Work Text:
“Hyung, are you going off to work now?” Seungmin asked from the couch, lowering his phone onto his lap as he glanced up at the older with expectant eyes.
Minho nodded, dropping his briefcase onto the couch next to the younger so he could free his hands to adjust his tie knot.
“Can I get a ride then?” Seungmin asked, slipping his phone into his pocket as he got off the couch and moved in front of his husband. “I’m going to meet some friends today.”
The younger gently batted Minho’s hand away from his tie before deftly undoing and redoing the knot neatly. Minho ran his fingers over the precise knot that the other had made, marvelling at his husband’s tie-knotting skills before leaning in to reward the other with a quick kiss on the lips. “Sure, I don’t mind.”
Seungmin’s answering smile was bright and the younger leaned in to reciprocate a sweet kiss of his own on Minho’s lips.
After they had pulled away from each other, Minho reached to grab his briefcase off the couch but the other beat him to it. Picking up the briefcase, Seungmin hooked his arm around the older’s. “I’ll carry it for you, husband.”
Minho relented with a slight sigh. “Okay. Let’s go then.”
They headed to the doorway and the older instinctively reached for his car keys that he always kept hanging on one of the many hooks above the shoe rack.
Except today, his fingers closed around an empty space.
“What’s wrong?” Seungmin asked, pausing in the middle of pulling on his sneakers.
“My car keys. They’re gone.” Minho ran his fingers across the top of the shoe rack and even peeked behind it to check for his car keys.
“Did you leave them somewhere else instead? Like in the pocket of your suit jacket or pants from yesterday?”
“That’s impossible. I always hang them back on the hook right after entering the house,” Minho insisted.
“Hm… could someone else have borrowed your car without informing you?”
“Sweetheart, there are only two people in this house with a driver’s license, one of which is me. Chan-hyung didn’t even come back last night. How could he have taken my car? Not to mention that he has a perfectly fine car of his own!” Minho knew his tone was getting sharper with each statement as frustration slipped into his words but it was difficult to conceal how upset he was getting.
Seungmin placed his hand on his husband’s back, rubbing down it soothingly. “Calm down, hyung. I’m sure we’ll find your car keys. Let’s ask the others. Maybe someone moved it for whatever reason and forgot to tell you.”
Minho inhaled deeply, holding in his breath before letting it out. “You’re right. Let’s try asking everyone else.”
Changbin and Felix had tagged along on Bang Chan’s business trip overseas so that eliminated the two of them. A quick peek into Jisung’s bedroom to see him fast asleep while clinging onto Jeongin had them hastily retreating and crossing those two out as well.
That left one of their husbands to seek out.
The door to Hyunjin’s room was wide open and the little kitten hybrid was lounging on his bed, scrolling on his phone when they entered his room.
“Hm? Minho-hyung? Minnie? Have you come to cuddle me?” The younger’s eyes lit up at the sight of them, ears perking up and he put his phone aside, making grabby hands at them.
The sight of Hyunjin in an oversized cream-colored sweater, all curled up in a pile of knitted blankets was simply irresistible and Minho found himself faltering. Moving to sit on the edge of the other’s bed, he allowed Hyunjin to place his head on his lap as he carded his fingers lovingly through the younger’s long dark hair and stroked tenderly at the younger’s cat ears.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see that he wasn’t the only one affected, their other husband also joining them on the bed. Seungmin wrapped his hand around the little kitten hybrid’s tail, caressing the silky fur gently.
Hyunjin’s eyes had fallen close, the other just laying quietly in between his two husbands and basking in their love and attention. There was a contented expression on the younger’s face, a small pretty smile curving the corners of his plump lips.
Caught up in the pleasurable sensation of petting Hyunjin’s furry ears and soft hair, Minho almost forgot what he had come into the other’s room to do.
It was only when he looked across at Seungmin and spotted his briefcase in the other’s hand that he recalled what they had wanted to ask the little kitten hybrid. “Hyunjin?”
The younger didn’t react, eyes still peacefully closed and tail flicking lazily in Seungmin’s grasp.
“Kitten?” Minho tried again, rubbing at the curve of the other’s ears.
“Hm?” Hyunjin gave a light hum, eyes fluttering open to fix on Minho and the older gave in to the urge to shower his little kitten with more love, leaning in to plant a kiss on the other’s nose.
“I have something to ask you.”
“What is it, hyung?” Hyunjin tilted his head and gazed up at him with his wide, round eyes as his ears twitched cutely.
His heart melting at how lovely and endearing the other was, Minho let out an involuntary sigh, pressing another kiss to the top of the younger’s head. “I just wanted to ask if you’ve seen my car keys.”
“Your car keys? Why would you look for your car keys? Don’t look for them and come cuddle with me instead,” Hyunjin suggested coyly, arms going around Minho’s waist.
It was a tempting idea indeed and Minho would love nothing more than to be able to remove his uncomfortable, stiff formal suit and throw on some comfy clothes so that he could snuggle beneath the blankets with his adorable kitten. But unfortunately for him, the responsible part of him still won out in the end and he gently removed Hyunjin’s arms from around his waist. “As much as there’s nothing I would love more than to cuddle with you for the rest of the day, I still have to get to work, kitten.”
“But isn’t it more fun to cuddle with me instead? Work is boring.” Hyunjin scooted closer, peeking up at him with a look of unadulterated affection through his long lashes. It was a look that had always gotten Minho’s heart racing at a thousand miles an hour. “Won’t you come stay in bed with me?”
His husbands were all menaces in their own way and Hyunjin was probably the worst out of them. It didn’t help that all seven of them were terribly whipped for him and would let him get away with anything. Their kitten hybrid husband was horribly spoiled as a result and it was entirely their fault. Yet, Minho wouldn’t change things one bit and he knew his other husbands would agree with him.
After all, their precious little kitten was just made to be spoiled by them.
Minho gave a low sigh, preparing to steel his heart so that he could draw himself away from Hyunjin. As he lowered his gaze so he could avoid his husband’s lovely, persuading eyes, he caught sight of something glittering among the blankets.
“Kitten?”
“Hm?”
“Is that my car keys among your blankets?”
Hyunjin didn’t bat an eyelash, sweeping the key beneath him with one swift movement of his tail. “What keys?”
“The keys that you’re sitting on now.”
“I’m not-“
“Hwang Hyunjin,” Minho warned.
Cat ears folding meekly, his husband just let out a little whine, knowing full well that he had been caught red-handed.
“Return it to me.” Minho reached out his hand for his keys.
It took a few more moments of hesitation and another look at the scowl on Minho’s face before Hyunjin reluctantly relented, retrieving the car keys from beneath him and placing them on the older’s outstretched palm.
Minho turned the object over in his hands, verifying that it was indeed his car keys before fixing his husband with a stern look. “Now, why did you deliberately hide my car keys?”
Hyunjin fidgeted with his own tail, ears still folded as he glanced at Seungmin who was observing quietly from the side.
Receiving the silent cue, Seungmin stepped forward then and pulled the other into a protective hug. “I’m sure Jinnie has a good reason for taking your car keys, hyung. Let’s not get mad at him just yet.”
Honestly, even if he had the ability to get mad at the other, it wasn’t like Minho was someone who would lash out at another without understanding all the facts of the situation first. But, he supposed he could understand Seungmin’s protectiveness; it was hard not to be when you have those pretty round eyes looking up at you with so much innocence as though Hyunjin could do no wrong.
Except their husband was definitely less-than-innocent here.
“I’m not mad at him. I just want to know why he hid my keys.”
Seeming to realise that Minho wasn’t going to just let matters go on account of his cute act, Hyunjin finally started explaining himself, eyes lowered onto his lap. “I just… I just didn’t want you to go to work and if… if…”
The younger didn’t finish his explanation but Minho didn’t need the rest of it to have a crystal clear understanding of the situation.
As much as he tried to get upset over the younger’s selfishness and lack of consideration, Minho couldn’t stop his lips from curving into a wide, fond smile. His heart was suddenly so full it was an overwhelming ball of warmth in his chest.
Somehow, Hyunjin’s actions reminded him of how Doongie would always lay down on his shoes to prevent him from leaving every time he went back home to his parents’ place.
Hyunjin’s eyes flickered to him, a hint of anxiousness evident within the younger’s gaze and Minho sighed in resignation before moving forward to envelop both his husbands in a hug. Seungmin stiffened up slightly before relaxing into his warmth though the other planted a look of faux annoyance on his face. On the other hand, Hyunjin didn’t hold back, smushing his cheek against Minho’s and nuzzling against his face with so much force that the older was nearly sent careening backwards.
“I’m not mad at you this time, kitten. But please, don’t ever do that again, okay? You can’t be hiding my keys every single time I need to go to work or I’ll lose my job.”
“Not true.” Hyunjin rubbed his nose against Minho’s. “Chan-hyung would never fire you.”
“And how am I supposed to explain my constant absence and tardiness to my team? I’m the team manager and I’m expected to set an example for them,” Minho countered.
Seungmin inched to the side to avoid Hyunjin’s enthusiastic tail before it could smack against his face. “Just tell them that you were busy cat-sitting.”
“Cat-sitting?!” Hyunjin growled, trying to look scary even though it only made Minho want to pet his head. “I’ll show you cat-sitting!”
The moment Minho had released his husbands from his embrace, Hyunjin pounced on Seungmin, knocking the wind out of the other before pinning him down playfully. The kitten hybrid climbed on top of the younger and proceeded to make a seat out of his husband.
“Get off me, Jinnie. You’re too heavy!”
“I’m just showing you what it’s like to have a cat sitting on you.”
“Fine, I take back what I said about cat-sitting. So can you please get off me and let me breathe now?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“What’s there to think about?!”
The warmth inside his heart overflowed through his mouth, spilling out as uncontrollable, light-hearted giggles and Minho let his love for his husbands fill the room, intermingling with Seungmin’s squeals and Hyunjin’s high-pitched laughter. Even though he really was going to be late for work, Minho couldn’t help lingering to watch his husbands’ antics before reluctantly leaving the house hand-in-hand with Seungmin.
And if he let his little kitten steal way too many kisses while accompanying them to the door, Minho can only admit he’s a really weak man for his husband. Except, from now on, his car keys will be kept in the safety of his room, far away from Hyunjin’s thieving paws.
The door creaked open before it was quietly closed again.
Light footsteps pattered across the carpeted floor before a chin found its way onto the curve of his shoulder. Bang Chan didn’t have to turn around to see which one of his husbands was behind him, not when he could feel a single furred ear pressing against the back of his neck.
“Yes, kitten? Do you need something?”
“I need my husband,” Hyunjin whined.
“I still have some work to finish up, kitten. Can you wait for a while more?”
“No, I want my husband now!” Hyunjin demanded, forcefully pushing his way onto Bang Chan’s lap. “Right now!”
The little kitten hybrid claimed the spot on his lap, snuggling close to Bang Chan as his tail wrapped itself possessively around the older’s waist. Bang Chan chuckled, shaking his head in exasperation as he left a gentle kiss on his husband’s forehead. “You couldn’t have waited for thirty more minutes until I finished my work?”
“You say thirty minutes but you’ll just end up spending the entire night doing work instead.”
“Now, why would I do that when I’ve such a pretty little kitten waiting for me in my bed?”
“Because you’re a workaholic, that’s why.”
Bang Chan couldn’t refute his husband’s words and chose to remain silent, running his fingers through Hyunjin’s hair idly as his gaze drifted back to his laptop screen. Not even having his adorable little kitten on his lap would prove sufficient to deter him from his work and his attention quickly returned to his laptop. He was once again absorbed in the document he was working on and soon, his fingers left the younger’s hair to reach for the keyboard.
A sharp hiss met his actions and the tail that had been wrapped around his waist moved to wind itself around his wrist, tugging his hand away from his laptop and back towards Hyunjin’s hair.
Well, Bang Chan could take a hint especially when it was conveyed to him so aggressively.
His fingers carded gently through Hyunjin’s soft strands of hair once more, petting the other soothingly. The little kitten hybrid let out a happy meow, the sound tugging at Bang Chan’s heartstrings and the younger rested his head against his husband’s chest, eyes falling shut.
With one hand busy lavishing his little kitten with head pets and the other hand cradling Hyunjin on his lap, Bang Chan was stumped to realise that he didn’t have a free hand to work on his document anymore. He stared at the brightly-lit screen of his laptop and the rows upon rows of words before glancing down at the sleepy kitten hybrid, conflict building up within him.
As though knowing exactly what was going on inside the older’s head, Hyunjin gave a low purr and sleepily rubbed his cheek against his husband’s chest.
Defeat tasted oddly sweet but it’s hard to feel mad or bitter when Bang Chan had such an adorable kitten on his lap.
Not to mention that this precious little creature was his husband.
Even the mere idle thought that he was married to Hyunjin and the others had pride swelling up within Bang Chan and he was reminded of how lucky he was to have found seven amazing partners who cherished him so much and loved him enough to put up with even the most terrible of his habits. It was because his husbands always seemed to have the deepest trust and faith in him that Bang Chan was encouraged to be better for them so as to not disappoint any of them.
Perhaps it was true when they said that love made people better versions of themselves.
When Bang Chan finally broke free of his musings and came back to reality, it was to the sight of Hyunjin fast asleep on his lap. The kitten hybrid had the most peaceful expression on his face, ears folded as his chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm. Little purrs escaped the other’s lips once in a while, like little snores except cuter.
If he didn’t still have an entire pile of unfinished work to do, Bang Chan would have been more than happy to sit here all day and watch his husband sleep. There was just something incredibly fascinating about watching his little kitten nap, tail and nose twitching agitatedly at particular moments while caught up in his dreams.
But, Bang Chan glanced back at his laptop, there really was just too much work that awaited him.
He started to lift up his hand, just to halt as he realised that there was still a tail wrapped around his wrist. Hyunjin let out a small whine, shifting slightly in his sleep at the sensation of his tail being moved.
Knowing that he’ll end up waking the younger if he were to stretch out his hand towards his keyboard, Bang Chan had no other choice except to drop his hand back down. It seemed that even in his sleep, Hyunjin was still properly preventing him from doing his work.
What else could Bang Chan do in this situation except give up and let his husband have his way? It wasn’t like he would even consider waking up his kitten from his nap.
There was just no way to win against Hyunjin, really.
Bang Chan leaned down to leave another kiss on the younger’s forehead, smiling at the small purr that the other let out in response in his sleep. Since there’s no other alternative, it seemed that work would have to wait because right now, he had the most important task of serving as his beloved husband’s napping cushion.
Changbin lightly ran two fingers up the younger’s ankle but Hyunjin simply let out an irritated mewl before tugging his leg away.
The younger turned away from Changbin on the couch, eyes still glued onto his phone screen. Changbin peeked over the other’s shoulder to see what had gotten Hyunjin so enraptured with his phone but the younger was simply just scrolling idly through social media.
Moving to the other side of the couch so he could see Hyunjin’s face again, Changbin placed his hand on the other’s waist before lightly pulling the younger into his embrace. Hyunjin liked using his husbands’ chests as pillows so that was how Changbin was planning on getting some attention from the other.
Hyunjin made another low annoyed sound deep in his throat before turning around to face the other way again, scooting away and putting distance between him and his husband.
“You’re really going to ignore me when I’m trying to give you some undivided attention?” Changbin huffed.
There was no response from the younger except for a quiet hum of acknowledgement.
Unwilling to give up just yet, Changbin shifted closer to the other and pressed his cheek against the other’s shoulder. “Hyunjin, can’t you just give this poor husband of yours some attention? I was hard at work all day making money to feed you, you know? Can’t you reward my hard work with a few kisses and some cuddles?”
There was not even a hum of acknowledgement this time.
“Just one kiss, please? One kiss and I’ll go away and leave you alone, okay?” Changbin was practically begging.
Yet, all he got was a cushion shoved in his face.
Relenting with a heavy sigh, Changbin headed to the other long couch in the living room, sprawling and stretching out across the soft expanse of it on his back. Tossing an arm over his closed eyes to block out the light, he allowed himself to relax and seek out the comforting arms of sweet slumber. If he couldn’t get some attention from his husband, a nap will just have to suffice in easing his bruised heart until his other husbands returned home to give him the attention he wanted.
It had been a long day at work and it didn’t take long before sleep was already tugging at the edges of his consciousness. Changbin was already half asleep when a weight suddenly settled on him, startling him awake.
Uncovering and opening his eyes, he saw that it was Hyunjin who had found his way to him and was now curled up sweetly against him, head resting on his chest. “So you ignore me when I want your attention and demand my attention when I’m busy trying to nap?”
“But I miss you now.” There was a pretty pout on the younger’s lips that Changbin knew just had to be deliberate even though the wide eyes gazing up at him were brimming with innocence.
Hyunjin always knew exactly how to wrap all his husbands around his little pinkie, Changbin included.
But even though he knew, the older still couldn’t resist leaning in to press a kiss to the other’s pouty lips.
A pretty smile stretched across the younger’s pretty lips at the affectionate kiss, the other’s eyes curving into endearing little crescents and Changbin all but melted in an instant. Hyunjin’s arms went around Changbin’s middle, clinging to him tightly and adorably as the kitten hybrid reached up with his tongue to leave little licks on his cheek and jaw.
“Hey, stop that!” Changbin giggled, half-heartedly shoving the younger’s face away from him even as his arms wrapped around the other’s waist, pulling Hyunjin even closer. “That tickles.”
Of course, it wasn’t like his complaints would ever deter Hyunjin. His husband had always made a habit of annoying him in a most loving manner. Hyunjin just continued giving him tiny licks on his face and Changbin decided to stop the other in the only way he knew how to.
Fingers curling around the younger’s nape, Changbin pulled Hyunjin in for a slow kiss, tangling their tongues together and savouring the taste of his little kitten tirelessly until the warmth running through their bodies filled their lungs and left it burning with the lack of oxygen. Still, Changbin decided that his need for his husband’s kisses was way greater than his need for oxygen, persistently nipping and chewing on the other’s pillowy soft lips.
Hyunjin was the one to draw away from the kiss but the older wasn’t about to relent just yet, chasing after the other’s lips and pressing his husband down onto the couch beneath him before diving back in for more.
Despite the protesting mewls coming from the little kitten hybrid as he took his time ravishing the other, Changbin knew that Hyunjin was most definitely enjoying it. If the soft, furry tail curled around his waist was any indicator, it seemed that the younger didn’t exactly want him to stop.
And after the hour or so he had spent begging for some attention from Hyunjin, Changbin definitely had no desire to stop showering his husband with his affections.
Even though his little kitten was always complaining that he was too clingy or too annoying with his ‘excessive’ affections, Changbin knew that the younger didn’t truly mind. After all, the kitten hybrid could lie with his words but the adoration sparkling within those lovely dark eyes and the other’s tendency to seek him out for affection told the truth.
Back when they were still in their earlier stages of their relationship and stumbling about trying to make things fit between all of them, Changbin had discovered Hyunjin’s habit of not knowing how to acknowledge his need and love for affection. The younger never had any trouble physically seeking out someone else for a hug, a kiss or more but somehow, verbally admitting that he liked their kisses or hugs always became something really difficult for him. Changbin had pinned it down to the kitten hybrid’s bashfulness and simply found it endearing.
If Hyunjin was shy about expressing his love for affection, then Changbin simply had to be a good spouse and shower his husband with his endless affections until the other got used to it. It was a work in progress and honestly, a good excuse for Changbin to steal as many kisses from his kitten as he desired.
Their intense kissing had left Hyunjin’s lips swollen and puffy but Changbin didn’t hold back. Not when he knew his husband liked it best when he went all-out and of course, it wasn’t like him to deny his kitten anything.
“Stop,” Hyunjin whined half-heartedly when they broke apart for more air.
Changbin licked at his lips before leaning in again, rubbing their noses tenderly together. “Maybe if you learn to listen to me and give me some attention when I want it, then I’ll actually listen to you as well.”
There was a pout on the younger’s lips but it was the little kitten hybrid who closed the remaining distance between them.
Perhaps being ignored for a while wasn’t that terrible if it led to such a sweet reward.
Days like this felt like pure bliss.
Having his lovely husband on his lap, purring up a small storm as a result of his petting felt pretty heavenly. The little kitten hybrid was all curled up on his lap, somehow managing to look even tinier than Jisung himself even though the older was significantly taller than him. Jisung was the one doing the petting and Hyunjin was just basking in the attention, snuggled up on his lap but somehow it felt almost like an honour that he had the opportunity to lavish the other with all his love and affection.
His fingers busily worked their way around Hyunjin’s scalp, rubbing and stroking with just the right amount of pressure before tracing their way to the kitten hybrid’s ears, scraping over a spot at the back of them that had the other’s purring intensifying. Jisung bent down to plant a kiss on the older’s ears, one hand tightening possessively around Hyunjin’s waist even as he continued scratching the back of his husband’s ear.
Besides the purring and the occasional flick of his ears, Hyunjin’s eyes were otherwise glued to the television screen, completely absorbed in the drama he was watching.
Jisung didn’t even realise that the other had noticed when he removed his hand from the other’s ear until he heard a little growl and tore his gaze away from the television screen to see his kitten glaring at him. Hyunjin didn’t have to say anything else; Jisung got the idea loud and clear, hurriedly moving his hand to resume petting his husband’s ears and hair.
It took another ten minutes before his wrist grew tired and after sneaking a look at the other to check that his husband was still engrossed in the drama, Jisung let his hand fall to his side again.
Instantly, a furry tail snaked its way around his wrist and lifted his hand up to the kitten hybrid’s head again.
“Pets,” Hyunjin demanded.
Even though his wrist was aching, Jisung had to continue his administrations, switching to his other hand when his left hand could barely move anymore. By the time both his wrists felt like they’ve been through a workout even more intensive than when he hit the gym, Jisung was beginning to understand why Minho sometimes addressed his cats back home as his ‘owners’.
Right now, Jisung was experiencing first-hand what it felt like to be at the whims of a very adorable but very demanding kitten.
Just as he was beginning to wonder if his wrists would ever function again after today, Felix entered the room with a plate in his hands.
“Hey, what are you guys watching?” Felix asked, joining them on the couch.
Jisung could have cried with relief when Hyunjin climbed off his lap to investigate the plate that their other husband was holding.
“Is that… brownies?” Hyunjin’s ears perked up, tail quivering with unconcealed excitement.
Felix held out the plate to them. “That’s right. I just baked a new batch so I brought some over for the two of you to try.”
“You’re the best husband ever,” Hyunjin declared, picking a piece of brownie at random and biting into it. “An actual angel.”
Jisung was in the middle of grabbing a piece of brownie for himself but paused at the other’s words. “I petted you for an hour straight till my wrists hurt and you didn’t tell me that I was the best husband ever!”
“This is different.”
“How is this different?!”
“Well, you see, Lix gives me food.”
“And I give you all my love and affection!”
“But not food.”
Abandoning the brownies and his husbands, Jisung went to a corner of the living room to sulk on his own.
Something furry and soft was brushing against his face, dragging across his skin and tickling his nostrils. Felix rubbed at his nose, moving his arm to shove away whatever that object was so that he could continue his slumber uninterrupted.
A light smack was delivered to his face and Felix opened his eyes then, startled awake. The slap hadn’t actually hurt him but the shock of it was more than sufficient in rousing him from his sleep, chasing away the last of his lingering dreams.
What met his eyes was a long, slender furry tail.
Felix wrapped his fingers around the middle of the other’s tail before giving it a light yank. A gentle tug that was simply playful without inflicting any hurt.
A startled whine met his actions and Hyunjin turned around to look at his husband with wide eyes.
“What are you doing, kitten?” Felix asked, lifting himself up on his elbows as he stroked the other’s tail soothingly.
Hyunjin pouted, pulling his tail out of the other’s grasp and hugging it to himself. “Drawing.”
In the dim lighting provided by a single small lamp, Felix made out a sketchpad lying across the older’s lap and a pencil clutched tightly within the other’s right hand.
“You’re drawing at…” Felix squinted at the clock sitting on the bedside table, his sleepy eyes struggling to read the bright red digits. “…4am in the morning?”
“Inspiration doesn’t care what time of day it is.” Hyunjin’s eyes were back on his sketchpad, his pencil moving across the page with quick, light strokes. “You can go back to sleep, baby.”
Despite his husband’s words, Felix didn’t go back to sleep right away. Instead, he continued silently watching the other sketch, heavy eyes blinking drowsily and taking in the figure of his beloved kitten head bent low over his sketchbook, outline illuminated by the soft yellow light of the lamp.
Vaguely, he wondered whether working this late at night or rather, early in the morning was a result of Hyunjin being a night owl or due to cats being nocturnal creatures. Or perhaps it was a case of both.
The scratching sound of Hyunjin’s pencil across the page of his sketchbook proved lulling and as much as he wanted to stay up a little more to accompany his husband, Felix was finding it hard to keep his eyes open. With each blink of his eyes, his eyelids seemed to get heavier and heavier, becoming increasingly difficult to lift up.
He must have dozed off for a moment because the next thing he knew, Felix was awakened by another hit to the face from Hyunjin’s tail.
His husband didn’t seem to realise what had happened, attention still solely on his sketch. The other had gone still with concentration, only his hand holding the pencil was moving slowly and his tail jerked agitatedly at intervals.
Felix should probably be mad about being hit in the face by his husband but it was clear that Hyunjin didn’t do it intentionally and might in fact not even be aware of what he had done. As though getting mad at his beloved kitten wasn’t already hard enough, the scene of his husband working so hard at his sketch had his anger melting away into liquid fondness that filled him inside out.
“Kitten,” Felix called out lowly to the other.
Hyunjin actually jumped, his tail raising and almost smacking Felix in the face again as the pencil slipped from his grasp. “Baby! You scared me! I thought you went back to sleep.”
“But how can I sleep when it’s so cold and there’s an empty space here in my arms?”
The older frowned, glancing down at his sketchbook as his brows knitted together.
“Won’t you come and cuddle me, kitten?” Felix persuaded.
There were few things Hyunjin would pick over art but his husband and cuddles happened to be two of those things.
“Okay, baby.”
The kitten hybrid carefully placed his drawing materials away before burrowing under the sheets, snuggling close to Felix. The tail that had been the cause of so much grief was now curled around Felix’s arm as he held the older close.
It was a cold foot pressed against his leg that caused Felix to nearly shriek out loud, only managing to catch himself at the last moment to turn the shriek into a sharp hiss. “Kitten!”
Hyunjin dissolved into giggles and Felix huffed indignantly.
“Hey, that wasn’t very nice.”
“Shh, you’ll wake the others up.”
“And whose fault would it be?!”
“Definitely not mine. I’m just an innocent little kitten.”
“Innocent my ass. If you’re done terrorising me with your cold feet now, can we please go to sleep?”
“But I don’t want to sleep just yet.”
“No, we’re sleeping.”
“I only agreed to cuddles and nothing more.”
“How does eggplants for lunch tomorrow sound?”
The kitten hybrid’s ears folded down dejectedly. “Fine, we’ll sleep. No eggplants for lunch, please.”
“Only if you’re a good kitten. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, baby.”
“Oh, Innie. You’re home.” Changbin stuck his head around the corner, greeting him through what sounded like a mouthful of chips. “Welcome home.”
“Shhh. Don’t let him hear you,” came Minho’s voice even though Jeongin couldn’t see his other husband from his current position by the doorway.
Confused about who Minho was talking about, Jeongin just raised an eyebrow as he let the door fall shut behind him, kicking off his sneakers and trudging further into the house. “I’m home.”
The sound of running footsteps suddenly echoed through the house from the second storey before whoever was responsible for the ruckus started dashing down the stairs.
“Don’t run on the stairs, please. I don’t want you to…” Bang Chan started.
A loud thump and a pained groan cut off the rest of the oldest’s sentence.
Rounding the corner, Jeongin soon discovered the cause of Minho’s concern and the reason for all the ruckus. A little kitten hybrid was sitting at the foot of the stairs, rubbing his bottom with a large pout on his lips.
“…trip and fall,” Bang Chan finished.
Jeongin couldn’t help the laughter that escaped him as he dropped his backpack on the nearest couch while Bang Chan simply rubbed at his temples with an exasperatedly fond expression.
At the sound of his laughter, Hyunjin seemed to forget all his pain and leaped up from the ground to rush at Jeongin who simply opened his arms in an invitation.
“Wait, kitten-“
Again, Bang Chan’s warning came a little too late and Hyunjin’s tail that had been flicking about excitedly behind him managed to sweep a nearby vase off its stand.
The porcelain vase toppled dangerously over the edge and started straight for the ground. Thankfully, Bang Chan’s athleticism came into handy and the older managed to catch the vase securely in his hands just before it could hit the ground.
Hyunjin remained happily oblivious, clinging tightly to Jeongin as though they had been separated for years and not just a single night.
“Hey there, hyung. I know you’ve missed me but you don’t have to strangle me to death, you know?” Jeongin giggled, pressing his lips to the other’s cheek.
Pout returning to his lips, Hyunjin loosened up his grip slightly and nuzzled at his husband’s cheek. “But I missed you, Innie.”
Behind Hyunjin, Bang Chan let out a heavy sigh as he replaced the vase carefully on its stand.
“I know, I know. But I don’t want you getting hurt just because you were too excited to see me and got careless.” Jeongin cupped the other’s cheek, holding the overexcited kitten hybrid still for a moment so he could give the older a peck on the lips. “You could have gotten seriously hurt falling down the stairs and I don’t want that.”
“Don’t worry.” Hyunjin returned a little kiss of his own on Jeongin’s lips. “Cats have nine lives, don’t you know?”
“With how clumsy you are, nine lives aren’t enough for you,” Changbin contributed from the couch where he was munching on a bag of potato chips. “I’ve never seen a cat hybrid as clumsy as you.”
The kitten hybrid shot Changbin a glare. “I know I can be clumsy sometimes but I’m really not that- Wait a minute.”
At those ominous last three words, Hyunjin’s tone suddenly grew frigid and a familiar glint became apparent in the other’s eyes.
As the older let go of him, Jeongin took a huge step back. “I uh… I’m going to go upstairs and take a shower now.”
Bang Chan seemed to have caught on as well. “I also… have uh… work to do.”
The two of them started making their escape from the living room as quickly as possible while trying not to catch Hyunjin’s attention.
Meanwhile, on the couch, Changbin was still scrolling on his phone while putting another chip into his mouth, blissfully unaware of the storm that his words had raised or the kitten hybrid stalking his way towards him.
They were almost out of the living room when Hyunjin’s voice drifted over to them.
“So, hyung…”
“Yes, kitten?”
“You said that you know other kitten hybrids? That sounds really interesting. Do tell me more.”
“I uh… I don’t remember saying anything like that. Maybe you heard wrong, kitten.”
“You said, ‘I’ve never seen a cat hybrid as clumsy as you.’ You must have seen a lot of other cat hybrids to make such a statement.”
“Wait, kitten-“
“And you must pay a lot of attention to them to know what their mannerisms are like.”
“Well, I know for a fact that none of them is as pretty as you, my little kitten.”
“Oh, so you do pay quite a lot of attention to them.”
“No, wait. Listen, kitten-“
Jeongin hurried upstairs and out of earshot, having no desire to be anywhere near Hyunjin’s wrath. An angry kitten is a very scary kitten.
An aggressive meow rang through the house followed by Changbin’s distinct scream.