Kyungsoo doesn't need friends.

They'd be nice to have, he supposes—someones to play with and nap with and share stories with—but he doesn't need them.

So when a new family moves in next door, and a more ears-and-paws-than-anything-else puppy bounds over to the fence separating their yards with a happy yip of "Hi!" Kyungsoo rolls onto his side, with his back to the fence, and pretends to be asleep.

The puppy, Baekhyun, thinks the neighbour kitten looks lonely lying all be himself on the patio, but his brother collars him before he can climb over or dig under the fence.

They meet eventually, anyway.

The Dos invite the Byuns over for lunch, a housewarming sort of welcome.

While the moms chat in the kitchen and the dads talk about work and sports in the living room, both older brothers retreat to the Do brothers' spacious but shared bedroom.

And so Baekhyun and Kyungsoo are left to themselves and expected to become fast friends.

Exactly what Kyungsoo doesn't need.

"He's just a year older than you, but still your hyung, and he's going to your school!" his mom tells him as he clings to her tail.

Mrs Byun has to hold her son back, fingers tight in the hood of his shirt, because she notices the kitten's wariness and knows full well that her pup is very friendly and harmless, but he can be too friendly. The little Do boy will have to be won over, not bowled over. Baekhyun's little tail beats a rhythm against her legs. Both Mrs Do and her son hear it.

While Mrs Do smiles, Kyungsoo scowls.

It's kind of a scary look, Baekhyun thinks. He'd look much nicer if he smiled.

But maybe he doesn't know how to smile! His tail stills, and his mom's about to ask him what's wrong, but he addresses the partly-hidden kitten.

"Can't you smile?"

"Of course I can smile," Kyungsoo spits back. "Don't be stupid."

Baekhyun's tail is wagging again, not at all offended. "Smile for me!" He pushes his own cheeks up to an exaggerated grin. "Like this!" Kyungsoo just frowns more. It's almost a pout; he can't believe how persistent and noisy this puppy is. They don't even know each other.

"Why'd I wanna do that?"

"I think you'd have a cute smile, cuz you're cute!"

Both moms look at each other and laugh behind their hands. It's as if they weren't even there anymore.

Kyungsoo's ears sit back in his short hair, and his tail lashes back and forth, but there's a colour in his cheeks that hadn't been there before. "Don't be stupid," he repeats petulantly.

"I'm not! You're the cutest kitten I've ever seen!" He's small and pale and dresses nice and has thick eyebrows and full lips, and gosh, his eyes are huge!

"You're the dumbest dog I know—and that includes Chanyeol hyung!"

Baekhyun escapes his mother and skips to Kyungsoo's hiding place, chasing him around Mrs Do's legs until she dances away with a bright laugh.

Kyungsoo makes a break for the living room, quick and light, but Baekhyun's right behind him, eagerly asking about Chanyeol and the other puppies Kyungsoo knows and what the school's like. Every so often, he throws a compliment or praise at Kyungsoo's back about his speed and balance.

He follows the kitten upstairs, downstairs, around the back and front yards, and finally back into the living room and then kitchen, where Kyungsoo grabs his mom again and slides in-between her legs and the cabinets.

Baekhyun follows a couple steps behind, panting and slower than before. His eyes droop, and he yawns. The kitchen floor is tiled and cool; he sprawls out on his belly, tail sweeping between his legs.

"Baekhyun, honey, don't sleep on the floor," Mrs Byun says.

"'m not sleepin'," Baekhyun replies thickly. "'m just resting." He rests with his eyes closed and chin on the floor, slowly regaining his breath.

What kind of stupid puppy sleeps on the floor? Sure, it's super clean, because his mom always sweeps the floor, but still. Kyungsoo slips back out from the safety of his mom and the cabinets and takes Baekhyun by the wrist. "C'mon."

Baekhyun follows obediently, rubbing his eyes and yawning again, tail hanging limp.

Kyungsoo stops on the plush living room rug and points. "Sit." Baekhyun sits, unaware of his dad and Mr Do watching with amused looks as Kyungsoo grabs throw pillows and a blanket and shoves them at Baekhyun. "Rest here."

"You're not sleepy?" Baekhyun spreads out on his belly again.

"Course not." He's already napped twice today, but he does sit close by, and Baekhyun drifts off to sleep imagining a smile on the kitten's face.

It's not even a minute until he starts twitching whimpering in his sleep. Ears back, Kyungsoo tries to pile pillows around the pup, but they shake and fall away.

Finally, he lies next to Baekhyun, curling against his side with his tail over Baekhyun's legs. The pup's tail wags a little, but he's finally still.

Mr Do finally can't help himself and laughs. He holds up his hands in apology when his youngest scowls darkly at him.

"He's finally quiet, Dad. Don't ruin this." Kyungsoo shifts to get more comfortable, because he is kind of tired, a good sort of tired that comes after running around a lot, and the blinds are up with the window open to let in a cool breeze and the most perfect sunbeam, which would be a total waste to move from.

Baekhyun kind of smells a bit nice, too, something like grass and leaves and warm kitchen smells when his grandma cooks. He'll just close his eyes for a little bit...

Baekhyun wakes up a little disoriented, like usual, but his parents are nearby, talking softly with Kyungsoo's mom and dad.

And Kyungsoo—

Kyungsoo's right next to him, face pillowed in his arms. His face is relaxed, and his ears twitch a little as he dreams. He really is super cute. His tail is draped over Baekhyun's back, and he's close enough to smell clearly—he wouldn't hold still before—and Baekhyun decides he really likes this kitten.

Mrs Byun catches the excited wag of his tail again and pets his hair. "Not now, sweetheart. Let your friend sleep a little more."

It's normally very hard for him to follow directions, much less stay still and quiet, but he wriggles back down so he's shoulder-to-shoulder with the kitten, closes his eyes a little, and enjoys the slight weight of the slim tail over his legs and the warmth where their arms and legs touch.

Even more surprising is when they wake up—because Baekhyun does fall asleep again—Kyungsoo doesn't make any sort of fuss at napping with the puppy. He pats between Baekhyun's ears and says, "Good boy," which sounds very condescending from a five-year-old, but Baekhyun's tail is up and wagging, and he's more than happy to lie as still as he can, so his cute new kitten friend keeps petting him.