Kyungsoo had stayed at the office later than he intended, But Chanyeol had said he understood and had to stay at the shelter later than usual because of the newest additions anyway.

It was getting dark by the time Kyungsoo walked out the front door, and he mentally cursed himself for being late from lunch and having to catch back up on work after he scrambled into the office cursing Jongin, Jongdae and anyone else besides himself that he could blame for his late return.

He'd made it three steps before a voice to his left startled him.

"Hello, Kyungsoo."

Screaming like a girl, Kyungsoo tossed his phone at the man.

SooHyuk chuckled and caught the phone before it could smash into anything. 

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to startle you." Kyungsoo frowned at his boyfriend's father.

"well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but you failed miserably at not startling me.Damn, I mean if you're not happy with Chanyeol being with me just say something, you don't have to kill me." SooHyuk laughed at him. 

"I can see why my son likes you, you're feisty." Kyungsoo's eyes widened slightly.

"Look, I'm going to hope you are just approving of our relationship and that you're not just going to come on to me right now..." SooHyuk shook his head and gave Kyungsoo an amused look.

"No, Kyungsoo. For one, I'd never do that to my son, and for two, I'm straight. you don't have anything to worry over, I do approve... I just... Chanyeol's been through a lot, and I'm sure he'd probably never tell you for fear of what you'd think, So if You'll allow me to buy you and my son dinner tonight, I will tell you a story...."

Kyungsoo nodded. "Fair enough... "

" I already told Chanyeol I wanted to talk to you tonight, so let's get going, shall we? You pick the place and I'll tell you as we walk..."

__-- Years Earlier--__

"SooHyuk, I'm so sorry for the loss of your wife, if there's anything we can do for you, just let us know." 

SooHyuk only nodded and hugged the woman in front of him. He and Chaerin had dated in middle school, and though it hadn't worked out they'd remained best friends throughout school and even after. he was thankful to have her and her family's support in this time. Besides his son, they were the only people he could rely on at this point. The only ones he trusted.

Chaerin stood beside Soohyuk as he gazed down at the coffin in front of him, rubbing soothing circles into his back. Her husband was toward the back of the building with their son, as well as SooHyuk's two children. The once happy little hybrid sniffling and clinging to JiHoon like his life depended on it, while his older sit sat quietly at the side, her gaze directed at the floor.

Chanyeol had been five when he'd lost his mother.

__--10 years after the funeral--__

"I hate you! I hate you! You're the reason mom was killed! If you didn't have a ing tail she'd still be alive! If I wasn't born with the same... things would be different, I'd know the other side of my family..." Chanyeol sobbed ...

"Why didn't you tell me... Dad, why didn't you tell me it was because we were hybrids? because Mom was fully human? I found out from JiHoon. His dad still has the newspaper clipping from the murder!  He showed me! Do you know how much it hurts to find out like this?!"

"Would it have been easier if I'd told you, Chanyeol? Would it have been easier knowing that your mother was killed because of a mutated gene my family carried? from something that I couldn't help..." 

He leaned against the kitchen counter and lifted his head to meet Chanyeol's gaze.  "Don't you think I'm in pain too? I wake up to a cold bed every morning, knowing it's my fault she's gone! That some who couldn't stand the thought of his sister dating a hybrid took her life to 'spare her family the shame'." Soohyuk felt tears beginning to form and quickly shut his eyes and turned away from Chanyeol.

"I'll get rid of these stupid ears and this goddamn tail... I won't be like you. I'll be able to protect the ones I love. No one will ever know I'm a hybrid!" 

SooHyuk had meant to let out a sigh instead of the growl it had turned into, and it had been too late to take back. 

He'd waited until he heard Chanyeol whimper and leave the room before he turned around.

He never saw the thing his son had taken from the kitchen.

Though it was in a different way, Chanyeol was fifteen when he lost his father.

__--10 years, 1 day after the funeral--__

SooHyuk had given Chanyeol awhile to calm down before he went to see his son and apologize. He knew Chanyeol was just in shock over the reason his mother was no longer with them. He knew he could fix this.

When he'd knocked on the door and received no answer, he'd thought Chanyeol had probably headed to JiHoon's until things calmed down. It was the usual routine on the few occasions that they argued, so he wasn't worried.

Until he heard his son whimpering for him. 

When he opened the door, he felt his heart stop at the sight. he immediately rushed to the phone and called an ambulance.

Chanyeol had tried to cut off his own tail. 

__--10 years, 4 days after the funeral--__

Soohyuk had blamed himself for everything after that. If he'd treated Chanyeol differently, told him the truth from the beginning, maybe things would be different. His sister had known the reasons and she'd never done anything like this.

Soohyuk felt like a failure as he stepped out of the elevator on the 4th floor of the hospital and headed towards his son's room. he didn't know what he would say to him, how they would act around each other. For the first time in his life, Soohyuk was afraid of something.

Ten years and four days after his wife's passing, SooHyuk's worst fear came true.

He'd lost his son and did the only thing he could do. He let him go.

He let Chanyeol move in with his best friend, so he would be raised surrounded by love, and hopefully, just hopefully, he would grow up and never try to change who he was again.

As years went by Soohyuk could finally see a difference in Chanyeol. He was happy, very goofy and all around a good person. He'd grown into such a wonderful man, and Soohyuk was proud of the way he'd turned out under his best friends care.

SooHyuk and Chanyeol had even begun to repair their relationship with each other, and though it was a rocky road at best, they were making progress. Things were going to be just fine.

But as such things happen, it couldn't all stay happy forever. 

When JiHoon's parents passed, Chanyeol was devastated. Not only because he'd seen them as his second set of parents as well, but because JiHoon had changed over the years.

Gone were the days he'd be content to walk down the street with Chanyeol beside him, walking as an equal. It seemed JiHoon's parents were all that stood between him, a collar and all the came with the typical hybrid life.

Chanyeol was no longer a best friend and brother.

He was now JiHoon and his then girlfriend's pet.

And he hated it, and things only became worse with each passing day, finally exploding after JiHoon and his girlfriend was married. Though he never dared to complain to Jihoon,
He told his father every time he came to see him just how badly he hated it. But there was nothing SooHyuk could do without an owner that, in the legal systems eyes, could handle such a large hybrid.

Chanyeol was forced to stay with JiHoon. But now, he and his father were closer. instead of resenting the man, Chanyeol could look at things from a more mature viewpoint and understand exactly what had happened in the past.

It wasn't his father's fault his mother had died.

It was the prejudice that so called humans held against them that had been at fault.

The night Chanyeol realized this was also a night his father came for a visit. They'd been sitting in the backyard when Chanyeol had suddenly wrapped his father in a tight hug for the first time in years, and quickly broke down into a sobbing mess over how sorry he was for all he'd said and done. he'd even told SooHyuk how he wished he could have been a  better son, to which SooHyuk replied it wasn't possible to be a better son than  Chanyeol.

Even though it had taken years, Chanyeol had let his father back in his life, and SooHyuk finally had the understanding of his son.

Once again, all was right for the large hybrids.

__-- Present Day--__

Kyungsoo sniffled as the waiter brought the bags of food out to them and they headed back to the smaller man's apartment.  SooHyuk glanced over at Kyungsoo who was furiously rubbing at his eyes, trying to get the tears to stop.

"You seem to care about my son. That's good to see after everything he's been through...." SooHyuk trailed off and looked away for a moment.

"Is there a 'but...' attached to that?" Kyungsoo looked up at the man walking next to him.

"I just want to make sure you don't care that he's a hybrid... That's all. My son deserves better than someone who just wants him because he's a novelty to them. He deserves someone who doesn't just see him as a pet... That's my biggest problem here, you see."

"Then consider it not a problem. I'm in love with Chanyeol." Kyungsoo looked at SooHyuk, only to find the man looking rather shocked.

"I know, it's not... we haven't really been together for long... actually I'd be embarrassed to tell you the amount of time...but, I know I love him... and it's growing stronger. It's not exactly something I can explain... Sorry" Soohyuk smiled and shook his head.

"Never be sorry, Love isn't something you can ever really explain." Soohyuk chuckled and pointed behind Kyungsoo.

"You might want to turn around." 

Kyungsoo startled at the voice that came from behind him and slowly turned.

And then I end the chapter because I'm evil.

But I really hope this clears our Yeollie's background up a bit. and sorry if this is late?  I'm not 100% sure when the new chapter was supposed to be posted, but work sort of got in the way. 

However, there is a bright side to this, I have new writing inspiration, and have been pestered into writing a HimJae story! It should be out in a few days if I'm lucky :P  (Thank you Kota~ I really hope we can work together again!) 

-Miki