► Before anything else, ‘cause I’ve seen some confusions lol /fail writer/ – Baekhyun here is Baekhyun Baekhyun in real life physically, and only with an added feature of white furry dog ears and tail. So he’s still the same 174 in height boy who wears clothes //nods/.

*Not really an important detail but I’ve loosely based his white as snow fur to a Samoyed breed, since I was watching that damn adorable i-die-at-cuteness video (linked in the forward) that pretty much inspired all these. Heh~

► Anyway~ enjoy.. if not then-- whee~ ♥

When Chanyeol suggested to bring Baekhyun home, he never fully thought of the responsibilities he will be given. He was too caught up on his emotions and his immediate attachment to the hybrid that it was all on a whim. And even when he was given instructions, a long lecture on hybrid-on-theraphy-101, the reality of the situation had yet to sink in.

He had no experience of taking care of a hybrid, after all. Kyungsoo was already independent enough by himself so no care was needed. And he was Jongin’s responsibility too since he is the owner. Also, add on to the fact that Baekhyun is a hybrid with severe trauma. The closest experience of handling hybrids with trauma are the times he would save them and the occasional visits to the shelter. But all those he did not handle alone too, and dealt together with other fellow volunteers, all the more with professionals.

So he never really thought of the challenges he had to face as the new hybrid owner of Baekhyun. Although temporary, the responsibilities passed on to him were no joke. And he never expected to face the first tests as soon as they leave the shelter’s premises, immediately testing Park Chanyeol’s capability of helping the broken hybrid recover. How he handles the situations will show just that.

♠♠♠

It was a long hour car ride back to Chanyeol’s apartment. Yet even if it was spent in silence, it was neither awkward nor uncomfortable; rather, it was even entertaining.

Seated at the passenger’s seat, despite the still timid behavior, Baekhyun sat all curled up with his tail in between his legs – its furry tip wagging back and forth; however, had on a bright face finding amusement in everything his eyes laid on. His ears twitched every few seconds, turning in different directions that Chanyeol did not know his dog ears were capable of. His eyes sparkled as he looked around, orbs fleeting at every new detail he sees. His hands were somehow glued to the window, palms flat against the glass. All showing how obviously enthralled he is of the outside world.

But all these, nonetheless, saddens Chanyeol. For it only proves how long the hybrid has been locked up away from an outside life far too long. How long has he not seen the sun for him to react this way? How long was he hidden in the darkness of that filthy basement? He grips tightly the steering wheel unconsciously, angry at the thought.

What saddens him more though is Baekhyun’s already apparent fear towards strangers.

If his reaction towards strangers in a controlled environment like the shelter shows an indication of how bad his trauma is, what more outside when things are far from easily controlled.

Stopping shortly at a red stoplight, a big crowd of people crosses the pedestrian. All too abruptly, Baekhyun moves away the window, curling up as much as he can while he covers his eyes – a desperate attempt to hide himself.

Concern growing tenfold, all the more at the quiet whimpers Baekhyun lets out, Chanyeol tries his best to calm him – telling words of assurance that will hopefully soothe the terrified hybrid. Surprisingly calm and acting to his own accord.

“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol calls out softly and as gentle as his hand petting his head. “Look at me, Baekhyun. Look at me.”

Reluctantly and shaking in fear, Baekhyun turns to him; his eyes now shining from unshed tears.

“They’re all outside, they won’t hurt you.” He gives him a smile, assuring and sincere. “And if ever any one of them attempts to, I am here to protect you, okay?”

Slowly, Baekhyun calms down. Chanyeol’s words ringing in his ears as the only sounds heard in the silence of the car. But his shaking and anxiety ebbs away as Chanyeol held out his hand waiting for him to take.

As their palms connect, Chanyeol interlacing their fingers while he fondly watched Baekhyun eyeing their linked hands, and demeanor turn from panicked to utter wonder; he assures him one last time.

“I promised to take care of you, remember? That means I’ll protect you too.”

When the light goes green, things go back to normal. Chanyeol focused on driving while Baekhyun looked out admiring the outside scenery. But this time with their hands linked; further enveloping the hybrid of an assuring security.

♠♠♠

Upon arriving at his apartment building, Chanyeol had thought that it will all sail smoothly from there. Apparently, he was wrong. He is tested yet again of another obstacle he had to face: Baekhyun riding the elevator.

“Baekhyun?” Chanyeol calls out as he got in, holding the elevator’s door to prevent it from closing while patiently waiting for the hybrid, thankful that there is no one else in presence.

But seconds pass and Baekhyun remains frozen in his spot – tail tightly curled between his legs and his ears flat on his head – cowering and obviously shaking in fear that Chanyeol had yet to understand the cause. It is only when the hybrid covers his nose that Chanyeol finally figures out the reason.

Due to the elevator being of public use, which means a huge number of people using it on a daily basis, different scents linger the small compartment. And Baekhyun, being the hybrid half-dog that he is, having a sense of smell ten times greater than that of a full human, is able to smell all these. The mixing of different scents probably making it worse, all the more the extreme anxiety he has towards strangers.

“Come here.” Chanyeol says as he held out his hand once again. “No one is in here.. just you and me.”

Baekhyun does not take the hand held out for him right away. It takes him minutes and a few more gentle patient coaxing from Chanyeol before he gave in; the final a seeming discreet blackmail.

With the hybrid’s obvious anxiety – far worse than earlier – Chanyeol figured that no amount of coaxing would have him giving in.

“This is the only way up to my apartment, Baekhyun. I can’t take you home with me if you can’t.” His voice remains gentle, stance patience.  “You don’t want that, right?”

An immediate response is given. Although still shaking in fear, Baekhyun holds tightly Chanyeol’s hand as he reluctantly entered the elevator. But Chanyeol does not leave him simply standing beside him, and pulls Baekhyun against his body as the doors begin to close – holding him tight while he placed the hybrid’s head on the crook of his neck.

“Focus on my scent, nowhere else.” He whispers in his ear, soothing Baekhyun slowly out of his anxiety. And when he feels him breathe in deeply, Baekhyun’s body slumping in relief, his heart oddly flutters.

Even when the elevator gets filled in with other people, Baekhyun remains lax against him – the scent of Chanyeol’s enough to block away that of the others. And even if Chanyeol receives weird looks from embracing a hybrid tightly, a rarely seen act of a rather seeming intimate public display of affection towards what are supposedly generally seen as no more than pets, he too ignores.

♠♠♠

They arrive at an empty apartment, slightly thankful but also regretful. It would be nice if Baekhyun met his roommates in no time, but he also was not sure how that will go considering they too are strangers to the hybrid themselves.

All throughout Chanyeol remains patient. And right now is not any different as he simply stood by the entrance finally welcoming in the hybrid. As he watched Baekhyun reluctantly enter, slow and uncertain as he looked around, his heart oddly thumps faster. Excitement? Nervousness? But it also oddly flutters, for he couldn’t help but smile at the hybrid’s adorable behavior.

Still overwhelmed by the different scents from the elevator, facing another set of scents inside the apartment, Baekhyun continues to cower in fear. But his anxiety gradually lessens, as the powerful smell of Chanyeol’s scent all over hits him. Although the other two scents he doesn’t miss leaves him feeling a bit.. jealous, especially when one other scent belongs to a fellow hybrid. Who do they belong to? Does Chanyeol own another hybrid?...

“Welcome to my home, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol said as he guided the other further inside. “This will be your home from now on.”

They stand in the middle, Chanyeol silently cooing inside as he watched Baekhyun look around with a look of pure wonderment. Even more so when the hybrid’s tail begins to loosen from its tight curl, a gradual change from uncertainty to excitement.

Baekhyun continues to look around. Although frozen from his spot, he probably eyed everything he could see. And his tail begins to sway behind him. A light sway from side to side assuring Chanyeol that he is slowly growing comfortable.

But Chanyeol is left grinning widely when Baekhyun’s nose starts twitching, and soon follows an invisible trail of smell coming from the kitchen.

In the kitchen, placed on the counter, is a plate of freshly baked cookies. A written note beneath it that says: Welcome to your new home, Baekhyun. Chanyeol figures that these are the cookies Kyungsoo had been baking before he left, with Jongin helping out in the kitchen despite being more of an obstacle than a helper.

“Are you hungry?” Chanyeol asks as he took one of the cookies and held it out for the hybrid to take.

And in the next few seconds, Chanyeol has to bite his lips tightly to keep himself from cooing so openly. Because this is the cutest he had ever seen the hybrid be.

Standing by the kitchen’s entrance, Baekhyun stood once again unsure. His nose twitching every few seconds as the smell got stronger. And when Chanyeol held out a hand with a cookie, he looked almost ready to bolt forward. But due to the fear of being scolded, trauma of past events, he merely tilts his head; a full side tilt as his ears twitched and lowered every other second. His hands clasping tight each other were placed on his chest, the tip of his tail curling a bit at its end.

He is so cute. Chanyeol thought.

By now, he had figured out that Baekhyun was again uncertain. At first he thought he was only shy – big wide eyes staring back and forth at him