Taeil had panicked the moment JiHoon had come in the door, face bruising and nose very swollen. 

He'd assumed all the worst things, -maybe he'd been mugged?- however when he found out what had happened he'd been stunned. and now as Taeil was fussing over his owner, he wondered if maybe trying to find Chanyeol was a mistake. 

The large hybrid's father had warned JiHoon the day he took him in that the day may come when Chanyeol became aggressive. was that what was happening? Taeil knew there was only one way to really find out, but he'd have to wait until JiHoon was out again. 

--

After the second half of Kyungsoo's work day had seemed to drag on forever, the time finally came to go home. He'd been reluctant to leave Chanyeol at the shelter, but after some reassuring from Tao and Yifan, he decided to finish out the day and see how things went tomorrow before making any drastic decisions or missing work. 

He'd made it to the elevator and shuffled in, leaning against the back wall and closing his eyes as he waited for the door to close. It almost closed when an arm reached in, a quickly muttered "" accompanying the body that joined his in the small compartment. 

"Kyungsoo! I was hoping I'd catch you before you left." Kyungsoo opened his eyes and frowned.

"what do you want Jongin? I've had a hell of a day and I really just want to go home." Jongin made a humming noise in reply.

"I know, I mean, I heard. I know Tao, sort of," he shifted awkwardly before continuing. "Anyway. If you ever need legal help with your hybrid.  I know someone..." Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow at him but Jongin just smiled, handing him a business card before the doors opened on the ground floor and he walked out.

Kyungsoo stared for a moment before following him out, heading his own direction once they hit the street. as soon as Jongin was out of sight, he looked at the business card.

'Kim Jongdae - Hybrid Rights Lawyer & Activist.-
#xxx xx xxxxx - Office 2, floor 6. Kim and Kim building.'

Kyungsoo let a small smile creep onto his face. Maybe the kid who got his tie stuck in the copier wasn't as bad as he thought. he walked the rest of the way home in a slightly better mood, hoping it wouldn't come down to legal help, but knowing he would have an option if it did.

--

Chanyeol was pacing the apartment much the same way he'd been pacing at the shelter. His thoughts were running wild. 

Why did JiHoon come back? couldn't he just left well enough alone, Chanyeol was happy! He was with Kyungsoo and things had been looking up... He was able to do things by himself now, he didn't have to wear those uncomfortable leather monstrosities JiHoon and his wife called collars. he didn't have someone breathing down his neck every five seconds like he was a child.  

He sighed and ran a finger over the small charm hanging from his neck. he never realized it, but he hated living with JiHoon. the best part of it was the neighbor's cat, Taeil. Sometimes Chanyeol would sneak out at night and they'd sit in the front yard. Taeil had even met Chanyeol's father on the rare occasions that he showed up. but JiHoon...

The large hybrid growled and tugged at his hair, his pacing stopped for a moment and he dropped his hands as the front door lock clicked and the door popped open.

"Yeol, I'm hommmph!" Kyungsoo's lips were occupied as soon as he made it inside, Chanyeol barely letting the door close before he had the smaller man pinned to it, kissing him like he hadn't seen him in years.

When the assault on his lips finally let up and Kyungsoo was allowed to breathe he looked up at Chanyeol. the large hybrid looked like he was about to cry as he wrapped him up in a tight hug, nuzzling his face into Kyungsoo's neck as soft sobs and whines escaped. 

"It's okay Yeol, it's okay. I'm not letting anyone take you from me. And if they try I'll make sure they don't win." Chanyeol pulled back to look at Kyungsoo,  a mix of surprise and something that Kyungsoo still wasn't ready to prod at swirling around in his eyes.

"Thank you, Soo.. thank you so much...I can't go back to him. I don't want to..." his voice broke on the last word as a fresh wave of tears rolled down Chanyeol's cheeks.

That night Kyungsoo ordered takeout instead of having his hybrid cook and Chanyeol stayed glued to Kyungsoo's side unless it was absolutely necessary for him to move. they tried to watch a movie, a comedy that Chanyeol had picked out, to lighten the mood but nothing was really going to take the uneasy feelings away.  Eventually, Chanyeol fell asleep on Kyungsoo, burying his face in the smaller man's shirt and curling around him.  

Kyungsoo was awake for at least an half hour after the hybrid started snoring, running his fingers through Chanyeol's hair and tracing his features when tired of playing with the grey locks.

--
Taeil waited until JiHoon was asleep to take the phone out into the hallway and make a call. He set up a meeting with a hybrid he hadn't seen in years and when he finished he felt guilty for keeping Jihoon in the dark, but with how things were going, it was for the best.
--
The next morning started with both hybrid and owner jolting awake to the sound of knocking on the door earlier than most people are even awake.

Chanyeol shuffled to the door and answered, not expecting to find Yifan standing there holding a toddler with a slowly wagging tail and floppy ears that was trying to nurse on the larger hybrid's shirt, tiny hand fisted into the fabric like it's life depended on it.

"Tao told me to come get you... The shelter is overrun with puppies and kittens. someone left seven of these little guys on the front steps sometime last night, and another six were dropped off this morning. some are in better shape than others and I can't get this little guy off me."

Kyungsoo watched the large hybrids interact as he tried to fully wake himself. He wondered when and how Chanyeol had changed so much. he didn't seem as clumsy anymore, and the dorkiness the hybrid seemed to ooze had faded a bit, but Kyungsoo chalked it up to everything that had happened recently.

When he heard a thump and looked over to see Chanyeol on the floor. Kyungsoo took all of his thoughts back. Chanyeol had fallen over trying to put his shoes on. He was still the same idiot that Kyungsoo loved.

Kyungsoo's eyes widened to a point that he looked like a startled owl at the word his thoughts supplied, and he kept the look on his face through Chanyeol's goodbye kiss, and all the way through his first cup of coffee that morning as he thought about why that word had popped up.

And on his way to work he realized that somewhere between the awkward nights pinned to random spots in the house, and the arguments on why putting your feet on any kind of table was gross, he had indeed started to fall for the big idiot. It wasn't the deep soul 'I'd die for you' type of love that they liked to showcase in dramas. but it was there. and it was real, and it gave Kyungsoo all the more reason to fight.
 

I AM SO SORRY FOR HOW LATE THIS OMG!  I don't think you guys would believe why it was late, annnd it's sad I'm keeping from all my online friends for the moment anyway. so yeah. heh. *coughs*

ANYWHO!

WELCOME TO ALL MY NEW SUBBIES! AND MASSIVE HUGS FOR ALL MY ORIGINAL LOVELIES! YOU GUYS ARE ALL SO AMAZING, THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS AND VOTES AND GAH! I COULD GO ON FOREVER BUT I'LL STOP FOR NOW!!

-Miki