When Sehun dropped Tao off at home that night, he didn't stay long enough to really notice the fuss going on inside. He was anxious not to push Tao into something neither of them were sure about. He wanted them to go on, one step at a time, and be more transparent with the other, but Tao was already exhausted from the day’s events, so when he was sure Tao wasn't going to run off and ignore him again, he let him go just for this night.

Sehun slept a little more carefree that night. It wasn't a perfectly restful sleep, but it was better than when Tao wasn't speaking to him. He woke up a bit later than he usually did, checked the clock and decided he still had time to take the dogs for a quick walk before he needed to shower and go to school. His dad brought that plan to a halt though, the moment he stepped out of the kitchen with a piece of toast between his lips.

“I already walked the dogs,” said Yixing while he yawned. 

His dad was dressed again in his long robe, slippers on his feet and everything.

“You walked the dogs looking like that?”

He forgot to check first what his dad had in his hands. A newspaper swiped against his head and Sehun whined comically loud. “That was hours ago, for your information. It's ten o'clock already. Isn't an old man allowed to get dressed and go out and then return to put on his pajamas?”

Sehun made a face at him. Any logic that instituted excessive pajama-wearing was beyond his capabilities to attack or defend. “Are you not going out today?” he asked instead.

“Not until this later this afternoon. I've finally gotten through enough red tape that I'm allowed a visitation at the Sooman factory. It's about time, anyways.”

Sehun gulped. “The... breeding place?” 

“Yes, the very one,” Yixing sighed sadly. 

Sehun did the same, mentally. He'd heard nothing good about those places ever, and they rarely allowed outsiders in, in case they were meddlesome activists like his dad - determined to shut them down. It was a wonder Yixing had even gotten this far. Joonmyun had been trying for years, and Amber was actually banned from entering within even twenty feet of the building and grounds.

“How... how did you manage that?” he asked breathlessly. 

His dad winked cheerfully. “Got a few guys downtown who owed me favors. They're letting me in on the pretense that I'm searching for some individual hybrids. Sibling hybrids, technically, of a few pets on their owners' behalf. Tell a factory you'll pay them enough money because some rich guy wants to collect a full, original litter, and they'll practically bow down to you. In any case, it gives me a chance to get in there and scope the place.” 

Sehun almost cheered for his dad. No other old man he knew was quite as cheeky. “So you're not actually looking for siblings?” he asked, assuming that was all a rouse.

“Oh, no. I'm doing that too.” He wouldn't elaborate though and changed the subject instead. “How is Tao?”

The sudden switch caught Sehun off guard. “Tao? He's... he's... okay?”

“I meant, are you and him okay?” said Yixing with a deeper tone to his voice.

“Oh.” 

Honestly, the subject was a bit awkward. His dad never mentioned directly that Sehun was basically pursuing the hybrid, although Sehun was under no delusion that the man was in any way ignorant of the fact. They just didn't talk about it in so many words. It was easier that way, to just assume they both knew.

“I think... so,” Sehun settled for saying.

Fortunately his dad didn't decide to pursue the conversation. “I guess you didn't talk to him after yesterday? Or this morning?”

“No? Why. What's happened?” His dad had a weird look on his face, and it made him suddenly nervous.

“Kyungsoo moved out yesterday evening.”

“What? To where!?”

“Joonmyun's house.”

Sehun only stared at him. “I don't... I don't understand...”

Yixing laughed. “Of course you don't. Clueless as ever, aren't you. You and your tunnel vision.”

Sehun frowned, because that was hardly an explanation, although it was true. He never paid Kyungsoo much attention, hadn't at all until the evening the cat came home drunk and yelling at Joonmyun. His dad didn't really need to put two and two together for him. He figured it out. Remembered all the times Joonmyun, who was like his uncle, had seemed mopey and he wondered why the man never married or dated. Sehun didn't quite realize that it was because Joonmyun was hung up over a hybrid, didn't recognize the signs until Sehun started feeling those same things himself.

“Does that mean, they're... are they... how... how are they together?” He wasn't asking to be incredulous. He really wondered the why's and how's of human-hybrid cohabitation. The thought had been occupying his mind for a long time, longer even than he knew Tao.

“For now, who knows really,” said Yixing with a tight smile. “That's their prerogative to figure out. Although I can be 100% certain it won't involve Joonmyun ever putting a collar around Kyungsoo.” His voice trailed off. “Just as your mother never wore one. And I expect... Tao might never wear one?”

Sehun didn't answer the question implied. Too personal, too embarrassing, too soon. 

“I know that, dad,” he said instead.

One-way ownership – he'd been raised to abhor it.

He wasn't able to make it over to the shelter until that evening. Several hours of grueling classes and lectures, and then he may have sat overly long visiting with Professor Kwon discussing... hybrids. The house, when he drove up, however, appeared almost deserted. Nobody opened the front door when he knocked, and most of the lights were off except for one or two upstairs. He walked around through the back gate, impatient to see Tao again and instead all he found was Baekhyun.

His footsteps disturbed the cat who was having a light, early evening nap in the hammock. Sehun froze and Baekhyun wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, tail twitching awake as he observed who it was. 

"Sehun?" said the cat sleepily. "Oh, it is you. Hello."

Sehun swallowed, only nodding his head awkwardly in greeting.

"Want to join me?" Baekhyun grinned and indicated the hammock, which had absolutely no room for anyone to join. Sehun balked and Baekhyun laughed out loud. "Just teasing. I suppose you're looking for Tao?" His whole mindset changed between the two sentences, and he looked distant again, reserved.

"Y-yes." Sehun didn't know why he was acting so nervous around the hybrid. Perhaps all of Tao's accusations of him ignoring the other housemates for so long was finally getting to him. And this was the first time he'd met any of them other than Tao, since the day of the blow-up. 

"They're over at the other house."

"Huh? What... other house."

"Joonmyun's?" said Baekhyun. "They're helping Kyungsoo move in the last bits of his things. And most likely driving him crazy in the process, but Kyungsoo probably deserves it. Upsetting everybody so quickly like he did."

"What do you mean?" 

Sehun was probably reaching a milestone for number of words ever spoken to Baekhyun at once. 

"Aren't you supposed to be knowledgable?" Baekhyun , not unkindly. "Cats don't like it when their world changes overnight. Jongdae was howling practically all night when he learned his buddy was leaving. Acting like it's the other end of the world and not just a few doors down."

"Oh," said Sehun, at a loss for words. He did know that, but then he didn't know or understand the house dynamics that well. 

"Even Luhan," Baekhyun chuckled. "Didn't think it would upset him that much either, but then Luhan has problems. He's upstairs cradling Minseok now, like Minseok will be the next one to go. Sooo dramatic, those two!" but he sighed happily.

Sehun had no words. He tried to recall everything he knew about Baekhyun, and it was sadly not much. Twenty-six and once-owned, he was friendly with everybody but not with any one hybrid in particular. Sehun recounted hearing snippets of someone Baekhyun had loved, but all that was long into the past. These days, that he just liked to garden, and he treated Chanyeol almost like a personal handyman. Or maybe that was every cat in the house. Jongdae in particular had an affinity for ordering the human about.

"You know, Tao mentioned you had a sort of rose garden out in front of your house."

"Hmm??" Sehun was startled.

"Yes. He said he was sad, and he wishes he knew how to make it pretty again."

"Ohh."

"Perhaps you'll let me come and see it when the season is right? I can teach Tao how to maintain a rose garden."

"They were my mother's," said Sehun. In his mind the words sounded defensive and he immediately worried Baekhyun would take it the wrong way. It seemed though that Baekhyun did not.

"I bet she liked to garden too then. What color are they?"

Sehun looked shyly at him, still confused that they were holding a real conversation, about his mother's rose garden no less. "Yellow."

"Ohhh. Yes, I bet they looked pretty. We'll make them that way again then."

Sehun hadn't actually agreed to the plan, but he found it nice this way. Baekhyun would do as he pleased, and for some reason that didn't really bother Sehun all that much. He smiled, the first genuine smile he'd ever really given to another hybrid whose name wasn't Tao. Baekhyun looked tickled. 

"Anyways, you don't have to stand out here chatting with me. You're welcome to wait in the house, or else go over to Joonmyun's."

"Are... are they going to be there long?"

Baekhyun shrugged. "Dunno. However long as they want to harass Kyungsoo for. I'm up for anything." He grinned evilly and Sehun had to wonder, privately, why Baekhyun wasn't also over there. "Pretty cute though."

"What?"

"You're a fellow for short, one-word questions tonight," Baekhyun laughed. "I said Joonmyun and Kyungsoo: they're cute. Good for them."

"Oh. I suppose so." Sehun hadn't really thought about them all that much. He was still technically thinking about Tao. 

"So sweet, isn't it..." Baekhyun was almost drawling, scathingly joking. "That even though they're still kind of clueless about each other, they finally get their time. Their prize. All of us have our season in life, Sehun..." He smiled and rolled over on his back, one arm behind his head and the other one fidgeted underneath his backside until he managed to fit his tail through a custom-made hole in the hammock netting. It finally trailed atop the grass beneath, and he sighed happily having accomplished that. He rested both arms behind his head and turned to look at Sehun. "Make sure to use yours wisely."

Sehun was going to respond, was still trying to choose and fit words into his mouth - although he was failing greatly - when they were interrupted by a tall, lanky human who was almost always around.

"Sehun," said the man by way of acknowledgement.

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun yelled, before Sehun could respond. "Back from the moving-in celebration party? How is it over there? Was it suffocating? You know, I'm not sure I approve of this hammock. Are you sure this hole in the net is going to work? I feel like it may tear at any minute and then I'll fall through, first." 

Chanyeol laughed. "It's fine. Your isn't going anywhere in that thing," he promised.

"Oh, isn't it now? That's vaguely disappointing. No, anyways. How was the party? Is it over? Sehun is waiting madly for his lover-cat to come home."

Sehun blushed. Chanyeol patted him on the shoulder but fortunately didn't continue the teasing where Baekhyun left off.

"They'll probably be back soon. It's less of a party anyways than it is an 'Embarrass Joonmyun and Enrage Kyungsoo' showdown. I helped." He grinned brightly. "Also I measured the wall space in his new bedroom. Joonmyun wants to get him a giant new computer desk. I'm supposed to build it for him."

"What a er," said Baekhyun. He hummed to himself, rocking gently side to side in his make-shift swing. 

All three of them were silent for a few moments. Baekhyun had his eyes closed, and Chanyeol just looked around the yard as if noting all the things he could do or might soon be asked to take care of. His hand on Sehun's shoulder hadn't moved though, and so Sehun could only stand there awkwardly. Finally, he moved it, Chanyeol's fingers digging into his shirt and he turned to look at him again. 

"Sehun, I uhm... well, I heard..." 

He didn't have to finish the sentence. Sehun already knew what he was going to say. Everyone would know by now, about his mother.

"That's...okay. I mean, thanks."

It was probably a stupid reply, but he was grateful for Chanyeol's consideration. He was just never good at expressing such things. It seemed Chanyeol knew what he meant to say though too. 

"Anyways, Tao will be by soon. You... he'll be happy to see you too, I imagine."

"Mushyyy loooove," sang Baekhyun out of nowhere. He still had his eyes closed, so Sehun had no way of properly glowering at him.

Tao and Jongdae were the last two to leave the gathering at Joonmyun's (and now Kyungsoo's) house. Kai had skipped out shortly after Chanyeol, too fed up with the idea of the hybrid now living with the human, although he displayed no particular malice at this event. 

"He's just jealous," Jongdae joked. "People being happy. He doesn't know how to deal with that sort of thing." 

It was a light statement to make about the hybrid, but both Tao and Jongdae knew just how much deeper Kai's feelings went. It was fortunate they had anything to joke about in the first place, and so they enjoyed it. 

"You know, I never thought Kyungsoo would just... do that," said Tao.

Jongdae's face immediately turned from gleeful to pouty. He'd been doing that all day, all night. 

Tao laughed at him. "You'd think he was dead or something, the way you keep acting. What, did you have a secret crush on him after all?"

Jongdae scoffed. "Hah. No, nothing like that. It's just... well I liked how my life was going. I liked our home life. I don't like it when things change. Next thing you know, you'll be leaving me, and I'll be the kitten again." He screwed up his face into one of distaste before undoing the wrinkles and smiling.

"What? Where would I go?" Tao genuinely asked.

"Oh please, don't give me that," Jongdae chortled. He wrapped one arm around Tao's shoulders, playfully clipping their tails together as they walked down the sidewalk. "Do you really think you're going to live here for the rest of your life? That Sehun's just going to keep visiting here and won't whisk you away from us one day?"

Tao blushed, and even flinched when he felt Jongdae's head come down to rest on his shoulder. It had to be uncomfortable since they were still on the move between houses, but Jongdae didn't act like it did. He looked like he was trying to worm his way so far into Tao's life that Tao would never be able to dislodge him. Both giggled a little for the rest of the short walk. Until they approached their house and Sehun was just coming out of their own front door.

"Oops!" cried Jongdae when Sehun got his first glimpse of the practically intertwined hybrids. 

Tao decided now was not the moment to panic. It wasn't like he was cheating or anything! Jongdae was just... Jongdae. They'd slept beside each other in far more intimate positions, but something in Sehun's face told Tao that Sehun was probably considering those very images right now. Jongdae slithered out of his self-imposed grip and winked at the boy before he went in the house alone. Sehun had to visibly breathe for a second or two before he was okay, and he looked so cute doing so that Tao couldn't help it. He walked right up to him, and hugged him close. 

Sehun was startled, but only for a moment. Then his arms reciprocated and he pulled Tao even closer and nuzzled his chin to his neck. 

"Did you miss me?" Tao was forward enough to ask.

"Mm," came Sehun's short but sufficient answer. "How was... I heard you were at Joonmyun's house."

"Yes." Tao pulled away. He took a few steps back, dragging Sehun with him, and sat down on one of the steps of the porch. The human joined him there, knees sticking up high as he tried to get himself comfortable. "It's kind of weird, but I guess it's fine," he said.

"What's weird about it?" asked Sehun.

"Kyungsoo. He acts like nothing is different. Like he just happens to have a new bedroom and that's it." Tao frowned. "Jongdae told me Joonmyun's been in love with him for years, but all this time Kyungsoo has just wanted an owner, and now Jongdae isn't really sure if they have discussed this well enough. I think he's really worried about this, about them."

"He looked really worried just now," Sehun remarked sarcastically.

Tao elbowed him, and not lightly.

"Ow!"

"No one says anything mean about Jongdae in my presence. That's a rule." Tao was determined to make this rule stick.

"Okay. Fine, fine," Sehun muttered unhappily. 

"Anyways, what have you been doing before I got here?" Tao asked.

He wasn't really prepared for Sehun's answer about how he had talked with Baekhyun for a little while, and then Chanyeol, and then even Kai. The other hybrid had apparently even apologized to him officially, and they were now best friends. Sehun said the last two words with even more sarcasm, but there was relief in his eyes nevertheless, especially because Tao looked proud of him.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Sehun looked confused.

Tao wouldn't say it again. After all, Sehun didn't need to hear only praise this day. Not when he'd made just a minuscule bit of progress getting to know the other cats. 

"See you tomorrow?" he said instead. 

"Yes. Can I take you out again?"

"Hmmm, perhaps. As long as you don't keep me out too late," Tao said with a yawn. 

"Sleepy already? It's barely nine." 

"I'm always sleepy, don't you know."

"Mmm, yes, a first class bum, you are," said Sehun fondly. He snuck a hand around Tao's lower back, and with his other hand he reached across Tao's forehead to pet at his hairline. Tao almost started purring then and there. He held himself steady though, content to rest in silence and lean against Sehun. Minutes went by without them actually speaking. Instead they sat together and listened to the street life, cars driving along another road, dogs barking in the distance, Kai yelling from inside the house. It didn't sound that serious. 

By the time even Sehun was yawning, Tao purred into his shoulder and gave it a nudge. The human smiled at the attention, even if he was nodding off into sleep. Or boredom. Tao hoped it was just the first one. 

Another minute passed before Tao spoke again. "Sehun, are we... dating?"

"Aren't we?" Sehun lifted his head.

Tao sniffed. "Don't play games," he said softly. "It's a yes or no question."

He waited without looking at Sehun, until he heard the human say, "Yes. We are. Is that... okay?"

"Yes, it is okay."

"Okay then."

When Tao left him finally to go inside, he found the house in a subdued state, mostly because Kai was furious at Jongdae for trying to persuade him to change rooms all of a sudden.

"He basically sleeps in there all alone since Baekhyun prefers the outside," Jongdae began complaining to him hotly. "And we have an extra bed now and nobody to fill it. Why shouldn't he come sleep with us!?"

Tao really didn't want to get in the middle of this one. Then again, if Jongdae was already insisting that someday Tao would be gone just like Kyungsoo, he almost couldn't fault Jongdae for wanting to acquire another cuddle buddy before that happened. Kai didn't seem to have the foresight to agree. He kept stubbornly insisting that he liked being by himself, and when Jongdae tried to overturn the hybrid onto the floor by pulling at his sheets, that was the howl Tao and Sehun had heard from outside.

"Leave me alone." Kai was still resisting when Tao tried to go to bed. "Or if Tao's not enough for you right now, go sleep with Luhan and Minseok."

Jongdae paused, as if considering this a halfway decent idea. They were all in the upstairs hallway except for Baekhyun who was downstairs, and the two oldest who were in their room. Until Minseok poked his head out of the door, looking sleepy but concerned. Tao guessed he'd heard all of their arguments and was coming out to mediate. 

Instead he said, "Probably not a good idea actually. I think... well I thought he was acting a little funny earlier, but I just took his temperature and, I think Luhan is sick."

3,580 words

Alright alright. Nobody lash out at me JUST yet. This doesn't end in Angst after all and Luhan's gonna be fine. But good luck to Minseok getting him out of the house to visit the doctor!

This chapter feels like a whole ton of fluff piled upon fluff. Hence the cop-out title. LOL. Also, I realized I have never utilized the father-son Yixing/Sehun angle, so this felt like the good time to do it. Also Sebaek. Awwwwwww. I love writing Baekhyun so much. P.S. There's another plot device at work within this chapter. Do you see it? Do you know what it's for? :D

This story is not over yet, but I think we're working our way towards the end. I have 4 more characters to feature in chapter perspectives, so that may just be the golden number. We'll see yet.

<3 Rosie