When Jongdae looks up at him with those fauxly innocent eyes, Chanyeol falls for it every time.

 

"No, no, no, Jongdae, not today, they're really bad today, okay?" Chanyeol whines, trying to push the cat's head away, groping for a tissue to shove up his nose. Jongdae let's out a mix between a purr and a hiss, flopping back on the couch, tail cocked irritably.

 

"But I want to cuddle..." the feline whines, sharp canines poking at his lips cutely as he pouts. His dark gray ears are flattened and turned outwards, and Chanyeol curses the day Baekhyun convinced him a cat would be good for him.

 

'You need some friends,' Baekhyun assured him.

 

Baekhyun knew he was allergic to cats. Chanyeol had protested vehemently, but it was definitely love at first sight when Baekhyun'd brought the small cat home, tiny frame curled up on Baek's back. Chanyeol'd been sure he was a kitten, due to his size, but Baekhyun explained that he'd been sitting at the shelter he volunteered in for weeks; nobody wanted to adopt adult cats these days.

 

Chanyeol couldn't say no if he tried.

 

They were a month in, and Chanyeol was miserable, snotting all over his sleeves, sneezing left and right. No amount of benadryl could allow him to tolerate Jongdae's constant shedding, hair on every surface he chose to curl up on, and every time Chanyeol caught him scratching at a doorframe, he was pretty sure he was going to rip his own hair out.

 

He'd threatened to shave Jongdae once and earned a hiss every time he passed the cat for a week straight.

 

Chanyeol sighs, watching the other with his snotty tissues hanging from his nose, and can't help the guilt creeping at his gut. Jongdae's curled up childishly on his side of the couch, Chanyeol's loose tshirt clinging to his tiny frame, lithe legs bare and poking out from beneath, tail curled around one of them.

 

If only to get rid of the guilt, he reaches out to take one of the feline's wrists, tugging quietly. Jongdae immediately perks up, quickly climbing into Chanyeol's lap and turning a few times until he's comfortable, plopping down and pooling his sharp cheek in the taller boy's shoulder. His purr is deafening, and Chanyeol fights the urge to sneeze.

 

Jongdae begins to knead at Chanyeol's chest, and his sharp claws feel like tiny needles, earning a smack of protest from the brunette. "Stop that, it hurts," he whines.

 

Jongdae growls, wrinkling his nose, but soon resorts to purring once more, batting playfully at the tissues hanging from Chanyeol's nose to amuse himself. Rolling his eyes, Chanyeol reaches up to scratch the cat softly behind his ears, the bell at his throat tinkling gently.

 

"You're lucky I love you..." Chanyeol mutters, earning a pleased yawn from his cat, who snuggles up against his neck for a nap. "I'm positively miserable."

 

"I'm not, and that's all that matters, really," Jongdae replies, ever so snarky. Chanyeol wrinkles his nose and pinches the other's scruff, causing him to slacken completely.

 

"One of these days I'm going to shave all your hair off, you little brat," he grumbles. Jongdae glares at him defiantly, otherwise placent. When Chanyeol releases his neck, he purposely digs his claws into the other's side, curling back up.

 

"Ow," Chanyeol complains to no avail.