<ⓛ>

"He's never going to talk to you."

Jongdae's long, involved daydream about the gorgeous new guy is interrupted, record-scratch style, by the obnoxious voice of his best (worst?) friend.

"Just because he hissed at your tail-less and made you wet yourself doesn't mean he'll do the same to Dae.  He's not an obnoxious mutt like you are."

Jongdae's second-best friend comes to his defense, which Jongdae would be more grateful for if he weren't as sure as he could be (without a shifter's sensitive nose) that Chanyeol was only ribbing Baekhyun for the same reasons primary-school boys pull pigtails on the playground.

"Piss off, I'm not a mutt.  I'm a purebred pooch just like you, only I'm classy," Baekhyun retorts, button nose lifted in a futile attempt to look down on the much-taller Chanyeol. The angle obscures his deep chocolate eyes and he has to toss his sandy hair to the side to maintain the glare.

"Baek, your entire shakes when you're excited but you just say you’re twerking.  That's not what most people consider 'classy.'" Chanyeol's upswept dark red hair makes him look even taller as he lifts his own chin to smirk provocatively at the fuming shorter boy.

"Shut up, losers," Jongdae interrupts, because if he doesn't the bickering will lead to wrestling and the three of them (plus the stunning, snowy-haired, feline-featured new kid) are in study hall, not the WWE arena.  "Maybe he needs help with his homework or something."

The good news is that this comment marks the end of Baek and Yeol's puppy-fight.  

The bad news is that it’s because they're now laughing at Jongdae together instead.

"First of all, Dae," Chanyeol chuckles, mismatched eyes sparkling, "he's two grades ahead of you, and second, your best marks are in choir. "

"I'm good at math, too," Jongdae defends, brushing his black hair off his forehead even though it flips right back into his face.  "And I'm alright in most of the other subjects. Korean Lit can die in a fire, though."

"Okay, but the new guy is in class with Baekbeom," Baekhyun counters, loving when he gets to play the I-have-an-older-brother-and-he's-super-cool card.  "He says that guy—Minseok—is taking all AP classes, so the only thing you share with him is choir. Gonna offer to tutor him in that? "

"No—I can tell he sings like an angel," Jongdae sighs, earning twin slaps to the back of his head from his eye-rolling "friends."

"Dae, you sing like an angel.  And so do I. We don't even know what Minseok sounds like yet—he didn't try out for any of the solos, and it's impossible to evaluate someone's voice for its own merits when it’s blending with the rest of the choir," Baek argues.

"I sing like an angel, too," Chanyeol pouts.  "Why didn't you list me, Baekkie?"

"Because you're in band, not choir, and your voice is basement-deep, you freaking subwoofer.  You sing like... a balrog." Baekhyun smirks at Chanyeol's offended face.

"I'll show you a balrog, you hobbit," Chanyeol rumbles in a voice easily deep enough to be a smoky beast from the depths of the earth.

"I'm going to ask him to be in our vocal unit," Jongdae announces, standing up before he loses his nerve.

"Wait, what? " Baekhyun splutters.  "What about Kyungsoo?"

"Kyungsoo has people tripping over themselves to be in his unit.  He's not going to suffer. But nobody knows Minseok," Jongdae says, trying not to whimper at how lovely the handsome boy's name tastes on his lips, "and I don't want him to feel left out."

"You want him to feel you up, you mean," Chanyeol smirks.  "Go get you some, Dae!"

"No, don't!" Baek protests, reaching for Jongdae's sleeve.  "I don't want to be the third wh hhmf !"

Chanyeol uses his over-long arms for good for once, clamping one around Baek's slender frame and clapping his other huge paw over the yelping boy's mouth.  Seizing his opportunity and his courage, Jongdae strides purposefully over to the table where Minseok sits alone, calculus book open beside him as he makes neat columns of tidy figures in his notebook.

As he approaches, Minseok lifts his eyes from the equations and Jongdae nearly trips, managing to save himself by landing in the chair opposite the ethereal boy almost as if he meant to.

Okay wow his eyes are freaking green how is he even real?

Minseok lifts a silvery brow in silent inquiry as Jongdae tries not to dissolve into a puddle of goo in front of the most beautiful creature he's ever seen.

"Uh, hi.  Um, I'm Jongdae, we're in choir together—" Together with Minseok has such a nice sound to it. "—and my friend Baekhyun and I were wondering if you already had partners for the vocal unit challenges?"

Minseok tilts his head, dandelion-fluff hair shifting over those huge, eerily-beautiful gray-green eyes.  "Why?" he asks, tapping a pencil eraser against his perfectly-pointed chin. His skin is just as milky-smooth up close as it is from across the room and his broad cheekbones just beg to be kissed—

Jongdae mentally slaps himself, suppressing the urge to bury his own square chin, jutting cheekbones, and boring black eyes into the crook of his arm and scurry away from this living work of art like Dracula exposed to sunlight.  "Uh, because we're supposed to have three people, and—"

"But why do you want me? " Minseok presses.  "I've heard you two practicing your solos.  I'm solid, but I'm not on your level."

"But that's what we need," Jongdae jumps on the boy's own words.  "Solid. I'm a perfectionist, so the pressure gets to me sometimes, and Baek just gets way too excited.  You seem unshakable, so if you can keep us steady, we’ll all shine a little brighter." Nice BS there, Dae, law school isn't gonna know what hit 'em .

Minseok narrows his eyes a little and Jongdae's not sure if he's considering the offer or considering eating him.  Being one of the human members of an integrated shifter high school is really awkward sometimes.

"Okay," Minseok nods once.  "I can rehearse after school on Mondays and Thursdays."

"Perfect," Jongdae says, even though he knows Baek has some League thing online on Thursdays.  "We'll meet you by the practice rooms tomorrow, then."

Minseok nods again before turning his attention back to his calculus in a clear dismissal.

Jongdae gives in to the urge to scurry away.  Whatever Minseok shifts into, it's a predator for damn sure. 

<ⓛ>

"I hate you so much," Baekhyun grumbles as Jongdae drags his reluctant friend from their lockers (side-by-side just like last year, because the Facilities Supervisor can't resist Baek's puppy eyes) over to the performing arts wing.

"Your League buddies will be fine without you for a few weeks," Jongdae dismisses.  "School is more important."

"We switched to Wednesdays," Baek says.  "But that's not why I hate you. I hate you because you're going to make me sit there while you—"

"Hi, Minseok!" Jongdae bounces and waves brightly when he sees the boy leaning casually against the door of a practice room.

The gorgeous guy doesn't smile or wave or even blink in response to Jongdae's overloud greeting, merely twitching an angled brow over an otherwise-neutral face.  Feeling his ears catch fire, Jongdae shoves Baekhyun in front of him so he can die of shame behind his best friend. If the upperclassman didn't think Jongdae was a dork before, he certainly does now, after witnessing that juvenile display of apparently-unwarranted excitement.

"Baekhyun, right?" Minseok greets, having evidently decided to ignore the embarrassment that is Jongdae.  "You're really good. Take You Home really suits your range."

"Thanks!" Baekhyun preens.  "I'm working really hard on it.  And I'm looking forward to working with you for the vocal unit challenges."

"Likewise," Minseok says, and it sounds like he's smiling and Jongdae wishes he'd just die faster because obviously neither of the other two care if he's here or not.  He should have realized that Minseok, like everyone else his best friend meets, would immediately fall in love with Pretty-Boy Baek.

Ugh why did I do this to myself?  Now he has to spend eight freaking weeks watching beautiful people smile at each other.  Maybe he can ditch the two of them and join up with Kyungsoo.

"You're a canine, right?" Minseok is asking Baekhyun with an amused smile.

Baek stops wiggling his in front of Jongdae.  "Yeah, sorry. I'm a corgi, we don't have tails and sometimes my forgets it's not currently covered in fur."

Minseok laughs, and Jongdae prays to be struck deaf because it's rolling and melodic and repeated exposure is going to be hazardous to his health.  

"Don't apologize," the impossibly-perfect snowy-haired boy says.  "It's actually really cute."

Screw my life.  Stupid adorable Baekhyun and his stupid wiggly .  If Jongdae had a sword, he'd fall on it. This was a terrible, terrible idea.

"Wow," Baekhyun chuckles.  "That's unexpected coming from a feline, especially after you hissed at me the other morning."

Jongdae lifts his head and looks over Baekhyun's shoulder just in time to see Minseok's perfect face contort with guilt.  "Yeah, sorry about that—I hadn't had my coffee yet that day and it was raining. While I love warm water falling from the showerhead, cold water falling from the sky just pisses this cat right off."

Now Baekhyun is laughing, and it's his flirty laugh, of freaking course.  "Ah, well, all is forgiven. I've always been the opposite, myself—I've been splashing in puddles and barking at thunder since I was a pup, but my mom had to wrestle me into the bathtub."  At Minseok's suddenly wary look, the corgi hastens to add, "I shower regularly on my own now, of course!"

Now they're laughing together, specifically to kill Jongdae.

"So, are you a Persian?" Baek asks.  "The Persians I've known have all hated rain."

"Nope," Minseok grins.  "Think bigger."

"Maine Coon?  I've never met a white one."

"Bigger," Minseok repeats.

Baekhyun gasps.  "You're not a tiger, are you?"

Minseok laughs again.  "Nope, but I love when people assume a guy my size could be one.  I'm no housecat, but I'm not that big."

Jongdae can't take it anymore, because he knows how to Google and there's only one cat in the world with snowy fur and gray-green eyes.  "He's a leopard, Baek," he murmurs from between his friend's shoulder blades. "A snow leopard. Obviously."

He'd meant his words for Baek's ears alone, but of course shifters keep most of their animal senses in human form, so he's subjected to a way-too- hum of approval from the leopard in question.

"Clever boy," Minseok purrs, just as Baekhyun steps aside to reveal Jongdae to the predator.  Minseok's mountain-mist eyes sweep up and down Jongdae's body before meeting his gaze. "And what is your other form?  Your scent is entirely unfamiliar."

"This is it, unfortunately," Jongdae informs his sneakers.  "I'm just a plain old human."

"Like hell you are," Minseok scoffs.  "Come on, at least give me a hint. You're not a mammal—are you a bird?"

Jongdae feels his poor confused eyebrows trying to hold hands for reassurance as he glances up at the leopard's curious face.  "I really don't shift," he says. "Sorry to disappoint."

Now it's Minseok's turn to look confused.  "You're definitely a shifter. Why don't you shift?"

Jongdae looks at Baekhyun for help, for once in his life at a complete loss for words.

But Baekhyun is also participating in the contorted-eyebrows parade.  He steps into Jongdae's space, sniffing dramatically at his neck and then, creepily, at his armpit.  Baek steps back and his eyes drop below Jongdae's belt, but Jongdae claps his hands protectively over his groin and twists his body away.

"What the hell, you !" he shouts.  "You've known me since we were in primary school.  My parents aren't shifters, I'm not a shifter, keep your face out of my crotch."

But Jongdae's stomach drops when Baek fails to suggest anything lewd involving faces and crotches and instead stares at Jongdae like he's never met him before.

"Dae... I think you are a shifter." 

<ⓛ>

 Practice is awkward after that.  Minseok keeps trying to guess what Jongdae is ("Eagle?  Octopus? Salamander? Ooh—shark!") and Baekhyun keeps alternating between staring at him contemplatively and trying to sniff him in inappropriate places ("Feet hold a lot of scent glands, too, Dae—that's why puppies chew on socks!").  The only good thing about it is that the other two are so distracted by the (non-)mystery that is Jongdae's (absent) other form that he gets to choose the songs and assign himself most of the flashiest parts.

It turns out that Minseok's voice—when Jongdae can make him stop guessing long enough to show it off—is indeed solid and steady, a smooth contrast to Baek's and Dae's brighter timbre.  He has a gentle vibrato and downright impressive breath control, able to hold a note forever without going flat. And much to Baek's amusement, Minseok comes out on top in an impromptu high-note battle between the three of them.

"Can you rap?" Baek asks the upperclassman.  "Because Dae flat-out refuses."

"I can rap," Minseok nods.  "I can do a little screamo, too."

"Oh, we are so going to sweep every category this year," Baekhyun grins.  "Dae, I officially rescind my previously-declared hatred—as soon as you let me sniff you properly, that is."

"Piss off!" Jongdae growls, hands over his groin and feet tucked safely under his .  "If I were a shifter, you'd know it. Hell, I'd know it.  It's never mattered before—why is it so important to you now?"

"Because you don't smell like other humans, and I've always known that but never really paid attention because Minseok's right—you don't smell like a mammal, and most of the shifters are mammals, and since you didn't smell like them I just decided your odd scent was just a Jongdae thing rather than guessing you were something else entirely."

"It is just a Jongdae thing, I swear!"  Jongdae looks up at the ceiling in exasperation (and also because he might have a few frustrated tears threatening to emerge).  "I'm sorry I can't grow fur and wrestle around with you and Yeol in the park by the river—don't you think I would if I could? You're my best friend because we're the Tail-less Twins, remember?"

When Jongdae and Baekhyun were ten, some kids were pushing Dae around on the playground and giving him a hard time because he’d never have a tail.  But Baek marched his tiny little up to the huge elephant shifter that was leading the teasing and told him that he didn't have a tail either, but that made up for shifters like the elephant that had a tail at both ends.  And then Baek grabbed Jongdae's hand and marched them both closer to where the yard monitor was standing before the elephant could realize a tiny little corgi just called him a butthead. Safety assured, Baek had taught Jongdae to play space-hopscotch, a game so complicated that neither of them can remember all the rules anymore.

Jongdae really doesn't want the rules of their friendship to be forgotten as easily.

But Baekhyun is hugging him, body extra-warm against his just like all shifters are compared to boring normal humans.  "Of course I remember, Dae. I didn't mean to upset you. I still don't care if you can shift or not, I just hadn't thought about your scent in years and got curious and carried away.  I'm sorry. Please don't put me in the doghouse."

He pouts at Jongdae, who rolls his eyes but returns his friend's hug.  "It's fine, Baek. Just... let's drop it, okay?"

"Of course, DaeDae," Baekhyun smiles.

But Jongdae can see Minseok frowning at him over his best friend's shoulder. 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae's dad is an excellent cook, which always makes dinner something to look forward to.  He's the head baker at the family cafe, but that doesn't mean all he's good at is muffins. He's got quite the repertoire of quick, healthy meals and he's always cooked for Jongdae growing up, rarely allowing the family to indulge in takeout.  He’s proud that his skills in the kitchen help keep food on the table, and it’s a point of pride for him to personally ensure Jongdae is well fed.

Of course, the downside to having such an attentive father is that he notices something is bothering his only child the minute Jongdae sits down at the table .

"How was school today, Peaberry?" he asks, and though an outsider would interpret the neutral tone of the question to be innocent, Jongdae recognizes an interrogation when he hears one.

Jongdae looks up, flicking his gaze to his mother, but she's got her let-mama-fix-it face on, too.  She spends a lot of time away on business trips sourcing and purchasing the absolute best coffee beans for the cafe, making sure they're all fair-trade and ethically-sourced, and when she's home she's often holed up in her office running the finances for the business or managing personnel.  But she always makes sure Jongdae knows he's more important to her than anything, including the cafe, and always makes time for him whenever she's around.

The downside to having a mother who travels for work is that her guilt at not being around all the time means she tends to overreact if something happens when she's not there (or even if she is).

"It's nothing," Jongdae assures both his worried parents.  "Baek was just being creepy today, because there's this new kid who asked me what kind of shifter I was, and Baek thinks I smell weird for a human.  But we talked about it and then hugged it out like men—everything's fine."

His parents smile at him, almost completely in unison which is a bit eerie.  Then, still smiling, they flick their eyes to each other before searching Jongdae's face again, which is a lot eerie.

"What?" he asks, leaving a cooling piece of tofu in his chopsticks hovering over his plate.

"What does Baek think you smell like?" his father asks brightly, forcing a laugh that Jongdae knows is fake.

"Just, not like a mammal shifter," Jongdae answers warily.  "But I reminded him he's known me forever, so he just decided I smell like myself and of course that's different from a mammal shifter, since I'm not one."

It's really creepy how both their shoulders relax at the same time.

"Well, if the new kid gives you a hard time, just send 'em to me," his mother says, putting more rice on Jongdae's plate.

"He wasn't giving me a hard time," Jongdae assures her.  "He was just curious. He seems nice, and Baek and I are doing our vocal unit challenge with him."  Jongdae of course elects to leave out the part about how even though Minseok is a ferocious leopard and looks at Jongdae like he's some sort of mysterious prey, he'd still kind of like to put his tongue in the other boy's mouth.

"Well then, that's great, buddy," his father smiles.  "You'll all have to stop by the cafe after practice sometime."

Jongdae smiles, remembering how Minseok had mentioned needing coffee in the morning.  He'd probably like it in the afternoon, too. "Yeah, I'll suggest it to them when we need motivation to work hard."

"That's my boy," his dad cheers, clapping Jongdae on the shoulder.  "You know you and your friends are always welcome." 

<ⓛ>

That night, for the first time in years, Jongdae dreams about shifting.

He used to have these dreams a lot as a child, because he was secretly hoping that he was just a "late presenter" even though many shifters are born in their other forms.  He was just so envious of Baek and Chanyeol, how they'd shift and play, the smaller corgi literally running circles around the big malamute. Jongdae wanted nothing more than to join them, to run free in the wind on four legs instead of two, to pounce and tackle and wrestle, trapping paws and ears gently with a protruding snout instead of his stupid, flat human face.

But as he grew up he'd learned to accept himself, because his friends never drew lines marking "them" and "us."  And his parents, raising a human child in a shifter-heavy neighborhood, had always emphasized that all people should embrace their similarities instead of focusing on their differences.

In fact, their cafe is so popular because it deliberately lives out the idea.  Called Common Grounds, it only serves coffee that's safe for most shifter species to enjoy, focusing on richness of flavor and unique aromatic profiles rather than high caffeine content.  The baked goods Jongdae's dad makes substitute gentle carob for hazardous chocolate, and they also offer several meatier snacks (only using chicken meat, because there aren't any chicken shifters to be offended) for the more carnivorous species to enjoy with their brew.

So while Jongdae is surrounded by shifters and is about as immersed in shifter culture as a plain old human can be, he hasn't wished for fur in years, much less dreamed about it.  Even more strange is that he doesn't remember having fur in his dream, though he still had the impression of being sort of fluffy as he ran at a super-human speed through the park along the river.  He'd been chasing Baek and Yeol, their fuzzy puppy buns racing away ahead of him, but he'd easily caught up, amused at their playful barking as they tried to get away.

But that barking had changed to yelps of terror when Jongdae had gone to pounce on them, and he'd suddenly woken up in a cold sweat.

The benefit to living above a cafe run by his parents is that when he trudges downstairs at five a.m., someone is there to shove a cup of coffee into his hands without Jongdae having to say a word.

"Rough night, Peaberry?" Jongdae's dad asks with a wan smile.  He's always up ridiculously early, making all the muffins and danishes that the morning rush grabs to eat on the way to their own day jobs.

"Just a dream," Jongdae assures him.  "Couldn't sleep after, and I have to be up in an hour anyway.  Thought I'd sit here and study or something."

"Ah, well, you're up just in time for a taste-test," his dad grins.  "I'm trying a new lemon-blueberry muffin recipe."

He slides a cobalt-striped plate across the counter to Jongdae's elbow.  The muffin atop the china is a cheery yellow that matches the sunniness of his dad's smile.

Jongdae can't help but smile, too.  Though the first bite he takes is obliging, Jongdae's eyebrows kip up in delight at the sweet-and-tangy flavor of the moist cake, and he hums his approval as he takes a more enthusiastic mouthful.

Jongdae's dad laughs.  "That good, huh?"

Jongdae nods, wiping crumbs from curved lips.

"Then take some with you for your friends," his dad laughs.  "Make sure you have them fill out the feedback cards, though!"

Jongdae shakes his head at his father's undimmable enthusiasm.  He opens his Korean Literature book to study, wishing he could borrow some of that enthusiasm for his least-favorite subject. 

<ⓛ>

At lunch, Jongdae dutifully distributes the muffins (and the comment cards), waving one of the baked goods in front of the beautiful snoring face of the brand-new baby first-year that Chanyeol has adopted.

"Jonginnie," Jongdae coos, watching as the boy's copper-colored eyes slowly blink open beneath shaggy brown bangs, only to focus immediately on the floating muffin.  He reaches sluggishly for the lemony goodness, but Jongdae twitches it just out of reach.

"You're a bear, right, Jongin?" Jongdae asks the underclassman.

Jongin nods, eyes locked on the muffin.

"Google says bears have the best sense of smell in the animal kingdom.  Is that true?"

Jongin nods again, still laser-focused on the baked good.

"So, what do I smell like to you?" Jongdae asks, tilting his head to the side.

"Muffin," Jongin answers, not even looking at Jongdae.

Jongdae hides the muffin behind his back.  "Not that— me. "

Jongin blinks, then reaches a massive bear paw to hook Jongdae's neck closer to his adorable face.  The younger boy snuffles at him for a moment, then lets Jongdae straighten up.

"Chicken," Jongin says, then makes a point of looking behind Jongdae for the muffin.

Jongdae hands it over with a sigh.  Maybe bears are only good at smelling food. 

<ⓛ>

Neither Minseok nor Baekhyun mentions shifting again but Jongdae can't stop thinking about it.  Especially since every time Jongdae tries to sneak a glance at his crush, the older boy’s pale jade eyes are already watching him in contemplation.  He always lifts an angled silver brow when Jongdae catches him yet continues to study him until the younger boy looks away.

At least the singing goes smoothly, Minseok's voice being the perfect compliment to the other two.  Their rehearsals are full of laughter, especially since Baekhyun has wiggled his way under Minseok's chilly exterior, coaxing half-smiles and begrudging little snorts of amusement at the corgi's typical puppyish antics.  

Jongdae hates it.

But he doesn't do anything about it, because what chance does he stand to win the ethereal leopard's attention?  It's better for Jongdae's ego not to compete at all than to try and be hopelessly out-charmed by his adorable best friend.  Instead he concentrates on his performance, pouring all of his maudlin into his songs, blushing furiously on the occasions that he'd open his eyes to find the other two staring at him; Baek with his mouth agape and Minseok wearing a cryptic little smirk.

By the end of the second week, Jongdae's father has had enough of Jongdae's tales of "this Minseok" and all but demands that his son bring his friends by the cafe.  The following Monday Jongdae manages to push down his jealousy and self-censure enough to offer an invitation after they successfully run through one of their more difficult pieces.

"Want to eat my muffin?" Jongdae blurts, causing Minseok to quirk both brows at him and Baekhyun to cackle through his signature rectangle grin.

"I-I mean my dad's muffin," Jongdae corrects, then buries his face in his hands as Minseok's lips twitch and Baekhyun's cackle increases.

"H-he's trying to invite us to his family's cafe," Baekhyun gasps, in answer to the questions asked by the leopard's perfect angled brows.  "It's one of the quality local businesses, and they make an effort to be shifter-friendly."

"Oh," Minseok says, full lips thinning as they slowly stretch into a smile.  "I do like coffee. And muffins."

Sighing at his own ineptitude, Jongdae shoulders his backpack and leads the way. 

<ⓛ>

"Ah, Jjing-Jjing-Dae!  Finally, you bring us this handsome boy you won't shut up about!" Jongdae's dad greets.  "Dolce! Our little peaberry's brought his crush to meet us!"

Jongdae considers walking right back out, but Baekhyun's elegant hands are surprisingly strong, and instead, Jongdae is manhandled by his supposed friend into a corner booth, boxed in by the smirking boy and faced with Minseok's quiet smile.

"What'll it be, boys?" Jongdae's dad calls from the counter with a grin.  "I still have some of the new muffins left."

"Yeah, sure, some muffins," Jongdae calls, resigned to his fate.  "They're lemon-blueberry," he explains to a curious Minseok. "Dad's very proud."

"I love blueberries," Minseok grins, the widest smile Jongdae has ever seen the leopard wear, exposing straight white teeth and pretty pink gums.  It's blinding, and Jongdae just knows it's being mirrored by Baekhyun beside him. "But what's a peaberry?"

Jongdae had hoped they were all just going to ignore his embarrassing parents together, but of course he couldn't be so lucky.

"It's a lonely little coffee bean," Baekhyun chortles.  "Just like our baby Dae."

Minseok quirks a brow and Jongdae rolls his entire head along with his eyes.  "Coffee cherries usually have two beans, but when there's only one, it's supposed to be special, like, more flavorful and stuff," he explains, unable to meet the pale jade irises he can feel examining him from across the booth.  "They started calling me that when I was small and complained about being an only child."

"They must really love you," Minseok smiles.

"Yeah, well, they have a funny way of showing it," Jongdae sighs.

As if on cue, Jongdae's mom delivers the muffins with a wink and an appraising hum, giving Minseok a once-over before flashing Jongdae a thumbs up.  Baekhyun can't stop laughing as Jongdae dully thumps his forehead against the table.

But then Minseok turns his already-lethal charm up to eleven, tossing his fluffy white hair out of his stunning eyes and thanking Jongdae's mother formally for the muffin.  Of course, she can do nothing but fall instantly under the leopard's spell as he compliments her demitasse earrings before politely requesting an Americano. She heads back to the kitchen, but not before making throbbing heart-shapes with her hands behind Minseok's back and giving Jongdae another wink, much to Baekhyun's delight and Jongdae's dismay.

His life only gets worse when Minseok tastes his muffin and makes the most adorable faces of delight, all wide gray-green eyes and puckered raspberry lips.  Jongdae slumps back against the booth seat, sliding half beneath the table, eyes rolled to the ceiling, suppressing his dying groans.

"You know," Minseok's amused voice comes from out of sight across the table.  "You're pretty cute when you're flustered."

Jongdae stops trying to stifle his mortal agony, whining a counterpoint to Baekhyun's merry cackle. 

<ⓛ>

Almost every night in his dreams, Jongdae runs over the grass along the river, chasing his friends, full of mirth right up until the joyful yaps turn to squeals of terror.  And almost every day in class, Jongdae watches Minseok watch him.

It takes Jongdae two more weeks to break.

They've finished their Thursday rehearsal, so Jongdae pulls a bottle of water out of his bag to refresh his throat.  He drains half of it, almost choking on the last swallow when Minseok reaches for the bottle in Jongdae's hand. Minseok's little smile is playful and Jongdae can do nothing but surrender the half-empty bottle.  His eyes are riveted as strong, sturdy fingers carry the plastic vessel to perfect, puckered lips and a chiseled jaw lifts to expose an edible throat. He’s mesmerized by the bobbing Adam's apple as the water is swallowed and a trickle escapes that sweet mouth to run unchecked over smooth, snowy skin—

"So!" Jongdae says, tearing his eyes away.  "Baekhyunnie, what's it like to shift? I mean, how do you do it?"

"What?"  Baekhyun almost chokes on his own gulp of bottled water.

"Is there like a magic word or something?" Jongdae presses, ignoring Minseok's chuckle beside him.

"No," Baekhyun shakes his head.  "My corgi is always inside me. When I shift I just, sorta... let him out."  Baekhyun lifts his puppy eyes to Minseok, who Jongdae is definitely not watching wipe water from his raspberry lips with the back of his hand.  "Is it like that for you, too?"

Minseok nods.  "Pretty much."

Jongdae's shoulders slump.  He's definitely not a shifter, then.  The only thing that's always inside him is teenage self-consciousness and his dad's cooking.

"Oh," he says.  "Sounds nice."

"We could help you," Minseok offers.  "If you want to try."

Jongdae looks up at him in surprise before blinking and shaking his head.  "There's nothing to try," he reminds them.

"Are you sure?" Minseok presses.  "Because your parents smell just like you.  Not human, but not... furry."

"Of course they're not furry," Jongdae scoffs.  "We're just boring humans."

Minseok tilts his head.  "You're definitely not boring," he smiles.  "And I still suspect you're not just human. I mean, there's your hair, for one thing."

"What about my hair?" Jongdae asks, running his fingers through the shiny black strands in question.  "It's just plain black hair, like most other humans in this country are born with."

"Not really," Minseok disagrees.  "It's way nicer than ordinary human hair.  It's so black it's almost blue, and it's exceptionally glossy."

Jongdae blinks because he's fairly sure that was an actual compliment without any teasing attached from the most beautiful person that Earth has ever produced.  Stunned, he doesn't even flinch as Baekhyun runs slender fingers over Jongdae's scalp.

"It is really pretty, Dae," the corgi agrees.  "It's so silky and sleek. And both your parents' is the same, now that I think about it.  That would be normal if you were all the same kind of shiny black shifter, but considering how unique it is—assuming you truly are human—it makes your parents seem like they should be closely related rather than married."

"Ew," Jongdae gags, ducking out from under Baek's wandering fingers and packing up his stuff.  "So according to Detective Byun, I'm either a shifter or the product of . Great—how exactly am I supposed to reconcile that with the fact that I have no animal, shiny black or otherwise, hidden inside me?"

When Jongdae straightens up after packing, he freezes, because Minseok is standing right there in front of him.  "Don't be so sure about that," the mesmerizing leopard murmurs, pressing the empty water bottle into Jongdae's hand before resting that hand, hot as the sun, on Jongdae's shoulder.  "When it's quiet, when you're alone... close your eyes. Look deep within yourself, Dae, and see what looks back."

Jongdae nods dumbly as Minseok smiles, grabs his bag, and leaves the practice room.  He doesn't even care that Baekhyun is dying of laughter beside him because whoa Minseok called him Dae. 

<ⓛ>

It takes him a few days of arguing with himself and staring at his parents' hair before Jongdae’s curiosity overcomes him and he tries to do as Minseok suggested.  Lying in bed on Sunday night, he closes his eyes and does his best to tune out all the stray thoughts running through his head. Ignoring Baekhyun's new hair color and his Korean Lit paper and the way Minseok's pale jade eyes sparkle when he teases Jongdae and how the pillow has a crease right where his head is resting, Jongdae tries really hard to look inside himself.

At first, there's nothing.  Just the same old human heartbeat, same old human breathing, same old human emptiness .

But then:  Teeth, claws, a burning black eye, and a scream, primal and undulating and—

"Jongdae!"

He sits up, panting, but his father's arms are around his chest, steady heartbeat there to slow the racing of Jongdae's own.

"A-a dream," Jongdae gasps.  "Just... a dream."

"Okay, buddy," his dad soothes.  "I'm here. You're okay. Dreams aren't real."

Jongdae nods, letting his father's voice lull him.  But part of him is still screaming, inside, a protest.

But what if they are real, Dad?  What then? 

<ⓛ>

After school the next day, Jongdae thunks his bag down in the practice room and flops into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs.  He's only survived his classes because of his mom's generous supply of coffee, but his thermos ran out around lunchtime and his caffeine buzz is crashing away like a breaking wave.

"Well, you look like poop in a pickle jar, DaeDae," Baekhyun chirps, all perky and well-rested and riding the high of (finally) being asked out by an adorably-stammering Chanyeol at lunch.

"Thanks," he mumbles, too sleep-deprived to care.  He hadn't been able to close his eyes all night, terrified he'd see other eyes looking back at him.  Feral, terrifying eyes.

"Are you alright?" Minseok asks, perfect brows lifted in concern.

"'M fine," Jongdae says.  "Just didn't sleep well."

The other two nod, pulling sheet music out of backpacks and Jongdae wants so much to pretend everything is normal but he also wants to sleep again sometime before he's dead so he lets his head flop back against the waffle-foam wall.

"Oh, yeah—and I'm pretty sure I am a shifter, and I'm also pretty sure I wish I wasn't."

Jongdae is staring at the ceiling, but he can still sense that both Baekhyun and Minseok whip around to stare at him.

"But that's great!" Baekhyun says, excited voice petering out when Jongdae remains catatonic.  "I mean, isn't it?"

Jongdae forces himself to straighten up and meet his best friend's gaze.  "I dunno, Baekkie," he says, feeling tears threaten. "I'm really afraid of whatever's inside me.  I don't think it's... nice. "

To Jongdae's surprise, Minseok nods.  "I guessed as much."

Is it wrong that Jongdae is happy that the person being gaped at for once isn't himself?

Minseok shrugs in response to their scrutiny.  "His parents smell strange, they chose to live in a shifter-heavy area and send their kid to a shifter-heavy school, plus their shop only serves shifter-friendly stuff.  I think they know they're shifters, and know Jongdae is, too. But they've chosen to live entirely human lives, to the point where they've kept their heritage secret from their son."

Jongdae blinks at the leopard.  "But... why would they do that?"  His parents had raised him to be honest.  How could they stress the value of the truth while basically lying to him his whole life?

Minseok shrugs again.  "Maybe they're also afraid of what's inside, Dae."

He offers Jongdae a gentle smile.  "They obviously adore their only child, so they probably think they're protecting you somehow.  You should talk to them. But... if they deny it or don't want to tell you, and you want to try to shift anyway... I'll help you."  His gray-green eyes flick to a still-stunned Baekhyun. "We both will. Right, Baek?"

Blinking several times, Baekhyun nods.  "Of course, DaeDae. You're my best friend, whether you end up with a tail or not." 

<ⓛ>

Dinner is tense that night.  Jongdae's mom is gone, off to Kenya or Columbia or Jamaica to source some fancy beans, and Jongdae's dad has asked him how "that Minseok" is doing every night since he'd brought the boy to the cafe.

Tonight, Jongdae only snaps out, "He's fine," in response to his father's routine question, making the man look at him with an odd expression.

"Sorry, Dad," Jongdae sighs, poking at his bibimbap.  "I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just that..."

Jongdae s for a way to broach the subject.  Hey Dad, are we evil? didn't seem appropriate, nor did Hypothetically, what other form would be so horrific that parents wouldn't even tell their child he's a shifter, much less teach him how to embrace his inner self?

"Dad, are there, like, bad shifters?" Jongdae eventually asks.

"There are misguided members of any group—"

"Not misguided," Jongdae interrupts.  "I mean like, dangerous.  Like, people who shouldn't shift because if they did, other people would get hurt."

Jongdae's watching his father's face closely, so he sees how the man's dark eyes flit to the spot at the table his mother occupies when she's home, probably wishing for backup.  But Jongdae doesn't want to wait another two weeks of restless nights until his mom gets home. He wants answers now.

"Is this because that Minseok is a cat?" his father asks.  

Not a cat—a majestic snow leopard, Jongdae mentally corrects, but he doesn't say anything out loud.  

"Peaberry, you should know from hanging out with Baekhyun and Chanyeol that shifters are still themselves even when wearing their other form.  It's true that their animal instincts are more heightened, and young shifters may not know their own strength, but their bestial self doesn't rule them.  No matter what animal shape their body takes, a shifter's mind is still part human. They're not any more likely to try to hurt you in their animal form than they would be wearing their human shape, okay, buddy?"

His father seems sincere, but Jongdae, unable to ask his question directly, nevertheless presses the issue.  "So, all shifters should be allowed to assume their animal forms whenever and wherever they want?"

Jongdae's father nods.  "Sociologically, yes. But physiologically, there are practical considerations, of course.  An elephant on the train would be a hazard to others, and a porpoise on the train would be a hazard to itself.  But in general, I believe shifters should be allowed to wear whatever form they're most comfortable in—unless they need human appendages for required tasks, such as taking notes in class."  He winks at Jongdae over the side dishes spread between them.

Jongdae forces an answering smile, then stuffs more food into his mouth so he doesn't blurt out something like If it's that simple, why would you lie to me? or How can you say shifters should be themselves but refuse to tell me who I am?  He's stuck in limbo, doing his best to provide brief but polite answers to the rest of his father's daily check-up-on-the-kid questions while stifling his own what-the-heck-am-I questions, not sure if he's more afraid of the answers or the reasons why he wasn't told in the first place.

Jongin might have had the right idea, after all.  Jongdae certainly feels like a chicken. 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae is broody and distracted during practice on Thursday, but the trio still manages to complete an entire run-through of their performance.  It takes them longer than usual, so the minute they're through Baekhyun darts away to catch his bus. Minseok should be heading to the train station, but instead he's frowning at the ground near his feet.

"I dropped my eraser," he says.  "Help me look for it? It's round and white and—"

"Right there," Jongdae points.  "By the leg of the piano."

Minseok blinks at him, then gives him an appreciative little smile.  "You sure you're not like a hawk or something? You have really good eyes."

"I guess," Jongdae admits, but when Minseok swings his heavy bag effortlessly onto his broad shoulder, Jongdae reaches for the other boy.  Minseok looks down at the hand on his forearm and Jongdae lets go of the heated skin as if burned.

"Sorry," he blurts.  "But, uh, I... I wanted to ask if, maybe, you could, um.  Do me a favor?"

Still silent, Minseok cants his head in question.

"Uh, I've decided I want to try.  To shift, I mean. But... I'm scared."

"Of what?" the leopard asks, one silver brow flicking upward.

"Of hurting Baek," Jongdae confesses.  "I keep having these dreams, where I chase him and—"  He shakes his head to clear it of the terrifying images, then forces himself to meet Minseok's otherworldly gray-green gaze.  "But I don't want to be alone. You're fierce and strong, so, uh, would you..."

Minseok dips his chin, huge eyes unblinking, and Jongdae's courage fails.

"Sorry, never mind, it's dumb.  I'll just—"

"Of course I'll sit with you, Dae," Minseok interrupts, and Jongdae wants to kiss him.  Well, more than usual.

"Really?" Jongdae blinks.  "Oh, thanks! I mean, if you're sure it's no bother—"

"You're never a bother," Minseok dismisses.  "Ask your folks if you can come home with me after school tomorrow.  We can try after dinner. You could stay the night if you want."

The leopard flashes Jongdae a smile that might possibly be interpreted as flirty and then he's out the door and gone.

Heart suddenly pounding, Jongdae sinks to the floor regretting many of his life choices, especially the one that made him ask the new kid if he wanted to be in the same vocal unit. 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae also regrets not being the sort of kid that can lie to his parents (despite the fact that they've evidently been lying to him ), because his father gives him permission to spend the night at Minseok's, and also a refresher of The Talk.

Jongdae dies loudly as his father tucks lube and condoms into his overnight bag because why does he have those, did he buy them ahead of time in preparation to embarrass me or are they—ewwwww—some of theirs ?  But his dad only grins knowingly despite his son's protests that "it isn't like that" and "we're barely friends" and "we're just working on a project together."

That last bit isn't actually a lie.  Learning to shift is a project, and he never said it was for school. 

<ⓛ>

Minseok's mom is absolutely adorable.  She’s a petite woman with Minseok's huge gray-green eyes and a ready smile, and evidently she has the same thoughts as Jongdae's father in regards to her son bringing a boy home.  On one hand, Jongdae supposes he should be grateful that none of their parents seem to care if their kids are attracted to the same gender (or another species). But on the other, he's fairly sure his face has never been this red, and he's definitely sure that he's given Minseok's tiny mother the impression he's a stammering idiot.

At least the food is good and Minseok is as calm as ever, merely rolling his eyes fondly or shaking his head in response to his mother's teasing.  

"Mom.  This is why I never ask people over.  You're ruthless," Minseok scolds with a smile.

"But Kitten, I can't resist!  Don't you see how cute he is?"  Minseok's mom gestures to Jongdae's neon-pink face.

Minseok snorts.  "I have eyes."

Oh man, does he have eyes.

Minseok's mom puts one arm around Jongdae's shoulder protectively, setting the opposite fist on her wee little hip.  "So, then why aren't you dating?"

Jongdae chokes on his tteokbokki.

" Mom, " Minseok protests, but he's laughing at the offended-looking woman.  "We're going to the river park after supper. We'll be back before dark, so you don't have to worry we've fallen in the water unseen."

Jongdae does a lot of bowing to make up for his lack of intelligent conversation (or any conversation at all, really) and he insists on helping to clean up after the meal.  This earns more glaring admonishments from Minseok's mother for her son to snatch up "this sweet, considerate young man" before someone else does, but she finally allows a chuckling Minseok to shepherd Jongdae out of the apartment. 

<ⓛ>

The paths along the river are full of people walking dogs and couples holding hands, and it's awkward to walk next to such a handsome guy without doing either of those things so Jongdae trails half a step behind.  But Minseok turns, lifting a surprised brow when he discovers Jongdae's not beside him, then rolls his eyes at whatever face the younger boy is making.

"Should I leash you?" the older boy asks with a gesture at the other park-goers.  "Or will you survive holding my hand?" He stretches an arm out toward Jongdae.

Flustered, Jongdae hustles to Minseok's side.  "I'm not a dog, I know that for sure," he grins.  "I can keep up."

"So you won't hold my hand?" Minseok gives him an aegyo-laden pout, wiggling his fingers.

Jongdae snorts.  "We don't have to indulge your mother," he dismisses.

"It’s not my mother we’d be indulging," Minseok shrugs, dropping his arm.  "Let’s go under that tree over there. It seems as good a place to shift as any."

Minseok heads to the foot of a large oak situated off the well-trodden path, leaving Jongdae wondering what exactly the leopard meant.

Nevertheless, he follows Minseok to the tree, flopping down between the roots and pressing his back up against the trunk a handbreadth away from the other boy.

"Now what?" he asks, rolling his head against the bark to regard the leopard.

"Well, first, we should probably blood-bond, so we can talk to each other while we're shifted."

Jongdae narrows his eyes as Minseok produces a pocket knife, slashing it across the pad of his thumb before holding the knife, handle-first, out to Jongdae.

"What." Jongdae's voice is flat, but he takes the proffered blade.  "Baek and Yeol never did anything like this, and they never shut up when they're shifted."

Minseok huffs.  "They're both dogs, though, right?  So they can understand each other’s body language and doggy noises already.  But whatever you are, it's not a cat, so we'll need a little help."

Blood is welling out of the cut to run down Minseok's finger and the sight gives Jongdae a sense of urgency.  Minseok hasn't given him any reason not to trust him, so he screws up his courage and cuts his own thumb, hissing at the sting before holding his bleeding digit out to the older boy.

Minseok smiles gently, then cradles Jongdae's bleeding hand in his uninjured one to stabilize it while he presses their bleeding wounds together.  He counts out loud to ten, then releases Jongdae's hand, producing a pair of adhesive bandages from the same pocket that had contained the knife. He applies one to Jongdae's thumb, careful not to wrap it too tight, then holds his own thumb out along with the second bandage.

Those pleading eyes are impossible to resist even when they're lit with mischief, so Jongdae takes the bandage and gently but firmly adheres it over Minseok's bloody fingertip.

"Thanks, Dae," Minseok practically purrs.

Jongdae has to resist the urge to shiver as a chill runs down his spine.  Freaking cats, always toying with their prey.

"N-next?" Jongdae asks, trying really hard not to give in to the urge to kiss Minseok's bandaged thumb to "make it better."

Minseok shrugs.  "Next, just find that wild thing inside of you... and let it out."

Jongdae closes his eyes, swallowing hard.  "it's really wild, though."

"Ah, but you are gentle, and it's part of you."  Minseok's voice is quiet but strong, just like its owner, and just like the warm fingers that slip between Jongdae's own.  "Your other form is a harmony to your melody, Dae. Even if it's strong and wild, you're still the maestro. Trust yourself, and let both your voices sing."

Jongdae can hear the leopard's smile and doesn't dare open his eyes because what the hell is happening, why is Minseok holding his hand?  Jongdae must look an absolute wreck if the older boy feels the need to comfort him like this, so he tries really hard to take some calming breaths.

My other form is still me .  I wouldn't hurt anyone as a human, I won't hurt anyone as a beast, he lectures himself.

Then he turns inward, searching the darkness within himself where dwells the feral soul that is evidently his birthright.

It takes a moment, as it did before, for Jongdae to shut out the distractions, especially that of Minseok's toasty fingers slotted between his.  But eventually, there —the teeth, claws, wild ebony eyes, and icy-hot rage.

Trapped!  For so long!   the beast within accuses.

I'm sorry, Jongdae appeases, because he's terrified, but more than that he feels really bad for the inner self he didn't even know was there.

Want out, the feral spirit demands, and Jongdae can do nothing but acquiesce.  

Beside him, he's vaguely aware of a whispered "Holy ! " 

<ⓛ>

As in his dreams, Jongdae runs through the grass, dodging trees and following the river.  But unlike in his dreams, the screaming starts right away. Some of the screaming comes from the dog walkers and hand-holders as they scurry out of his way to cower under benches and bushes.  

But quite a lot of it comes from himself.

His new throat produces screeches, screams, whistling cries, and Jongdae exercises his full vocal range as he races across the grass, fast and strong and furious.  

Free, he's rejoicing.   Finally, free!

It feels amazing, and Jongdae screams his triumph and defiance to all who cross his path, relishing in the feel of the wind through his feathers, delighting in the way the smaller, weaker creatures are driven before him to scatter like sheep before a wolf.

But he's not a wolf.  He's not a mammal at all, but he's definitely a predator.  When standing still, neck stretched upward to peer around himself, he's taller than the puny humans he's terrorizing, but when running, his head lowers to human-shoulder height, forward momentum and hair-pin turns balanced by a long tapered tail.  He's mostly covered with short, glossy feathers that gleam iridescent with dark purples and blues and teals. The longer plumes on the tip of his tail spread open to reveal bright orange rays between the darker quills.

His forelimbs also have longer feathers than the rest of his body, similarly revealing slashes of sunset against midnight when he unfurls them to help him change direction quickly.  Each limb is equipped with a trio of wicked-looking claws, one digit more pronounced than the other two. His hind limbs are particularly well-endowed with long talons resembling sickles of onyx.

Jongdae still has no idea what he is, except that he's freaking awesome.

Jongdae!

A new voice is inside his head, and he squeals in surprise until he realizes he recognizes that particular smooth velvet timbre.   Especially when it's accompanied by the most beautiful thing he's ever seen—an elegant, graceful feline with fluffy, silver-shaded white fur, sooty spots, and gray-green eyes, that leaps in front of him before he can nip playfully at a fleeing bicycle.

Minseok .  Jongdae digs those claws into the ground beneath himself, carving gouges into manicured grass and flapping his feathered forelimbs for balance as he brings himself to a sudden halt.   Minseok, you're beautiful .

Leopard-Minseok settles on his haunches, the black end of his ringed tail flicking as he tilts that sweetly-ferocious head.   Thank you, the leopard preens, blinking those captivating eyes slowly at him.   You're not so bad, yourself.

Jongdae tilts his head and cranes his neck, prancing in a circle that causes the snow leopard to duck as Jongdae's long tail whips over his head.   I have pretty feathers, Jongdae observes, displaying the hidden orange of forelimbs and tail tip for Minseok.   Am I some sort of wicked bird?

Minseok's snort of amusement is freaking adorable in feline form.   I don't think so, the snow leopard projects.   Jongdae... I think you might be some sort of dinosaur . 

<ⓛ>

Minseok leads a stunned Jongdae to a more secluded area, away from people trying to take his photo or yell at him for disturbing their evening, and talks him through regaining his human form.  It takes a while, because Jongdae's other form does not want to be shoved back inside for another interminable period, but Jongdae does his best to reassure it—himself?—that he'll let his feathered alter-ego run free again soon.

He's not sure he isn't lying, but he still eventually manages to return to his human shape to lie panting in the shady grass beside Minseok, whose triumphant smile contorts into an expression of concern as Jongdae just stares, mentally stalled, at the darkening sky.

"You okay, Dae?" Minseok asks, and a small, distant part of Jongdae is amused that the guy showed almost no concern when a freaking dinosaur was rampaging through the river park, but now that Jongdae's a puny, harmless human again, Minseok seems worried.

Jongdae manages to push himself slowly to his feet and trudge in the direction he thinks Minseok's home is in.  They'd promised his mom to be back before dark, and the sun is rapidly setting.

But Minseok's fingers once again twine between his.  "This way, Dae," he murmurs, tugging at his arm, so Jongdae lets himself be led.

He has no freaking clue what to make of himself, what just happened, or what the hell to do about his new self-discovery, but that doesn't seem to matter as long as he can focus on the warmth seeping from Minseok's hand into his own.

He'd always thought mammal shifters ran hot compared to normal humans, but it turns out Jongdae was just a cold-blooded freak the whole time. 

<ⓛ>

"You're not cold-blooded," Minseok declares, reclining next to Jongdae on the guest pallet spread out on his bedroom floor.  His warm mammal body is pressed up against Jongdae's side, and he's balancing a laptop on his knees in such a way that Jongdae's thousand-meter stare intersects with the screen.

"See, it says most fast-moving dinosaurs—and you're definitely one of those, I thought I'd never catch up with you—are something called mesothermic, which is like, halfway between warm-blooded and cold-blooded."

He tabs over to another page.  "I think you're probably some type of raptor.  Maybe Achillobator—see, you're about the right size, and this artist's drawing looks sort of like you—although your plumage is much prettier than this drab impression."

Minseok's bright smile dims when he gets only a blink in response, then twists into a grimace as Jongdae feels the first tear roll down his cheek.

"Oh, Dae," he murmurs, setting the laptop aside to gently wipe beneath Jongdae's eyes with the pads of his thumbs.  "You must be completely overwhelmed. I'm obviously doing a terrible job—let me call someone to come get you. Maybe your dad?"

A surge of hot betrayal tears a sudden " No! " from Jongdae's throat, making Minseok startle backwards.

"Uh, okay.  Then what about Baek?"

Jongdae blinks away more tears, shaking his head.  "H-he's on a-a date," he sniffles. "W-with Yeol."

Minseok shrugs.  "The more the merrier.  I'm sure they'll both want to be with you."

Jongdae doesn't respond further, too busy pouring salty tears into the fabric of his jeans as he hugs his knees, but he hears Minseok's steady voice carry on half a phone conversation before the leopard's warmth is pressed back against his side and an arm is draped across his shoulders.

"Baek's on his way," Minseok says softly.  "He'll take care of you, okay? Just hold on a little longer."

But Jongdae can't staunch the flow of his tears, because his stupid curiosity is both the only reason Minseok is touching him right now, and the reason the leopard can't wait to get rid of him. 

<ⓛ>

"My baby is all grown up!" Baekhyun yells, bursting into Minseok's room with Chanyeol and Minseok's bemused mother on his heels.  "I'm not sure I can ever forgive you for taking your first steps without me though, DaeDae—You know I'd have dropped this oversized drooler like a rotten cucumber in order to be there with you."

"Hey!" Chanyeol protests.  "But also, yeah! I'd have been there for you too, Dae."

They sound so hurt but they still pile on top of the sniveling ball Jongdae has become, letting a probably-disgusted Minseok release Jongdae to go talk quietly with his mother instead.  They both cast concerned glances at him, but soon he can't see them anymore because the dogs are wrapping him up in various limbs and shifting around until somehow Jongdae is in Chanyeol's oversized lap and Baekhyun's wiggly bottom is parked on top of both of them, facing his best friend with one leg to either side of Jongdae's hips.

Once Jongdae is securely sandwiched between the two canines, Baekhyun gives him a searching look as he wipes away more of Jongdae's tears.  "Hey," the corgi murmurs. "You're still my best friend, even if your gorgeous tail is longer than me and Yeollie put together. I'll get over it as long as you show me your other self in person sometime soon."

"We watched the videos of you on the train on the way here—you're all over the internet, on real news sites and everything," Chanyeol rumbles from behind him.  "You're the awesomest shifter ever, Dae, so why are you so upset?"

"Because I don't think I should shift ever again," Jongdae whispers.  "People freaked out, and I've been having nightmares, a-about eating you guys.  I think my parents didn't tell me because dinosaurs aren't meant to still exist.  I'm supposed to be extinct, not chasing cyclists through parks and making babies cry."

"Oh, nonsense," Baek dismisses.  "You do exist, and you have as much right to do so as anybody else.  People probably freak out whenever any big predator exercises in a park, but you didn't even try to hurt anyone.  You're a big feathered softie."

"Besides," Chanyeol adds. "Dinosaurs technically still exist in the animal kingdom, anyway.  We just call them birds now.  I think I read somewhere that one of the closest living relatives is actually the chicken."

Jongdae blinks, then starts laughing.  Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Minseok and his mother turn towards him in alarm, but he can't stop.  He laughs so hard he's practically choking, not even making any noise, and more tears stream down his face to be caught by Baekhyun's thumbs.

"Does this mean he's better, or worse?" Minseok's wry voice intrudes into Jongdae's shaking silence.

"I have no idea," Baekhyun says.  "But either way, it's Chanyeol's fault."

"Hey," the malamute says again, but Jongdae manages to gather enough breath to push forth an explanation.

"Jongin," he wheezes.  "Said t-that's what I smell like."

At this, Baekhyun's concern dissolves in mirth, and he and Chanyeol almost crack heads as they both bend to sniff at Jongdae's neck.  Now he's laughing because all that snuffling freaking tickles but both of his olfactory assailants are chuckling, too, working in tandem to make their victim scrunch his neck and squeal.

"Well, that explains why there are no chicken shifters," Minseok comments, voice back to its usual calm.  "I mean, if your blood is blessed by that particular family tree, why would anyone transform into the court jester when you could be the king?"

The leopard has his laptop open again, and he flops down to lean against the pile of cuddling guys to point things out on the screen.  "If you're a raptor, that explains why you don't have more than a human sense of smell, either. Scientists think some dinosaurs did have good noses, but they tended to be either nocturnal or scavengers.  But many modern predatory birds have keen eyesight and a relatively poor sense of smell, and if they inherited that from raptors, it'd explain how you found my eraser so quickly."

"So our little DaeDae is a fearsome daytime hunter, running down prey by sight and looking gorgeous while doing it," Baek preens, as if he were the one with the iridescent black feathers.  He lifts his pleading puppy face to Minseok's mother, still leaning in the doorway to make sure Jongdae's alright. "Mrs. Kim, can we please go back to the river park for a little bit? We really want to see Dae transform, and we promise to stay away from the river."

Minseok's mom narrows her own green feline eyes in consideration.  "Alright," she agrees. "But I'm coming with you, mostly because I also want to see this amazing dinosaur." 

<ⓛ>

The park is less busy at this time of night, but there are still groups of people playing basketball or cuddling on wooden benches or leaning against railings to stare at the water.  Baek and Yeol transform and run off right away, but they obey easily when Mrs. Kim calls them away from the river.

"I know we're big cats and we're capable of swimming, but I still hate deep water, so thanks for indulging me," she praises the two wiggling pups.  

Minseok transforms as well, looking rather like the kitten his mother calls him as he pounces around after the dogs, especially because malamute-Chanyeol is bigger than the snow leopard.  Jongdae does his best not to fanboy over the elegant feline, especially since he's walking next to Minseok's mom. But when the snow leopard crouches behind a tuft of grass, ears flattened sneakily and rump wiggling in predatory anticipation before he leaps to tackle the unsuspecting corgi, Jongdae fails to suppress his coo.

Mrs. Kim smiles up at him.  "I know my son usually wears his dignity like a shield, but he's still just a kitten, more than capable of being just as goofy as your canine pals."

"Everybody loves Baek," Jongdae nods.  "No one can resist playing with him."

Mrs. Kim gives him a serious look.  "That may be so, but I didn't learn his name until he showed up at my door this evening, looking for you.  Kim Jongdae, however, I've been hearing about every day since you marched up to my son and asked him to sing with you."

Jongdae feels himself flush.  "Uh, sorry. Our performance is in two weeks—I'll be out of his hair after that."

Minseok’s mother frowns.  "For someone with the vision of a raptor, you certainly are blind," she declares.  "If you want a cat's attention, go dangle a feather in front of it." When Jongdae just blinks at her, she prods his shoulder.  "Go. Transform. Show off," she commands.

There's no disobeying this woman, so Jongdae lopes over to an open space and lets out the beast. 

<ⓛ>

Again, there's screaming as Jongdae strides across the grass, but this time, it's coming from excited canine throats that quickly become excited human throats.  Baek and Yeol run toward him, not away from him, and Jongdae has the urge to laugh at his friends, not eviscerate them. The laugh comes out as a whistling sort of call, and he can feel his wild raptor-self glorifying in the carpet of springy grass and the fresh river-front air.  But he's still himself , just as both Minseok and his father had assured him.

So why did his parents, who love him, deny him knowledge of this other self?

Jongdae doesn't have time to brood because he's soon confronted with two enthusiastic teenage boys, one of whom is tall enough to look him in the eye if Jongdae lowers his neck a bit.  He tilts his head side to side to mimic Chanyeol's curious inspection, making Baekhyun laugh and stamp his foot.

"Get lower, Dae, so I can see you, too," he demands.

Jongdae, riding the high of the rush of relief at not having any desire to murder his friends, decides to tease them instead.  Sure, Baekhyun is a bit taller than he is as a human, but like this, Jongdae takes great delight in lowering his entire body to the ground, stretching his neck up to blink indulgently at the smaller creature.

"I know you're mocking me, but you're the one that's a pipsqueak as a human," Baekhyun laughs.  "How is it you're not even bigger than Yeol in your other form?"

"Probably for the same reason Minseok and I aren't basketball players," Mrs. Kim says, slowly approaching them.  "We're bigger than house cats, sure, but for a member of Panthera , we're not on the physical level of a lion or a tiger.  Chanyeol is one of the largest dog breeds, so he's a big human, as well.  And our Jongdae is certainly the most dangerous-looking shifter I've ever seen, but, well, raptors aren't known for being the biggest upright-standing dinosaurs, are they?"

Jongdae whistle-laughs again, grateful that he didn't turn out to be something like a T-rex that wouldn't be capable of shifting without accidentally crushing everything nearby.  He holds very still as Mrs. Kim comes closer, spreading his forelimb feathers to show off his orange under-plumage. She'd said something about cats liking feathers, hadn't she? But that thought is interrupted by a sudden weight pinning the tip of his tail to the ground.

He whips his articulate neck around to peer behind him, then whistles again, softer and lower as he takes in the sight of leopard-Minseok crouched on the end of his tail, playfully biting at the feathers between his paws.  The leopard rolls off of him, big eyes all innocence, as soon as he notices Jongdae's attention, casually at a paw.

What? Minseok's voice echoes in Jongdae's brain.   I'm just sitting here.

Narrowing his eyes, Jongdae twitches his tail, noticing how Minseok's ears immediately focus on it even if he's still pretending he's only interested in grooming himself.  Jongdae spreads his tail feathers to their full width, then skims the orange-and-black fan low over the grass.

Minseok scuttles lightning-fast over the ground as if pulled by a string to pounce on Jongdae's tail.  His feline shoulders slump and he buries his face in the raptor's feathers as Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and even his own mother howl with laughter at his instinctive reaction.

This is feline abuse, he complains.

But Jongdae's laughter twists from a whistle to a squawk as he's suddenly blinded by a spotlight.

"Military police!" comes a deep, aggressive shout.  "Shift into human form and stand down!" 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae freezes, panicking a little without his primary sense.  He can hear a feline snarl followed by Minseok's mother's voice.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demands to know, followed by, "Calm down, Kitten—I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding."

"The army has no conflict with you or any other law-abiding citizen, Ma'am.  We're just here to protect the public from a dangerous fugitive."

Jongdae still can't open his eyes long enough to see what's going on, but Baekhyun's voice is right next to him.  "Dae, put your raptor away for a bit—evidently these army cops are lame and can't tell the difference between teenagers and criminals."

But Minseok's indignant yowl rises over Mrs. Kim's reasonable efforts to determine what's happening, and primal instincts flare to life.  

Fight , his raptor-self demands.   Protect!

Relax, Jongdae counters.   Sleep.

It's a struggle, but eventually he transforms to feel Baek's elegant fingers in one hand, Chanyeol's giant mitt engulfing the other.  He squeezes his friends' hands then lets go to shade his eyes, desperate to see why Minseok is still kitty-cursing despite the order to shift.  

Blinking rapidly as his eyes water in the glare, he can make out the leopard being scruffed by his mother, the small woman struggling to restrain her son while lecturing the men who have actual guns pointed, not at the leopard, but at Jongdae .

"I'm sorry," Jongdae shouts, lifting his hands in appeasement and squinting against the spotlight.  "I won't shift anymore. I didn't mean to alarm anyone."

"Get on the ground, hands behind your head," someone commands in response, and Jongdae, feeling guilty for scaring the public this badly, hastens to obey.

But leopard-Minseok goes crazy, squirming out of his mother's grip and leaping at the trio holding Jongdae at gunpoint.  There's a flashing bang, a feline yowl echoed by four human screams, and Jongdae breaks, scrambling toward the heap of twitching silver and soot.

"Minseok!" he shouts, but there isn't an answering voice in his skull.

Another flashing bang, and something punches into his shoulder, throwing him hard against the grass.  Three voices call his name, but he can only yell wordlessly in response.

Minseok! 

<ⓛ>

"Why'd you have to shoot him?" someone is complaining.  "We were supposed to bring him unharmed. The boss is going to be pissed."

"Shut up and keep pressure on his wound," a deeper voice growls.  "He came at us, and you saw the beast! Did you want those huge- sickles buried in your guts?"

"He came at us because Kang tased his boyfriend, and he didn't even shift," a third voice, throaty and soft, interjects.  "This whole mission went sour as soon as the supposedly murderous fugitive 'saur obediently stood down into the least intimidating teenager I've ever seen."

"That's why I only tased the cat," the first voice says, higher and more anxious than the other two.  "I hate shooting kids."

"Do you think I enjoy it?" the deep voice retorts.  "We have orders. We don't have to like them, we just have to obey."  There's a sigh, then the deep voice continues. "But you're right—the target was supposed to be a couple in their forties.  Choi, get the kid's wallet and send Bravo Team to the address on his ID— the original fugitives must’ve managed to breed on their own.  Kang, press harder—we won't be able to use this hatchling as a bargaining chip to get his parents to cooperate if he bleeds out."

The pressure on Jongdae's shoulder increases, but instead of yelling at the sharp pain, his mind slips away again. 

<ⓛ>

"Mr. Kim," a voice calls, neutral and professional.  "Mr. Kim, can you hear me?"

Jongdae tries to peel his eyes open, tries to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth.

"Gluh," he grunts.  Everything hurts—his head, his hip, his chest, and especially his shoulder.

"I'm sure you're in pain, but if your painkiller dose is increased, you'll lose lucidity and the Captain requires information," the smooth, detached voice says.  "The quicker you tell him what he needs to know, the quicker you get relief."

What the hell is going on?

Jongdae tries to blink his vision into focus, tries to sit up, but something is holding him down.

"Mr. Kim, you are restrained for safety reasons," the voice says.  "You don't need to open your eyes. Just tell us you understand, and we can begin."

Jongdae tries to swallow, a process made easier when water is dripped between his lips.  Soon his tongue is responsive enough to form words. He doesn't know who these people are, why they grabbed him, but whatever cooperation Jongdae might have afforded them is obliterated by the searing image of a snow leopard thrashing in the grass.

"... you." 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae?

His eyes snap open to darkness, but that doesn't stop him from struggling against the strap across his chest.  Minseok, he has to get to—

Minseok?

No, Peaberry, it's me.

Dad?   Jongdae is confused.   How are you in my head?  Am I dreaming?

Sadly, no, his father's voice murmurs in his skull.   I wasn't sure you were my biological son, but this blood-bond is proof.  Not that I would love you any less if it hadn't worked, but being able to contact you like this when I'm shifted is a great comfort.  His father's affection fills his mind.   Are you alright, my boy?

Jongdae does a self-inventory, trying to look around at the same time.  He evidently is a daytime predator, because he has never had any skill at seeing in the dark.

I think I'm okay, he projects.   I can't really move, though.  I think I'm strapped to a hospital bed or something.  You said you're shifted? Where are you?

In the basement, I think, comes the response.   They have me chained to a wall, but not tight enough to keep me from shifting, though it's not comfortable.  I don't know how long I can hold this form, but it's good to hear your voice, even if only for a little while.

Jongdae feels tears brim.   Dad, I'm so sorry!  I should never have shifted without you, I should have trusted you—

No, son—I should have trusted you .  I thought I was keeping you safe by keeping you in the dark, but your mother always warned me you'd find out and feel like we betrayed you.  I should have listened.

Jongdae huffs, wishing he could move his arms to wipe his face.   Mom is always right.

She is, Jongdae's dad agrees.  I'm sorry I failed you, Peaberry.  I hope you can forgive me, even though I have to ask a terrible thing of you.

What?  Why?

My son, I love you more than life, and so does your mother.   Jongdae can hear his father's love and grief and it squeezes in his chest.   But as men, it is our duty to protect her.  These bastards want to make weapons of us, raise generations of our kind for a single purpose.  As males, we are of limited value to them, but a proven fertile female would enable their plans to succeed.

There's a pause, and Jongdae's stomach sinks to his toes, afraid his father's voice won't return, but it does, much to his relief.  

That is why the others all helped your mother to escape all those years ago, sending the strongest male—myself—along to protect her, his father's voice continues. The other captured females proved only fertile in human form, taking much too long to produce viable offspring, especially as the mothers often sabotaged their own pregnancies to spare their offspring from a lifetime of being tortured for science and war.

Jongdae can hear his father's voice break.   We might be predators, but we're very family-oriented.  It's in our nature to protect each other, keep the pack safe, value every new life like the precious gift it is.  Yet when we rebelled, unwilling to condemn our descendants to unnatural lives filled with pain, the others destroyed each other in mercy, destroyed all your mother's eggs—except for two, which she grabbed as we fled.  They slowed us down, but she insisted, said she couldn't leave any of her beloved offspring to be corrupted as soulless killing machines and that a mother couldn't help but try to save at least a few of her children.

Another pause.   She tended them both so carefully when we'd gotten to safety, but one of them never hatched.  The other egg gave us our precious Peaberry. She would hate me for asking you to do this, after fighting so hard to keep you safe, but Son, we cannot tell them where your mother is.  No matter what they do to us, we cannot allow them to take her again, to force her to create more beautiful souls for them to defile.

Jongdae's face is covered with his own snot and tears but he nods in agreement, even if only for himself to know about.   I understand, Dad.  I will be strong for her, and for my unknown siblings.

His father's voice is choked but proud.   Good man.   I love you.

Love you too, Dad. 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae manages to keep his word, merely screaming in wordless agony when the men come back to cut off his pain meds and press against his wounds.  It helps that he doesn't actually remember where his mother went this time, but he refuses to even name a country at all out of sheer stubbornness. These s hurt his family, hurt him, hurt Minseok.  They deserve nothing but screaming and cursing in return for their troubles.

Between "interrogation sessions," Jongdae's mind drifts like a dinghy on the ocean, small and insignificant, surrounded by vast black chill.  Kept in the dark without windows, Jongdae has no concept of the passage of time. They don't even feed him, and hunger settles in beside pain as his constant companions.

His dad contacts him sometimes, his voice sounding more strained, more exhausted each time.  They mostly just assure each other they're okay, exchange I-love-yous, but once, after a particularly painful interrogation that left him sobbing in the dark, Jongdae tries to distract himself.

How are we dinosaurs in the first place? he asks.   Did the army create our people?

No, his father replies.   Our ancestors were ancient Mongolians who deeply honored the even-more-ancient bones.  The spirits must have found them worthy to assume the prehistoric forms, but they only did so for ceremonial purposes—the climate was much colder then than it was when our animal brethren walked the earth.  So no one knew we were shifters, and we kept to ourselves, eventually migrating to the Korean peninsula during the time of the Three Kingdoms. We lived in peace for many years, bringing harm to no one.

Jongdae can hear the fury in his father's voice.   But someone sold us out, betrayed us, and one day they came for us.  I have no idea if anyone escaped the initial assault, but many died and many were captured.  I fear the three of us are the only ones left, and your mother and I were resigned to letting our kind die out, to prevent any future atrocities.

It seems like a long silence passes, and Jongdae wonders if his father needed to return to human form, to spare himself the pain of the too-tight restraints.  But eventually, the voice in his head continues, though it sounds quite weak.

That's why we didn't tell you, Peaberry.  We hoped you'd live a happy, human life. We were thrilled when you told us you liked boys instead of girls, because that meant you'd be unlikely to have biological children, so we'd never have to break the silence about what we truly are.  You'd have married some cute boy, like that Minseok, and been happy. That was our dream.

I'm sorry , Jongdae says, the pain in his heart now eclipsing the lingering pain in his body.   I should have told you what I was planning, but I was scared you'd try to stop me.  I just wanted to fit in with my friends, but not at the expense of my family.

His father doesn't answer, and Jongdae eventually cries himself to sleep, feeling very alone in the dark. 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae!

The voice in his head is loud enough to cut through his fitful sleep, interrupting a rare peaceful dream.  Jongdae is annoyed at the loss until he realizes exactly whose voice he just heard.

Minseok, he calls.  The pain is like hammers, and the only thing he can do is ride it, gauge the throbbing rhythm and breathe into it.  Now that he's awake, he's desperate to stay that way, desperate to hear the leopard speak instead of just screaming and thrashing like he does in so many of Jongdae's dreams.   I thought they killed you.  

I'm alright, the leopard dismisses.   Are you?

No, Jongdae confesses.   I think I'm dying.  I think my dad's already dead.  But it's nice to hear you again, before I join him.  

Minseok curses vehemently.   Don't you dare give up, Dae—we're coming.  We're coming, and we'll make everyone who hurt you regret the day they enlisted, the leopard promises.  

Hold on for me, Dae.  Just hold on! 

<ⓛ>

"Here!" someone bellows.

Suddenly Jongdae's world is flooded with light.  He whimpers, confused and in pain, as booted footsteps approach.

"He's alive!" the voice calls.  "But he's in bad shape—somebody get the medic!"

Callused but gentle hands free Jongdae's wrists and ankles, massaging the numb extremities as he whines, helpless against this new source of pain.

"You're gonna be alright, kid," the voice promises even as another voice curses at the state of his IV sites.  He barely feels the pinch as new needles pierce his skin. "Your name is Jongdae, right?"

"My dad," Jongdae croaks.  "He's... basement."

"We got him, too," the voice assures him.  "They messed him up something awful, I won't lie to you, but the best medics in the corps are with him.  They'll do everything they can for him, Son."

Jongdae doesn't have any tears left, but his heart still sobs as the room fills with more bodies, more voices, more hands.  His vision clears enough to reveal they're all wearing army fatigues just like his captors, but their attitudes are completely different.  To his captors, Jongdae was a job, a means to an end, an object to be used and thrown away.

But these soldiers seem to see him as an actual person, so a tiny spark of hope kindles somewhere in his gut as blessed pain relief floods into his veins.

It would be wonderful to see those he loves again. 

<ⓛ>

The next time Jongdae rouses, he's still flat on his back with tubes in all his holes, but this time he also has fingers twined through both of his hands, one set much warmer than the other.

"He's waking up!" someone practically screams, and Jongdae's lips twitch even before his eyes open.  Only one person in the world is that loud.

"Baek," he murmurs, grateful that the room lights are providing a normal level of illumination so that he can eventually blink the world into focus.  "Missed you." Then he's flooded with guilt as more of his consciousness returns. "My dad—"

"I'm right here, buddy," his father's voice comes from off to his left.  "I'd hug you, but they've got each of us hooked to so many machines that they'd never get us sorted back out."

Jongdae shifts his head a little, and beyond Baekhyun's teary face he can make out another hospital bed and its equally-tearful occupant.  "You're alive," he sobs, surprised that he has tears again.

"Yep, I'm alive.  I feel more machine than man currently, but I'll be alright eventually.  And so will you."

"Mom?" Jongdae asks, half-afraid that they're only alive because they found her.

Someone squeezes his other hand, so Jongdae shifts his head to identify the source, relieved to find his mother's smile.  "I'm safe, Peaberry. We all are—thanks to your Minseok and his family."

Jongdae is amazed that even though he's half-dead and lying in a hospital bed, his mother can still find a way to make him blush.  "He's not my Minseok," he protests.  "We were barely friends, and he probably hates me now.  They hurt him—"

Something shifts on top of Jongdae's legs.   I told you I was fine, Minseok's voice protests in his head.   And we better at least be friends after all of this.

Jongdae lifts his head, tucking his chin to his chest to meet a placid pair of pale jade eyes.  He becomes aware of a rhythmic rumbling transferring through the thin blue hospital blanket draped over his lower half.

Hi.   Minseok blinks at him.

"Hi," Jongdae answers dumbly.  "Uh, why are you sitting on me?"

It's a scientific fact that mesotherms heal more quickly when their body temperature is kept up, the cat's velvety mental voice informs him.   Something about making your metabolism more efficient.

Jongdae tilts his head at the snow leopard.  "So, you're keeping me warm?"

Yes , Minseok nods.   Is it working?

"How could it not, when I have a furry feline furnace on my lap?"

Jongdae's dad chuckles at this one-sided conversation, and Jongdae's guts twist with adoration and relief and guilt.  "What about my dad?" he asks the leopard. "Go sit on him—he needs to heal even more than I do."

"I'm not being neglected," his dad chuckles, just as a furry feline head pops up over the rail of the man's hospital bed.  It's silvery and spotted, but slightly smaller than Minseok and somehow more feminine.

"Hello, Mrs. Kim?" Jongdae guesses.

The lady leopard lifts a paw and bobs her head in acknowledgement.

"Oh," Jongdae says.  "Okay then." His mother giggles, squeezing Jongdae's hand again, and he turns to her with sudden indignation.  "Wait, Mom, how can you let another woman sit on Dad's lap?"

Now both his parents laugh.  "Because she's warm and I'm not.  And after everything that's happened, I can't possibly doubt his love or loyalty.  His good judgment, yes, I definitely question," she admonishes as his dad sighs exasperatedly, like he does when they've had the same argument multiple times.  But his mother cuts off any rehashing when she nods to the door of the hospital room. "Besides, Minseok's father is our assigned security. Nobody's doing anything behind anyone else's back."

Jongdae cranes his neck to see a powerfully-built man in an army uniform standing alertly by the door.  "Honored to meet you, Sir," he offers, receiving a professional nod in return.

He may be a human, Minseok's voice murmurs in his head.   But he's as ferocious as a tiger.  He has to be, to hold his own with my mom.

Jongdae smiles at the memory of the tiny woman telling off armed soldiers, her fully-grown snow leopard son held by the scruff in one little fist.  "Your mom is freaking fierce ," he agrees.

You're telling me, Minseok projects.   I've never in my life dared to so much as lie to her.

"Good, because I like being your friend, and if you had, you'd probably be dead," Jongdae grins, then his face sobers.  "Uh, but I'm still confused as to why Dad and I aren't dead."

Evidently tired of being left out of half-silent conversations, Baekhyun squeezes Jongdae's hand.  "Because Minseok's grandfather is Kim Yongwoo, a four-star general and the army's Chief of Staff," he gloats as if he were personally responsible.  "When corrupt army scientists saw a news report about a dinosaur and sent their goons to capture what they assumed was their escaped experimental subject without official authorization, that was bad enough.  But when one of those goons tasered General Kim's grandson, the White Terror's wrath was invoked."

"White Terror?"  Jongdae's gaze flicks to the leopard on his lap.

He's a rare white Siberian tiger, Minseok reports.   We're very proud, even if he married a leopard and ended up with snow leopard descendants.

"He's terrifying but very honorable," Baekhyun adds once Jongdae's gaze returns to his best friend's smug smile.  "So when he found out these black-ops guys were enslaving and experimenting on Korea's citizens, and especially when he saw Chanyeol's phone video of them electrocuting his grandson and then shooting a live round through a terrified, unarmed, unshifted teenager a head shorter than any of the three fully-armed soldiers, he started issuing court martials left and right.  That's why Yeollie isn't here, by the way—he's enjoying getting to be a sworn civilian witness at the proceedings."

"Wow," Jongdae says.  The attention-craving malamute probably loves wearing a suit and using his big eyes and earnest voice to expose military misdeeds.  "But, how did you find us? And how long were we there?"

"The goons thought they were obeying proper military chain of command," Baekhyun reports, loving his role as official de-briefer.  "So when General Kim called them on the carpet and slapped them with charges of treason among other things, they rolled over really quick.  You were only missing for three days, and you've been in this hospital for about twelve hours."

"It felt like forever," Jongdae whispers, causing both his parents to make sad little noises at him.  "Thank you," he says, lifting his eyes to where Major Kim is still standing watch by the door. "All of you.  I am so ashamed that I caused all this trouble, and I can never repay this debt."

"Kim Jongdae, you are guilty of nothing," his father declares.  "This is our fault as your parents for not trusting you, for failing to keep you safe."

"Actually," Major Kim interjects.  "It's the army's fault for failing to adequately supervise our scientists.  It is Korea that owes a debt to you ."

"Yeah, Dae ," Baekhyun squeezes his hand.  "You have every right to run around by the river being the coolest chicken ever."

"Chicken?" Jongdae's father bristles.  "We aren't chickens , in shape or attitude."

"But Dad, chickens are technically dinosaurs, too," Jongdae teases.  "They're actually some of our closest family."

"But we serve chicken at the cafe," he laments, rolling mournful eyes up to his wife.  "Dolce, we're basically cannibals ."

It turns out snow leopards are extra-adorable when they laugh. 

<ⓛ>

It takes another two days for Jongdae to recover enough to be cleared to go home.  While his body is healing well, his mind will take much longer to mend. Sudden, unexpected bright light makes him feel like he swallowed a bucket of ice, loud noises make his heart try to gallop out of his chest, and he subconsciously cringes away from every big black SUV he sees.  

The nightmares are awful, too.  Even though he’s seen his parents safe, even though Minseok was never actually hurt, Jondae still frequently wakes up in a tearful panic, reality and anxiety blending in his dreams to torment him with horrific images of those he cares about.  But at least he wakes up with his best friend literally on top of him, a warm and reassuring link to reality and safety and love.

Baekhyun’s mother insists he stay with her family for a while so Jongdae’s mother can remain by her husband’s side without extra worry for her still-healing son.  Jongdae visits his dad after school every day, and it helps a lot to see his father healing well and growing stronger. Sometimes they just hold each other and let tears do the talking, releasing fears of what could have been while rejoicing in how things ended up.

Jongdae gets held a lot, and it keeps him from falling apart.  Baek’s mom is one of those cuddly sort of mothers that thinks a hug and a warm meal will fix all manner of problems, and after starving for three days, Jongdae is more than happy to let her fuss over him and continuously fill his plate.  Baek insists that Jongdae share his bed like he had when they were little, because dogs are pack animals and curling up together for solace and security is what they do.

Jongdae is so fortunate to have such a supportive friend.  Baek never complains about being woken up in the middle of the night.  Instead he pulls Jongdae into a hug to murmur gentle reassurances until Jongdae’s breathing returns to normal.  He even swaps out the daylight bulb in his bedside lamp with a warm, dimmable light so he can illuminate his bedroom just enough to provide Jongdae’s sensitive eyes and restless brain with evidence that he’s safe.  

Chanyeol’s undying optimism helps too, along with the malamute’s addiction to social media.  Evidently, the video of Jongdae on the news sites hadn’t just alerted the bad guys that he exists.  It had also prompted other survivors of the unauthorized experiments to come forward, so Chanyeol reaches out to them through the various social sites.  Several respond, and Chanyeol presents their contact info to Jongdae as if it were as valuable as diamonds.

To Jongdae, it is.  He even video-chats with an older gentleman who’d fled to China after his escape and a girl a little younger than him who’d been anonymously surrendered for adoption and ended up in the US.  Knowing that there are others like him out there, that he’s not a shameful aberration or a test-tube monster, is really comforting. The three of them keep in touch via Kakaotalk, often sending each other pictures of the beauty in their lives.

They lovingly about how many photos of Minseok he uploads.

It’s too easy to take a bunch of photos of the snow leopard because Minseok is constantly around.  He helps Jongdae catch up on the schoolwork he’s missed, sticking around to study in Baekhyun's room with them even though it doesn't take much time to deliver and explain Jongdae's assignments.  The leopard insists on carrying Jongdae's backpack for him when he returns to school, ignoring all his protests that he still has one perfectly-good shoulder and the other is healing well. It's almost as if the silver cat is reluctant to let Jongdae out of his sight.

Lucky for Minseok, he sees a lot of Jongdae since the three of them practice their vocal unit pieces every day to make up for the missed rehearsal time.  They're set on presenting their work at the student showcase along with everyone else, even though their choir teacher had offered them an extension.

For Jongdae, it’s become a personal mission to do what he loves best in front of the whole school with his peers, and he’s swept his groupmates along with his determination.  His trauma therapist says it’s perfectly natural to want to prove that he’s still who he was before, that the terrible events may have damaged his body and mind but not his soul.  Jongdae may be performing in front of everyone he knows, but he’ll also be singing for himself. 

<ⓛ>

The night of the performance, Jongdae is all nerves.  He's running through his parts quietly to himself for the umpteenth time, whining under his breath at every little imperfection, when warm, sturdy arms slip around his waist from behind.

"You'll be fine, Dae," Minseok murmurs in his ear, hooking his chin over Jongdae's good shoulder.  "We've practiced and we're awesome and it's going to be great. And even if it isn't, I'm so proud of you just for standing on that stage when ten days ago you were dehydrated, anemic, and on death's very doorstep—and so are your parents."

Jongdae lets his heart rate slow to match that of the steady feline behind him.  "I'll sing my very best for them," he says. "My dad made my mom bring his suit to the hospital so they could come right to the auditorium once he was discharged."

"They're sitting with my family," Baekhyun pipes up, hugging Jongdae's front side and making stupid kissy faces at Minseok over his shoulder.  "Minseok's family is with them, too, and dayum is your little sister hot."

Minseok's growl rumbles through his chest to Jongdae's back.  "s like you are why she goes to an all-girls boarding school," he says.  "Keep your thirsty eyes on your big goofy boyfriend and leave my perfect little  sister alone."

"And where will your thirsty eyes be?" Baekhyun challenges.  "On my brother, perhaps?"

"No way," Minseok scoffs.  "There's no one in the audience that I'm interested in."

"Then it's Kyungsoo, isn't it?" Jongdae guesses.  "You like that smoky voice, those big eyes, and the fact that he's the only guy in the world shorter than you!"

Minseok and Baekhyun simultaneously punch Jongdae's good shoulder.

"You are such an idiot," they sigh in tandem, then burst into laughter at their synchronized reaction.  Jongdae can't help but laugh, too, grateful to be standing here with his friends (and that those friends had both pulled their punches). 

<ⓛ>

Jongdae is grateful to make it through their performances with only minor mistakes, even if each slurred note or inaccurate pitch replays through his head as he stands between his unit partners on stage with the other groups.  They've all taken their bows and now they're all waiting for the announcement of the top three groups. Those who place will win Korean beef gift sets (or equivalent luxury fruit baskets, in the case of vegetarian species). But Jongdae likes beef, so he's hoping to squeeze into third place despite his errors.

"It is my pleasure and also my burden to preside over this year's vocal unit challenges," the choir teacher finally announces into the microphone.  "My fellow jurors and I had quite the arduous task to rank all of these excellent trios, and I am so proud of all of their dedication and hard work.  I am especially proud to inform you that the point spread from highest to lowest rank was a mere ten points out of a possible score of one hundred, the highest scoring group we have ever had.  Students, even if I do not call your name, please know that you still did an excellent job, worthy of being proud of."

She has to pause here for a round of hooting applause, and she prompts all of them to link hands and bow one more time in self-congratulations.  Then a grinning Chanyeol starts a drumroll, which the teacher allows to build the suspense to a tangible level.

"In third place, with ninety-five points, is... trio six: Do Kyungsoo, Kim Junmyeon, and Zhang Yixing!"  

The crowd cheers enthusiastically as the two upperclassmen wipe away tears while Kyungsoo calmly walks to the podium, bows deeply on his unit's behalf, then accepts the certificates that enable the named to collect their delicious prize after the show.

Jongdae is a little disappointed as Chanyeol starts the drumroll again, comforting himself with the idea that if the very small chance of second place doesn't work out, at least he knows their unit still scored in the high eighties, minimum.  That'll assure them of a decent grade, even if he has to buy his own beef.

"In second place, with ninety-six points, is... trio two: Kim Taeyeon, Lee Soonkyu, and Im Yoona!"

The crowd roars again as the girls squeal, the other two enthusiastically prodding a blushing Taeyeon up to collect their prize.

Jongdae tries not to sigh as Chanyeol restarts the drumroll, instead preparing his I'm-happy-for-you face so he can politely applaud the winners before going off to kick himself backstage.  If he'd hit that high note with just a little less force it wouldn't have gone sharp, and then perhaps they'd have managed to edge out Kyungsoo. Then he feels a little bad, because trio six had actually done really well, pulling off some complicated syncopated harmonies that Jongdae was truly impressed by.

"And our grand prize winners, whom I'm honored to say were scored on merit alone like all the other units, with no consideration for extenuating circumstances, is... team nine: Byun Baekhyun, Kim Jongdae, and Kim Minseok!"

Jongdae is already wearing his gracious-loser smile when the jumping and shouting on either side of him registers along with his own name being read off by the choir teacher.

"No way," he breathes, eyes wide as Baekhyun squeezes him in a quick hug that makes Jongdae's shoulder twinge before scampering off to collect their prize.  He turns to Minseok, already protesting.

"We can't have won, because I—"

But that's all that manages to escape his mouth before Minseok's warm lips are pressed against his.

What .

Wait.

How is this happening?

Why is this happening?

"You're supposed to kiss him back, you moron!" Chanyeol hisses un-quietly from the side of the stage where he's standing beside his drums.  "Not just stand there gaping like a frozen fish!"

"Mmm, fish," Minseok murmurs against Jongdae's lips as the students around them erupt with laughter.

Jongdae becomes aware of catcalls from the audience, one of which he's sure is from his own mother, encouraging him to "grab that !"

Stunned and mortified, Jongdae pulls away from Minseok's mouth with a whimper, instead burying his burning face against the leopard's shoulder.  "Why are you doing this to me?" he whines.

"Because I like you, you dork," Minseok answers, as cool and collected as usual.  "And you're terrible at picking up hints."

"I'm pretty sure I hate you right now," Jongdae whines.  "But I'd also really like to try that kiss again, somewhere without an audience."

"I think the practice rooms are still unlocked," Minseok suggests.

"Does this mean I can keep your beef certificates?" Baekhyun shouts from behind them as Jongdae starts tugging Minseok off the stage.

"Sure," Minseok hollers back, letting himself be manhandled.  "I'd much rather have chicken ."

Baekhyun's raucous laughter, Chanyeol's deep chuckle, and his mother's lewd whistle chase them into the nearest practice room, but Jongdae stops thinking about his canine friends or his embarrassing parents—or anything else at all, to be honest—as soon as Minseok's grinning lips crash against his own again.

Jongdae may be a rare dinosaur shifter, a still-healing trauma survivor, and one of the highest-rated singers at his school, but he’s also a teenage boy who just found out his crush is evidently reciprocated.  With Minseok’s hands in his hair and his tongue prodding whimpers from Jongdae’s mouth, being that ordinary teenager is exciting enough. 

<ⓛ>