Archive of Our Own ^beta

Taeyong’s productivity is through the roof and it means he’s guaranteed a promotion. It’s great and just what he wanted, even if he has to dodge jokes and questions about it. His colleagues think because he’s a night owl who keeps odd hours that being able to work when he wants means he’s getting enough rest and churning out what needs to be done on his own schedule. They’re not completely wrong, but they’re all putting way too much stock in the fact that he’s actually getting a solid amount of sleep at times that most people aren’t.

The real reason Taeyong’s been able to sleep, wake up and jump straight into a productivity overdrive is the fact that he’s been fucking his neighbour’s pet hybrid on a regular basis for the past few months. Jaehyun’s beside him right now, licking his lips clean after trying to suck Taeyong’s soul out and really, the alpha has no right to complain about anything. Except Jaehyun wrinkled his nose at the lunch Taeyong gave him, a homemade katsu curry that was the reason they met in the first place.

Jaehyun turned his dainty little nose up at the plate and didn’t want anything to do with the home cooked meal he usually loved, aka the first red flag. The next incident that raised an eyebrow was Taeyong wanting to cuddle and squeezing the hybrid around the middle, enjoying the softness of Jaehyun’s waist. Apparently voicing that thought out loud was akin to comparing Jaehyun to a whale and the hybrid hissed something insulting about Taeyong’s genitals before fleeing. The final red flag was the pair flipping through the channels of Tayeong’s very expensive TV. Jaehyun was fascinated with all the variety and Taeyong was content to watch the hybrid go through each show, his ears flicking back and forth. The hybrid eventually settled on a nature documentary, one about large cats raising adorable cubs in the wild. Taeyong wondered if hybrids could do the same, which made Jaehyun laugh at him like he’d just asked the stupidest question ever. When pressed, Jaehyun rolled his eyes and told the alpha that was impossible, cat hybrids weren’t animals and Taeyong was human so they couldn’t have offspring anyway. The last part made Taeyong pause before he very delicately asked if Jaehyun thought he couldn’t get pregnant at all and the haughty look on the cat’s face made Taeyong go pale.

The issue at hand wasn’t even the biggest wrench thrown into Taeyong’s life because he soon found out Jaehyun’s owner was none other than Johnny Suh, a colleague of his who was friendly but generally kept to himself. Johnny was an omega, but at least a head taller than Taeyong and somehow had Yuta wrapped around his finger, which meant Johnny had someone willing to fight dirty on his behalf. Taeyong spends the rest of the week in a daze, replaying Jaehyun’s words over and over in his mind.

Not that it makes him stop taking Jaehyun to bed whenever the hybrid comes over because after all Taeyong is just a man. He has no defense against long lashes fluttering against pale cheeks, a pink tongue, red lips and deep set dimples.

The cat hybrid was so cute that day, smiling widely with his dimples on display as he climbed down to Taeyong’s balcony. It never failed to amaze the alpha when he saw the display of agility, dexterity and fearlessness as Jaehyun scaled the thin metal railings keeping him from falling to his impending doom. He liked to keep the balcony doors closed a tad longer than necessary when they met up, his own face breaking out in a smile when Jaehyun would pout and paw at the glass to be let in.

When he asked why the cat was so happy, Jaehyun wrapped his arms around Taeyong and nuzzled the alpha’s cheek with a purr. The hybrid explained he was in a wonderful mood because his precious Chloe won her first ever spelling bee, whatever that was. Taeyong was confused until Jaehyun laughed at him, flicking his tail in the alpha’s face from where they were cuddling on the couch. Chloe was his owner’s daughter and his hyung was so happy when she won, cheering and clapping and crying a little bit like humans did whenever they were overcome with emotion. Johnny-hyung even bought both of them ice cream afterwards to celebrate. All Jaehyun knows is that it meant Chloe beat the other children because she was obviously the best.

Chloe.

Johnny-hyung.

Johnny Suh has one framed photo on his desk, the only personal item the omega has on display. A little girl with the same soft brown eyes wrapped in his arms and beaming at the camera. Doyoung asked who she was when the photo first appeared and Johnny smiled shyly before he confessed it was his daughter, Chloe.

Oh.

Fuck.

—

Jaehyun’s nose twitches as he slowly wakes up and comes back to himself. It’s midday judging by the position of the sunlight streaming into Johnny’s apartment, which means the hybrid is hungry and needs something to eat.

Chloe’s at school full-time and Johnny-hyung wouldn’t be home till early in the evening after work. Jaehyun spends most of his days sleeping, relaxing and then playing with the toys Johnny got him. He could watch TV or read a book, but his favourite pastime was going out onto the balcony and exploring the neighbour’s spaces.

Jaehyun wasn’t a criminal, he wasn’t going to break into someone’s space and his keen hearing and sense of smell meant he could tell if someone was home or not. While their own home was enough for the 3 of them and well maintained, Jaehyun knew the cameras on the corners of the building were fake and didn’t actually record anything. Even if they did, there wasn’t a law that said a cat couldn’t come over to sniff a few plants or chase some birds off a ledge.

When the hybrid opens the balcony doors, a whiff of something delicious hits his senses and Jaehyun inhales deeply to hold the scent in his mouth. It makes him salivate and the cat is soon on the move, climbing down from his balcony onto the ones below until he reaches the source of the smell.

There’s a human standing inside the apartment, clad in white sleeveless shirt and shorts with funny looking slippers and a matching apron. To Jaehyun’s delight, the man is carefully stirring a pot on the stove, shaking in a few dashes of spices as he taste tests his creation.

Normally Jaehyun kept away from other humans if Johnny-hyung wasn’t around, especially alphas like this man. He wasn’t scared of people, alpha or not, but he didn’t want to make trouble for Johnny.

But something had drawn the hybrid to this particular man’s apartment and Jaehyun knocked on the glass balcony doors with his knuckles, crouching down to look more cute and approachable because human beings were so simple.

The alpha drops his spoon into the pot and looks over, startled at the intrusion. His eyes get impossibly big at the sight of a cat hybrid perched on his balcony, pawing at the latch on the glass door.

Taeyong doesn’t have a lot of experience with hybrids. He had dogs growing up, but after moving out the desire for anything fuzzy that would shed greatly diminished. He likes his space and he likes it clean in a particular way that animals didn’t always adhere to.

The cat hybrid keeps trying to open his balcony doors and the alpha doesn’t know if he should call someone or just hope he goes away. Taeyong edges closer to the glass panels and waves his hands at the hybrid, trying to tell the cat to go away. He doesn’t have time to babysit a lost pet, he has deadlines and a limited amount of time to eat.

The hybrid isn’t deterred and meows pitifully from behind the glass. Taeyong wonders if he’s lost, but even then how the hell did this cat get on his floor? He’s 5 stories up and he can’t remember any of the people on his floor having hybrids.

The cat has light blond hair and matching sandy cat ears and a fluffy tail that sways back and forth. He meows again, putting the palms of his hands against the glass and Taeyong wonders if it’s going to leave a mark and if he has any glass cleaner left in his cupboards. The hybrid cocks his head, leaning to the side to try and peer around the alpha and look into his kitchen.

Taeyong looks back and forth between the meowing hybrid and his lunch. He’s been told domesticated animals make certain sounds that appeal to humans and maybe hybrids can too because he’s throwing caution to the wind and carefully unlocking the door.

The alpha slides the glass panels open and then steps back, eyeing the hybrid warily. He doesn’t know how many animal features this one has, but he’s not keen to be on the receiving end of claws or fangs. The cat stands up and Taeyong only has a split second to regret his choice because the hybrid is definitely bigger than him, but he’s already walking past the alpha and straight into the kitchen.

Clapping his hands, the hybrid picks up the spoon in the pot and blows on it before a pink tongue flicks out to taste the curry that had drawn him here in the first place. With a satisfied sigh, the hybrid looks around and spots a small rice cooker, steam puffing up from the vent.

To Taeyong’s shock, the cat picks up the bowl he set aside and starts scooping rice into it, taking quite a hefty portion. The hybrid then spoons curry all over the rice and tops it off with one of the fried katsu cutlets that Taeyong was hoping to save for his dinner.

“Thank you so much it smelled so good!” the hybrid exclaims, scurrying over to sit at Taeyong’s dining table.

The hybrid’s voice is cheerful and deep and he keeps making little meows while he eats, like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted. Taeyong can only stand there and watch as this mysterious hybrid demolishes a plate of food in front of him.

Taeyong’s stomach rumbles and the hybrid looks at him before getting up and making the alpha a plate of food. Taeyong sits down just as the cat puts the bowl down in front of him, still wondering if this is a fever dream.

Instead, he watches the hybrid rummage through his cupboards for a cup and pour himself a glass of water. He is admittedly impressed when the cat curls up on one of Taeyong’s dining chairs with ease.

“You can call me Jaehyun,” the cat says and Taeyong swears it comes out like a purr. “Can I come over for lunch tomorrow?”

Somehow Taeyong finds himself not only agreeing to feed this mysterious Jaehyun the next day, but also asking what he would like to eat. Maybe Yuta was right and he did need to get out more because when the hybrid beamed at him all the alpha could think about was how sweet his dimples looked.

It starts off innocently enough with Jaehyun coming by for lunch and Taeyong finding the hybrid’s company enjoyable. Jaehyun is easy to talk to and it’s amusing to hear about the things he’s seen exploring other apartment balconies. Taeyong usually spends most of his time holed up in his home office. Having Jaehyun over actually makes him interact with another living creature and Taeyong finds himself looking forward to their daily meals. The hybrid might be getting free food each time he pops by, but he’s thoughtful and always cleans up after himself. He even volunteers to help Taeyong in the kitchen and it’s nice to have an unbiased opinion when the alpha vents about the latest work-related headache while they work in tandem to prepare their lunches.

Jaehyun eats everything Taeyong makes him and always compliments the alpha’s cooking. Taeyong wonders if he’s a stray, but the cat looks healthy. The hybrid mentions an owner, but nothing more so the alpha doesn’t press. Taeyong’s heard enough horror stories about hybrids being mistreated and while he doesn’t really know Jaehyun, he doesn’t want the hybrid to be hurt. So far, Jaehyun seems happy with whatever living arrangement he has.

During one of Taeyong’s sleepless nights where he’s typing away from a sudden burst of work-related creativity, his brain makes a joke about his hybrid schedule and his new hybrid friend. For some reason it makes him start laughing until he has to stop to catch his breath and finally put himself to sleep.

He's in a good mood the next time Jaehyun comes by, smiling and cracking a few jokes. The hybrid giggles at him like he thinks Taeyong is actually hilarious and there’s something so charming about the way Jaehyun’s ears twitch and how he holds his tail that the alpha can’t help but call him cute.

Jaehyun’s cheeks turn pink and for the first time, the hybrid appears shy as he messes with his ears. Taeyong makes him lunch and this time he sits next to the hybrid instead of across from him. It must be the right thing to do because Jaehyun smiles at him and up close he smells like peaches and cream.

The first time Taeyong asks Jaehyun to stay after lunch, the hybrid shakes his head and quickly scurries out to the balcony before disappearing. The alpha is disappointed and when Jaehyun doesn’t come back the next day Taeyong wonders if he’s made a mess of things. To his relief, Jaehyun comes back a few days later and this time Taeyong offers him a treat after lunch, an ice cream bar he has stashed in his freezer.

A voice in the back of Taeyong’s head is mocking him and it sounds suspiciously like Yuta as he watches Jaehyun’s pink tongue lap at the ice cream over and over. The only reason Taeyong isn’t making a move is the fact that the hybrid’s fangs are peeking out, sharp and dangerous up close.

Jaehyun is pretty and not just because of his cat ears and tail. He has warm eyes, soft round cheeks and dimples that always catch the alpha’s attention. The hybrid is also tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, which is exactly what Taeyong likes. The alpha knows he’s good looking and he knows he’s charming. He gets compliments on his eyes, the cut of his jaw and the way he holds himself, confident and assured. Taeyong just doesn’t know if Jaehyun’s interested or if the hybrid even likes humans.

Dessert becomes a new part of their routine and Taeyong gets to put his rusty baking skills to the test. He’s a deft hand in the kitchen when it comes to cooking, but baking has always been something much more precise and easy to mess up. Jaehyun has no complaints about the assortment of muffins, sweet breads and cakes the alpha makes him try.

Taeyong’s been doing his research on hybrids, but even the sketchy websites don’t say much about flirting with one or if there’s some sort of special hybrid cue he should be looking for. He’s not the type to get a hybrid for nefarious purposes and if Jaehyun isn’t interested, the alpha isn’t going to continue pursuing him. But he’s pretty sure the hybrid is flirting back because he laughs at all of Taeyong’s corny jokes. Jaehyun’s even begun to move his chair closer to Taeyong’s when they eat, close enough that their thighs are touching and the alpha is sure he’s felt the tip of a fluffy tail graze his back enough times to not be an accident.

His incognito searches also tell him almost every hybrid is an omega or as close to what the non-human equivalent is. The reasoning being the first hybrid creators wanted to make sure their animal-human crosses could be more easily controlled. Now it’s a default selling point, which if Taeyong thinks too deeply about it, makes him feel queasy even if there’s laws in place to protect hybrids. But maybe that’s why Jaehyun is so alluring to the alpha in Taeyong in the first place.

It means Jaehyun’s owner is probably an alpha and Taeyong doesn’t want to step on any toes and make a stranger mad over their pet hybrid. Taeyong thinks the only alpha in the world who wouldn’t care is one of his cousins, Mark, who doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. Taeyong wants to broach the subject with Jaehyun, but he doesn’t know how without scaring the cat off. Luckily, this ends up as just one of those funny human social cues that Jaehyun walks right through.

“Does Taeyongie-hyung like me?” Jaehyun asks one day after lunch when he’s waiting for the alpha to cut into a cake, decorated with sliced peaches and pink icing. “Because Jaehyunnie likes him.”

Taeyong barely manages to not slice a finger off and quickly puts the knife down, cursing under his breath. He turns around, half expecting the hybrid to be coy and teasing and Jaehyun’s pupils are narrow slits as he stares back at the alpha. But the hybrid’s cheeks are so pink, just like the buttercream rosettes Taeyong’s spent days perfecting and the tip of Jaehyun’s tongue that peeks out when he licks his lips.

Fangs be damned, it’s now or never.

“That depends on what Jaehyunnie means,” Taeyong replies before sitting down next to Jaehyun, the cake temporarily forgotten. “I think you know the answer.”

Taeyong watches Jaehyun’s face for any change in his expression, slowly moving to place a hand on Jaehyun’s thigh. The hybrid doesn’t push him away, in fact Jaehyun’s tail comes up between the chairs to wind around the alpha’s forearm. It’s the first time Taeyong’s felt any of Jaehyun’s fur and it’s impossibly soft.

“Will your owner be mad?” Taeyong asks, squeezing the thigh under his hand and feeling the muscle twitch when Jaehyun shakes his head.

“My hyung and I aren’t like that,” the hybrid says, scrunching his nose up at the thought.

Taeyong leans in to kiss him, laughing when Jaehyun throws his arms around the alpha and climbs into his lap. Picking the cat up to bring him to the bedroom takes just a few seconds, even with Jaehyun rubbing his cheek all over Taeyong’s and stealing more kisses along the way.

Taeyong’s not sure what he should expect, but Jaehyun is no pushover. The hybrid plucks their clothing off and his purrs are so loud, reverberating in Taeyong’s ears as he finally gets his hands on miles of smooth pale skin. The fur on Jaehyun’s ears is just as soft as his tail and the hybrid sighs sweetly under his touch.

Taeyong learns that the base of Jaehyun’s tail is very sensitive and that while the hybrid meows loudly, he also likes a hand muffling his desperate mewls. Taeyong wants to see his face, to watch the flush on Jaehyun’s cheeks travel down his neck and to his chest. He likes seeing the hybrid’s pupils blow wide until all the alpha can see are huge dark eyes staring up at him, a pink tongue hanging out as Jaehyun writhes and pants. The hybrid turns onto his knees, his chest pressed into the sheets as Taeyong’s body cages him in. Jaehyun wraps his tail around the alpha’s wrist where he’s gripping the hybrid’s hips and it lets Taeyong rub at the sensitive spot where tail meets spine.

He gets over his fear of Jaehyun’s fangs very quickly when the hybrid slides down his body, red mouth stretched wide around the alpha. Taeyong’s never felt anything like it, a rough sandpaper tongue that makes his legs jerk and the barest scrape of a fang that has his eyes rolling back into his head.

The alpha pulls on Jaehyun’s tail, harder than he thinks he should have. It makes the hybrid yowl and clench impossibly tight around Taeyong, enough to make the alpha think he’s going to pass out. When Jaehyun is cuddling with him in the afterglow, the hybrid nips his shoulder and warns him not to do that again. Taeyong apologizes with a grimace before mumbling that he’ll ask next time and Jaehyun growls, but smooths the sting with his tongue.

He drifts off into a well-deserved sleep, only to be awakened by Jaehyun shaking him. Taeyong flails for a moment before he gets his bearings and sits up, wondering if something is wrong like maybe the hybrid was wrong and his owner is about to come charging in to kick Taeyong’s ass.

“I want cake now,” Jaehyun says, pouting when the alpha gapes at him in shock. “Please hyungie?”

Eating in bed is another thing Taeyong never thought he’d be doing, but here he is feeding cake to Jaehyun by hand. If the gleam in the hybrid’s eyes is anything to go by, the shivers going down Taeyong’s spine each time the cat’s tongue brushes his fingers means he’s going to need the energy from a sugar rush very soon.

—

Jaehyun misses lunch one day and then the next and Taeyong worries about him. He never thought to ask the hybrid if there was any way to contact him when they weren’t together. The alpha doesn’t even know if Jaehyun has a phone. Did hybrids even know what a phone was?

He misses Jaehyun and it’s not just about the sex. Taeyong misses seeing the hybrid’s ears twitch when birdsong could be heard outside, how Jaehyun’s tail swayed when he walked, the warmth of his hand when the alpha would link their fingers together and falling asleep to the gentle rumbles of the hybrid’s purrs. He wants to see Jaehyun, to hold him and ask him if he’s okay. The alpha needs to know Jaehyun’s not sick or hurt and the worry makes it hard to concentrate on anything else, leading to long sleepless nights.

Work should be a welcome distraction, especially since he’s now on a different project and no longer has to type emails to Johnny or see the omega while acting like he’s not sending Johnny’s hybrid home on a regular basis after fucking his brains out.

Doyoung mentions Johnny bringing Chloe in, the omega frazzled because his daughter’s daycare had to shut down temporarily for an emergency. Yuta finds the little girl absolutely charming and spends most of his time keeping her entertained. Taeyong was busy in meetings all day and missed both of them since their boss let Johnny leave early to take his baby home. Doyoung thinks it’s very interesting that Yuta left with them, but Taeyong doesn’t. Anyone with working eyeballs knows Yuta has it bad for Johnny except the omega seemed dense as a rock when it came to the alpha’s blatant attempts at flirting.

But maybe Taeyong’s the one who is dense because there’s a knock at his door and it’s Johnny, Jaehyun and Yuta, along with Chloe who asks if Taeyong is going to steal Uncle Kitty Jae from her. Both Johnny and Taeyong awkwardly stand there looking uncomfortable while Yuta tells the little girl that no one will take her uncle away without her permission.

Taeyong swallows down the curse on the tip of his tongue and opens his door all the way, inviting the group inside. Jaehyun waltzes in like he owns the place, pecking the alpha on the cheek and apologizing for missing lunch without telling him in advance. Taeyong doesn’t want to admit he has frozen portions of food for Jaehyun in his freezer, hoping against all hopes that the hybrid would show up sooner than later.

Yuta’s holding Chloe and showing her around the place like he’s been here before and it’s mostly pointing out things in Taeyong’s decor that he thinks are funny. Johnny and Taeyong try to start a conversation, cutting each other off and then trying to get the other person to go first. Eventually, Jaehyun sighs and pushes them both towards the dining table except Taeyong only has two chairs. The hybrid makes the decision for him by sitting down in Taeyong’s lap and wrapping his arms around him. The alpha knows his face must look like a tomato as Jaehyun giggles happily in between tiny kitten licks against Taeyong’s jaw.

Johnny takes a deep breath, taking the sight in and he can tell Taeyong knows exactly why they’re here. Johnny only figured it out because Chloe kept insisting Uncle Kitty Jae smelled like mama and Jaehyun started turning down meals, something the cat had never done before. In fact, Johnny’s biggest bills were food related because Jaehyun could eat enough for all of them. Yuta mentions Johnny fretting when Jaehyun started throwing up in the mornings and the fatigue that plagued the hybrid who normally went through multiple bursts of energy throughout the day. Taeyong only has a moment to wonder why Yuta would even be at Johnny’s place early enough to witness Jaehyun’s morning sickness before the hybrid distracts him by purring softly against the alpha’s chest.

Taeyong looks down and kisses the crown of Jaehyun’s head like it’s second nature. The hybrid meows sweetly and the alpha knows whatever Johnny wants in exchange for Jaehyun, he’ll pay it. Taeyong’s been squirreling away money for years and no price for Jaehyun is too high.

“I missed you,” the hybrid whispers and Taeyong wants to bundle him off to bed and never let him go. “Alpha, I'm sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Taeyong replies, petting Jaehyun’s tail that was now curled around his thigh. “You must have been scared thinking something was wrong.”

Jaehyun nods because he’s never been sick like this before. Sometimes he’d get a tummy ache from eating too much or a rare tickle in his throat from a hairball. Johnny-hyung thought something was seriously wrong and even Chloe was scared until Yuta calmed them down because overwhelming the hybrid with all the worst case scenarios wasn’t going to help anyone.

“I think we both have a lot of questions so why don’t we take turns?” Johnny suggests, relieved when Taeyong nods and doesn’t just demand to whisk Jaehyun away forever.

It would break Chloe’s heart to lose the hybrid and Johnny thinks it would break his too. He’s become so accustomed to having Jaehyun in their lives that he can’t imagine the hybrid not being there when he gets home from work. But Jaehyun’s not an animal to be caged and Johnny would never want that for him.

“Can you tell me how the two of you even met?” Johnny asks, raising an eyebrow when Taeyong’s face starts turning red again.

Jaehyun beams at Johnny from where he’s contorted himself into a pretzel on Taeyong’s lap, all too eager to tell the omega just how he found his amazing Taeyongie-hyung. The alpha has to sit there and listen to Jaehyun regale Johnny with the whole story in excruciating detail. When the hybrid is about to start talking about the first time they fell into bed, Taeyong quickly covers Jaehyun’s mouth with his hand.

“What Jaehyun means is that I didn’t go into this looking for a hybrid pet or anything, I swear. After I got over the shock of seeing him on my balcony we became friends.”

Johnny has never had a problem with Taeyong at work. The alpha’s always pulled his weight, was polite and direct and treated Johnny like any other colleague. Some alphas chafed at the thought of having omegas on equal footing with them, but no one on their team cared what Johnny was. He doesn’t think Taeyong is lying about this and despite Jaehyun’s hybrid tendencies that even after all this time, still surprised Johnny, the cat wouldn’t have rolled over and let himself be taken advantage of just because Taeyong was an alpha. Jaehyun’s never shown an interest in other humans or in alphas before. If he likes Taeyong then he must really care for the alpha and despite the uncertainty about the future, Johnny wants Jaehyun to be happy.

“I believe you and trust me,” Johnny replies. “Jaehyun takes a while to warm up to humans so if he likes you, he likes you.”

“Because humans are stinky,” Jaehyun proclaims imperiously from where he’s using Taeyong as a throne. “But not you or Taeyongie-hyung or Chloe.”

“So how long have you owned Jaehyun?” Taeyong asks, trying to get back on topic while the hybrid sniffs at his neck to double check his claim. “I’m assuming for a few years at least.”

“Actually, I’m not his owner at all.”

—

Hybrid rights were still a hot button issue and no matter who you asked, they always had an opinion. For every free hybrid, there were dozens who weren’t and living in less than desirable conditions.

Taeyong assumes Jaehyun’s not free, but he’s well taken care of and happy with Johnny. He’s shocked to learn that the cat is completely free. Both because as an omega some obscure law says Johnny can’t own a hybrid and because Jaehyun was freed by his previous owner. The alpha learns Jaehyun belonged to an old woman who lived on Johnny’s street. Her adult children thought a hybrid to keep her company would be nice and he’d be able to help out if necessary compared to a traditional pet.

Jaehyun likes her well enough, she’s kind to him and enjoys brushing his fur. When Granny takes her afternoon nap, Jaehyun is allowed to sunbathe in the yard. It’s a peaceful existence until he starts hearing a baby cry in the house two doors down.

The hybrid scales the fence and carefully makes his way over until he can peek into an unobstructed window. Johnny is inside, cradling a newborn in his arms and trying to get her to stop fussing. Her face is so red and scrunched up and her tiny eyes meet Jaehyun’s. He sticks his tongue out, intrigued and annoyed at the same time because she’s ruining his favourite time of the day. The baby calms down, yawning as she’s gently rocked back to sleep by her mother.

It becomes a new part of his schedule and Jaehyun finds himself seeking her out because he’s never been around a human child that small. Sometimes Granny’s children bring her grandchildren over, but Jaehyun doesn’t interact with them much. They have their own toys and devices that distract them and he doesn’t like having his ears or tail touched by strangers.

The baby is named Chloe because Jaehyun hears her mother calling her name. It’s a nice name, he likes it and it suits her. Chloe learns to crawl and she comes up to the glass patio doors, mouthing at a stuffed black cat as she stares up at Jaehyun on the fence.

Sometimes when he’s feeling more daring he hides in a tree, wiggling his ears to make her giggle or flicking his tail through the branches. Johnny never seems to notice, just smiling when he hears her babble and cooing over her. It’s obvious he loves her and Jaehyun thinks the omega must be very kind to have such a sweet daughter.

Jaehyun never sees Chloe’s father, but he knows the alpha exists because he can smell him. The hybrid doesn’t like the alpha’s scent and Chloe never seems happy when Jaehyun can tell he was just around. He doesn’t quite understand how humans function and he’s not sure how Johnny can stand to be around such a bad smelling alpha because he seems sad when the alpha is home, but it’s none of Jaehyun’s business.

It’s early in the evening and just after dinner when Granny is watching her shows while Jaehyun grooms himself. He’s on his favourite pet bed, the one where he dozes off until Granny goes to sleep. The hybrid always makes sure she’s safely tucked in before he starts his night time patrol. He paces around the yard to make sure there’s no intruders like silly dogs or wayward rabbits, and he also makes sure the dishes are put away because sometimes Granny forgets. Only then does he go back to his room to wiggle under his favourite blanket and sleep until breakfast time.

It seems like any other evening when Granny turns her TV off before she gets up to shuffle down the hallway. Jaehyun hears her door close and he yawns, stretching and arching his back. His ears prick towards the front door and he suddenly tenses up, sensing something nearby that shouldn’t be there.

Jaehyun gets up and walks over to the door, staring intently at the varnished wood like he can see through it. He opens it and looks around, but nothing seems amiss. The hybrid is about to close the door when his sensitive ears hear a noise that puts him on edge. Stepping outside, the omega crouches down, his back rounding as he holds himself absolutely still. Jaehyun has his ears pinned back and his tail is puffed up behind him, trying to make himself look bigger on instinct.

Soon, the noise that disrupted him comes into view, a small swaying figure that falls down and crawls and then gets back up again. Jaehyun’s nose works faster than the rest of him because he recognizes that scent and he’s dashing over to catch the baby before she stumbles again.

Granny’s wide awake in the living room when Jaehyun comes back with Chloe in his arms, the little girl crying softly for her mother. She’s got scratches on her knees from falling over and her face is blotchy and red. Jaehyun’s stomach sinks, but Granny springs into action and takes the baby from him to calm her down. Granny puts her on the edge of the kitchen counter to gently dab her face with a clean dish towel.

It’s only then that Jaehyun realizes what it must mean for a child so young to be away from her mother. When he straightens up, Granny seems to know what he needs to do and she nods at him, turning back to distract Chloe by telling her they should clean her booboos up so her mother doesn’t worry.

Jaehyun creeps through the yard and over the fences until he reaches Johnny’s house. To a human, it would seem everything is fine. But to a hybrid with heightened senses, he can hear crying and the sound of heavy feet pacing back and forth. The cat can smell the alpha, his scent rancid and sour, full of anger and disgust. Jaehyun can also smell Johnny’s fear and even though the front door is slightly ajar, he’s moving towards the patio on silent feet.

Johnny’s alpha is talking to him in short, clipped tones. Johnny’s kneeling on the floor and trying to muffle the sounds of his weeping. His face is wet with tears and scrunched in pain from a bleeding nose and black eye. Jaehyun’s lip curls at the sight, especially when the alpha rounds on the crying omega, his voice rising sharply like Johnny’s done something to deserve this.

The doors are unlocked and the only warning they get is a low warning hiss. He’s not closely related enough to cats to have claws or fur all over his body, but Jaehyun has fangs and his nails are sharper than a human’s. He’s also faster, lighter on his feet and much more willing to overlook the social etiquette that human society adheres to.

Jaehyun goes back to Granny’s with Johnny in tow, the human overwhelmed at what just happened and letting himself be dragged down the street. He snaps back to himself when he sees Chloe eating slices of apple that Granny cut for her.

Granny clicks her tongue and makes Johnny sit down at the kitchen table while she pops open a first aid kit. Jaehyun goes to get cleaned up and to change before he relaxes back on his pet bed. Johnny and Granny are talking quietly to one another when Chloe comes toddling over to him. He snags her before she stumbles and pulls her into his lap, grumbling under his breath as he tries to groom her messy hair. Chloe giggles and calls him a kitty cat, which Jaehyun should take offense to because he’s an expensive pedigree hybrid, not just some house cat. But he just keeps grooming her and if she starts petting his tail, the hybrid doesn’t pull away.

Granny starts babysitting Chloe when Johnny goes back to work, which means Chloe spends a lot of time with Jaehyun who finds it far too amusing to play hide and seek with a tiny human. Jaehyun is also pleased to hear that Johnny’s former alpha left town. The police come knocking at Granny’s door with questions and he’s got one leg in the air while he inspects his belly button when they peer into the living room to see the “crazy monster”. Granny doesn’t answer many questions since she’s hard of hearing and eventually the police leave after taking one last look at Jaehyun who meows cutely from where he’s chewing on a ball of yarn.

When Johnny picks his baby up, he mentions being told they’d be contacting Granny. She just shakes her head and says she couldn’t hear one word those funny men in uniforms were saying and she would never let Jaehyun out alone at night. The hybrid in question is sprawled out on the couch, Chloe sitting on his stomach as she sings along to her favourite afternoon cartoons. Johnny knows better than to ask for details because he’s pretty sure Granny is still sharp as a tack.

It means no one is expecting it when Granny falls and hurts her hip. Jaehyun’s beside himself when he calls the ambulance, her oldest child and then Johnny-hyung. Chloe is holding Granny’s hand while she tries to reassure the little girl that everything will be okay.

Unfortunately Granny doesn’t get better and her children decide to move her somewhere closer. They’re all very sad to see Granny go, but she’s still lucid enough to wish Johnny well and kiss Chloe on the cheek from her wheelchair. Granny hands Johnny a folder with a bunch of documents regarding Jaehyun’s ownership status. Her children don’t want to take the hybrid with them and Granny can’t think of anyone else she would rather give him to. He’s been a faithful companion for years and she knows he would protect Chloe with his life. Johnny’s touched and luckily there’s enough time to go through the assortment of forms because he learns he can’t own Jaehyun as an omega. But Granny decides to free the hybrid then and there as one last act of kindness.

Jaehyun is given the option to go wherever he wants. He can go back to the facility he was born in and there are also shelters in place for hybrids like him that need help getting back on their feet. The cat is offended at the thought of Johnny-hyung just up and leaving with Chloe so the three of them pack up their bags and Johnny sells his house and moves them into the city. Before she leaves, Jaehyun lets Granny pet his ears and his tail with her trembling hands. He knows deep down inside that this is the last time he’ll ever see Granny and he thinks she’s the first human he’s ever truly loved.

—

When Taeyong asks who the next human is, Jaehyun blinks and then looks at Chloe as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world. When the alpha asks for the third human, Jaehyun looks at Johnny and then the corner of his lips twitch when Taeyong sighs and asks for the fourth human. The hybrid looks like he’s actually contemplating saying someone else and squeals when Taeyong starts tickling him.

Granny is long gone and her children gave Johnny the courtesy of letting him know because she wanted the omega to have a few of her things. Johnny’s grateful because it means he gets the apartment kitchen furnished with little fanfare since everything Granny owned was in great shape. He only sold his old house because of the bad memories and the fact that he couldn’t afford to keep it by himself. Every little bit helped when Johnny was starting fresh and rebuilding his career.

Jaehyun still has the pet bed she bought him tucked into the corner of his closet. It’s old and worn, but sometimes when the world is too loud for his ears, the hybrid curls up on it and closes his eyes. He always remembers Granny’s awful singing and how she liked to sneak Chloe a few chocolate chips when they baked cookies together.

Johnny keeps sunflowers on the coffee table because those were Granny’s favourite flower. She liked the bright yellow petals and Johnny knows Granny made sure she only had cat safe plants in the house even if Jaehyun protested and said he wasn’t a real pet.

Jaehyun doesn’t seem devastated to talk about Granny, but he looks wistful with his tail flicking back and forth when he’s lost in his memories. Taeyong’s glad he had a good life and that he found Johnny. He knows Johnny takes very good care of the hybrid and Jaehyun’s loyalty is proof of that kindness.

When he asks where the hybrid came from, Jaehyun shrugs and says a facility. Hybrid breeding facilities weren’t uncommon for the people who had the money to patronize them. The hybrids were carefully selected to have specific traits for their future owners. Taeyong also knows these facilities have come under intense scrutiny with allegations of abuse and accusations of scientists playing God. Jaehyun doesn’t have any memories of parents, just caretakers and teachers until he was considered old enough to sell to Granny’s family.

The elephant in the room isn’t Jaehyun’s past, it’s the swell of the hybrid’s belly that shows when his shirt pulls tight over his abdomen and how much more touchy he is with Taeyong, wanting to be tucked into the alpha’s lap as much as possible.

Johnny looks pained when he tells Taeyong he took Jaehyun to a doctor to confirm the news after the hybrid refused to take an at-home test, saying the whole process sounded “icky”. Jaehyun isn’t upset, but Taeyong’s not sure if the cat understands the magnitude of what exactly is happening. But the alpha can’t say he’s upset either, if anything he’s actually excited.

Taeyong’s always wanted a family, he just never envisioned himself having children with his neighbour’s pet hybrid. When he asks for clarification on Jaehyun’s ownership status, Johnny explains that they came to an agreement to treat Johnny as if he was the hybrid’s owner. It meant people asked less questions. The legalities of an omega owning a hybrid were so complicated and unheard of that most people wouldn’t even know it wasn’t possible. Taeyong thinks it’s an incredibly stupid law, but he understands why Johnny and Jaehyun keep quiet about it.

Jaehyun might be free, but his child with Taeyong will belong to the alpha until they come of age. It worries Johnny even if he can see how affectionate Taeyong is with Jaehyun and how the hybrid basks under the alpha’s attention. Johnny doesn’t want Jaehyun to be sad or feel trapped, which he might be if he has children tying him to the alpha. Hybrids aren’t totally like people, but as an omega Johnny knows what it’s like to be under an alpha’s control. Taeyong assures them that he doesn’t want to own Jaehyun like a pet or a companion. He wants Jaehyun as his equal and that includes their future kitten.

“Cub,” Jaehyun interjects, his nose wrinkling adorably like it always did when he was displeased with something.

“You’re not a lion,” Taeyong argues back, barely holding back a laugh. “You’re a cat.”

“Hmph,” Jaehyun mutters, but he doesn’t say anything after Taeyong gently rubs the base of his ears to placate him.

Yuta, who is listening to the whole conversation with interest, just snorts at the sight. Jaehyun likes the other alpha, his reasoning being that Chloe likes him and Chloe has the best judgment out of all the humans he knows. She’s currently sitting in Yuta’s lap and braiding a lock of his bright red hair, totally oblivious to the adults around her.

Taeyong wonders if Jaehyun’s ability to conceive was something Granny’s family wanted. It’s a sobering thought to realize in Jaehyun’s case it might have been a selling feature for whenever he was no longer needed before Johnny came into his life. Jaehyun doesn’t react to the speculating because being sold and bought by humans is a concept all hybrids know and accept. Taeyong hugs him closer in response, rubbing the hybrid’s back as Jaehyun nuzzles his cheek.

Yuta is the one who gets the wheel moving, asking if they have the paperwork to ensure ownership of Jaehyun’s future child. Taeyong will need to fill out a few forms and the sooner he submits them the better. There’s also the task of babyproofing his apartment and getting ready for the kitten’s impending arrival.

Jaehyun wants a trampoline and Taeyong says no because he lives on the fifth floor and the idea is ridiculous. Johnny, who has practice and immunity to cute kitty eyes also says no because he’s on the tenth floor, which makes it even more ridiculous. Chloe chooses that moment to pipe up that a trampoline sounds so fun.

The human adults hash out a few more details Jaehyun doesn’t care to pay attention to before Johnny decides to go home. Jaehyun doesn’t have a phone of his own volition, but Taeyong wants to get him one and the hybrid acquiesces for his alpha. Back in Johnny’s apartment, the hybrid goes back to his room to nap. They didn’t discuss or set a date for when the cat will officially move in with Taeyong so Johnny still has some time to prepare Chloe for when her Uncle Kitty Jae has to leave.

Johnny comes into the hybrid’s room and sits down on the edge of the bed. Jaehyun’s eyes are half-lidded, his fingers clenching and unclenching around his favourite stuffed seal like a cat kneading a blanket. Johnny strokes his hair, fingers scratching at the hybrid’s ears and he smiles when Jaehyun starts to purr. The cat’s tail thumps against the bed as the omega pets him.

“Jae-ah, are you okay?” Johnny murmurs softly. “You can be honest with me, you know that.”

“Mmhmm,” the cat mumbles, yawning widely. “I like Taeyongie-hyung.”

“I think he likes you too,” Johnny says. “I just want you to be happy because you’ve helped us so much. We’re really lucky to have met you and Granny.”

“I like Johnny-hyung and Chloe a lot,” Jaehyun replies sleepily. “I’m glad we met too.”

It’s a small consolation that Taeyong’s only an elevator ride away when Johnny breaks the news to Chloe that in a few weeks Jaehyun will be moving out. Chloe doesn’t quite understand and she’s sad, but she perks up when Jaehyun tells her she’ll soon have a kitty cousin to play with. Johnny thinks his heart is going to burst when she digs out a few of her old onesies because he’s a sentimental fool, and asks for his help cutting holes for cat tails in the back. He’s half expecting Jaehyun to turn his nose up at the notion, but the hybrid looks misty-eyed when she proudly presents her gifts to him.

Jaehyun’s next doctor’s appointment arrives quicker than expected and Johnny and Taeyong are in the room as the technician scans the hybrid’s belly. The young woman smiles and points out the blob that’s going to be Jaehyun’s baby and then the other blob that’s going to be the second baby.

Jaehyun blinks and then glances up at Johnny and Taeyong who are both looking faint when the technician congratulates them because the hybrid’s officially having twins. He’s as calm as can be when his stomach gets wiped clean and his shirt is pulled down, whistling as he saunters out of the clinic with Taeyong hurrying after him.

“Jaehyunnie, you heard her right?” Taeyong asks, worried that the hybrid didn’t hear the technician at all. “There’s two babies.”

“Of course I heard her,” Jaehyun says and he pats Taeyong’s cheek like the human is the one who needs to be comforted.” Hyungie, my hearing is better than yours.”

“You’re having twins!” Johnny exclaims, catching up to the pair after he grabbed the ultrasound scan and some more paperwork.

“Yes, because I’m a hybrid!” Jaehyun declares, as if it’s the most logical explanation and somehow it kind of makes sense to the others.

Chloe is over the moon when Jaehyun tells her she’s going to have not one but two kitty cousins and she tugs at Johnny’s sleeve to ask if they can go shopping for more baby clothes. Johnny just can’t get over how sweet she is, agreeing right away to take her to the mall on the weekend.

Taeyong has to go back to all his baby item orders and double everything, already racking his brain as to how to rearrange his apartment for twins instead of just a single baby. The guest room gets repurposed into a nursery for the babies while he orders a bigger bed for his room, knowing Jaehyun will want to keep the kittens close to him when they first come home. It’s a lot of pressure, but Taeyong’s always been one to get shit done when it comes down to crunch time and he’s not about to mess up when it comes to his own family. Jaehyun is not picky at all when it comes to baby furniture, decor and colour schemes. He’s more concerned with how soft the baby blankets feel and making sure they have an adequate amount of pillows and toys for the twins.

After a hectic few days of moving the hybrid in, which also meant giving up more than half of his closet space, Taeyong is exhausted from assembling baby furniture and all he wants is to close his eyes for a few minutes. Jaehyun’s in their room, curled up in the middle of the brand new bed and he’s asleep. He looks so peaceful compared to the ball of energy he could be when he wanted to be playful with the alpha. Taeyong drinks in the sight of Jaehyun wearing a hoodie and sweats because his swollen belly is visible under the sweater. His tail is relaxed and his chest rises and falls with each breath. He’s so pretty and Taeyong can’t resist climbing in next to him, curling around the hybrid to rest a hand on the cat’s stomach. Jaehyun doesn’t stir and Taeyong closes his eyes, nuzzling the soft skin of Jaehyun’s nape.

—

Taeyong hasn’t lived with another person since he graduated university and struck out on his own. He loves his family, he calls them regularly and frequently visits his sister and her family. But he’s been living by himself for years and it’s an adjustment to have someone else in his space full time.

For one thing, despite the growing size of Jaehyun’s stomach, the hybrid still moves silently through the apartment, often startling the alpha who isn’t expecting it. Taeyong also has to start buying double the amount of groceries he’s used to getting because Jaehyun’s eating for three and Johnny warns the alpha that the hybrid has a voracious appetite. Taeyong wonders if it's a cat thing, but for now he just counts his lucky stars that Jaehyun hasn’t expressed any odd cravings yet. Taeyong makes a list of what the hybrid will and won’t eat and sticks to it. He’s done some research and domestic cats could be sensitive to sudden changes in their routine. Jaehyun might claim to be different, but the alpha isn’t taking any chances.

Since his office is now a nursery, the alpha does his work at the dining table. He pays for a bigger one and a few more sturdy chairs and his back thanks him for it. As part of their daily routine, Taeyong still makes them lunch and then a treat and he uses the time to cuddle with a very cute hybrid.

Jaehyun insists he’s not cute and that’s a childish term of endearment. But it makes him smile and turns the apples of his cheeks pink so Taeyong keeps saying it. The alpha thinks if Jaehyun were human, the tips of his ears would blush as well.

Their first real argument is when Jaehyun wants to visit Johnny’s to see Chloe. Taeyong has no problem with this and he knows the cat has a spare key to Johnny’s apartment. He’s not expecting Jaehyun to shuffle over to the balcony and to start climbing onto the railing. The alpha rushes over, pulling the hybrid back with him as images of Jaehyun plummeting to the ground flash through his mind.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! You can’t do that anymore!” Taeyong exclaims as his heart threatens to pound out of his chest.

Jaehyun twists around in his grip, frowning at the alpha as he pulls away. “What’s your problem? I said I have a key to Johnny-hyung’s and he always leaves the balcony unlocked for me.”

“Jaehyun, you are not climbing your way to another floor, do you understand me?” Taeyong doesn’t know if alpha commands work on hybrids but he can’t help the way his tone sharpens, especially when the hybrid rolls his eyes.

“I’m not going to fall, you’ve seen me do this hundreds of times!” Jaehyun insists and he hisses when the alpha grabs him and yanks him back inside. “Let me go!”

“It takes one time Jaehyun! Just one time!” Taeyong argues, slamming the balcony doors shut behind him and locking them.

“You’re not my owner,” the cat hisses, his puffed up tail flicking back and forth in frustration. “I can do whatever I want.”

“Well it’s not going to include scaling the outside of our fucking apartment. I mean it!”

Jaehyun glares at him and then turns on his heel with a snarl, stalking out of the apartment and out the front door without another word. Taeyong watches him stomp down the hall to the elevator and leave. When the elevator dings, only then does Taeyong step back inside, leaning against the wall and sliding down onto the ground.

He sits there with his head in his hands wondering if he should have gone after Jaehyun or tried to reason with the hybrid. Taeyong shouldn’t have raised his voice, that was no way to have a conversation and he’s sure Johnny’s never yelled at Jaehyun before. But all the alpha could think about was one misstep and Jaehyun’s hands or feet slipping. The alpha has to shake his head to get the thoughts out of his mind because he doesn’t want to ever think about that kind of tragedy, not with Jaehyun and not with their children. He just wishes he had the right words to tell the hybrid why he freaked out.

Taeyong hears the elevator ding and footsteps coming towards him. By the time he realizes his front door is still open, a pair of unfamiliar shoes are nudging his legs. Looking up, the alpha sees Yuta peering down at him. The other alpha sighs and then holds a hand out to help Taeyong up.

Once they’re sitting down on the couch, Yuta confirms that Jaehyun’s at Johnny’s and currently listening to Chloe list off all the baby names she thinks he should use. So far her top choices are Princess Kitty Meow Meow and Little Fluffy Cloud Meow, but she also likes the name John Cat and that one is Yuta’s favourite.

Taeyong groans and covers his face with his hands. Jaehyun didn’t understand why knowing the gender was even an option and called it an odd human quirk so Taeyong has no idea what the twins are going to be. He has a list of names he likes, but the alpha hasn’t had a chance to go over them with the hybrid yet.

“He told Johnny about your fight and then he got annoyed when Johnny said you were right,” Yuta says, laughing a little when he recalls the outraged expression on the hybrid’s face.

“I think he wanted to say some choice words, but Chloe was there and Johnny guilted Jaehyun about it by asking what would Chloe do if he got hurt?”

“I didn’t want to get mad at him. But he’s just so stubborn about things and even if he knows I’m right, he wants to argue.” Taeyong can feel a headache coming on.

“Does he know you’re right or are you assuming?” Yuta asks, raising an eyebrow. “This isn’t a knock against you, but hybrids don’t always think like us.”

“I think he knows what I said has merit, but he just doesn’t agree,” Taeyong replies, frustrated.

“You need to go at it like you’re trying to compare a human reaction versus a hybrid one,” Yuta explains, leaning forward in his seat.

“Look, Jaehyun acts like we’re the weird ones and you can play into it. Make it less of an issue that it’s fucking stupid to spider crawl up the side of a building while pregnant and more of how you want him and the twins to be safe. You can even say some shit about how you freaked out because you forgot cats aren’t scared of heights.”

Taeyong nods along as he listens because Yuta’s not wrong. There’s things Taeyong says or does that Jaehyun seems to find amusing, like he’s just going along with it for the alpha’s sake. If that’s what it takes to come to a compromise with his death-defying and fearless kitty cat, that’s what he’ll do.

“Good. You owe me,” Yuta says before he gets up to leave. “I’m calling in the favour now. Johnny’s going to send Chloe over for a sleepover because we have plans.”

Taeyong was not anticipating having to feed another person, but he’s got a few frozen pizzas in the fridge and at this point he doesn’t feel like whipping up anything that takes effort so he just waves a hand in agreement. He’s also too out of it to even question why Yuta would be at Johnny’s place and what kind of plans could they have that would need Chloe out of the apartment. Taeyong makes a face and decides he doesn’t want to think about it.

He manages to finish the rest of his work for the day and then it’s just a waiting game for Jaehyun to come home with Chloe. While the alpha waits, he decides to order takeout from one of the places the hybrid likes and he flips through the brochures on the fridge door until he finds a place that does kid’s meals.

Just as Taeyong hangs up he hears the jingling of keys and the front door opening. Jaehyun comes inside with Chloe holding his hand and she waves shyly at Taeyong. He waves back and then moves to grab her night bag along with a notebook from Jaehyun who says it’s instructions from Johnny along with any emergency information.

Dinner is uneventful and they make small talk over their meal. Chloe warms up to Taeyong when he asks her about school and Johnny and Yuta. Yuta is her Uncle Berry and he’s her mother’s best friend after Uncle Kitty Jae. Jaehyun wiggles his eyebrows at the description, making Taeyong snort into his bowl.

Chloe digs through her cat themed backpack and proudly presents a crumpled sheet of construction paper to Taeyong. It’s filled with scribbles made with pencil crayons and some cutely drawn cat paws across the top. Chloe tells him she wrote down all the baby names she liked and Uncle Kitty Jae already looked it over, but now it was Uncle Taeyong’s turn. He takes the paper and thanks her sincerely even if Taeyong knows he’s not going to use any of her suggestions. She beams at him and it’s all Johnny on her face and the alpha wonders if the twins will take after him or Jaehyun.

Johnny packed a few board games and books for her, along with a list of movies they could watch on a streaming service. The omega even highlighted the movies she loved the most and which ones would make her fall asleep if they needed help getting her to bed.

The hybrid settles her down in the middle of the couch to watch a movie and accepts a bowl of popcorn from Taeyong. It’s a cute animated movie about a lost cat looking for his owner after being accidentally left behind. According to Johnny’s notes, she’s seen this movie probably a hundred times, but Chloe watches the whole thing enraptured like it’s the first time. She’s adorable and dutifully lets Jaehyun wipe her little hands clean after she finishes her popcorn and juice.

They have time to play a board game and Taeyong let’s Chloe win to see her giggle and Jaehyun’s smiling face when she cheers. The alpha wishes he could reach over and tug the hybrid into his lap so he could pet the cat’s ears and kiss his dimples as an apology.

While Jaehyun helps Chloe take her bath, Taeyong sets up the bedroom. Johnny packed her favourite blanket, a pillow and some stuffed animals along with an octopus shaped night light. Taeyong plugs it in and then lays out Chloe’s things on his side of the bed, figuring Jaehyun will sleep on the other side and the alpha can take the futon he has in the nursery. Jaehyun was curious about it and then confused because he could just curl up in the oversized crib with the twins while Taeyong said he wasn’t nearly as flexible as the cat so a futon would be better for his back.

Taeyong watches Jaehyun supervise Chloe brushing her teeth and how the hybrid gently brushes her hair. The cat was always self-assured in everything he did and even now, he moved with ease and with no hesitation when it came to watching Johnny’s daughter. Some of that came with experience, but the alpha thinks most of it is just Jaehyun doing what he thinks is supposed to be done.

He’s surprised when Chloe comes over to him in her pajamas, bright pink with cartoon seals all over and gives him a hug before asking if he’ll read her a bedtime story. Taeyong’s flattered she picked him for this important duty and he picks a book out of her bag. When he kneels next to the bed Jaehyun tells the alpha he has to do the voices or else Chloe will be sad.

The alpha feels embarrassed to be doing character voices, but he does his best and Chloe enjoys it, smiling in between her little yawns. Jaehyun carefully tucks her in, making sure she has her favourite stuffed animal in her arms as she drifts off. Taeyong wants to say something to the hybrid, but in the end he just chooses to stand up and kiss Jaehyun’s cheek, murmuring a goodnight to the cat.

He settles down on the futon in the nursery and checks his phone, making sure it’s charged and he has his alarm set to wake up tomorrow morning. It feels weird to be sleeping alone even if Jaehyun only moved in a few weeks ago. The alpha grabs one of the stuffed animals lying on the ground and hugs it, telling himself it’s because he’s in a strange bed and in a stressful time.

Taeyong manages to drift off, but his eyes blink open in the dark when he feels a weight against him under the blanket. The alpha sits up and manages to grope around to get his phone for light. The hybrid is half crouched on the futon and Taeyong helps him lie down, knowing it was harder for the cat to move from high to low spaces with the twins growing every day.

Jaehyun uses Taeyong as a maternity pillow, but the alpha likes feeling the weight against him. The hybrid is solid and warm and slightly out of breath from all his maneuvering, soft little puffs of air blowing against Taeyong’s cheek as Jaehyun gets comfortable. The alpha waits until Jaehyun stops moving before laying a hand on the hybrid’s hip and squeezing gently.

“Everything okay?” Taeyong asks, slipping his hand under the hybrid’s sleep shirt so he can feel the cat’s smooth skin. “Is Chloe okay?”

“She’s sleeping and she won’t wake up unless there’s an earthquake,” Jaehyun says before he starts purring softly, a low gentle rumble.

The two of them don’t say anything for a few minutes, the alpha rubbing circles against Jaehyun’s hip with his thumb. The hybrid yawns, snuggling as close as he can get in the alpha’s arms even if his belly is in the way.

“Johnny-hyung said I shouldn’t have scared you,” Jaehyun whispers and even in the dim light, Taeyong can see how big the hybrid’s dark pupils are. “He said you were just panicking.”

“I forgot cat hybrids aren’t scared of heights,” Taeyong says and he smiles when he cups Jaehyun’s cheek and the hybrid nuzzles his palm. “My worst nightmare is something happening to you and the twins, it terrifies me. I can’t help it.”

“Okay, I won’t do that anymore. I’ll be careful,” Jaehyun replies earnestly. “I don’t want to scare you or make you sad.”

“Thank you. I know you think I’m being silly but this makes me feel a lot better,” Taeyong murmurs. “Not all of us are fearless little cats.”

“Not little and not a cat,” Jaehyun whines with a pout. “All humans are so silly, but I like when Taeyongie-hyung is silly.”

“Well this silly hyung needs to sleep and so do you,” Taeyong laughs softly and he pulls the blanket over them. “Close your eyes.”

It’s much easier to fall back asleep with Jaehyun beside him and the next time Taeyong wakes up it’s to his alarm going off. The hybrid stretches slowly and lets Taeyong help him stand. The alpha follows him back to the master bedroom where Jaehyun carefully crawls back into bed with Chloe, who is still fast asleep and instinctively rolls over towards the cat. Taeyong watches them for a moment, smiling and wondering what Jaehyun will look like when their own children arrive.

Johnny texts to confirm he’ll drop by to pick his daughter up later in the day so Taeyong finishes getting ready so he can go make breakfast. By the time he’s done, Jaehyun comes out holding Chloe who is sleepily rubbing her eyes. She perks up when she sees there’s pancakes on the table, clapping her hands when Jaehyun sets her down on a chair. She’s wearing a dress with peaches on it and a matching headband and clips in her hair. The little girl looks adorable and the hybrid is proud of his work as Taeyong tells her she looks very cute today.

The pancakes are in the shape of a cat face and Chloe has a lot of fun decorating her pancake with some fresh fruit and whipped cream. Jaehyun snaps a picture on his phone and has Taeyong help him send it to Johnny who immediately sends a heart emoji back.

Jaehyun and Chloe go to watch some morning cartoons while Taeyong cleans and gets set up for work at the dining table. He gets lost in catching up on emails with a deadline coming up and only when the doorbell rings does the alpha realize he’s been sitting for a while. When he opens the door, it’s Johnny and Yuta and Chloe comes running over to hug her mother.

“Did you miss me?” Johnny teases, picking her up and kissing her cheek. “I see you have Uncle Kitty Jae’s favourite dress on, did he pick it out for you?”

Chloe nods and starts babbling about what they did last night including Jaehyun running her a bubble bath and Taeyong reading her a story and doing the voices and then eating cat pancakes for breakfast. Johnny nods along and laughs at her excitement and he’s glad she had a good sleepover. Although Yuta assured him both Jaehyun and Taeyong were perfectly fine taking care of her, Johnny still felt like he was imposing since Jaehyun was going to be due soon.

Yuta admires her hair and Chloe leans over to whisper in his ear except it’s just her talking in her normal voice as she tells Yuta she thinks Uncle Taeyong is silly, but that Uncle Kitty Jae likes him so Chloe likes him too. Plus his pancakes were really yummy and just like the ones mama makes. Yuta tells Taeyong he’s earned Chloe’s stamp of approval, which is the highest honour anyone can receive.

The little girl waves when Johnny takes her home and Yuta punches Taeyong’s shoulder lightly, grinning when Taeyong nods from where he’s standing and Jaehyun is clinging to him. When the door shuts, Taeyong decides it’s time for a cuddle break and he lifts the giggling hybrid up and marches right back to the bedroom for a well deserved nap.

—

Taeyong paces impatiently in the elevator and wonders if he should have taken the stairs. At least he could have gone up multiple steps at a time. It seems like the elevator is taking forever as he watches the numbers above the door climb one by one. Finally it reaches Johnny’s floor and he takes off like a rocket, sprinting down the hallway until he gets to the omega’s door. When he tries the knob it’s unlocked and he bursts inside, ready to raise hell if Jaehyun isn’t okay.

Luckily, the hybrid is sitting on Johnny’s couch with Chloe tucked against him, the little girl dozing with a stuffed cat in her arms. They look peaceful at first glance, but when Taeyong takes a closer look he can see tear tracks on Chloe’s cheeks and Jaehyun’s own expression is unhappy, a frown pulling at the cat’s lips.

“Jae-ah, are you okay?” Taeyong asks, coming over to card his fingers through the hybrid’s hair.

Jaehyun pushes his head up into Taeyong’s touch and nods. “We’re fine. Johnny-hyung’s really upset and I think Yuta-hyung’s still trying to calm him down.”

Taeyong can only imagine how stressed Johnny is and how it must be taking everything Yuta’s got to keep the omega from panicking anymore than he probably is.

It’s just another day of work, except this time all three of them are in the office together for once. Johnny and Yuta are working on a new project together, one that Johnny’s been given the responsibility of spearheading. Taeyong’s just wrapping things up before he goes on leave because Jaehyun’s due any day now.

Johnny and Yuta are in a meeting and Johnny’s phone on his desk starts buzzing. It goes on for a while and then stops, but then Yuta’s starts up too. Taeyong frowns and wonders if it’s work related until his own phone starts ringing and the caller ID says it’s Jaehyun. The hybrid rarely called him unless he wanted something and lately it was a specific flavour of ice cream or potato chips or sometimes just to hear the alpha’s voice, which the alpha liked the most. Taeyong knows the hybrid is watching Chloe after school so he picks up, expecting to hear the little girl giggling in the background while Jaehyun lists off five different fast food items the alpha has to buy him.

The alpha can definitely hear Chloe, but she’s not giggling she’s sniffling and asking for her mother and Yuta and even Taeyong. Jaehyun’s breathing heavily and Taeyong can tell the hybrid’s trying to calm himself.

“Jaehyun? Jaehyun, what’s wrong? Is it the twins?” Taeyong starts packing up his desk, calculating for the hundredth time how far it is from the apartment building to the nearest hospital. “I’m coming home, I’ll be right there.”

“Hyungie,” Jaehyun says and then he hisses, loud and angry and for a moment Taeyong wonders if he ate the last of something he should have, but he realizes it’s not directed at him. “I said go away or else. I’m warning you!”

Taeyong runs up to the conference room, keeping the phone pressed against his ear. He pokes his head in and looks right at Johnny, mouthing “Chloe” and then running back to his desk. Something is very wrong and he needs to get to Jaehyun and to Chloe as soon as possible.

“Jaehyun, what's going on? Are you and Chloe safe?” Taeyong asks, sweeping the rest of his papers into his bag as Johnny and Yuta hurry out of the boardroom to leave.

“Mama?”

It’s Chloe’s voice on the line and Taeyong swallows down a nervous lump in his throat because why does she have Jaehyun’s phone? He taps the speakerphone button and holds his breath, frozen to the spot as he wonders what the hell is going on.

Jaehyun’s hissing turns into a low growl and Chloe starts to cry. Johnny stumbles from where he’s walking over and Yuta has to catch him. The alpha ends up having to hold Johnny when the omega’s legs give out because the voice on the line is familiar and terrifying.

“Shut the brat up and tell me where he is!”

Johnny’s hands come up to cover his mouth and he starts to shake his head because this is his worst nightmare come true. Taeyong wants to scream into the phone and tell Jaehyun to run away. Chloe’s sobbing out loud for Johnny and crying that she doesn’t want to go and Jaehyun’s trying to comfort her.

“Fuck, is that him?” Yuta asks, giving Johnny a squeeze and then he pats his pockets and curses because his car’s in the shop so he and Johnny took the train in, deciding they could enjoy the walk over to the office.

“Here!” Taeyong tosses his car keys at Yuta who catches them with a look of surprise on his face. “Go!”

“Wait, Jaehyun’s there. Are you sure?”

“That’s him, Chloe’s father, isn’t it? The one Jaehyun saved you from?” Taeyong asks and Johnny nods, his eyes wet with tears. “Then go, make sure they’re okay. I’ll catch up. Now!”

Taeyong watches them run out of the office and then he’s whispering on the phone, trying to tell Jaehyun to be safe and for Chloe to run away if she has to. In between her sobs Chloe tells him she’ll try, but the bad man is scary and Uncle Kitty Jae is really mad and she doesn’t want to leave him.

The growling turns into snarls and then yowls and Chloe starts screaming as Taeyong sprints outside to hail a cab. His heart is pounding and he can’t breathe when the call suddenly drops and Jaehyun doesn’t pick up when Taeyong calls back over and over.

He wants to scream every time the cab stops at a red light and Taeyong knows he must look like a wreck because the driver keeps glancing nervously into the back seat. The apartment building comes into view and the alpha wonders if he’d get in trouble for just jumping out of a moving vehicle when his phone rings and it’s Jaehyun.

Taeyong barely glances at the cab driver when he flings a handful of bills into the front seat, shouting out an apology as he clamours out of the car.

“Jaehyun? Where are you? Are you hurt? I’m almost there!”

“I’m still at Johnny-hyung’s. I’m okay alpha, I promise.”

“I’m getting in the elevator, I’ll be right there. Don’t move!”

Taeyong wants to gather Jaehyun into his arms, to hold him and make sure the hybrid is actually fine. But he doesn’t want to wake Chloe or jostle them, knowing what an ordeal she’s just had to go through. Instead Jaehyun reaches up and Taeyong grasps his hand, squeezing tightly to let the hybrid know he’s here.

“Uh, hyung?”

Taeyong turns and his jaw drops when he sees someone come shuffling over from the kitchen. A sheepish looking Mark Lee walks towards him with a little wave, glancing down at Chloe who is still asleep.

“Mark? Mark, what the hell are you doing here?”

“He came looking for you hyungie,” Jaehyun chirps, sounding amused and seeing a smile on the hybrid’s face brings a sense of relief to Taeyong. “He said it was very mean that hyungie kept me a secret.”

Jaehyun is smirking and Taeyong wants to pinch one of his cheeks in retaliation, but he settles for poking a dimple. The hybrid pretends to snap his teeth at the alpha’s fingers, startling a laugh out of Taeyong. Somehow, knowing Jaehyun’s in better spirits and seeing Mark has made some of the tension bleed out of him.

He sits down at the dining table with Mark who hands him a glass of water. Taeyong takes a long drink and he knows once all the adrenaline has died down, he’s going to crash hard in the evening.

“I had a free day so I decided to come by and see what’s got noona all worked up,” Mark explains, tilting his head towards the couch where Jaehyun is currently purring quietly with Chloe who snuggles closer to him. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!”

Taeyong winces and rubs the back of his head in embarrassment. It was hard enough to tell his immediate family because there wasn’t really a good way to explain how he and Jaehyun met. The alpha remembers his sister’s eyebrows going higher and higher on her face during the whole story minus a few specific details that Taeyong thought would soften the shock.

To Taeyong’s relief, they weren’t mad but they did want to meet Jaehyun who asked Johnny to come along as moral support. Taeyong booked a private room at a nice restaurant figuring if it all went south then at least they’d be contained and someone would get a good meal. Jaehyun was perfect throughout the whole meal and Taeyong thinks seeing the hybrid interact with Chloe definitely helped his family warm up to the idea of their son suddenly having children with someone he met only a few months ago. Jaehyun even let Taeyong’s nephew feel his ears and tail.

When asked what he was planning on doing after the twins were born, Jaehyun said he wanted to become a homemaker to raise their children so Taeyong would have a clean apartment to come back to and a hot meal after a long day at work. It would be the least the hybrid could do for such a wonderful alpha. Jaehyun complimented Taeyong’s manners, implying the alpha was raised properly by his mother and sister while saying that he must have inherited his good looks from his father. All in all, the hybrid charmed the entire family and even Taeyong was impressed by his prickly kitten being so prim and proper. Taeyong’s family also seemed to really like Johnny and Chloe, telling the omega he raised a very sweet little girl.

The story about Granny brings a few tears to people’s eyes and Taeyong can tell his parents are looking at Jaehyun in a more approving light. He does tease the hybrid on the drive home because so far Jaehyun hasn’t touched the stove, but the hybrid gives him a snooty look and tells the alpha he is more than capable of whipping up a feast. He just prefers to let Taeyong do the work since the alpha liked all his pots and pans in specific places.

Taeyong didn’t get a chance to tell any extended family members yet and if he’s being honest with himself, it’s completely slipped his mind with all the baby planning he’s been doing. He feels guilty for not telling Mark, who has always been one of his favourite cousins. While Mark might be sulking right now, Taeyong knows the other alpha isn’t actually mad. He also knows Mark has a soft spot for hybrids, having grown up with two of them in his close friend group. Now that Taeyong thinks about it, Mark should have been one of the first people he told about Jaehyun. Maybe the cat would have liked making new hybrid friends.

“Sorry Mark. There’s just been a lot going on,” Taeyong says apologetically. “But it’s really good to see you.”

“Can’t believe your little cousin saved the day.” Yuta comes out of the master bedroom and he motions to the door at Jaehyun, who picks Chloe up to bring her inside. “We owe you one, seriously.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Anyone would have done the same thing!” Mark shakes his head. “Did you manage to file a police report?”

Yuta nods and takes a seat with the other alphas. Johnny was frantic and beside himself the whole drive home, just thinking of the worst case scenario. He’d never live with himself if Chloe or Jaehyun and the twins got hurt and Yuta knows the omega will only blame himself for it and not his horrible ex.

They race up the stairs, panting as they shove open the heavy metal door leading into the hallway only to see Johnny’s former alpha dashing to the elevator in the opposite direction and clutching his face. There’s a strange alpha in Johnny’s doorway shaking his fist with a wince on his face. He looks young, like a college kid and the backpack at his feet isn’t helping with the assumption.

Johnny jolts from where he’s frozen to the spot when he sees Chloe clinging to the stranger’s leg. He runs over, dropping down to his knees and opening his arms when she reaches for him. He can’t calm the shaking in his hands when he holds her tight, kissing her hair and telling her it’s okay, that he’s here and she’s safe. Yuta kneels down next to them, rubbing Johnny’s back and looking Chloe over with his own eyes. She’s upset and her face is wet with tears and snot, but she looks unharmed. He stands up to face the stranger and then Jaehyun appears behind the other alpha, also looking upset but not hurt.

“He knows Taeyongie-hyung,” the hybrid explains, although he sounds unsure and he glances at the stranger who nods.

“I’m Mark and yeah, Taeyong-hyung’s my cousin. Uh, nice to meet you?” Mark says, looking just as confused as everyone else.

Taeyong holds up a hand to interrupt the story. “Wait, how did you end up on Johnny’s floor if you were looking for my place?”

“I kind of forgot what floor you were on and got them mixed up,” Mark confesses. “Wasn’t sure if it was five or ten so I just went up to the tenth floor and figured I’d work my way down if I was wrong.”

“Well, it’s good you messed that up. You really saved the day,” Yuta says and Taeyong can’t remember the last time he saw the other alpha looking so serious. “Whatever you want, we can make it happen.”

Mark blinks and looks back and forth between Yuta and Taeyong before he throws his hands up in front of him.

“Oh no, I couldn’t. A reward or something for just being a decent person? No way.”

Taeyong shakes his head at Yuta to stop him from arguing. Mark’s a bleeding heart, but he also can’t be persuaded once he’s set his mind to something.

“What exactly happened?” Taeyong asks. Then, “You came to the wrong floor and found Jaehyun and Chloe?”

Mark got off the elevator and realized right away that he was on the wrong floor given his memories of the last time he visited and the apartment numbers. He was about to turn around and try another floor when he heard muffled shouts and a child crying. The alpha follows the sounds until he gets to an apartment where the door is open. Mark doesn’t want to get barge into some stranger’s home, but he also can’t walk away if there’s a hurt kid involved.

He peeks inside to see a crying little girl hiding behind a cat hybrid and Mark’s eyes widen when he realizes the hybrid is pregnant. The cat is hissing up a storm, his fangs flashing as he swipes at a human trying to reach around him for the girl.

There’s a thousand different explanations for what Mark’s seeing in front of him, but he can tell the hybrid is doing his best to keep the man away from the little girl. Maybe the human is his owner and he’s her father, but Mark thinks about Jeno and Jisung and what he’d do if they were reacting this negatively to an alpha.

He barges in anyway and he makes a scene, demanding to know who the man is. The other alpha snaps at Mark to go away because this doesn’t involve him. But Mark doesn’t back down, not when the little girl starts crying even harder and asking for her mother. The hybrid keeps a hand on her to keep her steady, but he’s also trying to make the man go away and his attention is split into two places.

Mark’s already moving when he sees the alpha lift his fist to strike the hybrid, aiming for the cat’s vulnerable belly. Mark shoves him as hard as he can and the man stumbles, tripping over his own feet and onto the floor. The little girl screams in fear and the hybrid curls around her, pulling her away as quickly as possible.

“Hey, are you okay?” Mark asks in a rush and the little girl clings to the hybrid, telling Uncle Kitty Jae she wants mama and Uncle Berry.

Maybe it’s the adrenaline kick starting his brain, but Mark somehow puts two and two together in seconds because didn’t noona mention Taeyong’s hybrid partner was Jae-something and this hybrid just happened to be pregnant too.

The cat eyes him warily and snaps his fangs with a low growl, but Mark puts his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

“Wait, I’m just looking for someone I swear. Taeyong? Lee Taeyong?”

There’s a look of confusion and then recognition on the hybrid’s face, but before he can answer the other alpha gets up on his feet and lunges at them. Mark easily side steps the man and this time he doesn’t hold back and his fist connects with the angry alpha’s face. There’s a loud crack and the impact sends a jolt up Mark’s arm, but he puts as much force as he can behind the punch. It might be only a few seconds that pass or maybe even hours, but the other alpha eventually stands up and looks at them, blood dripping down his face and then he turns to race out of the door. Mark follows, just in case he decides to come back and watches as the alpha runs straight into the elevator.

“So like, I just stayed around because I figured you’d show up sooner or later,” Mark says to Taeyong, finishing his retelling of the events.

It’s a lot to take in and truth be told Taeyong just wants the day to be over. But he is glad to see Mark and to know the younger man stepped in. The alpha is sure Jaehyun would have defended himself and Chloe and eventually chased Johnny’s ex away, but he doesn’t know if the hybrid would have escaped unscathed.

The hybrid in question comes out of Johnny’s bedroom and shuffles over to where Taeyong gets up to meet him. The alpha settles his hands on Jaehyun’s hips, just holding him while the hybrid lays his cheek on Taeyong’s shoulder. Jaehyun sighs and closes his eyes, mumbling that he wants to go.

“Mark, I’ll be home from now on instead of in the office so just shoot me a text if you want to drop by,” Taeyong tells his cousin, already leading Jaehyun to the door so they can put their shoes on. “Sorry, let’s catch up later, yeah?”

“For sure, no worries!” Mark answers, waving as the pair leave. “Nice to meet you Jaehyun-sshi!”

Back at their place, Taeyong makes the both of them squeeze into the shower and takes his time making sure Jaehyun’s hair and fur is washed and fluffed. The whole time, the hybrid sulks and clings to him, only reacting when the alpha peppers his face with kisses. Taeyong wraps him in a fluffy robe, laughing as Jaehyun struggles to close the robe over his stomach.

After crawling into bed, the hybrid yawns and settles down on his side because sleeping on his back was too uncomfortable now. The alpha lies down behind him, tangling their legs together and humming under his breath when he feels Jaehyun’s tail wind around one of his thighs.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Taeyong asks, kissing the warm skin at the back of Jaehyun’s neck. “God, when I heard you and Chloe on the phone…”

“I'm okay, I’m sorry. I scared you again,” Jaehyun murmurs as his ears relax. “Chloe was more scared. I was mad.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I just wish I could have gotten there faster,” the alpha insists and he slides a hand across the hybrid’s belly to hold him. “I don’t know what I would have done if you got hurt.”

Taeyong pulls Jaehyun as close against him as he can and the hybrid lets himself get manhandled. To the alpha’s delight, Jaehyun starts to purr softly in his embrace. Before the hybrid came into his life, Taeyong rarely ever heard a cat’s purr but he’s grown accustomed to hearing the same rumbling sound every day and night. It’s comforting to hear and it lulls them both to sleep.

—

The police ask Jaehyun to give a statement and Taeyong drives him to the nearest station, meeting Mark, Johnny and Yuta there. Mark keeps Chloe entertained while Johnny talks to the officers, making funny faces and voices with a few stuffed animals. She giggles and claps her hands, asking him to tell her more stories.

Taeyong’s allowed into the room when Jaehyun goes to tell his version of the events that occurred. He was watching Chloe in Johnny’s apartment as he did many times before and everything seemed perfectly fine. They had an afternoon snack and were going to watch some cartoons while waiting for Johnny and Yuta to come home. If the timing was right, Taeyong would arrive shortly after to escort the hybrid back to their place.

Normally Jaehyun’s senses were much sharper and he would have recognized the scent of the alpha knocking at the door. But pregnancy meant sometimes his senses alternated from being too sharp to being dulled and muted. Thinking it might be a neighbour needing something, Jaehyun opened the door to see Johnny’s former alpha on the other side. The hybrid was too stunned to do anything when the man forced his way into the apartment.

Jaehyun doesn’t know how the man found Johnny and Chloe because to his knowledge, Johnny was going by his Korean name when he had Chloe and then switched to his English name when they moved into the city. The hybrid is not even sure if the alpha in question even knew his biological daughter’s name at all, but somehow he was able to track them down.

Taeyong is thanking his lucky stars he got a phone for Jaehyun because who knows how long the confrontation would have gone on if the hybrid hadn’t been able to contact anyone for help. He knows the cat is strong and capable of defending himself, but the last thing the alpha wanted was for Jaehyun to resort to drastic measures that would have endangered him, the twins and Chloe. Taeyong’s also glad the apartment building isn’t that far from the office. It meant the taxi ride home wasn’t actually as agonizingly long as it had felt that day.

The officer asks a few more questions and then thanks Jaehyun for his time and that he’ll be in touch if he needs anything else. Outside in the waiting area Mark gets up to go give his statement and Chloe gets shuffled over to sit on Taeyong’s lap next to the hybrid. She pats Jaehyun’s head and pets his ears, saying Uncle Kitty Jae can’t hold her anymore, but that’s what Uncle Taeyong is for.

Sitting down on a row of chairs, Jaehyun distracts her with some of her toys and his tail while the humans talk quietly amongst themselves. Yuta had building management pull the security footage from the lobby and hallway to send to the police. After some intense questioning and demanding answers, he learned Johnny’s ex got inside by claiming to be locked out to an unsuspecting resident who didn’t bother to double check if that was true or not. While Johnny doesn’t totally blame the random stranger, Yuta insisted something be done. Every resident was going to receive a sternly worded letter from the building owners regarding guests and who to let inside along with a list of consequences. Yuta also managed to convince the management company to change the locks on Johnny’s door as soon as possible as another safety measure.

Johnny just hopes Mark and Jaehyun’s statements along with all the previous reports he filed will mean his ex can’t ever come near him or Chloe again. He thought that chapter of his life was well and done, but now it’s all creeping back up on him. Johnny never tried to fight for anything from his ex or to find a way to get the alpha to stay away from him permanently. He was too scared and broke at the time to do anything except escape as soon as possible. Now the omega is kicking himself for it even though Yuta keeps telling him he did what he had to do to survive.

Mark finally comes out and lets them know the officer wants to speak to Johnny again and he switches spots with the omega. Chloe waves at him and he waves back, charmed by the little girl.

“I’ve been thinking about moving and maybe this is a sign,” Yuta says, watching Johnny close the door behind him. “We’re not in a rush, but it’s been at the back of my head for a while that we’ll probably need more space.”

Taeyong raises an eyebrow at that, but Yuta doesn’t take the bait or respond to the burning question the other alpha has written all over his face.

“I don’t think Johnny will be comfortable going back,” Yuta continues. “Not while knowing that asshole could show up again before they get him off the streets.”

“My friend lives in a really nice building and they should have units available,” Mark says, pulling out his phone to look for information. “One of the perks is that they have a 24 hour concierge, it’s pretty sweet.”

He holds up his phone and shows them photos of a brightly lit living room with floor to ceiling windows and a fantastic view of the city. There’s a fluffy white dog in the corner of the photo, lying on top of a mound of pillows.

“I can get the contact info. Just let me double check with Chenle.”

Taeyong mulls over the idea of moving while Mark texts his friend to get more information from Yuta. He has enough room right now for the twins, but sooner or later they’re going to grow up and need more space. It’s too close to Jaehyun’s due date to move and the alpha doesn’t want to deal with the hassle or put any of that stress onto the hybrid, but maybe a new place would be good for them too. He can’t imagine Jaehyun not wanting to be close to Johnny and Chloe either.

Eventually Johnny comes back out, looking tired but less frazzled than when they first arrived. The officer promises to keep Johnny and Yuta updated about their police report and wishes them a good day. He advises everyone to stay vigilant and to not be afraid to call or drop in if they have any more information they want to share.

Taeyong wants to ask some questions to his friends out of pure confusion when Mark gets up to leave with Yuta and Johnny, but Jaehyun pulls at his arm and asks to go out for a treat, distracting the alpha from the topic at hand.

They hold hands while Jaehyun devours an ice cream cone and normally the sight would be putting certain ideas into Taeyong’s head, but all he can see is the glint of the hybrid’s fangs crunching down on the wafer cone. The alpha wonders if Jaehyun would have killed that man if push came to shove and decides he doesn’t really want to know.

When they get home, Jaehyun curls up on the couch to channel surf while Taeyong shuffles around to do some cleaning up. Johnny texts him, reminding the alpha that Jaehyun’s baby shower is in a few days. The hybrid didn’t understand what the occasion was for or why it had to be called a baby shower when neither baby was here yet, but when Taeyong told him there’d be food and gifts, the cat was all for it. Taeyong wonders if Johnny is even in the right frame of mind to throw a party, but the distraction is probably a welcome one and he knows the omega loves the hybrid and wants to make sure Jaehyun’s pregnancy goes off without a hitch.

Johnny organized the whole thing, promising to make it small and intimate. Taeyong’s not one to give into his alpha urges and he’s always prided himself on not falling into stereotypical bad habits people expected out of alphas. But right now there’s a part of him that doesn’t want Jaehyun out of his sight and he gets irritated if they’re outside and there’s too many strangers around. It’s irrational, but the alpha can’t help it so he appreciates Johnny taking the initiative to plan something he’ll be fine with even if the shower is mostly for the hybrid.

Their apartment complex has recreational spaces to rent for a discounted rate for residents and Johnny was getting the event catered by one of Jaehyun’s favourite restaurants. Taeyong did up the registry and he’s glad he already purchased all the necessities because Jaehyun fills it up with mostly toys. The alpha thinks some of the toys might be for the hybrid himself, but wisely says nothing at all.

Taeyong almost trips on his own slippers when his phone pings with another message and it’s from Mark, asking what he should bring to the shower and if there’s anything Jaehyun wants or needs. It makes sense for Taeyong’s family to attend, but he assumed it’d just be his immediate family and not Mark. The younger alpha sends a couple photos of different baby outfits and Taeyong picks the first one he sees, still wondering how Mark even knew about the shower.

He’s about to phone his cousin when Jaehyun calls out from the living room, asking if Taeyong is going to make him a snack because the twins are draining his life force. The alpha has to kiss his fussy cat’s forehead on his way to the kitchen to fix them both something to eat.

Jaehyun likes fruit so the alpha cuts up a bunch of different ones onto a bowl and then proceeds to balance the bowl on the hybrid’s belly. The cat side eyes him but opens his mouth, silently demanding to be fed and Taeyong has no defense against the cute meow he gets in response when he pops a grape into Jaehyun’s mouth.

—

Jaehyun beams when Taeyong leads him into the event space because Johnny’s really outdone himself with all the decorations. There’s balloons, streamers and flower arrangements in whites, blues, pinks and purples. Jaehyun didn’t care to find out the genders beforehand so Johnny went with all the colours he knew the hybrid liked.

There’s pictures of Jaehyun and Taeyong including baby pictures of both. It’s cute and Taeyong likes seeing them together, but it’s also startling to see the photos of Jaehyun as a child are all professionally staged and taken. The hybrid stares straight into the camera in each photo and it’s like his expression never changes, just the age of his face and the length of his hair. Johnny must notice the look on his face and explains that hybrids grew up faster than humans until they hit the age of majority, so Jaehyun’s baby and childhood photos were taken as part of his progress reports from the hybrid facility. These were the only pre-Granny photos Johnny received from Jaehyun’s files.

Taeyong doesn’t say it out loud, but he’s so glad Jaehyun is free and vows to never put their children through any of the same experiences. At least there’s a lot of photos of Jaehyun from when he lived with Granny and they look much more natural. Granny looks kind in the pictures and there’s a twinkle in her eye that can be seen even in photographs. Jaehyun looks happier in them, smiling and laughing.

Johnny got permission from Jaehyun to use the photos from the hybrid facility, but Taeyong wonders if the cat realizes how humans are going to perceive them. He shakes his head and thanks Johnny for all his hard work. There’s no point in Taeyong trying to bring the mood down and despite his reservations about what Jaehyun went through growing up, the hybrid is happy with him and that’s all that matters.

The attendees slowly file in and come over to offer their congratulations one by one while dropping off gift wrapped boxes and decorated gift bags. Jaehyun and Taeyong thank all of them and the alpha has to jokingly scold the cat from peeking inside the bags or shaking the boxes to guess what’s inside them.

Mark shows up with a giant box that he excitedly hands to Taeyong and when he tries to shake Jaehyun’s hand, the hybrid hugs him instead and says the younger alpha can call him ‘hyung’. Taeyong thinks Mark’s eyes are starting to look wet and his lower lip is starting to wobble so the alpha quickly asks his cousin how things are going to distract him.

Mark’s happy to chat that his classes are going great and he’s on track to graduate this year. He hopes to finish up his internship and find a full time job right away. There’s suddenly a ruckus at the entrance of the event room and Mark turns around to wave at a bunch of other people who start coming over.

Taeyong recognizes Mark’s friend group, including the two puppy hybrids his cousin grew up with. The alpha supposes now that they’re all older and grown up, they’re no longer puppies but it’s hard to shake the thought at Jeno’s fluffy white Samoyed tail or Jisung’s floppy brown Pitbull Terrier ears. He’s a little worried about the fact that both hybrids are dogs because Jaehyun’s a cat. Will he like the puppies or demand they be removed from the shower? Now he’s more concerned about the impending cats versus dogs than the fact that Mark brought his whole little crew to Jaehyun’s baby shower.

The hybrid in question beckons both of them over and to Taeyong’s relief they get the stamp of approval. The cat pats both of their ears and then gently bumps his head against theirs like when he bunts his head against Taeyong’s cheek for attention. Jaehyun coos over them, calling them tiny adorable puppies and accepts their gift bags with a smile. Mark makes a strangled sound as he records the whole encounter on his phone and Donghyuck just sighs and rolls his eyes as if he’s not going to demand that Mark send the video in their group chat.

Taeyong and Jaheyun get asked to say a little speech to their guests and both of them thank everyone for coming and for their gifts. They’re all excited for the twins to arrive and Jaehyun is confident they’ll take after him. When asked what that means, the hybrid says they’ll be cute and pretty and Taeyongie-hyung will do whatever they want, which makes everyone laugh and Taeyong can’t even defend himself because it’s true. If Jaehyun has the alpha wrapped around his tail, their twins most definitely will as well.

Chloe made a card just for her Uncle Kitty Jae and he promises to treasure it forever. She also made Johnny and Yuta take her shopping so she could pick out more outfits for her future kitty cousins and they helped her cut the tail holes out even though there’s actual hybrid stores for the same purpose.

Johnny mentions Chloe’s school to Taeyong and offers to send him more information if he wants. Chloe loves it and the school has both human and hybrid students. Some of the teachers themselves are hybrids so they’d know how to handle the different growth spurts hybrid children go through.

After everyone’s eaten their fill, had desserts and played a few games the party wraps up and the guests start heading home. Mark’s friends pitched in for a set of seal related things including plushies in different sizes. Jaehyun’s already enamored with them, holding the biggest one in his arms as he waves to people leaving.

Johnny, Yuta and Chloe are the last to leave or so Taeyong thinks because Mark pops up holding Chloe at his hip. She’s yawning and resting her cheek on his shoulder, ready to turn in for a nap.

Johnny hugs Jaehyun as tightly as he can with the hybrid’s stomach in the way and Jaehyun meows softly at his hyung. The hybrid rubs his cheek against Johnny’s and then Chloe’s, smiling as she giggles sleepily. Taeyong wants to slap Yuta’s hand away when the other alpha scratches behind one of Jaehyun’s ears and the hybrid lets him. The smirk on Yuta’s face tells Taeyong that the other alpha knows exactly what he’s thinking.

Johnny tells them there’s a cleaning crew coming by to take everything down so they can head home first. Jaehyun starts to protest and then he cuts himself off with a wide yawn before turning to tuck himself against Taeyong.

Back at home, the hybrid relaxes in bed and Taeyong does not regret a second TV in the bedroom because Jaehyun is cute and comfortable in a mound of pillows as the hybrid tunes into his latest show. The alpha thinks it’s adorable that Jaehyun’s current obsession is marine animals and he has a whole list of documentaries he wants to watch in a very specific order. Today’s show is about penguin colonies in the Arctic and the alpha leaves the hybrid to indulge as he goes to sort through all the gifts. There’s a few duplicates of items they already have, but Taeyong just makes a note of what they have extras of because Johnny advised him that babies were much messier than anticipated.

Going through the tiny sets of baby onesies and shoes makes him pause and it really hits the alpha that he’s going to be a father soon. It was shocking enough to learn Jaehyun was pregnant and then learning the hybrid was having twins was a double whammy. But the both of them quickly settled into a quiet domestic life together. Jaehyun never expressed an urge about finding a job to get out of the apartment so Taeyong thinks the hybrid would be content staying home to raise their children. Taeyong’s not the kind of alpha that would force the hybrid to do anything, but the idea of going home to his hybrid and their kids every day is an appealing one that pleases the alpha in him.

He’s so nervous at the thought of having to raise two babies but at the same time also so excited he could just burst. Taeyong wants to meet them so badly, he wants to watch their little faces cry and smile and he wants to know if they’ll have Jaehyun’s ears and tail. The alpha wants to hold them in his arms, to feel the weight of his children nestled against him with Jaehyun by his side. Will they share his love of music and shoes? Will they learn to climb up the walls like their hybrid mother? The alpha hopes the twins will have Jaehyun’s soft cheeks and dimples because his favourite thing in the world is seeing the hybrid smile at him.

Taeyong finishes sorting through the gifts, putting the clothes aside in a hamper to wash and the toys away so they won’t be lying everywhere. Diapers get added to the storage closet and all the odds and ends get sorted because the alpha likes everything put away where it belongs.

When he goes back to the bedroom, Jaehyun’s documentary is just wrapping up and the hybrid pats the spot next to him, beckoning the alpha to join him. Taeyong sits down so he’s propped up by the headboard and opens his arms for Jaehyun to snuggle up against him. The hybrid purrs softly as Taeyong gently pets his ears and kisses the top of his head. Jaehyun’s scent is heavier the closer he gets to his due date and Taeyong loves smelling sweet peaches and cream when he wakes up each morning.

“Any day now Jaehyunnie,” the alpha says, resting a hand on the hybrid’s back. “Are you nervous?”

“Maybe a little bit,” Jaehyun admits, which said a lot since the hybrid was always so confident. “But I have you and Johnny-hyung, right?”

“I’ll be here the whole way,” Taeyong replies. “You’ll never get rid of me, you understand? You came and stole my lunch and now you have to repay me by being my kitty cat for the rest of your life.”

Jaehyun huffs a laugh and pretends to bite Taeyong as retaliation for being called a mere cat. But the hybrid is happy, smiling widely at his alpha and nodding along as Taeyong continues to list his supposed transgressions. It’s a lot of how Jaehyun is too pretty, his fur is too soft and he smells too good to be true. But he’s happy, his tail swishing lazily across the sheets and his ears relaxed on his head as Taeyong pets him.

—

A few days later, Jaehyun pauses from where he’s poking at a freshly made waffle on his favourite shark print plate. He slides off his chair, back ramrod straight and his ears flatten back against his head.

“Hyungie?” Jaehyun’s voice starts to quiver unexpectedly.

“Hmm?” Taeyong replies, absentmindedly fiddling with the waffle maker to make himself something to eat. “Did I forget to put the syrup out?”

“We have to go,” the hybrid says, cupping his stomach and wincing as a sharp pain cuts through him. “Alpha, we have to go now.”

“Go wher- Oh my god! Okay!”

Taeyong whirls around twice, doing a full circle because he needs to unplug the waffle maker so he doesn’t accidentally burn his apartment down. Jaehyun’s already waddling towards the door, huffing and puffing with each step as the alpha races to their bedroom to grab the overnight bag. Hurrying to the elevator, Taeyong sends Johnny a text to let him know what was going on and to meet them as soon as possible.

Johnny’s already in the underground parking lot, waiting impatiently next to Taeyong’s car. The alpha opens the door for Jaehyun but the cat doesn’t get in. Instead, he starts growling low and irritated under his breath. From next to Johnny, Yuta puts his hands up and backs away.

“Jaehyun, what’s gotten into you?” Taeyong asks, trying to nudge the hybrid into the car. But Jaehyun won’t be budged, not until Yuta retreats further away.

Johnny climbs into the back with the duffel bag, telling Taeyong to hurry. Along the way he explains that Jaehyun’s hybrid instincts were making him on edge around other alphas and Yuta would meet them later with Chloe.

Taeyong does his best not to run red lights or break the speed limit to get to the hospital and he’s hopping out to open the door for Jaehyun right away. Johnny comes around to offer an arm to the hybrid, who leans heavily against the omega for support. Taeyong’s not sure if they need a wheelchair or crutches, he’s forgetting everything the doctors told him in advance and on the verge of panicking until Jaehyun sticks a hand out, wanting Taeyong to hold it.

Inside at triage, he explains to the nurse what’s happening and to his relief they get into a room right away. The doctor is an older beta woman who starts directing her team of nurses around the room. Jaehyun gets changed into a medical gown and then lies back on the hospital bed, looking around uncomfortably at all the bright lights.

The doctor starts talking to Taeyong, telling the alpha that hybrid pregnancies progressed faster than human ones and that labour would be shorter as well. She reassures him that she’s worked with many hybrid patients and is well aware of how their animal instincts were more prominent during vulnerable times and she wouldn’t take any offense to hissing or snarling, so long as Taeyong did his best to make sure Jaehyun wouldn’t try to scratch or bite anyone. Taeyong thinks Jaehyun would never do something like that, but the hybrid is eyeing the closest nurse to him with a wariness the alpha isn’t used to. Johnny tries to distract Jaehyun by making small talk and brushing the hair off his forehead.

True to the doctor’s words, the twins arrive very quickly after they get to the hospital. Johnny wipes the sweat from Jaehyun’s brow and Taeyong holds the hybrid’s hand. He encourages Jaehyun the whole way, but it’s both intense and exhilarating to witness. He’s never seen Jaehyun scared of anything, but here the hybrid is terrified as he looks back and forth between the alpha and Johnny and the doctor. All Taeyong can do is tell him it’s going to be okay and their babies are waiting for them.

He hates hearing the pained meows Jaehyun makes and how discomfort is etched into the hybrid’s expression. Taeyong wants to take all of that pain onto himself, anything to make Jaehyun feel better. The hybrid clutches at him, rearranging the bones in Taeyong’s hand but it’s a small price to pay compared to what Jaehyun is going through.

Sunhee is born first, a squawling baby girl with angry little firsts. Kiwoong, her younger brother, comes next and his face is just as scrunched up as his noona’s. The sight of them both nestled against an exhausted Jaehyun’s chest is the most beautiful thing Taeyong’s ever seen. He’s sure he’s crying, but the alpha can’t even begin to describe the amount of emotion that’s coursing through him. He’s not even sure how he was able to keep his hands steady to cut their umbilical cords, but somehow he managed. Jaehyun looks so tired, but the hybrid is glowing even under the hospital lights. His expression is so soft and tender, looking down at the fussy babies in his arms and Taeyong loves them more than anything in the world.

The doctor’s warning comes to mind when a nurse appears to take the twins to clean them off and get them dressed. Jaehyun’s dopey smile drops and the hybrid bares his fangs, a warning hiss on the tip of his tongue. Johnny is the one who steps in and while the nurse doesn’t look worried, she waits for Johnny to gently pry one of the babies from Jaehyun. The hybrid makes an unhappy yowl, but he doesn’t fight the omega and only twists from where he’s sitting up to watch what the nurse is doing. She’s quick and efficient, handing a freshly swaddled twin to Johnny to give back to Jaehyun and then repeating the process with the second baby.

Once Jaehyun’s wheeled into a private room, Taeyong feels his own exhaustion settling in after the adrenaline of watching his children be born starts to fade. He grabs a chair to sit down next to the bed, smiling tiredly at Jaehyun who is holding Sunhee so she can nurse. He holds Kiwoong close, baby talking the baby while he waits his turn to eat.

Jaehyun refuses to let go of the twins so the bassinet goes unused as he tucks them against him when he lies down. A nurse comes to check in on them but is unconcerned, mentioning how hybrid mothers preferred to keep their children as close to them as possible. Jaehyun opens one eye to glare at her until she finishes what she needs to do and leaves. Taeyong’s getting the impression that they’ll be discharged sooner than later and he’s sure that’s what Jaehyun wants as well.

Johnny comes back into the room holding Chloe and he’s careful when he approaches the bed just in case Jaehyun doesn’t want any visitors. They hybrid doesn’t move, but he opens his arms slightly so the twins are more visible as Johnny sets Chloe down. She peeks over the railing on the bed and gasps at the sight of the babies. They’re wearing tiny little hats with the shape of their kitten ears poking up.

“You were this small before too,” Johnny says, amused when Chloe shakes her head in disbelief. “Actually, you were even smaller because you decided to come early.”

“But I’m not a baby anymore, right?” Chloe looks up at Johnny and then at Jaehyun who clicks his tongue at her and the tuft of hair sticking up from the back of her head.

“You’re always going to be Johnny-hyung’s baby,” Jaehyun replies with a smile.

Jaehyun even lets her touch the twins and she follows Johnny’s instructions to hold her hand out and gently touch their round cheeks. Sunhee meows at the disturbance from where she was napping, but Kiwoong doesn’t respond at all. Chloe giggles at the sight and Johnny picks her up so she can lean in and smack a kiss on Jaehyun’s cheek.

Yuta wisely stays outside the room, but when Taeyong comes out the other alpha pats him on the back in congratulations. Johnny and Chloe are sitting with Jaehyun and the omega and hybrid chat quietly about what’s going to happen next while Chloe tells the sleeping twins how she’s their big cousin and all the games they’re going to play together.

“Sorry that he snapped at you,” Taeyong says, apologizing on Jaehyun’s behalf because he knows the hybrid was just on edge.

“Don’t worry about it,” Yuta replies with a wave. “Johnny already told me hybrids get territorial about their kids so I was kind of expecting something to happen. But hey, you’re a dad now. How’s that feel?”

“Honestly… I have no fucking idea,” Taeyong laughs and shakes his head at the same time. “I knew it was coming, but I wasn’t expecting it at the same time. But I’m happy. Really happy.”

“Well, it’s only just begun so get used to it!” Yuta declares, a big grin on his face.

Taeyong doesn’t think to ask what Yuta means by this until after his friends have left to go home. Chloe doesn’t want to and Johnny reminds her that Jaehyun and the twins need to rest before they can leave. The hybrid takes a few minutes to groom Chloe and then sends her off, promising to let her visit as soon as he is able to leave.

It might kill his back, but Taeyong insists on staying overnight with Jaehyun and the twins in a flimsy hospital cot. He’s certainly not going to squish himself onto the bed and potentially smother one of his newborn children. But the hybrid gives him a baleful look and Taeyong manages to get on with enough room for Jaehyun to half lie against him, their babies still lying on him. It’s a tight squeeze, but with everything that went on the both of them are asleep in minutes.

—

Taeyong finds himself spending a lot of time just watching Jaehyun and their twins. There’s a tiny little nest in the middle of their bed, made up of the softest baby blankets and a few pieces of clothing from the alpha and the hybrid. Jaehyun lies next to the nest and purrs constantly next to the twins and they bob their little heads in his direction, the sound and vibrations a source of comfort. Sometimes he curls his tail over them, their little fists grabbing handfuls of fur and meowing in delight. Taeyong’s heart is so full, he’s so happy to just be here with his new family and he wonders if this is how Johnny felt when he first brought Chloe home.

Johnny brings her over a few days after Jaehyun is discharged and she’s nearly vibrating with excitement. Chloe even giggles when she realizes each twin is wearing one of her old onesies, especially when their stubby Christmas tree tails poke out of the holes she cut for them. The twins are still so small and they just lie on their backs or stomachs, wiggling around and taking in their surroundings. Chloe likes to put her hands out towards them and let them hold onto her fingers.

The hybrid is fine with Chloe and Johnny coming close and touching his children, but he still doesn’t want anyone else near them, especially alphas that aren’t Taeyong. Yuta makes the mistake of poking his head into the bedroom to check up on them and gets an angry yowl and a pillow thrown at him for his troubles.

Mark comes by and keeps his distance, already pre-warned by Taeyong about the hybrid’s territorial tendencies. He brings Jeno and Jisung and like before, Jaehyun motions for them to come close to see the twins. Taeyong can tell Mark is dying to see the spectacle and he does his cousin a solid by filming the first meeting for the other alpha.

One of the twins reaches up and grabs Jisung’s ear and the puppy squeaks in surprise. Jaehyun playfully scolds his daughter for her rough grip. She mewls cutely and lets go but keeps looking at Jisung, obviously fascinated by the different texture of his fur. Jeno is in awe because he’s never been around baby hybrids before. Kiwoong’s tail just looks so tiny and his fur is so soft.

“You’re almost as cute as them,” Jaehyun teases, laughing when the Samoyed blushes. “I’m sure they’ll enjoy climbing over the both of you when they’re older.”

It takes a few weeks for Jaehyun to be less on edge with other visitors and slowly the hybrid stops hissing and growling at the sight of anyone who isn’t another hybrid, Johnny, Chloe or Taeyong. He’s still watching very closely when Johnny brings the twins over to Yuta and Mark. Yuta gets his hair grabbed and he compliments Kiwoong on his incredible baby strength and Jaehyun preens because his son obviously got it from him. Mark just looks down at Sunhee while she stares back at him and Taeyong swoops in when Mark starts to sniffle. It’s not his fault, her fluffy ears keep twitching and he can’t stand how cute the sight is to behold. Taeyong’s sure if Mark was anything but an alpha Jaehyun would coo over him like he does to Jeno and Jisung.

“Your cousin,” Jaehyun says sometime in the evening as he’s changing diapers. “I like him. He’s funny. He’s silly like you hyungie.”

Taeyong’s not sure if that’s a compliment or not, but he likes Mark too and Jaehyun’s approval is a difficult thing to win at the best of times.

“I can smell him all over Johnny-hyung,” Jaehyun continues like he’s not dropping a world shaking revelation onto Taeyong. “Chloe too. At least he’s not stinky.”

Taeyong has to pick his jaw off the ground as Jaehyun motions for the alpha to hand him a baby wipe and a fresh diaper.

“Wait, are you saying Mark is… Involved with Johnny?” Taeyong asks, his voice going an octave higher at the end. “What the fuck, I thought he was with Yuta?”

“Alpha, language!” Jaehyun gripes, wrangling Sunhee’s kicking legs on the changing table while Taeyong rocks Kiwoong. “I always knew Johnny-hyung was special. That’s why he has two alphas.”

Taeyong comes over to hand Jaehyun Kiwoong, picking up a freshly changed Sunhee who makes her happiness known by meowing loudly and waving a fist at her father. She and her brother are so precious and Taeyong can’t get enough of watching their every move. The alpha gently pets one of her ears, marveling at her fur and how her head of hair keeps growing thicker each day. He misses Jaehyun asking him for a diaper a few times until the hybrid makes an unhappy yowl and Taeyong quickly springs into action.

“Hmph. You know maybe Jaehyunnie needs another alpha?” the hybrid muses out loud as he wipes Kiwoong clean. “Taeyongie-hyung is too busy to pay attention and help. Maybe Jaeminnie can help, he likes cats.”

Taeyong makes an undignified squawk and then hurries after Jaehyun who is now walking away with both babies after plucking Sunhee from the alpha’s arms.

“Jaehyunnie does not not need another alpha! Jaehyunnie? Jaehyun-ah? Jaehyun come back here!”

—

Johnny and Yuta end up moving when the twins are a few months old. Chloe’s excited to get a bigger bedroom and asks the twins for their opinions on wall decorations. They babble in a mixture of cat sounds and human baby speak and Chloe talks back to them like they’re having a full on conversation.

Mark has to take deep breaths to not get overwhelmed with how cute the whole scene is, but it doesn’t stop him from taking more pictures and videos to share with his friends. Renjun thinks Mark is putting ideas into the puppies' heads, which makes Mark confused and suddenly Donghyuck and Chenle are on the opposite side of the room.

Chenle’s more than happy to put Yuta in touch with someone he knows selling a unit in the same building. Johnny’s worked hard to scrape together a decent nest egg and Yuta’s gotten lucky on his investments so they’re able to find the perfect apartment in no time. The 24-hour manned front desk is a huge draw for Johnny and the security guards quickly become acquainted with Chloe, who enjoys being called a little lady. The guards also get photos and information about Johnny’s ex, just in case he comes creeping around. Yuta doesn’t think that should be an issue given that the other alpha was finally arrested.

Weeks after a new tenant moves into Johnny’s old place, the alpha came sniffing around and wouldn’t believe that there was no Johnny or Chloe to be found. The new tenants happened to be a pair of alphas who did not take kindly to some stranger trying to kick down their door and Johnny’s ex was promptly evicted from the building and straight into the back of a police car.

Taeyong’s glad that chapter of trouble wrapped up fairly nicely and now everyone can move on with their lives in peace. With the twins growing quickly, just as Johnny told him, it’s only a matter of weeks before he and Jaehyun can move as well.

The hybrid absolutely wanted to be in the same building as Johnny and Chenle passed along some more possible units in the building to Taeyong to look into. The alpha thinks it’s funny that now he and Jaehyun technically live above Johnny and Chloe when it was the other way around at their old building.

Mark gets his friends to help with the move and Taeyong directs everyone on where to put furniture and a myriad of boxes. Their bed is the first piece to be moved and put back together so Jaehyun can herd the twins to the middle for a well needed nap. Mark disappears in the middle of moving because he’s watching Jaehyun tuck Chloe in next to the twins to sleep. Taeyong’s about to tease his cousin until Jaehyun looks up and smirks at Mark.

“You and Johnny-hyung might need to borrow some things in the future,” the hybrid says and Taeyong can hear the mirth in his voice, but Mark doesn’t seem to understand. “Whatever happens, Taeyongie-hyung and I are very happy for all of you.”

There’s still boxes to be unpacked in the evening, but it’s been a long day and everyone heads home after demolishing pizza and snacks. Taeyong thanks them all for coming and promises to host a housewarming party when he and Jaehyun are finally settled in.

Taeyong wants to ask Jaehyun what exactly he was teasing Mark about, but the hybrid is busy feeding their children in the nursery once they’re home alone. Jaehyun’s taken to wearing simple button up shirts that he can undo with one hand while steadying a hungry kitten with the other. Taeyong holds the waiting twin, rocking them gently while they complain about being second to eat. The alpha can’t help but stare every time he sees this happening because on one hand it’s incredible to see Jaehyun with their children and how the hybrid cares for them. But on the other hand, Taeyong really wants to rip Jaehyun’s shirt apart and get his mouth on the softness he can see exposed behind a few open buttons.

A few days later Johnny comes by to pick the twins up for a sleepover and a confused Taeyong hands one to the omega and the other to a grinning Yuta. Jaehyun appears behind him to give Johnny an overnight bag and the omega promises to let them know if anything goes wrong. Yuta tells Taeyong to enjoy himself and then tries to whistle at the pair before Johnny shushes him and makes him leave.

One thing Taeyong learned early on was that Jaehyun was a great cook when he wanted to be. He just preferred to be spoiled by the alpha and Taeyong’s always been weak to cute things so whenever Jaehyun smiled at him with his dimples in full view there was nothing the alpha could do but pamper the hybrid.

Tonight seems to be no different and Taeyong opens the fridge and starts pulling ingredients out to make dinner. It’s entirely not lost on him that he has the perfect amount of ingredients to make katsu curry and Jaehyun looks amused when he sees the bowl in front of him.

Just like the first time, the hybrid devours his meal with gusto and Taeyong just watches him fondly, smiling at the happy meows Jaehyun makes as he enjoys his food. There’s no cake in the fridge, but Taeyong does have one ice cream bar he snagged from the convenience store down the street that he bought on a whim. They share the treat, taking turns to take bites until it’s all done.

When the dishes are put away, Taeyong sits on the couch and lifts his arm for Jaehyun to snuggle up against him. He glances down for a moment and his traitorous brain notices how the first few buttons of the hybrid’s shirt are undone, probably from when he fed the twins last. Taeyong forces himself to ignore it and then briefly wonders why he didn’t notice during dinner, but Jaehyun is squirming closer until he’s practically in the alpha’s lap.

They watch the latest animal documentary Jaehyun found, one about seals in the wild compared to seals in captivity. Taeyong’s wondering if they have time for a movie when the hybrid sighs and shifts against him.

It’s the first time they’ve been away from their babies for an extended period of time and maybe Jaehyun is worrying about them. Taeyong’s about to get up to find his phone and call Johnny when the cat moves to straddle his lap. Being this close together means Taeyong is getting a birds eye view of the most tantalizing patch of skin on Jaehyun’s chest. He knows now that the hybrid’s shirt was not unbuttoned during dinner because it’s hanging wide open and the cat is smirking down at him.

“Hyungie, I learned something recently,” Jaehyun says and his pupils are round black circles that Taeyong gets lost in. “Have you heard of a push gift?”

Taeyong shakes his head, trying to focus on Jaehyun’s face but his eyes keep dropping down the hybrid’s neck and then to his chest.

“I want a push gift from my alpha,” Jaehyun continues and he squeezes the alpha by the shoulders to get his attention. “Please give me a present.”

“Whatever you want,” Taeyong replies, breathless and feeling uncomfortable with how tight his pants suddenly are. “Whatever Jaehyunnie wants, Jaehyunnie gets.”

“Jaehyunnie wants alpha to give him…” the hybrid trails off, cocking his head to the side as he taps his lips like he’s in deep thought. “I want alpha to give me another litter. Isn’t that what hyungie wants too?”

Jaehyun throws his head back and laughs as Taeyong scrambles to get up from the couch. The hybrid throws his arms around the alpha’s neck, kissing him all over his face and lightly kicking his feet as he gets picked up.

The hybrid is going to be the death of him, but Taeyong always said he wanted a big family so what was a few more kittens?

“Cubs!” Jaehyun’s pouting at him and Taeyong just absolutely adores him.

“We’ve been over this, kittens.”

“Cubs because I’m your kitten?”

“My kitten and so much more.”

Jaehyun smiles at him, a small smile that makes his eyes crinkle and the whisker marks on his cheeks stand out. He starts to purr loudly and Taeyong will never get enough of his plucky, fussy, perfect little kitty cat.