Stretched To The Limit (I/II)
Title: Stretched To The Limit
Pairing: Fanxing
Rating: NC-17
Length: ~12.6k
Summary: Yifan is not prepared for the fact that his oh so sweet looking catboy turns out to not be sweet at all when it comes to Yifan’s friends.
A/N: Originally written for
kissfanxing and posted here. The prompt just asked for some angry sex, but as usual somehow I digressed, and it developed a bit more plot than I expected.
Stretched To The Limit
Get a pet, they all had said, that way you will have someone to come home to after work.
Get a pet to ward off the loneliness.
Ever since Yifan got Yixing he might have been lonelier than ever. Or no, that wasn't true. With Yixing he wasn't lonely, but his social life had taken a turn for the worse ever since he adopted the young catboy.
There were times when Yifan wanted to curse every single friend of his who had encouraged him to get a pet. On particularly bad days, he would also add friends to his cursing-list that hadn't taken measures to stop him from following through with the plan of getting a cat.
Perhaps his friends weren't that much to blame, Yifan reasoned whenever he tried to calm himself down enough to not write an angry “This is all your fault!” to Luhan. When they recommended him to get a pet they might have thought about something more docile, a cute rabbit perhaps, or some loyal dog, not a feisty catboy.
In Yifan's defense, he hadn't known what he was getting himself into when he got Yixing. On first glance, the catboy with the chestnut coloured fur and big, dark-green eyes had been nothing but a delight. He was the sweetest thing Yifan ever had laid eyes on, with a gentle smile that pronounced the most adorable dimple and made his eyes crinkle slightly.
But let's start the story from the beginning.
Between the decision of really getting a pet and Yifan's first visit to the animal shelter with the intention of adopting a pet hardly a week passed. As soon as he had made up his mind that he wanted to give an abandoned catboy a new home he gave the local shelter a call, arranging an appointment for him to take a look at the hybrids.
The owner, apparently a close friend of Luhan's boyfriend, seemed overjoyed to welcome him.
“I have heard so much about you from Minseok and Luhan, Mr. Wu. I've been assured my babies will be in the best hands with you.” the young man claimed by means of greeting when Yifan stepped through the entrance door and introduced himself with a slight bow.
“Babies?” Yifan had meant to thank the other for the apparent confidence that was placed on his ability of being a good pet owner, but the word distracted his train of thoughts. The shop owner did have rather feline looking eyes.
“Ah, I'm sorry, that term might be a little misleading. My protégés, my charges, the hybrids and animals I'm looking over. They are all my family, so I use endearments for them all the time.” The other male rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
“No, it's okay. I guess it's a good thing that you are being so affectionate towards them Mr...?” Yifan prompted upon realizing he hadn't found out the name of the owner yet.
“Kim, Mr. Kim. But please call me Jongdae, we're acquaintances, in a way at least.” Jongdae extended a hand towards Yifan, and even though the taller had already introduced himself he took the proffered hand and shook it.
“Then please call me Yifan, not Mr. Wu.” He said, and Jongdae nodded his consent, grinning at Yifan as if he had just passed the entrance test to some secret society.
“It’s my pleasure, Yifan. If you would please follow me then? I’ll take you to where my precious hybrids are staying.” Jongdae announced, and when he started into the direction of one of the hallways leading away from the reception, Yifan quickly hurried to fall in stride beside him.
They passed various rooms, all filled with animals, everything from budgerigars over rabbits and guinea pigs to eager dogs leaping against the bars of their kennels when they caught the sound of footsteps, but Jongdae kept heading on until they reached a door at the very end of the hallway.
“My hybrids have their own little area, so they can move around as freely as I can allow them within the space I have available.” The shelter owner explained, hand on the handle but not yet pushing it down.
Yifan tilted his head slightly in question, but he didn’t even have to prompt the smaller to continue. Going by the way Jongdae had been constantly talking on their short walk, the other seemed to be rather talkative by nature.
“Please take your time to look around, and if you should have any questions feel free to call me.” Jongdae said, making Yifan’s eyebrows furrow together slightly in confusion.
“You won’t be going in with me?” He had been sure the owner would accompany him while he was making his first contact with the catboys.
But Jongdae just laughed, as if Yifan had made a joke and patted him on the back good-naturedly. “No need to be afraid, they’re all sweet as sugar. I just don’t want my babies to be influenced by my presence. I’ll stay out so that you’ll see how they act around you, not how they act around me.”
In a strange way that made sense, and Yifan decided to simply resign himself to his fate. It was his decision to adopt a catboy, and he was just a few steps away from it. A diffuse sense of apprehension caught him when Jongdae flashed him one of his kittenish grins, and Yifan didn’t really have the chance to mull over the feeling for long as the smaller pushed the door open and ushered Yifan to get in.
He had barely even entered the room, the door only just having closed behind him, when his gaze fell on a figure across the room, and his steps immediately faltered. The catboy sat on an armchair, curled up with his head resting on the armrest, looking as if he was dozing. Upon hearing Yifan's steps though his head snapped up, sleepy eyes widening when they saw the tall blond.
His mouth stretched into a smile that had Yifan's heart skip a beat, and the catboy immediately uncurled from his seat, rising after stretching his muscles to approach Yifan. His steps where slow, but confident, and he only stopped once he was standing not even an arm length away from the taller.
“Hello.” He greeted Yifan, tilting his head slightly to the side and up to peer at the human, his ears twitching in what looked like excitement. His voice was gentle, the same way his whole demeanour was, from the way he held himself to the way he smiled.
“Hello.” Yifan answered, clearing his throat immediately after the word left his mouth because his voice had sounded embarrassingly squeaky.
A spark of amusement seemed to glint in the catboy’s eyes. “I'm Yixing, who are you?”
“Yifan.” Thankfully his voice was back to normal. In his perplexed state though he wasn't yet able to form sentences of appropriate length. Really, it had already been difficult enough to force his name out. Instead he took note of how the hybrid was about a head smaller than him, and that there was a slight indentation in his right cheek when he was smiling like this.
“Nice to meet you, Yifan.” If possible, Yixing’s smile deepened even further as his ears twitched again.
The sound of his name in the catboy’s voice was like music to Yifan’s ears. The taller hadn’t exactly been sure what to expect. None of his friends had a catboy, so he hadn’t been able to gain any experience with them beforehand. But he certainly hadn’t been prepared for the aura of charisma the other was exuding. His dark-green eyes fixed intently on Yifan’s face had the blond blush as his heart hammered against his chest, throat slightly dry.
Pull yourself together, Yifan. Can’t lose your composure just because he’s looking at you. With these beautiful eyes. That adorable brown fur. I wonder if it feels as soft as it looks like… No, wrong train of thoughts.
Yifan shook his head slightly in the hope of getting himself out of his transfixed state, and after clearing his throat he tentatively smiled back at Yixing. He was sure he detected a hint of amusement in the smaller’s expression. “Likewise. So you’re living here?”
Yixing nodded slightly, and darted a pink tongue out as if to wet his lips. It seemed like an unconscious habit. “I am. Jongdae is taking really good care of us. But I’m just here waiting for someone to take me home.”
With his last words Yixing’s expression shifted into one that seemed half sad and half hopeful, eyes growing even bigger in an innocent look that had Yifan want to engulf him in a hug. Or stroke through his hair. The blond’s fingers twitched with the desire, but he managed to keep his arms by his sides.
“What are you doing here, Yifan?” Yixing asked when Yifan didn’t respond, and a knowing glint in his eyes made Yifan feel as if the smaller had caught the slight movement of his hand. It was entirely possible; Cats had sharp eyes. “Looking for a cat to adopt?”
Slowly Yifan’s controlled breathing started to have an effect, calming down his heart slightly and he was able to smile back at Yixing, who wore the slightest hint of a teasing grin.
“I am.” Yifan agreed, and the cat’s smile widened a fraction. It was almost as if a sense of understanding passed between them, a secret message encoded in the words they were using.
“Your first pet?” Yixing asked, giving Yifan a quick once-over.
“That obvious?” The taller laughed self-consciously, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. “Yeah, I never had a pet before. Or no, does a goldfish count?”
Yixing’s eyes basically lit up with excitement. “Oh, I love goldfish!” He exclaimed, and as if to emphasize his words, his ears perked up as well.
It had Yifan look as him with slight suspicion. “Love as in… ?”
Even though Yifan let the question trail off, Yixing seemed to catch what the blond was trying to imply, because he laughed brightly. If the sound of his own name had already been enchanting to Yifan, this laugh had him completely at the cat’s mercy.
“No, not as food. Goldfish are cute, and it’s so relaxing to watch them swim their rounds in an aquarium.” The cat’s eyes were positively sparkling with joy, and Yifan noticed how Yixing’s chestnut coloured tail had started flickering excitedly around behind his back, as if the mere thought of goldfish was already enough to get him all happy.
Yifan thought the excitement was cute on the hybrid, and he couldn’t stop the fond smile from spreading on his features, as he chuckled in reaction. “I’m sorry for assuming then. As you already guessed, it’s my first time getting a pet that’s not a goldfish.”
Yixing flashed him a quick grin. “Don’t worry, there’s got to be a first time for everything.” Then his smile dimmed down a bit, and he almost looked subdued when he continued, “Do you want me to show you around?”
The smaller nodded vaguely towards the back of the room, from where further corridors were leading to where presumably more hybrids like Yixing were. But Yifan didn’t feel any particular desire to go look for other pets.
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m good.” He declined, smiling in what he hoped was a flirtatious manner back at the brunet, one eyebrow cocked slightly.
Yifan wasn’t entirely sure if the glee he saw in the hybrid’s twitching ears and tail was only wishful thinking, but Yixing seemed more than just relieved that he didn’t actually have to start sharing Yifan. If he hadn’t already been intrigued at that point-and truthfully, at that point Yifan had already been entirely, irrevocably sold-he would have been after that.
They continued on with meaningless small talk, Yifan asking about what Yixing liked to do at the animal shelter all day long, and how he got along with the other hybrids or human workers. He found out that the other male was younger than him, and that he loved to look after all the smaller animals, the ones Yifan had seen on his way to the hybrid’s area.
Yifan in turn answered questions about his job, about how he himself spent his free time, about his favourite colour and food and why he had decided to get a pet now, when he hadn’t owned one before.
At some point in their conversation Yifan noticed how Yixing had started bringing his tail to the front, brushing it against Yifan’s hand and arm casually. The elder wasn’t even sure if it was a deliberate action on the hybrid’s part, but it still sent small shivers down his spine whenever his skin came into contact with Yixing’s velvety fur. It made him wish he could get a better feel.
“Yixing?” he eventually interrupted the hybrid when the smaller was just about to happily leap into an explanation of why he loved feeding the shelter’s rabbits. It had Yixing stop right on his mental tracks, and look at Yifan with questioning eyes, head tilted slightly to the side.
The expression made the words catch in Yifan’s throat momentarily, and suddenly his request seemed too embarrassing for him to voice, but Yixing continued looking at him with such an open expression that Yifan found his resolve crumbling. Additionally the young catboy curled his tail loosely around Yifan’s arm, as if in encouragement, and somehow that made the taller male spill after all. “May I pet you?”
Yixing looked perplexed at the request, and Yifan immediately felt blood rush to his cheeks. But before he could wave his request away, claiming he was only kidding, the hybrid chuckled in amusement, his dark green eyes crinkling slightly at the corners when he smiled.
“Of course you can.” As if to encourage Yifan the hybrid inclined he head slightly forward.
Tentatively, as if he was still expecting Yixing to pull away at the last moment, Yifan reached his hand out. The smaller male didn’t move though, so eventually Yifan’s fingers made contact with Yixing’s hair. The chestnut coloured strands were every bit as soft against his skin as Yifan had imagined them to be.
Entranced by the sensation Yifan slowly carded his fingers through Yixing’s hair, enjoying the silky feeling. The catboy himself seemed to be enjoying it just as much, because he started purring lowly in the back of his throat, eyes closed in reverence as he leaned into Yifan’s touch.
The noise made Yifan feel all warm and fuzzy, relaxation and elatedness running through his veins in equal parts. It also had him become a bit more daring, applying more pressure to his stroking, and running his thumbs over the furry ears that were peeking out from the dash of chestnut. If Yixing’s hair had already been soft, there were no words to properly describe just how velvety the cat’s ears were.
Yixing’s purring got even louder as Yifan took his time admiring his ears, content sighs escaping him in between. His whole body seemed to gravitate towards Yifan, his head tilting closer, his tail moving from Yifan’s arm to brush against his waist and legs instead, as if the young hybrid couldn’t decide whether he wanted to hold on or not.
The fact that he could coax such noises, such a reaction from Yixing had Yifan smiling with a mixture of disbelief and wonderment, his heart stuttering with excitement.
“Do you want to come with me, Yixing?” Yifan only really realized it was his voice speaking when he saw the hybrid’s eyes fly open to peer up at him.
The taller expected to see shock or surprise in the dark green orbs, but the other just looked utterly pleased, if a bit sleepy from relaxation.
“I’d love to.” Yixing answered, not even giving Yifan proper time to overthink his question. The smile adorning the hybrid’s features was downright dazzling, and the taller automatically found himself mirroring the expression as relief washed over him.
Yifan had been under the expression that cats where cold, distanced and hard to get to, but Yixing seemed like the complete opposite right from the beginning, with his soft spoken words, and occasional teasing jabs.
If Yifan was being honest, he hadn’t expected to find a cat to bring home that day. He thought he’d just come over to have a look around, and then return some other time, thinking his decision through.
But with Yixing in front of him, happy demeanour accentuated by the whipping of his tail, the twitching of his ears and the almost self-satisfied looking smile on his face, he couldn’t see himself with any other catboy but this one. At the same time he also wouldn’t want to risk Yixing being taken in by anyone else.
The formalities were sorted surprisingly easily. Jongdae seemed a bit baffled himself that Yifan had made his choice this quickly, but when Yixing peeked out from behind his back, his lips curled into a knowing smile.
“Quite a charmer he is, isn’t he?” Jongdae noted, nodding slightly towards the window. He and Yifan were seated in the small, crowded office of the shelter, going through the adoption papers. Yixing was outside, trying to catch a butterfly by the look of it.
“He is.” Yifan agreed, and the smaller male chuckled at the fond smile that the blond wore when he looked at Yixing.
“Well, he certainly seems to have charmed you.” It was a statement rather than a question because the answer was obvious. Jongdae’s amused expression turned serious though when he faced Yifan.
“I hope you’re aware of what you’re getting yourself into. A pet is a huge responsibility. You’re not allowed to get tired of him in a few months, because he’ll be with you much longer. He needs attention, on a physical and emotional level.” The stare with which Jongdae fixed him was intent, as if he was trying to look right into Yifan’s very soul.
“I am aware of that.” Yifan replied with resolution, holding Jongdae’s gaze. “I might never have had a pet before, but I’ll do everything in my power to provide him with the best home he can get.”
Silence passed between them for a moment as Jongdae seemed to scrutinize him, then the stern lines around his mouth smoothened out, as he returned to his friendly smile.
“Good, just wanted to make sure. I mean, I bet you know I’m taking a leap of faith with you, because Luhan repeatedly assured me you’re a good, caring person. Otherwise I wouldn’t let you adopt Yixing right away.” The smaller male confided in him, eyes twinkling with a hint of warning.
The owner of the animal shelter might have looked like a harmless, gentle person on first glance, but Yifan was very sure he didn’t want to get on his bad side. Not that he was planning to do anything that would have gotten him on Jongdae’s bad side either way.
“Yes, I know, and I promise I’ll try my hardest to live up to that trust.” He replied, a smile that he hoped looked confident and reassuring on his lips.
“Okay, then now that that that’s sorted, let’s get the paperwork done with before Yixing gets so distracted by insects that he runs off and gets lost in the backyard.” The shorter male said, turning to pull out a few more papers from a messy stack to his left. “Wouldn’t be the first time for him to forget the way back.”
Sorting through the paperwork was a process that was at the same time tedious and completed quicker than Yifan had expected.
“And that’s the last, please sign here and Yixing is all yours.” Jongdae pointed at a line at the bottom of yet another form, and Yifan quickly sprawled his signature at the indicated place.
“Okay, then these are for you...” The owner explained, as he handed Yifan one of the two stacks that he had piled up on the desk, pulling the other one into his own direction. “...and all that’s left for me now is to congratulate you on your new pet.”
Yifan happily took the hand Jongdae offered him. It felt as if the handshake was the final act to seal the deal.
“If you should have any questions, my number is on the last page in the information brochure. Though you could also just ask Luhan I guess. You can always call me, no need to be shy.”
The blond nodded his understanding, and thanked Jongdae for his willingness to help. The owner just waved his gratefulness away. “It’s my pleasure Yifan. Just give Yixing a good home. He deserves one.”
-o-
During his first weeks with the hybrid, Yifan was in heaven and couldn't have been happier. His job was especially demanding during that time, so he didn't have any time to pretty much do anything but go to work during the day and come home dead tired in the night, but thanks to Yixing he didn't feel as if he was missing out that much.
Yifan was pretty convinced the smaller male was actually an angel. For one, he was a great cook-Yifan had always been convinced that catboys were a lot more cat and therefore unable to wield the cooking utensils.
The blond was proven sorely mistaken though when he came home the first night to some deliciously fried meat, served together with steamed vegetables and rice. At first he gaped at the dish on the table, then at Yixing, who looked rather shy, fiddling with his fingers behind his back and avoiding to meet Yifan's eyes.
The taller’s disbelieving question of whether Yixing had prepared the meal all by himself was answered by a small nod. It had Yifan leap into a lengthy expression of gratitude, which was simply waved away by the hybrid.
“It’s no big deal.” Yixing claimed, but he looked undeniably pleased at the praise he was receiving.
Remembering the way Yixing seemed to have enjoyed being patted the last time, Yifan decided to stroke through the soft dash of slightly unkempt looking hair in praise, smiling fondly at his new companion. “Really, you wouldn’t have needed to, but thank you.”
And just like the first time, Yixing’s eyes closed in reverence as he started purring softly.
Yifan thought his evening couldn’t get any better than this. That was until he took the first bite from the food Yixing had prepared.
They easily fell into a routine, Yixing cooking dinner whenever Yifan was being kept at work too long to cook for himself. The elder felt bad for being so busy and subsequently leaving Yixing alone in his flat for so long, but the hybrid assured him that he was fine with it. Apparently the catboy knew how to keep himself busy during the day.
Probably it was meant to be a compensation for the time Yifan was absent that whenever the elder sat down on the couch, Yixing would immediately appear at his side to cuddle close to him.
Right from the beginning the catboy had been touchy and affectionate, but what started out as him snuggling up to Yifan’s side quickly turned into the smaller curled on Yifan’s lap, leaning against his chest as he purred softly. Other times the brunet would cling to Yifan’s arm, or duck beneath that arm to hug himself close to Yifan’s torso, tail slung around Yifan’s waist, as if to secure him in place.
As much as the gesture used to draw an exasperated laugh from Yifan, he couldn’t deny that he greatly enjoyed the warmth of the smaller body pressed close to his.
Three weeks into his ownership of Yixing, Yifan was still bathing in bliss. Every morning he would wake up to Yixing’s body half-covering his as the hybrid exhaled softly, tail and ears twitching as if he was chasing mice in his dream.
It was the day after one of his major deadlines that Yifan finally felt as if he could breathe again. He had hardly allowed himself any work-unrelated thoughts the last weeks, and going by the way his friends kept bombarding him with messages, he wasn’t the only one bothered by that.
The decision to invite Tao over for dinner was spontaneous, really. His company’s junior happened to complain over lunch, as per usual, how Yifan was being all unsocial these weeks, and unfairly kept anyone from meeting the cute pet he had adopted.
Being the animal lover that he was, Tao had been whining about wanting to see Yixing ever since Yifan had started cooing about his new pet. And Yifan had spent a lot of time during their lunch breaks swooning over the brunet hybrid, admittedly.
So that day he broke through one of Tao’s tirades about how Yixing was all that Yifan cared about recently, and how disappointed he was that the elder valued their friendship so little. “You know what? You wanna come over for dinner tonight? Then I can introduce Yixing to you.”
Tao, caught with his mouth still hanging open due to being interrupted in the middle of a sentence, was disbelieving at first, but when Yifan answered his question of whether he was being serious in the affirmative, he let out a squeal that very much contradicted his whole appearance.
Yifan chuckled, as he watched Tao transform right into the thirteen year old girl the other was at heart.
At that point Yifan hadn’t yet been aware of the difficulties his social life would face with Yixing.
-o-
“I’m home.” Yifan shouted as soon as he stepped through the door, pulling it shut after ushering Tao in as well. It had become a habit to call out as soon as he entered the flat, now that Yixing was waiting for him, though it might have been a bit of a superfluous action. Usually the sensitive ears of the catboy could pick up on Yifan’s keys turning in the lock already.
Yifan had just shrugged out of his coat as Yixing was already bouncing out from the living room. He rushed to engulf Yifan in a hug, nuzzling against the crook of his neck where he could reach without having to tiptoe.
“Welcome back.” He purred when Yifan ran one hand through his hair in a greeting gesture, the other winding loosely around the smaller male’s shoulders to return the embrace.
They stayed like that for a moment, until Yifan tightened his hold slightly to indicate the end of their hug. When he stepped back Yixing was smiling up at him for the total of one second, before his nose twitched, and his ears folded back into his hair. The last time Yifan had seen such distaste on Yixing’s face had been when the hybrid had been confronted with a spicy dish Yifan had prepared a week prior.
The catboy’s expression startled Yifan momentarily, then he remembered that Tao was there as well. He hadn’t had any visitors so far during the time Yixing had been living with him, and it was probably weird for Yixing to have a stranger in their flat.
So Yifan plastered the best placating smile he could manage on his face, and stepped slightly to the side to fully reveal Tao. The younger male was standing there, eyes positively sparkling as he watched Yixing. The younger seemed pretty oblivious to the unease Yixing was displaying and Yifan could almost hear the endless string of cooing noises that must be going on inside Tao’s brain.
“Yixing, I want to introduce you to someone.” Yifan started, putting one hand on Tao’s back to push him slightly forward. Yixing’s eyes narrowed slightly, but the blond continued nonetheless. “This is Tao, a friend I know from work. Tao, this is Yixing, I already told you about him.”
Tao didn’t pay much attention to Yifan when the older gestured between them, his fascinated gaze fixed solely on Yixing. “Hello Yixing, nice to meet you.” He greeted the hybrid, a joyous smile on his face as he reached out to pat Yixing similarly to the way he had seen Yifan do.
The hybrid didn’t stay still until Tao could touch his hair though, instead baring his teeth, a warning hiss leaving his mouth as he moved away from Tao’s hand, clinging to Yifan’s side instead as if he wanted to hide behind the other’s broad frame.
Tao looked dejected, positively heartbroken at that reaction, and Yifan himself was surprised at Yixing’s behaviour.
Letting go of Tao’s shoulder with a slight squeeze and an apologetic glance, he turned his attention to his catboy instead. “Yixing, what’s wrong? Tao is a friendly person, really.” He asked quietly, trying not to upset the smaller any further.
But instead of answering Yixing just pressed himself closer to Yifan, burying his face in the fabric of Yifan’s shirt defiantly.
Not really understanding what was going on, Yifan resigned himself to Yixing clinging to him for the rest of the night, and invited Tao to follow him into the kitchen nonetheless. Dinner was a weird affair, with Yifan trying to hold a conversation with Tao, but Yixing continuously hissing whenever Tao’s hand so much as moved on the table.
It had the younger visibly uncomfortable, as he stiffened whenever the hybrid twitched his tail in annoyance. With every hiss and hostile gesture on Yixing’s part, Yifan felt himself getting angrier. He berated Yixing to behave repeatedly, but the cat didn’t seem very intent on listening.
He just clung even closer to Yifan, as if he was using the blond as a shield. Yixing was always a bit clingy. Yifan had attributed it to be a compensation for him being out to work all day, so Yixing made sure to get as much contact as possible while he could. But that night Yixing was worse than ever, and frankly, Yifan had no idea why that was. Well, he could make the connection that it had to do something with Tao’s presence, but he simply couldn’t picture what exactly the problem was.
His friend was doing his best trying to get to Yixing, offering him particularly delicious pieces of their dinner, pouring him water when his glass was empty, smiling amiably at the cat. But Yixing met every gesture with rejection, a glare and bared teeth seemingly etched onto his face during the entirety of their meal.
Yifan could see how the intensity of Tao’s smile started to waver around the edges at being faced with so much hostility.
Originally Yifan had planned on inviting the other to watch a movie with him and Yixing, but he couldn’t really picture Tao being comfortable enough to want to stay.
“No, thank you for the offer.” The younger declined as expected, before leaning in closer to whisper to Yifan. “But I don’t think Yixing really likes me.”
Yixing hissed in warning, as if he had heard the words, and being directly behind Yifan together with his excellent hearing meant he probably had. The noise made a wave of irritation surge through Yifan, a feeling that surprised him because Yixing hadn’t made him feel anything but contentment so far.
That night however he really had strained Yifan’s patience, and even his parting hug with Tao was cut short when Yixing hissed even louder, moving forward as if to swat at Tao from behind Yifan.
The moment the door clicked shut behind the younger male, Yifan turned around to Yixing, irritation written all over his features and his arms akimbo.
“What the hell what that all about Yixing? He was trying to be perfectly friendly and you acted like an upset child the whole night.” Yifan shouted, letting out all the anger that had built up inside him.
Yixing seemed to bristle shortly, as if wanting to retort, but under Yifan’s angry glare he quickly faltered. His ears drooped sulkily, his tail curling around his own leg as if in an attempt to make himself smaller, fidgeting with his hands. “He was being so touchy.” The hybrid muttered with a pout and looked up at Yifan with wide, innocent eyes.
It was a sight that always got Yifan, and he felt his anger slip away as a sense of understanding dawned on him. Tao really could be an overbearing presence with his skinship and affection. His attitude had probably startled the cat, Yifan reasoned. Yixing most likely had only been shy, and hadn’t known how else to express that than with rejection.
Heaving a weary sigh, Yifan stepped forward to wrap his arms around Yixing, the catboy returning the hug after a cautious moment of hesitation. “It’s okay, you don’t need to be all comfortable around my friends immediately. I’ll tell them to give you your space. Just please don’t be that aggressive around them.”
Yixing purred as if in understanding, and nuzzled his nose against Yifan’s throat the way he loved to do, inching up until he could press his lips to Yifan’s in a tiptoeing kiss.
Contemplating on whether he should draw back to show Yixing that despite everything he was still upset about his behaviour, Yifan found his decision was made when Yixing uncurled his tail from his leg to run it over Yifan’s arm and back instead. The silky fur made Yifan weak, and that moment was no difference.
There was a reason why he spent most of his evenings these days curled up with Yixing on the couch, carding his fingers through the chestnut coloured hair.
It was just an unlucky situation on both sides. Yifan reasoned as he kissed back gently in reassurance. Next time I’ll make sure to go about this in a more sensitive manner.
Yes, back then Yifan had still believed things between Yixing and his friends would work out, that his cat was just shy around other people.
It was sort of distressing to find that belief crumble more and more with every attempt of Yifan’s to bring Yixing and his friends together. Or really, Yixing and any other human being. He hadn’t tried any other pets, but at one point he was pretty sure that the brunet would react just as violently to any other hybrid as he did to humans that weren’t Yifan.
Whenever Yifan had friends over, Yixing would either be inseparable from Yifan, in effect scaring everyone else away from him so that they would keep a good meter of safety distance in fear of being scratched by the angry cat, or the hybrid would hide in one corner of the room, darting only out when someone moved too close to Yifan.
The result was always the same, that Yifan found himself sitting apart from his friends, and no matter how much he loved and valued Yixing’s company, he couldn’t help feeling a little lonely within his own home.
Additionally to that the times his friends were willing to come over became gradually less. Yifan couldn’t really hold it against them. With Yixing around, all of his friends had to fear for their health when they entered his flat.
The cat’s behaviour baffled Yifan, because it was so drastically different from the way Yixing behaved when the two of them were alone. If no one was visiting, Yixing was affectionate and gentle, but as soon as Yifan so much as opened the door to receive a package from the mailman, Yixing would be right behind him, bristling with his ears folded back in irritation, teeth bared and poised as if ready to jump forward and lash out.
At this point, Yifan could no longer write off Yixing’s aggressiveness as a compensation for shyness. It simply didn’t add up anymore. Even if they took a walk together, Yixing would immediately be put in a sour mood if some girl would blush and giggle when watching Yifan, following her with his gaze after.
Really, the only explanation at this point was jealousy. It actually made a lot more sense that Yixing didn’t want anyone near Yifan rather than himself, since all his measures had resulted in Yifan being separated from anyone else. Yixing had simply always been caught by association with how close he stuck to the taller male.
But no matter how often he told Yixing to behave, to stop being so aggressive to anyone who got into contact with Yifan, the hybrid simply seemed to pretend to go deaf whenever Yifan would bring up the subject.
The only chance Yifan really saw for his social life was to go and meet up with his friends without Yixing. But for one he couldn’t and didn’t want to leave the cat alone at home for that long when he already had to work the whole day, and on top of that Yixing always looked so utterly dejected when Yifan made to leave without him, that Yifan really couldn’t bear the sight of it.
( part 2)