Melted (GongchanxKai) (Para)

@Channie "Stubborn and brave." Jongin reconnected, nosing at the squirming kittens. All five were alive and healthy and it was more than he could ask for. He sniffled a little as Zi got up to tell Myung something, the latter nodding and leaving the room. "I'm a father.. Neh, we're prepared. Minhyun, Joon, Ren, Hojun and Hyunki. Welcome to the world, little ones. Your umma's tired right now, but I'm sure he'll be glad to see you five." Jongin purred, nosing at each kitten affectionately. Jongin then gently nosed at Chanshik's fur. "I bet you're extremely tired now.. Go ahead and get some sleep, okay? You did an amazing job today." He gently comforted, moving around to bundle up the kittens so they'd be warm as he curled around them.

Zi clapped his hands softly, smiling warmly. "I'm really happy for you two. I sent Myung to get something to soothe Chanshik's pain from the birth. He should be back soon. I'll go get the blankets so the seven of you have something clean to lay on, okay?" He spoke, leaving to go to the bedroom to retrieve the blankets off of the bed. Figuring since they had the parents' scent on them, it'd be better for the kittens. He bundled the blankets up and carried them back in, Jongin having already shifted with the kittens in his arms. Myung came back at that point and set a cup down, going directly to Chanshik to pick him up as gently as possible.

Zi swapped the soiled blankets with the ones from the bed, bundling it up in certain parts before Myung gently set Chanshik back down and Jongin laid beside him with their kittens. He shifted back to curl around them, in front of Chanshik, so their body heats encased their kittens to keep them warm. Myung went back to retrieve the cup, kneeling down beside Chanshik. "Think you can drink right now? Or would you like us to help you or wait a little..?" He asked, smiling softly.

@Tre "I was too scared... To leave..." Chanshik muttered, ears flattening in the strain. "Not brave.. Stubborn." He still managed to correct, panting again after.

By the time the fifth one was on its way out. Chanshik was basically sobbing, exhausted and pained out until eventually he flopped, whimpering in belief and muttering the five names they'd picked under his breath. "All boys... Good thing... We're prepared..." He muttered quietly, curling into a tight ball.

@Channie Myung said something inaudible just as he took hold of the third kitten, confirming it to be both male and alive. He cleaned the baby off and set it next to the other two. He was surprised, however, when he noticed a fourth was on its way out. "You got another one coming. You're doing well, just keep pushing." He said, readying the towel again to catch and clean the kitten.

"You are brave; You stayed alone and alive in such a harsh environment for so long.." Jongin murmured, nuzzling and at Chanshik's cheek. Zi smiled lightly, still massaging and rubbing the other's belly. Myung retrieved the fourth kitten and cleaned it, setting it near the other's. Zi shook his head, his fingers feeling a remaining lump. "There's one more, Myung." He said, Myung moving back to his position.

"Are you sure? I don't.." Myung furrowed his brows, looking back at Zi who kept to his theory of a final kitten. "If you're sure, but I don't see it.. Wait, there it is. You're almost done Chanshik. Just a little more.. Almost.." Myung bit his lip, chewing it for an agonizing moment before he caught the last kitten, noting it was smaller than the others, and cleaned it off. He whistled. "Five little kittens, you two. And.. They're all male, too. What are the chances of that? Congratulations, though."

"You did it, baby. You did it.." Jongin cooed, on the verge of tears even as a cat. He nuzzled Chanshik affectionately for a moment, moving over a bit to nose and sniff at their newborn kittens.

@Tre Panting heavily in the temporary break between kittens, by this point Chanshik was now too far caught up in the pain in the birthing to truly tale in the fact the ring weeping kitten was actually ones of his one. Instead he whimpered, trying to remember the names they picked out. "U-Umm... Umm... Minhhyun... Y-yeah-- ow..." He whimpered, behind to trembled again as second kitten finally showed his face.

It was at this point when Chanshik realised why most cats only had two or three kittens and anymore could be dangerous. He was exhausted and in agony but he had at least enough three to go and he whimpered again. Not sure if he could actually manage it. "D-Didn't like you first day... Scared me.." He muttered, in between groans. "But snow storm and you helped Duckie and... Got used to it." Letting out another cry Chanshik pawed at the bed weakly. "Not brave..."

@Channie "A bit more.. Got you." Myung gently wrapped the first kitten, wiping it off and cleaning it as gently as possible. He made sure it was breathing before lying it down on the clean blanket near the parents. "It's a boy, you two. Another one is coming, though." Myung readied himself to get the next kitten. Zi continued cooing and encouraging, massaging Chanshik's stomach.

"I'm right here, right here.. You remember the first day we met? When I came back to visit you? I thought you were a really brave cat, you know. I still do.." Jongin lightly nosed at Chanshik, continuing to talk to him to keep his mind off of some of the pain. Myung announced the second kitten, also a male, and set it next to its sibling once it was clean and confirmed to be breathing. "There's another coming. Keep pushing."

@Tre Chanshik wasn't sure whether to cry, smile or rage at the fact it was taking so long. Instead he clung to Kai's words, wailing again when the pushing became more intense, curling in on himself a bit.

"Strawberries are red.." Chanshik muttered again, delirious almost as he muttered a few other random things.... "Its okay... V-violence and and.. not my thing.." He whimpered, choking on his on breaths again. He didn't even eat meat, and at first he'd spoken so little many thought he couldn't. Screaming and swearing and violence were so out of Chanshik's nature even in intense pain their wasn't a flicker.

@Channie "I see a kitten." Myung announced, hands cupped and ready to scoop up the kitten on its way out. Zi smiled at the announcement and began cooing encouragements to Chanshik, still rubbing his swollen belly.

Jongin purred and Chanshik's cheek, nuzzling it afterwards. "Red, no, but you're a sweet as one. So you're my strawberry. You're doing great, baby, just keep pushing.. Scratch, bite, hiss at me if you need to let it out, okay? You're doing good.." Jongin comforted also glad he couldn't particularly cry in this form. The birth of their kittens was getting to him, but not in a bad way.

@Tre "Oh.. I see. I d-didn't know.." Chanshik muttered, trying to focus on possible names that Zi could be short for. Anything that could keep him focused and not worrying insistently about was happening or going to happen. He wasn't sure if the blur of pain made it harder or easier. Soon he cried out again, whimpering pittifully but still growing more determined then terrified with the presence of his friends.

"I remember the hill... C-couldn't forget..." Chanshik attempted a smile, panting between words. "And you're still chocolate... and I'm not red I can't be a strawberry. You're still silly h-hyung."

@Channie "My full name isn't actually Zi." Zi responded, carefully rubbing and lightly pressing on Chanshik's stomach. "I know, it hurts a lot.. But you can do it, you have to. You're doing good, just keep pushing." Myung had finished prepping a towel at this point, dabbing it in water a little to efficiently clean an incoming kitten.

"I'll talk to you, don't worry. Do you remember the night I took you to that hill? Or when you called me chocolate and I tried convincing you that you were a strawberry?" Jongin began, nuzzling Chanshik affectionately with a vibrating purr. "I'm right here for you, baby.."

@Tre "I just realised.." Chanshik panted, trying to think about something else at least temporarily. "Why are your names... All so short.... Oww..." Breaking into a wail again, Chanshik screwed his face up, trying his best to do as Zi said, his breaths improved a bit, coming out long but stuttered in between whimpers. "How did you do this on your own Zi.. Damn..."

"I can't... Ow ow..." He whimpered again, burrowing his head under Kai's chin as he began to push. "Kai.. Talk or something... Please.. I-I don't wanna think...I-"

@Channie "It's okay, it's okay baby.." Jongin cooed, shifting himself to nuzzle and at Chanshik's cheek and face. "I'm right here, I'll be right beside you." He purred, attempting to comfort the other. Zi bit his lip as he got everything ready, breathing a deep sigh once. "Okay, Chanshik.. I need you to take deep breaths. Breathe deeply in and then out. And then you need to start pushing. Kai, keep comforting him. Myung, I need you to catch and clean the kittens when they come out. Be gentle with them." Zi instructed, lightly rubbing over Chanshik's belly to encourage the kittens.

@Tre "This is my new contemporary dance piece-- Of course I'm going into labour! Aish.." Chanshik wailed again straight after, beginning to tremble both in fear and pain. It took him a moment to get himself together but eventually he shifted at Zi's request, curling up into a ball fluffy just as Jongin arrived. "Hyung... Kai I'm scared... I'm really really scared..." Chanshik was glad that for Jongin's sake he couldn't really cry as a cat.

Balling up against Kai's chest, pawing every so slightly at it, Chanshik whimpered and flattened his ears to his head, focusing on his contractions instead of everyone busying around him, it was hard to concentrate on much outside his own head at this point. Eventually though, he was offered a short break between cramps and he flattened out for a moment, panting and whining. "Zi, how am I gonna do this.... Oh god it's starting again."

@Channie " Chanshik? Chanshik, what's wr- Oh my God. You're going into labor!" Zi exclaimed, coming out of his room and making a beeline towards the other. He had heard the wails and decided to investigate, immediately seeing Chanshik in his current state. His hands fumbled a little and he gave out a soft meow. Chanshik had to be moved. "Ah, can you shift? We have to get you out of this hallway.. Kai! Myung!"

It didn't take another call before Jongin bolted up the stairs to be by Chanshik's side, the leader cat cooing to him softly. He'd heard Chanshik calling him from outside and immediately set himself to come back. Myung was upstairs not long after Jongin and he quickly got a rundown from Zi on what to get. "Kai, you need to get him into the room." Zi informed, Jongin kissing Chanshik's cheek in past, present and future apologies before he picked his mate up. Zi walked ahead to open the door, Jongin hissing as he carefully carried Chanshik.

"You're going to be okay, alright? I'm here, I'm here. I know it hurts.." Jongin cooed, Myung coming in only seconds later with the requested supplies; water, blankets and a thick towel. Zi took the items and laid the blanket out, instructing Jongin to lay Chanshik on top of it before he bundled the towel and set it aside. Zi suddenly frowned, however, and sat next to Chanshik when Jongin lightly set him down. "I don't know if he wants an audience, you two.."

@Tre ( YES THEY Are I FIGUREd WHY NOT
/hurries kai along

@Channie (ARE THE KITTENS COMING.
OMG ARE THE KITTENS COMING?
/throws Kai in there)

"Kai..." Came Chanshik's pitiful wail, the cat clutching at his stomach from where he was seated in the hallway. He'd been waddling around despite how far along he was, despite how much it destroyed his ankles. But he'd been particularly keen to see Zi and his kittens this morning.

He hadn't gotten particularly far though before he ended up in a puddle with nastily strong contractions. He whimpered a bit, deciding just to stay put for now. "Is it starting... oh please don't be starting I'm not ready to do this...I don't know what to do" He wailed, begging to pant lightly. "Not ready... not ready.... Kai... It hurts...."

(/throws this out here cause why not, plot advances are always good.)

( This is really bad, just made him mentally ramble because well.... he was asleep.... )

Chanshik was cold. So incredibly cold. Even his heart had been touched by ice, and deep inside he knew, that it would shatter when he woke up. Crack into hundreds of malicious pieces and take everything he ever believed in with it. Because it was gone, everything was gone. He hadn't seen it yet but everything he had ever put hard work into was laying in smoking pieces by the snow.

Layered up and coaxed by the warm hand surrounding his fingers, eventually Chanshik's body turned from purple to blue, blue to white, white to flushed pink and he was coughing. Smoke finally leaving his airways as fresh, Zephyr air retook it's place. He whimpered a little when he finished, eyelids fluttering with a mewl before he coughed again, chest heaving for a moment until he calmed, eyes focusing on a ceiling.

A roof.....painted.... what a perculiur surface, Chanshik thought as he sat up a little, clinging to whatever was wrapped around him because he was suddenly cold, even with his jacket on. He seemed to be a bit...damp too. In his hair, his clothes. It was a bit odd, really. He had no idea how that had happened. Nor where this roof had come from. His tree house didn't have a roof like that, it had wooden panels, not paint, Chanshik hadn't been under a real roof for the longest time.... he couldn't even remember...

With every blink of his eyelids, a new picture of what had happened fluttered until Chanshik was shaking when his mind finally unfroze, trembling and recalling his hand from the warmth to wrap his arms around his legs, head burried in his knees as he softly began to cry. He was barely aware of the other's presence, ears alerting him to the noises of another figure as he hid. He was so cold...and it was all gone.

Jongin was here, Chanshik could smell it now. The figure was Jongin and sniffling a little he nuzzled further into his knees, still shivering occasionally. He was glad it at least wasn't a stranger beside him. Had Jongin gone all the way to his aid? How had he even known... How long had he been lost in a black cloud by the rubble. What was even left of his home. Not much he presumed, wood was much too flammable.

"It's all gone isn't it" he murmured, silent tears still flowing. "I-I'm not allowed to be happy am I? Outcasts aren't supposed to be happy... they're supposed to die in the cold." words turning almost into a growl, Chanshik writhed, pulling the blanket over his head. Absolutely everything had been his treehouse, his livelyhood, his purpose, every ounce of work for the last many years going into the small home. And, now with it all reduced to a crisp all he could do was switch between crying and shivering, distraught in every sense from his body temperature to what he was supposed to do next.

Winter was coming, he couldn't just make do. He had to find somewhere solid... perhaps go back to the caves... they would be incredibly drafty however... but he supposed they'd have to do. They were better than being out in the open snow at least. He'd have to gather new supplies as well, scavenge what he could from his treehouse.... oh god his book.... That made Chanshik want to growl in anger, that book was his most prized poession. Filled with all the remedies, brew, and taunics he spent his time learning he hadn't memorised them all yet. That book was Chanshik's bible, and without it. He was just a lot kitten.

"I-it wasn't even my fault..... I-I thought it was my fire, but it wasn't, it came up through the d-door end.... God what am I going to do..."

Flipping through a report he had received, Jongin furrowed his brows as he walked and read at the same time, claws rapping against the coffee stained paper (That damned aqua leader and his coffee). Nothing major, once again, but apparently that cat was training to become a contract writer or something. "90% of this is useless to me." Jongin meowed in frustration, fur on the end of his tail standing on end. Fur bristling the more he read, Jongin ended up flipping not another page, but the entire pamphlet itself and stomped up the wooden stairs childishly. "Someone fix that creaking thing before it drives me bonkers." He grumbled once more, tail whipping and rounding itself around his waist to hold his pants up. He'll take them to the tailor again later..

"There has to be something else on that aquafoon's mind other than his pools and water supply.. I haven't heard from Luhan either.. Hell-Dust is still holed up, too. Great, absolutely terrific, even!" Jongin slammed his head down on his desk once he was seated, forcing himself into a quick cat nap..

"Jongin!" Huh? "Jongin, sir Kai! There's a, uh.. A duck here!" A duck? Sitting upright and wiping the drool off of his face, Jongin stretched quickly before heading downstairs to see what the commotion was all about. Jongin was glad his clan listened; he told him they weren't allowed to kill any ducks unless shown to him first. They didn't ask questions, although Jongin did see a few questioning eyebrows. It was all to protect Duckie, Gongchan's duck. So hearing that there was a duck downstairs kinda sparked some happiness in Jongin.

Until he saw she was alone and he couldn't smell Gongchan nearby. "Duckie..?" Jongin asked timidly, reaching down to pick the flailing duck up. But she had dodged his hands, waddled a little ways away, and began again. And Jongin became scared. "W-where's Chanshik, Duckie?" At the mention of her owner's name, the duck wailed loudly and waddled away quickly, Jongin shifting to follow her closely. They didn't have to run far, Jongin noticing and smelling the smoke from afar. And then he let out a loud meow, picking up Duckie carefully in his jaws before sprinting off at top speed. With smoke bellowing like that, he had no doubt.. A fire! A fire in Chanshik's home's direction, too! "Chanshik!" Jongin muffled out a call, nearing the blazing disaster that was Chanshik's treehouse. No..

"Why? Who could have done this?! Chanshik! Chanshik!" Jongin shifted, shrieking as various scenarios played in his head. "No, no.. Chanshik!" And then Ducke became frantic again, waddling over to just below the roaring blaze.Jongin set out to quickly scoop her up, about to get away from being so close, until he noticed a lump in the snow. An unnatural one.. With a tail! "Chanshik!" Jongin hollered, setting Duckie down in order to dive down to Chanshik's side and shake him. "No, no.. God damn it! I'll get you out, I'll get you.." Jongin bega to dig around Chanshik's body before hoisting him in his arms with a huff. With a sinister crack above his head, Jongin dived away just in time as a burning plank of wood fell where Chanshik was lying. If he had stalled any longer..

"No.. Chanshik? I-I can hear your heart beating.. Duckie! Come on, we're going back to my clan house.." Jongin hurriedly carried Chanshik away, feet pounding through the snow like an avalanche. There was no telling how long the other was in that snow or who could have set it on fire, but Jongin's priority now was to get the other warm. And that was exactly was Jongin did when they arrived back to the clan house. He had barked out orders for warm blankets, a fire started in his office, soup and warm food. "Wake up, please.. Chanshik.." Jongin whimpered when he set the other cat down by the fireplace, a warm blanket being placed over his body. And Jongin had grabbed at his hand, clutching it between his own, and knelt beside someone he called his friend.

(Akdong Musician - Melted )
Jongin's visits had become a steady factor in Chanshik's routine, the other had grown used to him appearing with his box every once and awhile. He'd been wary at the sudden onslaught of supplies, scared that he'd grow dependant on them and that he'd grow too sucepitble, lose his life long battle to the cold if Jongin didn't turn up one month. So he tried to do the best he can to have the supplies as extra, to still gather enough to keep himself alive and only use what Jongin brought as a treat. As much as Chanshik didn't like to admit it, was that the extra nutrients were bringing colour to his cheeks. He was edgy to be trusting someone this much.

Duckie was growing well too, the black duckling becoming bigger, and feathered instead of just a fluffball. She was edging halfway up Chanshik's lower leg now, and although her wing had never healed enough for her to fly she was still the clumsy being Chanshik loved and was more than happy to waddle behind him through the snow, whether it be to the edge of Elysium for another brew Chanshik had drawn out his book, or back to Zephyr to return to Jongin's box.

He hated the fact the other always left it, couldn't he have just taken it when he went to return home and save Chanshik the stares. He hated the looks he got as he entred the territory, Jongin was always warm but some of the cats.. The looks they gave him made him shiver more than his snow ever could... And it was almost winter! It seemed Jongin's visits were getting more frequent with the weather and n fact, Chanshik was expecting one soon. Today, tommorrow... maybe the next. Chanshik didn't know for certain, he didn't count the days... It just made him feel lonely and his existence feel pointless.

Why was he even bothering out here in the snow?

With a huff, Chanshik continued flitting about his tree house, sorting out everything in disarray with his taped fingers before sitting on his blanket, fingers gently turning the pages off his now very old book. It was Duckie began to quack repeatedly that Chanshik glanced up, distressed by the animal's frightened tone only to glance up and shriek in fear himself. The entrance to Chanshik's treehouse, was dancing in flames. The ravenette glanced back as quick as he could; furious with himself because how could he have been so /dumb/ as to let his fire escape. But when he glanced back he was surprised to find his fire still contained....How had...

It was then that Chanshik realised someone had set his tree house on fire and he screamed, clutching his book as his lungs filled with smoke he quickly ran over to scoop Duckie into his arms, glancing around fearfully. How was he supposed to get out? The fire had already eaten his only exit, and as Chanshik choked through the black smoke he realised that he was trapped; and that he was going to die. His house was made of wood for crying out loud, and up a tree, it was engulfed in seconds and Chanshik choked, toppling from lack of oxygen before a beam broke free and crashed down on top of him, rendering him unconcious and sending him toppling through the charred floor, landing limp in the snow, fire surrounding the wood and falling snowflakes littering the young boy's hair.

Duckie quacked, she quacked as loud as she could because she was scared. Why was the warm red stuff so prominent high up in the tree, why wasn't Chanshik moving? He was getting burried by the falling snow and turning blue. Why wouldn't he move? Duckie was scared because why was the book still beside Chanshik's sleeping form the only thing not on fire? She was scared because no one was coming.

Duckie quacked until Chanshik was half burried in snow, form only half able to be made out, white and purple and it was then she moved, getting off from Chanshik, or rather the pile of snow and running in the direction the boy always came to visit. The one from the warm place.

He could make Chanshik warm again.