"Take one sip of my Americano and I will show you my claws," I threaten Chanyeol, a tall, dark haired, bass voiced friend of Xiumin's from across the counter.

"Like you have any," he challenges, bringing my cup close to his lips.

"You want to find out?"

"Alright!" Xiumin's voice rings out from the back room as he brings out more cups. Xiumin, his best friend Chen, and I all work at a coffee shop he owns downtown. It's near a university and it gets plenty of business from the students and the eleven close friends that he has. I stick my tongue out at Chanyeol and he returns it as I snatch my drink back from him. Chen shakes his head as he offers to take Chanyeol's order, dark hair shaking in his eyes and his signature feline-like smile on his face.

"Must you always fight with the customers?" Xiumin asks me as he fills the cup dispenser. The pink in his hair has washed out, leaving an ash blonde that makes him look even younger than he already does. "And why are you drinking coffee while you're working?"

"If they start them, especially on my break," I answer simply. "Maybe all the testosterone I'm around is starting to get to me." 

"That or the daily encouter with wolves," Chen says with a smile, his eyes flashing a crimson red before going back to their chocolate brown. Xiumin and his friends have more animalistc tendencies than most people do; more canine to be exact. They're not completely sure how it came about, but they know things got weird when they turned fifteen. Crimson eyes, claws, fangs and a dash of superhuman senses are as far as their abilities go, but the first encounter with them is still frightening nonetheless.

"It's okay," a soft featured, kind smiled guy says as he approaches the counter. "I fight with them all the time and it's not because of the testosterone or the wolf-like qualities. They're just crazy."

"Suho hyung!" Chen exclaims with a pout. He gives Chen a gentle smile and a pat on the shoulder as he orders a vanilla latte.

"Are we still going to that club tonight?" I ask Xiumin, pouting as he takes a sip of my coffee.

"He can do it, but I can't?!" Chanyeol argues from across the room.

"I'm her best friend!" Xiumin answers. Best friends of seven years and going strong. He's been friends with Chen for around thirteen years when they met in elementary school. "Of course we're going. It's Jonghyun's birthday and you know we never miss a good party."

"One Long Island please!" I shout to the bartender as soon as we get to the club. The neon lights are almost blinding as the music pulses so loud it almost shakes the walls that are packed with people.

"Whoa, whoa!" Luhan, the doe eyed elder, says, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline in shock. "Are you trying to get wasted tonight?" I laugh as the bartender hands me my drink. I've never been one for getting super drunk, those days are behind me.

"The last time you were drunk you ended up kissing Chanyeol," Kyungsoo, the owl eyed guy with heart shaped lips, points out. "Well, it wasn't as much kissing as it was making out."

"My parents are coming tomorrow. I need to drink a little bit if I'm going to survive this weekend," I tell them. I punch Chanyeol hard in the arm as he passes by me to the bar. "I told you not to tell them about that!"

"I didn't!" he defends, having his own drink in his hand. "At least, I was too drunk to remember telling anyone. Cheers!" I roll my eyes but clank our glasses together. We meet Jonghyun and he tells us that he already has a tab started and to just put everything on there. I sit in a leather booth with Xiumin, Sehun and Lay as the others order their drinks or head out to the dance floor. It's another ten minutes before Baekhyun comes over with Xiumin's and Sehun's screwdrivers, Lay's soju and a drink of his own.

"Baek, what is that?" Lay asks him, taking a swig of his drink as he observes the frosty looking liquid in Baekhyun's glass.

"I don't know," he laughs. "I guess we're about to find out."

By midnight it's evident that we'll be taking taxis home because while we're not hammered, we're definatley tipsy. I'm giggling at something Baekhyun and Chanyeol are talking about when Xiumin pulls me up to dance.

"Why didn't you tell me about your parents?" he asks me as a slow song comes on right as we're on the dancefloor.

"They don't like me living with a boy," I answer as I wrap my arms around his shoulders. "They don't like me being a barista and they don't like me living with a boy."

"So...I guess they also wouldn't like now that Lu and Lay just moved in with us," he assumes and I nod because he's exactly right. My parents aren't fond of Xiumin or of me living with a guy, especially three. They think he held me back from "pursuing better career choices", such as a doctor, like my brother Jaesun, or a studying to become a Physics professor, like my brother Daniel. I was never good in school, especially science, so I don't know why they set their expectations for me unrealistically high. We hear a growl that sounds a little too realistic and see Kyungsoo jumping on Kai's back to prevent him from very possibly ripping somebody's throat out. It takes Xiumin and I to wrestle Kai out the back door of the club before it gets violent.

"Why is it always the tall ones that get into the fights?" Xiumin wheezes once we're outside and Kai's settled down. He's never had much of a temper, but when he's mad it's not a pretty picture. "How come it's never someone smaller like Baek or Suho?"

"I think height compromises your temperment," I state. Kai glares at me but his eyes at least are their regular dark brown instead of the blood red they just were. "What happened?"

"It was just some jerk form the dance academy he goes to," Kyungsoo says with an eyeroll. "Why do you let him get to you? He's just jealous, that's why he picks on you because he knows he can get a rise out of you." Kai rolls his eyes as if he's heard this before. "I wish you'd stop letting him get the better of you." Kyungsoo shakes his head before entering the club again, closing the door with more force than necessary. Kai sighs and Xiumin pats him on the shoulder.

"UP! UP! UP!" I yell bright and early the next morning as I bang pots and pans together as I walk down the hallway. We got in a little after three and all crashed. However, the place is a mess and my family is going to be here at one. Granted, they aren't staying here, I already told them that, but they want to come see the place. And it shouldn't greet them looking like a complete pigsty. Luhan growls at me, claws and fangs included when I come into his and Lay's room with the pots and pans.

"Growl at me all you want," I tell him with an smug smile. "But I can still knock you out with this pan."

"Not if I take it from you," Lay groans, throwing a pillow at me that I dodge.

"I'd like to see you try," I snort. "I still run faster than you." I'm alreadly flying out the door and into the livingroom when they come chasing after me into the livingroom...right where I wanted them. 

"What the hell is going on?" a groggy Xiumin asks walking into the livingroom, rubbing his eyes. "And you." He points to me. "How are you not the slightest bit hungover?" I did drink a little more than I intended to, but I've always been a good drinker.

"I hold my alcohol well," I dismiss with a shrug. "My family will be here in T minus four hours and the place looks like it's been inhabited by dogs. Pun intended." They roll their eyes. "Guys, I cleaned my room and the kitchen already. Please, just clean your rooms and and the livingroom." Lay and Luhan look at Xiumin. I put on my best puppy dog pout and Xiumin sighs in defeat as the other two grumble and head back to their rooms.

"Your parents are so mean to you," Xiumin states, sitting on the counter as I cook breakfast. "Why are you always trying to impress them?"

"I"m not," I shrug off. He gives me an unconvinced look and I roll my eyes. "I'm not trying to impress them as much as I'm just trying to get them to accept that I'm going to live my life my way." He nods. "And that I'm twenty-four years old! They have to stop trying to boss me around."

"I don't think parents ever stop trying to boss you around," he chuckles, patting me on the shoulder as he shuffles into his room.

"So, you live with three boys?" my mom asks with raised eyebrows as she looks around the spotless apartment. She's a little shorter than me with short black hair and always has a scrutinizing expression on her face. "It's awfully clean..."

"Are you sleeping with any of them?" my dad inquires abruptly. He's tall with glasses, dark hair, and always has on a suit being a businessman at a big software company downtown.

"No," Luhan, Lay and Xiumin answer quickly from where we're seating on the couch. My mom, dad, and my two brothers, Jaesun and Daniel, the guys and I all sit in a semi-awkward silence as my parents try to find something wrong within the apartment. It's been going on for the last twenty minutes and from the grumbling stomaches I'm starting to hear, some of them are hungry.

"Have you dated any of them?" my dad presses on. We're quiet a beat too long..."Well?!"

"Luhan and I dated, but it was two years ago," I tell quickly, getting to my feet with a clap of the hands. "Who's hungry?" My brothers and the guys stand up in unison, agreeing and already beginning to shuffle out the door. It's going to be a long weekend.

"So, you work at a coffee shop?" my dad asks, seemingly unimpressed as we wait for our food. We're at a nice restaurant, downtown from the coffeehouse, that Xiumin and I eat at quite a bit. "That's it?"

"She helps handle the finances of the shop," Xiumin explains, coming to my rescue. "A friend and I own the shop and with her degree in finance and managment, she handles all those matters."

"Do you have a degree in anything?" my mother challenges, nose upturned.

"Business and dance," Xiumin answers with a nod. "I had a double major with the two in college. I teach classes part time at a studio some of my friends own."

"And you two?" my mom challenges to a quiet Lay and Luhan.

"I'm about two questions away from clawing my eyes out," Xiumin whispers to me, resting his cheek on my shoulder. "And that would be less painful."

"I'm so sorry," I apologize. "But thank you for coming. I don't think I'd make it through this alive or sane without you."

"What are best friends for?"

"Sleeping was all that ever happened," Luhan clarifies quickly when we return to the converstation at the table. "Nothing else ever happend, I swear." It's going to be a really long weekend. I don't blame my brothers for occupying themselves with their phones because even I don't want to be a part of these converstations. The rest of dinner consists of my parents giving me and the guys the third degree which eventually leads to all of us ordering a drink if we're going to survive the rest of this interrogation. The food finally comes and we eat in silence to avoid any more awkward or uncomfortable converstations.My parents insist on coming back to the apartment for drinks. The guys give me pleading looks, but once my dad shoots them a raised eyebrow they already know they'll be spending yet another hour in my parents prescence.

After an hour of my parents basically praising Jaesun, who's a doctor, and Daniel, who's studying Physics, and practically saying I've failed them, I'm considering drinking enough alcohol to black out and avoid the rest of this conversation. And just when I thought this night couldn't take anymore unpleasant turns, the topic of conversation turns to my nonexistent love life.

"You know I want grandchildren one day," my mother says as I rub my temples and quietly groan at the sight of my empty glass. "And you're not getting any younger-"

"Ma, please," Daniel interrupts. He's shorter than my dad, probably because he's actually my cousin, lean, and has shorter brunette hair and almond shaped eyes I remember his mom having. His parents died in a car accident when he was three and my parents took him in. He's the brother Jaesun and I never knew we wanted. "She's focusing on her career."

"Yeah, running a business isn't easy," Jaesun points out. He's also usually in a suit because he works at the pediatric unit in the hospital. He's the spitting image of my dad expect younger without glasses and has brown hair. "Dad, you of all people would know that's not easy." Dad scoffs and I surpress an eyeroll.

"Honey, you know the older you get the harder it is to find a husband," Mom continues as if she wasn't interrupted. I groan, getting up to refill my glass. "And you're a pretty girl, it's probably not hard for you to find a date-"

"No it's not," I sigh, pouting when there's only enough whiskey in the bottle to fill half my glass. "I just haven't been looking."

"I knew it'd come to this." I raise an eyebrow at her. "Your father and I have made some arrangments-"

"Arrangements?" I laugh, downing the whole drink. "For what?"

"Your marriage." My jaw drops and I'm pretty sure if I was a cartoon it would be on the floor right now. "We've been talking for a while, and we believe it's the best choice for you-"

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" I exclaim loudly, making everyone, minus my parents, jump at the volume of my voice. "An arranged marriage? Nobody does that anymore."

"Some do actually," my mother states with a nod. "And we found a wonderful man for you! He's a doctor. So at least he'll be able to support you since we don't really know how long this coffee shop fiasco is going to last." My head throbs harder and I'm not sure if it's from this conversation or the alcohol. "Well, we're tired. Long day with all the driving up here. Oh, you'd also be closer to home! Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Wonderful would be the farthest word from my mind describing this situation. "We'll discuss it over dinner tomorrow, okay?" I give a dismissed wave as I quietly usher them out. My brothers give looks of pity and a kiss on the forehead as they lag behind my parents. I lean against the door when they're all finally out.

"I need more alcohol."

"Xiu, calm down before somebody sees you," I snap at him the shop the next morning. His eyes have been red on and off as we discuss last nights events and he's been growling at his friends everytime they make a remark. I drag him to the supply room when I see his claws come out at a comment one of the maknaes made. "What's up with you today?"

"You're actually going to let them rule your life like that?" he demands, borderline hysterical. His eyes flash crimson again. "They step all over you and you just let them!"

"What the hell else am I supposed to do?!" I fire back, just as upset.

"Stand up for yourself!" he fumes. "Like you said, you're twenty-four years old! Stop letting your parents treat you like you're fifteen. I mean, if you go through with this, what do you think is going to happen to the shop,hm? Or me?" He's quiet, his eyes dissolving back into their coffee brown color. The pure hurt now evident in his eyes nearly breaks my heart. "You're my best friend. I almost tell you more stuff than I tell Chen, but that's probably for good reason sometimes. What will I do with myself if you leave me?" He sighs. So that's what he's really upset about, me leaving. I wrap my arms around him in a hug.

"I'll never leave you, okay?" I tell him, pulling away to look into his eyes. He nods. The supply closet doors opens to Chen standing in the doorway with a frown on his face.

"I know you're in the middle of a touching moment right now," he says with a dramatic sigh. "But there are some customers here who are testing my patience and if somebody else doesn't deal with them, then I will...my way." He flashes his claws before pulling us out the closet. The customers are, of course, my parents.

This whole "arranged marriage" thing keeps me up the next few nights. I wouldn't get the chance to fall in love on my own. Sure, there's the chance I could fall for him after we're married, but what fun is that? Plus, what if we don't get along at all and just end up getting divorced a year later? That'd be wasted money on the wedding and this whole ordeal would've been for nothing. I jump at the sound of thunder and whimper as I slip lower under my covers. I've always been scared of thunderstorms. The only person that knows that is Xiumin and I feel a weak smile tug at my lips as the bedroom door cracks open and he slips through, closing it with a quiet click. I nestle up to him as soon as he's under the covers.

"Spill it," he says calmly, running a hand up and down my arm as I trace the logo on his shirt with my finger.

"If I marry that man, I won't know him," I confess, looking up at Xiumin. "He wouldn't know I'm afraid of thunderstorms or that I'm a neat freak or-"

"How you still sleep with a teddy bear during storms," he continues, poking at the fuzzy brown bear between us. "That you like Americanos, hate romance movies, love going to kareoke with Chen,Chanyeol, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, that me, Lay and Luhan are almost your other brothers and that you're a good drinker." I nod. "Maybe..." He's quiet and I look up at him. "Maybe you should meet him." I sit up to look at him straight in the face. "I mean...you haven't dated anyone since Luhan and you have seemed stressed lately. Maybe a little change wouldn't be so bad. Like just dating someone, that's all."

"Are you sure about this?" I ask, eyebrow raised. He kisses the top of my head and pulls me back into his chest.

"You deserve to be happy," he tells me. "I'm sure that's all your parents want too, they're just more extreme about it." I laugh in agreement. "Go to sleep and don't worry about it right now, okay?"