The Adventures of Cat and Kitten

Chapter 17

Jihoon bit his lip as he looked at the house in front of him. It wasn't large for the area, but it looked huge to his eyes. Soonyoung's parents were in there. He was meeting Soonyoung's parents, the most important people in his life, and he was scared shitless.

Somehow, Soonyoung's mom had heard of what happened at the university sports meet, and she had called to scold a little. Jihoon could still remember the look in Soonyoung's eyes when he accidentally slipped up and revealed that he had done it to protect his mate. When thatconversational bomb dropped, he heard the female voice on the phone screech before she started talking a mile a minute. She had apparently demanded a meeting, Soonyoung had no good excuses, and he folded like a piece of paper.

That led to Jihoon standing here with his heart in his mouth, small overnight bag clutched in his hands, and fear skittering deep in his mind.

"It'll be fine," Soonyoung murmured beside him. "Don't be afraid, Jihoonie."

Jihoon wanted to snap back, but there was no time for that. The front door opened before them and a small, rosy-cheeked woman stared at them with bright eyes. Shorter than Jihoon himself, comfortably round with middle age.

"Brace yourself," Soonyoung mumbled from the corner of his mouth.

"Soonyoungie!" the woman called happily as she rushed out, arms extended.

Jihoon barely escaped the impact by scooting back, but in the next moment he got roped in as well, until it was a three-way hug of epic proportions. She was much stronger than she looked, and had her shoulder in underneath his chin, so that he almost choked before she let go. There was kissing on the cheeks too, something he managed to get away from, but he felt exactly like a cat petted the wrong way when he escaped.

He's so like her it's not even funny, he thought as he watched Soonyoung peck her on the cheek, scent her and pick her up f or another hug. He could practically see the love betwen them.

"Im-ssi," he said with a nervous bow as they let go. "Thank you for inviting me to your house. We brought some things..."

Soonyoung's mother beamed up at him and came in for another hug. "Call me Eomeonim, you're Soonyoungie's mate! Let me look at you -- Soonyoung, he's way more handsome than you described? Come on in, come on in -- Soonyoung, get the bags okay? Yeobo is still at work, he'll be here a little later. Come on, Jihoon-ah, let's go sit down first...oh, why thank you, dear, but you didn't have to get anything!"

She chivvied Jihoon inside in front of her. The house was a little modest on the inside, but warm and friendly-feeling, with only the faintest traces of scents. He could smell a late lunch and Eomeonim's brisk scent strongly, and a fainter, older version of Soonyoung's, expressed more in tones of green things and rawhide -- nature smells, the both of them, soothing his nervousness.

He sat down on the couch and slowly breathed out, grateful that she chose to sit down opposite him and leave space for Soonyoung. As much as he'd argue against it, his mate at his side made him calm down a little.

"So!" Im-ssi said happily. "You're mated... what, a few months now? Are there kids on the way?"

Jihoon almost choked on his tea; at his side Soonyoung opened his mouth, but he stilled him with a press of fingers against his leg. "Not for a long time," he said honestly. "Maybe not ever. I am fertile, Eomeonim, but I don't feel as if I'm ready to have kids at the moment, not to mention that we're both young still, and we need to complete our master's degrees."

Soonyoung's mother looked at him with a glint in her eye. "Not that I blame you, having a child as active as Soonyoungie is very tiring."

"Eomma!" Soonyoung complained.