The Adventures of Cat and Kitten

Chapter 7

Soonyoung stood with his back braced against the wall, keeping an eye out over his group of kids. They were warming up for the performances they would do, each about as nervous as a puppy at the thought of their first showpiece as real, adult dancers. For a second he was glad that the huge stadium rented had the same HVAC systems as their practice studio at the university, because alpha was sitting next to beta and omega, and all they were doing was giggling and laughing. He had seen it so many times in smaller places, with people less disciplined – exertion released adrenaline and hormones, and fights start breaking out, people start getting hurt.

These days companies and venues were at last starting to get it right, and it made his heart happy.

"Hyung!" he heard, shattering over the madness of the fitting room, and looked around to see the two loudest people of his acquaintance storm him.

They met him with a flurry of hugs and pats on the back and noise-noise-noise, already dressed in the cute suits they would be dancing in later as part of a first-year number choreographed by Wen Junhui, but they were beaming. Behind them, trailing like he didn't know where to go, came another kid about as tall as Seokmin-ah but with honey-blonde hair and a mixed-race face. So quiet he almost didn't hear him moving, but the eyes that met his were steady and straight.

Alpha, Soonyoung realised in his bones as he accepted the hugs, then pushed them a discreet distance away.

"Hyung," Seokmin said happily. "Are you ready? You're not even in your suit, we're on in an hour!"

"I know," he soothed the excited collie. "I'll be ready in time. Remember you two have a performance before we do our thing. Who's your friend?"

He had the distinct pleasure of seeing Seungkwan colour almost the colour of his russet hair. The first year reached to make space for the stranger, hands gentle on his shoulders. "This is Chwe Hansol," he stated in a syrupy voice that sounded almost like the feeling in his heart when he thought of his Jihoonie. "He's an, um, friend, they're performing as well as part of Seungcheol-hyung's rap group."

Hansol dipped his head. "Pleasure meeting you."

Deep voice, stare still straight. Soonyoung approved... provisionally, because over the past few months he had gotten as fond of Jihoonie's kids as his own. "I look forward to it, and.. ah, excuse me?" He had spotted brilliant white-blonde out of the corner above smoky grey.

"Hyung's lost on Jihoon-hyung," Seungkwan giggled behind his back as he made his way to Jihoon. He didn't mind. The small singer/songwriter/dancer had become his life, even when he stole the blankets or didn't take care of himself, or up until the wee hours of the morning composing. Soonyoung had had to draw the line a time or two in the past week of living together, but they were rubbing together comfortably and tonight... tonight his Jihoonie looked fine as fuck in that black shirt and tight pants, not to mention the thin silken sash wrapped around his neck several times.

"Hey," he murmured, knowing his omega well enough not to push for more than a fleeting touch to the hand. "You look good, Jihoonie. How's your throat? Are you ready?"

Jihoon gave him one of those lap-cat stares down his nose, world-weary loathing and indifference perfectly encapsulated in it. "Did you have to bite me? I wasn't even going to put this choker on in the first place. But don't worry, I left you a little present as well." It was cheerfully malicious, totally uncaring, with the side-eyed fire that he had fallen in love with from the first time he saw him.

It made him just a little weak, and he met his kitten's eyes in the mirror. "Yes," he said quietly. "Yes, I had to. Because you're my reason for smiling."