked at him quizzically.
‘’Don’t look at me like that. It’ll be fun when he finds it next.’’ Yuta whispered in response, smiling as Johnny let out his last chuckle.
‘’You better!’’
‘’Love you!’’ Johnny and Yuta replied in unison, waiting for a response. After a few moments Taeyong padded back into the room, his tail that had slimmed back down wrapped around his waist.
‘’Love you too.’’