I know the title is weird, but I couldn't resist the aliteration :P Anyway, here's the next chapter, with plenty of fluff :3

A loud crash of thunder sent shivers up Tao’s spine. The kitten was curled in a ball under a blanket on the living room chair. The kitten mewed quietly, terrified of the heavy downpour that was happening outside.

It had been raining since the middle of the night and it had only gotten worse as time went on. It was raining so hard that the boys couldn’t even see outside the window. There was nothing but a giant deluge of water that made it impossible to make out any shapes outside. Not to mention that fact that it was extremely dark and gloomy, which just made the atmosphere even more terrifying. A flash of lightning illuminated the house and another boom of thunder sounded. Tao buried himself under the blankets once more.

“Shhh, shhhhh. It’s okay, guys.” Came Kris’s soft voice. He was currently on the sofa, two beagles wrapped around his waist quivering and whining with their tails tucked between their legs. Kris patted the boys’ heads gently, their floppy ears every once in a while. This was always his method of calming the dogs. Unfortunately, it wasn’t having much of an effect in this fearsome storm.

“Ge ge.” Tao mewed. He too wanted some of Kris’s attention and comforting, but the kitty hybrid was so scared that he couldn’t move from his spot. His claws were literally latched into the couch cushions.

“It’s fine, the rain can’t hurt you.” The tall man said, gently patting Chen and Chanyeol’s backs. His words were directed to everyone, but the fact that he could only touch the beagles made Tao feel a bit left out. He wasn’t that upset though. He understood why Chanyeol and Chen were so scared.

Chanyeol had always been easily frightened, despite his enormous size and loud booming voice that might suggest otherwise. He couldn’t help it though. The pup was a gentle giant and thus tended to react to scary situations by seeking out his friends for comfort, rather than acting like he was braver that he really was. Anytime it so much as started to drizzle, the silver furred beagle would glue himself to Kris’s hip in fear of a worsening storm.

And Chen, well he was part cat of course. And most kitties hated water and loud noise. Though the boy tried to pretend that storms didn’t bother him, he’d always be the one to snuggle up next to his owner or another hybrid to feel safer. Unlike Chanyeol though, Chen would often try to talk up a storm of his own to combat the physical storm outside. Today however, this one was just too loud and scary to fight against.

But Tao too was a cat who scared easily. And he wanted some comfort from the others as well. Alas, Kris was pretty much trapped by the shivering beagles on top of him, and both of them were too scared to even notice Tao in the same predicament. Another part of Tao also sometimes felt that the beagles deserved to be Kris’s priority. They were his first pets after all. Not to mention the issues that happened months back when Tao first moved in with Chanyeol becoming very upset about all the time Kris had been spending with the new kitty. The tall beagle had told Tao time and time again that he was sorry for giving off that impression and that he should never feel bad about spending time with Kris, and that Kris loved all of his pets equally. Still, deep down inside, Tao often got the feeling that he shouldn’t intrude on any interactions between Kris and his puppies.

He couldn’t count the amount of times that he’d gone to look for Kris for some cuddle time, only to leave when he found one or more of the beagles already there. Or times when he’d move aside for one of the beagles to sit next to Kris on the bed when they were watching movies late at night, even when he’d gotten there first. It was animal instinct. The beagles were the first pets so they were higher up in the pack (or pride in Tao's kitty mind), so to speak. It was only respectful for Tao to move and make room for them to be closest to their owner if they wanted. He didn’t really mind it that much. It’s not like he never got cuddles or attention; far from it actually. Everyone showered Tao with love, spoiling him with anything he wanted. But the Li Hua Mao just couldn’t fight those feelings in the back of his mind.

And those feelings were ever so present in the midst of this storm. Any hybrid would want comfort from their owner in this weather. Rain splashed against the windows, thunder crashed every five minutes, and it was simply impossible to ignore.

Unless you were Baekhyun.

The brunet beagle had been in the kitchen, munching on some treats for the past few hours. (Because what dog wouldn’t take the opportunity to stuff their face with treats while their owner was preoccupied in the next room). Being the eldest pet, he didn’t scare as easily as the others. And even when he was a tad bit frightened, he never showed it. He had to be brave for the younger ones. It was quite common for the short beagle to the one to comfort the others during storms when Kris was at work or out shopping.

The dog finally emerged from the kitchen after his feast for one, totally unaffected by the storm that was going on outside. He passed by the beagle occupied sofa and gave a few comforting to Chen and Chanyeol before trotting over to Tao, immediately throwing his weight on top of him. It was obvious he’d probably eaten the entire container of treats, not just from the fact that a bit of his bloated tummy was sticking out from under his shirt. The kitten was used to the shorter beagle using him as a pillow, and instantly noticed how much heavier he felt. Tao let out an aggravated meow in frustration.

Unfortunately his complaints fell on deaf ears. Or rather, they were blocked out by another loud crash of thunder, coupled with a lightning flash. It was probably the loudest boom they’d heard since the rain started and it startled all of them, even Kris.

Chanyeol was so terrified that he literally shrieked and dashed out of the room. Tao would have done the same if his nails weren’t still stuck in the chair and Baekhyun weren’t crushing him at the moment. Instead he simply buried himself deeper under the covers, meowing frantically.

“Chanyeol!” Kris called. The tall man immediately tried to get up, but Chen, who’d tightened his grip around his owner’s waist and was currently shivering even harder, anchored him to the couch. Kris sighed and hefted Chen into his arms, cooing softly into the boy’s floppy ears.

“It’s okay Chen Chen. Everything is fine.” Kris whispered. “Stay here and watch Taozi, Baek.”The human said, still very quietly. Baekhyun barked twice in response.

After a few minutes, Tao slowly poked his head from under the covers. He looked around nervously and sniffed the air. Before he could fully remove himself from the security of the blanket, a wet tongue brushed across his cheek.

“Hey!” the kitten hissed, finally sticking his head out.

“Hey!” Baekhyun mimicked. The brunet puppy loved to mimic his housemates. He especially loved to do it to Tao. The kitten had such a unique voice and tended to say such amusing things that Baekhyun often couldn’t resist. It was especially fun if the boy was irritated. It just made the game even more enjoyable. The beagle had to remember to take it easy however. Tao was sensitive and still struggled with his Korean from time to time, so Baek needed to make sure that he never offended the kitty hybrid.

“You stink!” Tao whined, trying to push Baekhyun off of his back.

“Wae? Excuse me?” the beagle gasped, dramatically putting a hand over his chest.

“You smell like dog food.” The kitten whined again; plopping back down after failing to remove the dog hybrid from his body.

“My treats smell like the same bacon you eat every day.” Baekhyun retorted, bopping the kitten on the head. Tao hissed quietly, and pulled the hood of his hoodie on top of his head, as if to act as a protective shield.

“Get off. You’re too heavy.” Tao meowed. The cat was very strong, despite his very slim form and delicate nature. But a bloated Baekhyun sitting on his back was just a bit uncomfortable.

“No I’m not. I weigh less than you.” The dog retorted, lying his body down on Tao’s back. The kitten sighed, giving up on trying to get Beakhyun off of him. He was more concerned about Kris and the others returning anyway. Unfortunately, his beef hyung didn’t seem intent on quieting down anytime soon.

“Zitao~” The dog sang into one of Tao’s kitty ears, playing with the other in his hand. Tao hissed. He didn’t like when Baekhyun called him by his full name. He wasn’t sure why, it just annoyed him. For some reason, he always felt like the dog was making fun of him.

“Tao.” The Li Hua Mao huffed.

“Ziiiiiiiitaaaaaooooo~”

“Tao.”

“Zitaozi?” Baekhyun couldn’t help, but chuckle at himself. And Tao just rested his head back on the chair without another word. He wasn’t in the mood to play with Baekhyun at the moment. He really just wanted to be left alone at the moment. Or at least have Kris with him instead.

“Why can’t Kris ge ge be down here?” he muttered.

“Wae? What about me?” Baekhyun asked nuzzling Tao’s head, a huge amount of aegyo in his voice. Normally the kitten would have been giggling at his hyung’s cuteness, but he was too agitated for it right now.

“Ugly beef is annoying.” He said with a scowl.

“How?” Baekhyun asked, putting his face directly next to Tao’s.

“Aish, you’re just so weird.” Tao whined again, pushing the beagle’s face away.

“Aish, you’re just so weird.” Baekhyun mimicked again, chuckling.

Tao was about to argue further before another spray of rain banged against the window, sending shivers up the kitty’s spine. He hissed in fear and buried his face under the covers once again. For a moment, he’d actually completely forgotten about the storm. The kitten was actually surprised that Baekhyun’s antics had managed to distract him so much. He didn’t like the beagle’s teasing, but it did succeed in keeping him from thinking about the scary storm.

“Where did Kris ge go? The boy whined, trying not to tear up. Baekhyun could smell how nervous Tao was and wrapped his arms around the kitten’s shoulders. It was a rather awkward hug, due to their odd positioning, but it managed to calm Tao nonetheless. He remerged from the blankets once the violent rain quieted down. Within minutes, the boy was mewing contently, and it was almost like he and the older dog hadn’t even been bickering mere minutes ago. Tao detached his claws from the chair and his back so that Baekhyun could rest on his stomach and the two could hug each other more comfortably, (not to mention relive Tao's back from the heavy Baek) which the dog of course was happy to oblige to. Soon Baekhyun started to press kisses to Tao’s face and the Li Hua Mao couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.

“Feel better, Taozi?” The beagle rested his head on the kitten’s chest as he spoke.

“Mmm Hmm. Thanks hyung.” Tao purred.

Somehow, Baekhyun always had the ability to make Tao feel better. It was weird. With the way the cat and dog augured, anyone who didn’t know them would think they would never seek each other for comfort of all things. But Baekhyun had to make sure his baby brother was well taken care of, meaning he had to do anything in his power to keep him happy and calm. No one would deny that his methods were a bit unorthodox, though. After all, most people didn’t annoy their friends to take their mind off of a storm. But then again…Baekhyun wasn’t really a coddler. Sure he was a bit easier on Tao than the other dogs, but the eldest hybrid still tended to annoy the kitten as a method of cheering him up, rather than directly comforting him. He was only lucky that it actually worked most of the time.

“I don’t like the raining.” Tao mewled quietly, quite aware that he’d said the sentence wrong.

“No one does.” The dog replied, grooming Tao’s hair as he spoke. The kitten closed his eyes blissfully as he leaned into Baekhyun’s ministrations. It was very calming the way the older hybrid groomed his dongsaengs. His style matched that of a mother hybrid cleaning her kids, which was ironic considering the kind of person Baekhyun was. The soft, motherly cleaning completely contrasted his usual tactics of irritating people.

Tao was absorbed into the experience however, purring softly as the fear that was previously plaguing him slowly left his body. With half lidded eyes, Tao looked up at his hyung. He hadn’t noticed before, but the dog’s brunet hair was incredibly messy, probably the combination of a bad sleep and his wild treat gorge in the kitchen. Without even thinking about it, Tao gently fixed the canine’s wild locks, his soft hands pushing his hyung’s hair into a presentable form. The kitten was very delicate in everything he did. Even though he was a wushu master and could easily beat someone to the ground if he wanted, more often than not, Tao’s actions were very soft and mellow. He had tender hands and interacted with everything else extremely daintily, as if they’d break upon his touch.

“Why aren’t you scared hyung?” Tao whispered.

“Because rain and thunder is just a bunch of noise.” The dog responded in his typically cocky voice.

“Loud noise.” Tao mewed softly, turning his head towards the back of the chair.

“It can’t hurt us. We’re safe in this house.” Baekhyun said quietly, petting Tao’s head. Tao hummed in response.

“It’s still scary, though.” The kitten said with a shiver. “I want, gege. But he’s with the other doggy hyungs.” A pout adorned Tao’s face as he mumbled his words. He didn’t want to feel angry at the other beagles, but he thought Kris should at least be down there with all of them. Baekhyun pulled the hood off of Tao’s head so as to easily his hair. He softly nuzzled his head into the cat’s cheek. The two remained silent for a minute, hearing only the frightening sounds of the rain, before the beagle spoke up again.

“You know, Chen used to be a stray, right?” The dog asked quietly, his somber tone rather unfitting of his typical mood. And Tao was a bit confused by the question. He knew about Chen’s past, what little he’d actually talk about that is, but he couldn’t imagine why Baekhyun was bringing it up so suddenly.

“Yes.” Tao answered, a confused frown on his face.

“You know what that means, right?”

“He didn’t live in a house.” Tao answered, still unsure about Baekhyun’s intentions.

“It means he didn’t live anywhere.” Baekhyun said sadly.

“Yeah. Strays don’t have houses.” The kitten said with a confused mew, certain that he was well aware of what a stray was. But he still didn’t know what Baekhyun was getting at.

“So when it rained like this…he’d be out there.” The dog said. Tao paused for a minute to soak up what Baekhyun has just said. He’d always known that strays had to live outside, but he’d never once even really thought about them having to be outside in bad weather. It was obvious, but the fact simply never occurred to him. He looked outside at the vicious downpour that was taking place outside. Rain was falling like a waterfall and it was still nearly impossible to see clearly out the window. Leaves and branches were flying through the wind, almost creating the atmosphere of a tornado. The idea of Chen having to be outside during something like this made Tao’s heart sink.

“But it’s…so bad…out there.”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun continued. “And he wouldn’t always be able to find somewhere to stay dry, either.” Tao turned his head back towards the cushion. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes. Yet Baekhyun kept talking.

“Sometimes he have to just sit there while the rain and wind pelted him for hours. Sometimes multiple days in a row. And there was no one there to comfort him or make him feel safe. And no way to quickly dry his clothes after it was over. He got sick a lot and of course he had no access to medicine or anything like that, so…”

“Stop!” Tao shouted, much louder than he wanted to. He was fully crying now just picturing the words coming out of Baekhyun’s mouth. The kitten sniffled and tried to wipe his tears away by rubbing his face against the chair, but his glasses were making that rather difficult. Baekhyun lifted the glasses and dabbed away at Tao’s tears with his sleeve.

“Sorry.” The brunet whispered. Tao knew that it hadn’t been Baekhyun’s intention to make him upset, but he couldn’t help the guilt that he was currently feeling. Just 10 minutes ago, he was mad at Chen and Chanyeol for taking all of Kris’s attention during the storm, but now he wanted to go up there and comfort them too. He wanted to play with Chanyeol and keep his mind off of the scary storm. And he wanted Chen to feel safe, protected, and most of all, loved by his friends.

“I think…I think that’s really why Chen doesn’t like storms.” Baekhyun whispered into Tao’s pointed kitty ear. “Not just because he’s afraid, but because it brings back all of those bad memories.”

“Sniff…beef hyung…” Tao said softly, still quite sad.

“It’s okay, kitten.” Baekhyun said with a comforting . “I know how you’re feeling. But Chen and Chanyeol didn’t mean to take all of Kris’s time all this morning. ”

“No, it’s not them. They didn’t do anything wrong. I shouldn’t be so selfish.” The kitty mewed. And as if by chance, Kris returned to the living room with the two beagles still latched to his hips.

“Heh, sorry we were gone for so long.” Kris said.

“Yeah, sorry.” Chanyeol mumbled quietly.

“It’s fine.” Baekhyun said, smiling sweetly.

“Are you okay, doggy hyungs?” Tao asked.

“Yes, I feel better now.” Chanyeol said, tail wagging a bit.

“I’m good too.” Chen said, almost meowed. He snuggled closer to Kris’s chest.

“You two look like you were enjoying your time by yourself.” Kris said. And Tao could quickly feel his face becoming warm. He ducked down in the chair so the others couldn’t see his face; not that it made a difference considering the super intimate position he and Baekhyun were in.

“Of course they were.” Chanyeol giggled. He resumed his original position, head in Kris’s lap. “Taozi loves being pampered by Baek hyung.”

“And Beakkie loves to pamper TaoTao.” Chen added.

“What? No way, this brat is so annoying.” Baekhyun laughed. And Tao playfully bit at the beagle’s nose. The others joined in with Baekhyun’s laughter as well, but were immediately stopped by another loud boom of thunder. Chanyeol’s whimpers echoed throughout the room as he snuggled even closer to Kris. Chen whined for a few seconds before closing his eyes and calmly laying his head on top of Chanyeol’s. It was an action that always calmed him, bringing back memories of being snuggled up with his mother and littermates. Tao buried himself under the covers once more, but his beagle buddy was quick to coo at him comfortingly.

“You want to come and sit over here, Taozi?” Kris asked, patting the edge of the sofa. Chanyeol pressed his body closer to Kris; an attempt to make room for Tao should he decide to go over.

“Um…” Tao paused. For that entire morning, all Tao wanted to have some attention and comforting from Kris, but now he knew that Chen and Chanyeol needed their owner more at that moment. Plus...deep down, he really didn't want to leave Baekhyun's side just yet. He'd truly been enjoying the beagle's hug and playfun antics and wasn't ready for it to end. “No, I’m okay.” The kitten mewed with a smile.

“Are you sure?” the tall blond asked again, just to be sure.

“Yes gege. Ugly dog hyung is a nice blanket.” Tao giggled.

“Wae?!” Baekhyun whined, playfully biting at Tao’s face. And the kitten responded to the distracting game, battling at the beagle’s hair and chewing on his ears.

“Aish…these kids.” Kris sighed, smiling at the silly duo.

Tao giggled and continued playing with Baekhyun. Sure the beagle could be annoying at times, but Tao knew that it was out of love. And with how much Baekhyun annoyed him, it was clear that he loved the kitten a lot, and the thought caused a huge smile to spread across Tao’s lips.

“Aigoo, what are you smiling at?” Baekhyun asked.

“Hee hee, nothing.” Tao giggled, giving the canine a quick kitty kiss. And a rare blush formed on Baekyun’s face.

Thank you Beef hyung. Thank you for always caring for me.

I'm usually a Taoris shipper, but I've got a serious weakness for Baektao. They're just so adorable together and it was always cute when Baekhyun took care of Tao.

Anyway, thanks for reading. You can expect more short, fluffly, less plot oriented chapters like these for the upcomming ones. I have a lot of cute ideas and can't wait to actually get them on paper. I'll try to make them as long as possible though, even if that means just peppering them up with more fluff :3 Hope you all enjoyed :)