Work Text:
KIM SEUNGMIN VS. THE WORLD
GAME START!
Seungmin giggles into Minho's mouth as the latter tries to fit the key inside the lock blindly, too busy pulling Seungmin closer by the hem of his sweater. Seungmin follows every tug on his clothes like the ocean tides obey the moon, his own hands coming up to rest at the sides of Minho's neck.
"Fuck," Minho mumbles against his lips as he misses the keyhole for the twentieth time, "Shit," Again, "Shit fuck."
"You're ridiculous. Give me the key," Seungmin decides to intervene, reaching a hand behind his back to grab them. Minho deposits the item on his palm without arguing, as well as a hungry kiss on his mouth, "You need to learn how to multitask."
"I'll show you multitasking when we get inside."
"Leave me alone forever," Seungmin says, but he turns around in Minho's hold to look where he actually needs to nonetheless. He fits the key in one try even with Minho nosing along the expanse of his neck and his eyelids fluttering at the sensation, "See? Easy."
"I'll show you easy."
"That makes no fucking sense."
They stay tangled in each other as they tumble inside the apartment. Minho kicks the door closed and turns them over, crowding Seungmin until his back hits the wooden surface. Seungmin can't contain the smile that stretches along his lips when Minho sneaks his hands under his shirt, fingers pressing tightly on his waist. He lets his own hand slither down Minho's shirt collar, the other one coming up to grab a fistful of Minho's hair and tug.
"Up," Minho says. Seungmin only understands him because his lips spell out the word against his own, melting into another kiss shaped in the form of the last letter.
"Up," Seungmin agrees, holding on to Minho's neck as he takes off with a jump, his legs wrapping around Minho's body. Minho's hands settle in a vice grip on his thighs almost immediately, "If you drop me, I swear."
"Have a little faith in me," Minho scoffs. He trails a path of kisses that follow Seungmin's jawline, then dips down to latch his lips onto his skin.
Seungmin sighs, his eyelids clipping shut. He lets his head lull back, giving Minho more room to do as much damage as he pleases. Minho takes advantage of the position he's got him in and lets go of one of his legs, nudging his hand between their bodies with urgency. His smirk imprints on Seungmin's neck when he finds the button of Seungmin's jeans and pulls it undone.
The drag of the zipper is torturous.
"Ah, Minho…" Seungmin whispers. He blinks his eyes open dazedly, pulling at Minho's hair to try and get him to meet him in a kiss. Minho catches on quickly, biting on Seungmin's neck one last time before pressing their mouths together fervently, "Take me to bed."
"Yes, sir."
Seungmin chuckles as Minho gets both hands on his legs again and takes a step back, ready to carry him to the bedroom.
Then, he sees them.
Three pairs of piercing eyes staring at them from all the way down on the floor, unhappy tails wagging with fervor. Minho's cats sit in a perfect line that blocks the way to the room, and their stance tells him they won't be budging, even if he says please and thank you. Before Minho can move another inch, Seungmin stops him with a hand on his wrist.
"What happened?" Minho asks, still holding him up. He pulls back to scan Seungmin's face for any signs that might tell him he's uncomfortable, "You okay?"
"Um," Seungmin hums, unnerved by the staring down he's receiving, "Your cats. They— they're… glaring at us?"
"Huh?"
Minho sets Seungmin down carefully before pivoting to look at the culprits behind an egregious cockblocking situation. He huffs out an amused chuckle when he sees them in formation, and the grey one meows something back. These aren't laughing matters, human.
"Okay, okay," Minho seems to understand, because he sighs in defeat. He faces Seungmin again with a sheepish smile, lips shiny and red all over. Seungmin would laugh, but he doubts he looks any better, "I forgot to feed them. Give me a minute?"
"Yeah, sure," Seungmin nods.
The cats stay in place, eyes locked on Seungmin. He stands with his arms crossed over his chest, pants hanging low on his hips, and thinks— they hate me. Seungmin is an intruder in their home, one who distracted their owner enough for him to forget their dinner. Seungmin feels a bit stupid doing this, but he tries to smile at them. I come in peace.
The cat in the middle yawns. Seungmin thinks he's just trying to show off his sharp teeth in warning. And you'll leave in pieces.
Minho comes back with their bowls and a huge bag of cat food. He arranges their plates on the floor and scoops a cup to fill each one, "There, brats," He calls fondly once he's done, "You can eat now."
Their tails swing side by side excruciatingly slow. Seungmin doesn't think they've blinked during the entire time he's been aware of their presence.
"Soonie, Doongie, Dori," Minho calls them again, shaking the containers so they can hear the food rattling inside, "Eat."
Eventually, they move. The cats approach Minho and rub their snouts against his legs before finally settling down to feast. Minho pats their heads lovingly, then stands up.
"Okay, that's done," Minho takes Seungmin's hand and starts walking backwards, the path to his bedroom finally free, "Still want to go to bed?"
Minho's lips look so swollen. Seungmin gulps and lets himself be pulled, "Yeah."
Before finally disappearing into Minho's room, Seungmin sneaks a final glance at the cats. Sitting in another neat line, bowls now empty, their eyes find him again. One of them meows, long and deep.
Seungmin isn't fluent in their language, but he thinks that might've been a threat.
DORI
HAS ISSUES
3 YEARS OLD
LEVEL 1
Here's what Seungmin knows about Dori:
- He's the youngest.
- He has way too much energy for a cat. Minho has shown him videos and told him stories about where Dori's hyperactivity usually takes him— mostly catastrophic falls in which he takes everything down with him along the way. He runs into doors and jumps a full meter off the ground.
- He stands on two legs. It's weird. He's doing it right now.
At the edge of Minho's bed, where Seungmin is currently lounging, Dori supports his weight on his back legs with practiced ease, not faltering in the slightest. Seungmin drops his phone and pushes himself up to have a better view, resting his elbow on the mattress.
He can hear the shower still running and Minho singing to himself, which means it'll be another couple of minutes until he comes back. Seungmin clears his throat, Dori's ears twitching at the sound.
"Can I help you?" He asks. Seungmin has heard Minho talking to them enough times for the concept of having a one-sided conversation with an animal to become the standard. Dori, as expected, does not reply.
Seungmin thinks that even if he could, he still wouldn't.
For a moment, all they do is stare into each other's eyes. Dori's gaze on him isn't as menacing as it could be, yet it still feels as if he were being analyzed. Dori, paws up and stone-faced, looks like he's sizing Seungmin up for a possible paw-to-fist fight. Or maybe he's being the typical level of cat weird every cat owner talks about, and Seungmin should simply admit that he believes he wouldn't stand a chance against a feline that can't even reach his knees.
"Do you want something?" Seungmin continues to question. Cautiously, he sets his hand palm down on top of the covers, "Maybe you want to play?" Under Dori's watchful eyes, he begins to slide it closer.
Somewhat curious with the movement, Dori tilts his head. Seungmin, encouraged by that small reaction, pushes even further until his fingers are mere centimeters away from coming in contact with his fur.
(Seungmin has never petted them before— it's unlikely for them to be in a room if Seungmin is also in it. Minho tells him they're shy.)
When Seungmin dares to graze the pad of his index finger over Dori's toes, he realizes he's made a mistake. Dori swats at his hand with purpose, three quick punches that make Seungmin pull his arm away with a gasp. Dori isn't trying to play; he has just ambushed him. There are no witnesses to the attack. No evidence. Seungmin's word against Dori's meow.
"You evil little genius," Seungmin whispers, undeniably impressed.
Both of them turn their heads to look at the door when the shower cuts off. Dori hops off the bed without a second look, disappearing into the hallway. Seungmin slumps back onto the mattress, defeated and dumbfounded.
"Hey, Dori," Seungmin hears Minho coo, "Were you waiting for me at the door the entire time? You're so cute."
5. Dori is an academy award winning actor.
Seungmin can hear Minho's groan as he bends down to pick him up, and the loud kisses he litters all over Dori's face as soon as he's cradled the cat in his arms. It makes him smile despite the deep betrayal he's just gone through. Minho loves his pets so much— he doesn't even call them pets. He calls them brothers. Seungmin melts every time, cramming all his endearment inside his heart until he gets to release it by kissing Minho silly later.
His phone case is covered in Soonie, Doongie and Dori stickers. Minho's lockscreen is a picture of Soonie with a hat. On his Instagram, Minho has a highlight section dedicated to them. He leaves those bright, colorful sensory videos on when Seungmin picks him up for a date, so they don't get too bored. His cats are as important to him as any other loved one in his life is, which means:
Seungmin has to find a way to make them like him.
He wants to date Minho— no, he is dating Minho. Has been dating him for a bit over two months, but what he means is that he wants to do it for a long time. Seungmin has met his friends, and even occasionally shares texts with Felix, Minho's younger brother. He hasn't met his parents yet, but he has a feeling that they won't be as scary as 12 paws with retractile claws.
I'm going to do this right, Seungmin decides.
Minho stands at the doorway and presses one last lingering kiss to Dori's head before ushering him off to the living room. He climbs into bed with Seungmin, immediately shifting them around like Tetris pieces until they fit together perfectly. His hair is still dripping from his shower, but Seungmin couldn't care less. He accepts the droplet that falls on the bridge of his nose as they kiss, and his heart beats with adoration when Minho dries it for him with his thumb.
Those cats are gonna love me so bad.
LEVEL 2
"You're muted."
Minho frowns, tapping on his phone to fix it, "Can you hear me now?"
"Yes."
"Dori keeps muting me accidentally," Minho says. As if aware that he's the current topic of conversation, Dori smashes his cheek against Minho's face to show in the frame, too, "Oh. Someone's eager."
"Maybe he can smell dinner through the screen," Seungmin jokes, throwing the onions he's just cut into the pan on the fire.
"It looks tasty," Minho compliments. He scratches under Dori's chin, the animal lifting his head so he can enjoy the attention better, "What are you making?"
"Just a veggie scramble," Seungmin turns around to look for the spatula, "Did you ever find that sock I lost at your place last week?"
"No. I thought it'd gotten lost in the sheets while we were sleeping, but I swear I turned that bed upside down."
Seungmin hums, "Weird."
"Yeah," Minho agrees. There's a loud, staticky sound as the phone drags against the comforter while Minho pushes himself off the bed. Then, he tosses it carelessly in the direction of the mattress, and Seungmin does three spins in the air before all he sees is Minho's ceiling, "I'll go get a snack."
"I just got motion sickness from that."
For the sake of being annoying, Minho retreats a few steps and shakes the phone violently, "How does that make you feel?"
"Repulsed."
"Talk that out with your therapist."
"She hears all about you."
"Awful things, I hope."
"Go feed yourself," Seungmin ends the pointless back and forth with a slight smile he fails to keep in, "The cats won't do it for you."
"They should," Minho grumbles, disappearing off the frame once more. From the distance, he yells, "It's the least they could do!"
In the meantime, Seungmin maneuvers around his kitchen to find the carrots and zucchinis. He brings both to the cutting board so he can start slicing them, thin circular sheets he then chops into even tinier pieces. The only sound he can hear is the onions sizzling in oil, and the smell is already deliciously navigating across the room. Seungmin hasn't had time to properly cook himself a nice dinner in a while.
As he drops the new vegetables into the pan, he catches movement on his phone screen, where his video call with Minho is still ongoing.
"You're back," Seungmin says without checking, stirring the mix patiently, "There's a new horror movie on Netflix. I think I read something about it on Twitter, but I didn't want to snoop too much in case I found spoilers. Do you wanna watch it this weekend?"
Silence. Seungmin lowers the intensity of the fire and sets the spatula down on the counter, finally turning to look at his phone with a frown.
6. Dori has an understanding of how FaceTime works. To what extent it's still unknown— enough to press mute and show up on camera, at least.
"I hope you know I wasn't talking to you," He says, blinking owlishly at the sight of Dori staring at him through the screen, "But you can join us, if you want."
Seungmin can see Dori meowing, but he has apparently turned off the microphone again.
Seungmin points at his ear, "Can't hear you," He tells him, opening the cherry tomatoes and dumping them in a bowl, "At least you can't beat me up this way."
Is that a challenge? Dori seems to think so, because he starts using Minho's phone as a punching bag almost immediately. The final blow is an attack in the air, with Dori landing right over the device, his belly covering everything and turning the screen black.
"You know, I don't think I've ever done anything bad to you to guarantee this," Seungmin tsks.
Well, he did barge into their lives quite suddenly, leaving a first impression that wasn't… the most recommended. That night, Minho had locked the door after they'd stepped into his room and, afterwards, as they slowly drifted off to sleep, Seungmin had heard them scratching and begging to be let in. Not only had Seungmin invaded their home, but he had also inadvertently kicked them out of their place in Minho's bed— which he still does every time he stays over.
"Maybe I did, in cat logic," Seungmin concedes after contemplation, "But I'm trying! We can be friends."
Dori rolls off the phone, settling down to observe him with yet another deadpan glare. I'm listening.
"I want Minho to be happy, and I'm assuming that's what you want as well," Seungmin cracks an egg on the sharp edge of the pan, letting it pour over his vegetables. He'd read an article online that said cats could view direct eye contact as a threat, which is why he tries to avoid looking in that direction for too long, "Don't you think us getting along would contribute to his happiness?"
Dori meows.
"You're still muted. And I don't speak your tongue. But I'm taking it as a sign of agreement."
Dori starts licking his paw, deciding to disconnect from the conversation, while Seungmin stirs his veggie scramble in silence until the egg looks sufficiently cooked. By the time he finally spots Minho's face on his screen again, he's already served himself a plate.
"You're muted," Seungmin lets him know again. Minho narrows his eyes at Dori before turning his mic on.
"I couldn't find the chips," Minho excuses himself for his lengthy disappearance. He rips the package open and drops a fistful in his mouth, a bunch of crumbs cascading down the sides. Seungmin scrunches his nose, "I was thinking— you should come cook me dinner sometime."
Seungmin raises an eyebrow, "And why would I do that for free?"
"I can pay you," Minho says. His lips begin to curve into a smirk, "In many ways."
"Cash will do."
"I'm offering you my body."
"That too, I guess," Seungmin takes his phone in one hand and his plate in the other as he marches off to his couch, smiling to himself when Minho squawks at his words, "I'm free this weekend. Actually, I asked you if you wanted to watch a new Netflix horror movie with me, like, ten minutes ago, but it turned out Dori was the one listening."
"Did he say yes?"
"He put his furry butt on the phone."
Minho giggles brightly, his eyes glimmering, "Sure, we can have a movie night, too," He agrees easily, "Saturday?"
"Sounds good to me."
"See you then, Seungminnie."
LEVEL 3
He's being supervised.
Dori has taken on the task of being tonight's vigilante, perched on one of the stools in order to get a clear view of Seungmin's cooking in action. He only lets his eyes detach from his target when Minho walks into the kitchen, always eager to be on the receiving end of his attention. Even if Seungmin rolls his eyes, he's acutely aware that, deep down, he can relate.
"That sauce smells so good," Minho moans behind him in delight, a piece of bread in hand. He tries to be sneaky, but Seungmin recognizes his intentions from a mile away— before Minho can dip it in the sauce, Seungmin blocks him with the wooden spoon, "Oh, c'mon. One time."
"Be patient," Seungmin tells him, lightly smacking his wrist until Minho pulls away completely.
"I'm so hungry, I could eat one of those burger shaped toys the cats have," From his spot, Dori meows indignantly at the prospect of Minho meddling with his stuff. Minho chuckles, putting his hands up, "I was joking. I'd never do that."
With a couple scratches in the right places (behind the ear, under his chin, on top of his head), Dori purrs and grants him forgiveness. Minho lingers around the kitchen for a while, never giving up on his attempts at sauce-tasting, but eventually leaves to set up the movie and play with Soonie and Doongie. He does so with a pout, and Seungmin has to fight the urge to kiss it off his face for the sake of not burning their dinner.
"We meet again," Seungmin says as Dori fixes his gaze back on him once they're alone. He puts on an overly sweet customer service voice, "What can I do for you today?"
Dori meows, but it's barely loud enough to be heard. He jumps off the stool and lands with grace, parading all the way to Seungmin's feet. He sits close enough, staring up at him through wide eyes, and speaks with another soft meow.
"Oh. Um. I guess you really want something from me," Seungmin muses. He scans his own body and then the counter, trying to find a clue, "What might that be?"
Dori's purr is gentle as he lifts his front paws to rest them on Seungmin's leg, stretching upward until they almost reach his knees. Seungmin is frozen in place, afraid to even breathe in case the movement spooks Dori and ruins the tremendous abrupt jump in progress. He watches curiously as Dori closes his eyes and tilts his head, nose twitching.
"Oh," Seungmin whispers. An incredulous laugh pushes past his lips, "You're smelling the sauce too."
"Meow." Well, can I get some?
Seungmin bites his lip. This is the perfect chance. Bribery, through food— how hadn't he thought of that before? "Fuck. Okay. Let me... get some bread."
He breaks off a piece, careful not to jostle the plastic bag too much. Dori follows Seungmin's hand as he dips the bread into the sauce, and licks his whiskers hungrily when Seungmin starts to crouch in order to give him the treat. The cat detaches his paws from Seungmin's legs and sits down to wait patiently.
"Ready?" Seungmin says. He cups a hand under the bread to catch the stray sauce droplets that drip insistently, not wanting to make a mess out of Minho's floor, "Okay, here you—"
"Oh, my God."
Seungmin almost falls on his ass from the force of his startled jump. Dori, still starving, pushes his snout near Seungmin's fingers until he's close enough to take a bite. Don't get sidetracked, human. Feed me.
Minho blinks, frozen in place.
"You— what—"
"Listen—"
"You didn't let me try the sauce!" Minho points at him accusingly, then directs his index finger toward Dori, who's still munching away without a care in the world, "What the hell?"
"I just…" Seungmin tries to defend himself, but finds that he has absolutely no excuse except I want him to like me, and he's not about to divulge his plan to win Minho's cats over to Minho himself. He'd look stupid, "... He threatened me at gunpoint?"
"He has paws," Minho says, arms crossed over his chest, "He cannot hold a weapon."
"A knife?"
"Also a weapon."
"He held it with his mouth, then."
Minho bites his bottom lip, attempting and failing to stop his traitorous mouth from stretching into a smile, "You're lucky you're cute."
Once he's done with the bread, Dori moves on to lick Seungmin's fingers clean. Seungmin lets him, basking in the small gesture of acceptance and trust, and chokes on a gasp when Dori nudges his head under his hand and asks for Seungmin's fingers to caress his fur. It worked— all this time, the key to Dori's heart was food.
"He likes me," Seungmin says out loud, wide eyes drowning in surprise as he feels the vibration of Dori's purr under his palm.
"Of course he does," Minho chimes in from his spot near the stove, having rushed to it to finally eat his own sauce soaked bread. He speaks around a mouthful, leaning in to dip another piece despite not having swallowed his first bites, "You fed him."
"Stop eating it!" Seungmin chastises him, bouncing back up like a spring. He pushes Minho away with his hip, "Dori only ate one."
"I have boyfriend privileges."
"No, you don't."
"Seungmin, please," Minho cries dramatically, "You could at least lie to me and let me believe you actually like me."
Seungmin rolls his eyes, then cages Minho's face between his palms to bring him forward and into a kiss, "I like you."
Minho chases after his lips, managing to land a brief peck before Seungmin turns to tend to dinner again. He wraps his arms around Seungmin's middle, his left cheek pressed lovingly against his back as he breathes him in, "Mm. I like you, too."
Dori rubs his face over Seungmin's calves in his own version of a hug.
YOU WON!
CONTINUE?
YES NO
SOONIE
MINHO DOESN'T OWN HIM. HE OWNS MINHO
10 YEARS OLD
LEVEL 4
Here's what Seungmin knows about sleeping over at Minho's place:
- Minho has a favorite side of the bed, even if he still insists that Seungmin can pick whichever. Seungmin pretends to be keen on the right one, choosing it every time because he knows Minho sleeps better on the left side. I know you have a favorite, Minho tells him one night, as if Seungmin is the one keeping his preferences a secret for no reason, it's okay, you can sleep on the right side. I don't mind the left. Seungmin finds him infuriatingly adorable.
- Minho likes to throw a leg over Seungmin and sleep in that position. Seungmin has come to expect the weight of Minho's limbs over his own body at some point or another, and he's found that, when he's alone at home, he misses it terribly.
- More often than not, he wakes up to Minho singing in the kitchen while making breakfast.
The smell of fresh toast and coffee wafting through the air does a better job at pushing him out of bed than any alarm clock would. Sleep ridden yet hunger fueled, he rolls out of bed with his eyes still half closed and shuffles his socked feet all across the apartment. The sunlight peeking through the windows and hitting him face first makes his journey to the kitchen feel like quite the challenge.
"Good morning," Minho greets him cheerfully. Is that… Soonie cradled inside the hood of his hoodie, which he's wearing backwards? Seungmin rubs his face with his hands, "You have a major case of bed head."
"Am I awake."
Minho chuckles, "I'd say so, yeah."
"Is that Soonie?"
As if just now discovering there's a cat right under his nose, Minho gasps, "Yes! I saw it on TikTok," He deposits a kiss on Soonie's head and grins, "Isn't it the cutest thing ever?"
Seungmin stares at him, his face lit up by a smile that makes Seungmin's insides feel like burning hot magma, and takes a deep breath to give his heart space to grow into, "Yeah. It's cute."
"I made us breakfast," Minho says, gesturing for him to sit down at the table. Soonie shows no signs of discomfort as Minho works around the kitchen, instead stretching lazily and nuzzling further into Minho's chest.
"Mm. Thank you," Seungmin rasps, voice heavy with sleep.
His feet pad softly on the floor as he approaches Minho's frame and snakes an arm around his waist, his free hand coming up to tilt Minho's face in his direction. Minho bumps their noses together cutely, but before Seungmin can finally close the gap between them, a furry paw smacks his wrist with purpose. Will all cats choose violence first?
"Soonie," Minho chastises with a surprised laugh. He scratches the cat's head, hoping it'll work as a distraction, and leans forward again. This time, Soonie aims for Seungmin's cheek. Minho stops his paw in the air with an unsatisfied huff, "Can I please kiss my boyfriend?"
"Meow." That's a hard no.
Seungmin settles for a quick press of his lips against Minho's shoulder, ducking away immediately after in case Soonie decides to go for a third attack. Minho blows Seungmin a kiss from the other side of the table to make up for the lack of mouth to mouth contact, and Seungmin stamps it on his cheek once he catches it, smiling at Minho's happy expression.
"Sorry, I don't know what's up with him," Minho says. He pulls Soonie out of his hood and lowers him onto the floor, even when the cat meows in protest, "We'll kiss plenty later."
"It's alright," Seungmin shrugs, reaching for the sugar to sweeten his coffee, "I will live."
"I won't," Minho says, letting himself fall on the chair in front of Seungmin's, "So drink up and eat quickly because I need my good morning kiss."
Seungmin rolls his eyes fondly, "You're so needy."
"I'm adding two more kisses just for that," Minho points at him with a little spoon, "Anything else to say?"
Seungmin mimics the action of zipping his mouth shut, and wonders if there's a limit to how much his heart can expand when he's around Minho. It feels like it will never stop, but his chest always finds little cracks and holes it ends up filling in with every growing spurt. Instead of finding it suffocating, Seungmin can only bask in the sense of completeness that it brings— he rarely feels more entirely Seungmin than when he's with Minho.
LEVEL 5
"This is getting ridiculous," Minho declares. Seungmin can only picture the frown weighing his eyebrows, the view obstructed by Soonie wedging himself between their faces, "This is, what, the third time today?"
"Cover his eyes?" Seungmin suggests.
Minho blinks, then gives a curt nod. Seungmin smiles at the sheer determination behind his pursed lips, "Okay, yeah," He pulls Soonie onto his lap, petting him for a second or two before pushing his hands into his face, "Now, now— kiss me!"
Seungmin is still chuckling softly when their lips meet, and Minho has to fight back a smile of his own. There's a lot more teeth than intended, but the gentle, sweet brush of their mouths together is enough to make them sigh into it. In the meantime, Soonie thrashes desperately against Minho's hold on his head.
"Mreooow."
"You made me do this," Minho tells him, pulling away from Seungmin's lips and giving Soonie his sight back. The cat shakes his head a couple times and then turns on Minho's lap to start climbing over him, only stopping when his front paws reach Minho's shoulders, "I just wanted a kiss."
I can give you those! Soonie drags his face over Minho's cheeks and rubs his head underneath Minho's chin, purring the entire time. Minho caresses his back while sporting an adoring smile, finding it impossible to even think about getting annoyed. Seungmin lets his head fall against the backrest of the couch, content with simply watching Minho get showered with love even if it means he has to stay back.
After the round of kisses is over, Soonie ends up resting his head on the crook of Minho's neck as Minho hugs him close, his face turned toward Seungmin. He is my human, his eyes seem to convey, I shall protect him from you. Seungmin rolls his eyes, already used to the cats' shielding nature around their owner, and decides to go for a subtle touch— carefully, he sets his hand over Minho's thigh and squeezes. Minho winks at him over Soonie's head and wraps his own fingers around Seungmin's, a familiar warmth engulfing him wholly.
I think he might be my human, too.
LEVEL 6
Minho falls asleep on the couch in the most uncomfortable positions known to mankind. Seungmin hurts just by looking at him.
"God," Seungmin whispers into the dimly lit room, the credits of the film still rolling on the screen. Minho's body is tilted to the left, his chin almost touching his chest with how low his head is hanging. His lips stick out into a pout, and his fringe falls over his eyes, "How can you sleep like this?"
He pushes himself up and off the couch, giving himself a moment to stretch his arms and legs with a yawn. Seungmin contemplates Minho's criminally wrong pose with his hands on his hip as he tries to decipher how to get him to bed. Eventually, he figures it out— he rests a knee on the couch and gently wraps one of Minho's arms around his shoulders, careful not to wake him, and leans down slightly to slide his other arm under Minho's knees. Once Seungmin's grip is secured, he lifts him up bridal style and takes a few wobbly steps away from the couch.
That's when Soonie strolls into the room, and Seungmin points at Minho (or tries to, as his hands are full) to show him the predicament he's found himself in, "Can you believe this guy?" He grunts, Minho's dead weight already straining his muscles.
Soonie's tail waggles fast, a high pitched and prolonged meow pushing past his mouth. Where are you taking him?
"I'm carrying him to bed," Seungmin narrates as he walks past the apprehensive feline, which promptly begins to follow him closely, "So he can sleep well."
"Meow." Let my human go.
"I'm not doing anything bad," Seungmin assures him, sensing Soonie's angry discomfort in his screeches and movements, and taps the door to Minho's room open with his foot.
With the last of his strength and effort, Seungmin manages to lower Minho onto his mattress without any trouble. Once he touches the bed, the older sighs contentedly and turns to his side, burying his face deep into the pillow. Seungmin pivots to look at Soonie, who stands at the door frame in silent judgement.
"See?" Seungmin says, gesturing at Minho's sleeping figure. He runs his fingers through his hair, smiling when the corners of Minho's mouth tug into a pleased curve, cat-like even when asleep, "He's safe. And comfy."
Seungmin leaves the room to go turn the TV off and makes a quick trip to the bathroom to brush his teeth before coming back. He struggles to get Minho's pants off of him, Minho somehow sleeping through all of it, and then wrestles with the task of tucking him under the blankets.
Soonie's still lingering near the door by the time he's done, though his tail has slowly come to a stop. Seungmin supposes that giving back something he'd taken from them is a good enough step to get the cats to like him— he can start with Soonie, who watches intently as Seungmin slides beneath the covers himself.
Seungmin pats the space between his and Minho's bodies, "You can sleep here."
Soonie doesn't move. Seungmin sighs, opting to close his eyes to give him the time to choose. Before he can give in to sleep, he feels a dip on the mattress near his feet, and tries to peek discreetly through barely open eyelids. Soonie walks over and settles on the spot he deems the best, kneading the surface for a little.
"Sorry I stole your bed, by the way," Seungmin says.
Soonie stretches his neck until he grazes Seungmin's jaw with his snout, a kiss, then folds into himself. Seungmin smiles at the tenderness of it— all Soonie needed was the knowledge that Seungmin loves Minho as much as he does; that there's unbridled affection behind everything Seungmin has to offer.
(And that he can go back to sleeping in a bed, probably.)
It's all forgotten, his purring tells him, This is our bed, now. And our human.
YOU WON!
CONTINUE?
YES NO
DOONGIE
HAS MET GOD. OR IS GOD.
6 YEARS OLD
LEVEL 7
Here are 3 situations Seungmin doesn't think he'll ever find himself in:
- A zombie apocalypse. Even if a pandemic with zombie-like symptoms could happen at some point (he'd done his thorough research on it, during a particular phase), he's at least 94% sure he won't be part of it.
- Escaping from a piano falling on his head. Cartoons used to have his kid self constantly looking up at the sky, just in case, paired with a bit of what he heard from his grandma's accentuated superstition that molded his easily influenced youngster brain. (He still avoids opening umbrellas inside the house.)
- This. Whatever this is. Seriously. He's not dreaming— he checked. This one wasn't even on the list until now.
And yet, against his wishes, he's found himself in it.
He stands on the bathroom rug, towel wrapped around his waist while still dripping wet from his shower, and watches in utter bewilderment as Doongie goes from solid to liquid right before his eyes. The cat slithers under the door, somehow magically losing all bones in the process, until the last of his tail is in the room.
Very much reluctantly from Seungmin's part, their eyes lock together.
Soonie and Dori have come to accept Seungmin over time, sometimes even seeking him for cuddles and scratches— Doongie, however, often ignores his presence entirely. Seungmin had thought he could get off scot-free with him, no plan needed, though it seems Doongie has been conjuring a scheme himself all this time and is now ready to execute it. For Seungmin, who is currently butt naked, it is not looking too good.
"Hey," Seungmin starts, his hands clutching the towel for dear life, "Whatever you're about to do— it wouldn't be fair. I am so vulnerable right now."
The words go through one ear and come out the other, useless when faced with Doongie's determination. The cat jumps onto the toilet lid and then puts his paws up on the tank, where Seungmin's phone is still softly playing a song from his playlist. Without breaking their eye contact, Doongie inches his paw closer.
Seungmin blinks, "Uhm."
Another move.
"What are you even…"
Closer.
"My clothes are in the room," Seungmin whines, pointing at the door, "Can I please get dressed before we do this whole thing?"
"Meow." Nope.
With one final push, Doongie sends his phone flying off the edge. Seungmin dives in to try and stop it, his foot slipping on the wet tiles and taking away his balance. He manages to grab the device in time, but the save comes with a hard landing on his ass. It doesn't hurt as bad, truly; he mainly stays seated on the floor due to shock.
"You are so..."
I won't go easy on you like my brothers did, Doongie's confident walk talks for itself. He slides through the small opening under the bathroom door again, as easy as he'd arrived, this is just the beginning!
LEVEL 8
At least this time Seungmin is fully clothed.
Still, he needs to make a habit out of pocketing his phone instead of leaving it on surfaces from which it could potentially be pushed off of by a certain cat. Doongie sits nearby like a watchful gargoyle come to life for this sole purpose, ears twitching and paw stretching into its attack position as soon as Seungmin walks into the room.
Now, as it has become routine, Seungmin lets out a gasp while bending down in order to catch his phone before the intended disaster can take place. Doongie, always a reliable role in the same scene they live at least twice a week, plays his part perfectly by looking as unbothered as usual.
"I don't even know what you want from me," Seungmin sighs and props his head on his hand, elbow on the table, only after hiding his phone away from the perpetrator, "You'll push it, I'll grab it, then it repeats."
He drums his fingers on the table as he thinks. What could Doongie be asking for by doing this? Dori expected food, Soonie seeked reassurance, but with him… Seungmin's mind is blank. He's fed him while Minho isn't looking, and he's tried to show the cat his brothers like him by petting them when he's watching— nothing. Food, love, a bed they can sleep on again. Seungmin hates to admit that he's quickly running out of ideas.
What else could a cat possibly want?
A foggy rush of orange fur zooms past his eyes as Doongie throws himself at him. At his hand. Doongie stops his fingers from moving with his paws, a series of peculiar head tilts in different directions happening one after the other as he paws over Seungmin's knuckles.
Huh.
In the form of an impromptu experiment, Seungmin moves his hand away for a moment and lets Doongie observe its rigid state before drumming his fingers again. He surges forward immediately, even rolling onto his back and trying to cage Seungmin's fingers from that angle.
Oh. Fun. Food, love, a cozy sleeping place— Fun.
Doongie's tail, unlike Dori's or Soonie's, had never once swung from side to side. Doongie, unlike his brothers, had never meowed with the intent of intimidating him. Of course— from the very first moment, from the very first push: for him, it's a game. He's playing with Seungmin.
"Guess this is my answer," Seungmin's smile grows with merriment, and he changes spots once more so Doongie can keep chasing after his fingers. With his other hand, he pampers him with a couple belly rubs, "God. You three sure are something else."
LEVEL 9
"You know, when I opened the door to you holding a box, I thought oh, Seungminnie bought me a gift," Minho says. He's lying on the couch with his arms thrown over the armrest and his chest resting against it, reduced to a spectator to the show he thought he'd be the main character of, "Never in a million years would I have imagined you'd bring a fake fishing rod with a plastic fish hooked to it to play with Doongie."
Seungmin drags the faux fish over his stomach, giggling when Doongie climbs over him to run after it. He lifts the rod up in the air, as far as his arm allows him, and then pulls away teasingly as soon as it's within paws length. Doongie hops, sprints and pounces without second thought, clearly eager for playtime. There's a blurry line between who's enjoying it more, though.
"Huh?" Seungmin mumbles after a while, at least three minutes after Minho had spoken. He turns his head to face his boyfriend and lets Doongie capture the fish in the meantime, "Did you say something?"
Minho rests his cheek on the armrest, his stomach tingling with a dozen new feelings pooling within. His heart works in tandem, punching against his ribcage with the force of three words that absentmindedly push past his lips, "Nothing. I love you."
Seungmin's eyes widen slightly, "That's not nothing."
Minho rearranges into a sitting position, a gentle pink tint blooming on his cheeks. Seungmin kicks his legs and uses the momentum to straighten up, as well, then stands on his feet with one last push. He's sinking on the spot next to Minho in a matter of seconds, the bruising kiss their mouths meet halfway for taking even less.
Minho relishes in Seungmin's touch despite it only serving to light his skin on fire even further. It spreads the blaze all over his body simply with the trail of his fingertips guiding Minho's face where he wants it, where they both need it. Minho uttered the words first, and now Seungmin makes sure to return them through the last lingering press of their lips before he pulls apart.
"I love you, too," Seungmin finally whispers, still close enough for Minho to feel the shape of each letter brushing over his mouth.
Minho hums, leaning in for another couple languid kisses. The fire has entirely consumed him, but where a heat this big would cause destruction anywhere else, in him it aids a sense of harmony to settle in his bones.
He looks over Seungmin's shoulder during a pause, and can't help but chuckle at what he sees, "I think I may have competition," He teases.
Doongie struggles to climb the couch with the fishing rod between his teeth, dangerously close to toppling over a bunch of times, yet continues to kick his back legs persistently. Seungmin rolls his eyes, endeared, and ends up giving him the last push with his hand.
"Meow." More fish?
SOONIE, DOONGIE, DORI
YOU WON!
HERE'S YOUR REWARD:
"You three had my missing sock this entire time?!"