Today is a special day for Minho; he’s going to the shelter to adopt a cat. In the nearly three weeks that he had been back, he realised living alone was really boring and he wanted someone to keep him company. Even in Heaven he had loved cats. There they just stroll around and aren’t really anyone’s pet, so he usually would sit in the gardens with them to play all day long. Now that he was back on Earth, he had been missing those tiny gremlins around him ever since.
As he walked along the pavement he relished in the fresh air. Honestly, college had been stressing him out a little bit. Never had he expected to struggle with dancing this much in his life, yet here he was, struggling with dancing. Their professor had assigned a project to do a contemporary dance and whilst Hyunjin did it effortlessly, Minho seemed to be a bit stuck. He sighed to himself before focussing back on the positives of the day; getting a cat. Realising he hadn’t told the boys yet, he decided to open the groupchat to send his friends a notice.
Minho 2:32 pm
I’m getting my cat today guys ;D be prepared for all my cat pics!!!
Seung6 2:34 pm
Omg i cant wait!!!!
…….
To block you when you spam the shit out of us 😶
Innie 2:34 pm
UwU so exciting hyung!
ObiHan 2:35 pm
So cute! I love cats, send those pictures asap 🤤â¤ï¸
Minho smiled as he put his phone back in his pocket, finally arriving at the shelter. He had decided he wanted to adopt a cat, wanting to give them a new chance at a loving home. It just felt unfair that these cats would potentially never have a good life again, just because they’re not kittens anymore. Entering the building, he bowed to the older lady behind the counter. He had called in earlier in the day, making an appointment to come look at all the cats they had.
“Hello, you’re here to come see if we have a cat that will fit with you, right?”
“That is correct!” Minho followed the lady after she motioned him to follow her, his heart melting when they went through the door which sectioned off the cats from the main area. There were a few of them who had to be put in cages but most of them wandered around freely. It all depended on how well the cats played with the others and if no fights broke out.
As Minho pets some cats, all looking cute and irresistable, he decided to have a look at the ones in the cages as well. Some hiss at him while others pay him no mind. Then, a red one seems to spark some interest in him. It was sitting in the corner of the cage, staring blankly. Minho lightly tapped on the cage’s door, making the cat look at him instead. For a moment, Minho just stared back.
“Hey little one, what’s wrong?”
‘I’m not interested, human. You’ll just abandon me as well.’
Shocked that he could still communicate with animals, the boy was quick to compose himself he stared back at the feline intently. Minho didn’t think the cat knew he could understand him but with the lady standing behind, him he had to let the cat know subtly.
“Was he perhaps abandoned? He seems lonely…”
“We think he was. He didn’t have a chip but was wearing a collar. He was injured when he came in and has been really anti-social towards the other cats ever since, so we decided to put him by himself.”
“I feel like this could be the one, what’s his name?”
‘On god, don’t let him give me a dumb name like this lady here. Caramel? For a male cat? Disgraceful.’ Minho let out a small chuckle, the cat still not knowing he could understand his whining. He did agree though, Caramel for a male cat was a little odd. The male just smiled softly, liking the sass the cat was excuding with his stare and words. “I called him Caramel, however that could obviously be changed if it doesn’t suit your liking.”
‘HIS liking? I am the one who ends up with the name, I should like it!’
“Well, what would you think he would like?” Minho stared at the cat intently, hoping the hint dropped. Of course it didn’t, but the cat thankfully gave Minho the answer regardless. ‘My name is Doori. I don’t want it to change, even though my old owner abandoned me, that’s who I am.’
“I’ll take him… And I think Doori really suits him.”
The cats ears perked up, staring straight into Minho’s eyes. ‘What… this human… can’t possibly know what I’m saying? This is coincidence.’
“I’m glad you’ll give this poor cat a lovely home, please come with me to fill out the paperwork!”
“Yes, I’m happy it’ll be him! I think it couldn’t be a coincidence that I walked passed his cage. I’ll gladly take care of him.” He gave one last glance back at the cat, Doori, giving him a quick wink. Minho was excited. He found a cat who seemed like they really needed a loving and understanding owner. Minho was the literal definition of those things. It didn’t seem like Doori was the cuddly type, however as long as they could be friendly with one another that was all that mattered. Minho was sure it’d be a little weird to cuddle with a cat when you can understand whatever it says.
After signing the papers and paying for his new companion he exited the store, carrier with Doori in hand.
‘Hey human, speak to me! You understand me right?!’ Minho, trying not to look like a loonatic gave the carrier a light tap. “I’ll give you all the love and attention when we get back home, please be patient!” He said. It seemed like Doori understood and finally decided to take a peaceful nap instead.
As he walked along the road Minho walked across a flower shop, enjoying the smell that came from it. When he looked through the window, he noticed Jisung making a flower arrangement. Getting excited he quickly went inside, carrier in hand. He couldn’t pass the opportunity of showing Jisung his new best friend, Doori. Minho made sure Jisung wasn’t occupied with another customer before he made his way over to the hardworking boy.
“Sungie! I saw you through the window and decided to quickly come by to show you my new friend!” Jisung’s shoulders jumped as he didn’t innitially see it was Minho. As he turned around and saw who it was that called out to him, he relaxed.
“Hi hyung! Good to see y— OHMYGOD YOU ACTUALLY FOUND A CAT!” Jisung’s hands went up to his round cheeks in excitement. He turned to look around the store, seeing it was only him, Minho and his manager. His manager gave him a small smile and a nod, telling him without words that it was okay for him to be preoccupied with his friend for a bit. She’d known Jisung for almost two years, so seeing him get all worked up made her heart melt slightly. Almost immediately he turned back around, crouching in front of the cage.
“Ohmygod, that is the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen! What’s their name? How old are they?”
“His name is Doori and I believe the worker said he is 3 years old! I wasn’t innitially planning on getting such a young cat… but I guess you could say we were a match made in Heaven!” Minho smiled as he saw the happiness on Jisung’s face.
“He’s so cute! All cuddled up like that. If you don’t mind, could I come over after my shift finishes? To play? I’ve never had a pet before and I think cats —and dogs, are the cutest things ever!” Jisung stared up at Minho, giving him a pout and heart eyes. Even though Minho should be practicing for his performance, how could he say no when Jisung was literally melting his heart with that expression. Not like he would say no regardless. Jisung wanted to come over again!
“Of course, you know the way from here, right?” Jisung nodded his head excitedly, smiling at the cat once more before he straightened himself back up to face Minho again. Just at that moment, a customer came into the store and Minho took that as his cue to leave. He said goodbye to Jisung and made his way out of the store.
After Jisung helped the lady who bought some white roses for her daughter’s wedding, his manager walked up to him. She wanted all the details, especially after seeing the way Jisung’s eyes were shining during his little conversation with Minho.
“I’ve never seen you more alive and excited talking to someone, not even Changbin. Crushing on someone, maybe?”
“S-Sana noona! Maybe…” He could only give a sheepish smile and Sana let out a laugh, eyes turning into beautiful crescents. “Cute, I think you two would look nice together. I’ll be rooting for you, Jisung-ah.” Jisung was embarrassed for the rest of the shift but his excitement definitely overpowered those emotions. He was going to go to Minho’s house again. To play with his new cat. Secretly though, he was happier Minho let him come over again… even if Jisung wouldn’t admit to himself that that was the real reason.
Jisung and Minho currently sat together on the couch, Doori sleeping soundly inbetween them. After Minho and Doori had arrived home they’d had an entire conversation, much to the surprise of Doori. Naturally the cat had never met someone that could understand it so it asked (demanded) for answers. Minho had chuckled and calmly complied, explaining why he could understand Doori. Afterwards, the young cat had stuck to Minho like glue, feeling safe knowing Minho was a good soul and wouldn’t abandon him like his past owners. The boy had been right that Doori didn’t want much cuddles but he figured that might also be because they’ve only ‘met’ each other that day. The cat had been a bit shy when Jisung arrived, not liking the idea of trusting another human so easily. As Jisung had left to quickly go to the toilet as he hadn’t had the time to do so after his shift, Minho had told Doori Jisung was the purest person ever and that he wouldn’t even hurt a fly. Doori’s reaction to that had been ‘oh, but I would!’. Jisung didn’t understand why Minho had been fighting back tears of laughter as he returned to the small living room, but he didn’t question further when he realised Minho really wouldn’t be spilling the beans.
And that’s how they ended up on the couch, the cat laying inbetween them.
Jisung put his legs up on the couch, Doori taking it as an opportunity to climb onto the boy’s lap. Jisung gasped and his smile reached his ears, immediately looking at Minho. The latter seemed surprised by Doori’s move, seeing the cat hadn’t even attempted to do such a thing with Minho. Doori just glanced over at Minho before explaining himself. To Jisung it sounded like a simple ‘meow’ but Minho heard the cat say ‘he smells good and is warm, don’t give me that look’.
“Hyung! Doori likes me! Ahhhh, I’m so happy right now. Can I call myself Doori’s second dad!?” Minho laughed, giving the cat a pet over it’s back.
“Sure, I’ll be his father and you can be his dad.” Jisung almost choked on his own spit at the thought of them raising Doori together, however he decided to brush that thought as far away from the front of his brain as possible. Instead, he focussed on the warm ball of fluff that was laying in his lap.
The two of them played with Doori for a little while longer, Jisung almost falling over onto Minho when Doori took a sprint and jumped off of his back. The boy nearly fell into the older’s chest head first, causing Jisung to blush heavily whilst Minho couldn’t stop laughing. Jisung was about to defend himself when his phone rang. Confused as to who might call him, he looked at the caller ID. It was his dad? Why would his father call him, he absolutely never does. The mood completely changed in the room as Jisung began feeling anxious. Minho noticed the change in the boy’s mood and behaviour but pretended not to realise, not wanting his crush to feel even… worse? Worried, Jisung quickly picked up.
“H-Hey dad, what’s up?”
Jisung’s heart dropped when he heard his father’s cries over the phone, saying things like ‘Where’ve you been’ and ‘I need help with cooking’. A wave of guilt washed over him, realising he had left his dad alone for basically three days in a row. Whenever Jisung had come home, his father was already passed out in his bedroom. The teenager suddenly felt guilty for not at least waking his dad up to have him eat a proper meal but Jisung hadn’t really wanted to do so. Seeming selfish to himself now, he had enjoyed the quiet evenings in his house.
Minho sits down onto the couch keeping a respectful distance between them, unsure of what to think and feel. He can see how nervous Jisung suddenly became. He can also hear Jisung’s father, sounding extremely intoxicated. He can’t make out what he is saying and he didn’t want to eavesdrop, however the man didn’t seem to be making much sense from this distance.
“O-Okay. I’ll c-come home dad, make sure to d-drink some water. Yes, bye n-now.”
After hanging up, Jisung immediately starts to cry. Minho’s eyes widen and he quickly sits closer but not too close, not knowing the boys’ boundaries yet. “Hey, Jisung? Did something bad happen?” He isn’t aware that asking such questions with an anxiety ridden Jisung doesn’t help his case but of course Minho couldn’t know what the boy was fully feeling. All his heart could tell him was that Jisung wasn’t feeling good and that he needed Minho to be there for him.
Jisung’s breathing starts get shallow and riggid as he shakes his head, more tears streaming down his cheeks at a rapid pace. His mind is all over the place. ‘Now Minho will find out. He’ll think I’m crazy or feel sorry or seeing me like this will make him freak out. I just want to dissapear, why is it always so messy?’
“Hey Jisung, look at me.” Minho grabs the boy’s attention. “Do you have any medicine for these situations?” The distraught boy shakes his head, not able to form any words. “Okay. What do you need me to do?” Jisung again shakes his head, feeling like he can’t get out any words because if he did he wouldn’t be able to breathe. “Do you want me to hug you from behind? So you can feel my breathing?”
Jisung doesn’t really register what Minho means but he just nods his head regardless. All he could hear was ‘hug’ and honestly, hugs always calmed him down. Someone holding him tightly, rocking him back and forth did the trick time and time again. It would always be Changbin’s muscular arms that’d be tightly wrapped around his small frame, making him feel safe. It seemed like Minho knew what he was doing and it wasn’t like Changbin was there to help him, so Jisung’s mind had agreed for him.
Minho quickly sat behind Jisung, putting his legs on either side of the younger. Slowly pulling Jisung towards him, he let the upset boy lean on his chest. In truth, Minho had no clear idea what the fuck he was supposed to be doing. He knows you should help a person breathe when they’re having a panic attack and to stay calm. He just hoped this could help. Besides, he didn’t even know what things worked for Jisung and what didn’t, so that’s why he just asked questions before attempting to initiat anything.
“Okay, Sung. Feel my chest rise and fall and breathe in with me. I’ll count to 5 and I want you to breathe in with me, you can do that right?” The younger nods again and so they start.
It took a couple of minutes, but eventually Jisung’s breathing was controlled and he felt like he was getting air again. He felt exhausted, like he had no energy left to walk back home. “You need to go home right? I can ask my neighbour if I can borrow his car for a bit to drop you off?”
“I-If it’s not a nuisance…” Minho was quick to disagree and he got up to ask his neighbour, but not before he made sure Jisung would be okay on his own for 5 minutes. Johnny couldn’t let Minho borrow his car as he was just about to head out but he offered to drop Jisung off at his home.
“He’s a nice guy, Jisung. I told him you’re a little sad so he won’t bother you too much, okay?” Jisung was too tired to even resist that invitation, going along with Johnny. It had turned out the tall guy was a bit weird however also a big sweetheart, who used to live in The States but decided to move to Korea to pursue a career in music. Jisung hadn’t said much the whole ride, letting Johnny do the talking. The older didn’t mind at all, hoping it could take Jisung’s mind off of whatever was bothering him. Johnny hoped they’d become friends later on, seeing as the stuff he had heard from Minho about the younger was all very positive and it seemed like he could use some more friends.
“T-Thanks Johnny hyung. I really appreciate y-you dropping me off.”
“No problem, Jisung! Take care and maybe I’ll see you around some other time!”
They bid each other goodbye and Jisung made his way to the front door. Taking in a deep breath, he opens the door and is able to immediately tell something is off. There is no music playing nor any sounds from the television, the being dead silent. His dad would always be watching or listening to something to keep his mind further away from reality, so what was going on? He quickly made his way into the livingroom where he found his father sitting on the couch, staring at the doorway Jisung was now standing in. “Dad? What’s wrong?”
“Wha’s wrong? What? Is? Wrong? I’LL TELL YOU WHA’S WRONG.” His father stood up abruptly, marching his was over to his terrified son that was now trying to run towards the stairs. His fight or flight instinct had kicked in and never having been a fighter, he opted to bolt up th stairs. His father was faster than he had expected the drunk to be, when he grabbed the back of Jisung’s jacket just as his son had made it two steps up the stairs. With full force, he was yanked back and thrown onto the ground. Jisung felt pain shoot through his back but he was too frightened to respond to it, holding everything together to not let out a scream of pain.
“D-Dad! What’re y-you doing?!” Jisung was frozen, unable to move. ‘Is this really happening? After all these years?’
“You left me alone for three days! Without any words? I thought you were dead! I should actually kill you for this!” His father grabbed onto his collar, pulling Jisung’s face close to his own. Tears forming in the latter’s eyes as he tried his best to hold them in. He wouldn’t let his father see he was weak. “I-I was here though, upstairs! You were just asleep!”
“Tch. Get out of my sight.” His father gave Jisung a hard slap across the face, the sound echoeing through the house. His father got off of him and stumbled his way back to the livingroom, showing he was clearly intoxicated. Jisung sat there for a good five minutes, the fact his father had hit him slowly registering as the pain in his cheek (and body) didn’t go away. Never had his father laid a finger upon him but today that had changed. Whilst Jisung had always been upset at home, he never had felt scared to be there.
He slowly got up, his ass, back and cheek now burning from the impact. Jisung walked straight into his room before closing and locking it from the inside, thankful for his past self for installing a lock. He’d never really needed it and Changbin didn’t allow him to use it except during dire situations, however right now seemed to be pretty dire. Dropping his bag right beside the door, he made his way over to his bed before falling on top of it.
‘I can’t believe he actually hit me… What if he keeps doing it? What if he finally completely lost it? I can’t live like this.’
He pushed himself up, opening his bedside drawer where he kept his razorblades. He grabbed the sharp metallic object, inspecting it for a brief moment before letting his gaze fall to his arms. He pushed up his sleeves, inspecting the damage he had done the last time carefully. Just as he was about to push it into his skin, Changbin’s voice popped into his head.
‘If you ever think of hurting yourself, call me.’
The tears Jisung had held in front of his dad finally started flowing. Because of sadness but also because of guilt. Would he really betray Changbin like this? He promised Changbin he’d try and yet here he was, wanting to hurt himself after the slightest inconvenience. He felt pathetic and would off continued, yet he couldn’t. He couldn’t because he didn’t want to see the pain in his best friend’s eyes ever again. He put the blade down and got up, grabbing his phone from his backpack. He didn’t bother looking at the top chat on Whatsapp, it was always Changbin. He dialed it and brought his shaky hand to his face. The moment he heard the other end had picked up he started sobbing and explaining his thoughts, letting everything he had been holding in, out.
“He—”
“C-Changbinnie I-I… My dad just h-hit me. I want to cut m-myself but I don’t w-want to dissapoint you s-so I called. P-Please t-talk to me I… I need you.” He cried into his phone, waiting for his hyung to respond.
“W-what? Jisung I’m….”
“Min-Minho hyung?” Jisung’s eyes widened as he had realised the severity of his mistake. His heart started hammering in his chest and the it of inevitable doom was settling in. He was about to hang up and give up completely but Minho was quicker in speaking up, catching Jisung off guard for the second time in 5 seconds.
“Give me your fucking address, I’m coming over.”
———————————————————————————
This chapter had 2.9K words before I re-edited. It now has 3.8… OOPS!
Also, this chapter went from fluff to angst real quick.
Sorry? :]
Comment