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There's nothing quite like sleeping in the warm sun, Jaejoong thinks as he yawns.

The ground is still cold from the morning frost which falls at night and nips at his paws but right now he feels warm and content lying on the hard bench. The rays are falling on his fur in a comforting caress.

Jaejoong's a cat and he has his life figured out.

There's nothing better than being a cat. He can walk around freely all day long and when he feels tired, he sleeps.

Sometimes he chases birds and sometimes he watches people hurrying around. 

Sometimes he notices an evil force behind him and starts chasing it but it turns out to be his own tail and it hurts when he bites into it. He promises to remember not to do that again but somehow he always forgets.

There's nothing quite like being a cat sleeping in the sun, so big is his surprise when his warmth is gone, a shadow looming over him. He watches his darkened paws for a while before looking up where a tall boy is standing. He's looking at the paper mounted on the pole which people usually look at when they come here. Jaejoong has never paid much attention to them but this one is blocking his sun because he's too tall.

People in general are short around here. Short and rare. Some of them simply sit beside him and that's fine. But some chase him away and yell rudely and he really really doesn't like those.

But this one appear to be harmless so Jaejoong yawns, putting his head back on his paws. It's time to catch up on the nap he's been missing.

The guy sits down diligently and quietly and it all seems fine, until Jaejoong feels a hand landing on his head, patting his soft fur, which is weird.

His head shoots up and he's looking at the guy with eyes which communicate 'come on, human child, I am trying to sleep here' and that usually works. But it's not working this time.

'What a cute cat you are' the guy coos in return which is ridiculous, and one of his hands rub Jaejoong's chin. It feels like-

This will simply not do, Jaejoong decides and stands up to leave but then he accidentally bumps his head against the human's arm. It's just an accident, he tells himself, as the guy starts scratching just right below the left ear which feels so damn good, because accidents happen all the time and he's going now. Jaejoong turns his head away and this time his side accidentally rubs against the human's elbow. That's also just an accident, he decides, and the scratching of his back has nothing to do with it. Jaejoong keeps running into these accidents one after another until the big red box where humans usually climb into arrives and he's left alone with his sun unblocked.

There's nothing quite like sleeping in the sun, Jaejoong thinks as he shivers, curling his long tail under his chin.

-

The human child returns the next day. Not that Jaejoong's been waiting. His face lights up when he sees him and the quiet purr that escapes him has nothing to do with this at all.

'Do you live here?' the human asks which is more than just weird because why would Jaejoong live here? Everything and everywhere is his home and this one little place is nothing. He's the king of the road and the world is his kingdom. No cat is as independent as he is. Or talented. He's known for making quite the commotion during nights when he sings his cat heart out. Everyone loves him and he can gather quite the audience for every one of his shows.

'Do you even have an owner?' the human speaks again and Jaejoong bumps his head against his side because the guy is so stupid it hurts. 

Jaejoong never has and never will belong to anyone. He's born free and alone and free and alone he will always stay.

The human keeps patting at his head and scratching his back and that feels so good and please please never stop. There's no harm in enjoying a little scratch, Jaejoong's decided, because he's not going to say no to comfort.

The box on the wheels is early today which is a pity because the human has to leave now.

'Will you wait for me?' he asks jokingly before he climbs in, which makes Jaejoong huff.

Him? Wait? Never.

-

It's raining the next day and one wet, unhappy cat is waiting at the bus stop alone.

-

'I'm so so sorry' the human begs, his voice so honest Jaejoong is inkling to believe him. He looks sorry and, if the treats in his hand are anything to go by, he means it too.

But Jaejoong is too proud to be bribed so he turns his body even further away when the human reaches out.

'I know you were waiting yesterday'

Which he wasn't. He just happened to be in the vacancy.

'But it was raining and my mom told me she would drive me'

Which doesn't concern Jaejoong at all. He could be waiting in the rain all day but the human only thought about his own comfort? Travesty, he decides, and jumps down on the ground. 

He should have known it's never a good idea to deal with humans. Humans only bring bad things and disappointments.

'No. Wait. Nonono. Don't leave. I promise to bring you snacks every day, ok?'

The human is persistent and very annoying and trails behind him.

'No' he lets out a loud mewl and turns, his eyes fixed on the brown orbs, 'No no no' he keeps saying which only sounds like meow meow meow to the guy. His little heart is hurting and he wants this human to know.

'I'm sorry, so sorry' he coos in return and leans down, disheveling his well-groomed fur. Jaejoong doesn't mind and everything's forgiven in the next half an hour.

-

The human brings him snacks every day from then on. He never misses their meetings which gets him points in Jaejoong's little cat-book, if he were to have one. The guy even lets three of four boxes pass before he climbs into one of them. Jaejoong feels greatly pleased because that means the petting sessions have become longer.

'I wish you were my cat' the human says one time just before he leaves and Jaejoong finds himself staring after the box for the next hour. He even misses one of his daily thirty-something naps.

Because Jaejoong is a proud, lone, independent cat and he doesn't need a human to carry on. He's managing great so far even if his paws feel frozen in the morning frost. He's managing great so far even if sometimes he's got to sleep with an empty stomach. He's managing great so far even if there's no one to pat his head when he's feeling sick.

I want to be your cat as well, he thinks, his little heart hurting.

-

The human brings a friend the next day and Jaejoong's looking at him with distrust.

'This is that great thing you wanted to show me, Yunho? It's just a cat'

At which Jaejoong hisses. He's not just a cat. He's a very very beautiful and super super talented cat and he has graced this human with his presence so how does the guy even dare to call him just a cat?

'Now you insulted him' his human says and leans down.

He does something he's never done before and, when Jaejoong feels his paws leaving the ground, it's like he's falling, and he panics. He clutches his nails in the human's arm who lets out a loud groan in return but doesn't drop him. Soon Jaejoong feels himself being pressed against a broad chest.

'There, there, no need to be afraid' his human says and Jaejoong looks at him with wide eyes. He has never been held before but the heat radiating from the body and the beating heart feels wonderful. His purring becomes loudest it's ever been and when he sees the little red drops forming on the human's arm he feels sorry. Apologetically, he them, which draws out a smile on his human's face.

'I know, I know. You were just scared' he says, his hand scratching his ear.

The other boy, who's even taller than his human, rolls his eyes.

'It's like you two are a couple. When's the happy marriage?'

'Come on, Min, it's a boy' his human says in return, which doesn't make sense to Jaejoong at all, because what does him being a boy have to do with anything?

'Even more so' the other human says and Yunho yells at him, red with embarrassment.

-

His human doesn't return to him the next day.

Jaejoong tells himself that it's normal because Yunho's been late before and he's a busy human with his human things or, maybe, his mom is driving him again. But it's a perfectly sunny day and the human didn't tell him anything at all yesterday and this is starting to worry him.

He waits until it's very late in the evening before he falls asleep on the hard bench, hungry and alone.

-

Yunho doesn't come to him the next day as well. Or the day after. Or the whole week.

Jaejoong is hungry and cold but he keeps waiting in his usual spot. He's barely eaten anything and he hasn't gotten enough sleep. He's been waiting and waiting and hoping but as more he waits and hopes, the more disappointed he feels.

Yunho's not coming to visit him and that hurts more than anything else.

Yunho doesn't care, Jaejoong tells himself when he jumps down the bench, his paws freezing. The day's been getting shorter and colder and he should have been looking for a good place to spend the winter but that doesn't matter now.

Yunho doesn't care.

How did he dare to pick him up, making him feel like he was loved, before letting him fall like this?

Jaejoong paces the ground for a while, his ears picking up a sound from far away. The red box is coming but there's no human of his to get into it today. Or tomorrow. Or ever. And Jaejoong doesn't know how to go on with his life.

Because Yunho doesn't care.

He sneezes, his tiny nose feeling dry and itchy and he's feeling unwell.

Jaejoong's sick but he has been so since the first day the human came to him. He's sick with longing and love, sick because there's nothing quite like being a cat but all he really wants is to be human.

He's sick and he needs to be healed.

Jaejoong sees the box nearing and he puts one paw on the road.

What does it matter that he's a cat when he doesn't want to be free anymore?

He puts his other paw on the road and the box beeps at him.

What does it matter if he's free when he has nobody to love?

And with that, he jumps on the road, the red box loud and swaying. The heavy hit comes as a salvation, crushing his tiny body.

___


Jaejoong gasps as he forces himself awake, his chest heaving and he stares at the bright window shining warm sunlight on the bed. He's covered in sweat which feels unpleasant and sticky.

He looks down only to see a hand wrapped around his middle. Around his human middle. He looks back and he's greeted with the sleeping face of Yunho. Relieved, he breaths out. He's still a human, like he's always been, he's not a cat.

For a while Jaejoong just sits there, trying to wrap his head around all the weirdness of his dream, before he realizes that what he really needs is a shower. He's still feeling sticky and hot and one of his hands has become numb.

'Get off me' he groans and tries wiggling out of the other's embrace because Yunho is too tall and too close for comfort and it's too warm in this room.

Yunho's grip is even tighter than a bear trap which means that Jaejoong's only hope of freedom in to wake the man up. He flips around, ready to punch him in his adorably innocent sleeping face, when a silly idea comes over him.

He leans close to Yunho's ear and purrs into it, laughing when the other stirs in his sleep.

'Feed me' he proclaims and scratches at Yunho's face, finding this more and more amusing.

'Meow' he lets out a long and loud whine and laughs because he's just too funny.

That is, until Yunho grabs him by the neck and pulls him even closer.

'Shush, kitten, let me sleep' he mutters and renders the man tackled to his chest quiet for a couple more hours.



fin



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a/n: Lately I've been taken with symbolism. Also, my own cat is my inspiration. Also, never never abondon your cat. Never.