Archive of Our Own ^beta

Day 1

Jiahao unlocked the front door, acutely aware of the presence hiding behind him. He could feel Sangwon's fingers clutching the back of his jacket, the bunny hybrid practically using him as a shield, trembling in anticipation. He laced his fingers with Sangwon's, giving him a reassuring squeeze before letting go to open the door.

"Anxin? Where are you? I'm back!" Jiahao called out, stepping inside.

Within seconds, Anxin bounded into the entryway, his orange ears perked up and his fluffy tail swishing excitedly. "Jiahao! You were gone so long today, I—" He stopped mid-sentence, his amber eyes going wide as he peeked around Jiahao. His pupils dilated with curiosity. "Who...?"

Jiahao felt Sangwon press closer against his back. "Anxin-ah, I know I've been working a lot lately. The company's new choreography project has been keeping me at the studio until late, and I hate leaving you alone so much." He reached back to gently pat Sangwon's hand, still firmly wrenched in his shirt. "So I thought maybe you'd like some company?"

He carefully stepped to the side, revealing the white bunny hybrid who immediately tried to hide behind him again. "This is Sangwon. He's going to be staying with us."

Sangwon peeked out with wide, nervous grey eyes, his long white ears folded back anxiously against his head. His cotton-ball tail was barely visible.

Anxin's eyes went even wider. He tilted his head, his tail swishing in a slower, more controlled way now—the way it did whenever he was focused on something interesting. "A bunny?" He whispered, as if speaking too loudly might scare Sangwon away.

"I read that cat hybrids and bunny hybrids usually get along really well," Jiahao explained, placing a reassuring hand on Sangwon's shoulder. "Sangwon's been in a shelter for a while. I thought... maybe you two could keep each other company when I'm at work?"

Later on when Jiahao was recounting his problems to his friends, he would label the next incident as the beginning of everything going wrong — and his dear friends, of course, would not believe him. After all, who would expect the loud and outgoing Anxin to have this type of reaction?

Jiahao's eyes widened into saucers, his mouth falling open as Anxin crept closer, his movements suddenly graceful and measured—completely different from his usual energetic bouncing. When he was about a foot away, he crouched down slightly, making himself seem less intimidating. "Hi Sangwonnie," he said softly, his voice taking on a gentle tone Jiahao had rarely heard. "I'm Anxin. Or you can call me Xin. You don't have to be scared."

Sangwon peeked out further from behind Jiahao, his nose twitching as he took in Anxin's scent. "H-hi," he barely whispered.

Anxin's face lit up with the brightest smile. "You're so cute!" He looked up at Jiahao with sparkling eyes. "Can I... Can I say hello properly?"

Jiahao , still reeling from shock, glanced at Sangwon, who gave the tiniest nod. "Go ahead, but be gentle, okay?"

"Always gentle," Anxin promised. He moved closer, and then, in a gesture that made Jiahao's heart melt, he pressed his cheek against Sangwon's shoulder, rubbing softly and starting to purr. The sound was warm and welcoming, rumbling from deep in his chest.

Sangwon froze at first, his big, doe-like eyes widening with surprise. But as Anxin continued to scent him, moving to nuzzle against his neck and then his other shoulder, the bunny hybrid began to relax. His ears slowly lifted from their flattened position, and the tension in his shoulders eased.

"You smell nice," Anxin murmured, his purring getting louder. "Like fresh hay and... and something sweet." He pulled back just enough to look at Sangwon's face. "Are you really going to stay with us?"

Sangwon's voice was still quiet, but there was a hint of hope in it. "If... if that's okay?"

"Okay? It's perfect!" Anxin's tail swished enthusiastically now, and he had to visibly restrain himself from bouncing. "I've been so lonely when Jiahao's at the studio! Oh, we can watch movies together, and I can show you my favorite sunny spot by the window, and we can—" He stopped himself, noticing Sangwon's slightly overwhelmed expression. "Sorry. I get excited sometimes."

To everyone's surprise, Sangwon let out a soft, breathy laugh. "It's... it's nice."

Anxin beamed and carefully took Sangwon's hand, gently tugging him away from Jiahao. "Come on! Let me show you around! Your room can be next to mine, or—or if you get scared at night, we could share? I make a really good cuddle buddy, I promise. I'm very warm." He continued chattering away, leading the bunny hybrid down the hallway while Sangwon followed, still shy but with the smallest smile on his face.

Jiahao watched them go, his chest feeling full. Anxin kept looking back to make sure Sangwon was still following, his tail swishing happily, while Sangwon's ears were now fully upright, tilted toward Anxin to catch every word.

Maybe this was going to work out even better than he'd hoped.

Day 3

Jiahao woke up earlier than usual, padding into the kitchen with plans to make a big breakfast for everyone. He had been swarmed with a new round of work yesterday (no thanks to Leo suddenly gaining inspiration and producing a new song), so he hadn't been able to spend much time with Anxin and Sangwon and had hoped to make it up to them today. But upon stepping into the entrance of the living room, he paused, a smile spreading across his face.

From where he stood, the kitchen island was visible. Anxin, who he knew loved to sleep in, was already awake, standing on his tiptoes to reach the top shelf of the cabinet. Sangwon sat at the kitchen table, his white ears drooping sleepily, still in his pajamas with his hair adorably mussed.

"Here," Anxin said triumphantly, pulling down a mug decorated in tiny carrots. Jiahao had to do a double take — he didn't remember owning a mug like that. Had Anxin bought it especially for Sangwon? And if so, when?? "This one's the perfect size for you."

He brought the mug over to Sangwon, along with a selection of tea bags spread across his palm. "We have chamomile, green tea, jasmine, and this honey one that Jiahao got. Which one do you want?"

Sangwon's nose twitched as he considered the options. "Um... the honey one?" His voice was soft and tentative when he replied, like he was afraid of choosing wrong.

"Good choice! That's my favorite too." Anxin's purr started up as he set about making the tea, his tail swishing contentedly. He filled the electric kettle and while waiting for it to boil, he opened the fridge. "Are you hungry? You didn't eat much dinner last night."

"I was just nervous," Sangwon admitted quietly. "New places make me..."

"I know," Anxin said gently. He pulled out a container of strawberries and brought them to the table, settling into the chair next to Sangwon. "But you're safe here. I promise." He picked up a strawberry and held it out. "Here, try one. Jiahao got these a few days ago and they're really sweet."

Sangwon hesitated, then leaned forward and took a small nibble. His eyes widened. "Oh... that's really good."

Anxin's smile could have powered the sun. He kept holding the strawberry until Sangwon finished it, then immediately offered another. "See? You need to eat more. You're too thin."

Jiahao felt his heart swell as he watched Anxin—his usually chaotic, bouncing-off-the-walls Anxin—being so careful and attentive with Sangwon. He felt like a proud father watching his son grow up. The kettle clicked off, and Anxin hopped up to prepare the tea, still talking softly to Sangwon about what they could do today, maybe find that sunny spot he'd mentioned, or watch movies if Sangwon was too tired.

When Anxin brought the mug over, he guided Sangwon's hands around it. "Careful, it's hot. Blow on it first."

Sangwon obediently blew on the tea, steam curling around his pink nose, and Anxin watched him with such open fondness that Jiahao had to look away, feeling like he was intruding on something precious.

This was good. Things were going better than he could have imagined. His little family was perfect.

Day 5

"Anxin, Sangwon-ah, I'm heading to the studio!" Jiahao called out, shouldering his dance bag. "I'll be back around six!"

"Okay!" Anxin's voice came from the living room. "We'll be fine!"

Jiahao poked his head in to say goodbye and found Anxin and Sangwon curled up together on the couch. Anxin had one arm around Sangwon's shoulders, and Sangwon was tucked into his side, both of them focused on the TV screen where some animated movie was playing. They were holding hands, fingers loosely intertwined on Anxin's lap.

"You two okay?" Jiahao asked.

"Mhm!" Anxin said, not looking away from the screen. His thumb was absently rubbing circles on the back of Sangwon's hand. "We're watching movies today. Sangwon hasn't seen most of the classics."

"I was at the shelter for a long time," Sangwon explained quietly, his ears twitching. "We didn't have many movies."

Jiahao's heart squeezed. "Well, Anxin's the perfect person to help you catch up. He's seen everything."

Sangwon turned to look up at Anxin with those big brown eyes, all bright and hopeful, and Anxin preened under the attention, his ears flicking in that way they only did when he was proud of something. "I made a whole list! We're starting with the important ones."

As Jiahao left, he glanced back one more time. Anxin had shifted slightly, his tail curling around to drape over Sangwon's lap, and Sangwon was leaning more heavily into him, completely relaxed in a way Jiahao hadn't seen since he'd brought the bunny home.

Perfect. Everything was perfect.

Day 8

Jiahao came home exhausted from a particularly grueling day at the studio. His feet hurt, his muscles sore, and all he wanted was to collapse on the couch and order takeout.

The smell of food cooking hit him as soon as he opened the door.

Hello?" He called out, confused.

"In here!" Anxin's voice came from the kitchen, followed by the sound of something sizzling.

Jiahao walked in to find Anxin at the stove, carefully stirring something in a pan, while Sangwon sat on the counter nearby—actually sat on the counter—with a mixing bowl in his lap, whisking something by hand.

"What's all this?" Jiahao asked, pleasantly surprised. Jiahao knew that Anxin could cook, but it wasn't often that Anxin would do it—usually Anxin would prefer going outside to play basketball or catch butterflies—so this came as a pleasant surprise. Even more surprising was that Sangwon could cook as well, and Jiahao's heart swelled at the thought of Sangwon being comfortable enough to sit on the counter now.

"You've been cooking for us every night," Anxin said, focused on the pan. "So we thought we'd make dinner for you! Wonnie's making dessert."

Sangwon ducked his head shyly, his ears flopping forward. "It's just some cookies. I used to help in the shelter kitchen sometimes..."

"Sangwon's really good at baking," Anxin added proudly. "He showed me how to separate eggs! Did you know you could do it with just the shell? I always used that separator thing."

Jiahao leaned against the doorframe, warmth spreading through his chest. "This is really sweet of you both."

"You always do your best to take care of us," Anxin said simply, finally looking up from the stove. "We wanted to take care of you too."

During dinner, Jiahao watched as Anxin served Sangwon first, giving him the best pieces of vegetables and making sure his plate was full before serving himself. Each time, Sangwon would softly protest that it was too much, and Anxin eventually just said, "You barely ate lunch, you need to eat more," with such conviction that Sangwon finally relented with a small smile.

Then Anxin picked up a piece of glazed carrot with his chopsticks and held it up to Sangwon's mouth. "Try this one, I think I got the seasoning just right."

Sangwon leaned forward and accepted it, chewing thoughtfully. "It's really good, Xinnie."

Anxin's whole face lit up, and he immediately offered another piece.

Jiahao watched this exchange with a fond smile, his heart full. When had his chaotic cat grown up so fast? Maybe Sangwon brought it out in him. Either way, watching them care for each other thoroughly warmed his heart.

His family. His perfect little family.

Day 15

Jiahao stirred his coffee absently, staring into the cup like it might hold all the answers to his problems. Across the table, his friends Xinlong and Leo exchanged glances.

"Okay, you've been weirdly quiet for like ten minutes," Leo finally said, leaning forward. "What's going on? Is the new choreography that stressful?"

"It's not work," Jiahao muttered. He glanced up at them, then back down at his coffee. "It's... Anxin and Sangwon."

Xinlong perked up. "Oh, the bunny hybrid you adopted! How's that going? I thought you said they got along great?"

"They do. That's the problem." Jiahao ran a hand through his hair, groaning in frustration. "I mean—I don't know if it's a problem? I'm just... worried? Confused? I don't know what's normal or what to expect anymore."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Normal? Dude, you're going to have to give us more than that."

Jiahao took a deep breath. "Okay, so... remember a few days ago, I got home from the studio?"

Day 9 - Flashback

Jiahao had opened the door, calling out his usual greeting. "I'm home!"

He walked into the living room and stopped. Anxin and Sangwon were on the couch—Sangwon was stretched out with his head in Anxin's lap, and Anxin was running his fingers through Sangwon's white hair, carefully avoiding his sensitive ears. Both of them were watching TV, but there was something about the scene that was startlingly... domestic. Couple-like, even.

"How was work?" Anxin asked, not looking away from his careful petting.

"Fine," Jiahao said slowly. "What are you two up to?"

"Sangwon said his head hurt," Anxin explained, his fingers still moving in slow, soothing motions. "So I'm helping."

Sangwon made a soft, contented sound, his eyes half-closed. "It feels nice..."

Anxin's purring kicked up, audibly pleased. "Good. You've been reading too much lately. You need to rest your eyes more."

"Reading?" Jiahao asked.

"Sangwon reads all the time!" Anxin said enthusiastically, finally looking up. "He's already finished three books this week. Show him the one you're reading now, Wonnie."

Sangwon made a small noise of protest but didn't move from Anxin's lap. On the contrary, he buried his head into Anxin's stomach, letting out a small whine. "Xinnie… It's not that interesting..."

"It is interesting," Anxin insisted, his hand moving to gently cup Sangwon's cheek. "You were telling me all about it this morning. I'm already waiting on the sequel."

Sangwon opened his eyes to squint at Anxin, before nuzzling his cheek further into Anxin's palm.

That tender gesture, the soft way they looked at each other—it made Jiahao feel something shift in his understanding of their relationship.

"They were cuddling again," Jiahao told his friends, pulling himself back to the present. "Like, constantly. I'll come home and they're on the couch holding hands while watching TV. Or I'll wake up and I'll see them playing footsies while eating breakfast. It's like not being in contact with the other would kill them."

"That's it?" Xinlong said, unimpressed. "That's what you're worried about?"

"That's not all!" Jiahao protested. "Like, four days ago—"

Day 11 - Flashback

Jiahao had woken up early and gone to the kitchen to start breakfast. He found Anxin already there, standing in front of the open refrigerator with a focused expression.

"Morning, Anxin. What are you looking for?"

"Sangwon said he wasn't feeling well last night," Anxin said, beginning to pull out vegetables. "I'm making him soup."

"At seven in the morning?"

"He needs to eat something warm and easy to digest," Anxin said matter-of-factly, already pulling out a pot. "Can you show me how to make that ginger soup you always make for me when I have a cold?"

They worked together in the kitchen, Jiahao going through the recipe with Anxin step-by-step. The whole time, Anxin was completely focused, diligently asking questions about the right temperature and how long to simmer it for, determined to get the soup perfect.

When it was done, Anxin carefully ladled some into a bowl, tasted it, added a bit of pepper, and tasted it again. Finally satisfied, he picked up the bowl and headed toward Sangwon's room.

"Anxin?" Jiahao called after him.

The cat hybrid paused and looked back.

"It's really sweet of you to take care of him like this."

Anxin's ears twitched, and he looked down at the bowl with a soft expression. "He'd do the same for me. He always takes care of me, even though he's shy. He reminds me to eat when I get distracted, and he makes sure I don't stay up too late..." His tail swished slowly. "I want to take care of him too."

Jiahao watched him disappear down the hallway, then followed quietly a moment later. He peeked around the doorframe to see Anxin sitting on the edge of Sangwon's bed, gently waking him up.

"Wonnie," Anxin murmured, softly shaking Sangwon's shoulder. "Wake up, okay? I made you something to eat."

Sangwon blinked sleepily, his ears twitching. "Anxin...?"

"Come on, sit up. You need to eat." Anxin helped prop him up against the pillows, then held up a spoonful of soup, blowing onto it first to cool it down. "Open up."

"I can feed myself," Sangwon protested weakly.

"I know you can. But let me take care of you." Anxin's voice was so gentle, so affectionate. Jiahao's heart gave a painful squeeze. "Please?"

Sangwon's ears drooped in surrender, and he accepted the spoonful. Immediately, his eyes widened. "This is really good..."

"Jiahao helped me make it," Anxin admitted, already preparing another spoonful. "But I did most of it! I wanted to do it for you."

Sangwon's eyes got shiny. "Anxin-ah, thank you..."

"Don't cry," Anxin said quickly, using his free hand to wipe at Sangwon's eyes. "You're supposed to feel better, not worse."

"I'm crying because I'm happy," Sangwon said with a watery smile.

Anxin's purr started up, loud and content. "Then that's okay." He offered another spoonful. "Keep eating. I want you to finish the whole bowl."

Jiahao backed away quietly, his heart both full and confused.

"He was feeding him," Jiahao emphasised once more, as if it would make his idiotic friends see the light. "Anxin was literally hand-feeding Sangwon soup. With this look on his face like Sangwon was the most precious thing in the world."

"That's actually really cute," Leo said with a grin.

"But it's not just the feeding thing!" Jiahao argued. "Yesterday—"

Day 14 - Flashback

Jiahao had come home to find Anxin standing in front of the bathroom mirror with Sangwon, his hands gently tilting the bunny hybrid's face from side to side.

"What are you doing?" Jiahao asked from the doorway.

"Sangwon got a little cut on his cheek earlier when he bumped into the cabinet corner," Anxin explained, carefully dabbing at the tiny scratch with a cotton pad. "I'm cleaning it up."

"It's really small," Sangwon said shyly, his ears drooping just the slightest. "Xinnie's being overprotective."

"I'm being perfectly reasonable," Anxin corrected, his tail swishing, his voice stern and slightly scolding as he spoke his next words. "You need to be more careful. You're always bumping into things because you don't pay attention to your surroundings."

"Sorry..."

"Don't apologize." Anxin's voice softened. He cupped Sangwon's face in both hands. "Just... let me worry about you, okay? That's what I'm here for."

The way Sangwon leaned into Anxin's touch, and the way Anxin's thumbs tenderly stroked Sangwon's cheeks—it was all so intimate that Jiahao felt like he was intruding.

"All done," Anxin announced, but he didn't let go of Sangwon's face. They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, and then Anxin pressed his forehead against Sangwon's, both of them quietly breathing in the shared space between them. "Be more careful, Wonnie."

"I will," Sangwon whispered back.

"I haven't even brought up how Anxin has been calling Sangwon 'Wonnie' and Sangwon has been calling Anxin 'Xinnie' over the past few days—" Jiahao rushed out, words stumbling over one another. "Anxin told all of us to stop calling him that ever since he reached puberty but suddenly he's okay with being called that again?"

Leo whistled, one brow raised in response. "I guess Anxin really likes Sangwon. He usually hates anything that even hints at him being babied."

"And then this morning," Jiahao continued, his voice rising slightly, "this morning I came down to breakfast and—"

Day 15, morning - Flashback

Jiahao entered the kitchen to find Anxin and Sangwon at the table. Anxin had pulled his chair right next to Sangwon's such that they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. They each had a plate of toast and eggs in front of them.

As Jiahao watched, Anxin picked up a piece of his toast, took a bite, and then held it out to Sangwon. "Here, try this. I put honey and cinnamon on it."

Sangwon leaned over and took a bite, then made a pleased sound. "Oh, that's good!"

"Right?" Anxin looked delighted. He picked up a piece of fruit from his plate. "What about this strawberry?"

Sangwon accepted it, and then—in a move that made Jiahao's brain short-circuit—Sangwon picked up a piece of his own toast and held it up to Anxin's mouth. "You should try mine too. I used the jam you like."

They continued like this, feeding each other bites of their breakfast, completely absorbed in each other. At one point, Sangwon had a bit of jam on his lip, and Anxin just... reached over and wiped it off with his thumb, then licked his thumb clean while still making eye contact with Sangwon like it was the most natural thing in the world.

A strangled noise left Jiahao's throat.

"Morning, Jiahao!" Anxin said cheerfully, finally noticing him.

"Morning," Jiahao managed, feeling like he'd stumbled into something he wasn't supposed to see.

Sangwon gave him a shy smile, his nose twitching. "Would you like some breakfast? We weren't sure if you wanted any since you were going out today, but we made extra."

"I, uh, yeah. Thanks."

As Jiahao sat down with his own plate, he couldn't help but notice that Anxin had moved even closer to Sangwon, their sides completely pressed together. Anxin's tail was wrapped around Sangwon's waist under the table, causing Sangwon's sweater to ride up ever so slightly.

"Oh!" Anxin suddenly said, turning to Sangwon. "You wanted to go to that bookstore today, right? The one near the park?"

"If it's not too much trouble..." Sangwon said softly.

"It's never trouble. I'll take you after lunch." Anxin nuzzled his cheek against Sangwon's shoulder briefly. "We can get whatever you want. And maybe we can stop by that café you mentioned? The one with the carrot cake?"

Sangwon's whole face lit up. "Really?"

"Of course, really. Anything you want."

They gazed at each other with such open affection that Jiahao had to look away.

"And then!" Jiahao said desperately to his friends. "Then I heard Anxin call Sangwon 'my bunny.' My bunny. And Sangwon just... nuzzled into Anxin's neck like it was something he was used to… Like it was natural for Anxin to call him that! Their whole vibe has just been so... domestic. Boyfriend-ish. How else am I supposed to interpret that?"

Leo had his face in his hands, shoulders shaking with laughter. Xinlong was trying and failing to keep a straight face.

"It's not funny!" Jiahao hissed.

"It absolutely is," Xinlong wheezed. "You're such a dad. Oh my god, you brought home a friend for your cat son and now you're panicking because your cat son and bunny daughter are dating."

"But ARE they dating?" Jiahao asked desperately. "Should I be concerned? Should I talk to them about it? Set boundaries? Give them the talk?" Jiahao made finger quotes in the air. "I mean, just yesterday—"

Day 14 - Flashback

Jiahao had been in his room when he heard soft laughter coming from the living room. He'd gone to investigate and found Anxin grooming Sangwon—actually grooming him, licking at his white ears while Sangwon sat there with a blissed out expression, making soft, happy sounds.

"Xinnie, you don't have to..." Sangwon murmured, but he was already leaning into it.

"Your ears got dirty when we were in the garden," Anxin said between licks. "I'm just helping you clean them."

"This is... really nice..."

"Good." Anxin's purr was thunderously loud. His next words came out equal parts soft and possessive. "You're always so pretty, Wonnie. Gotta keep you perfect."

Sangwon made a soft, pleased sound, and Anxin pulled him closer, wrapping both arms around him and continuing his grooming with even more enthusiasm.

Jiahao had backed away slowly, his face burning.

"The grooming," Jiahao said weakly. "He was grooming him. Is that normal? Is this all normal hybrid behavior or is this the beginning of something that I, as the responsible adult in the household, should be... I don't know... managing?"

Leo finally looked up, wiping tears from his eyes. "Jiahao. Jiahao, listen to me. First of all, relationships between hybrids are completely normal and common. You know this. Everyone knows this. Second, they're adults, right?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then they can handle their own relationship," Leo said firmly. "Whether they're just really good friends or something more, that's for them to figure out. You're not actually their dad, even if you're acting like one right now."

Xinlong nodded, still grinning. "Honestly, it sounds like they're both happy and getting along well. Isn't that what you wanted? You were worried about Anxin being lonely."

"I guess," Jiahao admitted, feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders. "I just want to make sure everyone's okay and safe and—"

"And you're overthinking it," Leo interrupted gently. "Look, if something comes up that they need to talk to you about, they will. For now, just let them be. It's sweet that you care, but you need to relax a little. They're clearly good for each other. Anxin's becoming more mature and responsible, and Sangwon's coming out of his shell. It's a win-win combination."

"And if they are dating," Xinlong added with a smirk, "or at least heading in that direction, that's also okay. As long as they're both happy."

Jiahao sighed, but nodded. "You're right, I'm being ridiculous."

"Extremely ridiculous," Xinlong agreed cheerfully. "But you get a free pass as long as you keep updating us on the two of them. God knows we could use some entertainment in our lives. Wakeshit's been working us to the grave."

By the time Jiahao left the café, he felt much better. His friends were right—he was overthinking things. Anxin and Sangwon were happy and clearly cared deeply about each other, and whether that type of care was platonic or romantic wasn't really his business to manage. They were both adults who could navigate their own relationship. He'd been so worried about being a good guardian that he'd forgotten to just let them live their lives.

He stopped by the grocery store on the way home, picking up ingredients for dinner and some of those fancy organic carrots Sangwon liked. The poor bunny had been so shy and nervous when he first arrived, and seeing him blossom—especially under Anxin's devoted care—had been wonderful to witness. Jiahao smiled to himself as he headed home, arms full of grocery bags.

He really had been overthinking everything. He'd go home, make a nice dinner for all three of them, and just enjoy having a happy little household. Maybe he'd even tell Anxin how proud he was of how caring he'd become.

Jiahao fumbled with his keys, balancing the grocery bags as he unlocked the door. "I'm home!" He called out, pushing the door open with his shoulder. "I got those fancy carrots you like, Sangwon, and—"

The words died in his throat.

In the living room, clearly visible from the entryway, Anxin was on top of a very naked Sangwon on the couch.

The grocery bags hit the floor with a thunderous crash. Apples rolled everywhere, a carton of eggs split open, and one of those fancy carrots rolled sadly across the floor.

"OH MY GOD!" Jiahao slammed the door shut—with himself still inside—and spun around to face it, his face burning. "WHAT—I—CLOTHES! WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES?!"

"Jiahao!" Anxin's voice was more annoyed than embarrassed. "We were in the middle of something!"

"I CAN SEE THAT!" Jiahao kept his eyes fixed firmly on the door. Behind him, he could hear rustling and scrambling. "I thought—Leo said—You're supposed to—There are boundaries in this household!"

"You're the one who just barged in!" Anxin shot back. There was a thump, probably someone falling off the couch, followed by more frantic rustling. "You ruined the mood! We had this all planned out!"

"Planned out?! The mood??" Jiahao sputtered, his face somehow getting even hotter. His dad instincts were at war with the advice Leo and Xinlong had literally given him just thirty minutes ago. "You can't just—in the living room! What if I had brought guests?!"

"But you didn't!" Anxin argued. "You were supposed to be gone for another hour at least! We checked your location and everything! We were being responsible!"

Jiahao was torn between being scandalized and being impressed at their planning. "That doesn't make this okay! The living room, Anxin! The living room!" He stressed.

There was a soft, muffled sound behind him. A sniffle.

Oh no.

"… Sangwon?" Jiahao asked hesitantly, still facing the door.

Another sniffle, then a shaky, barely-audible voice: "I-I'm sorry, Jiahao..."

Jiahao's heart cracked. He risked a glance over his shoulder and immediately wished he hadn't—not because he saw anything inappropriate (they were dressed now, thank god, though Anxin's shirt was on backwards and Sangwon's hair was still a mess), but because Sangwon was sitting on the couch with tears streaming down his face, his white ears flat against his head, his nose pink from crying, and his eyes red and puffy.

"Oh no, Sangwon, don't—"

"Now look what you did!" Anxin had his arms wrapped protectively around Sangwon, glaring at Jiahao even as he gently wiped the bunny's tears away with his thumbs. "You made him cry! We weren't doing anything wrong and you barged in yelling and now Sangwon thinks he's in trouble and that you're going to kick him out!"

"I didn't mean—" Jiahao started, but Sangwon let out another soft sob and his knees went weak.

"I-I'm sorry," Sangwon whispered again, his voice breaking. "We shouldn't have—I didn't mean to—please don't be mad—please don't make me leave—" His breath hitched. "I'll be better, I promise, I just—"

"Sangwon, no one's making you leave—" Jiahao tried, but the damage was done.

"You're disappointed in me," Sangwon sobbed, his whole body trembling as he choked on his words. "I was finally happy and I ruined it—"

The combination of Sangwon's tears and shaky voice, his genuine distress, and Anxin's protective hissing (which was objectively ridiculous coming from someone whose shirt was on backwards, but somehow still managed to be somewhat effective), completely destroyed any parental authority Jiahao had been—desperately, but futilely—trying to maintain.

He sighed deeply, feeling his resolve crumble to ashes. "I'm not—I'm not mad at you, Sangwon-ah."

"Yes you are!" Anxin accused, his tail puffed up to twice its normal size, baring his canines just the slightest. He was still making that low hissing sound in the back of his throat while simultaneously trying to wipe Sangwon's tears and hold him. "You're using your disappointed voice! The one you always use when I break something!"

"I'm not disappointed, I'm just—" Jiahao ran both hands through his hair, trying to find the words that wouldn't make Sangwon cry harder. The bunny was looking at him with those huge, watery grey eyes and Jiahao could feel both his resolve and heart simultaneously crumbling. "Look, I was just... surprised. Very surprised. That's all."

"You yelled," Anxin pointed out, still hissing slightly. Despite the accusatory tone, he was gently running his fingers through Sangwon's hair, soothing him. "You scared Sangwon."

"Yes, well, you were—" Jiahao gestured vaguely at the couch, then immediately regretted it when Sangwon's ears drooped impossibly lower and a fresh wave of tears spilled down his cheeks, a sob audibly forcing its way past his lips even as he did his best to muffle them. Anxin held onto Sangwon tighter, and Jiahao knew he had lost. "You know what? Fine. It's okay. It's fine."

Anxin's eyes narrowed suspiciously, his tail still puffed. "Fine?"

"Fine." Jiahao took a deep breath, trying to channel the calm, open-minded person his friends had been advising him to be approximately two hours ago. This was karma. This was absolutely karma for not listening to them sooner. "You're both adults. What you do together is your business, not mine. I just... maybe not in the living room? In the future?"

"So we can—" Anxin started, ears perking up slightly, his hissing stopping.

"Yes, yes, just—" Jiahao held up a hand, unable to believe he was having this conversation. He couldn't believe that his nice talk with his friends had been followed immediately by this. "Just... Sangwon..."

The bunny hybrid looked up at him nervously, his nose twitching, tears still streaming down his face.

Jiahao looked at Anxin, who had stopped hissing but was still watching him with a protective intensity, still gently stroking Sangwon's hair, comforting Sangwon. He looked back at Sangwon's tear-stained face, at the way his ears were pressed so flat against his head they almost disappeared, at how small he looked curled into himself on the couch, and felt the last shred of whatever parental authority he had evaporate into thin air.

"Don't be too hard on Sangwon," he finally said to Anxin, accepting his complete and utter defeat.

Anxin's expression immediately shifted into smug satisfaction, his tail slowly deflating back to its normal size. "I would never," he said, pulling Sangwon closer and nuzzling the top of his head. "I'm always gentle with my bunny." He emphasized the word 'my' while looking directly at Jiahao, as if establishing territory. This fucking kid.

Sangwon made a soft, relieved sound and buried his face into Anxin's shoulder, his ears slowly lifting back up just slightly. "Really? You're not mad?" His voice was muffled and still shaky.

"I'm not mad," Jiahao confirmed, running a hand over his face tiredly. "I promise. No one's in trouble. No one's leaving. Just... maybe in the bedroom next time? Please?"

"We can do that," Anxin agreed magnanimously, his purr starting up as Sangwon relaxed further into him. "See, Wonnie? I told you he'd understand. You were so worried for nothing."

"You were worried too," Sangwon mumbled, finally lifting his head enough to wipe at his eyes with his sleeves.

"Only because you were worried," Anxin corrected, using his thumbs to catch the remaining tears on Sangwon's cheeks. "But it's okay now. Jiahao's being reasonable." He shot Jiahao a look that clearly said 'don't you dare take it back.' But Jiahao was frankly too tired to bother with Anxin's dramatics for the rest of today.

He stood there for a moment, surrounded by spilled groceries and broken eggs, watching his cat hybrid smugly cuddle his bunny hybrid boyfriend on the couch where they'd just been—

Nope. Not thinking about that.

"I'm going to clean this up," he announced to no one in particular, gesturing at the disaster zone that was the entryway. "And then I'm making dinner. And we're going to eat it at the table like a normal family and pretend this never happened."

"Sure, Jiahao," Anxin said cheerfully, not moving from his position huddled with Sangwon, his tail now curled contentedly around the both of them. "Whatever you say."

"Thank you, Jiahao," Sangwon added quietly, his nose still pink from crying. "For understanding. And for the fancy carrots."

Despite everything, Jiahao felt his lips twitch into a smile. "You're welcome, Sangwon."

As Jiahao bent down to pick up apples, he heard Sangwon whisper. "Is he really not mad?"

"Nah," Anxin whispered back, loud enough that Jiahao could definitely still hear. "He's a total softie. Especially for you. I told you the crying would work."

"Anxin!" Sangwon gasped, and there was a soft smacking sound like he'd swatted Anxin's arm. "I wasn't—that was real! I thought he was going to make me leave!"

"I know it was real, that's not what I meant," Anxin said quickly, his voice soothing and coaxing all at once. Jiahao had to force himself not to glance over. Since when was Anxin this whipped?? "I just meant that you're really cute when you cry, so even if Jiahao wanted to stay mad, there was no way he would be able to. Your cuteness is a superpower."

"That's... that's embarrassing," Sangwon mumbled, but he sounded pleased.

"It's true though. You've got Jiahao completely wrapped around your little finger. Both of us, really. You're too precious."

"I can still here you," Jiahao couldn't help but call out, voice teasing, bending down to grab an apple that had rolled under the side table.

He heard them dissolve into giggles on the couch—Anxin's bright and pleased, Sangwon's soft and breathy—and despite everything, Jiahao found himself smiling.

This was his family. No matter how chaotic things got, they would always be his.

Leo and Xinlong were never going to let him hear the end of this.

He pulled out his phone and quickly typed a message to the group chat: "You guys were right, I shouldn't have worried. Everything is fine. Also, I need therapy."

Leo's response was immediate. "What happened???"

Xinlong instantly followed with, "Oh no, what did you do"

Jiahao looked at the broken eggs, the scattered apples, at Anxin and Sangwon now cuddling peacefully on the couch like they hadn't just given him the shock of his life, and typed back, "I'll tell you over drinks. Strong ones. Many strong ones."

From the couch, he heard Anxin say, "Are you texting Leo and Xinlong about us?"

"No," Jiahao lied.

"You are! I can tell by your face!" Anxin laughed. "Tell them Wonnie says hi!"

"Tell them I'm sorry," Sangwon added anxiously.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Anxin and Jiahao said in unison, then looked at each other in surprise.

Anxin grinned triumphantly. "See? We agree. That means we're right."

"That's not how logic works," Jiahao muttered, but he was smiling as he went to get the mop for the broken eggs.

His friends had been right. Everything was going to be fine. Possibly occasionally traumatizing, but fine.

He was definitely buying a lock for his bedroom door though. And maybe a bell for the front door. And possibly investing in a very good pair of noise-canceling headphones.

But his boys were happy, and that was what mattered.

Even if they were absolutely going to be the death of him.