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"You sure you want this cat?" Namjoon raised an uncertain eyebrow. His boyfriend was beaming at the cat inside the cage at the shelter. They called it a cage, but to be honest Namjoon thought it looked more like a prison. The cat inside was pale and silent, glaring up at Namjoon from his seat on the rug on the floor.
But Seokjin seemed to love him. "Look, his name is Suga. I really, really want him, Namjoon. He's going to be perfect!"
Namjoon bit back a comment of but he's so old. He'd brought Seokjin over to the pet shelter for Seokjin's birthday, and he'd been guessing Seokjin would get a puppy. Or a kitten. Not a full-grown, adult cat. He knew the adult ones were the ones that really needed rescuing, but Seokjin didn't look like he was doing this for pity. He looked like he was just in love with the pale cat inside the cage. He smiled and ruffled Seokjin's hair. "All right. It's your birthday present. Stay here, I'll go get a worker."
When he came back, the cat had moved to the front of the cage, staring with its head tilted at Seokjin as Seokjin rambled on, a bright smile on his face. They signed off on Suga, and when Seokjin opened the cage and held out his hand, Suga quietly put his hand in Seokjin's. The shelter employee raised an eyebrow as Seokjin tugged Suga out the door. "That's strange," she said.
"Strange?"
"Well, in a good way. I've never seen Suga warm up to someone so quickly like that. He's really a sweet cat once you get to know him, really, but he's so cold to strangers that I thought he'd just stay here forever. Looks like Suga really likes his new owners."
--
Namjoon learned quickly that it wasn't that Suga liked his new owners, but his new owner. Singular. He warmed up quickly to Seokjin, curling up with his head in Seokjin's lap , or sitting next to Seokjin with his tail curled around Seokjin's wrist. He hung around the kitchen when Seokjin cooked, helping out whenever Seokjin needed. He didn't seem to mind when Seokjin played with his ears or his tail, all white as freshly fallen snow. He purred easily for Seokjin.
But he wouldn't even let Namjoon pet him. "Unfair," Namjoon sighed, watching Suga drape himself over Seokjin's lap. He wasn't sure who he was jealous of - Seokjin for being able to pet Suga, or the cat for being able to drape himself over Seokjin's lap. It was probably the cat. "That lap used to be for my use and my use only."
Suga scoffed. "Too bad."
Suga rarely spoke - he usually went around with Seokjin everywhere and listened to Seokjin talk. But when he did speak, it was mostly to insult Namjoon. Namjoon wasn't sure if that was a cat thing or a Suga thing. "Don't fight, you two," Seokjin laughed, ruffling Suga's hair. He leaned forward to press his lips to Namjoon's, and Namjoon slid to tuck Seokjin to his side. "I thought Hoseok and Jimin were coming over."
"Yeah, and bringing Taetae and Kookie."
"What? Really?" Seokjin scowled. "Is that really a good idea?"
"Well... Hoseok said Taetae likes cats. And Jimin said Kookie never attacked anything before." Seokjin's frown didn't leave. Namjoon looked down at Suga, who was looking curiously at both of them. "Tae's Hoseok's dog. And Kookie's Jimin's. Will that be okay?"
Seokjin was eyeing Suga in worry, but Suga just shrugged. "It's fine." He snaked his arms around Seokjin's waist, nuzzling his cheek onto Seokjin's side. "As long as they don't bother Seokjin."
Namjoon protested, "I'm the boyfriend here."
--
It turned out Taetae and Kookie's visits were problematic not because Taetae and Kookie chased Suga around, but because Taetae liked to cling onto Seokjin. Taetae jumped onto Seokjin's lap as soon as Hoseok brought him in, tackling him down onto the ground, his tail wagging furiously behind him. He was just about to throw his arms around Seokjin's shoulder as well, but then Suga had gotten up and yanked Seokjin away, leaving Taetae to grab at nothing but air.
"Hey!" Taetae complained, pouting.
Suga's eyes narrowed at the dog. "Go do that to your owner." He hissed, tail stiff and angry behind him. (Namjoon inwardly was cheering Suga on because honestly sometimes Taetae got a little TOO affectionate with Seokjin.) "Dumb dog."
Taetae looked floored. He looked at Seokjin for support, and when Seokjin tried to raise his hand to give him a soft pat on the head, Suga took the hand back. "Why do you have to be so mean?" Taetae demanded, stomping forward. He was bigger than Suga, but Suga didn't seem fazed.
"Seokjin is mine. Idiot."
Taetae dove at that, growling low in his throat. Suga smoothly pushed Seokjin out of the way before they went down in a tangle of ears and limbs and tails, Hoseok and Namjoon yelling immediately to try to pry them off each other. “Taetae, what the hell?!” Hoseok cried, trying to grab his dog and pull him away.
Kookie watched them, looking half amused and half exasperated. “Let them fight,” Kookie shrugged, taking an apple slice from the table. “We have tougher skin than you guys do. They’ll be fine.”
“What, no, Taetae’s bigger than Suga, he’s gonna hurt-“ Seokjin stepped in between, trying to pry the two apart. “Ow!”
Both cat and dog froze at Seokjin’s cry of pain, and Namjoon jumped up. Four long scratches ran from Seokjin’s elbow to wrist, dripping blood onto the wooden floor. “Holy shit!” Hoseok hissed, yanking Taetae away. "Taetae, bad dog, what the fuck."
"I didn't do it! It was the cat!" Taetae struggled.
"You started the fight!" Hoseok yelled, shoving Taetae down onto the floor. Taetae seethed, but he whimpered when he saw the cuts on Seokjin's arms.
Namjoon grabbed Seokjin’s arm, pulling it up to examine it. “That looks like it’s going to need stitches,” Jimin commented, eyes blown wide. “Hyung, are you – are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” Seokjin breathed, clutching his arm tightly. “I’m okay, I’m okay. Suga, I’m fine. You don’t have to look like that. You, too, Namjoon, I'm fine. Really.”
Namjoon glanced up at the cat, who was pale, even more so than usual, Seokjin’s blood staining his nails. “I – I didn’t mean to hurt Seokjin,” Suga whispered, looking horrified.
“Hospital.” Namjoon said quickly, dropping his gaze back. “I need to drive Seokjin-hyung to the hospital. That’s going to need stitches. Suga, come on. Get Seokjin a jacket and get yourself one, too. Let’s go to the hospital.”
--
Seokjin did end up needing stitches for his arm, but otherwise he was fine. “I’m okay. You don’t have to look like someone died.” Seokjin sat in the back of the car with Suga on the way back, patting Suga’s hand and ruffling his ears. Suga still looked like he wasn't quite fully there, and Namjoon glanced at him through the review mirror. Their eyes met, but before Namjoon could say anything, Suga ducked his head again, burying his face in Seokjin’s lap. “Look, no harm done. The doctor said it wasn’t even going to scar.”
Namjoon made Seokjin sleep early. Normally Seokjin would have protested, but Seokjin had lost enough blood - not to need a transfusion, but still be a little off. "Suga, come here." Namjoon called, opening a can of beer. He wondered if cats could drink beer, and then figured why the hell not so opened a can for him as well. He dug around for the first aid kit he knew Seokjin had somewhere.
Suga looked like he was resigned. For what, Namjoon didn't know. He offered Suga the can and Suga took a sip, frowned at the taste, but kept drinking. "I'm sorry," Suga muttered, bowing his head. It was something Namjoon had never seen before. Suga, bowing his head to him. "I.. I'd understand if you want to take me back to the shelter. I won't hate you."
Namjoon stared, dumbfounded for a moment. He then laughed - he couldn't help it. "What? I'm not taking you back to the shelter. Is that why you looked so out of it?"
"But.. I hurt Seokjin."
"Yeah, but not on purpose. Come sit closer. How am I supposed to treat you if you're that far away?"
"What?" Suga looked up, blinking rapidly. "I don't get it."
Namjoon huffed. "You and Taetae got into a fight. You gave him scratches, and he gave you scratches. Those things are gonna get infected if you just leave them. Come here so I can disinfect them." Suga scooted closer, looking bewildered as Namjoon patted the light scratches on his arms and neck as well
as his cheek and slapped bandaids on them. "Well, it's not as good as how Seokjin would have done it, but it's not too bad."
Suga's ears twitched on his head. "You're.. You're really not mad at me?"
"I mean, you shouldn't have insulted Taetae like that, probably. He has a short temper. But hey, he dove at you first. And Seokjin was stupid, trying to get in between the two of you like that. Claws and teeth were snapping everywhere. And it's not like you meant to hurt Seokjin. I'm not mad at you. Accidents happen. Seokjin's not even going to scar. No harm done. Plus, I know how much you love Seokjin. How's the beer?"
Suga looked at Namjoon for a while, and his tail flicked as he picked up the can. "… I could grow to like it."
"Good. Seokjin can't hold his alcohol. I need a drinking buddy."