Hyukjae espied how six-year old Donghae prepared to pounce on the prey he was stalking - seven-year old Yesung of the Turtle clan, whom Hyukjae heard Donghae had a tussle with earlier.

Just as Donghae leapt to attack, Hyukjae's tails were already reaching out and ensnaring the cub, stopping him just short of actually harming a hair on Yesung's head.

"Rawr, lemme go! Lemme at him!" the cub growled, stretching his arms, still trying to reach for Yesung's hair even as the poor turtle kid started to scamper away at the jerk of Hyukjae's head. But Hyukjae's tails were stronger and he did nothing more than lift the struggling kid to his eye level and glared at him.

Donghae was instantly contrite, a mewl escaping as he struggled between wanting to go after his prey and obeying Hyukjae's silent command to stop. He just really really really wanted to pay back that older kid for embarrassing him earlier at the cafeteria.

Junsu chuckled beside Hyukjae, ruffling Donghae's hackles even further. He never did get along with this best friend, not when it took away Hyukjae's time away from Donghae. He growled. Junsu just chuckled even further, saying goodbye to them both, knowing the brat didn't like it when Hyukjae scolded him in front of somebody else.

"Yah!" Hyukjae finally scolded him. "Why were you picking a fight again?!"

Donghae's Mom might have had powers of a clairvoyant, or just really an angel-tongue, because Hyukjae wound up taking care of Donghae ever since they met on Donghae's naming day. They were neighbors and toddler Donghae had taken to invading Hyukjae's home whenever the latter wasn't in school. When Donghae started attending grade school where Hyukjae was a middle schooler, Hyukjae was his de facto sempai-bodyguard, the way the cub (he was still kitty cute at that time) just got into one ruckus after another.

Donghae had always hated how his cute looks clashed with his naturally fiery temperament (he is a half-tiger god? hello?) but for some reason, only Hyukjae could, well, tame him. Maybe because he was already attuned to the degree of coldness in Hyukjae's voice and body language, and Donghae's usually cowering when Hyukjae just loomed over him with a displeased face. And the one thing he hated more than his cuteness was seeing Hyukjae pissed. After which Donghae actually resorted to that cuteness to stop Hyukjae from scowling at him further. 

"But but Hyukkie! Him and his friends called me cute during lunch hour!" Donghae wailed, willing Hyukjae to understand. He haltingly recounted how he had been quietly eating lunch with his friend Ryeowook when the turtle kid and his posse just went up to them and started calling them "cute kids" and because the first-graders didn't stop after Donghae told them to stop calling them cute, he had started yelling at the surprised turtle. Which was probably the wrong thing to say as Hyukjae just scowled at him even more. Donghae whimpered.

Hyukjae sighed, feeling another headache coming. He stopped scowling. What else is new with this kid's problem. "Donghae," he said as gently as he could. "It's just a compliment for a kid your age. You are cu..."

"I hate cute," Donghae dangerously growled. Ever since he could remember, he had been teased, pinched and poked a thousand ways just for being cute. It was no way a pleasant feeling to his abused cheeks and ears so he just really really really hated being "cute".

"Ok then, you're not," Hyukjae amended, careful not to tease the kid even further. "Can't you just try to be nicer? You're just starting school, but your list of enemies are already about as long as your tail. We don't want your Mom to be called in again, do we?"

Oh no no no, not Mom. Donghae vehemently shook his head, not wanting a repeat of having his ear pinched when Mom got called to the principal's office on Donghae's first day of school just because he got into a wrestling match with one of his new classmates.

"Come on, let's take you home, before you get into any more trouble," Hyukjae finally put him down, though Donghae now curled his hand around one tail and held on as they started to make their way back home.

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