[Fic] Pocketful Of Sunshine
Title: Pocketful Of Sunshine
Pairing: Jongdae/Joonmyun
Rating: Nc17
Length: 9250w
Author's Note: originally written for criticalcapture
Warning: catboy au, asshole joonmyun
Summary: When Jongdae brings home an injured Joonmyun, he gets more than he bargained for and quite a few scratches along the way.
Jongdae rocks back on his heels, patiently waiting for his food as his stomach rumbles in protest. He’s inside his favorite sushi restaurant, grabbing far too much takeout for one person, but if he can control his urges, it will last the weekend and he can get out of cooking. It’s been a long week, but it’s payday and he’s feeling indulgent. Once he has his food in hand, he darts out the door and toward his car.
The city is nice this time of year, a gentle spring with a cool breeze that cuts through the heat. Jongdae takes a moment to appreciate the view and the budding trees lining the street. The only thing that detracts from the scene are the occasional cardboard boxes tucked just off the sidewalk, but still visible.
It's not unusual to see the boxes taken over by cat hybrids, most of them with a wildness to their eyes that keeps everyone at bay. Jongdae is one of those cautious people and he's always been careful to give a wide berth to any obviously inhabited box. He'd rather not end up clawed to pieces for invading on a feral animal's space, human-like appearance or not.
Today, however, he's distracted by the smell of his dinner wafting out of the bag and the rumbling in his stomach. He'd had to skip lunch to help Chanyeol and now he's paying the price. His feet shuffle carelessly and Jongdae nearly trips when the tip of his shoe catches on the flap of a box turned on its side.
He lets out a surprised noise, stopping to look down at the soggy lump of cardboard that's so old the logo from where it originated has faded completely. He almost apologizes out of instinct before realizing that would be silly. It's just a box.
Jongdae is unprepared for the head that pops out of the box, looking up at him with wide, unblinking eyes as a malevolent hiss pours from the cat hybrid's mouth. Jongdae’s normally sharp tongue is immediately silenced by the vision in front of him. He feels a bit starstruck, eyes trained on a beautiful face smudged with dirt.
“You’re standing on my box,” comes a soft, yet firm voice accompanied by an ear twitch that has Jongdae melting a little. A gorgeous, slinky black tail unfurls from behind the cat, swaying in the air just behind his head and it should be a dangerous sign, especially when Jongdae takes note of a pair of narrowed eyes directed right at him. Slowly, the cat reaches out and taps against the top of Jongdae’s shoe with his finger. “Please get off my box.”
That’s when Jongdae takes note of the scratches littering the expanse of the cat’s arms and his eyes widen with each new injury he finds. The shirt clinging to the cat's frame is thin, barely held together in most places by threads that have managed not to rip. It was probably once white, but it's stained brown now, matching with several patches of skin on the cat that Jongdae can see. This poor creature must be living a harsh, cruel life. His heart positively aches with the need to help the cat when he spies his torn ear, the tip gone and the gleam of blood still fresh enough to not have scabbed over.
Against every rational thought in his head, Jongdae crouches down until they're eyelevel, watching the way the cat's eyes grow wide when he leans back, startled. "Are you hungry?" Jongdae inquires, rustling the plastic bag in his hand until the cat zeros in on it.
Cautiously, the cat tilts his head and his nose twitches when he inhales. Jongdae watches as pink lips part enough for a tongue to swipe over them and the cat seems much more receptive to letting Jongdae near.
He knows there are sharp eyes oriented on his every move, waiting for any sign that he's unsafe, so he takes care to go slow when he opens the top container. Jongdae slides a fat piece of fish off the rice - tuna, he laments - and holds it out for the cat to take. The cat's ears move forward and Jongdae doesn't miss the flicker of pain that follows the action, but he's more focused on the fish that's now disappearing in the cat's mouth with a soft near mewl of happiness.
Jongdae is gobsmacked, unable to keep from wanting when he watches the cat licking the taste of the tuna off each of his own fingers before grabbing Jongdae's hand to do the same.
"Would you like to come home with me?" Jongdae asks. The cat freezes, seeming to realize what he's doing and he releases Jongdae's hand and shuffles back in his box. "I won't hurt you. And I have plenty more fish," he adds, shaking the bag again.
The cat is clearly torn, eyes darting back and forth between Jongdae's face and the food. After a minute of silence, Jongdae raises to his feet and takes a step back. The cat scoots out of the box, peering up at him curiously. Jongdae shuffles back a little more, swishing the bag and ever so slowly, he manages to coax the cat out of his makeshift home.
He’s shorter than Jongdae and now that he can see his legs, he notes the blood stains on his pants and the frayed hems around the feet from being walked on all the time. The cat’s fists are balled at his sides and there’s an almost haughty air to him, shoulders up and head tilted to examine Jongdae fully.
“My car is this way,” Jongdae begins, looking over his shoulder and pointing where to he’s parked across the street.
He takes a step, expecting the cat to mimic the action, but he doesn’t. His tail is curled around his waist now and both ears are flat on his head. The torn one isn’t as far down and Jongdae can only imagine the kinds of infections this cat could pick up without it being treated properly.
“You’re not a pimp are you?” the cat asks suddenly.
Jongdae is taken aback and he shakes his head quickly. “Do I look like a pimp?”
“I don’t know,” the cat answers. “But if you are, I’ll claw your eyes out before you can chain me up.”
Jongdae sputters, backing away from the cat and slipping off the curb. He lands square on his ass in the street between a pair of parked cars. “Ow.” He rubs his backside as he grabs the bumper of the nearest vehicle to pull himself up.
When he looks over at the cat, he’s surprised to see him teetering on the curb now, an amused expression on his face. “You’re obviously harmless, so I accept your offer.”
Jongdae is a practical man, certainly not one who brings home strays on a whim, but there's always an exception. The pretty face staring at him from the other side of the kitchen table reminds Jongdae that as a human, it's really his duty to take care of those less fortunate than himself.
There are pieces of rice on the corners of the cat's mouth and Jongdae watches as the rest of the food he'd bought for the entire weekend disappears behind slick, pink lips. The happy swishing of the cat's tail is hypnotic and Jongdae sighs, head propped on his hand as he watches this beautiful creature now lick everything off his fingers with a content purr.
“Do you have a name?” Jongdae queries once the food is gone and not even a speck of rice is left. He tries not to think about the way the cat’s tongue had curled around the corners of his mouth to get the last grains.
“Of course I do,” is the instant answer.
Jongdae waits for the rest and is left wanting. He sighs, standing to gather the empty containers and throw them away. “Will you tell me your name?”
Jongdae can practically feel the holes being burned into his back by a pair of dark eyes. “Joonmyun,” he declares a few moments later.
“Well, Joonmyun, now that you’ve finished eating, how about a bath?” Jongdae turns around and sees Joonmyun glaring at him.
“I can bathe myself.” And before Jongdae can move, Joonmyun is licking the side of his hand and reaching up to swipe it along his uninjured ear.
Jongdae purses his lips. “That’s not going to get all those layers of dirt off you and I need to be able to see where you’re hurt so I can disinfect them before you get sick.”
“Is this a trick to get me naked?”
“I thought we established that I wasn’t a pimp,” Jongdae says with a frustrated sigh. If only he could get Joonmyun to understand that he just wants to take care of him.
Joonmyun stands from the table, the chair legs scraping loud over the tiles, and walks over to Jongdae. There’s so much judgement in those eyes and Jongdae swallows at the scrutiny. “That doesn’t mean you’re not a pervert.”
“I’m not a pervert,” Jongdae insists, backing away because Joonmyun is really close and it’s really not Jongdae’s fault if his body has a natural reaction to someone so attractive invading his personal space. He’s feeling a little hot under the collar, but Joonmyun spins on his heel and pads barefoot out of the kitchen.
“Human! Where’s the bathroom?”
Jongdae had given Joonmyun some extra clothes and a towel before the bathroom door was shut in his face and locked. He’d stared at the wood paneling for far longer than he liked to admit, listening to the sound of the water. And now he’s on the couch, laying down with his arm over his eyes as he ponders the insanity of his latest decision. He toys with the idea of calling Chanyeol, but then remembers the last time he’d called his friend for advice and the never ending laughter that followed.
The bathroom door clicks open and Jongdae sits up, running fingers through his hair to try and tame it from when he’d balled his fists in it and pulled earlier. Jongdae actually makes this whine in the back of his throat when he sees Joonmyun wearing his clothes, standing there in an over-sized sweater and a pair of pants that seem to fit him well enough.
The picture perfect image of innocence with his pale skin and wide, blinking eyes has Jongdae’s heart falling, plunking against every rib along the way to his stomach.
“I had to cut a hole in the back of the pants for my tail,” Joonmyun states.
Jongdae gets up and heads toward Joonmyun who flattens himself back against the wall with a wary look on his face. “I’d like to get a look at your cuts and your ear.”
Joonmyun side-steps away from Jongdae as the tip of his tail thumps against the wall.
“I’m clean.”
“I know, but some of these injuries are deep and might need more than cleaning.”
Joonmyun scowls. “I can take care of myself.”
Jongdae makes a move of his own, shifting his position so that when Joonmyun tries to get away from him, he’s herded back toward the bathroom. Joonmyun doesn’t seem to notice as he slides against the wall further each time Jongdae steps forward. “I just want to help.”
One carefully calculated step at a time and Jongdae gets Joonmyun right where he wants him. The cat looks startled when the wall ends and he tumbles into the bathroom. Jongdae rushes in, closing and locking the door behind him before Joonmyun can get out.
Jongdae rethinks this game plan when he spies Joonmyun’s hips wiggling. And then the cat is pouncing with a hiss, sharp nails out and aimed right at Jongdae’s face. He manages to spin away at the last moment, wincing when he hears Joonmyun’s shoulder connect with the door. Joonmyun fumbles with the lock on the door and Jongdae grabs a towel off the rack, lunging forward and wrapping the fabric around Joonmyun from the back, pinning his arms to the side.
It was a risky move, but mostly successful. Jongdae forces Joonmyun to sit on the toilet seat, sitting directly on the cat’s lap to keep him from bolting up. There are a fresh set of claw marks down Jongdae’s right arm and they sting, but Joonmyun’s ear is bandaged with an antibiotic cream over the worst of it and the deeper cuts on his neck and chest have been patched up.
“See?” Jongdae asks as soon as he’s done. “That wasn’t so bad.”
Jongdae stands and Joonmyun darts off and it’s too late when Jongdae realizes that cat has fled to his bedroom and slammed the door, locking it for good measure.
The sun is warm and Joonmyun rolls toward it instinctively, stretching his arms over his head and then scratching at the exposed skin of his stomach where his shirt has risen up. He’s so comfortable, so warm and cozy that he wakes up because this is unfamiliar. He opens his eyes and realizes, sluggishly, that he’s in a bed. Joonmyun sits up, glancing around the unfamiliar room until he remembers the events leading to his current lodging.
He’s had worse, he reasons, slipping off the mattress and walking over to the door. It’s still locked and that at least makes him feel safe. He pokes his head out first, taking in the silence which means the human is probably still asleep. It gives him the opportunity to explore his new surroundings with impudence.
The first room he comes across is the bathroom and he figures he knows that infernal place well enough after the uncomfortable events of last night. Joonmyun runs a hand under his shirt, picking at the edges of one of the bandages. It’s itchy and he doesn’t like it.
The next room is the kitchen and Joonmyun licks his lips, suddenly starving. He turns on his heel and finds himself in the living room. The furniture all matches and there’s a decent sized flatscreen mounted on the wall. At least this is better than the other homes he’d been subjected to as a kitten. Even the curtains are the same shade as the light blue furnishings, the border the same shade of cream as the carpet.
Joonmyun crawls onto the coffee table by the couch, sitting with his legs folded underneath him as he watches the human sleep. His mouth is open and there’s a trail of dried drool over his cheek. He’s not particularly attractive like this, but Joonmyun remembers how handsome he’d looked while watching Joonmyun eat. Not that handsome matters. Joonmyun doesn’t care about such things.
What he does care about is his stomach and right now it’s gurgling at him. He reaches over and pokes the human in the arm, waiting only a second before doing it again. Joonmyun huffs when he realizes that this man is a heavy sleeper and that leaves only one solution. He gets up and shoves his hands behind the human and then pulls with all his strength.
The result is the man rolling right off the couch and landing on the floor with a thud. Joonmyun crouches over him, legs bent at the knees so he can push a finger into the human’s chest and get his attention. A pair of sleepy eyes finally seem to notice him and Joonmyun scowls. “Feed me.”
It’s not a request.
This human is an odd one, Joonmyun reasons midway through the day. He’s harmless, that much is for sure judging by the way he eyes Joonmyun’s hands like he’s about to lunge for his throat (it was once, ok) and how red his face gets when Joonmyun’s shirt rides up. It’s an interesting development and provides Joonmyun with some amusement.
It’s quiet here - no cars passing by no matter the time of day, no trespassers trying to edge in on his area for scraps. Joonmyun finds himself antsy, restless with built up energy from not having anything to pounce. That’s probably why he’s flattened himself under the human’s bed with his heart beating fast and his senses on high alert after he’d attacked the man on his way out of the bathroom.
Joonmyun hadn’t exactly meant to lunge after his newest caretaker, but the movement out of the corner of his eye was enough to put him on autopilot. He knows he drew blood because it’s still wet on a few of his fingertips, the echo of the human’s cry of pain loud in his ears. Joonmyun just knows he’s about to be punished - hit and yelled at and possibly kicked out for sure. And he’s not necessarily opposed to being put out on his ass again. It wouldn’t be the first time he has been deemed too wild.
It leaves a hollow ache in his chest when he thinks about spending the rest of his life fighting off scavengers and defending himself. He learned to attack first and never feel remorse a long time ago, but for the first time, he kinda feels bad about it.
There are feet coming toward the bed and Joonmyun scoots further back and toward the wall, his tail trying to free itself because it’s squished between his back and the frame.
“I’m not mad at you,” comes the human’s voice followed by a head peeking down. The man squints to see Joonmyun in the darkness. “I’m fine, so come on out so we can clean up this mess.”
Joonmyun growls, baring his teeth because this has to be a trick. No one is this nice. Not after the holes he’s positive he punctured in the man’s arm. The last thing he’s going to do is make himself vulnerable for attack. So he sits and waits, refusing to budge no matter how many promises are offered.
Joonmyun spends the rest of the day under the bed, eventually falling asleep in the cramped space.
Two nights in a row on the couch are more than Jongdae’s body can handle. He thinks he managed to incur permanent neck damage; every time he turns his head to the left, a sharp pain shoots down his neck and back. He’s trying to massage the area when he spies the head peering around the corner of the living room and into the kitchen. Jongdae’s been jotting down a quick grocery list seeing as he’d fed Joonmyun the sushi he’d been planning to live off of for the weekend.
“I’m guessing you didn’t have much of a choice for food out there, so why don’t you come in here and help me make a list for the grocery store,” he offers, taking note of the way Joonmyun’s ears press back just a little at the inquiry.
It takes a few moments for the cat to shuffle in, still in the clothes Jongdae put him in the day before. He looks at Jongdae warily, taking a seat on the other side of the table. “Pizza,” Joonmyun says matter-of-factly. “With anchovies.”
Things could be worse. Jongdae looks at his once fluffy pillows that decorated his couch, the fabric cut into shreds and the stuffing spread all over the couch and the floor. He spies the new holes in his curtains and the fresh scratches to go with the old on his arms. Things could be worse.
At least Joonmyun has stopped calling him ‘human’ and learned to use his name. Jongdae never knew he possessed the patience the deal with such things and it’s disturbing that he’s grown such a soft spot for Joonmyun after only a few days. And he hates to think what kind of trouble Joonmyun is getting up to now that he’s not home to stop him from trying to carve his claws into the coffee table.
Jongdae startles, hands grabbing both arms of his chair when the entire thing is tipped back. He’s met with the image of Chanyeol’s upside-down face. “You haven’t been listening. The Lees want their flower order changed from lilies to tulips and I need you to talk to the florist because you’re the only person I know who she doesn’t look at like she wants to put your dick in a vice.”
Jongdae accepts his fate with a grunt, not letting go of his chair until all the wheels are on the floor. “I expect a bonus,” he grumbles.
“Now,” Chanyeol continues as he walks around to sit on the edge of Jongdae’s desk. “Want to tell me what has you so spaced out.” Chanyeol cocks his head to the side and raises his eyebrows. “And why the hell you’re wearing long sleeves when it’s burning up outside?”
Jongdae nervously tugs at the end of his sleeves, the sleeves that are covering several days worth of war injuries. “I had a tough weekend,” he answers vaguely.
“Does she have a name?”
Jongdae looks at his boss to see him making the oddest face and Jongdae leans back. “He is a stray I picked up on the way home Friday night,” he corrects before realizing that that bit of information is not something he wants in Chanyeol’s hands.
“Oh,” is Chanyeol’s clipped response, eyes wide and hands folding in his lap. “I never pegged you as the feline fetish type. I hope you made sure he was clean and wore a condom because I’ve heard -”
“WHAT?!” Jongdae nearly tips over his own chair. “I didn’t buy a hooker!” he yells and then feels the blush of embarrassment rushing into his face when Yixing makes an abrupt stop in front of Jongdae’s desk to stare at him in shock before rushing off.
Chanyeol clears his throat and raises his hand to fiddle with the top button on his shirt as he’s prone to do when he screws up. It’s almost as if he can feel the inevitability of Jongdae’s fingers wrapped around his throat until he begs for mercy with teary eyes.
Which is exactly what Jongdae is planning to do, already out of his seat with his hands raised as Chanyeol scrambles onto his feet and darts off down the hall. He disappears around the corner and Jongdae flops back down in his chair, letting it spin around as he stares at the ceiling. This is why he doesn’t confide in Chanyeol. Ever.
But it wouldn’t hurt for someone to have to bear the burden of listening to Jongdae’s woes and Jongdae reasons that his best friend in the entire universe (aside from that one girl in the third grade who Jongdae swears he had a spiritual connection with) is the perfect candidate. He rings Baekhyun an hour before lunch, demanding to be treated and Baekhyun gives in after only the teensiest bit of blackmail.
Jongdae meets Baekhyun at a sandwich shop a few blocks from the office, small talk filling in the time between ordering and getting their food.
“So what’s the real reason you insisted on talking in person? Are you ready to admit you can’t live without seeing my handsome face?”
Baekhyun is a menace to society who should be locked away for the population’s safety, but he’s also the only reason Jongdae made it this far in life with most of his sanity. So Jongdae merely rolls his eyes. “I need your advice, dumbass.”
Baekhyun chokes on his drink, slapping his chest as he coughs it out. “What?” he wheezes.
“Advice,” Jongdae repeats through gritted teeth. “So be the dutiful bestie and help me,” he ends with a whine.
Baekhyun blinks at Jongdae, sliding his food away so he can fold his arms on the table and lean in. He looks far too pleased. “I’m all ears.”
Jongdae scratches absently at one of his bandages under his shirt. “I found a stray and brought him home,” he begins and watches the information sink into Baekhyun’s brain, leaving his best friend with his mouth wide open in disbelief. “And I have no idea what I’m doing. I figured since you have Kyungsoo and he’s relatively . . . tame, maybe you can give me some advice.”
“A hybrid cat? Whoa, I never thought I’d see the day,” Baekhyun muses. “This is something I need to see for myself.”
Jongdae is certain this is a bad idea, but he hadn’t been able to convince Baekhyun not to stop by, Kyungsoo in tow so they can meet his newest tenant. There are still a few blessedly peaceful moments before they’re supposed to arrive and Jongdae uses that time to toss his pillow pieces into the closet, hide most of the fluff in a plastic bag and get a pair of pants on Joonmyun because he’d been lounging on the couch mostly naked when Jongdae got home.
(Jongdae did not oogle, but it wasn’t his fault that Joonmyun had so much tempting skin on display. The heat in the pit of Jongdae’s stomach was a natural reaction.)
Joonmyun is now sitting on top of the coffee table - his favorite place to be when he’s annoyed at Jongdae - with the end of his tail flicking and eyes narrowed as Jongdae valiantly tries to hide all the damage. “It’s just going to get messed up again anyway,” Joonmyun points out unhelpfully. “I’ll make sure of that.”
Jongdae bites his tongue, holding back all the curses he wants to throw at the cat.
“What’s the rush anyway?”
Just then, the doorbell rings. Joonmyun jumps, his tail puffing out ridiculously and ears flattening atop his head. He looks fiercely adorable and Jongdae resists the urge to coo at him, knowing it will only earn him a hiss and a swipe of the claws.
“Behave,” Jongdae orders, knowing full and well that it’s going to take a miracle for that to happen. He gets to the door and opens it with a forced smile. Baekhyun is standing in front of him looking amused as Kyungsoo’s head pops up over Baekhyun’s shoulder. He’s a pretty little cat that Baekhyun purchased a few years back.
Baekhyun barrels inside with a rushed greeting, tugging Kyungsoo in with him. Kyungsoo at least looks sheepish for Baekhyun’s actions, but Jongdae is used to it.
Joonmyun is still on the coffee table, but crouched low with his hands on the surface as if readying himself to pounce at the first sign of trouble. Jongdae manages to wedge himself into the living room around Baekhyun so he can use his body as a barrier if needed.
“Joonmyun, this is my friend Baekhyun and his cat Kyungsoo,” he introduces, wringing his hands because his nerves are shot.
Kyungsoo takes a tentative step forward and Jongdae watches the uncertainty on Joonmyun face fade into a sneer. Joonmyun’s eyes are fixated on the collar around Kyungsoo’s neck. “Domesticated filth,” he spits.
Jongdae whines, tossing a glance at Baekhyun who seems, if anything, more amused, like he’s privy to some joke Jongdae isn’t in on. And for that one distracted moment, Kyungsoo launches at Joonmyun and knocks him right off the coffee table. Joonmyun yowls, his tail trapped under him and his head glancing off the floor. Kyungsoo sits on Joonmyun’s chest, his tail swaying happily.
Joonmyun hisses, claws coming out as he rolls, but Kyungsoo is still one step ahead. Jongdae moves to separate the cats, but Baekhyun places a hand on Jongdae’s arm and shakes his head. “Just watch.”
Joonmyun ends up in a headlock, spitting and scratching blindly as Kyungsoo keeps him still with an arm locked around his neck and both legs around Joonmyun’s waist. It takes a minute before the fight drains from Joonmyun and he goes limp.
“See? They’re friends already!” Baekhyun chirps.
Jongdae isn’t sure if friends is the word he’d use seeing as Joonmyun’s face is red and he looks entirely displeased as Kyungsoo moves around to fuss over his messed up hair. Although it’s entertaining to watch as Joonmyun tries to shy away and Kyungsoo drags him back with a cluck of his tongue.
This is the first time Jongdae’s ever seen Joonmyun subdued and he’s in awe of Kyungsoo and just the littlest bit jealous. Joonmyun only sees Jongdae as a nuisance at best, but it only fuels Jongdae’s desire to crack open that icy exterior and get to the gooey center.
By the end of the visit, Kyungsoo is rubbing his head under Joonmyun’s chin affectionately and while Joonmyun isn’t returning the sentiment, he isn’t fighting it either. It’s progress.
Joonmyun is sitting under the kitchen table, letting the tablecloth hide him away from Jongdae’s prying eyes. He picks at one of the fresh bandages on his stomach, scowling as the sticky tape rips the hair out by the follicle. He’d put up a good fight when Jongdae declared it time to change them out for new ones and check on how they were healing, but Joonmyun had been caught off guard with a towel around his chest and arms pinned to his sides as Jongdae waddle walked him into the bathroom.
Joonmyun curses the human under his breath as he finally gets the infernal thing off, flicking it across the floor. His skin itches around the scabs and he sighs when he can finally use his nails directly on the itch. When it’s satisfied, he licks the side of his hand and wipes it across the injury.
It takes a while for Joonmyun to get all the bandages off, each one that lands on the floor another step closer to his freedom. He doesn’t know what could possibly possess humans into thinking this was a better way of avoiding infection than simply licking them clean. Joonmyun’s tail sways happily, his ears drooping and eyes half-closed as he laps at the few cuts he can reach on his forearms.
He begins listing to the side, content and sleepy and lazily licking before the side of the tablecloth is lifted and he’s exposed. Joonmyun sees Jongdae’s face fall at the scattered remnants of his bandages, but Joonmyun couldn’t care less.
“What are you doing?!” Jongdae demands, reaching out to stop Joonmyun from cleaning his arm.
Joonmyun hisses at him and takes a snap at his fingers, teeth clacking loud and forcing Jongdae to recoil.
“They need to stay covered with the antibacterial ointment so they heal,” Jongdae explains as he tries to make a grab for Joonmyun again. The cat slides back and out from under the table, standing up and clutching his arm to his chest. When Jongdae stands - after hitting the top of his head on the bottom of the table - Joonmyun makes a show of dragging his tongue over his arm.
Jongdae visibly shudders. “Your saliva is teeming with bacteria. Please don’t do that,” he whines.
Just for spite, Joonmyun does it again, eyes narrowing as Jongdae closes in on him. He pulls out of his reach just in time, ducking and rushing to the other side of the table.
"Joonmyun," Jongdae warns in a low voice. "I don't want to put you in a cone, but so help me I will."
Joonmyun stands to his full height. "I dare you to try," he growls. He's pleased to note Jongdae curling in on himself and walking off in defeat, muttering under his breath. Joonmyun celebrates his victory by perching on the kitchen table to continue licking his wounds clean.
He pays it no mind when he hears Jongdae reappear even if the fine hair on the back of his neck stands on end and his tail poofs at the proximity of another. Joonmyun reasons he should have heeded his body's natural instincts because the next thing he knows, there's a fluffy white towel being held around him. Jongdae lifts Joonmyun off the table even as the cat yowls, legs kicking and head thrashing. He feels the back of his skull hit Jongdae in the face and the sound is satisfying even if it hurts. The loud curse Jongdae lets out is worth it.
Joonmyun ends up handcuffed to the towel racks while Jongdae apologizes over and over for having to resort to such tactics. "It's really for the best," Jongdae repeats for the millionth time. Joonmyun tries to bite him right in the jugular.
It's been a long day at work. Normally Jongdae doesn't have an issue with cranky clients who like to dump new changes on him last minute, but coupled with Chanyeol being obnoxious and Jongdae is nursing a pounding headache. It would be so nice if he could walk inside his home and be met with Joonmyun's smile, with the cat pulling him in for a hug and letting Jongdae pet around his ears as they lounge on the couch and do nothing for the rest of the evening.
But Jongdae isn't that lucky.
He's not greeted by Joonmyun at the door but rather with the remnants of what looks like the towel Jongdae uses to calm the cat now littered at his feet. The door slams closed behind him and Jongdae fumes, stepping over the mess and now on the hunt for Joonmyun.
The living room is empty, as is the kitchen, bathroom and the nook where he keeps the washing machine and dryer. The only place left is the bedroom and Jongdae even looks under the bed, but Joonmyun is nowhere to be found.
Jongdae panics.
What if Joonmyun got out? What if he ran away because he didn't want to be with him anymore? A sick feeling settles in Jongdae's stomach and he is ready to bolt out the door and search the neighborhood when he hears a noise in the closet.
Jongdae opens the closet door and looks down to see Joonmyun inside a box of old clothes - the ones he'd meant to take out for donation eons ago and had never managed to do. Relief is quick to set in even as Joonmyun's ears flatten because Jongdae had disturbed his nap. He's blinking sleepily, looking cuter than ever when Jongdae spies a few articles in the box that used to be on hangers.
And then he smells it.
Disbelief evolves into rage when he realizes what Joonmyun has done and Joonmyun shrinks into the nest of soiled clothing in an attempt to hide.
"Joonmyun," he seethes, appalled that the cat would outright pee on his clothes.
Jongdae closes his eyes tight, taking in several deep, calming breaths through his nose and letting them seep out through his lips. He counts backward from ten in his mind, pausing between numbers and concentrating on lowering his heart rate and not doing something he'll later regret. When he finishes, he peers down at the cat.
If it were anyone else, Jongdae would toss them out the door without a second thought, but he can’t with Joonmyun. He’s not blind to the way Joonmyun will get this panicked look on his face after he’s drawn blood on Jongdae’s arms or legs or chest, as if he’s afraid this is the action that will get him kicked to the curb. And Jongdae’s heart melts just a little more.
"Joonmyun," he says again, this time much calmer. "You can't do things like this. You can't just piss on my belongings. I'm not your territory to mark."
"Yes you are!"
And then Joonmyun is scampering from the closet, nearly knocking Jongdae on his ass on the way out. Jongdae stands there, stupefied because that means Joonmyun likes him, right? A smile curves along Jongdae's lips and he's so happy he could cry.
Until he gets a good whiff of the closet again. He turns on his heel to give chase after Joonmyun. He needs a bath.
“If I didn’t know about your masochistic tendencies, I might be worried about these,” Chanyeol says as he finally gets a look at Jongdae’s arms. There are a bandaids hiding most of it, but the older scratches aren’t covered and Chanyeol pokes at one, earning a smack on the arm. “Didn’t know you were into the whole pain thing during sex, but hey, I don’t judge.”
Jongdae finds himself only seconds away from punching Chanyeol in his lopsided face. Sadly, he’s saved by the ringing of Jongdae’s phone. Jongdae stomps away, answering with a clipped, “what?”.
“Whoa, is this a bad time?” Baekhyun responds. “I thought you wanted to you know what during lunch.”
“Oh, sorry,” Jongdae sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose to fend off his impending headache. It’s been a few days since the marking incident and while things haven’t really changed, Jongdae’s now certain that Joonmyun isn’t going anywhere. It only makes sense to make it official and get him a collar. He’d invested Kyungsoo’s aid seeing as he’s also of the feline variety and Baekhyun just happens to come with him as a package deal. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Jongdae is overwhelmed. He never knew the world of collars was so steeped in namebrands and fashion trends. Kyungsoo is poking through the store with his nose scrunched as he eyes the choices. Jongdae picks up a white collar with silver studs and imagines it firmly buckled around the pale skin of Joonmyun’s neck.
He quickly puts it down and takes a step back, swallowing hard at the image that’s now taunting him. Jongdae decides it best to leave it to the experts.
Kyungsoo eventually picks out a thin, light blue collar. “You want to start him with something that won’t feel too big, too heavy around his neck,” Kyungsoo explains. “When he gets used to it, maybe you can come in together and pick out something else he might like.”
Jongdae buys the collar and heads home, parting ways with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun in the parking lot. He stops off for chicken on the way - something to soften the blow because the last time they had chicken, Joonmyun had purred the entire time, licking his fingers clean and then climbing halfway over the table to steal the rest of Jongdae’s.
As per usual, Joonmyun doesn’t come bounding up when Jongdae wrestles his way through the door while trying not to drop the food. But the smell is strong and Joonmyun nearly barrels Jongdae over in his haste to pry it from his hands. “Table,” Jongdae commands, earning a curled lip and a whack on the side from Joonmyun’s tail.
Joonmyun still obeys though, sitting cross-legged and already plucking chicken from the box with his fingers. Jongdae notices that Joonmyun has ruined another pair of his pants by cutting a hole in the back, but he leaves it be. Joonmyun seems oddly opposed to leaving the house now that he’s settled and Jongdae can always buy new pants.
Jongdae, rather than eating, leans against the counter and watches as Joonmyun wolfs down the chicken at breakneck speed, purring as his ears twitch. His injured ear seems to be doing fine even if a part of it is missing. Jongdae thinks it suits his personality.
Joonmyun notices and stops eating mid-bite, peering up at Jongdae from the other side of the table. “Why aren’t you eating?” Jongdae gives a little shrug. Joonmyun looks down at the food with wide eyes and drops it like it was on fire. “What did you do to it?” Joonmyun demands. “Did you poison me?”
Jongdae laughs - mostly because Joonmyun now has a hand around his own throat and looks absurdly funny in his fear - and shakes his head. “I thought it was obvious that I want to keep you,” he answers. “Why would I poison you?”
Joonmyun peers at Jongdae curiously. “You want to keep me?”
Jongdae’s stomach ties itself in a neat little knot when he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the long, thin box from the store. He walks over and sets it on the table, pushing it to the middle and then taking a few steps back. Joonmyun eyes it curiously, reaching for it with greasy fingers.
Jongdae chews on his thumbnail, nerves fraying at the edges as he watches Joonmyun pull the lid off and peek inside. Joonmyun plucks the thin strap of leather out of the box and dangles it in front of his face, head tilting to one side and then the other, his ears doing the same. Jongdae feels as if he could burst at the seams just waiting for a reaction.
Joonmyun slamming the collar onto the table and digging a claw in enough to rip it in pieces wasn’t what he’d been hoping for. He is unable to move, unable to react before Joonmyun is flouncing off with the box of chicken in his hands. “I’m not a kept kitty!” he yells before a door slams.
Jongdae slumps against the counter and slides to the floor, all his hope dashed upon the harsh words of Joonmyun’s refusal. At least it was only the collar Joonmyun ruined.
Strike that last - the collar and the shower curtain that Jongdae discovers in ribbons when he goes to take a shower the following morning.
Joonmyun’s earned himself a nickname on the streets - Suho, Guardian - and it’s not because he takes in the kittens that like to poke around the outskirts of the city, but because when he marks his territory, he defends it with a vengeance. A lot of other cats have tried to take over what he’s clearly marked, confident they can take a cat who looks so weak, so frail. Little do they know the fury that lurks under those dark eyes, but they learn soon enough.
Out on his own, Joonmyun learned quickly that he needed to scrape and fight for every breath he took, every bite of food no matter how old and every partial shelter to keep from over exposure to the elements. He’d picked up on it quick enough and being around someone without taking a swipe at them is uncomfortable. It’s like the hair on the back of his neck stands on end when he feels Jongdae nearing and the fur on his tail poofs out. It’s a tad bit embarrassing, but Jongdae hasn’t seemed to notice. Not yet, anyway.
And things have been more unsettling as of late ever since what Joonmyun refers to as the collar incident. Jongdae insists that he’s not upset, but Joonmyun recognizes pain when he sees it and it’s there, lurking in the swirling browns of Jongdae’s eyes. It’s strange how Joonmyun can feel remorse over the smallest and stupidest of things. It eats away at him even when they sit on the couch as Jongdae watches a movie Joonmyun remembers he’d been excited about finally being able to see.
And Joonmyun is annoyed.
He’s not annoyed about the movie or even that Jongdae had reprimanded him about trying to scratch his bandages off to deal with the unbearable itching. It’s that Jongdae is giving him space when for the first time in forever, Joonmyun wants the attention. His shoulders slump and his arms are crossed over his chest, ears flat and tail curled around his leg as he stares directly at the side of Jongdae’s face instead of the television.
Joonmyun waits and he waits and he waits. Jongdae doesn’t look.
Even when he gets off the couch, Jongdae doesn’t pay him any mind. Joonmyun frowns and crawls onto the coffee table, sitting directly between the television and Jongdae. Now there’s no way to ignore him.
“What are you doing?” Jongdae asks, craning his head to the left to peer around the cat blocking his view.
Joonmyun doesn’t answer; he simply leans over to obstruct Jongdae’s vision no matter which direction he tries. There’s this odd feeling in Joonmyun’s chest, like his heart is beating just a little too fast and it’s not because of an impending attack. It’s because Jongdae is looking right at him, resignation in his features and all the signs of giving up stamped over his limbs.
Jongdae certainly has his flaws, but Joonmyun likes how he bumbles around to take care of him even when he’s being a complete pain to deal with. Joonmyun’s ears flick upward when he remembers all the times Jongdae has had to rein him in and the realization hits like a freight train. All those times Joonmyun had just been waiting to be attacked in return, to be yelled at and tossed around, but Jongdae never did anything of the sort. Even when Joonmyun gouged through skin and tried to bite at his neck, Jongdae never once fought back.
Joonmyun is conflicted because everything he’s learned in this life to survive is battling valiantly against what he now wants. He wants Jongdae. He wants Jongdae to be the one to look after him - to feed him, bathe him, clothe him and pet him behind the ears until he falls asleep. Joonmyun hasn’t had a human since he was a kitten and he forgot how nice it was to be taken care of.
“Do you want to sit with me?” Jongdae asks, reaching out. Joonmyun nods hesitantly, willing himself not to flinch when Jongdae closes fingers around his arms to help him cross the distance from the coffee table to the couch. Joonmyun ends up half in Jongdae’s lap, his head resting on Jongdae’s thighs.
There’s a soft, tentative stroke through Joonmyun’s hair and he sighs, nuzzling further into Jongdae’s body heat. This is nice. Joonmyun drapes his tail around his waist and nudges his head into Jongdae’s hand.
Joonmyun is lulled to sleep by the calming, soothing scratch of Jongdae’s nails around his ears.
“So you like him?” Kyungsoo asks, leaning against Joonmyun’s side.
Joonmyun pulls a face and digs his elbow into Kyungsoo’s ribs to get him away. Kyungsoo just flops back over onto him with a lazy, knowing grin.
“I can smell it on you, you know? All that sexual tension.”
Scoffing, Joonmyun shoves at Kyungsoo again, annoyed at the accusation even if it’s spot on. Joonmyun’s miraculous discovery of how much he doesn’t dislike Jongdae has brought some unexpected consequences. Now he’s hyper aware of Jongdae - of every move, every sound, every touch of his hands on Joonmyun’s body. He’s sad to report that all the touches have been of the innocent variety although Joonmyun’s gotten the occasional whiff of lust radiating off Jongdae when they’re in close proximity.
“Jongdae’s not proactive enough to make the first move,” Kyungsoo continues, his ear twitching against Joonmyun’s jaw as he scoots in closer. Joonmyun knows what the feline wants now that they’ve been spending far more time than he likes together. Baekhyun and Jongdae insist that Joonmyun needs another cat around to make the transition easier, but Joonmyun is just fine with it being him and Jongdae.
Joonmyun allows Kyungsoo to push his head under his chin and he sits back so Kyungsoo can get comfortable as Joonmyun strokes his tail. Kyungsoo shudders and purrs against him pleasantly, but the smile Jongdae gives him is better.
It’s the weekend and Jongdae is spending it lazily, sprawled on his bed so he can doze the afternoon away. He spent the morning with Joonmyun uncharacteristically under foot and now the cat has taken to wanting his own space, shoving Jongdae away with a hiss. He’s more than content to settle in for a short refreshing nap; being the caretaker of a moody cat is exhausting.
Jongdae doesn't get long to enjoy the silence, cracking open an eye when Joonmyun's tail smacks against his leg. "What?” he grumbles.
"I want to have sex with you."
Jongdae sits up in a rush, eyes wide as he takes in Joonmyun who doesn't appear ruffled in the least. "You . . . "
"Want to have sex. Mate without all that messy breeding business." Joonmyun walks to the side of the bed, staring hungrily at Jongdae's bare chest. "I. Want. To. Sit. On. Your. Dick."
Jongdae sputters, taken aback at the sudden request. "A-are you in heat?" He remembers something vaguely about cat hybrids going through cycles of heat where their minds go a little crazy and all they want to do is fuck.
Joonmyun casts Jongdae a baleful look as he hooks his fingers in the sides of his cloth pants and runs them down his legs. Jongdae tries not to stare, but he can't help it. Joonmyun is beautiful even with the remnants of his battles littered over his skin. After the pants are off, Joonmyun's shirt is the next to go, leaving him naked. Jongdae finds himself staring at Joonmyun's dick because it's already hard.
"Do I look female to you?" Joonmyun inquires, a hand on his hip.
"N-no?" Jongdae answers through his now very dry mouth.
"So I can't get horny if I'm not a female in heat?"
"No - I mean yes. I mean - fuck, just come here." There's only so much temptation Jongdae can take and Joonmyun is so far over that line it's ridiculous. Jongdae hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to showing affection toward Joonmyun, but if he’s asking for this, Jongdae must be doing something right.
He fits his hands on Joonmyun's hips when the feline slides gracefully on Jongdae's lap. Jongdae tries to kiss Joonmyun and gets a sharp incisor biting into his lip instead. Any other time and that might have been a nuisance, but Joonmyun is already shoving a hand down Jongdae's pants. Jongdae grabs the back of Joonmyun's neck firmly, dragging him down to nip at the swell of Joonmyun's lower lip before licking across it.
A rumbling begins in Joonmyun chest and this time, when Jongdae goes in for a kiss, he allows it. There are fingers wrapped around his cock, squeezing tight and moving at the same pace as Joonmyun’s hips. Everything is hurried, desperate almost and Jongdae lets himself be carried on the tide.
Joonmyun pulls away only long enough to get Jongdae’s pants off, shredding the fabric as he goes and they end up at the foot of the bed in several pieces. He moves with all the grace of his feline genes, his eyes dark and tail swishing as Joonmyun crawls up to Jongdae’s mouth and kisses him.
Jongdae fights for a little control, but every time he tries to touch Joonmyun, his hands are pushed away and Joonmyun only presses harder to him. It’s maddening and frustrating and Jongdae growls, sucking Joonmyun’s tongue into his mouth. Joonmyun’s fingers tighten around Jongdae’s wrists and his hips speed, Joonmyun’s cock rubbing against Jongdae’s until he’s just as hard.
When Joonmyun sits up, Jongdae still helplessly pinned to the bed, he admires the flush of red over Joonmyun’s cheeks, the way it runs down to his chest. His mouth is wet, lips swollen and pink and he’s so beautiful. Jongdae would comment on it, but he’s a little afraid of what Joonmyun would do to him, although the idea is enticing.
Joonmyun raises to his knees, releasing one of Jongdae’s arms so he can trail fingers down Jongdae’s chest, claws leaving red lines in their wake. It stings and a sharp burst of air hisses through Jongdae's teeth. But then Joonmyun makes it better, his hand around Jongdae's cock as he strokes him loosely, staring down at it like it's a kitty treat. Jongdae gulps.
Jongdae is helpless as Joonmyun situates himself over his cock, the tip pushing against his slick rim. "Did you -?" The question dies in his mouth, his jaw going slack as Joonmyun lowers himself until the crown of Jongdae's cock is inside him.
He's hot and tight and his body clenches around Jongdae, Joonmyun sliding the rest of the way down with a long drawn out moan. "Knew I wouldn't be patient enough," Joonmyun pants, his ears flat atop his head. "Need you to fuck me."
Jongdae sits up, hooking an arm around Joonmyun's neck to bring him in for a kiss. It's breathy and wet and Joonmyun moans again when Jongdae's teeth skim across his lip. Jongdae takes a moment to be sweet, to kiss from Joonmyun's lips to his jaw. Joonmyun sighs, head tipping back as he begins grinding his ass on Jongdae's cock.
When Joonmyun starts squirming, Jongdae gets a good grip on his thighs before rolling, dropping a surprised looking Joonmyun onto his back. Jongdae pulls out slowly as Joonmyun's tail flicks against the mattress. The push back in is fast, burying his cock in Joonmyun's perfect ass and enjoying the way Joonmyun latches on to him. He does it again and again, fucking Joonmyun hard and fast.
Joonmyun claws Jongdae's back all to hell, but every drag of his nails only has Jongdae thrusting into him deeper, spreading Joonmyun's thighs wide so he can watch the way his cock sinks into him. The bed slams against the wall and Joonmyun wails, his hands moving from Jongdae's back to his thighs, holding tight enough to bruise.
Jongdae falls forward so he can mouth along Joonmyun neck before biting down. Joonmyun squeezes around Jongdae's cock, his loud moans punctuating every thrust. Out of breath and sweaty, Joonmyun balls his fingers in Jongdae's hair to guide him to his mouth. Moans turn to whines and soft whimpers, Joonmyun's tail winding around Jongdae's thigh.
Joonmyun bends against Jongdae beautifully, legs around his waist and chest to chest. Jongdae can feel Joonmyun's cock rubbing between their stomachs, the slide wet and hot. Jongdae's entire body is overheated, his head spinning and he wants to worship Joonmyun every single day. He wants to be the one who cracks through that tough exterior and he won't stop until Joonmyun is happy.
Joonmyun chokes out Jongdae's name just before he comes, spilling over the both of them. It's too amazing, the pressure so rhythmic and tight that Jongdae grinds out his own climax with a groan, head buried in Joonmyun's neck.
When he stops, Joonmyun slumps into the mattress, arms out and eyes closed and lips chapped and red. Jongdae kisses him with a teasing grin and Joonmyun scrunches his nose, pushing at Jongdae until he slips out and lands on the bed next to him. And oh that hurts. The sheets don't feel good against Jongdae's scratched up back and he rolls onto his side with a pained noise.
Joonmyun peers at him inquisitively. "This was not a one time occurrence," he says in a raspy, fucked out voice. "If you plan to keep me, you must be prepared to sate my physical desires at my leisure."
Jongdae laughs, hiding his face in a pillow. "As you wish."
There's a collar in Jongdae's hand - the white one with silver studs that he'd seen before. He's so certain, so positive that Joonmyun will finally wear it that he's unprepared for the sneer across Joonmyun's handsome face when he spies the leather.
"Did you learn nothing last time? I am not your pet."
Jongdae sighs, dropping the collar on the counter and giving up. He has a long way to go before he figures out this finicky feline.
“Although,” Joonmyun begins with a lilt to his voice that sends a shiver up Jongdae’s spine. As Jongdae waits for Joonmyun to finish, he feels the collar being buckled around his own neck. “It’d be a shame to let something so pretty go to waste.”
Pairing: Jongdae/Joonmyun
Rating: Nc17
Length: 9250w
Author's Note: originally written for criticalcapture
Warning: catboy au, asshole joonmyun
Summary: When Jongdae brings home an injured Joonmyun, he gets more than he bargained for and quite a few scratches along the way.
Jongdae rocks back on his heels, patiently waiting for his food as his stomach rumbles in protest. He’s inside his favorite sushi restaurant, grabbing far too much takeout for one person, but if he can control his urges, it will last the weekend and he can get out of cooking. It’s been a long week, but it’s payday and he’s feeling indulgent. Once he has his food in hand, he darts out the door and toward his car.
The city is nice this time of year, a gentle spring with a cool breeze that cuts through the heat. Jongdae takes a moment to appreciate the view and the budding trees lining the street. The only thing that detracts from the scene are the occasional cardboard boxes tucked just off the sidewalk, but still visible.
It's not unusual to see the boxes taken over by cat hybrids, most of them with a wildness to their eyes that keeps everyone at bay. Jongdae is one of those cautious people and he's always been careful to give a wide berth to any obviously inhabited box. He'd rather not end up clawed to pieces for invading on a feral animal's space, human-like appearance or not.
Today, however, he's distracted by the smell of his dinner wafting out of the bag and the rumbling in his stomach. He'd had to skip lunch to help Chanyeol and now he's paying the price. His feet shuffle carelessly and Jongdae nearly trips when the tip of his shoe catches on the flap of a box turned on its side.
He lets out a surprised noise, stopping to look down at the soggy lump of cardboard that's so old the logo from where it originated has faded completely. He almost apologizes out of instinct before realizing that would be silly. It's just a box.
Jongdae is unprepared for the head that pops out of the box, looking up at him with wide, unblinking eyes as a malevolent hiss pours from the cat hybrid's mouth. Jongdae’s normally sharp tongue is immediately silenced by the vision in front of him. He feels a bit starstruck, eyes trained on a beautiful face smudged with dirt.
“You’re standing on my box,” comes a soft, yet firm voice accompanied by an ear twitch that has Jongdae melting a little. A gorgeous, slinky black tail unfurls from behind the cat, swaying in the air just behind his head and it should be a dangerous sign, especially when Jongdae takes note of a pair of narrowed eyes directed right at him. Slowly, the cat reaches out and taps against the top of Jongdae’s shoe with his finger. “Please get off my box.”
That’s when Jongdae takes note of the scratches littering the expanse of the cat’s arms and his eyes widen with each new injury he finds. The shirt clinging to the cat's frame is thin, barely held together in most places by threads that have managed not to rip. It was probably once white, but it's stained brown now, matching with several patches of skin on the cat that Jongdae can see. This poor creature must be living a harsh, cruel life. His heart positively aches with the need to help the cat when he spies his torn ear, the tip gone and the gleam of blood still fresh enough to not have scabbed over.
Against every rational thought in his head, Jongdae crouches down until they're eyelevel, watching the way the cat's eyes grow wide when he leans back, startled. "Are you hungry?" Jongdae inquires, rustling the plastic bag in his hand until the cat zeros in on it.
Cautiously, the cat tilts his head and his nose twitches when he inhales. Jongdae watches as pink lips part enough for a tongue to swipe over them and the cat seems much more receptive to letting Jongdae near.
He knows there are sharp eyes oriented on his every move, waiting for any sign that he's unsafe, so he takes care to go slow when he opens the top container. Jongdae slides a fat piece of fish off the rice - tuna, he laments - and holds it out for the cat to take. The cat's ears move forward and Jongdae doesn't miss the flicker of pain that follows the action, but he's more focused on the fish that's now disappearing in the cat's mouth with a soft near mewl of happiness.
Jongdae is gobsmacked, unable to keep from wanting when he watches the cat licking the taste of the tuna off each of his own fingers before grabbing Jongdae's hand to do the same.
"Would you like to come home with me?" Jongdae asks. The cat freezes, seeming to realize what he's doing and he releases Jongdae's hand and shuffles back in his box. "I won't hurt you. And I have plenty more fish," he adds, shaking the bag again.
The cat is clearly torn, eyes darting back and forth between Jongdae's face and the food. After a minute of silence, Jongdae raises to his feet and takes a step back. The cat scoots out of the box, peering up at him curiously. Jongdae shuffles back a little more, swishing the bag and ever so slowly, he manages to coax the cat out of his makeshift home.
He’s shorter than Jongdae and now that he can see his legs, he notes the blood stains on his pants and the frayed hems around the feet from being walked on all the time. The cat’s fists are balled at his sides and there’s an almost haughty air to him, shoulders up and head tilted to examine Jongdae fully.
“My car is this way,” Jongdae begins, looking over his shoulder and pointing where to he’s parked across the street.
He takes a step, expecting the cat to mimic the action, but he doesn’t. His tail is curled around his waist now and both ears are flat on his head. The torn one isn’t as far down and Jongdae can only imagine the kinds of infections this cat could pick up without it being treated properly.
“You’re not a pimp are you?” the cat asks suddenly.
Jongdae is taken aback and he shakes his head quickly. “Do I look like a pimp?”
“I don’t know,” the cat answers. “But if you are, I’ll claw your eyes out before you can chain me up.”
Jongdae sputters, backing away from the cat and slipping off the curb. He lands square on his ass in the street between a pair of parked cars. “Ow.” He rubs his backside as he grabs the bumper of the nearest vehicle to pull himself up.
When he looks over at the cat, he’s surprised to see him teetering on the curb now, an amused expression on his face. “You’re obviously harmless, so I accept your offer.”
Jongdae is a practical man, certainly not one who brings home strays on a whim, but there's always an exception. The pretty face staring at him from the other side of the kitchen table reminds Jongdae that as a human, it's really his duty to take care of those less fortunate than himself.
There are pieces of rice on the corners of the cat's mouth and Jongdae watches as the rest of the food he'd bought for the entire weekend disappears behind slick, pink lips. The happy swishing of the cat's tail is hypnotic and Jongdae sighs, head propped on his hand as he watches this beautiful creature now lick everything off his fingers with a content purr.
“Do you have a name?” Jongdae queries once the food is gone and not even a speck of rice is left. He tries not to think about the way the cat’s tongue had curled around the corners of his mouth to get the last grains.
“Of course I do,” is the instant answer.
Jongdae waits for the rest and is left wanting. He sighs, standing to gather the empty containers and throw them away. “Will you tell me your name?”
Jongdae can practically feel the holes being burned into his back by a pair of dark eyes. “Joonmyun,” he declares a few moments later.
“Well, Joonmyun, now that you’ve finished eating, how about a bath?” Jongdae turns around and sees Joonmyun glaring at him.
“I can bathe myself.” And before Jongdae can move, Joonmyun is licking the side of his hand and reaching up to swipe it along his uninjured ear.
Jongdae purses his lips. “That’s not going to get all those layers of dirt off you and I need to be able to see where you’re hurt so I can disinfect them before you get sick.”
“Is this a trick to get me naked?”
“I thought we established that I wasn’t a pimp,” Jongdae says with a frustrated sigh. If only he could get Joonmyun to understand that he just wants to take care of him.
Joonmyun stands from the table, the chair legs scraping loud over the tiles, and walks over to Jongdae. There’s so much judgement in those eyes and Jongdae swallows at the scrutiny. “That doesn’t mean you’re not a pervert.”
“I’m not a pervert,” Jongdae insists, backing away because Joonmyun is really close and it’s really not Jongdae’s fault if his body has a natural reaction to someone so attractive invading his personal space. He’s feeling a little hot under the collar, but Joonmyun spins on his heel and pads barefoot out of the kitchen.
“Human! Where’s the bathroom?”
Jongdae had given Joonmyun some extra clothes and a towel before the bathroom door was shut in his face and locked. He’d stared at the wood paneling for far longer than he liked to admit, listening to the sound of the water. And now he’s on the couch, laying down with his arm over his eyes as he ponders the insanity of his latest decision. He toys with the idea of calling Chanyeol, but then remembers the last time he’d called his friend for advice and the never ending laughter that followed.
The bathroom door clicks open and Jongdae sits up, running fingers through his hair to try and tame it from when he’d balled his fists in it and pulled earlier. Jongdae actually makes this whine in the back of his throat when he sees Joonmyun wearing his clothes, standing there in an over-sized sweater and a pair of pants that seem to fit him well enough.
The picture perfect image of innocence with his pale skin and wide, blinking eyes has Jongdae’s heart falling, plunking against every rib along the way to his stomach.
“I had to cut a hole in the back of the pants for my tail,” Joonmyun states.
Jongdae gets up and heads toward Joonmyun who flattens himself back against the wall with a wary look on his face. “I’d like to get a look at your cuts and your ear.”
Joonmyun side-steps away from Jongdae as the tip of his tail thumps against the wall.
“I’m clean.”
“I know, but some of these injuries are deep and might need more than cleaning.”
Joonmyun scowls. “I can take care of myself.”
Jongdae makes a move of his own, shifting his position so that when Joonmyun tries to get away from him, he’s herded back toward the bathroom. Joonmyun doesn’t seem to notice as he slides against the wall further each time Jongdae steps forward. “I just want to help.”
One carefully calculated step at a time and Jongdae gets Joonmyun right where he wants him. The cat looks startled when the wall ends and he tumbles into the bathroom. Jongdae rushes in, closing and locking the door behind him before Joonmyun can get out.
Jongdae rethinks this game plan when he spies Joonmyun’s hips wiggling. And then the cat is pouncing with a hiss, sharp nails out and aimed right at Jongdae’s face. He manages to spin away at the last moment, wincing when he hears Joonmyun’s shoulder connect with the door. Joonmyun fumbles with the lock on the door and Jongdae grabs a towel off the rack, lunging forward and wrapping the fabric around Joonmyun from the back, pinning his arms to the side.
It was a risky move, but mostly successful. Jongdae forces Joonmyun to sit on the toilet seat, sitting directly on the cat’s lap to keep him from bolting up. There are a fresh set of claw marks down Jongdae’s right arm and they sting, but Joonmyun’s ear is bandaged with an antibiotic cream over the worst of it and the deeper cuts on his neck and chest have been patched up.
“See?” Jongdae asks as soon as he’s done. “That wasn’t so bad.”
Jongdae stands and Joonmyun darts off and it’s too late when Jongdae realizes that cat has fled to his bedroom and slammed the door, locking it for good measure.
The sun is warm and Joonmyun rolls toward it instinctively, stretching his arms over his head and then scratching at the exposed skin of his stomach where his shirt has risen up. He’s so comfortable, so warm and cozy that he wakes up because this is unfamiliar. He opens his eyes and realizes, sluggishly, that he’s in a bed. Joonmyun sits up, glancing around the unfamiliar room until he remembers the events leading to his current lodging.
He’s had worse, he reasons, slipping off the mattress and walking over to the door. It’s still locked and that at least makes him feel safe. He pokes his head out first, taking in the silence which means the human is probably still asleep. It gives him the opportunity to explore his new surroundings with impudence.
The first room he comes across is the bathroom and he figures he knows that infernal place well enough after the uncomfortable events of last night. Joonmyun runs a hand under his shirt, picking at the edges of one of the bandages. It’s itchy and he doesn’t like it.
The next room is the kitchen and Joonmyun licks his lips, suddenly starving. He turns on his heel and finds himself in the living room. The furniture all matches and there’s a decent sized flatscreen mounted on the wall. At least this is better than the other homes he’d been subjected to as a kitten. Even the curtains are the same shade as the light blue furnishings, the border the same shade of cream as the carpet.
Joonmyun crawls onto the coffee table by the couch, sitting with his legs folded underneath him as he watches the human sleep. His mouth is open and there’s a trail of dried drool over his cheek. He’s not particularly attractive like this, but Joonmyun remembers how handsome he’d looked while watching Joonmyun eat. Not that handsome matters. Joonmyun doesn’t care about such things.
What he does care about is his stomach and right now it’s gurgling at him. He reaches over and pokes the human in the arm, waiting only a second before doing it again. Joonmyun huffs when he realizes that this man is a heavy sleeper and that leaves only one solution. He gets up and shoves his hands behind the human and then pulls with all his strength.
The result is the man rolling right off the couch and landing on the floor with a thud. Joonmyun crouches over him, legs bent at the knees so he can push a finger into the human’s chest and get his attention. A pair of sleepy eyes finally seem to notice him and Joonmyun scowls. “Feed me.”
It’s not a request.
This human is an odd one, Joonmyun reasons midway through the day. He’s harmless, that much is for sure judging by the way he eyes Joonmyun’s hands like he’s about to lunge for his throat (it was once, ok) and how red his face gets when Joonmyun’s shirt rides up. It’s an interesting development and provides Joonmyun with some amusement.
It’s quiet here - no cars passing by no matter the time of day, no trespassers trying to edge in on his area for scraps. Joonmyun finds himself antsy, restless with built up energy from not having anything to pounce. That’s probably why he’s flattened himself under the human’s bed with his heart beating fast and his senses on high alert after he’d attacked the man on his way out of the bathroom.
Joonmyun hadn’t exactly meant to lunge after his newest caretaker, but the movement out of the corner of his eye was enough to put him on autopilot. He knows he drew blood because it’s still wet on a few of his fingertips, the echo of the human’s cry of pain loud in his ears. Joonmyun just knows he’s about to be punished - hit and yelled at and possibly kicked out for sure. And he’s not necessarily opposed to being put out on his ass again. It wouldn’t be the first time he has been deemed too wild.
It leaves a hollow ache in his chest when he thinks about spending the rest of his life fighting off scavengers and defending himself. He learned to attack first and never feel remorse a long time ago, but for the first time, he kinda feels bad about it.
There are feet coming toward the bed and Joonmyun scoots further back and toward the wall, his tail trying to free itself because it’s squished between his back and the frame.
“I’m not mad at you,” comes the human’s voice followed by a head peeking down. The man squints to see Joonmyun in the darkness. “I’m fine, so come on out so we can clean up this mess.”
Joonmyun growls, baring his teeth because this has to be a trick. No one is this nice. Not after the holes he’s positive he punctured in the man’s arm. The last thing he’s going to do is make himself vulnerable for attack. So he sits and waits, refusing to budge no matter how many promises are offered.
Joonmyun spends the rest of the day under the bed, eventually falling asleep in the cramped space.
Two nights in a row on the couch are more than Jongdae’s body can handle. He thinks he managed to incur permanent neck damage; every time he turns his head to the left, a sharp pain shoots down his neck and back. He’s trying to massage the area when he spies the head peering around the corner of the living room and into the kitchen. Jongdae’s been jotting down a quick grocery list seeing as he’d fed Joonmyun the sushi he’d been planning to live off of for the weekend.
“I’m guessing you didn’t have much of a choice for food out there, so why don’t you come in here and help me make a list for the grocery store,” he offers, taking note of the way Joonmyun’s ears press back just a little at the inquiry.
It takes a few moments for the cat to shuffle in, still in the clothes Jongdae put him in the day before. He looks at Jongdae warily, taking a seat on the other side of the table. “Pizza,” Joonmyun says matter-of-factly. “With anchovies.”
Things could be worse. Jongdae looks at his once fluffy pillows that decorated his couch, the fabric cut into shreds and the stuffing spread all over the couch and the floor. He spies the new holes in his curtains and the fresh scratches to go with the old on his arms. Things could be worse.
At least Joonmyun has stopped calling him ‘human’ and learned to use his name. Jongdae never knew he possessed the patience the deal with such things and it’s disturbing that he’s grown such a soft spot for Joonmyun after only a few days. And he hates to think what kind of trouble Joonmyun is getting up to now that he’s not home to stop him from trying to carve his claws into the coffee table.
Jongdae startles, hands grabbing both arms of his chair when the entire thing is tipped back. He’s met with the image of Chanyeol’s upside-down face. “You haven’t been listening. The Lees want their flower order changed from lilies to tulips and I need you to talk to the florist because you’re the only person I know who she doesn’t look at like she wants to put your dick in a vice.”
Jongdae accepts his fate with a grunt, not letting go of his chair until all the wheels are on the floor. “I expect a bonus,” he grumbles.
“Now,” Chanyeol continues as he walks around to sit on the edge of Jongdae’s desk. “Want to tell me what has you so spaced out.” Chanyeol cocks his head to the side and raises his eyebrows. “And why the hell you’re wearing long sleeves when it’s burning up outside?”
Jongdae nervously tugs at the end of his sleeves, the sleeves that are covering several days worth of war injuries. “I had a tough weekend,” he answers vaguely.
“Does she have a name?”
Jongdae looks at his boss to see him making the oddest face and Jongdae leans back. “He is a stray I picked up on the way home Friday night,” he corrects before realizing that that bit of information is not something he wants in Chanyeol’s hands.
“Oh,” is Chanyeol’s clipped response, eyes wide and hands folding in his lap. “I never pegged you as the feline fetish type. I hope you made sure he was clean and wore a condom because I’ve heard -”
“WHAT?!” Jongdae nearly tips over his own chair. “I didn’t buy a hooker!” he yells and then feels the blush of embarrassment rushing into his face when Yixing makes an abrupt stop in front of Jongdae’s desk to stare at him in shock before rushing off.
Chanyeol clears his throat and raises his hand to fiddle with the top button on his shirt as he’s prone to do when he screws up. It’s almost as if he can feel the inevitability of Jongdae’s fingers wrapped around his throat until he begs for mercy with teary eyes.
Which is exactly what Jongdae is planning to do, already out of his seat with his hands raised as Chanyeol scrambles onto his feet and darts off down the hall. He disappears around the corner and Jongdae flops back down in his chair, letting it spin around as he stares at the ceiling. This is why he doesn’t confide in Chanyeol. Ever.
But it wouldn’t hurt for someone to have to bear the burden of listening to Jongdae’s woes and Jongdae reasons that his best friend in the entire universe (aside from that one girl in the third grade who Jongdae swears he had a spiritual connection with) is the perfect candidate. He rings Baekhyun an hour before lunch, demanding to be treated and Baekhyun gives in after only the teensiest bit of blackmail.
Jongdae meets Baekhyun at a sandwich shop a few blocks from the office, small talk filling in the time between ordering and getting their food.
“So what’s the real reason you insisted on talking in person? Are you ready to admit you can’t live without seeing my handsome face?”
Baekhyun is a menace to society who should be locked away for the population’s safety, but he’s also the only reason Jongdae made it this far in life with most of his sanity. So Jongdae merely rolls his eyes. “I need your advice, dumbass.”
Baekhyun chokes on his drink, slapping his chest as he coughs it out. “What?” he wheezes.
“Advice,” Jongdae repeats through gritted teeth. “So be the dutiful bestie and help me,” he ends with a whine.
Baekhyun blinks at Jongdae, sliding his food away so he can fold his arms on the table and lean in. He looks far too pleased. “I’m all ears.”
Jongdae scratches absently at one of his bandages under his shirt. “I found a stray and brought him home,” he begins and watches the information sink into Baekhyun’s brain, leaving his best friend with his mouth wide open in disbelief. “And I have no idea what I’m doing. I figured since you have Kyungsoo and he’s relatively . . . tame, maybe you can give me some advice.”
“A hybrid cat? Whoa, I never thought I’d see the day,” Baekhyun muses. “This is something I need to see for myself.”
Jongdae is certain this is a bad idea, but he hadn’t been able to convince Baekhyun not to stop by, Kyungsoo in tow so they can meet his newest tenant. There are still a few blessedly peaceful moments before they’re supposed to arrive and Jongdae uses that time to toss his pillow pieces into the closet, hide most of the fluff in a plastic bag and get a pair of pants on Joonmyun because he’d been lounging on the couch mostly naked when Jongdae got home.
(Jongdae did not oogle, but it wasn’t his fault that Joonmyun had so much tempting skin on display. The heat in the pit of Jongdae’s stomach was a natural reaction.)
Joonmyun is now sitting on top of the coffee table - his favorite place to be when he’s annoyed at Jongdae - with the end of his tail flicking and eyes narrowed as Jongdae valiantly tries to hide all the damage. “It’s just going to get messed up again anyway,” Joonmyun points out unhelpfully. “I’ll make sure of that.”
Jongdae bites his tongue, holding back all the curses he wants to throw at the cat.
“What’s the rush anyway?”
Just then, the doorbell rings. Joonmyun jumps, his tail puffing out ridiculously and ears flattening atop his head. He looks fiercely adorable and Jongdae resists the urge to coo at him, knowing it will only earn him a hiss and a swipe of the claws.
“Behave,” Jongdae orders, knowing full and well that it’s going to take a miracle for that to happen. He gets to the door and opens it with a forced smile. Baekhyun is standing in front of him looking amused as Kyungsoo’s head pops up over Baekhyun’s shoulder. He’s a pretty little cat that Baekhyun purchased a few years back.
Baekhyun barrels inside with a rushed greeting, tugging Kyungsoo in with him. Kyungsoo at least looks sheepish for Baekhyun’s actions, but Jongdae is used to it.
Joonmyun is still on the coffee table, but crouched low with his hands on the surface as if readying himself to pounce at the first sign of trouble. Jongdae manages to wedge himself into the living room around Baekhyun so he can use his body as a barrier if needed.
“Joonmyun, this is my friend Baekhyun and his cat Kyungsoo,” he introduces, wringing his hands because his nerves are shot.
Kyungsoo takes a tentative step forward and Jongdae watches the uncertainty on Joonmyun face fade into a sneer. Joonmyun’s eyes are fixated on the collar around Kyungsoo’s neck. “Domesticated filth,” he spits.
Jongdae whines, tossing a glance at Baekhyun who seems, if anything, more amused, like he’s privy to some joke Jongdae isn’t in on. And for that one distracted moment, Kyungsoo launches at Joonmyun and knocks him right off the coffee table. Joonmyun yowls, his tail trapped under him and his head glancing off the floor. Kyungsoo sits on Joonmyun’s chest, his tail swaying happily.
Joonmyun hisses, claws coming out as he rolls, but Kyungsoo is still one step ahead. Jongdae moves to separate the cats, but Baekhyun places a hand on Jongdae’s arm and shakes his head. “Just watch.”
Joonmyun ends up in a headlock, spitting and scratching blindly as Kyungsoo keeps him still with an arm locked around his neck and both legs around Joonmyun’s waist. It takes a minute before the fight drains from Joonmyun and he goes limp.
“See? They’re friends already!” Baekhyun chirps.
Jongdae isn’t sure if friends is the word he’d use seeing as Joonmyun’s face is red and he looks entirely displeased as Kyungsoo moves around to fuss over his messed up hair. Although it’s entertaining to watch as Joonmyun tries to shy away and Kyungsoo drags him back with a cluck of his tongue.
This is the first time Jongdae’s ever seen Joonmyun subdued and he’s in awe of Kyungsoo and just the littlest bit jealous. Joonmyun only sees Jongdae as a nuisance at best, but it only fuels Jongdae’s desire to crack open that icy exterior and get to the gooey center.
By the end of the visit, Kyungsoo is rubbing his head under Joonmyun’s chin affectionately and while Joonmyun isn’t returning the sentiment, he isn’t fighting it either. It’s progress.
Joonmyun is sitting under the kitchen table, letting the tablecloth hide him away from Jongdae’s prying eyes. He picks at one of the fresh bandages on his stomach, scowling as the sticky tape rips the hair out by the follicle. He’d put up a good fight when Jongdae declared it time to change them out for new ones and check on how they were healing, but Joonmyun had been caught off guard with a towel around his chest and arms pinned to his sides as Jongdae waddle walked him into the bathroom.
Joonmyun curses the human under his breath as he finally gets the infernal thing off, flicking it across the floor. His skin itches around the scabs and he sighs when he can finally use his nails directly on the itch. When it’s satisfied, he licks the side of his hand and wipes it across the injury.
It takes a while for Joonmyun to get all the bandages off, each one that lands on the floor another step closer to his freedom. He doesn’t know what could possibly possess humans into thinking this was a better way of avoiding infection than simply licking them clean. Joonmyun’s tail sways happily, his ears drooping and eyes half-closed as he laps at the few cuts he can reach on his forearms.
He begins listing to the side, content and sleepy and lazily licking before the side of the tablecloth is lifted and he’s exposed. Joonmyun sees Jongdae’s face fall at the scattered remnants of his bandages, but Joonmyun couldn’t care less.
“What are you doing?!” Jongdae demands, reaching out to stop Joonmyun from cleaning his arm.
Joonmyun hisses at him and takes a snap at his fingers, teeth clacking loud and forcing Jongdae to recoil.
“They need to stay covered with the antibacterial ointment so they heal,” Jongdae explains as he tries to make a grab for Joonmyun again. The cat slides back and out from under the table, standing up and clutching his arm to his chest. When Jongdae stands - after hitting the top of his head on the bottom of the table - Joonmyun makes a show of dragging his tongue over his arm.
Jongdae visibly shudders. “Your saliva is teeming with bacteria. Please don’t do that,” he whines.
Just for spite, Joonmyun does it again, eyes narrowing as Jongdae closes in on him. He pulls out of his reach just in time, ducking and rushing to the other side of the table.
"Joonmyun," Jongdae warns in a low voice. "I don't want to put you in a cone, but so help me I will."
Joonmyun stands to his full height. "I dare you to try," he growls. He's pleased to note Jongdae curling in on himself and walking off in defeat, muttering under his breath. Joonmyun celebrates his victory by perching on the kitchen table to continue licking his wounds clean.
He pays it no mind when he hears Jongdae reappear even if the fine hair on the back of his neck stands on end and his tail poofs at the proximity of another. Joonmyun reasons he should have heeded his body's natural instincts because the next thing he knows, there's a fluffy white towel being held around him. Jongdae lifts Joonmyun off the table even as the cat yowls, legs kicking and head thrashing. He feels the back of his skull hit Jongdae in the face and the sound is satisfying even if it hurts. The loud curse Jongdae lets out is worth it.
Joonmyun ends up handcuffed to the towel racks while Jongdae apologizes over and over for having to resort to such tactics. "It's really for the best," Jongdae repeats for the millionth time. Joonmyun tries to bite him right in the jugular.
It's been a long day at work. Normally Jongdae doesn't have an issue with cranky clients who like to dump new changes on him last minute, but coupled with Chanyeol being obnoxious and Jongdae is nursing a pounding headache. It would be so nice if he could walk inside his home and be met with Joonmyun's smile, with the cat pulling him in for a hug and letting Jongdae pet around his ears as they lounge on the couch and do nothing for the rest of the evening.
But Jongdae isn't that lucky.
He's not greeted by Joonmyun at the door but rather with the remnants of what looks like the towel Jongdae uses to calm the cat now littered at his feet. The door slams closed behind him and Jongdae fumes, stepping over the mess and now on the hunt for Joonmyun.
The living room is empty, as is the kitchen, bathroom and the nook where he keeps the washing machine and dryer. The only place left is the bedroom and Jongdae even looks under the bed, but Joonmyun is nowhere to be found.
Jongdae panics.
What if Joonmyun got out? What if he ran away because he didn't want to be with him anymore? A sick feeling settles in Jongdae's stomach and he is ready to bolt out the door and search the neighborhood when he hears a noise in the closet.
Jongdae opens the closet door and looks down to see Joonmyun inside a box of old clothes - the ones he'd meant to take out for donation eons ago and had never managed to do. Relief is quick to set in even as Joonmyun's ears flatten because Jongdae had disturbed his nap. He's blinking sleepily, looking cuter than ever when Jongdae spies a few articles in the box that used to be on hangers.
And then he smells it.
Disbelief evolves into rage when he realizes what Joonmyun has done and Joonmyun shrinks into the nest of soiled clothing in an attempt to hide.
"Joonmyun," he seethes, appalled that the cat would outright pee on his clothes.
Jongdae closes his eyes tight, taking in several deep, calming breaths through his nose and letting them seep out through his lips. He counts backward from ten in his mind, pausing between numbers and concentrating on lowering his heart rate and not doing something he'll later regret. When he finishes, he peers down at the cat.
If it were anyone else, Jongdae would toss them out the door without a second thought, but he can’t with Joonmyun. He’s not blind to the way Joonmyun will get this panicked look on his face after he’s drawn blood on Jongdae’s arms or legs or chest, as if he’s afraid this is the action that will get him kicked to the curb. And Jongdae’s heart melts just a little more.
"Joonmyun," he says again, this time much calmer. "You can't do things like this. You can't just piss on my belongings. I'm not your territory to mark."
"Yes you are!"
And then Joonmyun is scampering from the closet, nearly knocking Jongdae on his ass on the way out. Jongdae stands there, stupefied because that means Joonmyun likes him, right? A smile curves along Jongdae's lips and he's so happy he could cry.
Until he gets a good whiff of the closet again. He turns on his heel to give chase after Joonmyun. He needs a bath.
“If I didn’t know about your masochistic tendencies, I might be worried about these,” Chanyeol says as he finally gets a look at Jongdae’s arms. There are a bandaids hiding most of it, but the older scratches aren’t covered and Chanyeol pokes at one, earning a smack on the arm. “Didn’t know you were into the whole pain thing during sex, but hey, I don’t judge.”
Jongdae finds himself only seconds away from punching Chanyeol in his lopsided face. Sadly, he’s saved by the ringing of Jongdae’s phone. Jongdae stomps away, answering with a clipped, “what?”.
“Whoa, is this a bad time?” Baekhyun responds. “I thought you wanted to you know what during lunch.”
“Oh, sorry,” Jongdae sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose to fend off his impending headache. It’s been a few days since the marking incident and while things haven’t really changed, Jongdae’s now certain that Joonmyun isn’t going anywhere. It only makes sense to make it official and get him a collar. He’d invested Kyungsoo’s aid seeing as he’s also of the feline variety and Baekhyun just happens to come with him as a package deal. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
Jongdae is overwhelmed. He never knew the world of collars was so steeped in namebrands and fashion trends. Kyungsoo is poking through the store with his nose scrunched as he eyes the choices. Jongdae picks up a white collar with silver studs and imagines it firmly buckled around the pale skin of Joonmyun’s neck.
He quickly puts it down and takes a step back, swallowing hard at the image that’s now taunting him. Jongdae decides it best to leave it to the experts.
Kyungsoo eventually picks out a thin, light blue collar. “You want to start him with something that won’t feel too big, too heavy around his neck,” Kyungsoo explains. “When he gets used to it, maybe you can come in together and pick out something else he might like.”
Jongdae buys the collar and heads home, parting ways with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun in the parking lot. He stops off for chicken on the way - something to soften the blow because the last time they had chicken, Joonmyun had purred the entire time, licking his fingers clean and then climbing halfway over the table to steal the rest of Jongdae’s.
As per usual, Joonmyun doesn’t come bounding up when Jongdae wrestles his way through the door while trying not to drop the food. But the smell is strong and Joonmyun nearly barrels Jongdae over in his haste to pry it from his hands. “Table,” Jongdae commands, earning a curled lip and a whack on the side from Joonmyun’s tail.
Joonmyun still obeys though, sitting cross-legged and already plucking chicken from the box with his fingers. Jongdae notices that Joonmyun has ruined another pair of his pants by cutting a hole in the back, but he leaves it be. Joonmyun seems oddly opposed to leaving the house now that he’s settled and Jongdae can always buy new pants.
Jongdae, rather than eating, leans against the counter and watches as Joonmyun wolfs down the chicken at breakneck speed, purring as his ears twitch. His injured ear seems to be doing fine even if a part of it is missing. Jongdae thinks it suits his personality.
Joonmyun notices and stops eating mid-bite, peering up at Jongdae from the other side of the table. “Why aren’t you eating?” Jongdae gives a little shrug. Joonmyun looks down at the food with wide eyes and drops it like it was on fire. “What did you do to it?” Joonmyun demands. “Did you poison me?”
Jongdae laughs - mostly because Joonmyun now has a hand around his own throat and looks absurdly funny in his fear - and shakes his head. “I thought it was obvious that I want to keep you,” he answers. “Why would I poison you?”
Joonmyun peers at Jongdae curiously. “You want to keep me?”
Jongdae’s stomach ties itself in a neat little knot when he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the long, thin box from the store. He walks over and sets it on the table, pushing it to the middle and then taking a few steps back. Joonmyun eyes it curiously, reaching for it with greasy fingers.
Jongdae chews on his thumbnail, nerves fraying at the edges as he watches Joonmyun pull the lid off and peek inside. Joonmyun plucks the thin strap of leather out of the box and dangles it in front of his face, head tilting to one side and then the other, his ears doing the same. Jongdae feels as if he could burst at the seams just waiting for a reaction.
Joonmyun slamming the collar onto the table and digging a claw in enough to rip it in pieces wasn’t what he’d been hoping for. He is unable to move, unable to react before Joonmyun is flouncing off with the box of chicken in his hands. “I’m not a kept kitty!” he yells before a door slams.
Jongdae slumps against the counter and slides to the floor, all his hope dashed upon the harsh words of Joonmyun’s refusal. At least it was only the collar Joonmyun ruined.
Strike that last - the collar and the shower curtain that Jongdae discovers in ribbons when he goes to take a shower the following morning.
Joonmyun’s earned himself a nickname on the streets - Suho, Guardian - and it’s not because he takes in the kittens that like to poke around the outskirts of the city, but because when he marks his territory, he defends it with a vengeance. A lot of other cats have tried to take over what he’s clearly marked, confident they can take a cat who looks so weak, so frail. Little do they know the fury that lurks under those dark eyes, but they learn soon enough.
Out on his own, Joonmyun learned quickly that he needed to scrape and fight for every breath he took, every bite of food no matter how old and every partial shelter to keep from over exposure to the elements. He’d picked up on it quick enough and being around someone without taking a swipe at them is uncomfortable. It’s like the hair on the back of his neck stands on end when he feels Jongdae nearing and the fur on his tail poofs out. It’s a tad bit embarrassing, but Jongdae hasn’t seemed to notice. Not yet, anyway.
And things have been more unsettling as of late ever since what Joonmyun refers to as the collar incident. Jongdae insists that he’s not upset, but Joonmyun recognizes pain when he sees it and it’s there, lurking in the swirling browns of Jongdae’s eyes. It’s strange how Joonmyun can feel remorse over the smallest and stupidest of things. It eats away at him even when they sit on the couch as Jongdae watches a movie Joonmyun remembers he’d been excited about finally being able to see.
And Joonmyun is annoyed.
He’s not annoyed about the movie or even that Jongdae had reprimanded him about trying to scratch his bandages off to deal with the unbearable itching. It’s that Jongdae is giving him space when for the first time in forever, Joonmyun wants the attention. His shoulders slump and his arms are crossed over his chest, ears flat and tail curled around his leg as he stares directly at the side of Jongdae’s face instead of the television.
Joonmyun waits and he waits and he waits. Jongdae doesn’t look.
Even when he gets off the couch, Jongdae doesn’t pay him any mind. Joonmyun frowns and crawls onto the coffee table, sitting directly between the television and Jongdae. Now there’s no way to ignore him.
“What are you doing?” Jongdae asks, craning his head to the left to peer around the cat blocking his view.
Joonmyun doesn’t answer; he simply leans over to obstruct Jongdae’s vision no matter which direction he tries. There’s this odd feeling in Joonmyun’s chest, like his heart is beating just a little too fast and it’s not because of an impending attack. It’s because Jongdae is looking right at him, resignation in his features and all the signs of giving up stamped over his limbs.
Jongdae certainly has his flaws, but Joonmyun likes how he bumbles around to take care of him even when he’s being a complete pain to deal with. Joonmyun’s ears flick upward when he remembers all the times Jongdae has had to rein him in and the realization hits like a freight train. All those times Joonmyun had just been waiting to be attacked in return, to be yelled at and tossed around, but Jongdae never did anything of the sort. Even when Joonmyun gouged through skin and tried to bite at his neck, Jongdae never once fought back.
Joonmyun is conflicted because everything he’s learned in this life to survive is battling valiantly against what he now wants. He wants Jongdae. He wants Jongdae to be the one to look after him - to feed him, bathe him, clothe him and pet him behind the ears until he falls asleep. Joonmyun hasn’t had a human since he was a kitten and he forgot how nice it was to be taken care of.
“Do you want to sit with me?” Jongdae asks, reaching out. Joonmyun nods hesitantly, willing himself not to flinch when Jongdae closes fingers around his arms to help him cross the distance from the coffee table to the couch. Joonmyun ends up half in Jongdae’s lap, his head resting on Jongdae’s thighs.
There’s a soft, tentative stroke through Joonmyun’s hair and he sighs, nuzzling further into Jongdae’s body heat. This is nice. Joonmyun drapes his tail around his waist and nudges his head into Jongdae’s hand.
Joonmyun is lulled to sleep by the calming, soothing scratch of Jongdae’s nails around his ears.
“So you like him?” Kyungsoo asks, leaning against Joonmyun’s side.
Joonmyun pulls a face and digs his elbow into Kyungsoo’s ribs to get him away. Kyungsoo just flops back over onto him with a lazy, knowing grin.
“I can smell it on you, you know? All that sexual tension.”
Scoffing, Joonmyun shoves at Kyungsoo again, annoyed at the accusation even if it’s spot on. Joonmyun’s miraculous discovery of how much he doesn’t dislike Jongdae has brought some unexpected consequences. Now he’s hyper aware of Jongdae - of every move, every sound, every touch of his hands on Joonmyun’s body. He’s sad to report that all the touches have been of the innocent variety although Joonmyun’s gotten the occasional whiff of lust radiating off Jongdae when they’re in close proximity.
“Jongdae’s not proactive enough to make the first move,” Kyungsoo continues, his ear twitching against Joonmyun’s jaw as he scoots in closer. Joonmyun knows what the feline wants now that they’ve been spending far more time than he likes together. Baekhyun and Jongdae insist that Joonmyun needs another cat around to make the transition easier, but Joonmyun is just fine with it being him and Jongdae.
Joonmyun allows Kyungsoo to push his head under his chin and he sits back so Kyungsoo can get comfortable as Joonmyun strokes his tail. Kyungsoo shudders and purrs against him pleasantly, but the smile Jongdae gives him is better.
It’s the weekend and Jongdae is spending it lazily, sprawled on his bed so he can doze the afternoon away. He spent the morning with Joonmyun uncharacteristically under foot and now the cat has taken to wanting his own space, shoving Jongdae away with a hiss. He’s more than content to settle in for a short refreshing nap; being the caretaker of a moody cat is exhausting.
Jongdae doesn't get long to enjoy the silence, cracking open an eye when Joonmyun's tail smacks against his leg. "What?” he grumbles.
"I want to have sex with you."
Jongdae sits up in a rush, eyes wide as he takes in Joonmyun who doesn't appear ruffled in the least. "You . . . "
"Want to have sex. Mate without all that messy breeding business." Joonmyun walks to the side of the bed, staring hungrily at Jongdae's bare chest. "I. Want. To. Sit. On. Your. Dick."
Jongdae sputters, taken aback at the sudden request. "A-are you in heat?" He remembers something vaguely about cat hybrids going through cycles of heat where their minds go a little crazy and all they want to do is fuck.
Joonmyun casts Jongdae a baleful look as he hooks his fingers in the sides of his cloth pants and runs them down his legs. Jongdae tries not to stare, but he can't help it. Joonmyun is beautiful even with the remnants of his battles littered over his skin. After the pants are off, Joonmyun's shirt is the next to go, leaving him naked. Jongdae finds himself staring at Joonmyun's dick because it's already hard.
"Do I look female to you?" Joonmyun inquires, a hand on his hip.
"N-no?" Jongdae answers through his now very dry mouth.
"So I can't get horny if I'm not a female in heat?"
"No - I mean yes. I mean - fuck, just come here." There's only so much temptation Jongdae can take and Joonmyun is so far over that line it's ridiculous. Jongdae hasn’t had the best track record when it comes to showing affection toward Joonmyun, but if he’s asking for this, Jongdae must be doing something right.
He fits his hands on Joonmyun's hips when the feline slides gracefully on Jongdae's lap. Jongdae tries to kiss Joonmyun and gets a sharp incisor biting into his lip instead. Any other time and that might have been a nuisance, but Joonmyun is already shoving a hand down Jongdae's pants. Jongdae grabs the back of Joonmyun's neck firmly, dragging him down to nip at the swell of Joonmyun's lower lip before licking across it.
A rumbling begins in Joonmyun chest and this time, when Jongdae goes in for a kiss, he allows it. There are fingers wrapped around his cock, squeezing tight and moving at the same pace as Joonmyun’s hips. Everything is hurried, desperate almost and Jongdae lets himself be carried on the tide.
Joonmyun pulls away only long enough to get Jongdae’s pants off, shredding the fabric as he goes and they end up at the foot of the bed in several pieces. He moves with all the grace of his feline genes, his eyes dark and tail swishing as Joonmyun crawls up to Jongdae’s mouth and kisses him.
Jongdae fights for a little control, but every time he tries to touch Joonmyun, his hands are pushed away and Joonmyun only presses harder to him. It’s maddening and frustrating and Jongdae growls, sucking Joonmyun’s tongue into his mouth. Joonmyun’s fingers tighten around Jongdae’s wrists and his hips speed, Joonmyun’s cock rubbing against Jongdae’s until he’s just as hard.
When Joonmyun sits up, Jongdae still helplessly pinned to the bed, he admires the flush of red over Joonmyun’s cheeks, the way it runs down to his chest. His mouth is wet, lips swollen and pink and he’s so beautiful. Jongdae would comment on it, but he’s a little afraid of what Joonmyun would do to him, although the idea is enticing.
Joonmyun raises to his knees, releasing one of Jongdae’s arms so he can trail fingers down Jongdae’s chest, claws leaving red lines in their wake. It stings and a sharp burst of air hisses through Jongdae's teeth. But then Joonmyun makes it better, his hand around Jongdae's cock as he strokes him loosely, staring down at it like it's a kitty treat. Jongdae gulps.
Jongdae is helpless as Joonmyun situates himself over his cock, the tip pushing against his slick rim. "Did you -?" The question dies in his mouth, his jaw going slack as Joonmyun lowers himself until the crown of Jongdae's cock is inside him.
He's hot and tight and his body clenches around Jongdae, Joonmyun sliding the rest of the way down with a long drawn out moan. "Knew I wouldn't be patient enough," Joonmyun pants, his ears flat atop his head. "Need you to fuck me."
Jongdae sits up, hooking an arm around Joonmyun's neck to bring him in for a kiss. It's breathy and wet and Joonmyun moans again when Jongdae's teeth skim across his lip. Jongdae takes a moment to be sweet, to kiss from Joonmyun's lips to his jaw. Joonmyun sighs, head tipping back as he begins grinding his ass on Jongdae's cock.
When Joonmyun starts squirming, Jongdae gets a good grip on his thighs before rolling, dropping a surprised looking Joonmyun onto his back. Jongdae pulls out slowly as Joonmyun's tail flicks against the mattress. The push back in is fast, burying his cock in Joonmyun's perfect ass and enjoying the way Joonmyun latches on to him. He does it again and again, fucking Joonmyun hard and fast.
Joonmyun claws Jongdae's back all to hell, but every drag of his nails only has Jongdae thrusting into him deeper, spreading Joonmyun's thighs wide so he can watch the way his cock sinks into him. The bed slams against the wall and Joonmyun wails, his hands moving from Jongdae's back to his thighs, holding tight enough to bruise.
Jongdae falls forward so he can mouth along Joonmyun neck before biting down. Joonmyun squeezes around Jongdae's cock, his loud moans punctuating every thrust. Out of breath and sweaty, Joonmyun balls his fingers in Jongdae's hair to guide him to his mouth. Moans turn to whines and soft whimpers, Joonmyun's tail winding around Jongdae's thigh.
Joonmyun bends against Jongdae beautifully, legs around his waist and chest to chest. Jongdae can feel Joonmyun's cock rubbing between their stomachs, the slide wet and hot. Jongdae's entire body is overheated, his head spinning and he wants to worship Joonmyun every single day. He wants to be the one who cracks through that tough exterior and he won't stop until Joonmyun is happy.
Joonmyun chokes out Jongdae's name just before he comes, spilling over the both of them. It's too amazing, the pressure so rhythmic and tight that Jongdae grinds out his own climax with a groan, head buried in Joonmyun's neck.
When he stops, Joonmyun slumps into the mattress, arms out and eyes closed and lips chapped and red. Jongdae kisses him with a teasing grin and Joonmyun scrunches his nose, pushing at Jongdae until he slips out and lands on the bed next to him. And oh that hurts. The sheets don't feel good against Jongdae's scratched up back and he rolls onto his side with a pained noise.
Joonmyun peers at him inquisitively. "This was not a one time occurrence," he says in a raspy, fucked out voice. "If you plan to keep me, you must be prepared to sate my physical desires at my leisure."
Jongdae laughs, hiding his face in a pillow. "As you wish."
There's a collar in Jongdae's hand - the white one with silver studs that he'd seen before. He's so certain, so positive that Joonmyun will finally wear it that he's unprepared for the sneer across Joonmyun's handsome face when he spies the leather.
"Did you learn nothing last time? I am not your pet."
Jongdae sighs, dropping the collar on the counter and giving up. He has a long way to go before he figures out this finicky feline.
“Although,” Joonmyun begins with a lilt to his voice that sends a shiver up Jongdae’s spine. As Jongdae waits for Joonmyun to finish, he feels the collar being buckled around his own neck. “It’d be a shame to let something so pretty go to waste.”