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Minho comes back to an alarming silence. Alarming because, well–living with three other roommates, one of whom is a cat hybrid is never really quiet. There's always a hubbub of laughter–Seungmin and Jeongin cuddled together, window shopping on their phone and insulting each other–and cursing–the kids gaming with Felix's other friends, Mark and Taeyong.
Just this morning, Minho scolded the two youngest for their obsession with buying more shoes when their little shoe cabinet is overflowing, both of them whining apologies as Minho threatened to throw their collection into the garbage. That had ended with Minho's hands in Seungmin's hair and Seungmin clinging to Minho like a kitten he's too old to be acting like.
So, coming back to complete silence puts Minho at unease. Something close to dread drips down his spine, his gaze flitting around the living room as he takes his shoes off. He strides towards Felix's room, assuming the kids might be gaming with the door closed, but there's nobody in. He checks Jeongin's and Seungmin's rooms but they're empty too.
Worriedly, he pulls out his phone to shoot a text to their group chat inquiring about their whereabouts when he notices the light switched on in his own room, that he forgot to check. Slowly, making sure to be quiet in case somebody is asleep, he opens the door and.
And finds his entire room trashed.
That's an exaggeration. But Minho's duck lamp–that Felix got him as a prank– is on the floor next to his blankets and there's clothes strewn all over the room when he's sure he'd managed to dump them into his closet. There's a sleeping, shivering Seungmin on his bed, his fluffy tail wrapped around himself tightly, trying to keep himself warm. He sniffles in his sleep and that sets Minho into action.
He grabs the blanket first, covers Seungmin with it and then, places the lamp back to where it was, on his bedside table plugged into the wall. His feet land on something wet and Minho grimaces, wiggling his toes. Wet sock is the worst feeling in the world.
Gingerly, he crouches down to see what he's touched and he's relieved to discover his tumbler under the bed, meaning the liquid on the floor is just plain water that'll dry on its own.
He looks around, sighs tiredly and then decides he's going to shower before he cleans the rest of his room. There's only a few clothes he needs to dump back into his closet anyway.
___________
He comes back to a mess. Again.
He groans, irritation simmering under his skin. He's had a long day already–dealing with company choreographers to get his work approved for their albums is like pulling your own teeth out with pliers–and then this. “Kim Seungmin, you're too grown to do this again.”
He tuts disapprovingly and bends down to pick up the tubs of skincare that've been chucked on the mat. He looks up at Seungmin and all the fight in him dies out.
A pouty Seungmin greets him, the younger's face is scrunched up and he's hunched into himself, burritoed in Minho's blanket. He looks into Minho's eyes, his eyes narrowing into slits and sniffs haughtily. Then, as if he has no care in the world, knocks the lamp off Minho's bedside table.
“Kim Seungmin!” Minho gapes at the audacity, doesn't notice how Seungmin sinks deeper into the bed as he rushes to investigate the damage.
He turns towards Seungmin accusingly, “What did you do that for?”
Seungmin doesn't speak, just scoffs and turns his head away, childishly sticking his tongue out and mockingly repeating Minho's words. He curls up into a ball, back to Minho's face as Minho stares at him puzzled.
All his irritation gets replaced by worry. Minho's known Seungmin since he was a kitten. He's sure he has never acted like this, usually the younger just talks to Minho. Tells him what he's troubled by or what he wants from Minho.
As he's picking up the last of the clothes and folding them into his shelf, he spots Seungmin's tail tucked between his legs. His heart twinges, how has he been so caught up that Seungmin doesn't feel safe in his presence? How has he messed up so badly that Seungmin is exhibiting distress so openly?
He trudges towards the bed, thumping his legs a little to alert Seungmin of his presence just in case. Sinks to his knees on the carpeted floor and slowly extends his hands towards Seungmin. Tries to remain still as he waits for the younger to pay attention. Tries not to grin when Seungmin's ears twitch. Got him.
Seungmin tilts his head imperceptibly towards him and Minho takes it as permission to card his fingers through Seungmin's hair, scritching his scalp gently, just the way he likes it, careful around his sensitive ears. Coos at Seungmin when he sighs and coerces him to turn towards him, whispering,
“Seungmin-ah, baby, look at me, will you?”
Seungmin protests loudly but switches over, whining sweetly as he buries his face into the sheets. His tail reaches out to run against Minho's arms, Minho's heart squeezes in his chest at the cute display. Cooing softly, he tugs at the blanket that covers his Seungmin, making Seungmin hold on tighter. He snaps his teeth at Minho and Minho uses the opportunity to securely tuck the blanket around him, caging him in.
A cute pout still adorns the younger boy's face but it's less angry. His hair has fluffed up from their little tussle, covering his perked-up ears, and he looks more of a puppy than the cat he is.
They often joke about this. That Minho is more of a cat than Seungmin is but Minho begs to differ. None of them have witnessed Seungmin's food obsessions–which cat hybrid's favorite food is kimchi jiggae? None of them have had to pull an overly focused Seungmin to bed past midnight. None of them have to run around worrying about him when nothing seems to tire him out, and he's muttering hyung itchy itchy itchy to every piece of clothing Minho offers until Minho turns the air conditioning up and gives him the fluffy hoodie that Minho reserves for winters. None of them have to deal with this Seungmin.
Not that Minho minds. Only he gets to see this Seungmin, the knowledge scratches a certain itch that Minho never knew he possessed (he's lying).
Heaving himself up and on the bed, Minho hauls himself to sit on top of Seungmin, thighs bracketing his tummy, balancing his own weight on his knees so he doesn't crush Seungmin. He pushes Seungmin's hips into the bed in warning to stop him from wiggling and throwing him off the bed.
“Okay now Minnie, tell hyung, what's wrong?”
Seungmin sniffs. “Hyung doesn't care about me anymore.”
Minho almost topples down the bed, sharply exclaiming, “What?”
Then, softening his words, he cups Seungmin's face. “What do you mean, Seungmin-ah?”
Seungmin mewls sadly, ears flickering sideways. Minho distantly wishes the earth would explode. “Hyung kissed everyone but me.”
“Kissed?”
“Yeah,” he sniffles softly, looks up at him with his glassy, doe-eyes and Minho caresses his cheek reassuringly in response, prompting him to continue. “That day. When we got ice cream. You kissed everyone but me.”
Minho blinks. “That's not what–”
What happened was this: Changbin had lost yet another 3racha bet so Minho offered to go to the convenience store with him. They bought ice-creams for both the dorms and parted ways. Minho got back to his own dorm and called the kids out to give them their share. Seungmin arrived last because he'd been in the shower and Minho, respecting Seungmin's boundaries–he hadn't showered yet–didn't kiss him goodnight and instead, gave him his mintcho and went to bed.
“That’s not what happened baby, hyung was unwashed in his outside clothes. You didn't want me to touch you.”
Seungmin indignantly jabs him in the chest, “What does hyung know about what I want?”
Minho catches his wrist. “Do I not?”
He hmphs and looks away, still pouting. Still sulking. Still the cutest little cat in the world.
He mumbles under his breath, voice petulant. He's so quiet that Minho wouldn't be able to catch it if he wasn't so close. “You didn't give me attention at all.”
“Oh? Is that what this was about?”
Minho cocks a brow out at him, laughing when he flushes, skin heating up and cheeks turning the loveliest rose. He bats Minho away when Minho pinches his cheeks, making Minho simper. Seungmin growls playfully and wrestles Minho into the bed, flipping them and biting his arms when Minho tries to squirm out of his grip. Giggling, he grabs Seungmin by the collar and pulls him on top of himself, gasping, “Enough, enough!”
Breathing heavily, Minho settles happily as Seungmin douses his cheeks with kitten licks that Jisung had once, conspiratorially, told Minho was a sign of dominance. A sign that Seungmin thought of Minho as his cat. Minho had to sit in a silent room screaming into a pillow for fifteen minutes to be normal about it.
When Seungmin deems Minho sufficiently licked, he rubs his cheek with Minho's, eyes filled with remorse that Minho wants to laugh at.
“C'mere baby,” Seungmin crawls into his arms and Minho kisses his head. Tells him, “This is for when I missed yours the other day.”
Kisses in between his eyes. His cute, round nose. Softly sinks his teeth into his cheeks. His cupid bow and finally landing on his lips, he places the most tender, loving kiss he can muster. Kisses him again and again and again till he has a giggling Seungmin in arms, tail tightly wounded around Minho's legs, the tip flicking adorably.