On Monday morning Tao woke up bright and early, eager to put a fresh start for his second week in the shelter. What he didn't need to tell anyone is that Jongdae put him up to it, but at 7:00 am sharp he was standing by the front door when Kai came down the stairs for work. 

“What... are you doing?” Kai asked grumpily when Tao opened the door for him and then followed him outside. 

“I'm walking with you.”

“Like hell you're walking with me to work. Go back inside.”

“No.”

“Then go walk in the other direction.”

“Don't want to.”

“Well I'm not walking with you.”

“Okay.” 

Kai strode off with long strides before he reasoned that Tao had given up a little too quickly and then he halted and swung back around to look. Tao had given him about eight good steps head start and then started following.

“He's going to resist,” Jongdae had warned him. “And he might threaten you but he never goes ahead with his threats so be persistent and he'll eventually give up.”

It seemed Jongdae knew Kai well because after various threats about having his tail cut off when he sleeps, Kai fumed and huffed and then continued onwards with Tao at his eight paces behind. Tao followed in his shadow merrily and by the time they'd reached the halfway point, he'd cut the steps down to four paces, and still Kai didn't say anything. He didn't acknowledge he was even there actually, but that was enough for Tao. He thought about cutting it to two paces, but then he worried for his tail and what if Jongdae misjudged something somewhere along the way? Tao wasn't willing to risk it. When they got closer to the building where Kai worked though, Tao did fold his tail straight downwards behind his leg so as not to draw more attention to them. He'd already donned a beanie for his ears so otherwise he looked just like Kai: human-like. Except that Kai was hardcore and kept his tail stuffed down his baggy pant legs instead of out. Tao had tried that over the weekend and it was plain uncomfortable, no matter which way you stuck it. He had to have some respect for Kai. 

Did respect and spying go hand in hand? He'd ask Jongdae later, because it was at his request that Tao was supposed to scope out the area for any signs of Kai's unhappiness. He found none this morning, however, and since Kai didn't invite him inside, and Tao wasn't about to ask, he about-faced at the door and retreated at the same speed all the way home. ”Hey, at least you'll get a walk out if it,” Jongdae assured him. Well, he got that.

And more.

He was right on the corner of the his street when he heard the little doggies. Two specifically, because the third had gotten loose and before Tao had time to react it was on him, sniffing at his feet and bouncing at his hip. He bent down to pet it and then toppled over so that he sat on the side of his hip while the puppy worked itself into a fluster around him. The other two arrived promptly on their leashes, and Tao didn't have to look up to recognize the Converse sneakers of their irritated owner. 

For some reason Tao could already guess whatever scowl Sehun would have in place, and for this reason he was already laughing at the human before he turned his head to peer upwards. He'd been right. He also guessed that this particular walk of Sehun's didn't include a planned interception with Tao on the corner, and that was empowering. 

“Morning,” he said cheerfully. He might have been at a physical disadvantange from his tumble on the sidewalk, but he was definitely going to be more cheerful.

Sehun had no choice but to return the greeting. “Morning...”

“Lost a dog, huh?”

Sehun grunted. “Appears so.”

“And this time probably wasn't on purpose, huh?”

That brought out the scowl in full force again. Tao pulled himself up to his feet and dusted himself him off while Sehun retrieved the leash for the rogue puppy. 

“Well, guess I'll be seeing you,” Sehun quipped. He started to dart around Tao in a direction that was decidedly not towards home, but it was a lovely morning in Tao's eyes and he didn't really want to go home yet. He'd also already dealt with one grumpy individual this morning, so what was there stopping him from making that two?

“Can I come?” 

“Excuse me?” Sehun stopped, and the puppies yanked him a half step off balance at the end of their ropes. “Come? Come where?” He challenged.

“I feel like walking.”

“So?”

“Well, where are you going?” He tried to make a play for one of the leashes, but Sehun switched them from his left hand to his right and out of Tao's reach. 

“Nowhere cool. Now leave me alone.”

On those certain terms, Tao employed the same tactic that had worked with Kai: he gave him eight paces distance before following. Unfortunately it didn't work as smoothly since the dogs had gotten wind that he was following, and the most friendly of the three kept turning around and waiting as if for Tao to catch up. Sehun had no choice but to slow down and finally Tao could walk at his side. He tugged off his beanie because his ears itched and besides, he already knew Sehun had a problem with cats. There was nothing more to hide.

They walked silently for a few more blocks until they came upon a park Tao didn't know was there. He didn't know much about the neighborhood at all really except for his house, Joonmyun's, Yixing's, and now Kai's workplace. The park wasn't much to look at it. It had probably been given better care and maintenance in days long back. The playground was a bit rusty but it worked, and the grass wasn't well cared for. There was at least a small duck pond (with no ducks) and some magnificent shady trees. 

Tao tried not to look too impressed. He also tried to curb his instincts to climb them. It wasn't just a cat thing, he assured himself. But tree climbing had been one of his more frequent hobbies when he had nothing else to do on the ranch. 

Sehun followed his gaze and smirked. He tied the dogs' leashes to a bench and then sat on it, his legs crossed with his knees together, and he folded his arms across his chest to complete the picture. 

“Are you going to climb that tree or just stare at it?” he asked, tonelessly.

“Climb it, of course.” Tao grinned and then got to work. He picked the nearest low-hanging branch that would hold his weight and jumped to reach it. Now with some leverage he walked his feet up the trunk until he could haul himself up and over the branch. First one down. He perched on it happily and then stood up to find the next branch.

Sehun watched him for a little bit, and then he looked away. Then he watched as he climbed the next branch, and then away. Tao contemplated climbing up to the highest of highs just to see if Sehun would ever do anything other than look. Then again, that was just being irresponsible. Tao knew his limits. But it seemed Sehun didn't.

Tao stopped only halfway up and found a nice spot to sit, and still Sehun tried not to look curious. He scowled and looked away when Tao caught him staring, and Tao just had to laugh.

“Why do you look so grumpy? Want to climb the tree with me?”

Sehun snorted. “No. Why would I do that?”

“Because it's fun!”

“For you. I'm not a cat.”

Tao pouted playfully in the tree, although Sehun wasn't looking at him anymore. The dogs had sunk down to rest at his feet and he pet one and then another, pointedly ignoring Tao.

“You don't have to be a cat to climb trees. I hear kids do it all the time.”

“Yeah, well I'm also not a kid.”

Tao didn't say anything to him this time, but he did notice how it flustered Sehun to not get a response. He waited until the human looked up at him again, and then he smiled. Nothing more than that.

Sehun frowned again. “So... is that your hobby? Climbing trees?”

Tao laughed. “No. Yes. Not really.”

“Figures you can't really make up your mind.”

Tao started shimmying down the tree, no longer seeing the advantage of sitting well above Sehun on the ground. “Well, have to do something for fun,” he said.

“Isn't that all you do though? Sleep, eat, and have fun?”

Tao landed with a thump sturdily on two feet, but Sehun jerked backwards from the shock of seeing Tao magically in front of him. The dogs wagged their tails.

“Now that's all I do. Before though, I actually did school.”

Sehun's eyes widened. “School? But... like... how much school?”

Tao sat down on the grass beside the dogs and started playing with them. “Home school basically, since I couldn't go to a regular school. I think it's the equivalent of a high school education. If I wasn't a cat I could go get a GED, but... instead I'm just a smart cat with nothing to do.” He grinned wide at Sehun, lips pressed together.

“Huh,” Sehun grunted and looked away. “Well that's... certainly progressive of your owner.” 

“I know, right? Anyways...”

“Anyways, I need to get back,” Sehun cut him off. He looked at his watch as if he'd just remembered it was there and got on his feet. Tao stood up too and tried to reach for the leash, but again Sehun got there before him. He unhooked the dogs from the bench and started walking out of the park. Tao kept up with him.

“What do you have to do today?” he asked, genuinely curious.

Sehun didn't answer for a moment. When Tao opened his mouth again, however, he said, “College. I have... class in an hour.”

Tao felt his mouth going dry. “You go to college?”

“Uh huh.”

“What... for?”

Again Sehun didn't answer and another half block disappeared under their feet until finally he said in a soft voice. “Education. I'm... I want to be a teacher.”

Tao left Sehun on the corner that turned down his street, and while he said goodbye, Sehun didn't respond, and Tao shook it off the rest of the way home. He found Baekhyun around the side of the house barking orders at Chanyeol while they argued on the best placement and design of Baekhyun's new raised flower beds. Baekhyun waved him a good morning, and Chanyeol smiled with a goofy grin and then Tao was no more in their radar as they bickered on. 

He found Jongdae inside in the living room and was immediately interrogated.

“You're back! How was Kai? What did his work place look like? How come it took you so long?”

Tao explained that nothing seemed amiss with Jongin but that he hadn't gone inside. Jongdae took that news decently enough but he stared hard at Tao and in total shock when Tao explained how he'd gone walking with Sehun on the way home. 

“You... did what?”

“I saw Sehun... and his dogs... and we went to the park?”

Kyungsoo took that opportunity to bud in, having apparently overheard most of the conversation. “But he doesn't like us.”

Tao shrugged. “I didn't exactly ask if I could go with him, if that makes more sense.”

Kyungsoo chuckled, even though Jongdae still wasn't able to understand. “Huh,” was all he managed to grunt.

Tao dropped into one of the sofas and stuffed a pillow behind his head. “Did you know he wants to become a teacher?” Now both of them stared at him. “What?” He smiled, suddenly proud to have achieved this kind of reaction from the older cats. Ignore Sehun, they'd said. He doesn't like cats. He won't bother with us more than he has to, they'd said. 

“Why doesn't he like cats?” Tao asked in a softer voice.

A hand appeared suddenly on his head and Minseok lightly through his hair. He tugged on his ear and made a sound that signalled approval, but he didn't answer. 

“You know something, don't you?” Jongdae asked.

Minseok smiled mystically but kept on his way to the back porch for his mid-morning nap. The door closed behind him as the three cats inside stared after him. Finally they looked at Kyungsoo, who had been in the house nearly as long as Minseok, but he too shrugged. “Don't look at me. I don't know anything. I just know that's how he's always been. Cold and curt and pretty much a little if you talk to him directly.”

“Oh, well he's still kind of that,” said Tao, and they laughed. Jongdae started playing with the tassles on Tao's pillow, and Kyungsoo went back to his computer, and a few minutes later Luhan half-trotted, half-sprinted through the living room like he'd just woken up in a panic and found Minseok gone.  

By midweek Tao hadn't heard anything about going to the shelter with Yixing, although he did know that Jongdae had spoken to the man and that he was on board with whatever they decided to do. Maybe because he hadn't given them an official 'yes' but nobody mentioned it to Tao again until Jongdae said something about this weekend. Tao figured he would go and talk to Joonmyun before then if Yixing didn't come by. 

In either case there was still plenty of things to do and think about. Every morning Tao walked with Kai, four paces behind, and sometimes he even walked there in time to pick him up at the end of the day, four paces behind. Between Kyungsoo and Jongdae he was learning how to cook so at least now his scrambled eggs didn't come out black but his over-easy still turned into a big fried mess. There were other times of the day when after he'd get tired of listening to Baekhyun fuss with his plants, Tao would retreat inside and attempt to be more social with Kyungsoo. Some days it worked, and other days Kyungsoo just turned off his monitor and crossed his arms and Tao took that as one of Kyungsoo's more polite ways of saying, 'Get out before you die.' On Wednesday afternoon Tao even managed a nap with Minseok, under the watchful eye of the eldest cat's keeper.

Life was eventful indeed.

Tao hadn't seen Sehun since their walk to the park, and with the human out of sight it was easy to pretend that Tao's world existed for and only for cats. Life in the shelter was as easy as Yixing had promised it would be. He had no call to go outside past the boundaries of their neighborhood, and all was perfect. 

On Thursday night the mid-oldest cats were going out. Tao wasn't invited because he wasn't old enough, and Jongdae declined, but when Kai began to complain how they never did anything fun around here anymore, he managed to scurry Baekhyun and Kyungsoo along on a Cats' Night Out excursion. He had a favorite bar or dance club that they went to occasionally, from what Tao could figure out. Joonmyun needed to accompany them because hybrids weren't allowed in without a guardian. 

Tao watched them go with unvarnished amusement plastered to his face. Baekhyun was dressed up snazzy, Kyungsoo looked like he could kill, and Kai for once had ditched the baggy pants and let his tail out, literally. Joonmyun ushered them out the door with a fine chorus of, “Guess I'm a proud owner of 3 tonight!” Baekhyun smacked him over the head and they all climbed into Joonmyun's car. 

Then the house was silent and Tao started to mope. Jongdae patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. “Cheer up. Give it a couple years and then you can go with them. Not that dancing and getting drunk while you dance is all that exciting but... some find it so.” He abandoned Tao then with a whoop and rushed over to the miraculously unoccupied computer. Tao heard him start up an online game and figured Jongdae could be considered absent for the rest of the night. Minseok and Luhan had retired early, as usual. The house was all Tao's now. 

Not half an hour later, however, the doorbell rang, and a very scowl-faced Sehun stood there with a backpack hanging off one shoulder and a bag of chips in his hand. “Dad told me I had to come over,” was all he said for introduction. 

“Uhm, what?” Tao said. He closed the door behind him and followed the guest into the living room.

“Want to watch a movie? I think there's a DVD player somewhere in this room...” 

“I... don't understand.”

“I don't like cats still. Don't mistake me. But apparently I'm supposed to come and socialize and so I brought some movies. Have you seen Homeward Bound? Talking cats? And dogs, actually. The dogs are the best.” 

By now Tao couldn't be offended. It was why he let Sehun turn on the TV and then locate the DVD player, and then spend another fifteen minutes trying to figure out which cable went where because Luhan had tried one day to set it up for Minseok and failed miserably. They were halfway through the movie before Sehun spoke to Tao again directly, and that was to offer the bag of chips he'd already eaten most of. Three-quarters through the movie, Tao was halfway asleep with a chip between his fingers and Sehun plucked it out and ate it himself. That forced him awake. 

“What are... YOU!” Tao retaliated and grabbed the bag out of Sehun's hands. He managed to nab it from the bottom, however, so what was left inside the bag ended up on Sehun's lap. The human howled as loud as any cat and jumped off of the couch, crumbs flying and his face contorted in rage until he saw Tao laughing hysterically still on the couch. Tao watched him soften for just a moment, and not in the forgiving sort of way, but with the kind of look that said 'I'll get you later.” Sehun took a step forward and Tao winced as if expecting an attack but then Sehun just brushed the crumbs onto the floor, and off of the couch and resumed his seat, stoic face and everything.

It was kind of a let down, if you asked Tao. For a moment it had been fun, but now he was back to his usual self and the rest of the movie (stupid talking animals that didn't even look human) was kind of boring. He thought about trying to provoke Sehun again just to get some sort of reaction, but it was late and he'd only gotten fourteen hours of sleep since the night before...

He was passed out before the closing credits. Sehun hadn't noticed until the movie ended and he yawned and he looked over to see if Tao was sleepy too but the cat had completely fallen asleep on his side with a pillow between his arms and one leg hanging off the couch. The cat's tail had drifted somehow and was laying side by side with Sehun's nearest leg. The realization made him tense up, but Sehun was afraid if he moved it would wake the cat and somehow that tail working its way alongside his body was far more intimate that Sehun wanted anyone to witness, and that included Tao himself. He scooted discretely to the right, allowing for a few inches. Then he sighed at himself because why move a couple inches when he could just stand up and leave?

Tao stretched in his sleep, and Sehun was suddenly reminded of how disturbed hybrids could get when they awoke and found their circumstances had changed. If he slipped out now would Tao find it unusual? If he woke up alone on the couch with nobody around and Sehun long gone? From the sounds of it, the next oldest cat Jongdae was still down the hall and had yet to emerge from his gaming. The sounds of it bothered Sehun all night long, but he pretended not to notice. Now it was quiet except for that. And kind of peaceful with the cat sleeping next to him.

He wasn't given much of an opportunity to enjoy it though.

A car door slammed and he assumed the older cats must be returning home. Honestly he was a little embarrassed to be caught hanging out over here, and Joonmyun would especially give him a hard time if he was seen. There was nowhere to run though. Tao woke up on full alert mode when the raucous  group neared the front door, and he spared Sehun barely a moment's notice before he jumped up to intercept them. 

Kyungsoo was drunk. That was the first thing Tao noticed when he opened the door for the trio of cats and their human chaperone. Kai and Baekhyun looked plenty sloshed, but they were mostly still functional. It was Kyungsoo who was the wreck, not much past the height of his alcoholic consumption and only the support of Joonmyun kept him upright coming up the steps. 

“You’re back early,” Tao said, even if it wasn’t much. He was vaguely aware that Sehun was standing behind him somewhere in the entryway but he didn't have time to spare him a look. Not when Kyungsoo looked so miserable. Tao looked to Kai, the first in the door, hoping to get some sort of story out of their night, but the cat marched past him with a shrug of his shoulders. As Joonmyun half-carried, half-dragged Kyungsoo into the living room, that just left Baekhyun to give account.

“He’s had a hard night,” he said. 

“Anything happen?” Tao asked.

“No? I mean, nothing beyond the usual kind of rowdy crowd, ‘cat calls’, and all that.” Baekhyun shivered. In their world, cat calls were more than a minor form of feline harassment, and where Kai and Baekhyun had mostly learned to tune it out, Kyungsoo was a little more sensitive. “He drank more than he should have, basically. But then, we all kind of did. It just gets to him more…”

Baekhyun yawned, and Tao relented, giving him a gentle push in the direction of the stairs before he walked back into the living room. He passed Sehun in the door way but his attention was focused entirely on the cat and the other human. 

“What a night!!” Kyungsoo railed, loudly. Joonmyun looked up apologetically. He’d gotten Kyungsoo as far as the couch and he perched next to the squirming cat, valiantly attempting to keep Kyungsoo from hitting him.

“This is the life! Isn’t it great! Joonmyun isn’t it great?! Tao isn’t it great!”

As if he'd vaguely realized he was home, Kyungsoo started smiling like some sort of devil incarnate. Somewhere between the bar and the cab ride home he’d managed to undo the top few buttons of his shirt. His fingers locked on the skin now showing, his human-cropped nails digging into the flesh as he attempted to pull more of the shirt off. 

Joonmyun rushed to contain him. “Woah. Woah, buddy! Let’s not strip just here, okay?”

“Why not! You don’t want to see me !?”

“Uhhh... why don't we get you upstairs and to sleep instead?” Joonmyun offered. 

Tao couldn't tear his eyes away from them, particularly the cat. He'd never seen Kyungsoo this way. The effects of alcohol had turned an otherwise mild-mannered and deadpan cat into a raving monster. He cackled on the couch and then cried, and then laughed some more.  

“Joonmyun I know your type. Middle-aged and unhappy.” He pointed his finger into the man’s chest, poking enough times for Joonmyun to draw back a few inches. “You’re a cat person, aren’t you, Joonmyun. How come you don’t own a cat? Aren’t you the type to want companionship? Wouldn’t you like it if I moved in? Kept you company…?”

Tao's eyes widened, and for the first time he was aware of Sehun standing behind him. Instincts told him he should shove the guy out the front door so as not to witness this scene, but he found himself frozen in his spot instead. Whether or not Sehun saw this trainwreck waiting to happen was now beyond his abilities to prevent. 

Joonmyun was quickly reaching the end of his limits. “Kyungsoo, let’s stop this… You’ve had too much to drink…” he pleaded, his eyes darting at the two others in the room.

“Of course I’ve had too much to drink! Why shouldn’t I drink! I’m twenty-five, and what have I done with my life? Nothing! Nothing! Can’t even get adopted by the likes of humans like you!” he spat. The fight went out of him then as quick as it had come, and he started to sob. 

Joonmyun also looked ready to cry. 

“What’s wrong with me, huh? I’m a good cat. A perfect cat. Who wouldn’t want me!” Kyungsoo clawed at his shirt, shrieking when once again Joonmyun grabbed and held his hands inert. “You don’t want to see this!? You’re sure? You know I look good for a cat! It’s one of our best features. Made and manufactured, bred to look as appealing as possible. And you know what the best part is?! I’ll look this way until I die! Ten years! Just give me ten years! I won’t even age and grow ugly like you, Joonmyun. I’ll look so ing perfect in my casket, the mortician won’t have any work to do!” 

Kyungsoo struggled so much in Joonmyun’s grip that he wasn’t aware of the tears flowing freely down his face. He pulled and shrieked and cried, and still Joonmyun held on until the moment when Kyungsoo stopped and they looked at each other. Really looked at each other. Instantly Kyungsoo froze, and he wept and covered his eyes. Joonmyun’s face wasn’t unblemished either. He dared one more glance at Tao and Sehun, the two frozen in the doorway shoulder to shoulder, and shook his head for them to leave. They both retreated backwards a few steps at a time, though there was no place to really go to. Out of Kyungsoo's sight was as much as Tao could offer. By this time Jongdae appeared in the opposing hallway, wide eyed and scared, but Tao was separated from him by the scene in between.

A little violently, because it was the only way he could get Kyungsoo up, Joonmyun hoisted the cat’s body into his arms and heaved him up off the couch. ”Coming through,” he told the Tao and Sehun gruffly as they once again moved out of his way. Joonmyun’s heavy steps lumbered up the stairs and he disappeared around the landing. 

Jongdae came instantly to meet them and he gazed alternately up the stairs, frightened by what he'd witnessed, and then startled at the two remaining figures. 

“What... was that?” he asked. Immediately he shook his head. “Nevermind. Uh, maybe I should go check on them. Are you okay, Tao?”

The kitten nodded glumly, even though his tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth and his stomach didn't feel so good. 

“I should go.”

They looked suddenly at Sehun, Tao like he'd forgotten he was there, and Jongdae as if he was seeing him for the first time this evening. Both were shocked at what they saw: tears leaking from Sehun's eyes and he refused to look at either of them directly. His hands faltered on the door handle so badly that Jongdae had to help him open it and once open, Sehun was gone. 

Tao and Jongdae stood alone in the foyer, both unsure if they should stay below or go upstairs, and at least Tao was conflicted whether or not he should stay inside or rush after Sehun. Another shrill cry and a whole lot of sobbing echoed down the stairs though, and the human outside became the least of his worries, even if he never left his thoughts.

4,750 words

Sooo, I'm starting to think this is turning out more angsty than I originally intended - although I've had this last scene written for almost a month now. Uhm, does everyone understand the age thing now? Because really it's been there since chapter one about the average lifespan of a hybrid cat, if you were looking for it. I'll explain the science part of this later. Just thought I'd get this out of the way now since we've gotten to probably the darkest place this story will ever get. And hey, that's good news, right?? It's all up from here! Sorta.

So what do you think about Sehun now... 

I'm feeling conflicted about adding a little <3 to my closing greeting because some of you probably hate me right now and a heart implies that I love you guys or that you should love me back. Hey! I still do though! So please drop a comment, tell me I'm awesome or tell me I'm horrible. But.. Until next time.

Rosie :)