ONE

A Whisker Away

I want to make you happy and tell you I love you.

"Hwan!"

He knew that voice; he knew that name. Even if it was a name that belonged to him but also didn't. Being called by someone that belonged to him but also didn't. He couldn't hold back his excitement when he ran across the roof of the house, looking down at the one person he wanted to see. The only person who mattered to him.

"Hwan, come here, I have dinner," Kyungsoo called one more time. Before jumping off to meet him, he took some time to admire the boy. Black hair covering his forehead, slightly wet from the shower he probably took a few minutes ago. Enormous eyes and those full lips that he wants to kiss over and over.

Heart-shaped lips he adored so much.

Heart-shaped lips that were calling his name.

He jumped off the roof, making a warning sound as he fell over the boy. Kyungsoo looked up at him, his eyes widening as he saw the other fall, and he opened his arms to receive him. A big smile forming, it was almost like he was happy to see him.

His presence made him happy.

"Hey there," Kyungsoo kissed the top of his head, scratching behind his ears. "Have you been on the roof all this time?" He pulled the other closer to his face, taking in his scent. "You smell like the sun."

The scene probably looked like a boy reuniting with his cat. However, there were a few things wrong with that.

The boy wasn't his owner.

He wasn't a cat.

And his name wasn't Hwan, it was Jongin.

It happened some time ago, while he was wandering around the city. Upset with his family after a silly fight, he wished for something under a small cat shrine, and it became true. After falling asleep that night, he woke up as a beautiful white cat. Stunning blue eyes to complement. Of course, Jongin freaked out at first, but he learned to control it.

He was lucky to see Kyungsoo that one day. He knew him from school, but they hadn't interacted at all and nobody had ever seen him as a cat before. When they looked at each other, the connection was so strong, so deep that he never questioned it. He never regretted it.

Jongin saw in the boy's eyes the same sadness he felt.

That's all it took, just one look.

And why should they be sad apart if they could be happy together?

Kyungsoo took him in, fed him, and gave him so much love that Jongin couldn't help to come back for more. Coming in every day and leaving every night to go home. It didn't matter, as long as Kyungsoo was happy.

That's all Jongin wanted.

Kyungsoo smiled at him once again, taking him inside where he had prepared a plate for him. Placing the cat down, he chuckled as Jongin went straight for the food.

"You know he probably eats somewhere else and has other owners," Kyungsoo's brother, Seungsoo said. He was standing by the kitchen door watching his little brother observe the cat like it was precious to him.

"I know, but I don't mind," Kyungsoo shrugged. "He spends most of his time here, so that means he likes us more. Right, Hwan?"

The cat meowed, glancing at him for a moment before going back to his food. His tail wrapping around Kyungsoo’s hand.

Seungsoo sighed, his expression then growing darker. "Anyway, mom called today… she's picking up her stuff, and she wants to know if you're leaving with her." He walked towards the fridge and pulled a water bottle. "I should stay to help dad with the shop, so maybe you should-”

"I'll think about it," Kyungsoo interrupted, picking up the cat before he was done with the food and running upstairs.

His family situation wasn't ideal, and Jongin knew that made Kyungsoo sad. Having to pick a side, having to decide on a parent to live with. Coming from a broken family himself, Jongin understood his struggle, however, he also knew sometimes it was better this way.

Kyungsoo gently put the cat down before throwing himself into his bed, an arm covering his eyes as he let out a sigh.

Jongin jumped on the bed as well, lying down next to him. He reached out with his little paw, hoping to make him feel better, at least for a while. Hoping that his affection reached him.

Kyungsoo chuckled, placing the cat on his chest. "What should I do, Hwan? My mom is moving to a different city. That means a new start for me." He sighed, absentmindedly petting the cat. "Why can't things stay the same?"

Kyungsoo's eyes filled with tears, and Jongin felt his heart squeezing for him. How much he wished he could make things better for him. Make him happy. Not to mention that Kyungsoo leaving meant he wouldn't be able to see him again. He couldn't just disappear with him.

Suddenly that realization made Jongin panic. If Kyungsoo couldn't stay and Jongin couldn't leave, that meant they would have to stop seeing each other. He didn't want that to happen. He didn't want him to leave. He wanted to hold on to him and never let go.

Jongin's heart skipped a beat, his stomach twisting. Just thinking about not having Kyungsoo's warmth and not seeing his beautiful smile every day.

Not hearing his melodic voice call his name.

No!

He couldn't let that happen. He had to stay. He had to…

Kyungsoo's eyes then widened, looking back at Jongin with a few tears falling down his cheeks. He felt how the other stopped breathing under him for a second and before he knew it; he was reaching out again to touch him. A human hand coming into his vision instead of the white paw. It was just then that Jongin realized, his eyes widening too.

"Oh…”

Crap.

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seven_oh_seven
1489 streak #1
Chapter 1: oh, oh, that little cliff hanger is soooo good! This fic actually had me hooked and wanting more. Thank you for this!