Jongin grows up nicely. Very nicely. Super duper nicely, even. Chanyeol is a bit biased; he'll admit it, but Jongin's slender and tanned and lithe and actually is rather demure in manner, which Chanyeol eventually learns means shy and modest.

He's just really pretty.

His friend, Taemin, follows a similar growth pattern, although he's a bit shorter than Jongin and much paler and smiles easier. They're a lot easier to tell apart, now, although Chanyeol never had a problem with that, even as a puppy. They smell very different, and he knows Jongin blushes easily and hides his whole face. Taemin just giggles and maybe covers his mouth.

After they meet and become friends, they're practically inseparable. A package deal.

It's really fun, but sometimes there's a weird feeling in Chanyeol's chest when he looks at them.

Jongin hugs Taemin but doesn't hold his hand.

Jongin holds Chanyeol's hand but doesn't hug him.

What does it mean? Which is better? Touching Jongin is great no matter what, but there are levels to things, right? Intimacy and all that.

And Jongin looks really good with Taemin. Chanyeol's growing, too, but he's still gangly and long and looks like an uncoordinated pup. The cats have always looked like miniature adults, particularly once their tails grew out of their bottlebrushness.

He just looks awkward next to Jongin.

Thinking hurts Chanyeol's head; this is why he doesn't like thinking. He prefers doing. What can he do, though, when he doesn't know what's wrong? These are his friends.

He tries telling some other friends. "You're just jealous," Kyungsoo states simply, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Maybe it is. Chanyeol doesn't know. Who really does?

"Isn't that bad, though?" he asks. "They're my friends."

"But you've got more than friend-feelings for Jongin." Jongdae, a Cheshire sort of cat, bumps their shoulders together and is a general nudje. Chanyeol doesn't mind.

On his other side, Baekhyun's tail wags merrily. "You should just tell him."

Chanyeol's head drops to a shoulder. "Tell him what?"

"That you like him," Jongdae and Baekhyun respond as one voice.

Kyungsoo finishes with a soft "Idiot."

"It-It-It's not like that," Chanyeol insists, because it's really not! They're just friends. "I just think about kissing him a lot." Which is totally normal. Has anyone else ever seen Jongin? He's prime kissing material. He's prime snuggling material, too, because cats are kind of liquid and can fit any space, and Chanyeol likes that feeling of completeness when Jongin's next to him, pressed against his side like a puzzle piece.

"You think about it a lot?"

"Or you you want to kiss him a lot?"

Does it even matter? "I think a lot about kissing him lots." At the chorus of adoring coos, Chanyeol's ears droop, and his face heats up in a blush. "It's not that big a deal. . ."

"Kissing someone is special. If you think it's not, we're taking you to be neutered."

Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and Jongdae all laugh at the cabbit, but Kyungsoo simply stares from behind his fringe.

The laughter lessens to giggles and dies out completely as the trio crosses their legs or presses their thighs together.

Okay, so maybe wanting to kiss someone is a big deal. Chanyeol still doesn't know what to do about it.