Kyungsoo’s ears pricked up, eyes darting towards the door. His heart began to thunder in his chest, a wave of anxiety engulfing him.

There was a soft knock on the front door, three raps and then silence. His legs began to tremble when the knocks resumed, knees feeling weak. He darted towards the sofa, running at lightning speed to throw his body in the small space between the furniture and the wall. He crouched down, the rush of his heartbeat ringing in his ears.

“Coming,” Baekhyun yelled from his home office.

Kyungsoo brought his hands to his mouth and began to chew at his stubby claws, shrinking down further so he wouldn't be seen.

He could hear the human pad towards the front door, his socked feet whispering against the hardwood flooring. When the lock on the front door clicked Kyungsoo plastered himself against the sofa, nibbling on his claws, eyes shut tightly.

“Ah, I see. Sorry, but we aren’t interested.” Baekhyun’s voice drifted down the hallway. “Good luck though. And have a great day!”

The click of the door closing, the lock sliding, Baekhyun’s footsteps. Kyungsoo heard it all but remained in his impromptu hiding spot.

“Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun called his name.

When Kyungsoo didn’t respond the footsteps got closer, so close that Kyungsoo knew Baekhyun was only a few feet from him.

“Soo,” Baekhyun said gently. “It’s okay. It was a door-to-door salesman. He’s gone now.”

Kyungsoo in a deep breath.

“Come on, I’ll make you barbeque for lunch,” Baekhyun tried to bribe him out of the hiding spot.

Kyungsoo let his hand drop to his side, opening his eyes slowly. Baekhyun was crouched down beside him, an affectionate look on his face. “It’s safe now?”

“Yeah, it’s safe.” Baekhyun nodded.

Kyungsoo let his shoulders relax, unclenching his muscles. He was slow to crawl out from the small space, his heart still beating slightly irregularly. He glanced at Baekhyun for a moment before looking away, the guilt at his actions creeping over him.

“I-I’m sorry I–”

“Please, don’t apologize.” Baekhyun held his hands up. “It’s fine.” He flashed one of his signature warm smiles, hoping to put Kyungsoo at ease.

It didn’t work. Kyungsoo felt guilty, always felt guilty that he was like this . But he couldn’t help it, ever since he was a small cub he had the same crippling anxiety that was inherent in his breed. The smallest unexpected noise set it off. A knock on the door, something falling to the ground, loud traffic noises even. They all sent him scurrying for cover, terrified, chest tightening, nails being reduced to stubs as he gnawed them raw. And when it wasn’t a noise it was the feeling of always being on edge, of never truly relaxing, a continuous fear skirting the edges of his mind.

He was a cheetah human hybrid, a rare hybrid species, one that wasn’t often requested due to this... issue . This anxiety. They made poor companions, couldn’t work to save their lives.

He wished that he could get rid of it, that he could feel confident about things. But he couldn’t, nothing worked, not even having the gentlest owner known to hybrid-dom.

Or, well , roommate . Baekhyun insisted he didn’t own him.

“Do you want chicken or pork?” Baekhyun asked, walking towards the kitchen.

“Pork,” Kyungsoo blurted out, stomach rumbling. He placed his hand on his belly and rubbed, trailing after Baekhyun, tail swinging lazily behind him.

 

“I read a new study about cheetah hybrids,” Yixing started, voice low, eyes darting to where Kyungsoo was curled up in a papasan chair.

Kyungsoo kept his eyes fixed on the television, on the military documentary he was watching, but his ears were very much tuned into what Yixing was saying. The man was a veritable walking encyclopedia of hybrid knowledge. He happened to run a shelter for hybrids in the next town over, in fact, he was the one who had introduced Kyungsoo and Baekhyun to each other (Kyungsoo said adopted but Baekhyun corrected him time and time again). He had a medical degree and was always up on the latest hybrid studies.

He also happened to be Baekhyun’s boyfriend and  invested in how Kyungsoo adjusted to life in general.

“There has been some success with pairing them with dog hybrids, of all things,” Yixing whispered. “In the role of emotional support hybrids, dogs help ease the anxiety of the cheetah, help to teach them confidence. There were several successful pairings done in Europe and a few in the United States.”

“A dog hybrid?” Baekhyun whispered his response.

“Yes, though the pairings were done when both were very young. I am not sure if it would work on an adult hybrid, but it is something to consider since, well…” Yixing trailed off.

Dog hybrid . Kyungsoo frowned. He had never met a dog hybrid but from the dogs he had met he assumed they would be as equally troublesome, hyper, overly affectionate. And an emotional support hybrid no less…Kyungsoo had heard of them. They went beyond the normal companion hybrid, kept to help their owners with a plethora of disorders. But could a hybrid have an emotional support hybrid? It seemed strange.

“I don’t know. It might make Kyungsoo’s anxiety worse. He doesn’t adjust to new people very well…”

“Or it might make him more confident. Just think about it, babe. You don’t have to do anything right now,” Yixing said.

Kyungsoo pursed his lips, not sure what to think about the suggestion.

 

They had tried therapy, medication, and biofeedback. Kyungsoo could fill half a page with the things he had tried to cure his anxiety (most of which only made it worse). Baekhyun had never insisted that he do any of it, Kyungsoo was the one who had tried and tried again to rid himself of the crippling fear.

Of course, Baekhyun was beside him each step of the way, persistently bright and cheerful no matter what the results were. It had been a year since Kyungsoo had tried anything new, having fully given up on curing himself.

It was his breed, he reminded himself. It was genetics. There were many species which, once genetically mixed with human DNA, produced amiable hybrids who were desired as companions. And there were some animals that had disastrous results when mixed with human genetics.

Cheetahs should never have been selected for the bizarre experiment, never been allowed to be created. They weren’t good companions, their stress levels made it impossible for them to work. All reasons they were often left without an owner, abandoned by the unlucky souls that thought they could deal with the breed’s quirks.

Kyungsoo stared at the green search bar, debating if he should even look it up. He was on his laptop, sitting on his bed, replaying Yixing’s words over and over in his mind.

Finally, he typed it.

Dog hybrids and cheetah hybrids

A list of search results displayed, articles with headlines like:

“Cheetah hybrid renaissance? Neglected hybrid species pegged to become useful again thanks to dogs”

“Dog and Cat hybrid BFFs? Yes, you read it right!”

“Dog Hybrids take the Ruff Living Away from Cheetah Hybrids”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, then clicked on the first link. He perused the article, which mimicked what Yixing had said. There had been several reported pairings between dogs and cheetahs with amazing results. Dog’s naturally compassionate and gregarious behavior helped cheetah hybrids when the two were raised together. Cheetahs learned confidence from dogs, finding emotional support from them.

Would a dog be the answer to his problems? He sighed, shutting the laptop and leaning back on his bed. He mentally recited the list he had made ages ago, of all the things he wished he could do but couldn’t because of his anxiety.

A sudden noise sent him jumping off the bed, rolling onto the floor to hide under it.

“Sorry, I dropped a cup!” Baekhyun yelled from another room.

Kyungsoo already had his claws in his mouth, chewing, heart racing. He closed his eyes, squeezing out a stray tear of frustration.

A few minutes later, after he had calmed down enough to emerge from his hiding spot, he went to find Baekhyun. He found his roommate typing away at his computer, buried in work.

“I think I want a dog,” Kyungsoo said quickly.

Baekhyun glanced over. “A what?”

“A dog hybrid,” Kyungsoo said quietly.

Baekhyun furrowed his brow before a glimmer of understanding flashed in his eyes. “You heard of that? You want to try it?”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“I’ll call Yixing and see if he has any down at the shelter. We can go–” Baekhyun stopped, realizing what he had said. Kyungsoo didn’t go anywhere, his anxiety kept him homebound. It had taken weeks to work up to leaving the last time, and that was only because he absolutely had to get a checkup. “I’ll have him send some photos over,” Baekhyun corrected himself.

“Thanks,” Kyungsoo mumbled, hoping he had made a smart decision.

 

Kyungsoo shuffled through the pictures dozens of times, spending minutes staring at each one, and rereading the short bios that Yixing provided. He felt overwhelmed, honestly he had no idea how to pick one over the other. They were all so... doglike .

And what if he made a bad decision? What if he picked someone who was aggressive or who hated him because he was like this? What if…

“I can’t choose,” Kyungsoo said, pushing the pictures away. “You do it,” he said to Baekhyun, standing and rushing off towards his bedroom.

 

“Yixing says he’s gentle but sociable, which is important,” Baekhyun explained.

Kyungsoo stared at the front door. Any moment now Yixing would arrive with the dog hybrid, their first meeting. Kyungsoo already felt like he wanted to throw up, his stomach doing flips while his heart thundered.

He wouldn’t even know when they arrived because Yixing knew not to knock because it startled Kyungsoo. He would punch in the code and open the door, and then and then and then….

Kyungsoo turned, running at top speed towards his room and darting under the bed. He curled up, hugging his knees, entire body tensing.

The familiar pressure on his chest, like he was being crushed by something invisible, made him in a few uneven breaths. His anxiety was at full intensity, spurred on by what was to come.

When the front door opened Kyungsoo froze, eyes going wide. He could smell an unfamiliar scent, something earthy with a floral undertone. He wrinkled his nose, curling in on himself, shutting his eyes.

“This is Chanyeol. Chanyeol, this is Baekhyun.” He heard Yixing making the introductions.

“It is nice to meet you.” A deep, unfamiliar voice. Kyungsoo swallowed, the stubs of his claws pressing into his shins.

“You too.”

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” Yixing asked.

“Kyungsoo is, umm… You’ll have to give him some time,” Baekhyun said.

Time. No matter how much time passed he wasn’t going to relax. What if the dog hybrid...what if….what if….

Movement, heavy footsteps. Kyungsoo was terrified as the unfamiliar scent neared him.

“Chanyeol!” Yixing called out.

“Hey!” Close, so very close. The deep voice made Kyungsoo scoot back, away from it. “I’m Chanyeol. You must be Kyungsoo. You’re pretty. Can I touch your ears?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes snapped open. A face was a few inches from him, toothy smile on full display.

“Chanyeol!” Yixing scolded, stalking into the room.

“He’s pretty,” Chanyeol reported, not looking away from where Kyungsoo was curled up under the bed.

Kyungsoo stared back, too afraid to move. The dog hybrid had black and white spotted ears, bright eyes, and more teeth than Kyungsoo ever remembered seeing in a human or hybrid before. His nose twitched like he was continually assessing everything around him by his sense of smell.

“Chanyeol, get up,” Yixing ordered. “You’re scaring him.”

The dog hybrid gave Kyungsoo one last look before he moved away, shuffling backward.

“Kyungsoo, are you okay?” Baekhyun asked, sounding more than a little concerned.

Kyungsoo managed to yelp out a “Yeah,” before shutting his mouth and gritting his teeth.

“We’ll leave you alone now,” Yixing said calmly. Kyungsoo waited to breathe until he heard the footsteps leave his room, the door shutting softly behind them.

His room smelled like dog, which made him frown. He willed himself to try to relax, moving his hands away from where they hugged his knees. He could hear the others talking through the bedroom door.

“I explained how important it is to be gentle with him,” Yixing admonished.

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol apologized a half dozen times. “But I just really, really, really wanted to meet him and I got a little too excited.”

“It’s fine,” Yixing sighed heavily. “But don’t ever do that again. It is rude to barge in like that.”

“I won’t.”

There was a sudden crash from somewhere in the apartment. Kyungsoo jumped, fear washing over him again.

“I’m so sorry! Oh my god, my tail, I didn’t mean to really!” Chanyeol blurted out.

Shortly after the tail incident Yixing and Chanyeol left. Later that evening, when Kyungsoo crept out of his room, he found out that the dog hybrid had knocked over a vase with his hyperactive tail.

“Do you want to try meeting another one?” Baekhyun asked over dinner.

“Sure,” Kyungsoo said, visibly deflating.

 

Over the next week, five different dog hybrids came to visit, and each meeting seemed to be more disastrous than the last. There was Minseok, who announced without hesitation that the apartment was far too messy for his liking. Then came Junmyeon, who ended up chewing up Kyungsoo’s favorite blanket because he “thought it looked like it tasted good”. Then there was Jongin, who spent most of the visit talking about hybrid rights (Kyungsoo needed a comforting friend, not a political activist). After Jongin was Jongdae, who was even more hyper than Chanyeol and honestly scared the out of the cheetah. And lastly was Lu Han, who brought his own soccer ball and managed to break the flat screen television showing off his football moves.

Kyungsoo had hidden through the meetings, listening as they conversed with Baekhyun and Yixing. Later he heard all about them from Baekhyun, listening as he tried to reconcile Baekhyun’s telling with what he had overheard from his hiding spot. So far Chanyeol was the only one who made even an attempt towards seeing him, and at the end of the week, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Was his eagerness a good thing or a bad thing?

“What do you want to do?” Baekhyun asked, shoveling a mound of baked chicken onto Kyungsoo’s plate. “There aren’t any more dog hybrids at the shelter, though we could wait, of course, until more come in. Unless you want to meet one of them for the second time?”

Kyungsoo picked at the chicken, weighing his options.

“Which one did you like?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “It isn’t my choice, Soo. Was there one you felt more comfortable around? Or want to get to know more?”

“M-maybe the first one,” Kyungsoo stuttered, looking down. He hoped he made a good decision.

 

Chanyeol’s second visit happened on a Monday evening. Kyungsoo had told Baekhyun he didn’t want to hide, he really, really didn’t want to run away this time. He asked Baekhyun to lock the doors in the apartment as a preventative measure, so he couldn’t rush to hide under his bed, or bury himself under Baekhyun’s covers in a panic. If he was going to commit to trying to get to know a dog hybrid and potentially befriending one, he had to be proactive.

When Chanyeol and Yixing arrived Kyungsoo instinctively rushed to hide, running towards his bedroom, panicked mind forgetting the door was locked.

He had his hand on the doorknob, jiggling it in frustration when the dog hybrid was suddenly standing in front of him.

“Hi Kyungsoo,” he said cheerfully.

Kyungsoo stilled, moving back he plastered himself against the wall, claws digging into the plaster.

Chanyeol was smiling, tail wagging behind him. Kyungsoo gaped up at him. He was unnaturally...tall, Kyungsoo thought. He hadn’t been able to discern his size during their first meeting, and the pictures Yixing sent didn’t convey it. He had at least a foot over Kyungsoo. He loomed in front of him, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but feel threatened by someone so much larger than himself standing and blocking any path he had to escape.

“You’re prettier now than before since you’re not under the bed,” Chanyeol gushed, cheeks dusted with pink. “I like cats a lot. I mean, you’re a cheetah but still a cat. Or at least I think you are. Anyway, your fur looks so soft. I like soft fur.”

Kyungsoo swallowed. His heart was racing, and he wanted to push Chanyeol aside and run.

“Do you watch movies? I like movies too. And music.” Chanyeol’s tail began wagging with more fervor. “I mean, I like other things too. What do you like?”

Kyungsoo closed his eyes, then opened them again. “I-I like movies,” he managed to say in a small voice.

“Which kind? I watch a lot of comedies back at the shelter but that’s because we mostly only have comedies. But when I lived with a family I watched more serious things. I’m not just into funny things you know. I like other things. Lots of other things.”

“Documentaries and dramas,” Kyungsoo got out, feeling faint. Was he hyperventilating? His chest heaved in and out in rapid succession.

“We should watch a movie together? Do you want to match a movie? I want to see what you have.” Chanyeol smiled brightly.

Kyungsoo blinked. He was definitely hyperventilating. He opened his mouth to answer but a wave of dizziness overcame him. He fell forward, everything becoming fuzzy, the world blurring before him. He fainted, only kept upright because Chanyeol caught him in his arms.

 

When Kyungsoo woke up Chanyeol was gone. He had a headache and he felt extremely foolish. Baekhyun assured him it was fine, that these things would take time.

“Do you want to meet him again?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo managed, rolling over and closing his eyes, the image of a dog hybrid flashing before him, bright eyes, tail wagging furiously behind him.

 

The third visit was Yixing’s idea, and honestly, Kyungsoo wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it. Chanyeol was going to spend time alone with Kyungsoo, in the safety of Kyungsoo’s room. They were going to watch a movie together, two hours of uninterrupted quality time.

If the visit went well, they could start to consider formal adoption.

Kyungsoo felt like all the pressure was on his shoulders for the meeting, which of course didn’t help to soothe his anxiety. He chewed one of his claws down until it bled, pacing around the room as he thought about all the things that could go wrong.

Yixing had a long talk with him a couple days before the meeting, talking more in-depth about the studies that had been done so far.

“You aren’t a cub, Kyungsoo, so there is a chance this might not work, but it is worth a shot. You can learn a lot from Chanyeol, and I think he could learn a lot from you,” Yixing explained.

“From me?” Kyungsoo furrowed his brow. He doubted the hyper, bubbly dog could learn anything good from him.

Yixing nodded. “You need to give yourself more credit, Kyungsoo. You have plenty of good qualities.”

 

Kyungsoo sat on his floor, a pile of cushions under him. He hugged his knees to his chest, eyes trained on the hallway outside his door. He took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn’t hyperventilate again, reminding himself of the techniques he had been taught to calm down when it happened.

Slow and steady breaths from his diaphragm, relax, relax….

“Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol arrived with a flurry of tail wags, stumbling into the room and half-falling-half sitting on the floor.

Kyungsoo scooted away, nose assaulted by the scent of the dog.

“How are you today?” Chanyeol asked, one ear flipped up awkwardly.

“G-good,” Kyungsoo managed to say, taking a slow breath.

“Did you pick the movie? I can’t wait to watch it. Do you have snacks?” The dog looked around the room, spotting the bag of chips that Kyungsoo had carried in earlier. They were barbeque flavored, the only snacks besides jerky that the cheetah hybrid could stomach.

Chanyeol his lips, staring intently at the bag.

“Do you want some?” Kyungsoo asked in a small voice. The sudden wag of Chanyeol’s tail answered for him. “Go ahead, you can open it.”

Kyungsoo watched the large dog hybrid scurry over to the snacks, grabbing them with his large hand before settling back down next to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo reached for the remote, pushing the button with shaking fingers. The movie was already queued up, he only had to hit play.

“What kind of movie is it?” Chanyeol asked, potato chip crumbs falling out of his mouth while he spoke.

“A drama,” Kyungsoo answered. Slow your breathing, slow your breathing…

The opening sequence began. Next to him, Chanyeol munched noisily on the chips, crumbs covering the green Zootopia t-shirt he was wearing. Kyungsoo kept a safe distance, hugging his knees, trying to focus on the movie and not on the noisy dog next to him.

“Want some?” Chanyeol asked after a few minutes, holding the bag out. The sudden rustling of the chip bag made Kyungsoo jump.

Chanyeol looked at him with wide eyes, hand retreating back. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s fine.” Kyungsoo looked back at the screen, willing himself to be calm. One of the reasons he had always liked movies was they helped him to focus, to forget, to spend a few hours not concentrating on every noise around him, all the possibilities of bad things coming his way.

The movie was one that Kyungsoo had watched at least a dozen times. It was slow moving, plot-heavy without action scenes or much comedy. He loved it. Thirty minutes into the film he let out a soft purr, not even realizing he was doing it until Chanyeol said something.

“You sound nice,” he blurted out.

Kyungsoo stiffened, looking over at the dog. Another purr vibrated in his chest. He quickly turned back towards the movie.

A few minutes later Kyungsoo heard a soft snore. He glanced over to see that the dog hybrid had fallen asleep, the bag of chips still in his hand. Kyungsoo smiled, easing back into the cushions. He focused on the movie, feeling a strange sense of calm while the dog snored beside him.

 

They formally adopted asked Chanyeol to be their roommate later that week. Yixing reported that Chanyeol was ecstatic, bragging about his new friends to anyone who would listen. Baekhyun even went to pay him a visit at the shelter, finding out what he needed before moving in.

Because they lived in a two bedroom apartment with a lease that was still good for eight more months, the decision had to be made over where Chanyeol would sleep.

“We can offer him the living room, or he could stay in your room,” Baekhyun suggested.

Kyungsoo nodded. He wasn’t ready to share the safe space of his bedroom, not yet. “Living room is a good option,” he said, trying to imagine what it would be like to live with another hybrid.

 

Chanyeol came home on a Friday evening, the timing allowing them all a weekend to acclimate to each other. His tail went nonstop from the moment he set foot in his new home, eyes darting every which way, nose twitching.

Kyungsoo stayed back in his room, door open. He focused on his breathing, only losing his concentration when Chanyeol’s tail slammed against his door, sending him scurrying under the bed.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” Chanyeol was there in a second, looking under the bed, a worried expression his face.

Kyungsoo tried to calm his racing heart. “It’s okay.”

“Do you want to watch another movie?” Chanyeol asked.

Kyungsoo blinked at him. “M-maybe in a little while.”

Chanyeol pouted. “Okay.” He moved away, leaving Kyungsoo’s’ room.

Kyungsoo emerged from under his bed a few minutes later, still feeling anxious. It would take time, he reminded himself, to get used to having a dog in the house.

 

Baekhyun and Chanyeol hit it off so well Kyungsoo started to wonder if Baekhyun was secretly a dog hybrid masquerading as a human. They talked nonstop, both energetically rambling, changing the subject at the drop of a hat, joking and laughing.

Kyungsoo could hear it all from his bedroom, feeling a tug in his chest that wasn’t anxiety for once. He ventured out around dinner time, finding Chanyeol asleep, sprawled out on the couch, while Baekhyun made dinner.

“Are you doing okay?” Baekhyun asked over his shoulder, busy sautéing beef on the stove.

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo said quietly, walking over to the small kitchen table and taking a seat.

The decision to have Chanyeol move in was not taken lightly. They had discussed the pros and the cons, Baekhyun making sure Kyungsoo was a hundred percent committed before he signed the papers. Chanyeol was part of their family now, and Kyungsoo had to get used to it. Honestly, he wanted to get used to it, hoping it would help him in the long run. He was there to provide support to Kyungsoo, that was the point.

“He plays a lot of video games,” Baekhyun said, shaking the frying pan. “And he likes jazz music too. You should show him your albums.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He could smell Chanyeol’s scent, though it had lost the floral undertones it once had. He wondered if that part of his smell came from shampoo or perhaps even cologne.

“Yixing will be by tomorrow to see how things are going and to drop a few things off,” Baekhyun reported.

A loud snore emanated from the living room. Kyungsoo glanced in the direction, furrowing his brow.

Baekhyun chuckled. “I guess now you won’t be the only loud sleeper in the house.”

“I’m not a loud sleeper compared to you!” Kyungsoo protested.

Another grating, thunderous snore sounded. Apparently, Kyungsoo realized, neither of them was loud sleepers compared to Chanyeol. It seriously sounded like a cannon was going off in the next room.

Kyungsoo supposed that was one of many things he would have to grow accustomed to. In time, he thought, he might not even notice.

 

At two in the morning, Kyungsoo could tell he most definitely would not be ignoring Chanyeol’s snores anytime soon. Even with his bedroom door closed they were deafening, echoing from the living room, filling the entire apartment.

Kyungsoo put his pillow over his head and groaned. How could anything, human or hybrid, make that much noise? It was impossible for him to get a wink of sleep with the thunderous noise setting an annoying rhythm.

Finally, he had enough. He crept out of bed and tiptoed towards his door. He managed to make it into the living room without making a sound, not that any sound could be heard over the dog hybrid’s snores.

Chanyeol’s leg was thrown over the side of the couch, the blanket had already been tossed to the floor. His mouth was wide open, drool on his lips. His arms were as messily arranged as his legs, one resting straight up against the back of the sofa, the other dangling, fingers touching the floor. Kyungsoo observed him for a moment, taking in his face. He was…rather unconventionally handsome, Kyungsoo realized. Nice to look at.

Kyungsoo tiptoed closer. His anxiety flared up but he resisted running away. He needed to stop the godawful noise that was keeping him from his important sleep. He inched towards the sleeping dog hybrid. In his hand, he had one of the breathe-rite strips that Baekhyun had bought him forever ago as a joke. He peeled back the strip and moved slowly.

Chanyeol jerked, another loud snore erupting from his chest. Kyungsoo gulped down a breath, freezing.

Chanyeol jerked again, this time letting out a tiny yip. Kyungsoo swallowed, mustering his courage he managed to creep next to Chanyeol, then with as careful as a movement as he could make, he pressed the strip to the dog hybrid’s nose.

Chanyeol turned over, sending Kyungsoo fleeing back to his room. He jumped under his covers and waited, listening. Silence. Beautiful, blissful silence . Kyungsoo burrowed in, letting sleep take over.

 

Yixing’s visit the next morning was short, he dropped by only long enough to check in and to steal a few kisses from Baekhyun (Kyungsoo discreetly looked away while Chanyeol gaped at the couple the entire time).  He was the one who pointed out to Chanyeol he had a breathe-rite strip on his nose, something that sent the dog hybrid scurrying into the bathroom to check out in the mirror, followed by a string of questions of what it was and how it got there. Kyungsoo smiled discreetly, not saying a word.

Baekhyun made bacon and eggs for breakfast. Kyungsoo picked at his bacon, watching as Chanyeol devoured everything on his plate in seconds. Dogs were apparently very messy eaters.

“It is supposed to rain and thunder today,” Baekhyun said, looking at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo swallowed, shrinking back in his chair. He hated thunder with a passion.

“Can I go out and play in it?” Chanyeol asked, reaching for the orange juice.

Baekhyun gave him a curious look. “In the rain and thunder?”

“Yeah. It’s a free bath.” Chanyeol shrugged, gulping down the orange juice in one go.

“I’m going to my room,” Kyungsoo said softly, standing up.

Chanyeol watched him, ears perking up. “Are you okay?”

“Kyungsoo doesn’t like thunder,” Baekhyun admitted. Kyungsoo scowled. It was true but for some reason having Baekhyun tell Chanyeol that put him in a sour mood.

“Let’s watch a movie then. I can play in the rain another time,” Chanyeol said brightly. He stood, grabbing Kyungsoo’s plate and his own and walking towards the sink.

Kyungsoo swallowed. He had to try . Chanyeol was there to help him, he had to be strong, to resist shrinking away and hiding. “O-okay.”

Chanyeol’s tail wagged lazily as he turned. “Come on. I like your room the best,” he said, heading towards the cheetah’s abode.

 

Kyungsoo situated himself as close to his bed as possible while still being able to see the tv. He felt safer being near a hiding spot. Chanyeol plopped down next to him, stretching before he began moving the cushions around, making tiny noises of frustration he couldn’t get comfortable.

Kyungsoo watched him, then glanced under the bed, debating if he should retreat.

Rain began to stream down the window, the skies dark.

“Let’s watch this one.” Chanyeol reached for the first movie on the stack closest to him. It was a black and white noir film.

Kyungsoo nodded his agreement.

Chanyeol put the DVD in and pushed play, relaxing back into the mound of cushions he had arranged. He yawned, sinking into the softness.

Kyungsoo stared at the screen, his ears twitching, chest constricting. It would come soon, the loud booms that would send him flying under the bed, breathing rapidly.

He couldn’t pay attention to the movie like this, couldn’t focus on anything but what was to come.

“Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol suddenly asked.

“Yeah?” Kyungsoo’s voice cracked.

“Come here.” Chanyeol looked over. He patted the cushion next to him.

Kyungsoo widened his eyes. “Why?” he squeaked.

“Please.” Chanyeol pouted, lower lip jutting out, not really answering the question.

He in a breath and took a chance, scooting across the floor until he was closer to Chanyeol. When the dog hybrid reached out and put his arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder, the cheetah hybrid tensed up. Chanyeol ignored it, pulling him to his side until his thigh was pressed against Chanyeol’s.

A clap of thunder sounded. Kyungsoo jumped, Chanyeol tightening his hold on him. He made a move to dart under the bed but Chanyeol’s arm kept him anchored, pressed into his side.

Anxiety came washing over him, the pain in his chest pulsing, his breathing picking up. He whined, feeling helpless at the combination of noise and physical proximity.

“Shhh,” Chanyeol said, voice quieter than Kyungsoo had ever heard it before. “It will be okay.”

Kyungsoo swallowed, daring to look at Chanyeol. The dog smiled, squeezing Kyungsoo’s’ shoulder. “I’m a big scary dog, I’ll protect you,” he said.

Kyungsoo wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Instead, he was further surprised when Chanyeol hugged Kyungsoo to him, the smaller cheetah hybrid’s face suddenly smashed into the front of his sweatshirt.

Kyungsoo’s stunted claws dug into the fabric, gripping it. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. His body was shaking. He could hear Chanyeol’s heartbeat, calm and steady. In the background the noise of the movie, the soft pitter patter of rain, and then another crash of thunder.

Chanyeol hugged him tighter.

“I promise, it will be okay,” he said.

Kyungsoo clung to him, feeling embarrassed, panicked…but also oddly safe .

Chanyeol was warm, big, arms encircling Kyungsoo and making him feel like he was wrapped in a soft blanket, hiding away from the things that frightened him.

“You smell nice,” Chanyeol said softly.

Kyungsoo focused on Chanyeol’s steady heartbeat, on his calm breathing. On the way his arms felt around him, arms pressing him closer. He concentered on his breathing. Another boom of lightning and he was tensing, fighting a battle in his mind to stay calm.

“Shhh,” Chanyeol whispered, hugging him tightly.

Kyungsoo kept his eyes closed and focused. It was strange, when the next bolt of lightning struck, he didn’t jump. Slowly he began to relax, face buried in Chanyeol’s sweatshirt, the earthy scent embracing him.

The next thing he was aware of was a faint shaking of his shoulder, then the unmistakable smell of meat frying. Kyungsoo opened his eyes, leaning back he rubbed them. Had he really fallen asleep while it was thundering and lightning out?

He looked towards the window. It was already dark outside. He looked back at his makeshift pillow, Chanyeol . The dog hybrid was smiling sheepishly. There was a noticeable wet patch on his sweatshirt. Kyungsoo paled, realizing he had drooled.

“You are snore really loudly,” Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo huffed. He snores really loudly?!

“Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, dinner is done!” Baekhyun called from the kitchen.

“Come on, let’s go.” Chanyeol stood, stretching out his long limbs.

Kyungsoo sighed, then followed.

 

Kyungsoo managed to get a decent night’s sleep thanks to pressing the breathe-rite strip on Chanyeol’s nose before he went to bed that evening.

“I have to use them, you should too,” Kyungsoo said quickly before rushing off to his room. He smiled, recalling the confused look on Chanyeol’s face. It was cute. Chanyeol was cute. He groaned, burying his head into his pillow.

The next day they all ate breakfast together, Baekhyun informing the two hybrids he would be out for part of the day shopping with Yixing.

“You guys will be okay here alone, right?” he asked.

“Let’s watch a movie,” Chanyeol blurted out, tail wagging.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Kyungsoo assured him.

 

Kyungsoo didn’t like to leave things ambiguous, it only made him more anxious. Once Chanyeol was in his room, plopped in front of the television, Kyungsoo started his explanation.

“About yesterday….I didn’t mean to–“

“You should sleep on me more often,” Chanyeol interrupted. “You smell nice and your ears are pretty to look at.”

Kyungsoo’s hands shot self-consciously to his brown and black speckled ears.

“And you’re warm. And cute. Did I say your ears are pretty already because they are?”

Kyungsoo felt heat creep into his cheeks. “Let’s watch the movie,” he said, gesturing towards the television.

Chanyeol didn’t argue.

 

“I’m hungry,” Chanyeol whined after they finished watching the third movie in a row.

“Baekhyun keeps snacks in the cupboard closest to the fridge,” Kyungsoo said, glancing back at the rolling credits.

“I want eggs. Can I make eggs?” Chanyeol asked.

Kyungsoo frowned. He didn’t usually cook. It wasn’t that Baekhyun told him not to it just wasn’t anything he wanted to do when his owner roommate always made all of the meals (assuming he didn’t bring takeout home).

“Have you made them before?” Kyungsoo asked.

“No, but they don’t look hard. I watched Baekhyun do it this morning,” Chanyeol puffed his chest out. “I can do it, don’t worry.”

That didn’t make Kyungsoo feel better, but the dog was determined. Kyungsoo followed him into the kitchen, watching as he took out a pan and put it on the stove.

“You just crack them open and turn the knob and then you have eggs,” Chanyeol sing-songed, pulling out the carton.

Kyungsoo hugged his arms around himself, taking a few steps back. The entire situation made him beyond nervous.

Chanyeol fiddled with the knob on the stove, then took out a few eggs and cracked them on the edge of the counter. Egg white ran down one of the cupboards as Chanyeol juggled to open the eggs above the pan.

“Kyungsoo, what is your favorite food?” He asked, reaching for a dish towel to wipe up his mess.

“Ummm,” Kyungsoo hesitated. Did he have a favorite food? “Barbeque I guess.”

“I like all food,” Chanyeol announced. Kyungsoo didn’t doubt it, Chanyeol had an enormous appetite.

Chanyeol finished cleaning his mess, tossing the dishtowel onto the counter he turned around. “I especially like bacon though. And eggs. And steak, though I’ve never had it but I saw it on tv and it looks really good. Ah, and I like ice cream too, but only vanilla because Yixing said I can’t have chocolate.”

Chanyeol started to ramble off all of the foods he liked, an extensive list that made Kyungsoo’s head spin.

The cheetah hybrid did his best to listen, only belatedly noticing the smoke pluming up from the pan.

“Chanyeol!” he shouted, pointing towards the stove.

Chanyeol whipped around, ears going up. “Oh no, oh no, oh no .” The smell of burnt food permeated the air. Chanyeol grabbed the pan and brought it to the sink, flicking on the water and throwing it under.

A high pitched beeping sounded, sending Kyungsoo into full panic mode. He rushed out of the kitchen, to his bedroom, throwing himself under his bed.

The beeping kept going, shrill noises that had Kyungsoo squeezing his eyes shut. His claws went to his mouth and he began to chew. His chest hurt, pangs of anxiety pushing against him.

He tried to shut out the noise, but it wouldn’t stop. Persistent, at regular intervals, an alarm that drilled into his head. His breathing was quickening. He began to shake, tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

And then the beeping was gone, the interval came and went without another sound.

“Kyungsoo, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Chanyeol arrived a second later, throwing out a string of apologies as he kneeled and looked under the bed. “It was the smoke alarm but I fixed it. I’m sorry, please don’t be mad.”

Kyungsoo in a few shaky breaths, unable to say anything.

“Kyungsoo, please,” Chanyeol pleaded with him. “I’m sorry. I’ll never cook again, I promise.”

He felt himself growing dizzy, arms quivering, his stubby claws dragging along his lips as he shook.

He heard the bed creak and opened his eyes, alarmed to see Chanyeol trying to angle his large body under the bed.

“It will be okay,” Chanyeol said, reaching for him.

Kyungsoo blinked through tears, allowing Chanyeol to pull him into a hug. The mattress was raised awkwardly on the dog hybrid’s shoulders. It would be almost funny in any other situation.

Kyungsoo buried his nose into Chanyeol’s shirt, clinging to him. He listened to his heartbeat, the calming rhythm that had helped him the day before.

Slowly he began to relax, to breathe normally. The tears dried, his body no longer shaking.

“It will be okay,” Chanyeol continuously repeated, hugging him tightly.

 

Baekhyun came home a little after seven, arms full of shopping bags and takeout. He stopped in the doorway of the living room, shocked to see Kyungsoo pressed into Chanyeol’s’ side, fast asleep.

Chanyeol waved at him, careful not to jostle the sleeping cheetah hybrid.

“He had a rough day,” Chanyeol said quietly. “And I tried to cook but I didn’t ruin anything I swear.”

Baekhyun stared at the two, rendered speechless for one of the first times in his life. Finally, he turned away and padded into the kitchen, ready to assess the damage.

 

“Is he helping?” Yixing asked. He was seated at the kitchen table, sitting across from Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol were gone, off to the doctor. Chanyeol needed a few shots. Kyungsoo was oddly reluctant to see him go, feeling a pang of fear when the dog hybrid walked out the door.

“I…I think so,” Kyungsoo admitted. He didn’t understand what it was about Chanyeol that made him feel better, that turned his darkest moments into something more bearable. “I’m still afraid and nervous a lot but when he is there it seems a bit better.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear it.” Yixing sipped his coffee.

Chanyeol picked at the napkin in front of him. He had finished eating the meat pasty that Yixing had brought him. “I don’t understand why though,” he said softly.

“There have been many studies done on emotional support hybrids. It isn't exactly known why, but it is proven they can lower anxiety, normalize heart rate and blood pressure, and even reduce pain. Having another person, hybrid or human, around you can do wonders for your anxiety, Kyungsoo. I’m happy that you decided to do it.”

Kyungsoo swallowed. “It feels…weird, but good.”

“Chanyeol seems happy about it,” Yixing announced. “I’ve never seen his tail wag so much.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “That thing is a nuisance.”

That’s what he said about your tail,” Yixing replied.

“What?!” Kyungsoo reached for his tail, affronted.

“I’m joking.” Yixing laughed. “Actually he told me you have the cutest tail to ever tail if I am being honest.”

Kyungsoo felt heat creep into his cheeks. “Is that so,” he mumbled, suddenly extremely fascinated by the napkin in front of him.

 

Kyungsoo couldn’t deny that having Chanyeol around was improving his anxiety levels. As the days passed he found that his panic attacks could be quickly controlled if he had Chanyeol by his side, the dog hybrid’s arm around his shoulder, or better yet pulling him into a comforting hug.

And Chanyeol seemed to sense when things would set off Kyungsoo’s panic attacks. A sudden noise had Chanyeol rushing to his side, or reaching for him if they were close. It was starting to become a habit, to glue himself to Chanyeol’s side when he could.

Baekhyun, on his part, kept quiet about their sudden hugs and touches, though he never failed to smile and sometimes wink when Kyungsoo met his eyes.

Their movie marathons soon morphed into gaming sessions, Chanyeol insisting Kyungsoo learn to play the handheld games he had brought with him from the shelter. Baekhyun was a gamer but Kyungsoo wasn’t. They made him dizzy and he didn’t like the constant noise. Regardless he found himself sitting on his bedroom floor, mashing buttons while Chanyeol talked excitedly.

They would play until bedtime, Chanyeol always slinking out to the living room, tail relaxed, frown on his face. Kyungsoo would worry his bottom lip, considering if he should just let Chanyeol sleep in his room.

A week after Chanyeol moved in he did just that.

“You can stay…if you want,” he said quietly.

Chanyeol’s tail sprang to life, wagging back and forth in a blur. “I can?! Can I sleep next to you? Please, Kyungsoo, I promise I won’t move too much. Please!”

Kyungsoo smirked. “Okay, but you have to wear a breathe-rite strip.”

Chanyeol nodded excitedly before hurrying out to get one.

Once he was tucked into Kyungsoo’s bed, Kyungsoo next to him, he asked the question. “Why aren’t you wearing a strip? I thought you said you wear them too.”

“I am but mine is uh…. invisible,” Kyungsoo answered, closing his eyes.

“Oh,” Chanyeol said, easily accepting his answer.

 

Sleeping with an oversized dog hybrid was an experience Kyungsoo never thought he would have. Even if Chanyeol promised not to move around in his sleep he couldn’t help it, he flopped around incessantly. Because he liked to sling his arm around Kyungsoo that meant the cheetah hybrid was often taken along for the ride. After the second night sleeping in the same bed, Kyungsoo relegated himself to falling asleep with his arms around Chanyeol’s middle, partially to hang on for dear life but also to make the constant movement a little less surprising.

Aside from Chanyeol’s propensity to move around fifty times during the night, the new arrangement actually helped Kyungsoo to sleep better. He felt less nervous, his sleep was deeper, he was no longer expecting to bolt upright in bed, shocked awake by a noise.

A few nights after they started sharing a bed, Kyungsoo sensed Chanyeol’s restlessness. He was usually able to fall asleep right away, but this night he was lying awake.

“What’s wrong?” Kyungsoo asked, rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling.

“Nothing,” Chanyeol answered quickly.

They laid in silence in for a minute before, in characteristic fashion, Chanyeol began to ramble. “Where are you from? I mean like what is your past? We never talked about it and it isn’t that I want to pry but I was curious. Do you come from a farm or a family? I was in a store. I don’t really remember it well, I mean I remember my siblings but they were all purchased before I was. And then I went to a family but they didn’t like how loud and clumsy I was so they gave me to a friend. And then they gave me to another friend. And then I ended up at the shelter because no one liked me.” He in a breath.

Kyungsoo turned over and looked at Chanyeol. The bedside lamp was on, letting Kyungsoo see how red the dog hybrid was in the face. Oddly, it hurt to see Chanyeol so flustered. Kyungsoo wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, to give him a comforting touch, but he held back.

“That’s terrible,” he said, feeling a wave of anger over what Chanyeol had gone through.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t an uncommon story. Hybrids were often sold as companions to humans, people who didn’t understand them or respect the fact their genetics were more human than animal. Worse yet, they were put to work, free labor for shady corporations who weren’t wary of the bad press. There were no stringent labor laws to protect hybrids, not like there were humans, making them an ideal labor source to abuse.

“I was born on a farm,” Kyungsoo started. He remembered little of the farm, very little. What he did remember he didn’t like to think about, the rest likely blocked from his mind unconsciously. “The breeding farm wasn’t that big and eventually the owner died and everyone left. I was still there because they wanted to breed me, but well, they didn’t before the place was liquidated. I went to Yixing’s shelter after that and then Baekhyun brought me here.”

He knew he was lucky in the grand scheme of things. He hadn’t had to stay at the breeding farm, kept in a narrow cage, barely alive, and only fed enough so he could still mate with other hybrids. His mother…she hadn’t been so lucky. Neither had his father. Both had died when he was still a cub, succumbing to the illnesses that ran rampant in the place.

Chanyeol frowned. He reached for Kyungsoo, pulling him against his chest. “Was the farm a bad place?” he asked softly.

“Yes, it was,” Kyungsoo admitted.

He was shocked when he felt a growl build up in Chanyeol’s chest, slipping out of his lips. Kyungsoo moved to get away but Chanyeol pulled him back, apologizing. “I’m sorry I just...I would bite the bad people on that farm if I could.”

Kyungsoo nodded against his chest. “And I’d scratch the people who didn’t want you.”

“You would?” Chanyeol asked, sounding suddenly very cheerful.

“Yeah, I would.” He looked up, seeing a small smile on Chanyeol’s lips. He was so…good looking for a dog, Kyungsoo thought.

“Goodnight Chanyeol,” he whispered, laying his head on Chanyeol’s chest.

“Goodnight Kyungsoo,” the dog hybrid replied, closing his eyes, body relaxing.

 

The next Saturday found the two hybrids alone, Baekhyun busy visiting family and then spending time with his boyfriend.

They spent morning gaming, then ate a quick lunch (that Baekhyun left for them, there hadn’t been any further cooking incidents).

As Kyungsoo cleaned up their plates, Chanyeol asked a question that made him immediately tense up.

“Do you want to go outside? For a walk,” Chanyeol said, walking up to stand next to the sink.

“I don’t really-” Kyungsoo hesitated. He set the plates in the sink, a slight tremor starting in his hands. “I don’t go outside.”

“You don’t?” Chanyeol frowned.

Kyungsoo shook his head.

“Why?”

“It makes me too nervous,” Kyungsoo answered. He moved away from the sink, to the middle of the room. He stood awkwardly, feeling a panic attack coming.

“Come on, I’m a big scary dog, no one will mess with us.” Chanyeol puffed his chest out and tried to stand taller. “I’ll protect you.”

Kyungsoo shut his eyes. Chanyeol was there in a second, wrapping his arms around the smaller hybrid, pulling him tightly against him, palms splayed against Kyungsoo’s back. “I’ll chase anyone away who dares to mess with my friend.”

Kyungsoo relaxed into the embrace. He listened to Chanyeol’s heartbeat, calming himself with the rhythm. “I haven’t been outside for almost a year and then it didn’t go well.”

“I’ll hold your hand and hug you when you need me to,” Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo had imagined it countless times, feeling confident enough to walk out the front door, to stroll down a street, to walk into a store. It was too scary, too many things could go wrong.

But wasn’t that why Chanyeol was there? Wasn’t that what he was working towards? It would be foolish not to try it, especially when he had committed himself to this course of action.

“How about we just walk around the apartment building? We don’t even have to go outside.”

“O-okay,” Kyungsoo agreed, nuzzling into Chanyeol’s scent, feeling a measure of calm overtake him.

 

True to his word Chanyeol kept a tight hold on Kyungsoo’s hand. He opened the front door, and took a step out first, squeezing Kyungsoo’s hand in reassurance.

Kyungsoo stared, wide-eyed, out to the hall. It had changed since he had last been outside. The ugly wallpaper was gone, replaced with a light yellow coat of paint.

Chanyeol made a show of looking both ways down the hall before turning his gaze to Kyungsoo. “Coast is clear. No danger in sight,” he reported in an animated fashion.

Kyungsoo smiled. He took a deep breath and willed himself to step forward, to cross the threshold that he hadn’t crossed in months. It seemed like an insurmountable task until he felt his small hand dwarfed by Chanyeol’s bigger on.

Safe. He felt safe.

He took one step and then two, finding himself out in the hallway. The door shut slowly behind him.

Chanyeol smiled down at him, teeth on full display, eyes shining brightly. “See, I told you I would protect you!”

“You haven’t protected me yet,” Kyungsoo said with a smile. He looked both ways. The hall was deserted save for a potted plant at the very end, sitting next to the elevator door.

“But I will. If anything comes our way I will protect you,” Chanyeol said confidently. “Now which way should we walk?”

Kyungsoo considered the options. “That way,” he said, pointing the opposite way of the elevator.

They started off slowly, hands squeezed tightly together.

Kyungsoo’s ears were perked up, listening for the smallest noise. When they passed an apartment door and heard a noise inside Kyungsoo stopped. Chanyeol turned towards the door and let out a low growl before smiling.

Kyungsoo couldn’t hold back his laughter. He gripped Chanyeol’s hand and they continued to walk, all the way to the end of the hall before turning back.

“It’s nice to walk,” Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo nodded. It did feel nice, like a huge achievement actually, to be outside of the apartment, seeing something different (even if it was just the hallway).

“Should we walk to the other end?” Chanyeol asked.

“Yeah, we should.” Kyungsoo felt like he had climbed the tallest mountain in the world as he walked towards the elevator. Suddenly his world seemed full of possibilities.

 

“And we walked all the way down the hall like ten times and Kyungsoo did great and he was so pretty and nice just walking and Baekhyun did I tell you that we even heard a few noises and Kyungsoo is sooo brave,” Chanyeol rambled over dinner, too busy talking to shove all of the food in his mouth the moment it was set in front of him.

Baekhyun beamed, glancing at Kyungsoo, who promptly looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed with the way Chanyeol was gushing about him.

“Kyungsoo is brave,” Baekhyun said.

“I know!” Chanyeol agreed, launching into another longwinded tale of their epic trek down the apartment building hallway.

 

A few days later they tried it again, except this time they ventured down to the apartment building lobby. Kyungsoo’s heart thundered in his chest as they rode the elevator. His blunt claws dug into Chanyeol’s skin as they descended. Chanyeol didn’t mention it or show that it hurt.

When they arrived on the first floor there were a few tenants milling about, checking their mail and chatting. Kyungsoo hesitated, hanging back.

“I’ve got you,” Chanyeol said, squeezing his hand.

He nodded, taking a step forward. They walked all around the lobby. When the tenants walked past them and smiled Kyungsoo even managed to feign a smile in return.

“You seem happy being outside, “Kyungsoo commented when they returned to the apartment. He could sense Chanyeol’s joy whenever they ventured beyond the confines of the apartment. “Why don’t you go outside more often?”

“But I only want to go with you,” Chanyeol said with a smile. “Otherwise it’s no fun.”

Kyungsoo looked away, feeling something akin to guilt.

 

They began watching movies while lying in bed. It was more comfortable than the floor and Chanyeol didn’t have to do so much cushion rearranging and growling in frustration until he was comfortable. Kyungsoo liked stretching out, head on Chanyeol’s chest and Chanyeol liked to Kyungsoo’s ears with lazy circles, fingers caressing the soft fur.

And sometimes, when they watched a movie with a love scene in it, Kyungsoo would tense up and close his eyes, realizing his body was pressed against Chanyeol’s. That Chanyeol was warm and handsome and smelled nice.

And then he would try to think of something else, like barbeque or a list of things he wanted to get done or the way Baekhyun looked ugly when he made strange faces. Because he wasn’t quite ready to admit he was attracted to Chanyeol. Not yet . Not now.

 

Kyungsoo was bundled up in four layers, a scarf around his neck, hat covering his ears, tail discreetly covered with a long coat. Chanyeol was in his own disguise, beanie hat over his ears, long coat somehow concealing the baseball bat of a tail that never seemed to sit still.

Baekhyun had given them some money, along with questioning if Kyungsoo was ready. He was. Or so he thought.

Chanyeol had been begging him to walk to the nearby corner store for the last few days and finally, he agreed…with a few conditions. It had to be early in the morning before rush hour started and the streets were filled with pedestrians. Chanyeol couldn’t let his hand go under threat of being scratched (Kyungsoo would never do it, but he still threatened it). Chanyeol agreed to all of his conditions, tail wagging nonstop the moment Kyungsoo agreed to go.

They set out around five in the morning. Baekhyun wasn’t awake yet, so they moved carefully, trying not to wake him.

Kyungsoo almost felt confident walking down the hall and to the elevator, riding down to the lobby. He was getting used to it, a new sense of strength discovered after having ventured outside with Chanyeol. He wasn’t completely sure of himself, but he could do this. He could take these steps, hand in hand with Chanyeol.

But then there was the door outside, a place full of loud noises and people. There weren’t that many cars on the road at this time of day, but they were still there. Headlights, the sound of cars honking. City noises.

Chanyeol let Kyungsoo’s hand go when they were in front of the door. Kyungsoo turned to him in a panic, relaxing when Chanyeol’s arm went around his shoulder instead. Chanyeol hugged him to his side, opening the door with his other hand and moving them outside.

Kyungsoo felt his chest tighten, heartbeat thrum in his ears. He closed his eyes then opened them, Chanyeol holding him securely.

“The fresh air is nice,” Kyungsoo admitted, taking in a deep breath. They walked slowly down the sidewalk, Kyungsoo’s ears perked up. There were so many soft noises that he usually never heard being inside. Smells as well, food and other scents he couldn’t identify.

A car sped past them, causing Kyungsoo to press his body closer to Chanyeol’s.

“Don’t worry, I’ll beat it up if it gets closer,” Chanyeol joked, making Kyungsoo smile.

The small corner store was half a block away but to Kyungsoo it might as well have been a mile. By the time they arrived he felt mentally exhausted. They walked inside, the clerk saying hello to the two hybrids with a bored voice.

Chanyeol guided Kyungsoo towards the back, where a row of drinks was kept refrigerated. “We can get drinks and then snacks,” he said.

Kyungsoo stared at the wall of drinks, not sure what he liked. He hadn’t heard of half of them.

“I want milk,” Chanyeol announced. Holding Kyungsoo close made it awkward to reach for the door and pull out the bottle. Kyungsoo realized it, stepping away for a moment so Chanyeol could retrieve his drink.

He stared at the wall of drinks while Chanyeol reached inside to get the small bottle of milk.

Suddenly there was a noise, the slam of something Kyungsoo had never heard before. He panicked, darting away at lightning speed. He ran but being unfamiliar with the layout of the store he ended up rushing towards a corner, the aisle cutoff from the rest of the store with a display. He turned to dart the other direction, his foot catching on the leg of the rack of chips. He yelled out as he fell, eyes going wide, hands stretched in front to catch his fall.

And then everything went dark.

 

The first sound that Kyungsoo registered was a soft beeping, followed by voices that sounded distant like they were coming from another room. He struggled to open his eyes. His head hurt, a splitting pain shooting down the side of his face.

He blinked, adjusting his eyes, a bright light making him squint.

“Kyungsoo!” It was Baekhyun. He was leaning over him, worry painted on his face. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore,” Kyungsoo answered. His tongue felt thick in his mouth like he was chewing on cotton.

“You’re in the hospital, you hit your head,” Baekhyun said slowly.

“Hos-pital,” Kyungsoo said slowly, letting the word sink in. He looked around, his mind feeling fuzzy.

“You fell in the store. You needed a few stitches but you’ll be okay. They gave you a sedative to keep you calm so you might feel a little weird.”

He blinked, trying to remember. He was with Chanyeol, they walked to the store and then – “Where is Chanyeol?” he asked, eyes darting around the room.

“In the waiting room.” Baekhyun patted Kyungsoo’s arm. “He feels guilty about what happened.”

“Can I see him?” Kyungsoo asked. His throat was raw and painful.

“The doctor will be here soon,” Baekhyun answered. “Let’s wait.”

Kyungsoo nodded. He let his head fall back into the flat hospital pillow. Everything felt… foggy .

Chanyeol shouldn’t feel guilty about what happened, he decided. He was the one who had panicked, who had run at the simplest noise. He was the problem, not Chanyeol. Suddenly he felt like a fool, worrying Chanyeol, causing him so much stress.

A few minutes later the doctor arrived. He examined Kyungsoo, then instructed the nurse to prepare the discharge papers. Kyungsoo remained calm the entire time, the sedative making it impossible for him to panic.

Baekhyun brought a wheelchair for him and he climbed onto it, bundled up in his four layers. When he was wheeled out of the room he found Chanyeol waiting by the door. He was looking at the floor, the picture of regret, his trademark smile turned into a frown.

“Kyungsoo, are you alright?” he asked with a strained voice when he caught sight of the cheetah hybrid.

“I’m fine.” Kyungsoo feigned a smile, feeling anything but fine, his head a mess of regret and guilt.

 

The car ride home was silent. Chanyeol kept glancing over at Kyungsoo, he could see it out of the corner of his eyes. Kyungsoo kept his eyes trained on the window, watching the passing scenery. When they arrived back at the apartment building he brushed Chanyeol away, taking small and slow steps towards the elevator.

Once they entered the apartment Kyungsoo mumbled about being tired and walked towards the bedroom. Chanyeol followed him, arms out in case Kyungsoo would fall.

Kyungsoo climbed into bed, peeling off the layers awkwardly until he was clad in his t-shirt and sweatpants. He covered up, burrowing into the blanket. When Chanyeol made a move to lay next to him he waved him away. “I just want to sleep,” he said, shutting his eyes and rolling over.

 

He woke up a little after midnight. The television in the room was on, playing a classic movie. He could make out Chanyeol’s silhouette. The dog hybrid was sitting next to the bed, the familiar pile of cushions arranged behind him. An empty chip bag and a half-eaten bowl of popcorn sat beside him.

Kyungsoo involuntarily let out a soft purr, enough to make Chanyeol turn around.

“Soo, are you feeling better?” he asked, looking afraid.

Kyungsoo nodded. The sedative had worn off, he no longer felt like he was looking through a veil of mist.

“I’m so, so, soooo sorry you fell. I should have been there for you, I shouldn’t have let you go, I should–“

“Stop,” Kyungsoo interrupted. Chanyeol frowned.

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. He needed to say it, to say what was on his mind. “It isn’t fair to you, that I’m like this. That you have to always be next to me. You’re your own person, you should be able to do what you want. Having you come here as an emotional support hybrid, it just isn’t fair to you.” A weight lifted off his chest as he said it, as he verbalized what had been on his mind since he woke up lying on a hospital bed. It just wasn’t fair to Chanyeol, to feel so responsible for him.

Chanyeol furrowed his brow. ”A what?”

“An emotional support hybrid,” Kyungsoo repeated himself. “You are tied down to me. You probably would love to go outside more but you don’t. I’m holding you back. You deserve better…than me.”

“Emotional support hybrid?” Chanyeol asked, looking utterly confused. “What’s that?”

Kyungsoo stared at him, trying to understand. “What you are. I mean, why you’re here…”

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes. “I don’t understand.”

“To help me, my anxiety…” It suddenly clicked. Chanyeol had no idea. He hadn’t been told. The sudden look of sadness on Chanyeol’s’ face, the way his tail dropped, confirmed it.

The dog hybrid looked hurt. “Is that why Baekhyun adopted me?”

Kyungsoo felt a stab of pain in his chest, but this time it wasn’t a panic attack. It was complete and utter guilt. It was the feeling he did something horribly wrong, that he had caused the normally happy and exuberant hybrid in front of him to frown. The sight tugged at his heart, making him want to cry.

“Answer me, please ,” Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo looked away. “There are studies, that dog hybrids can help cheetah hybrids and–“

“It isn’t because you liked me? That you want to be my friend? That you want me to live with you?” Chanyeol asked. “That isn’t why Baekhyun adopted me?”

“I want to be your friend!” Kyungsoo blurted out.

“But I’m here to help you, I mean to make you feel better?”

“It isn’t – yes, but–“

Chanyeol stood, towering over the bed. “I’m your therapy dog,” he said, words pained. “I see.” He turned around and stalked towards the door without a backward glance.

Kyungsoo watched him go, waiting to cry until the door was shut.

 

“Why is Chanyeol sitting on the sofa holding a box of breathe-rite strips and crying and why are you sleeping alone?” Baekhyun asked the next morning. “Did you go all Lee Min Ho in Boys Over Flowers on us? Can you remember my name?”

Kyungsoo was still in bed, burrowed in the blankets. “I knowph you but I don’t wanmph to talk about it,” he said, words muffled by his comforter.

Baekhyun sighed. “Okay, but will you two be okay alone today? I hate doing this but I need to run to a few appointments.”

“Yesmph.”

“Take it easy. Call me if you feel sick or anything.”

“Mphkay.”

 

Kyungsoo remained in bed for the rest of the day. He heard Chanyeol move around, whimper now and then, soft cries. He played 1980s love ballads at one point, which only made him cry harder. Kyungsoo shed a few tears as he heard the hairspray infused crooning, wiping them away before chewing on his claws. They had gotten so much longer in the last month….

He only emerged to grab his dinner and bring it back to his room. Their old room…he cried while he ate the delicious barbeque. That night the house was alive with the sound of Chanyeol snoring, apparently, he had discarded the breathe-rite strips.

Kyungsoo cried himself to sleep around three in the morning, hugging his blankets.

 

He had a lot of time to think while he was alone. He thought about life before Chanyeol arrived, about how terrible it had been, how afraid he was all the time. Even now, as he was alone in his room, he jumped at loud noises and hid under the covers. But if Chanyeol was next to him he knew he would be brave…he could face it.

Chanyeol was his strength, his rock. But it wasn’t fair to the dog hybrid to always be fawning over him, watching him, feeling guilty when Kyungsoo’s own issues caused him harm.

And knowing Chanyeol had no idea that he was adopted to help with Kyungsoo’s anxiety…it added another layer of pain. Chanyeol, who had been shuffled from house to house because no one liked him, thought they had adopted him because they were different, only to find out he was adopted to serve a purpose.

But it wasn’t like they didn’t like him. Kyungsoo knew he adored him, Baekhyun adored him too. Albeit in a different way. Kyungsoo wasn’t the poetic sort but he wouldn’t be lying to admit Chanyeol was like his sunshine, was a brightness he had been missing. He was caring, his laugh was infectious. He talked enough for the both of them, filling Kyungsoo’s normal silence with chatter that made Kyungsoo smile, made him feel like he was actually living. Chanyeol was hyper but gentle. Handsome, his arms felt like heaven wrapped around Kyungsoo’s shoulders. He was warm, funny, caring.

Kyungsoo loved him. Honestly, he knew that is what he felt towards the dog hybrid. He loved him. He loved his smile, the way he made Kyungsoo’s life better just with being there. The way he made his face grow warm when Kyungsoo realized how close they were, how nice it felt to be in his arms, to nuzzle against him.

He loved him.

And now they were not speaking, both crying in separate rooms.

Life .

 

“I’m leaving,” Baekhyun yelled from outside Kyungsoo’s door. “And when I get back you two better have talked.”

It had been three days of radio silence, of tears and muffled crying. The day prior he had heard Baekhyun assure Chanyeol that he was welcome there, that he liked him, that he hoped he wouldn’t be sad. Baekhyun had done the same with Kyungsoo, trying to reassure him to no avail.

Kyungsoo heard the front door open and close a minute later. He sighed into his blankets, not sure what to do. He knew he should go out and talk to Chanyeol at some point but he didn’t think he could handle seeing hatred in the dog hybrid’s eyes. It would hurt too much. Plus the realization he loved him…that was a complication he wasn’t sure he knew how to handle.

It turned out to be Chanyeol who made the first move, who opened Kyungsoo’s bedroom door softly and stepped inside.

“I don’t want Baekhyun to be mad at me,” he said quietly, back leaning on the door.

Kyungsoo clawed his way out of his blanket fortress, but kept his eyes on the wall, not daring to look at Chanyeol.

He tried to remember all the times Chanyeol called him brave, grasping onto that feeling, finding the courage to speak.

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo said. “I like you. Baekhyun likes you. You moved in because we like you but yes, we were looking at dog hybrids because of the research, because my anxiety was so bad that I couldn’t function. I was tired of hiding, of spending my life running away and I asked Baekhyun for help in finding you. It is my fault. Don’t be mad at Baekhyun and please–“ His voice cracked as he thought of Chanyeol crying. “Please don’t cry because you shouldn’t be sad. You’re a great dog, Chanyeol. Too good. I don’t deserve to even know you. I…you are amazing and anyone would be lucky to have you with them. I didn’t know you weren’t aware, of the research I mean. I...I never want to hurt you Chanyeol. I like you so, so much and please, please don’t be sad.” He surprised himself at how...Chanyeol-like he had suddenly sounded. He raised his hand to his mouth in shock.

Seconds ticked by without a word from Chanyeol. When he did speak it wasn’t what Kyungsoo was expecting.

“Those are the most words you have ever said to me,” Chanyeol said in amazement. Two seconds later Kyungsoo let out a yelp at the sudden violent bounce of his mattress. Chanyeol ran full force, throwing himself onto the bed, tail wagging at a furious pace.

“Are you feeling better? Kyungsoo let’s not be mad at each other. I like you, I like you so much. I was worried and sad but I looked up emotional support animals and I get it because I want to help you and I know you like me and oh my god I think I am in love with you. You’re so pretty and smell so good and I want to hold you forever and I would marry if I could and we could adopt little puppies and kittens and cuddle for the rest of our lives. Crap did I just say that out loud.”

Kyungsoo stared at him with wide eyes.

Chanyeol gulped, tail slowing.

“I love you too,” Kyungsoo whispered, not sure what to do, body feeling a new kind of anxiety.

Chanyeol’s tail began to wag violently. “Really?! Like love want-to-kiss love or like love as-in-you-love barbeque love?”

“Kiss,” Kyungsoo swallowed, feeling heat in his cheeks.

“Can I do it? Can I kiss you?” Chanyeol was so transparent, his eyes darting to Kyungsoo’s lips. His tail wagged rapidly, ears twitching. Kyungsoo swallowed. How was a dog so damn…cute?

Kyungsoo nodded, feeling warm all over.

Chanyeol heisted a moment before he leaned in. he looked nervous, locking eyes with Kyungsoo for a moment before he pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss.

Kyungsoo blinked, waiting for Chanyeol to move. When he didn’t Kyungsoo parted his lips, earning a yelp out of Chanyeol, his lips parting. Kyungsoo inside, hands going to Chanyeol’s neck, claws lightly grazing the skin as he deepened the kiss.

It was sloppy, Chanyeol was all tongue, enthusiastic but careful. When they parted, they looked into each other’s eyes, both blushing violently.

“You taste better than you smell,” Chanyeol said softly, eyes going back to Kyungsoo’s’ lips.

Kyungsoo smiled, affection bubbling up in his chest. “Do you want to taste again?”

He could see Chanyeol’s tail wagging back and forth, signaling his answer. Kyungsoo pulled Chanyeol back in for a kiss, their tongues sliding together.

When they broke the kiss they remained close, noses pressing into each other, breathing mingled. Kyungsoo felt warm, he felt good. He felt safe.

“I want to always be around to hold you, Soo,” Chanyeol rasped. “If you want me to be.”

“I want you to be,” Kyungsoo answered quickly, feeling his chest swell with happiness. “As long as you want to be.” He stared into Chanyeol’s bright eyes, feeling the greatest victory yet.

 

Baekhyun arrived home at quarter past eight, Yixing in tow. He had expected to find the two hybrids still apart, tear stained cheeks and silence. Instead, he found the apartment apparently abandoned. He walked into the living room, Chanyeol was nowhere in sight.

Next was Kyungsoo’s bedroom. His blankets were tossed onto the floor, empty chip bags were strewn about, but no hybrids.

“, were they kidnapped?” Baekhyun began to panic, rushing out into the hall. He stopped when he saw Yixing standing, a -eating grin on his face.

Yixing pointed towards the bathroom door, then held a finger to his lips.

Baekhyun crept closer, listening.

“The way I see it, Yixing and Baekhyun are to blame.” It was Chanyeol’s voice. “They should have told me. Not you. I mean, it isn’t bad but how was I to know what an emotional support hybrid does?”

“Ah, Baekhyun’s nice though. He forgets everything it probably slipped his mind to mention the emotional support element. I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm.”

“He made you cry. I can’t forgive him,” Chanyeol said.

“He didn’t make me cry,” Kyungsoo protested. “You did.”

“Me?” Chanyeol’s voice lilted.

“Yeah….I don’t like seeing you sad. It makes me want to cry seeing you sad.”

There was the splash of water followed by giggling.

“I don’t know why I was afraid of baths before. This is amazing,” Kyungsoo purred loudly.

“Because we are together, huh?”

“Well…yeah, maybe a little.”

“Kyungsoo, you’re pretty,” Chanyeol said.

“So are you,” Kyungsoo replied. “I didn’t know dogs could be so pretty.”

Baekhyun grabbed his boyfriend’s arm and tiptoed into the living room.

“Did they seriously not even hear us come in?” he whispered.

Yixing smirked. “I think their minds are elsewhere.”

“Holy .” Baekhyun looked towards the bathroom door. “Wait, can they even...you know…together…”

The sound of a moan emanated from the direction of the bathroom. Baekhyun blanched.

“Apparently so,” Yixing said, grabbing Baekhyun’s hand and tugging him along. “Come on, you can sleep at my place.”

Baekhyun tried not to hear another thing the rest of the way out of the apartment, afraid he would need to bleach his ears if he did.

Notes:

-I have an anxiety disorder and tried to base Kyungsoo’s reactions partially on my own experience. I don’t have anxiety as
severe as Kyungsoo, and I am sure what I wrote isn’t going to match many people’s experience. I hope I didn’t offend
anyone who suffers from it. It is a terrible affliction.

-Thanks to Cam for reminding me of this idea (I tweeted it and promptly
forgot all about it a month later haha). Also, she bears the responsibility for dragging me into Chansoo in the first place,
so really, this one's for her.

-But also for Consorte because I need to help her save on hair care. Thanks
for helping me so much this last week and always cheering me on. ILY cyborg master.

-You can find me on twitter if you want to talk. I don’t bite, I just tell lame jokes and ramble on about stupid .

-This is the second Chansoo fic I’ve written and named
after a Bob Dylan song / lyrics. I don’t know how that all works out in my head, but hell, I’m going with it.