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A smile appears on Baekhyun's face when he hears the front door open. He puts down the stack of papers he's been revising for the past couple of hours and removes his glasses, leaving them aside as well. He waits patiently for the hurricane to come, as he listens to the rustling of shoes and jacket being removed, and bag tossed aside coming from the foyer. It's always the same and Baekhyun would be lying if he ever dares to say that he doesn't miss Chanyeol whenever the hybrid is out for whatever reason.

"Hi, hyung!" Chanyeol exclaims, storming into the living room. He runs to Baekhyun, leaves a small peck on his cheek and then proceeds to the kitchen, pulling out of the fridge a bottle of water and swallowing the entire content all in matter of seconds.

"Hey, Yeol." Baekhyun greets with a lower voice, still smiling. "How was school?"

"Great! I was assigned a new partner for our final project since the past one had to leave to hibernate since you know, she's a bear but it's cool! My new partner it's a cute white fox, you should see him hyung, he's this tiny" Chanyeol makes a sign with his thumb and index finger as to show him the size of his new friend, although Baekhyun is pretty sure he's exaggerating "and has this very high pitched voice that sometimes irritates me, but it's fine, I like him!" By the time he finally finishes speaking, Baekhyun is panting, out of breath, while Chanyeol seems unfazed and perfectly fine.

Chanyeol is 20 years old now, he has grown into a very handsome young man, taller than what Baekhyun ever expected, with a ─according to Baekhyun himself─ killer eyes that could melt anyone's heart and an adorable dimple that appears every time he smiles. Even though Chanyeol is now far from being the small boy he used to be, in Baekhyun's eyes he's still his little puppy. Chanyeol it's still the same hyperactive hybrid, he still speaks nonstop without breathing and sometimes he still comes to Baekhyun's room at night and cuddles next to him; the only difference is that now, Chanyeol doesn't destroy Baekhyun's furniture anymore. He still fights with the neighbor’s old cat and hates being poked by birds.

Sending him to school had been one of the most difficult decisions Baekhyun has ever have to make, seeing how school for hybrids was different from regular schools. He wasn't sure if Chanyeol would be able to fit in with all those different species of hybrids due to his inability to stay put in the same place for more than five minutes, he could already foresee the tons of calls he was going to get from teachers and principals, but after a lot of convincing from Jongin and Luhan, he had agreed, coming to terms with the fact that he needed to let Chanyeol go ─or at least give him some freedom─ and of course, with the fact that his puppy needed an education different from the one he could give him at home. Surprisingly, Chanyeol had adapted pretty fast and well, making almost all of the people in his classroom his friends since day one. To say Baekhyun is proud of him it's an understatement, but he never forgets to remind Chanyeol of that.

"So," Baekhyun starts "I'm starting on dinner, anything special you want to eat today?" He asks as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"Oh, uh... I promised Kyungsoo I would go with him and some other friends to the movies, then to grab something to eat. It's─ is it okay?" Chanyeol asks, looking a little uneasy.

"Oh… yes! Yes, of course." Baekhyun smiles.

"Are you sure? Because I can call Kyungsoo and─"

"No, it's totally fine, Yeol, go have fun."

Chanyeol nods and returns the smile. "I'll go change then."

"Yeah." Baekhyun mumbles, watching as Chanyeol runs up the stairs.

Baekhyun sighs and goes back to the kitchen, forgetting any plan of making an elaborated dinner and opting for a quick sandwich.

Well, it's not really the first time Chanyeol has ditch him on dinner or lunch or even breakfast. It didn't take long for Baekhyun to realize that Chanyeol didn't really need him anymore like he did when he was a puppy; he goes to school during the week and works in a coffee shop on the weekends, and since he started making his own money, he rarely asks Baekhyun for anything. Baekhyun completely understands, it's just how life is. Things change and people change too. Chanyeol has changed in all the right ways. He went from wearing those weird graphic shirts and loose pants to skinny jeans, caps and large hoodies. He dyed his hair black, getting rid of the white stripe of hair that always made him look adorable; Chanyeol doesn't look like a kid anymore, he looks like a man and Baekhyun would be damned if he ever has to admit that he indeed, feels attracted to Chanyeol.

He knows it's impossible, mainly because it's just not right. He's ten years older than Chanyeol, he basically raised him. Secondly because why would Chanyeol want to be with a someone like him? Old and boring, when he surely has a lot of people lining up for a chance to simply talk to him. Chanyeol is popular among his friends, handsome and charming, all the things Baekhyun isn't and will never be.

Besides, he's sure Chanyeol doesn't even think about him that way. Ever since he started growing up and understanding the meaning of a lot of things, he had developed a strange fascination over Kyungsoo, Jongin's cat hybrid. They went from petty fights and pulling on each other's ears to a very close friendship; he's certain that at this point, Kyungsoo knows more about Chanyeol than Baekhyun himself.

Baekhyun doesn't even dare to ask Jongin how he feels about it, he doesn't want to give any kind of explanations; plus, he's aware that his jealousy is irrational, he doesn't have the right to feel this way, much less to forbid Chanyeol from having friends, so he just lets it slip away and smiles back whenever Chanyeol smiles at him. He just wants his puppy to be happy and he'll do whatever to make it happen, even if that means having to let Chanyeol go one day.

Swallowing his bitterness, Baekhyun slumps down on the couch and turns the TV on, his sandwich remains half eaten, but all appetite is gone. He was really looking forward to spend some quality time with Chanyeol, it's been a long time since they’ve done it; Chanyeol doesn't need Baekhyun to take him out on walks anymore and although he keeps his necklace with his name and Baekhyun's because he has a soft spot for it, Chanyeol is free and perfectly capable to run the entire city without getting lost.

Sighing, Baekhyun closes his eyes and soon falls asleep with the TV on and the thoughts of how useless he is to Chanyeol now.

…

It's freezing out there. Baekhyun huffs as he struggles to push the door open with his arms loaded of grocery bags and at the same time tries to keep the scarf over his mouth and nose, the last thing he wants is to have his cold spreading and Chanyeol getting sick because of him; his puppy is very perceptible to all kinds of viruses and a sick Chanyeol is a cranky Chanyeol.

Finally managing to get inside and stumbling into the living room, he stops at the two figures sitting on the couch, too busy playing video games to notice his presence. Baekhyun frowns, because Kyungsoo is way too close to Chanyeol and the cat hybrid leans onto his side every time the game gets exciting; Chanyeol laughs and playfully pushes him away. They look too comfortable with each other, too intimate... and maybe Baekhyun is just letting his jealousy take the best of him and he's imagining things, but he can't help but notice ─not that anyone could ignore it─ the bright smile Chanyeol gives Kyungsoo every now and then.

Baekhyun clears his throat. "I could use a little help here." He says.

"Hyung!" Chanyeol pauses the game and jumps out of the couch, rushing to take the bags from his hands. Kyungsoo quickly follows to help as well.

"Hey, Soo." Baekhyun says as they walk to the kitchen. "I didn't know you were coming, does Jongin knows you're here?" He places the bags over the counter.

"Yes, he's picking me up later." Kyungsoo nods.

"Do you need help with this, hyung?" Chanyeol asks then.

"No, thanks." Baekhyun shakes his head and smiles. "I'll just put this away and start on dinner."

"But you're sick, you should at least let me help you." Chanyeol insists.

"I feel fine, Yeol." Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Groceries won't kill me." He points at the hybrid with a carrot.

"Fine, but if you need anything just call me, okay?"

"Thank you bab─" Baekhyun stops himself from finishing the word, not sure if Chanyeol is comfortable with being called like that in front of his friends. In front of Kyungsoo. He glances to where the cat hybrid is, standing by the kitchen entrance with his phone in his hands and fingers flying over the keyboard. Kids these days. "Thanks, Yeol." He says instead.

Chanyeol doesn't look convinced, but eventually leaves with Kyungsoo in tow.

When Baekhyun hears the noise of the game again, he releases a long breath and begins with his task.

"Don't be silly!" Baekhyun hears Kyungsoo exclaims among the noise of cars racing.

"I'm not! You're cheating!" Chanyeol replies.

"How can I cheat on a racing game? I'm right there!" Kyungsoo sounds offended.

Baekhyun continues to put the vegetables inside the fridge, trying to ignore the familiarity they talk to each other with.

It's only when he hears a loud crash that he drops everything he has on his hands and rushes to the living room, worried. He doesn't expect to find both hybrids on the floor, the coffee table toppled up and the glass bowl that used to be on the center with a few candies now shattered on the floor. Chanyeol is lying on his back and Kyungsoo is straddling him; he's frowning and grunting as he fights Chanyeol for the control.

Chanyeol is laughing and squirming from how Kyungsoo's knees dig on his hips, he's always been extremely ticklish. Deep down Baekhyun knows there's nothing wrong with the awkward position they're in, it's clearly not what his subconscious is thinking it is and yet, he can't help the anger bubbling up inside. He clenches his jaw and balls his fists on his side.

"What are you doing?" Baekhyun hisses, sounding harsher than he actually intended.

Both hybrids look at him. Kyungsoo quickly removes himself from Chanyeol and Chanyeol is fast to get on his feet, mouth opening to speak upon realizing the mess they just made. He promised himself a long time ago he wasn't going to give Baekhyun any more trouble.

"I─ we're just─" Chanyeol stammers. "We were just playing and─"

"Clearly, you can’t ever take anything seriously, can you?" Baekhyun snaps. At this point it's impossible to stop his word vomit, his brain is not cooperating with him. He's not really sure if he's angry at Chanyeol or at himself for not being able to stop these feelings.

"Hyung, I'm sorry, I─" Chanyeol's eyes are wide and watery, his cheeks are flushed and his ears flat against his head. The last thing he wants is to upset Baekhyun.

Baekhyun sighs. "Whatever, Chanyeol. Just─ clean all this." He says before turning around and returning to the kitchen where he tries to focus on what he's doing again but it turns out to be impossible.

He drops all attempts on chopping vegetables; frustrated, he dumps everything in the sink and runs upstairs to the safety of his room. Baekhyun hastily removes all his clothes to change into something more comfortable, putting in the first shirt he finds on a pile of clean clothes that's on the small armchair next to the window that he keeps promising himself he's going to fold and store on its right place and he still hasn't done, only to realize the shirt belongs to Chanyeol.

Baekhyun grunts. "How many times have I─ ugh told him─" he grumbles, struggling to take it off "to take his─ clothes with him." Eventually he stops, giving up trying when obviously the shirt won't come off, all because he's too angry to actually do things right. He doesn't wear any pants. Only thinking about pants make him angrier.

He jumps in his bed and pulls the covers over his body up to his neck, brows still furrowed but now, he doesn't feel anything but shame. He's a 30 year old man acting like a stubborn high school girl. Baekhyun closes his eyes and curls himself up, snuggling against his fluffy covers; he knows he won't be getting any sleep soon, it's not even dark outside yet but that won't stop him from trying, hoping that for when he wakes up, his mind has cleared out.

Baekhyun ends up tossing and turning in bed, kicking away the covers when they start to annoy him. Why can't he just stop thinking about Chanyeol and the fact that he left the hybrids alone in the living room? Is not that Chanyeol would do anything indecent in their home, but still. Why can't he just─

"Hyung?" Baekhyun jerks his head up at the sound of Chanyeol's deep voice coming from the door. He quickly pulls the covers back up to cover his legs and swallows. Chanyeol is so tall and yet, he looks so small right now, standing on the doorframe with his eyes on the floor and the sleeves of his navy blue hoodie rolled up to his elbows. He's cutely balancing himself on his feet. Baekhyun fights the urge to smile, he's supposed to be angry at him.

"Yes?" Baekhyun asks and Chanyeol looks up, eyes wide in surprise.

"I─ I'm so sorry, hyung! I didn't mean to─ I didn't want to do that, I just─"

"Chanyeol─"

"I know I promised I wasn't going to do it again and I swear it was an accident and─"

"Chanyeol!" Baekhyun sighs. The hybrid immediately shuts up, pressing his lips into a thing line and looking down again. "It's okay. I overreacted. I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it."

Chanyeol nods. "I... cleaned everything up. The kitchen too." He mumbles.

"Thank you." Baekhyun smiles, but Chanyeol is still not looking at him. "Where's Kyungsoo?"

"Jongin hyung came to pick him up earlier. I─"

"Yeah?" Baekhyun asks when he notices how much Chanyeol wants to speak, but he instead, continues on chewing on his lower lip insistently.

"Can I..." He glances over the bed and down again, cheeks turning red.

Baekhyun blinks, it takes him a moment to understand what the hybrid wants. "Oh... yes, of course. Come here." He moves aside to make room for Chanyeol.

Baekhyun opens his arms and Chanyeol jumps in, snuggling against his chest like a little kid even when he's a head taller than him. Chanyeol throws an arm over his stomach and pulls him closer, nuzzling his cold nose against his cheek; Baekhyun's stomach flutters and he knows he shouldn't allow Chanyeol to do this kind of things anymore. He knows he has to stop him so he can keep what is left of his sanity and yet... he doesn't, simply because Baekhyun loves the way Chanyeol smells; the hybrid has never used any kind of perfume or cologne and yet, his scent is addictive, of that candy scented laundry detergent he loves so much and softener, all mixed with Chanyeol's distinctive smell.

He loves the way Chanyeol rubs his nose against his neck and cheeks and how he whines every time Baekhyun tries to pull away from his touch. Baekhyun loves to feel the warmth of Chanyeol's tail curling around his legs when they lay in bed like this. It should feel awkward and maybe uncomfortable, but it's not. For Baekhyun, it just feels right.

"You're wearing my shirt." Chanyeol suddenly says, speaking against the skin of his neck. Baekhyun tries to hide the shiver that runs through his body by shifting a little.

"Yeah I... couldn't take it off. I will right now if you let me─"

"No." Chanyeol lifts his head to look at him. He's pouting and Baekhyun can't believe just how adorable that simple gesture is. "I like it."

"You like it?" Baekhyun quirks an eyebrow. "I'm the one wearing it."

"What I mean is that I like it when you wear my clothes. You should do it more often." Chanyeol mumbles with his face buried in his neck again. He keeps rubbing his nose there, occasionally pressing his lips for a mere second and this time, Baekhyun can't hold back, he shivers and a sigh escapes his lips.

"Yeol, I─"

"I like this... Baekhyun?" Chanyeol calls and a strange feeling of warmth settles in Baekhyun's stomach because this is the first time in eight years, ever since Baekhyun brought Chanyeol from the shelter, that the hybrid has called him by his name. Baekhyun looks at him with eyes like saucers.

"Y-yeah?" He clears his throat, trying to hide his obvious nervousness.

"You don't have to be jealous of Kyungsoo." Chanyeol says.

Baekhyun's eyes widen even more, as if possible. "W-what? I'm not─"

"I can smell it." Chanyeol is now looking at him again. He’s frowning and Baekhyun would be lying if he said the hybrid doesn't look extremely handsome whenever he does it.

"I─ I'm not─ your nose must be broken.” Baekhyun flicks the hybrid’s nose as if to prove his point. “I'm not jealous." He lets out a nervous laugh. "That's ridiculous."

"My nose is perfectly fine, stop lying."

"I'm not lying." Baekhyun shakes his head.

"So... if I told you now that Kyungsoo asked me out earlier─"

"What?" It's Baekhyun's ─way─ too fast response.

Chanyeol smirks. "There it is."

"You can't do that!" Baekhyun exclaims and tries to push Chanyeol away, but the hybrid's hold around his waist tightens. "Chanyeol!" He squirms.

"I won't let you go, hyung."

Baekhyun gives up with a sigh, letting the hybrid do whatever he wants, so Chanyeol goes back to nuzzling his cheeks.

"D-did Kyungsoo really─" Baekhyun starts minutes later.

Chanyeol snickers. "No. Kyungsoo is not interested in me on that way."

"A-and you?"

Chanyeol shakes his head. "Kyungsoo is just like... an annoying brother."

"Oh..." Baekhyun mumbles. "But why... why are you telling me all this?" He asks and although he's nervous about the answer he also waits, anxious to know what really goes through Chanyeol's mind.

"Because I don't want you to get the wrong ideas." Chanyeol sighs and pulls away a little, only to rest his head on Baekhyun's shoulder.

"What... kind of wrong ideas?"

"There's no one else for me but you, hyung. I would never want anyone else in my life."

"Yeol." Baekhyun whines. "You can't just say those things."

"Why not? You know I've never lied to you before, I'm not going to start now."

"Because we can't─"

"I can."

"How would you even know that I─"

"I'm observant, hyung. I like to watch people... especially you."

"You're an idiot." Baekhyun frowns and pushes him away.

Chanyeol laughs. "Baekhyun─"

"Don't call me that, you have no idea of what it does to me."

"Baekhyun." Chanyeol repeats.

"Stop."

"Baekhyun Baekhyun Baekhyun" Chanyeol starts chanting, pinning Baekhyun against the bed and trapping him against the mattress and his body.

Baekhyun laughs. "Chanyeol... what if... what if it doesn't work? What if we end up hating each other's guts and─"

"Baek, we've lived together for years now. We know everything about each other, every little secret, every bad habit, everything. Besides... I won't let that happen. I want to be the one taking care of you now."

"I'm older than you, Yeol."

"It doesn't matter." Chanyeol shakes his head. "I want to make you feel loved and protected at all times."

Baekhyun sighs, lifting his hand up to place it over the hybrid's cheek. Chanyeol leans into the touch. "When did you grow up this much?" He mumbles.

"Please hyung, let me prove to you that I am completely serious about this."

"You're impossible." Baekhyun mumbles as he rubs his thumb over Chanyeol's cheekbone.

"You know how stubborn I can be." Chanyeol grins.

Baekhyun scoffs and looks away for a second, then his eyes focus on Chanyeol again. His heart begins to race inside his chest, because all he can see on those bicolor eyes is raw sincerity. They're so bright and