There wasn't much in life that could phase Minseok. He was too old and and too worldly to be bothered with such things anymore, and that included little puppies yapping at his feet in the backyard. Sehun's dogs had always been a menace to the cats' home, an outward and loud embodiment to Sehun's otherwise cold and quiet personality. While most of the cats easily ignored their guardian's son, the dogs were another matter entirely, especially if your name was Kai, Kyungsoo, Jongdae or Luhan. Minseok had already heard about the commotion with Kai earlier. The others, with the exception of one, were already hiding in the house while the puppies barked up a fuss.

Minseok yawned unhappily. All he wanted to do was sleep in under the warm morning sun on the back patio, and it seemed that without some sort of intervention he wouldn't get his nap at all. Stealing his features into his favorite look of stone cold mannequin, his tail dangled tantalizingly over the side of the bench, perfect bait for the first brown puppy to trot over and sniff it. He waited. It came. Animals were so gullible. Minseok opened his mouth and the puppy yowled away in terror from Minseok's calculated hiss. Curling his tail back under him again, he closed his eyes finally in peace, confident they wouldn't bother him again. 

Unfortunately sleep continued to elude him, thanks mostly to the quavering form of Luhan practically blanketed behind him on the already too small bench - Luhan refused to be separated from him, even in spite of his terror of the little pests - and Baekhyun's shouts for the dogs to get out of his herb garden. Minseok watched lazily as the brown cat bristled in mock confidence and chased the puppies away time and time again. After the third attempt, the puppies finally found something else in the yard to check out, and Baekhyun sunk to the ground to recover himself, cursing Sehun as per usual. 

The source of their woes was inside the house doing his usual thing: sitting on the couch while he 'supervised' resident handyman Chanyeol's work on the bathroom plumbing problems. He'd foot the bill when Chanyeol was done, and add it to his father's tab. Another reminder of all the things the cats had to be grateful for in life. If it was anyone other than Yixing helping to provide for them, Minseok would feel burdened, however knowing as he did - as all the cats did - that Yixing's benevolence came from the depths of his heart, and that no reparations would ever be asked for, or even hinted at, the cats were calm. They loved Yixing as a friend, and not just as a guardian. At least some of that extended residually to the people who worked for him, even if that came in the form of his son Sehun. As to the boy himself, they were largely indifferent, especially Minseok. He'd known him for much of the last six years, and Minseok found some small ounce of satisfaction that at least somewhat, Sehun's attitude had improved over time. At sixteen Sehun had been something of a reclusive brat. 

“Are you a catboy?” he'd asked Minseok the first time they met.

Minseok had bridled disdainfully, at the time still mercifully taller than the youth who would later shoot past him in height. ”Do I look like a 'boy' to you?”

“No.”

“Well there you have it.”

They'd had the same pleasant relationship ever since. 

Out of curiosity, Minseok craned his neck around and peered through the open curtain into the living room. Sehun sat on the couch, not minding anyone but playing on his phone. Typical of kids these days, Minseok scoffed to himself. Every now and then Sehun would get up and walk over to the bathroom, nominally playing his role as overseer. Not that Chanyeol needed one. None of the cats would get anywhere near a room that held a threat of free-flying water, but the twenty-eight year old maintenance guru needed no assistance, and he was such a familiar sight in the home that even Kyungsoo had had time to get used to the man's overuse of familiar terms and casual petting.

Chanyeol liked people, that was certain. He loved chatting and socializing on the job. He knew everybody in the neighborhood, and gossiped freely though somewhat guardedly; a rare mix. He wouldn't give away just anyone's secrets after all. He was a people person, to put it succinctly. But he loved cats. Minseok had no doubt that Chanyeol didn't charge nearly as much for his services as he could have done. Maybe this was a form of charity work for Chanyeol, but it's not like any of them really minded, or had much of a choice. The cats weren't handy at all. Luhan broke nearly everything he touched, Jongdae had an irrational fear of electrical problems even before they happened, and Baekhyun required so much assistance crafting his outdoor paradise into a place fit for plants that they really couldn't live without the man. It was a Godsend when Chanyeol moved into the neighborhood five years ago and opened up a branch of a family friend's Shin's Repair Shop & More. At the very least they wouldn't have that fabulous patio table that Jongdae liked to snooze on day in and day out. Chanyeol built it from scratch out of the goodness of his heart. Luhan even claimed to have helped. The little liar.

“Minseok...” The shivering mass behind him pleaded. “Can we go in now please? Please?” 

“The puppies aren't going to eat you, Lu,” he barely whispered.

“I- I know that. But they - I mean, aren't they bothering you? You won't be able to nap at this rate. Let's go inside, huh?” Luhan was stretched out behind him on the bench. It really wasn't meant for two people lengthwise but that never stopped Luhan. Luhan shook him gently, one arm propping him up and his head lying softly on Minseok's shoulder, the other hand delicately resting on Minseok's hip. 

Minseok closed his eyes and purred. “I'm happy here. You go in if you're scared.”

“I- I'm not...”

“You go in,” he repeated softly.

Luhan didn't budge for a few moments, but at the next bark of a puppy from around the side of the house, Minseok felt him finally sit up and crawl across his body. He mashed him brutally before hopping off the bench, then sadly entered the house. Minseok waited a whole extra minute before he too got up and followed him inside.

Tao came down the stairs searching for Jongdae, a pile of hand-me-down clothes in his arms. He met Sehun's glance while passing through the living room but pointedly ignored the man. The sounds of a scuffle in the kitchen called him in that direction. He found the sandy haired cat standing in the middle of the kitchen, hands on his hips and observing a portion of the counter he'd evidently just cleared of all devices and appliances.

“Jongdae?” Tao said to grab his attention.

Jongdae stared at the spot a moment longer, then turned his head and murmured. “What's up? What have you got there?”

“Clothes...” Tao sat the pile down on the island counter. He started to pull certain garments out of the pile. “Joonmyun dropped these off a few days ago. Said I could use them. But...”

“But? What's the problem. Have they been washed? I can add them to a load of my clothes I need to wash later.”

“No, it's not that.” Tao faltered. He hadn't closed the door connecting the kitchen to the living room where Sehun sat just out of eye contact. He could probably hear them. Tao tried lowering his voice a little. “These clothes are human clothes.” Jongdae stared at him, still confused about the problem. “They don't... they don't have room for a tail.”

And still Jongdae stared. Tao felt he must be missing something important here and he could feel his face start to color and blush. Jongdae laughed, not unkindly, but Tao still felt the stings of embarrassment and he tried in vain not to check to see if Sehun was witnessing this. He was. Tao could see him shift on the couch, veiled eyes glancing up from his phone and watching the two in the kitchen through the semi cover of his bangs. 

Jongdae lifted the pair of pants out of Tao's hands. It was a nice pair of slacks, meant for someone slim and tall, exactly Tao's fit if Tao had only been human. Jongdae flipped them around to stare at the of the pants and chuckled some more. “If you want a hole for the tail, Tao, you have to make one. What have you been wearing all this time anyways?”

Tao blushed for real now. “I... I had clothes made for me before now.”

“You mean you had all your clothes tailored? Tailored? Hah.” 

This time there was a definite snort from the living room. Tao hoped it was for Jongdae's horrid joke and not because of his ignorance. He suspected it might have been a little of both though.

“What... what do I do?”

“You rip the seam and sew it back,” Jongdae announced. “Easy easy. If you're Kyungsoo that is. Go ask him and he'll show you. He's handy with a needle. Just don't expect him to do all the work. He's mean like that. Shows you once and expects you to learn it on your own, but hey at least we all learn some skills.” Jongdae winked and dropped the pants back onto the pile, giving it a little nudge for Tao to take it away. 

Tao picked up the pile and dodged Chanyeol just as the man entered the kitchen.

“Alright, Jongdae. Bathroom leak is fixed.”

“Chanyeol! Just the man I wanted to see.”

Chanyeol chuckled. “I figured. So what can I do for you in here?” He had to duck low underneath the ceiling lamp to avoid hitting his head, and then stood hovering over the a countertop, waiting for instructions. Tao froze, still holding up the clothes in his arms. They seemed to get a little heavier with each second and he wondered why he felt possessed to bring the whole stack down when all he could have brought was the one pair of pants. Now he had to go back through the living room past Sehun and his will to avoid that kept him rooted to the spot a moment longer. He was curious anyways about the problem in the kitchen. 

Jongdae pointed towards the cleared counter. “That electrical socket is broken.”

Chanyeol nodded very slowly, but he didn't get up. “When did stop working?”

“Yesterday. But it worked today.”

“It did, huh?” 

“Yes. I couldn't make toast yesterday but today the toaster worked just fine. I think it might be tripping up or something.”

“So you didn't have toast yesterday, but you had toast today?”

“That's what I just said...” Jongdae frowned. 

“Any other plugs not working?”

“Nope. Just that one.”

“When did you get that toaster?”

Jongdae paused. “Excuse me?”

Righting himself from the counter, Chanyeol paced towards the appliance and jabbed at it a couple times. “When did you buy this toaster?”

“What's wrong with the toaster. It's only about four years old.”

Chanyeol smiled. “This cheap thing? It's nearly dead. Buy a new one. Or better yet, I have an almost new one laying around at home I don't use. I can bring it by. There's nothing wrong with the outlet.”

“How do you know that? You didn't even check it!” Jongdae fired up.

“I examined the systems of this house just two weeks ago when you thought something was wrong with the dishwasher. It's fine. But your toaster isn't.”

Jongdae blustered, and when Tao caught Jongdae's tail spiking in defiance he figured he'd take his chances crossing Sehun's path than stick around to witness the oncoming storm. He nearly tripped going out the doorway. A rolled up sock he hadn't known was there fell through his arms and landed on the ground. Sehun acknowledged it, but he didn't move. For a moment Tao thought of leaving it there, but then he'd just have to fetch it later. Juggling the clothes and his weight he hunched down and managed to snatch it up. Sehun's head was buried once again in his phone, so Tao darted out of the room before he could say anything. 

Back in his room he deposited the clothes on his bed and thought about searching for Kyungsoo. The cat was probably hiding out in the den. He didn't know what the cat did all the time on his computer, but he was usually disgruntled when bothered. He'd save the tail-room-making endeavor for later, and since Jongdae was busy being a know-it-all, that just left Baekhyun and the garden. 

He didn't quite make it outside. 

“Hey, kitten!” He heard Jongdae call, the moment he reached the bottom of the stair landing. 

Tao trudged obligingly into the kitchen again, following the call of the voice. 

“Yes?” 

“Help me out here,” Jongdae directed. “Take this toaster and plug it into all the spots in the kitchen.” He plopped the appliance into Tao's arms without further ado.

“Huh?” Tao gawked. “But I thought Chanyeol said it was old.”

“I did, Jongdae. Plugging it in other places isn't going to fix it,” Chanyeol tried to patiently explain. He stood next to the smaller cat and attempted to ruffle the hairs on his head. Jongdae pulled away with a scowl. 

Tao noticed belatedly that Sehun had also followed them into the kitchen, prior to Tao's entry. He sat right on surface of the counter in the farthest corner by the kitchen window, lording over the room with his height and silence. He didn't in to the argument, but he did look rather amused. He'd even put his phone down by his side to admire the view. 

Before Tao could move, Chanyeol retrieved the toaster and held it teasingly over the trash can.

“Chanyeol, don't you dare!”

“Jongdae, it's busted!”

“It's not! It made toast just this morning. If you toss it now what are we going to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning?”

“Not toast?” 

The two of them plus Tao stared incredulously at the person who'd spoken: Sehun, from his perch in the corner. He dipped his head as if to remark that it wasn't a big deal. Jongdae froze, his lips, then looked away and pointedly ignored him. 

“I guess I can live without one for a couple days,” Jongdae finally admitted. “You said you'll bring one over soon? A new-ish one?” Chanyeol nodded, while Jongdae pretended to think about it. “Okay, then good.”

No one spoke and finally Jongdae started putting items back onto their regular counter spots, Tao jumping in to help. Chanyeol briefly pulled out a workman's notebook from his back pocket and wrote a few notes on it. He handed it to Sehun wordlessly and the younger man hopped off the counter top. He briefly looked over the receipt without comment, and had just pocketed it when another howl came from the backyard, probably Baekhyun's, and the the sound of the puppies again.

Jongdae stopped. “Tao, take this person...” he indicated Sehun, “out back and get him to take those dogs home before Baekhyun kills one and roasts it for dinner. Kai's stomach is sensitive and he doesn't like dog meat.”

Tao didn't dare to laugh, though Chanyeol did. Sehun only rolled his eyes but he followed Tao out of the kitchen anyways. Unfortunately for Tao, he dared to look backwards to see if Sehun would follow, and the hesitation caused his leg to bump into the island counter. A parcel of nesting plastic bowls fell off the counter with a loud smack and shot out across the floor, though nothing else followed and nothing was broken.

“Kitten, watch where you're going!” Jongdae called, surveying the bowls. Tao quickly bobbed down to pick them up, cursing his luck. The littlest bowl rolled right next to Sehun's foot. He figured he'd have to get that one too but Sehun surprisingly reached over and picked it up. He passed it into Tao's hands with a little smirk and Tao was forced to thank him, softly, under his breath, unhappily.

He swore he even heard Sehun giggle again when they were back in the living room. Tao paused, hand on the back door and turned back to face the man. Sehun's lips pressed together at an angle, one corner pulling up once again in that unmistakable smirk Tao had come to recognize. He just had to ask him. Sehun's general silent treatment was all very well most of the time, but Tao just wasn't used to having to ignore people, even if the cats counseled him that that was best.

“Are you… laughing at me now?” He hoped his tone suggested casual curiosity. Tao really was just curious.

Sehun blinked once, then twice. Then he smiled.

“No? Oh, it’s just that before I came around this house, everywhere else ‘kitten’ is used as a cheesy endearment or something. Here it just means ‘Hey You’. Cats certainly are enlightening.”

Maybe Tao shouldn't have asked. 

“Can I call you 'kitten'?” Sehun continued.

“No.”

“Kitten?”

“No.”

“But you just responded to it...”

“I'm still responding to your first question. The answer is still no. And you can just call me Tao.”

“So I can call you then?”

“What?”

The smirk was back, and with it a hollow laugh, and Tao really wished he hadn't started this. The dogs yapped again, followed by another one of Baekhyun's shrieks, and it was the perfect excuse to take the house rules and advice and ignore Sehun like he should have done from the start. He turned the handle of the door, but when a hand was laid on his shoulder, he jumped.

“Tao, wait.”

“Huh?”

“I actually am supposed to uhm... invite you over.” Sehun hesitated, and at Tao's bizarre look he added rather quickly. “My dad. He wants you to come over for dinner. Friday. He asked me to ask you since I was coming over...”

Tao scratched his own head, ignoring the puppies outside. “Just me?”

“Yeah, I think. Joonmyun will probably come too.”

“None of the other cats?”

“No? I think it's like a welcome thing. He does this for all the new comers, to see if they're settling in well and stuff. It's been a few weeks now, right? So... Friday?” 

“Sure.”

“Good... I guess I'll tell my dad. Uhm...”

“Hey, Sehun? Let's go save your dogs, huh?”

“Oh. Oh, yeah.”

3,137 words

Does it count that they're on a first name basis now? And a pseudo (not) a date at Yixing's house coming up? Hahaha.

FYI - I kind of squeal everytime I read over the Xiuhan part of this chapter. Why are they so adorable, huh? Isn't Minseok just the best though? And Chanyeol! Ahh, I'm happy he's shown up now. Don't worry, he comes with a full backstory of which I'll be cracking into in no time. 

Thoughts on the chap? The story? The characters? Leave a comment! Seriously, feedback sustains me and motivates me to write, and give me ideas as well. I've edited whole chapters in other fics around what some of my commenters have requested to read, so you never know!

<3 Rosie