Chapter Text
Minho doesn’t ask for much.
He really doesn’t.
He was adopted by the nicest man he’s ever met from a hybrid shelter a little over a year ago. The man, Chan, wanted Minho even though the shelter workers warned him of the hybrid’s severe attitude problem, or tabbitude as they liked to call it due to Minho’s black and brown striped ears and tail.
Yes it was true that Minho had done more than his fair share of biting, hissing, and scratching in the shelter. Not that they didn’t deserve it, but he probably left a mark on all of the staff members and most of the other hybrids.
Minho has a sassy attitude and a sharp tongue, but he always said that if he was lucky enough to be adopted he would be so well behaved for his owner.
And well behaved he was. Chan has never complained about Minho’s attitude and has never scolded him either. Minho figured his owner was either the world’s most patient man or the world's most clueless man. As it turns out, both assumptions were wrong. Chan is just the world’s nicest man, and he was willing to put in the time and effort to show Minho that he deserved a loving home, and that the hybrid didn’t have to keep up his fierce appearance in front of him. It didn’t take long at all for Minho to let his walls fall. He’s never been happier in his life and he has his owner to thank for it all. Chan is an absolute saint, and Minho would fight anybody who would say otherwise.
Which is precisely why the hybrid felt so blindsided, totally gobsmacked, when Chan sat him down and broke the news that he’s adopting another hybrid. Not just any hybrid, a dog hybrid.
This is the first time ever that Minho loses his composure in front of Chan, because of Chan.
Most cat hybrids don’t ask for a lot in life, but Minho thinks he wants even less than the average.
All he wants is some peace and quiet and a kitchen full of quality ingredients and all the gadgets the market has to offer. It might be expensive, but Chan is a freaking songwriter, a good one , so Minho doesn’t feel guilty when he runs up to him every so often, shoving his tablet in his owner’s face and begging for a new machine. It’s all so he can make delicious food. Food that he shares! He’s never heard Chan complain about how much he spends on Minho, or how the kitchen looks like a tornado blew through when Minho invites his fellow cat hybrid, Felix, to try making a new recipe. Chan just praises Minho and eats the food. Minho even takes some to Chan’s friend and neighbor Changbin, who also happens to be Felix’s owner, and Changbin’s puppy hybrid Seungmin.
Hear that? He shares his food ! With a damn puppy hybrid !
So why? Why, why, why the hell does it feel like he’s being punished!?
“Why does it feel like I’m being punished?” Minho hisses. His brown tabby tail is whipping around behind him out of control, but he wouldn’t hold it down anyways. He wants Chan to know that he’s pissed.
Chan sighs and tries to pet Minho’s flicking ears but the hybrid flattens them against his head and narrows his eyes at his owner. Chan drops his hand and sighs again.
“You’re not being punished, Minho. I saw the ad in the shelter window for weeks, nobody was adopting the poor thing and I felt bad and there’s more than enough room here for another hybrid.”
“Great!” Minho laughs humorlessly. “Not only are you adopting a dog hybrid, you’re adopting a dog hybrid that nobody else wanted because it obviously has some sort of attitude problem or something!”
Chan just smiles. “Are you forgetting that I was warned about your attitude problem, kitty? Besides, I didn’t think you had a problem with dog hybrids.”
“I’m a cat, of course I have a problem with dog hybrids! We’re natural enemies!”
“But you’re friends with Seungminnie across the hall,” Chan points out.
“Hah!” Minho shouts, “I go over there for Felix! I just tolerate that little golden retriever suck up. We are not friends.”
Chan frowns at the hybrid's harsh words but he doesn’t care. He refuses to accept this adoption and if he can keep it up, maybe Chan will back down and Minho can go back to living his nice, solitary life and pretend this whole ordeal never happened.
“Dog hybrids are sooo high maintenance,” Minho says, keeping the heat in his voice, “do you know how long Felix said it took Changbin to train that bastar- Seungmin?”
He barely stopped himself from cursing Seungmin, but if he wants Chan to listen to him then he can’t be calling other hybrids bastards. Chan pretends he didn’t hear the slip up.
“How long?” He doesn’t sound annoyed or concerned, just amused. Minho seethes.
“Six. Months. Six months! We’re going to have to put our lives on hold for at least six months just to teach this dummy not to hump the couch cushions!!”
Chan has the good sense to try to play his laugh off as a cough. Minho has never considered it before, but he’s about two seconds from lunging at his owner and scratching some sense into him.
“Minho -”
“No! No, no, no, do not bring that dog in this house. I will not accept this!” Minho’s voice is louder than ever and the neighbors are probably going to complain but he does not care.
“Well,” Chan says sternly, “you’re going to have to accept it and learn to get along because the adoption is final. I’m picking him up tomorrow morning and I’ll expect nothing less than your best behavior.”
Damn .
Minho splutters, trying to come up with more arguments, but Chan’s words sounded so final and authoritative. Honestly Minho knows he’s lucky to have been adopted by Chan, because most other owners wouldn’t just sit there silently while their hybrid demands things and shouts.
Chan stands up and scratches under Minho’s chin before he can snatch his head back. Chan chuckles and Minho screams in frustration, standing up and stomping all the way to his room. He decides he will not be sleeping at the foot of Chan’s bed tonight like usual. He’s far too angry…and with all this anger Minho isn’t sure he’d be able to stop himself from doing something crazy like biting one of Chan’s toes off. He throws himself into bed, burrowing under the blankets and thrashing around to try to blow some of this steam. Eventually he drifts off into fitful slumber.
At three o’clock in the morning Minho tiptoes his way into Chan’s room and curls up at the bottom of his owner’s bed. He’s not sleeping in here because of Chan, the hybrid tells himself, it’s just that this bed is so much more comfortable than his own.