For more information about this story, find it here
I am a genius.
My brain is wonderful, I would kiss it if I could, and if it wasn’t so… gross.
An electric stove, one I have dragged behind me for years without ever using it because… what’s the point when you have the real deal, right?
I had completely forgotten about it, but in a moment of eureka, it came back to mind and I knew then and there that it was going to save me a lot of humiliation. I’m never pushing back cleaning my home ever again, I’m not risking it, it’s not worth the stress it’s causing me.
Jimin didn’t question it at all, just let me fetch it in the kitchen while he kept himself busy as he emptied his bag on my dining table, eyes sneaking glances around my home, curious to see what makes it my own space, what decorations I might have added around.
Even now, with the both of us sat side by side, me at the head of the table while he’s at my left, a pot of water currently starting to boil but not enough that we can add in the noodles, I can see his golden orbs still trying to find something, anything.
I smile lightly when he turns his gaze back to me, a little startled when he finds me already staring at him.
“You’re wondering why it’s not decorated, no pictures or anything of the kind, right?” I ask him, watch as he becomes sheepish, he didn’t mean to be so obvious, still, he nods softly although he remains unsure of whether it’s another sensitive topic that shouldn’t be breached or not.
It’s always hard for him to know when to stop, he doesn’t want to hurt people with his nosy behavior, and he’s getting better at stopping himself in time most days, but sometimes, it just… slips from him and the damage is done before he can take it back. He doesn’t want this happening again, not now.
“You don’t have to say anything if it’s personal, I know I kind of forced myself in here, I didn’t come to make you feel bad about anything” he assures me and I smile before allowing my eyes to wander the empty walls, most surfaces empty except for the papers spread over them, mails, notes, things that look more like a mess than anything else.
I never really took the time to pay attention to details since I moved in here, but I have to say, it looks kind of sad, doesn’t it?
“Do you want the long version or the short version? It’s not a very happy story but… it’s part of who I am, if you want to hear it” I offer, and being given the option has his eyes widening, wings flapping nervously behind him before he makes a move to gently swallow my hands within his warm palms, fingers squeezing around my own.
“I… if you’re willing to open up and let me in, then it would mean the world to me. I want to understand more about you, what made you into who you are today… things you liked… the people you loved… anything you want to give me, I’ll take it, as long as you’re comfortable with it, I don’t want you to push yourself” he answers and I hum, comforted by his caring nature, it gives me strength to unlock a door that I had secured a long time ago.
I stare down at our intertwined hands, heart warmed by his touch and mind wondering where to start with my story, the feeling of his gaze on me soft and understanding, it’s never easy to open up like that, I’m sure he can understand that feeling.
“When I ended up completely on my own, I think I was around… fourteen? Fifteen? Anyway, grandma didn’t own much anymore when I reached that age, but she used to have these beautiful paintings and vases before, I can remember spending hours gazing at them when life was still… pure and bright, they fascinated me.
She liked to collect unique items from all over the world when she was young, she would travel a lot with her husband, my grandfather, although I never got to know him, he passed away a few years before I was born. She told me many stories about him, about how he would always get her something special, something with a beautiful story, he loved seeing her smile when he would add to her unique collection.
When he passed, these items followed her until her old age, every single one, they were so precious to her, a way to remember the man she had loved so dearly, but when my parents died in a car accident when I was seven… the cost for the funerals… paying off their debts… that all fell on her shoulders so she had to sell her house and everything within.
She didn’t want me to carry that burden later on so she gave everything she had, it was a huge shock for me because I knew how much love she had for her belongings, the memories they contained, but she would always assure me that she had no regrets, that I was much more important to her than any items in the entire world and that as long as it freed my future of as many burdens as possible, it was worth it.
We survived on the strict minimum after that, a small apartment, secondhand clothes, a lot of rice with a little bit of meat, but even then, she would always give me more than she would allow herself, that’s just how much she loved me. She worked really hard so I could graduate from high school and have a future in whatever I wanted, I owe her a lot.
She didn’t tell me, but she had made an account for me as soon as I joined her so that I could make it to university, it wasn’t enough to cover everything but… enough to make it doable for me, so when I lost her to a car accident too… all I had left was that money, safely guarded and locked until I would turn eighteen.
I was sent to an orphanage and from there, I proceeded to refuse every families interested in adopting me and made it through the remaining years of high school before working towards becoming a perfumer, I didn’t have time or resources to focus on buying decorations. Add on top of that my social anxiety and going to those home decor shops alone was out of the question.
This is the result” I explain before ending with a small shrug, because it does sound slightly amusing to me now that I say it aloud, how much I’ve allowed myself to stay within a tight prison, and for what?
Everything I’ve been doing for the past years has always been out of necessity, never out of enjoyment and I’m starting to wonder why I forced myself to live that way in the first place.
That drawing lesson was the first time I’d done something for me in years, and I got much more than I had expected from it in such a short amount of time. It was the best present I could give myself, the right timing to meet Jimin.
I have to say that meeting Yoongi again freaked me out, but now I’m happy that he’s the lesson’s teacher, because that means we can both heal from the awful past haunting us in different ways, one that connects us closely.
It’s a lot of things changing in such a short amount of time, but I feel like this time, it’s good changes.
It’s not losing, it’s gaining.
Jimin licks his lips, eyes staring at the now boiling water with a frown and I stare at him in silence, wondering what’s going through his mind, how he’s feeling, because the way his feathers are bristling at the moment… it doesn’t seem that good.
“You… you’ve been alone for what… ten years now?” he asks, his voice heavy and almost choked up in his throat, his fingers react accordingly as they lace between mine tightly to hold something from me as he registers that bit of information.
I purse my lips and nod slowly. “Yeah”.
“While I gained a family… you were out there somewhere losing yours?”.
That reality seems to hurt him deeply, eyes filling with tears as he turns towards me and to see him on the brink of crying because of my past, chin wobbling sadly, it has my eyes widening, heart breaking and twisting like someone’s attempting to crush it within their fist.
“I-I’m fine now, Jimin, really, I promise” I try but he either doesn’t hear me or doesn’t bother to react to my words because the next thing I know, he’s turning off the electric stove and pulling on my hand to make me stand up with him before bringing us to the couch in the living room like he’s racing against time.
“J-Jimin” I call out, eager to calm the eagle down but before I can say anything else, he’s stopping us besides the furniture, and when he turns to face me, it’s to end up scooped up in his arms before he’s sitting in a fetal position on one of the cushions, knees raised to keep me cocooned against his chest before his wings tightly wrap around us.
“I’m sorry, just… give me a moment, please” he murmurs in my hair and I still at the desperation heard in his voice before relaxing as I come to understand that it must have something to do with his hybrid instincts, that paired with our newfound closeness, of course he would have such a reaction.
“Should I have said less?” I ask him in a whisper, now locked within his hold, there’s not much else I can do and enjoying this moment when I know that he’s mentally distressed would be selfish of me, so I instead caress his waist softly over his shirt in the hopes to help him calm down.
He shakes his head and squeezes tighter. “No, I’m glad you did, I just didn’t realize that it had been so long and it’s… I don’t like it. How did you do it? Being all by yourself for all those years?”.
I smile lightly at his question, breathe in his scent, the one that matches with his hoodie, get reminded of the way his eyes had glinted when he saw me wearing it even after my shower, my hair still slightly wet from not drying it and his wings fluttering in delight as we’d sat down at the table.
“The same way you breathe I guess? Sometimes it gets hard but… you have to keep going if you want to see the next day, plus, you get used to it. I focused on my studies, on work, and I do get contacted by Namjoon once in a while too, it’s always about work but… you know, it’s still a contact coming from a living being, it helped” I tell him, feel the way he relaxes slightly, but not enough, he’s still so tensed, the poor bird.
“So who exactly do you have in your immediate circle then? Is that Namjoon part of it?”.
I hum as I think it over.
“In my immediate circle? No, not really, but like I said last time, if we weren’t so busy and so far from one another, maybe he could be, we did have our moments during university. Other than him, well there’s Jungkook, he’s a brand designer that works for Namjoon, he helps me come up with the designs for my perfumes but he’s all about work, it’s hard to get a smile from him, he’s a good guy though.
As of now… I guess there’s one person who’s been added into my life pretty recently and I have to say, ever since I met him, a lovely eagle, I’ve started feeling less alone because he somehow ends up finding me everywhere I go. White hair, golden eyes, very handsome guy, does that ring a bell? Would you happen to know him by any chance?” I tease him slightly and he huffs before I feel him smile in my hair.
“I think you’ve found him already” he murmurs into my ear and I was not ready for the melted chocolate that his voice edges towards without warning, the way it gets whispered right against the shell enough to give me goosebumps all over and we both know it’s not because of the cold, not when his large feathers are currently keeping us warm.
“Y-yeah, considering that said hybrid is currently holding me like I’m some potatoes wrapped in tin foil, I think you’re right, I do remember something along the lines of a confession happening recently too? Yeah, it’s all coming back to me now, I think I made him my boyfriend”.
He giggles cutely. “Best decision you ever made?”.
“Oh… I don’t know about that one…” I start, to which he stills with a small gasp, wings fluttering against my back in disbelief, but before he can say anything, I continue with a grin.
“If I really have to choose one, I think the best decision I have ever made was to allow you in my life. Boyfriend or not, having you near was always going to be my best decision. What we have right now is a bonus, an extra, one I don’t intend to get rid of”.
He groans lightly and hides his face in my neck, the feeling of his hair ticklish against my skin, it makes me chuckle when his arms squeeze me even more, his emotions flaring up as his wings slap against my back.
“Who told you you could be so cute? It’s killing me, I can’t let you go now that you said that, it’s impossible” he whines with a light bump of his forehead against my shoulder, it makes me blush with a silly grin, soul soft with the way he always says such things without batting an eye, he makes me feel good about myself so easily.
“I could say the same to you, you’re just so cute sometimes that I can’t help but stare at you with a fluttering heart, my pretty man” I muse, not wanting to be the only one getting these compliments, and at my words, I feel the heat rise in his face, skin becoming burning against my neck, it has me blinking as I process the blush that must be going on.
“Jimin, look at me” I let out, wanting, no, needing to have a look, I want to see what shy blushing Jimin looks like but he whines again and shakes his head, arms keeping me from pushing back to see him, I can’t believe he’s trying to keep me from seeing him like that!
“Jimin, I know you’re blushing, I want to see, just a tiny peek!” I plead but when he shakes his head again, I decide to change my tactic, I will get him.
“Alright then, since my pretty bird won’t help me…”.
I feel him tense, head lifting up just slightly from the fear my words cause him and when my fingers meet his waist in a tickle, he instantly tries to squirm away from my touch, but his wings have a mind of their own as they keep me locked against him so my fingers have full access to his sides, and I make use of that opportunity as much as I can.
“Y-Y-Y/N you can’t do t-that! This is hybrid cruelty!” Jimin stutters out in a shriek, soul already begging for me to stop attacking him but his arms say the opposite when they lower down my back to keep me close, his hands gripping onto the hoodie I’m wearing as he twists his body to flee my fingers, except it only serves to raise his own top, and when I touch directly his skin, he lets out a gasp between his pained giggles, the intensity of my feather touches increasing tenfold.
He screams and flops to his side in a laughing fit, which makes me tumble along with him and my heart bursts with joy when I finally get to see his face and gosh, the red glow to his skin, the tears making it shine prettily, lips permanently stretched in laughter, eyes squeezed shut tight, it hits me all at once, that this is how I want to spend the rest of my life.
I stop tickling him and Jimin heaves a sigh of relief at finally getting respite, eyes shut as he takes this moment to finally breathe properly, little giggles leaving him here and there, his wings are curled up as he stretches them with a satisfied grunt before resting the top one over me again.
It’s fascinating, observing all of his expressions, the way he scrunches his nose cutely before grinning, fingers going to get the tears off his cheeks before he’s opening his eyes to stare at me, orbs softening when he finds me in awe at him.
He moves a hand to my cheek to get the few strands of hair obscuring my face away from it and hums softly, a gentle smile on his lips as he rests it back around my back. “Why are you looking at me like that, tulip?”.
Again with that tulip, he did call me that when he texted me earlier too, I find it cute and I can’t help but wonder if he chose it during our trip at the botanical garden, the thought makes me smile.
“Just realizing how much I love this, spending time laughing, talking, being close like we are… I wish this could go on for a long, long time” I answer in a murmur, eyes locked on his golden orbs, his white hair so soft looking in the low light of my living room, he’s breathtaking.
He remains silent a moment to process my words, to engrave them into his brain, into his heart and soul, he never wants to forget this wish, he wants to make it happen at all cost.
“Then why don’t we? We can do this all the time, anytime you want” he murmurs back, all of him looking so endeared that it makes me feel a little shy about my wish, yet I know that if there’s one person who can make it happen, it’s him.
“That would be nice”.
He nods, pleased with my answer before looking over my shoulder and towards the dining table, eyes widening when he sees the pot on the electric stove, it has me remembering too that we were supposed to eat a while ago.
“Are you hungry?” he asks, almost regretfully so, like he doesn’t want to let go of me just yet, our position one that is so comfortable and warm, it’s a feeling I share because it just feels so cozy being in his arms like this, his soft feathers wrapped around us, it’s perfect.
“Hmm… maybe we can stay like that a bit longer? Like… just an hour or two?” I try, cheeks turning pink because I am absolutely serious about my offer and it’s embarrassing to say, but the way his cheeks puff into a happy grin, eyes creasing before he gently pushes my head to rest against his chest, it easily answers my question.
“Make it two” he decides, one that makes my soul tingle in contentment. I snuggle closer to him, every intake of air I take filled with his musky scent, so soothing and safe and I close my eyes to really enjoy this moment that we get to share.
It feels just like yesterday, except that now, the confused part of my brain doesn’t have to work anymore, because now I know that this is cuddles between two lovers, I can allow myself to fall deeper for him without any worries.
(AUTHOR) This is the last update for this book until the next time! Next week, for those of you reading Iridescent love, expect an update, but I will only fully focus on it for TWO weeks the following week as I will be resting before that!
For more information about this story, find it here
Jimin’s POV
Walking in the different gardens and sections of the botanical garden is an experience unlike any others, the different flowers, their perfume, the large range of colours, the green everywhere, it’s all very soothing.
So much so that I’ve noticed on a few occasions how Y/N barely even reacts when strangers walk near us, too taken by the beautiful flowers and ponds to pay attention to her fears and that makes me incredibly happy.
That she gets to focus on something else, that she gets to remain calm even while visiting beyond the familiar walls of her home.
I might not know a lot about her yet, about her past, but I’ve gotten enough hints to know that it was bad, and that today’s fears she carries, they burden her, both physically and mentally.
“So, are you enjoying yourself so far?” I ask her as we exit a very humid building, one kept for the exotic plants that would otherwise not survive in our climate to head outside to where stand tall flower structures representing many different animals.
They look impressive and she seems very excited to see these in particular as she trots over happily, her steps light and free. She did mention seeing one from afar when we arrived earlier, that it caught her attention immediately, she couldn’t wait to reach that area.
She twirls around to gaze at me with a delighted smile and I can only smile back while my wings flutter behind me because it feels so great to see her beaming like that, completely at ease, her giggles filling the air around me as she nods her head cutely, her loose strands of hair caressing her cheek before she tucks them behind her ear.
I’ve been seeing her lose an invisible weight over her shoulders the more we walked around and now, it feels like she could fly if she tried, I love seeing her like that.
“I am! It’s like… it’s like I’m getting years’ worth in energy by walking here, it’s amazing, I love it” she chirps and I hum, content to hear that as I follow behind her to where the structures are, a panel at the entrance of the area informing us that those are projects made by students graduating from their floristry course, to avoid touching at all cost.
She chirps happily and I chuckle, being allowed to see such a bright side to her a wonderful feeling, it’s more than I had expected when I bought the tickets, I wanted her to have a good time, but I didn’t know how much of her anxiety would get in the way, how risky of a move it was, I just knew that I still wanted to try.
I wasn’t really sure how much she would love it here, as someone who works on perfumes all the time, maybe the odours would bore her, or she wouldn’t appreciate them as much since she must work with similar smells all the time, but seeing her eyes blissfully close as she would bend over certain flowers to smell them properly, it made me realize that I do underestimate her on some aspects.
Y/N appears to be very simple, if she loves something, she loves all of it without restraint, and if she doesn’t like it, then she doesn’t, there’s no pretending with her.
I learned that with great amusement earlier when she showed me a particular plant and plainly said - I’m never ever going to use that smell for anything related to perfumes, I would be banned from the industry right away, it smells like squished flies.
How she came up with that comparison is a story that I wish to hear one day, but for today, I’ve been following her pace, taking in her smiles and that’s been enough for me.
Together, we walk around the beautiful garden decorated with floral arrangements that must have taken so much effort and time, I can’t even begin to understand how they could do such a thing and I find myself lost for words when we come across a gigantic eagle, the chest area and wings covered in tulips of various colours among others, flowers I come to realize smell like her.
Is this what she smells like? Tulips?
I turn to her as she gazes up at the bird in wonder, her scent blending in effortlessly with the flowery bird, it makes me feel proud that they used the flower that represents her as my mate for the animal that represents my existence.
Tulip… wouldn’t that be cute for her? I feel like it suits her well.
We keep walking around until we eventually stumble upon a cat structure, which so happens to be covered in tulips as well.
It makes me think of Yoongi hyung and I smile, I’m sure he would’ve loved being here too, I bet he’s never really had the opportunity to visit such places, the wonder I’d seen on his face the first time Jin hyung and I had brought him to the beach something I’ll never forget.
For an animal who’s supposed to hate water, he sure had his fun jumping in the sea, his laughter as he’d splashed us endlessly with his gummy smile causing me to giggle. Man was he cute that day.
“Why are you giggling?” Y/N asks me suddenly and I look down to see her gazing at me in curiosity before turning back to the cat.
I’m sure her thoughts are taking her to him as well, even though the memories she seems to get are not from the same category as mine, something I wish could change one day.
“I was just remembering the day when Yoongi saw the beach for the first time a few years ago. Do you know what was the first thing he did when he saw the endless blue?” I ask her, watch as she shakes her head, unsure of what the cat could’ve done.
“Did he run away?” she tries and I grin, that would’ve been better.
“No, he buried me in the sand. Straight up looked at me and said - Lie down right there and don’t move. Jin, instead of helping me, helped him by filling buckets of water to make sure that I would be stuck in sticky sandy mud. Once he was done… he ran to the water and then proceeded to stay there for the next hour or so until Jin called him for lunch. It was the first time we were seeing him look so bright and happy” I muse, a contentment filling me at the memory.
Maybe we should do something again soon, all of us together, and Y/N could come this time? I would love that, I know Jin and Yoongi would be happy as well.
Y/N snorts before covering her mouth with a hand as her cheeks take on a shade of red and I grin, I’m glad that my misery can make her laugh.
“You wouldn’t laugh if you were the one buried in sand for over thirty minutes. It’s some strange kids I never saw before who saved me when they saw me pleading for help next to a sleeping man, I swear, I would’ve died if not for them” I continue my tale, watch as she giggles before turning back to the structure with a pensive smile.
“I guess us changing for the better is simply the result of spending time with you two” she hums softly, but I tilt my head in confusion, her words puzzling me.
“What do you mean?” I ask her, to which she smiles before turning her gaze back to me, soft and tender, it sends tingles down my spine, a warmth wrapping around my heart because I love when she looks at me like that.
“Being with you… how could I explain… it’s like standing next to the sun. When I lost my grandmother… I lost my personal sun, I became very depressed and upset, it was like I kept bathing in darkness and I thought it would just keep going forever, but after meeting you…
It’s like sun rays have started peeking through the very dark clouds covering my sky and now… now I get to see the blue sky again. Being with you fills my world with so much light, Jimin, that I can’t even focus on the darkness that used to be anymore, you’re my new personal sun, the brightest of all”.
As she speaks, my soul starts buzzing with pride, because it’s such a big compliment she’s giving me right now, as well as stating herself that she’s starting to feel better, at least with me, it makes me so very happy.
I step closer to her and wrap myself around her shoulders from the back, feel her lean slightly against me with a smile, my wings enclosing us in a safe space, this feels so nice, like it was always meant to be.
“I’m glad you feel that way. To know that I can bring you that light, it makes me proud, although I do hope for it to come from yourself one day, because you should always be your own sun, wouldn’t that be ideal? Then there would be no darkness no matter where you are” I ask as I rock us back and forth, and she hums with a small nod of the head.
“Right… I think it might be possible one day, but in the meantime, keep being my sun until I can shine brightly too, and then when I’ve achieved that goal, I could be your sun too, two suns in the same sky, I wonder what that world would look like?”.
I chuckle, wondering myself, wouldn’t it mean the end of the world? How could a planet handle the heat of two suns?
“Maybe you should opt for being a moon instead, we would balance each other out, two suns sounds like a lot of pain for our eyes” I offer instead and a giggle leaves her lips.
“Yeah, that sounds safer, and a little easier”.
We keep gazing at the intricate cat together, thoughts both heading to the man who sports the shiny coat of black fur, colourful flowers hopefully reflecting how he now feels from the inside.
I just want them to stop being in pain, can’t we all be happy from now on?
Your POV
Now back to my home, Jimin at his house and probably napping by now, he did look tired when he stepped out of the car after driving for a total of four hours, I sit in my living room to think back about today, such an amazing day I got to have with the eagle.
An eagle who I can now call my boyfriend because as of now, we are dating. A couple.
It feels surreal, as if I’m speaking of another life, yet it is mine, and he is mine too, I blush with a quiet squeal, I can’t believe it!
When he confessed to me all of a sudden, it shocked me greatly, I wasn’t expecting it at all considering I had just let out a comment out of jealousy without thinking, yet he used that opportunity to his advantage and look at us now.
Just thinking about it has my insides filling with sparkles, but also with a new kind of nervousness.
Did today really happen or was it all but my imagination, a result from my brain being too tired to function properly after what happened yesterday? Have I simply yet to wake up? It would be a terrible realization, a too good to be true dream, I don’t want to lose what I gained today.
Yesterday… man… I could almost pretend like it never happened if it wasn’t for the bandages still around my palms and the low thrumming of pain in my back. Luckily none of both were a problem today and driving back home wasn’t painful at all, so that gives me hope for a good recovery.
Maybe I could remove the bandages, I don’t think they were very necessary to begin with, the wounds are going to heal quickly and getting some fresh air would definitely help.
With that in mind, I decide to head to the bathroom to take care of it now, carefully undo both bandages before nodding to myself at the sight greeting my eyes.
The healing cream has done a good job, it makes cleaning my hands easier and after patting them dry with a towel, I glance at the shower before humming softly, fingers grabbing the edge of the hoodie Jimin had lent me this morning to keep me from wearing the very same outfit as yesterday.
I’ll just take a shower and wear it again, it’s not like it could get dirty that quickly, right? The idea of not having Jimin’s musky scent on my skin anymore feels unpleasant, I’m already getting addicted, my job hasn’t made it any better for me.
With a nod to myself, I remove his clothe and put it aside by the sink before throwing the rest in the hamper, then turn on the shower head to warm up the water before stepping in because there’s no way I’m standing under cold water before it gets to the right temperature.
Once satisfied with it, I step in and close the glass door behind me before allowing my body to soak in the water, the hot liquid soothing the ache of my body and washing away my tiredness in a constant stream.
What time was it when I got back home? Around five? I guess I should start thinking about what to eat for dinner even though I really have no idea what I want, that’s a struggle that never really goes away, does it?
Jimin probably would’ve come up with something in the blink of an eye, he seems like he always knows what he wants. Well, for the most part anyway, he’s still a living being, with troubles and struggles and all that… right?
Anyway, he sure knew where he wanted to take me today considering how he made that decision in the middle of the night, and he was also very clear on his intentions towards me, there was not a single ounce of hesitation in his voice when he mentioned that he wanted to win my heart, that I had first place in his own.
I bring a hand over my heart when it stutters in my chest, a smile growing on my lips as I remember the hugs, his arms around me, the soft feathers caressing my skin, how magic and special it felt, all of it.
Everything about today was perfect and I can only wonder about what tomorrow might bring with him, what new things we will get to experience together, what new memories we will create as we learn more about each other, as we grow closer.
The thought of seeing him again tomorrow for the drawing lessons makes me giddy with excitement even though we just spent nearly twenty hours together and I sigh happily before grabbing the shampoo to wash my hair.
In the morning, I’ll head to the lab early so I can work on making the perfume samples once more and then I’ll start planning my day for Friday, I’ll probably have to stay overnight there if I’m to work with Jungkook and I don’t want to do eight hours of driving in a single day.
Once I’ve reserved an hotel room, I might head back home to start packing the necessities before heading to school with the samples for Jimin and Jin, considering he gets to attend, which I hope he will because being there on my own… it would feel weird.
I really wish to get an honest reaction from the eagle, for him to not go over the top or to say that he likes it when he in fact doesn’t, he shouldn’t feel the need to lie just to please me, I know scents are very personal and different from one person to another.
I rinse my hair and massage my scalp slowly, thoughts now falling on the cat hybrid.
I swear, it’s a whole journey when I’m in the shower, sometimes I’m not too convinced that the steam really comes from the water and not from my brain.
Should I bring a sample for Yoongi too? Would he even want one?
It would somehow make me feel bad to give one to Jimin and Jin but not to Yoongi, what if it makes him feel left out? There’s no reason to have that happening, is there?
If we want to heal from the past, then the future actions need to reflect that goal, and if it needs to start from me… then so be it. I think he could do with a little splash of happy scents to fill his days, I have a feeling he might like the one I just made.
Once done showering, I dry myself off and get dressed in light clothes along with Jimin’s hoodie, the way his body scent washes over me again making me sigh in contentment.
He smells really good, I definitely need to take notes of it to see if I could make it in the lab, just for me.
I wonder what Jimin would say if he knew… I should probably be careful… yeah, let’s not let him find out, not when we just started dating, he would be freaked out.
I make my way back to the living room and drop myself on the couch before grabbing my phone with a lazy stretch, then look at the screen to find a few messages from Jimin, which makes me smile instantly.
Jimin: Thank you for spending today with me, I really enjoyed our time together We should do something again soon ☺️ You’ll be coming to class tomorrow right? Not seeing you after today would be sad I want to see my girlfriend
I grin and roll to my side before replying to him, thumbs getting all the wrong letters, it’s annoying but I eventually manage to send him a response.
Me: I enjoyed today too and I agree, let’s do something soon! Also, I will be present tomorrow so don’t worry, you’ll see me there, I want to give you the perfume samples too. Do you think Yoongi would want one?
Jimin: Oh oh! What’s that! Already talking about another man with me? Just after I took my courage in both hands to confess to you? Right after I said that I miss you?
I gasp and hurry to reply, it’s not like that!
Me: Ni! Ml I meant no! Od courde not!
Jimin:
All those typos means you tried to reassure me quickly right? You’re adorable! I was joking though, Yoongi would be thrilled
I huff in indignation, so he was just teasing me again? Still, I sigh in relief, that’s better than him being really mad, I don’t want him to think that I take what we have lightly, because I don’t.
I allow myself to look at all the little faces he keeps using as I wonder what to write to him. Are these the norms? Is that how texting goes nowadays? Little images used everywhere?
I have to search a little bit to find where they are, and once I do, I blink at the huge amount shown to me before settling with a red little guy, I guess it’ll have to do.
Me:
I look at the screen and hum, pleased. My first ever little guy and it’s the angry one.
But maybe I overdid it, this one appears to be very mad, surely there must have been one a little calmer?
Jimin: Are you mad? The technology dinosaur sent me a mad emoji! Should I come running to make you forgive me? You know what, I think I’ll do that You gave me your address before leaving, that was the reason why, right? Hold on, tulip, I’m coming!
I blink at the screen, eyes widening when he doesn’t send anything else after his last message. Isn’t he going to say that he’s joking? Is he really coming?!
I look around me, panic taking over because my apartment is a complete mess, I didn’t take the time to clean up lately because I was so tired, this is bad!
Jumping to my feet, I proceed to run all over the place, dishes grabbed and put in the already filled sink, damn it, this is worse than bad! It looks like I never clean anything when really, I’m usually pretty neat, what kind of first impression will that make?!
I do my best to do as much as I can before he gets here, vacuuming the floor, removing the dust, windows opened to freshen up the air inside, there’s just so much that swirls within my mind that I lose track of time.
Then, someone knocks on the front door and I freeze, a haunting music creeping in the back of my mind as I turn my gaze to the entrance, this is the moment when Jimin decides that he doesn’t want me anymore. If he sees the kitchen… it’s game over.
I used to hate that specific fact before, but now I’m very glad that my kitchen is in a closed room, the door that I found useless now perfect. I close it behind me and walk to the front door to peek it open, just the slightest bit to see Jimin grinning at me, a plastic bag in one hand that he raises proudly.
“I brought ramyeon, let’s eat it together!”.
I feel my soul attempt to flee my body until I squeeze my heart in a tight grip, don’t leave me yet, I can’t face this alone!
I smile awkwardly and step aside, watch as he enters inside with a happy hum, his wings flapping slightly behind him after sliding across my arms, something sweet that clashes vividly with the rising panic within me.
“We should get the water boiling first, where’s your kitchen? I’ll take care of it” he chirps as he turns to me with bright, excited orbs and I gulp, hands turning sweaty, because my plan is ruined, and this time, no taxi can save the day.
For more information about this story, find it here
Jimin hums happily to himself as he drives us somewhere, still unwilling to tell me anything as the streets go by, nothing that allows me to recognize where we’re going, I’ve never been around here before.
“You really won’t give me a hint?” I ask again, to which he sighs before glancing for a brief second my way, long enough to see the pleading pout on my face.
“You really want a hint?” he asks and I nod quickly, hoping that maybe he’ll have pity on me after all and soothe my curiosity, I feel like a child who hadn’t left the house in ages because of a sickness and is now allowed to go on a walk in the beautiful green world, Jimin brightens my world with every minutes that he spends by my side.
“Okay, I’ll give you a hint then” he says before grinning, and the way the light catches on his white teeth, gosh, this can’t be good…
“Listen well, Y/N” he muses, his soft velvet voice sliding against my eardrums like a soft caress, I lean slightly towards him, ready to hear the secret hint that he has protected for over two hours now but…
“Where we’re going right now… is huuuuge”.
I slump back against my seat and whine like a kid, feet hitting the carpet in annoyance while the eagle starts laughing happily, his amusement over tormenting me not yet over ever since we left the house, he’s having too much fun at my expense!
“Jimin!” I let out with a big pout, unhappy, I can’t believe he’s making me act that way right now, he also can’t believe it, and he adores this moment very much, he’s not about to stop anytime soon, not today, not in the next thousand years, because he intends to spend his eternity with me.
“We’re almost there! You’ll have to be patient, Y/N, I’m sure you can do it” he chirps, his giggles light and musical, and I love hearing that sound, but right now they- they… pleasantly annoy me.
“You’ve said that one hour ago! Just how far are we going?” I let out, now wondering if I’m just being kidnapped and I’ll never see the light of day again, but then again, considering I have social anxiety… it would keep me from quite a few panic attacks.
Maybe he should kidnap me after all. Easy access to food, no need to put a foot outside ever again… yeah, I can live with that.
Says the girl who just mentioned how happy she is at finally leaving home after years of not taking the time to enjoy life properly.
See what you’re doing to me, Jimin? A mess, that’s what you’re making out of me!
Said man shoots me a slightly concerned glance when he notices me glaring at him with my arms crossed over my chest, maybe he should give a real hint to calm me down?
“Okay… how about that then… that place has a lot of different scents, it happens both inside and outside, there’s a lot to see” he tries again and I lose my frown instantly, mind trying to search for what kind of place it could be.
A lot of different scents? Inside and outside, a lot to see, that doesn’t say a lot, but it is a hint, a better one than the last one he gave me, this actually makes me feel like I could come up with an answer if I try hard enough.
The question is… what kind of scent? Bad ones, or good ones? A mix of both? Oh man, I’ve always been bad at riddles, there’s no way I can think of anything with just that!
“Is it a farm?” I blurt out, and Jimin bursts into laughter before shaking his head with a cute smile over his face. “No, it’s not a farm, I guess I should’ve mentioned that the scents are good ones” he chuckles while I blush, but I’m not willing to admit defeat just yet.
Damn it, just where could we be going to?
“Is it like… a food market then?” I ask with a scratch to the back of my neck, watch as he once more shakes his head with a widening smile.
“No, but it could be fun, maybe another date? We could go at an odd time between lunch and dinner, then we’d have all the choices to ourselves without having to wait in line for hours” he hums, interested at the thought of it, and for him to mention another date when this one has yet to even really start, I can’t deny the flapping butterflies that spread in my stomach and break into my soul, mind unable to believe that he’s serious about doing fun things with me.
Am I not boring him yet? And him calling this a date… what is his actual reasoning behind using that word? Is it a more common word than I’m aware of and spending casual time with a friend is also called a date or am I allowed to read into this?
Oh gosh, I wish I had someone to turn to for this, but everyone I know either has a direct link with Jimin or with work, damn it!
“We’re here” the bird suddenly chirps and I look out of the window to see… a botanical garden site?!
I gape in wonder as Jimin makes us pull into the huge parking lot and near the main building before finding an empty spot while I gaze around us to see that there are quite a lot of cars around, but considering just how big the site seems to be just from the outside perspective, we won’t really meet that many on our adventure, right?
As soon as the car turns off, I undo my seatbelt and jump out of the car to have a better view at the outside garden we can see from here, and oh my gosh, it looks amazing! Is that a flower structure I can see from here?!
It’s gigantic!
I turn my gaze to Jimin when he steps out of the car, eyes shooting stars no doubt, he grins proudly at the sight as he comes to join my side, his orbs taking in the delight spread over my face with joy.
His wings twitch for a hug but he folds them to get rid of the itch, he’s glad I got such a good reaction to his idea.
“So? Didn’t I do good to keep this a surprise?” he coos, to which I nod quickly, feet jumping in place before I hug him tightly, he’s taken aback at first but he responds to it with a pleased hum before allowing me to step back, my eyes going back to the main building because I can’t believe it!
“You have no idea what it means for me to be here, Jimin, no idea! Can we go in now? Let’s go, I want to go as soon as possible!” I chirp, eager to head in and when he nods, I’m running to the front doors like my life depends on it, because being here…
I was supposed to go to a botanical garden like this one with grandma as my graduation present, that was her promise to me, it didn’t matter how good or bad my final grades would be, when the time would come, she would take me to one to congratulate me for making it through so many suffering years.
It obviously never happened, I wasn’t about to go all by myself, not when the wound was still so fresh in my heart, but now? To be here with Jimin? It feels like I’m finally getting my reward for pushing through my hard times, it feels amazing.
When was the last time I got to be so excited to be out like this?
“Wait for me, Y/N! Let’s not get separated!” Jimin screams from behind me just as I reach the building and I look over my shoulder to see him running over with his bag and my own, my eyes widen as I realize that I completely forgot my stuff.
He giggles at my expression and hands me mine before sliding his strap over one shoulder, his phone taken out and opened to an image with two bar codes. I tilt my head at the sight and he shrugs lightly, a shy pink covering his cheeks as he hides his phone behind him.
“I… might have bought the tickets in the middle of the night as soon as I got the idea, I really wanted to bring you somewhere nice” he admits softly, one wing stretching slightly as he rolls his shoulder, driving for so long without a break takes a toll on the body after all, especially with how he had positioned himself, he just had to feel closer to me any way he could but it did end up pulling on his wing slightly by doing so.
My soul swoons for the eagle in front of me instantly, heart skipping a beat as my cheeks start feeling hotter, being on the receiving end of so much good intentions not something I am used to.
Jimin smiles shyly just as a random cloud releases its temporary prison over the sun and when he runs a hand through his white hair to get it out of his face, the strands starting to poke into his eyes with how long they are, the golden sun rays beam upon him to show him off in all of his glory.
His honey skin turns to fire, smooth limbs holding so much power as he stretches with a light grunt, his beautiful orbs absorbing all of the rays’ energy to make them shine like gold, a few hair strands turning to amber, the sight has me freezing, unable to look away even as he tilts his head curiously at me, wings relaxing under the heat of the sun, this man shouldn’t be real.
“I- you- let’s go” I blurt out, tone rising in octaves as I rush to the door, hands covering my burning cheeks at what I did, I just blatantly stared at him like he was a star falling from the sky, a burning star, bright and warm, which he is but damn it, why did I have to be so obvious!
I push past the doors only to freeze when I come face to face with a hybrid, their round eyes staring at me with a strange look on their face, fingers going to wipe their mouth, did they forget a grain of rice? They don’t think so?
I step aside to let them out, then look around me, grow aware of the amount of people talking in the lobby as they too wish to visit the garden site, a few groups buying tickets and others showing their phone or printed papers to an employee, the restaurant area that is filled to the brim, ice cream dripping on the floor as children run around, I had almost forgotten just how bad my social anxiety can get, being with Jimin is so easy now that I thought I’d be fine, but this…
A loud group of mixed students suddenly exits the cafeteria, apparently over with their school trip day and I end up right in the middle of it as they walk around me from both sides to head to the door behind me with laughter, completely unaware of my existence but cornering me nonetheless with no way to leave, it has my breath hitching in my throat, body shaking because this is dangerous, what if one of them tries to trip me, what if they push me, can I handle so many students? I’m not used to pain anymore, I don’t want to start again.
I hold my head between my hands, eyes shut tight, I’m fine, this is nothing, they don’t even see you, you’re fine, I keep chanting to myself, it’s going to be over before I know it, then a bathroom, closed stall, safe-
“I’m here, it’s okay, Y/N, everything’s going to be okay” I suddenly hear Jimin’s soothing voice and the next thing I know, I’m being turned around to face a chest, warm feathers closing around me and keeping me from seeing anything beyond the barrier that his wings create.
Jimin hugs me tightly as he acts like a protection against the group, his eyes glaring at the poor children, he can’t help it, they just had to block the way to the worst person they could choose, the sight of my frozen form in the sea of bodies enough to let him know that things were about to go bad very soon.
I release the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, shaky and short before gripping onto his sleeves, not seeing a thing and having him so close helping me to keep my mind from telling me to make a run for it, I close my eyes in relief as I rest my head on him.
“They’re almost gone, don’t worry” Jimin assures me with his soft voice, a hand making it to the back of my head, grounding and comforting and I nod, trusting him with my wellbeing, one I know is not in immediate danger but my brain doesn’t know that, it just knows that Jimin is safe.
Enclosed within the safety of his wings, a warm tingling feeling takes over the previous growing panic as it finally starts registering to me just how precious what I’m experiencing right now is, Jimin’s large wings hiding my form from others, it makes him into a knight, the best in the whole universe.
His calm beating heart near my ear is an additional soothing source and by the time silence comes back around us, sign that the students are finally gone, I fully relax, which Jimin feels under his arms, it lets him know that we both avoided myself a major panic attack, thank goodness.
He releases a relieved sigh before looking down at me, his golden orbs meeting mine and he can’t help it when his wings fold tighter around me, the sight enough to have his heart burst with love, just how small and fragile I look to him right now, he would have me right here forever if he could, within the safety of his wings.
“Are you okay?” he murmurs, a smile making it to his lips when I look up at him with eyes ready for worship.
“Do you need more time? We can head to a calm corner and sit down for a moment?” he continues when I have yet to reply, but at the moment, I don’t even know if I could say something that makes sense, so I instead turn my neck to look behind me where I remember the tables to be at and his wings lower just enough to give me a clear view of the large room.
My eyes zoom in on an empty corner and… yeah, it feels like a good idea for now, maybe we could get a cookie or something, just to get a breather before starting our walk around the botanical garden.
“Let’s sit down a little, please” I answer his question as I turn back to him and he nods before releasing me, but not quite fully, one wing still wrapped over his arm and around my back to keep me close while the other remains on standby, ready to give cover if needed.
Together, we make our way to the corner I found and we settle at the table for two, Jimin in front of me and our bags at our feet, it feels weird to be able to sit normally after what happened.
Had I been by myself, I would be locked in the nearest bathroom to try and keep my mind from pulling me into the past, it’s so hard sometimes when all I can remember is the atrocities that would be done to me for entertainment.
But with the eagle, everything is always different, the impact he has on my life… I never would’ve imagined such a thing possible. Meeting him in the drawing class was truly the best thing to happen to me in a long time.
“Do you want something to drink? A snack maybe? I don’t think anyone will come by here so you can stay at the table while I go get us something?” he offers as he looks over at the little restaurants and shops along the wall, I nod slowly when his eyes fall back on me.
“Something sweet would be nice, thank you” I let him know and he smiles, pleased. “I’m on it, wait for me here, I’ll be fast” he muses before standing up to head closer to the area to have a look at what’s available.
I follow him with my eyes, smile whenever his own fall back to me to make sure that I’m still fine, he doesn’t dare make five steps without peeking at me and I find that endearing.
I’m just here minding my own business and smiling as I gaze at him in silence, until I see a woman make her way to him discreetly before tapping on his shoulder to get his attention, a hand throwing her long hair over her shoulder before her head tilts cutely to the side and I’m sitting up straight, what’s that?
Jimin gives her a weird look, confusion and lack of interest clear on his face as he quirks an eyebrow her way, lips moving to tell her something but then she decides to cling onto his arm, probably in an attempt to convince him with the feel of her breast and I fake a gag, one Jimin notices just in time, it has him laughing and giggling before pulling his arm out of her hold, transparent in his desire to be left alone.
He tells her something and I watch as the woman stomps her foot down before heading back to who I assume are her friends where they comfort her in her failure, but if I have to say something about it, it’s good riddance.
The idea that someone could take him from me leaves an incredibly bitter taste in my mouth and it’s not the same as coffee, this one makes me feel sick just thinking about it.
Jimin accepts a tray of drinks with a small paper bag before coming back to the table, completely ignores the heartbroken lady who stares at him like she just got the winning lottery ticket taken out of her hold and when her eyes fall on me, I can’t help but give her a pretty smile and a small wave of the hand.
Take that, he’s already with me!
But not like, with me, right? He’s just… with me, as in… accompanying me for the day. As a friend.
But this is a date, so technically, doesn’t it mean he’s interested in me the slightest bit?
No no, Y/N, don’t fall into this trap, nothing has been said, it can be a friendly date, I’m sure those exist, somewhere in the world, don’t jump to conclusions.
Jimin settles everything on the table and sits back down in front of me with a huff, a chill going through his body as he still feels the stranger’s eyes on him, it grosses him out.
“Situations like that must happen often” I blurt out before freezing, because what the heck, Y/N?
Jimin stares at me, the corners of his lips twitching slightly before he grabs one of the two drinks, a fruits smoothie that he sets in front of me before taking the other for himself.
“What situation?” he asks as he continues setting the table, bag opened to take out the napkins and four cookies, he must be a mind-reader, Jimin, the magical eagle, beware, he likes to tease.
“You know… that situation” I mumble as I sip on the smoothie right away to distract myself as his eyes burn my skin with how intent he’s staring.
“You mean… situations like that girl attempting to flirt with me even after I told her very clearly that I’m already on a date with an incredible woman who I’m trying to seduce?”.
I choke on my drink, liquid going down the wrong pipe making me cough loudly, I’m dying, double attack,this isn’t right, I think to myself as Jimin jumps to his feet to come by my side, a hand rubbing up and down my back to soothe, drink pushed aside to make sure it doesn’t fall and spill.
“W-what did you say?” I gasp out when my body allows me to speak anew, face burning from more than one cause, none of them natural because the word seducejust keeps echoing over and over again in my mind, I must have heard wrong.
Jimin looks down at me, a slight grin on his lips, he’s not buying that. “You know very well what I said, but if I must say it again…” he clears his throat, then bends down to be at my level, face stopping right in front of mine with bright orbs.
“I want to win your heart, Y/N, yours only, so if you ever see such situations happen in the future, which really, don’t happen all that often, know that I am not interested in them. You’re the only one who has my attention, okay? There’s no need to be jealous when you already have first place in my heart”.
Holy shit. Holy shit!
“You’re serious?” I ask him, unable to believe it myself, he’s really interested then? It’s not a friendly date but a… romantic one?
He nods his head firmly.
“Very serious”.
He then smiles, eyes creasing beautifully. “But don’t feel forced to reciprocate my feelings right now, I’m ready to put in the efforts to get you to fall for me, no matter how long it takes” he assures me, he sounds like he truly means it, my heart can’t help but drum wildly in my chest at his confession.
But I mean… it’s not like he has to do much on that matter… haven’t I already fallen for him?
Jimin’s eyes widen as he comes to a standstill and I stare back at him with a similar expression on my face, realization that I said that aloud bringing an end to time, I did not mean to say it like that, he should’ve heard that from me to him, not from me to third person mental Jimin, damn it!
“I… let me say that properly, since it’s already out in the open anyway… I… erm… I do… already have feelings for you so… you don’t really have to… well… try that hard” I mumble again, lips pinched because Jimin has clearly disconnected, he was not expecting to get a positive result to his confession, although he was not expecting a clear rejection either, but this is…
The jackpot. Jimin just hit the jackpot and he’s not losing it, never.
“Then will you be my girlfriend? Will you let me treat you the way you deserve without feeling like I’m going too far? Because to be honest, I was already planning to do that anyway but to not hide it under the pretense of being just a good friend would be amazing, I won’t lie” he blurts out, golden eyes unblinking as they stare at me, and gosh, he would love painting one of his walls with the colour of my cheeks, it would always remind him of my shy expression, he can’t get enough of it.
Hands sweating because I’ve NEVER been asked that before, I don’t think anyone ever even had a crush on me, this is all so new, I still manage to nod my head because for Jimin, I feel like there isn’t much I wouldn’t do.
I don’t think I’m quite processing just yet what I’m agreeing to, that as his girlfriend, it also means he’s going to be my boyfriend, that it’s not only words but a whole new world of interactions, to be not only in the flirting corner but also in the dating one.
Does that mean hand holding? Pecks on the cheek? Cuddling like we did yesterday? I would love that.
The way his face could light up the darkest room right now with how brightly he smiles, it lights up my soul, my heart, every dark corners of my being, and yeah, this feels right, if it’s with Jimin.
He straightens up and then hugs me tightly, wings happily fluttering behind him, it’s adorable and as I hug him back, I feel at peace with the progress that took place between us, this is a change that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
“I’m so happy, thank you for giving me a chance” he murmurs softly against my hair and I nuzzle my face into his neck, his words echoing greatly with how I feel myself.
“I should be the one saying that Jimin, thank you, for everything”.
For more information about this story, find it here
When morning comes, I find myself waking up in a fluffy bed, blankets wrapped around me in a comforting manner, a manly scent filling the air around me, it’s all so much to process in such a short amount of time, because I don’t remember how I ended up here.
Wasn’t I with Jimin?
I try to think back to what we did last night, we’d planned to watch a movie together after dinner, but I can’t recall watching it, what did we-
I gasp, body heating up and melting into lava in a time record as I remember cuddling with Jimin, his breath and heartbeat the only things I could hear in the moment, did I fall asleep on him? Oh my gosh!
I roll in the bed, hands covering my burning face, unable to believe it, to believe that this really happened.
How am I supposed to face him now?! I fell asleep on him! Does that mean he had to bring me to bed? Y/N, why did you have to let go like that, damn it!
I sit up and will myself to calm down with a deep breath.
No, it’s okay, it’s fine. Jimin wanted that cuddle session, he wouldn’t let go of you anyway, and he was so comfortable, if anything, it’s his fault if I fell asleep. Yes, that’s it, let’s just put the blame on him, then my pride will be fine.
A soft knock on the door and I look up just as it opens slowly to reveal Jin, his head hesitantly peeking in until his eyes fall on me.
“So you areawake, I wasn’t sure if I heard right when a gasp made it to my ears, are you okay?” he asks me and I blush at his words, a quick nod of the head to reassure him. “Y-yeah I’m fine, sorry”.
He chuckles and opens the door wider to stand in the doorway more comfortably.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s all good. I’m currently working on breakfast if you want to join me, Jimin is still sleeping but he’s a heavy sleeper, he won’t wake up so don’t worry about making noise, you could watch the TV and he wouldn’t budge at all” he offers, words that have me smiling lightly, amused.
“Sure, that sounds good to me. I can help you if you want, I’m used to making food” I say as I slip out of the bed, almost regretfully so, until I realize that sleeping in Jimin’s scent has made it stick to me, my own personal portable comfort, this is better than dragging a blanket around the house, more discreet.
I don’t even know why I want to keep his scent with me, it’s slightly embarrassing and I would be caught dead before admitting aloud that I would totally spray it on my pillows if it was a perfume, but it doesn’t mean that the wish doesn’t exist, Jimin smells very good.
My perfumer brain can’t help but try and see how I could mimic his scent, what ingredients I could use to get close to it, it would definitely be in a range of musk, I can’t believe that someone can have such a smell as their natural body odour, I’m jealous.
Jin shakes his head and steps aside to let me through and out of the bedroom before closing the door behind us. “It’s fine, I enjoy cooking, you can sit at the island and keep me company instead” he says as we walk to the kitchen and I smile, how could I say no to that?
“Can I make you something to drink? A coffee maybe?” he offers once we reach the cooking space where food is simmering and I hum, a deep inhale telling me that the food is going to be amazing once more.
“A coffee would be wonderful, thank you”.
I observe as he works the coffee machine while keeping an eye on his pots, it makes me feel a little bad to not be helping in any way, but the way he smiles at me as if proud that he gets to do something nice to someone else than his usual people, it keeps me from insisting, he really looks like he’s enjoying himself.
“There you go, want some milk, cream, sugar to go with it?” he asks as he walks to the fridge but I shake my head before taking a sip, a hum leaving me when the bitter covers my tongue before being swallowed.
“Nah, I’m good, thanks, I like it dark” I tell him, words that have his eyes widening in disbelief, it has me grinning as I keep sipping in silence.
“Not you too? Yoongi drinks it as dark as possible too, I really don’t understand how you do it, it’s not normal to like it that way, you two must be broken” he whines, and at hearing the cat’s name, I still a little before resuming my sipping.
Broken, huh? Maybe we both are. I did turn to black coffee in the hopes that it would help me cover just how empty I feel in the morning, it grew worse when I lost my grandmother, I could drink ten black coffees in one day just to try and bury the real bitter that would grow within me.
“I guess you’re onto something there, Jin, I don’t know about Yoongi, but I sure felt like a broken piece of flesh for a few years” I hum with a small shrug, it feels like so long ago now, I don’t have any energy to spare for that old pain anymore.
When did spending time with Jimin start affecting my mindset that way? It’s hard to believe that I even felt comfortable-ish with the cat the last time he was showing me some drawing tricks, I could’ve never done that if not for the eagle, he must be filled with healing magic, there’s no other way.
Jin stays silent at my comment, but I don’t expect him to say anything to that, what could he possibly respond?
“Can I ask you a question, Jin?” I let out after a while, eyes fixated on the dark liquid as I feel the man’s eyes settle on me. “What is it?”.
“When you met Yoongi for the first time, how was he?”.
I look up to see the exact moment when his lips pinch tightly, shoulders drooping slightly, the two of them are close, I can’t help but wonder how they made it to that point, where exactly did Yoongi start to change?
“When I first met Yoongi… gosh, he was lifeless, unresponsive to what I would say. Did Jimin tell you that I work in a rehabilitation center? We get a lot of… runaway kids there, some that have turned to drug to deal with rough environments, some who’ve gone through… excessive mental abuse, we help them get back on track. Yoongi was one of those cases, he needed help and I was only too eager to offer it” he starts as he turns his attention back to the stove to make sure the food doesn’t burn.
“He told me about what he did, all the awful things he did to a young girl who didn’t deserve any of it. Said that she was already a victim, so he thought he’d make use of that, that it might ease his conscience, he had so much anger and pain to let out and chose the worst possible way to go at it, but he didn’t know what else to do. It just kept going, again and again, until one day, he chose to drink a bit too much before taking his car, and then he did something stupid, and that stupid thing ended up destroying both him and that young girl.
Picking up the pieces… wasn’t easy. We almost lost him a few times, we couldn’t leave him unsupervised a single second without getting an alarm that someone was attempting a suicide. Yoongi… he didn’t want to be a bad guy, he hated being like that, but that’s a pattern that becomes hard to stop once it starts, he had no one to turn to, no one but himself and that in turn brought him even more pain, to him and to others. He didn’t handle that realization very well”.
I stare at his back as he speaks, as I get to hear for the first time about the other side of the mirror, not the victim’s side, but the assailant’s one.
When Yoongi decided to drive around drunk, grandma and I were also on the road, on the way back home.
Apparently, the black cat recognized our car and… no one really knows what went through his mind that day, maybe he just wanted to scare, he wanted to be a little asshole once more, but he started following us, a bit too close, always too close, it made grandma fidgety, age didn’t make her calmer behind a steering wheel.
One little bump from Yoongi’s car and we were heading towards a tree.
I got lucky, grandma… not so much.
My side of the car was intact, but not the other.
I remember his face when he stumbled out of his car, the pure shock on his face as he took in the wrecked vehicle, the blood, his eyes meeting mine before slumping to his knees, that was the first time I saw Yoongi cry.
It was a busy street so help arrived quickly. I was taken out of the car and sent to the hospital to treat my injuries, all minor, I was lucky, they kept saying, she should’ve been dead too, I don’t know how her side remained untouched.
An angel must have looked over her, it wasn’t her time to go.
The anger I felt at those words, I didn’t want to hear such bullshit, it wouldn’t give me my family back, no one could, and when I heard them pity the poor kid who caused the accident, that he would always have on his mind someone’s death, it made me even angrier, because he didn’t deserve anyone’s pity, it wasn’t an accident, he did it on purpose.
Never saw him after that day, he had just graduated, I guess the timing was good for him, he was just… good to go and I figured his life would keep going while mine turned to absolute hell but…
I guess it wasn’t like that after all, he struggled a lot too.
Jin smiles sadly at me. “He made it through, one step at a time, we fought his demons until he would get stronger, but you know the one thing that really helped him to make it out of the center with the mindset of becoming a better man?” he asks, to which I shake my head, unsure of what could’ve helped him towards such a noble path.
“You, Y/N. It’s thoughts of you that helped him get out of his sickening patterns. He thought that for every good thing he would do, he would also get one step closer to one day being able to make an attempt at showing you how truly sorry he is. That became his sole goal for many years, being worthy of being forgiven by you. Seeing you on that first day of class…” he sighs, as if the day happened yesterday.
“He told me about it recently, that he still can’t tell if he was hopeful or absolutely freaked out that his moment had finally come, his chance at redemption. Seeing your reaction to him… I honestly don’t think he was prepared for that, it shocked him deeply, to see the impact he had done on you, so he’s trying really hard to make things easier for you.
I don’t think you could even imagine just how much guilt Yoongi bears on his shoulders, Y/N, and I’m not saying that to try and convince you that he’s a better man, he can show you that himself, but I want you to know that he’s very sincere in his wish to be kind to you, he’s not that kid anymore, he worked really hard to make it to where he is today and I hope you can allow yourself to see that, to give him a chance”.
I try to process everything that I’m hearing, Jin’s words making me think back to the classes, it is true that nothing has happened so far to make me freak out out of my skin, everything has been very calm, peaceful.
Is that drawing class Yoongi’s way of trying to make it up to me, in the only way he can think of?
“Honestly… I could already see that, Jin. Yesterday, I went to class early and fell on him, we had… a very needed conversation, I think. We spent time together working on my drawing before Jimin came and… there’s definitely a distinction that’s starting to take place between his past self and his current self in my mind. I’m not saying that everything will be fine from now on but…
Being mad at him, sad for myself, I’ve done enough of that. It’s not like doing so has changed anything so far and it won’t start now that I saw him again in person. I want to let go of the past, I don’t want it to keep holding me back, and I don’t want it to hold Yoongi back anymore either. It might take time but… I know we can make it” I assure the man who stares at me with shock that quickly melts into relief and then into tears.
He wipes his eyes at the realization and clears his throat before offering me a wavering smile. “That’s… that’s very good, Y/N, that makes me very happy. You both deserve it, a happy life from now on, you both deserve it”.
—
It’s while I’m alone, still sat at the kitchen’s island while scrolling on my phone that I hear a sleepy groan, one look to my side showing that Jimin is currently stretching the sleep out of his body, it was about time.
It was truly saddening, watching the once warm food get colder and colder with each passing minutes following Jin’s exit, his large waving movements before leaving the house making me grin as I promised him to come back soon.
“Oh man, I feel like I slept an entire century” he grumbles, still half-asleep, fingers rubbing his eyes as he sits up slowly, apparently not remembering just yet about my presence here, it’s quite funny as I push my phone away to observe him run a hand through his messy hair, an annoyed groan as he starts grooming his wings, every feathers looking as if they got poked out of place one after the other.
“Damn I hate this, my stupid feathers always have to act like they have a life of their own” he grumbles unhappily, an itch to his back making him twist around, hopeless in reaching the right spot before he gives up and proceeds to rub his back against the couch, a relieved sigh leaving his lips and then he’s turning his gaze towards the kitchen and-
“AH!” he screams, body jumping to his feet right away, hands covering half of his face as he takes me in, my form obviously staring at him, there’s no denying it even if I wanted to.
“Oh my gosh! Y/N! Why are you so quiet?!” he exclaims, a hand sliding down to his heart, it’s enough to have me giggling at his expression, why does he have to be so cute as soon as he wakes up?
“I didn’t have any reason to be loud” I answer simply, but it’s not what he wanted to hear, he’s not sure what kind of answer he wanted, but it wasn’t this one.
He pouts slightly before clumsily making his way over, his body bumping into mine from behind me before he drops his chin on my shoulder with a sigh, the sound of his wings fluttering and rustling somehow managing to make my heart stutter, it’s… endearing, a sleepy bird.
“You should’ve woken me up… you look like you’ve been awake for a while” he mumbles sheepishly and I hum, one look at the now empty and cold cup of coffee indeed showing that it’s been a little while.
“It’s fine, I’m not one to keep someone from sleeping if they need it. Anyway, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to wake you up, Jin did say that you’re a heavy sleeper, you don’t wake up easily” I muse, smile when he rubs his forehead against the side of my neck with a whine.
“You should’ve tried anyway… I wanted to wake up before you” he complains but I shrug, the movement making him grunt lightly.
“Well you can’t change the past, can you? It’s too late, Jimin. At least you’re awake now, focus on that” I try before chuckling when he sighs before stepping back, his warmth leaving me feeling cold for a moment before my own body heat takes over.
“That’s not fair, but seeing as you currently are using Jin’s favorite cup of coffee, I’m taking it that he kept you company this morning?” he asks as he goes around the counter to stare at the stove and I hum in confirmation, the little information about the cup enough to have my heart warming up.
“Yeah, he wouldn’t let me help him cook though, but we talked quite a bit. I’m honestly shocked that none of it woke you up” I tease him, watch as his pout comes back before he starts heating the stove to get the food warm once more, clearly used to it, Jin must make him food often before leaving for work.
Everything is calm and quiet, but then Jimin is suddenly gasping and running to the living room before having a look outside and…
“Noooooo! He left with the car! Damn it! All my plans! All of them… gone!”.
I laugh when he slumps over the couch in despair, his wings falling by his sides as if all of his energy has left him, a dramatic reaction to something that isn’t that bad. We can just grab a taxi and get to mine at work, it’s no big deal.
“What kind of plans did you manage to make while sleeping?” I ask him, curious because as far as I know, coming up with ideas when fast asleep… he must have very weird dreams.
“While sleeping? No, after I took you to bed, I stayed awake for a while searching on my phone what kind of things we could do today, you know, places that aren’t full of people, I was so proud of what I’d found too! It would’ve been so rom- fun! A lot of fun!” he blushes as he turns his gaze away from me in a pout, I can’t help my heart from melting for him.
“Jimin” I call out, hear his small grumble in answer before glancing my way. “We can take a taxi to my lab. I have a car too” I tell him, leave him time to process and…
“Oh! You’re right!” he chirps, golden eyes bright and alive before he’s back to his feet and rushing to the kitchen to turn off the stove before food starts burning, he’s so easy to please.
“So what are we doing today?” I ask, wondering where his mind took him, the fact that he tried to come up with places that wouldn’t have me constantly on edge because of them being filled with people enough to have my heart falling for him, how many would’ve taken the time?
“It’s a surprise” he grins, proud of himself when he looks over his shoulder to see my gaping mouth, I can’t believe he’s going to keep the suspense running until we get there!
“But you’re going to have to tell me if we want to make it there, it’s my car, remember?” I try but he huffs as he gets two plates to fill with the food.
“It might be your car, but it’s mydate, one I am doing the planning for, so I’ll be the one driving”.
D-d-date?
Is today a date? Is that what it is?
At my silence, Jimin turns his gaze back to me before stilling, the blushing to my cheeks an intensity he had not seen coming, and the happy ripple going through his feathers is enough to tell me that he’s enjoying the sight very much.
“Everything okay? You’re not against this being a date, right?” he croons delightfully, the emphasis he puts on the one word causing my heart to skip a beat, lips pursing when he slowly slides one plate in front of me with a wink before sauntering around the island and to the stool besides mine, uncaring that he’s currently hitting me with combo attacks without a care in the world for my mental safety.
Against it? No, not at all.
What I am against though is the way he filled my plate as if I’m going to be eating for three!
I turn my head to him, ready to share that piece of my mind with him but at seeing the way he’s resting his cheek on his hand, elbow propped on the counter and eyes on me, patient and amused, I shut my mouth and turn slightly so my back faces him.
Yeah, I’m against this too.
I hear him chuckle before the sound of him eating reaches my ears and I sigh in relief.
Will I be able to make it through the day with him?
Because it seems that flirty Jimin has made an appearance and I’m not sure if I’m ready.
For more information about this story, find it here
“There you go, all good to go now” Jin chirps as he sets the roll of bandages on the counter after taking care of my hands properly.
It’s not that Jimin did a bad job, it just would’ve been hard to use my hands properly with how thick he’d bandaged them. Now… it’s much easier to move my fingers.
I smile sheepishly at him, a little embarrassed with how things went at our arrival, the way he’d turned frantic at hearing that I hurt myself, he wouldn’t take a no for an answer as he’d led me to the bathroom, hence leaving Jimin completely alone in the living room.
“I’m sorry again about tonight… I really didn’t mean to get here so late, the food even got cold because of me” I mumble once more, needing to let him know that I’m really not trying to pretend like what I did was fine, it wasn’t good manners at all.
He smiles as he puts everything back into the first aid box and into a drawer. “Don’t worry about it, I can see that this afternoon was harsh on you, you don’t get hurt the way you did just by tripping on your laces” he hums and I look down at that, guilty.
“The heat patch on your back should help, but don’t forget to take it easy, okay? That’s a nasty bruise you have there, I won’t tell Jimin because he’s going to act like a hen over you and then you’re going to want to lock him into a room to get a breather, but don’t hesitate to come to me if you need something, I’m… not as bad as him” he informs me with a wink and I chuckle with a light nod of the head, relieved that he’s able to joke around even after seeing the additional wounds that the eagle doesn’t know about.
Seeing how Jin is helps me understand why Jimin is so naturally gentle and caring, he had a really good example to learn from, that much is certain.
“Thank you, Jin ssi, I really appreciate your help… and your discretion” I tell him before standing up from the toilet to exit the bathroom but freeze when his eyes widen in shock at me, my words clearly bothering him in a way that confuses me.
“Dear, please, just Jin, we’re no strangers anymore. Jin ssi… it makes me feel like I’m at work, I don’t like it” he chides softly with a pout and I can’t help but giggle before nodding my head.
“That information is noted, Jin, I won’t do it again” I reply and his smile comes back, one motion of the arm to invite me to walk out and join our lonely eagle when a knock on the door stops me from turning the knob.
I step back when the door opens slowly to reveal Jimin, his body now seemingly clothed in an outfit that resembles mine, same colours, same pieces, it makes me smile at first, but it fades quickly from my face when the door fully opens to show all of him, a sight that has me gulping audibly, eyes blinking quickly at his handsome form.
Jimin… looks amazing, I noticed that from the very beginning, there’s no avoiding it, from his white hair, golden orbs to his beautiful wings, there’s no mistaking his grace but right now… why is my heart beating so fast?
His eyes settle on me immediately, wings flapping lightly behind him before he comes to flank my side, fingers delicate as they take mine within his hold to have a look, and in all of his softness, I feel a heat creep up my neck and to my cheeks, which I can only hope doesn’t show because it would be embarrassing.
“So? Are you satisfied with my work or do you need me to bandage these again?” the human asks, a knowing smile on his face as he observes the hybrid with a quirked eyebrow but Jimin ignores his obvious teasing and hums with a nod of the head, looking like he’s pleased with the final result.
“No it’s fine, thank you hyung, I’m not that good at this so you did it much better, does it still hurt? Is it fine now?” he answers Jin before turning his question at me, worried orbs meeting mine, to which I smile, a small pat to his hand to reassure him.
“I’m fine, don’t worry, Jimin, the skin doesn’t itch anymore, it wasn’t all that bad to begin with anyway, just a little scratch” I tell him, but he pouts, not convinced, lips parting to counter but Jin sighs and stops him before he can.
“Listen to the lady, Jiminie, she said she’s fine so don’t insist! Now why don’t we get out of the bathroom hm? It’s not the best place to have a conversation, I can think of better environments for that” he comments, words that have Jimin pausing, eyes looking around us to process that indeed… we’re still standing besides the toilet.
“Right… then are you hungry, Y/N? Because it’s ready, the food is all warmed up” Jimin recovers with a wide grin, still aware that our hunger is matching, if he’s still starving, then surely I must be too, it makes me chuckle lightly with a nod.
“Hungry is not enough of a word anymore, I’m starting to auto-digest myself”.
That makes Jin laugh, the sound just as special as Jimin had mentioned at first and it both takes me by surprise and not at the same time. “We shouldn’t waste anymore time then! Wouldn’t want your poor friend to wilt in front of us because we didn’t feed her on time!”.
His words make me feel quite shy, but… he’s right, so with that said, we quickly exit the bathroom, Jimin pulling me by the hand proudly until we arrive to a small but pretty dining table, the surface already decorated like I would expect a restaurant to be, utensils, napkins and plates all arranged to look fancy, which somehow clashes greatly with our now sporty looks, but it’s more funny than anything else.
Jin whistles as he follows behind us, eyes falling on the sight in front of us.
“Dang, Jiminie, who are you trying to impress like that? I might assign you to setting the table everyday from now on if you would always do such a good job” he teases the younger man and I smile when the bird blushes furiously, bashful eyes falling on his hyung in a silent request for respite.
“It’s beautiful, Jimin, truly, I couldn’t have done a better job” I compliment him, wanting to reassure him that it’s a pleasant thing to fall upon, and although maybe a little overdone considering the current ambiance, it’s still very lovely.
Lovely, because he cares enough to put in some efforts and that in itself is precious. He could have used plastic utensils and recyclable plates and I wouldn’t have complained, as long as the company is pleasant, but looking at this now, it reminds me of when I was younger, when I would do that for my grandma, a fancy table, even if it would look tacky at most, that was me doing my best.
I wanted to impress her on the nights when she would have to work later than usual, so I’d play my cards right and do an attempt at a fancy night for her, with meals I’d make by following her favorite recipes and the joy I would experience at seeing a wide smile appear on her face every single time, it was worth every unique items in the world.
Jimin turns to me and grins so brightly that his face almost blinds me, his eyes creasing into pretty crescents that have my heart warming up, the way his chubby cheeks stretch so cutely, I can’t handle this, it feels like a personal attack towards my soul, shy tingles spreading through me at the speed of light.
“I’m glad you like it, thank you for acknowledging my hard work instead of saying annoying comments like my hyung does” the eagle dares say, but Jin takes no mind to it as he rolls his eyes playfully before heading to the kitchen to prep the food into different portions and onto the plates.
“Here, come take a seat, Y/N” Jimin muses before pulling out a chair from under the table and I listen to him, a blush deepening on my already warm cheeks when he pushes the chair as I sit, it feels… special, it’s sweet.
He takes the seat at the side of the table besides mine with a proud look on his face, wings relaxed behind him, not fully folded but not quite opened either, they just look a little wider than usual and soon, Jin comes back with the plates, ones he settles on the table with ease before sitting in front of me.
I take a look at the both of them, at their smiles as they tease each other like only family can and I take it all in, a smile of my own taking place over my face, the events that took place earlier feeling like nothing but a distant memory now.
If Jimin hadn’t found me miraculously like he did, I wonder what I would be doing right now? Would I have spent the night sitting on the floor before trying to make the perfume again as soon as I would’ve woken up?
Just how pitiful would I be compared to the happy buzz I can feel right now?
Jimin will probably never understand just how much light he brings into my life, it’s like all the colours I can use for my canvas are finally back where I can see them, and all they need now is for me to take them and start painting.
Maybe that’s what I was missing after all, a source of light.
In the past, I had my grandmother, and now I have Jimin.
“Well, I hope you enjoy the food, Y/N, because it was made with a lot of love” Jin muses once he’s had enough of trying to pluck Jimin’s feathers out, much to said hybrid’s relief as he was about to scream bloody murder, cheeks red in annoyance, because who the heck plucks feathers for fun? His hyung shouldn’t be one of those people!
I turn my gaze to the older man, his words settling heavily onto my heart, they have it squeezing painfully, a lump forming in my throat because those are words that used to be said so often in my past, not just by my grandmother but also by my parents.
I can still remember small, brief fragments of a lost life where my mother would smile at me and feed me a piece of the food she’d be making, and I know she would chuckle when doing so, but I can’t even remember the sound of her voice anymore.
Feeling tears rising up in my eyes, I look down at the food to try and keep them out of sight, not willing to ruin the moment with forgotten memories that have my soul weeping with sadness and longing, but as I take my first bite and chew slowly, my senses get swarmed by the flavor of my parents’ food, dad and mom working together in the kitchen to make an amazing meal, it tastes just the same.
It feels so weird, because I don’t usually think about them, it’s been so long after all, but being here with Jimin and Jin, and eating this food, it’s bringing all these memories back to the surface and I can’t help the tears that flow down my cheeks in response to such an emotional trip down the past.
Dad’s laughter, mom’s hugs, their smiles and endless jokes, their warmth, their eyes when they’d gaze at me with the strongest love to ever exist, the love of a mother, the love of a father, how could I even forget about them when they gave me their all for the short time we had together?
A hand on my forearm, a gentle squeeze and I’m looking up through the blur that my tears form to see Jimin’s worried eyes on me, his lips moving but the sound of his voice lags behind, like everything is in slow motion. “What’s wrong, Y/N? Are you hurting somewhere after all?”.
I set my fork down and wipe my cheeks with the back of my free hand, not wanting to lose Jimin’s touch just yet, it feels grounding.
“No, no… It’s just… Jin’s food reminds me of my parents. It’s… so many good memories that I had forgotten, I’m sorry, I’m fine, I promise, I just didn’t expect to miss them so much so suddenly, it’s been so long after all” I explain, apologetic eyes falling on the man whose eyes soften, tears starting to rise at my words before he’s reaching out to my hand, one I shyly let him hold, Jimin doing the same with my other one, such comfort they give me right now.
If I had known that today would’ve been so emotionally demanding, I would’ve slept one more hour in bed before heading to work.
“Please don’t apologize for that, it’s… an honor to know that my food brought you such precious memories. Whenever you want to get another taste, just say the word, okay? I’ll be more than happy to cook for you if it gives you a way to remember them” the human offers and I nod with a trembling chin, embarrassed that I’m showing them such a weak image of myself tonight but it’s not like it’s within my control.
Jin nods back, a sniffle before he rubs his eyes to keep his cool, orbs shining under the warm light of the ceiling and Jimin’s lips press tightly as they curl downwards, wings flapping softly behind him in face of our emotions.
“Look at you two, stop that or you’re going to make me cry too” he mumbles weakly, his tears already threatening to flow down his cheeks at seeing us both so emotive, yet he fights them with all of his will, wings stretching wide behind him, wanting nothing more than to hug us both with them.
I let out a self-deprecating chuckle at the sight of us crying over food, it’s funny in its own way. “I’m making this whole night one to remember, aren’t I?” I try to joke a little, to which they both laugh softly, a good pat of the hand before Jin lets go of mine while Jimin still holds tightly onto my other hand, not ready to let go just yet.
Feeling the same way, I turn my hand around in his but where he expects me to remove it from his hold, I instead lace our fingers together, much to his relief and I watch with a pleased heart as his lips curve upward as he wipes his eyes with the other.
He squeezes gently, a silent thank you and the sad turns into contentment once more, emotions on a roller-coaster, but who can blame me? These last three weeks have been hard.
“Alright, let’s keep eating before it gets cold a second time, shall we? It would be such a shame, especially if it’s my fault again” I tell them chuckling, and with a nod and a grin from the both of them, we resume our renewed appreciation of the food in front of us, smiles on our lips at the sweet moment that was just shared between us.
—
“Okay you two, I have a big day tomorrow so I’m going to head to bed now. Y/N, should you want it, you’re welcome to stay over, I’ll make breakfast before leaving tomorrow so you can share it with Jiminie, we have plenty of spare blankets and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind letting you use his bed, he can sleep on the couch for one night”.
I look over my shoulder from my seat on said couch next to the eagle to see the man gazing at us with warm eyes, a hand on his hip and a playful smile on his lips.
The mention of Jimin’s bed has my heart skipping a beat, because I’ve never slept in another bed than my own, so a man’s bed at that? Goodness, could my soul take it?
“I can’t possibly impose any further than I have already, I actually live nearby, I can just walk back home” I counter his offer, not wanting to intrude in their daily life after I caused them both so much stress in such a short amount of time but Jimin bumps my shoulder with his, our close proximity making me feel safe and snug.
“Nonsense, close or not, it’s very late right now, it wouldn’t do for either of us to head out. Stay, I can lend you clothes for the night, I don’t mind you using my bed, the couch is really comfortable” he insists, hopeful eyes meeting mine in a beg for more time together and I feel my resolve wither too quickly.
The reason might also be that I don’t really want to leave, not when I’m enjoying myself so much with Jimin.
Going back home after such a fun night… I’m not ready to face my empty apartment again.
“If you’re so sure… then I guess it can’t hurt to stay the night” I tell them both, a smile coming to my lips when Jimin cheers in silent victory while Jin simply chuckles, pleased.
“Don’t worry about imposing, dear, you’re welcome here anytime you want for as long as you want. On that note, I will take my leave, that body of mine won’t rest while staying up as late as you kids do” he muses before waving a hand our way, then walks into a room nearby, door closing behind him.
We’ll have to try and be quiet, I wouldn’t want to keep him from resting properly, but Jimin seems to not care all that much as he claps his hands loudly, excited about the night that offers itself to us.
Seeing him so happy causes me to giggle, heart both excited and a little awkward because it feels weird to be here at such a late hour, I’ve never had a sleepover before after all, but I know that with Jimin, it’s going to go well.
Honestly, anything could be fun with Jimin, he has a way to make me smile without even trying.
“So, what movie are we watching then? Ah but wait, I guess I should first ask you when you need to get to work tomorrow right? I guess we shouldn’t stay up too late then… I wouldn’t want to make working harder for you because I kept you up all night… I just haven’t had any sleepovers in ages, I’m a bit too excited” the bird lets out sheepishly, the end a disappointed mumble but I shrug, unsure myself.
“Well… I’m technically done with my part of the work until Friday, so I could not go and I’d be fine but I do need my car, although the only day I really need to head to the lab is on Thursday so I can make those samples again. What about you? You have work, don’t you?” I ask back but his widening smile lets me know that he might not after all.
“I don’t! A friend asked me if he could take my shift because he really needs it and he wasn’t scheduled for work so I agreed, which means I’m free! We could spend the day together, maybe do something fun! What do you think?! Please say yes!” he pleads, wide and sparkling eyes staring at me, it makes me feel like refusing would be the same as stealing a child’s favorite balloon.
I bite on my bottom lip, unsure. I really want to say yes, but… what if he gets bored of me throughout the day? I don’t know how to be fun for such long periods of time, what if I don’t make him laugh enough? I don’t want to see his smiles turn forced.
Appearing to read me much better than he should, Jimin takes my hand in both of his and holds it tightly, puppy eyes gaining in power, it has my heart wavering, am I sensing a new weakness?
“Please? It’s going to be fun, I like spending time with you” he insists, knowing just the right thing to say to push the balance to his side, it almost feels like cheating, yet he is fully within his rights, the sly eagle.
I purse my lips, eyes narrowed slightly before I give up with a nod of the head, a decision that makes me more happy than it makes me miserable, let’s be honest here.
“Okay okay, you win, we spend the day together, we can think about what we can do during the day tomorrow while eating breakfast” I tell him and it’s like his joy skyrockets through the roof, cheeks turning a pretty pink and arms quickly gathering me in for a hug, so tightly that I actually need to hold onto his shoulders just to take in a breath.
“I’ll be thinking about what we can do all night” he promises and I laugh with a gentle pat to his back, he’s so easy to please, isn’t he?
“Please don’t, sleep, get your energy back and then we can think about it together in the morning, it’s not a race” I counter but he shakes his head quickly, still unable to bring an end to the hug as he tucks my face right into his neck.
“You don’t understand, Y/N. I won’t be able to notthink about it, this makes me too happy, I want us to have fun tomorrow, we shouldn’t waste it doing something boring, I want you to enjoy it as much as possible” he chirps and when he pulls back to grin at me, eyes beaming in delight and promises, I can see that he’s not lying, he really has this dear to his heart.
Seeing him from so close, his arms still around me, wings slightly cradling us into a warm embrace to avoid squishing them in the couch along with the way he stares at me as if I hold the world in my eyes, it makes me become bashful, heart fluttering in my chest.
I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be hugged, but now that Jimin keeps doing it, I could stay here forever, just to feel his body holding me. I didn’t know I could miss something so much, but hugs, physical affection, my soul was actually starving for it, wasn’t it?
I smile at him as I take in this moment, his wish to stay with me warming my heart, he makes me feel like I belong somewhere, finally.
He makes my life not only about work anymore, he makes it feel brighter, moments like meeting him in class, his smiles and teasing pokes things I come to look forward to, it’s nice.
It’s almost scary to think that none of this might be happening right now if he had sat somewhere else on that first day at school, or if he had decided to stay mad at me after what I did to Yoongi. I could be crying in my misery, yet I find myself smiling, heart filled with warmth instead.
“Thank you for sitting next to me that day, Jimin, I’m glad it was you and not someone else” I tell him, unable to keep my heart from blurting out these words and I watch as he pauses, clearly he was not expecting me to say that out of nowhere.
But then he tilts his head to the side, smile softening, one wing brushing against my arm and my heart stutters in a tantrum, and damn it, he must have felt it, right? We’re still so close!
“Why all of a sudden? What makes you feel this way?” he asks, his voice a low drawl, he wants to pull every truths he can out of me, it has me mentally swearing, because of course he would want me to specify why exactly I feel that way.
With his body wrapped around mine, a living prison I don’t want to run away from as much as I want to flee with all of my might, I start growing nervous and tensed, an audible gulp leaving me and he seems to enjoy that much more than entertaining the first idea that was to watch a movie to begin with when he lets slip an amused grin that doesn’t help my heart to settle down.
I just know that my face is starting to take on a deep shade of red and there’s nowhere to hide in our position, he gets to see it all, as well as feeling the way my heart beats wildly against his own, I can’t tell how fast his beats because of mine.
Come on, Y/N, you can do it, it’s Jimin, he’s your safe bird, right?
“W-w-well it’s b-because…” I stop there with a frown, uncomfortable because of all the stuttering I do but Jimin simply hums, eyes locked on mine, patient as he waits for my explanation behind my sudden gratitude, he’s not going to let it go without hearing what he wants to hear.
Deep breaths, it’s okay.
“It’s just… I’m happy to have you in my life, it feels like… like things are b-better now, a lot better, you make me feel not so alone anymore” I mutter the end so quietly that I might as well not say anything at all but he hears me just fine and his face lets me know that he’s going to remember these words for years to come.
“I’m really happy to have you in my life too, Y/N, really happy. Taking that seat was one of the best choices I could make and I’m glad I did, else we wouldn’t be spending this moment together right now. Though I have to confess that the reason why I went to sit next to you in the first place instead of all the other seats was because I could feel that you and I could become great friends.
There was something about you that pulled me in, that made me feel like we had to get closer, so even if I had ended up in another seat, we would’ve become friends anyway, I would’ve made sure of it” he muses proudly before hugging me again, his body rocking us back and forth happily, his chest buzzing with his content hums that echo within my soul over and over again.
“Really? You wanted to be my friend that much?” I can’t help but ask as I turn insecure all of a sudden, because what can I possibly bring him that he brings me? Nothing, that’s what.
He nods softly, his chin resting on my shoulder as my cheek remains squished into his neck where it’s all snug and comfortable, his wings gentle as they slightly touch my sides, Jimin is the softest cuddle bear I have ever met.
“Without a doubt. I really like spending time with you, Y/N, I like getting to learn more about you, you’re easy to be with and you make me feel like I belong. You mean a lot to me already, I would never lie about that” he assures me and I melt in his arms, so relieved to know that I’m not the only one feeling like that.
I never knew tonight could take such a turn, but I’m loving every seconds of it as we stay like that, arms around each other in a tight hug, just enjoying each other’s presence and warmth in the silent house, something that feels right, comforting and soothing.
Soothing, because it fills my heart with a feeling that I hadn’t been allowed to feel in such a long time.
Love.
Jimin’s POV
Beaming.
I am a proud eagle, wings uncontrollably fluttering as they hover around Y/N as I hold her in my arms, as I feel her relax, the tension bleeding out of her muscles as she cuddles into my arms, maybe even without realizing it, in search of more contact.
My heart is a stuttering mess, but in a good way, her scent of flowers that keeps gaining in strength making me obsess over it, instincts zooming in on that particular change and letting it make its imprint in my soul.
I wonder what flower it is? Maybe I should go to a flower shop one day to find out, maybe it could be my nickname for her, it would be sweet, she wouldn’t understand where it comes from but to me, it would be every bit perfect.
I smile at that thought and close my eyes, face resting near her neck, the way I’m holding her so close to my heart, the way she reciprocates, it fills me with a satisfaction that goes beyond what I’ve ever felt until now, something that is stronger than the love Jin made me discover when he took me in, stronger than anything I’ve been allowed to feel ever since I was born.
It’s like every part of my soul now longs completely for the fragile human in my arms, like it just attached itself to her. She’s now my anchor, my everything and it’s both overwhelming and beautiful, my fingers tingling as they feel her under every pads of nerves, tingles that go straight to the center, to the core of my heart, the most emotional, loving organ of my body.
I breathe in more of her scent, the light flowers filling in my lungs and I exhale, content and full of love.
I don’t know how long we remain like that, snuggled into each others, my wings a semi cocoon around us, but when I come back to my senses, the outside is much darker, the moon high up in the sky and the sound of a toilet flushing makes me raise my head from where it was nestled on her head to see Jin stepping out of the bathroom and heading to the kitchen for his midnight cup of water.
He sees my head peeking out from above the back of the couch and is about to say something when I shake my head, a move that confuses him until he comes closer to find her asleep in my arms.
His eyes widen in surprise and he pauses, orbs coming back to mine and unsure of what to say, that wasn’t part of what he had imagined when he’d said she could stay overnight.
“I thought she was in your bed?” he lets out softly and I purse my lips at that, because she should’ve been, I should’ve brought her there when I felt her body soften at some point, mind finally falling asleep to get a break from such a day, but I couldn’t, I was entranced by the feeling she brought upon me, enchanted by her warmth, I couldn’t possibly let go.
“What time is it?” I ask him instead of answering his question, a little confused myself because I have no idea how much time has passed since we started cuddling, I don’t even remember us moving to this particular position, her body now slightly laying on top of mine to rest properly against my chest, snug between my arms and wings.
“It’s a little after one in the morning Jiminie, have you been here like this all night?” he asks and at the look on my face, he must have his answer because he’s sighing softly.
“Bring her to bed first, let’s have a small talk once you’re back” he requests with a slightly stern voice before coming over to help me up with her body now cradled carefully in my hold, one arm under her knees while the other wraps under her back, her head resting on my shoulder.
Nervous about what he’s going to say because I don’t think he believes what just happened to be bad, Jin always wished for me to meet someone who would love me as much as I would love them one day, I do as told and gently bring her to my room where I lower her on my bed and under a few blankets to wrap her up in my scent.
It’s something that makes my wings stretch wide in delight and I find myself just wanting to get in and snuggle back to her before hiding her in my feathers but I resist the urge and fold them neatly behind me before making my way back to the living room after closing the door silently to join Jin on the couch, the lamp by the TV turned on to offer some light to his tired eyes.
At seeing me hesitate to get closer, he pats the seat next to him and smiles just like he usually does, warm and inviting, so I force my feet to get moving and let myself sit besides him, his arm instantly going to settle around my shoulders to pull me closer to him when he senses my nervousness.
I rest my head on his shoulder and his own rest on mine, after which he breathes in slowly before humming.
“How did you find her earlier, Jiminie? She didn’t answer your messages and calls, did she? She told me that you just suddenly came knocking on her lab’s door out of nowhere” he asks right away and although I find the answer nonsensical myself, I know I can tell him everything without any shame.
“I don’t know, hyung. I just followed my instincts, it was like they knew where she was, like they were promising to bring me to her if I would only follow them. I drove around and then, there was her car. I wasn’t sure what to believe, if I was just turning crazy, but then I walk in the building and there she is, right on the other side of that door? I don’t know how this happened hyung, I really don’t know” I explain in a confused tone, because even now, it still doesn’t make sense to me.
His hand squeezes my shoulder further away from him and I know he’s hesitating to ask his next question. “Does she smell like… flowers to you?”.
At that, I can’t help but move my head from his shoulder to stare at him, taken aback, that in itself answers his question easily.
“How did you know? It started off light yesterday but… it’s been getting stronger today, it’s definitely flowers” I admit, soul now suddenly growing nervous. “Why? Is that bad?” I ask him but he’s quick to shake his head, a hand rubbing up and down my arm.
“No, my Jiminie, it’s not a bad thing at all, not at all” he whispers, his voice so soft, it makes me unsure of how to react, why does he look… so relieved?
“Then what is it? Why do I feel like that, hyung? It’s like… like I need her to live now, like losing her would break me” I mumble, wanting to understand that change, why I need her so much all of a sudden, because it’s not just falling in love, it feels stronger than that, it’s… a feeling that crawls up from so deep within my soul and claims her in her entirety.
Jin hums deeply before swiping his tongue over his lips, and then he’s sitting up straight and turning on his seat to face me properly, hands going to grab both of mine in his hold, gentle and reassuring.
“I’m thinking you never had the talk about hybrid instincts, Jimin, not on that matter so I will be the one informing you” he starts and as I get how important this conversation is, I mimic his position, ready to listen to everything he might say properly.
It had never crossed my mind that there could be something I’m not aware of but I’m not surprised that Jin knows. With his work in a rehabilitation center for hybrids, he’s seen and heard many things concerning us.
“When a hybrid falls in love, there are many changes that take place, but some of them need specific conditions to happen. So far, I’ve noticed how you always talk and gravitate around her, how your eyes light up when her name is mentioned, how you’re excited to see her so I kind of expected something like this to happen soon” he informs me before smiling at my embarrassed expression.
“You feel at home with her, don’t you?” he asks, to which I nod without hesitation. “And she told you that she feels the same?”.
I hum hesitantly at that, it feels too private to share, but I know that Jin is not asking those questions to pry. “Not directly… but she did say something along the line, yes” I answer, wondering where he’s trying to go with that.
I get that my feelings for her are growing stronger, it might already be love, honestly I wouldn’t be surprised even if it does take me slightly aback that it happened so fast, but what more could there be to this? Aren’t I just a hopeless romantic for her?
He nods to himself, as if everything makes sense now and pats my hands with a small grin when his eyes meet mine again.
“Jimin, you have emotionally bonded with her. Your instincts have now started seeing her as a mate”.
For more information about this story, find it here
Jimin’s POV
Once dressed in a slightly fancier outfit than I usually wear, my need to impress having me groom my feathers for a bit longer than I normally do, much to Jin’s amusement, I join him in the kitchen where he’s currently working on food, a small course that will have her drooling as soon as she puts a foot inside the house.
The smell is already invading my senses, the sight of it making my fingers itchy to grab a bite, mouth salivating for ten persons, he’s really outdone himself this time, I’d almost believe that he too wants to impress her.
Jin turns to me when he notices my hovering form behind him and smiles when he sees my eyes fixated on the food, a gentle hum leaving him before he pushes me back to get more distance between us.
A forbidden love, my poor heart, I promise I will get to you soon…
“Not before she gets here, Jiminie. She shouldbe here soon right?” he asks and I nod, a look at my phone to see that it’s almost time. She said she’d be here on time and she looks pretty trustworthy on that, not like Taehyung who always arrives an hour late.
“I’ll go wait for her outside so she can be sure that she’s at the right address, she does look like she’d worry about knocking on the wrong door even if her name was written on it” I chirp before running out of the house to sit on the stairs where I can have a view of the whole street, wings fluttering impatiently behind me.
I’ve been so excited thinking about this evening all day that I feel like I’ll burst if she takes any longer, and yet, I see the minutes pass by and Y/N is still nowhere in sight, the cars driving by never hers.
I look at my phone to see that she’s fifteen minutes late and knowing how early she gets to class… worry starts filling my soul and I open my wings to fold them neatly, an uneasy feeling taking over.
It’s not like when we fought, when I noticed her not coming by the first time, then the second, and the third, no, this time… it’s really a bad feeling that makes my nerves shake, feet hitting the concrete quickly, I dearly hope for my instincts to be simply overreacting.
I decide to message her after one more minute of silence, thinking that she can reply whenever she can, maybe she just had something to do before coming by and it took longer than she expected, or maybe there’s traffic? I don’t know how far from here she lives after all, it’s possible, right?
Me: Hey Y/N, is everything okay? I don’t mean to make you hurry or anything, I was just worried since you haven’t shown up yet Please answer when you can, I just want to make sure you’re fine
To my surprise, the message is seen right away but when I wait a few minutes for her to send something, it becomes obvious that she’s not going to reply when the screen remains blank. I bite on my tongue and decide to send her something else, my guts telling me that something isn’t quite right.
Me: Y/N, if you need anything, you know you can tell me right? It’s okay if tonight can’t happen, just at least let me know that you’re safe Please
This time, nothing happens, nothing that shows she saw my messages and I flap my wings behind me, not liking this.
Is she just on the road and can’t reply because she’s driving? Then she would definitely call me a worrywart when she gets here and we could laugh it off, that would be the best option.
The front door opens and Jin steps outside, his eyes scanning the street before falling on me in concern when he sees the expression on my face. “Is she not here yet? Are you okay?” he asks and I shake my head, unable to hide my fear as I look up at him.
“No hyung… it’s not like her, I know I haven’t known her for a long time but I just know that she wouldn’t do something like that. I’m worried about her, hyung” I mumble, wings restlessly twitching behind me as I start imagining so many scenarios happening to her.
Is she currently in an uncomfortable situation? Is she in danger? Is she hurt? Was there an accident?
“Alright, I can see the thoughts swirling and invading your mind, don’t do that, Jiminie. Did you try calling her?” he asks, his voice calm as he comes to sit besides me and I shake my head before going to my contacts to call her. I feel dumb for not trying that sooner.
I bring my phone to my ear as the ringing starts and I impatiently wait for her to pick up the phone to let me know that she’s okay, that she’s on the way, that I’m just being a nervous over-thinker, but when no one answers, her voicemail taking over, I bite on my bottom lip and wait for the beep before leaving her a message.
“Hey, Y/N, it’s Jimin… I don’t mean to be too much, I’m just worried about you, you’re not replying to my messages and I mean that’s totally fine, really, I just… please let me know you’re okay when you can, at least let me know if you can’t make it tonight, we won’t be mad, I’m just concerned about you… alright, bye”.
I end the call and look down at the screen with a sigh, heart anxiously beating in my chest, it keeps squeezing in discomfort, a strong feeling in my soul that something is wrong that won’t go away, it’s growing stronger by the second and I don’t know how to take it.
“Okay, why don’t we go back inside while we wait? There’s nothing else we can do for now” Jin offers gently but I shake my head, eyes looking up to observe the street again, as if she could appear anytime now.
I wish so strongly that I’m misreading my instincts, but they won’t stop screaming at me that she’s not okay, not okay, not okay, she needs me.
“Can I take the car, hyung? I’m just going to drive around, look around… I can’t stay seated while doing nothing” I mumble and he gazes at me in silence for a moment before nodding with a small smile.
“You do that then, I’ll let you know if she makes it over during your absence. Just don’t go driving around the whole district to try and find her, I’m sure she’ll be here soon” he says and I nod, hands pushing me up to my feet before following him inside to grab my shoes and the car keys.
“I’ll be back in a while, I’m sorry Jin hyung” I tell him, feeling bad that the evening is taking such a turn but he shakes his head and hugs me tight instead of replying, his calm presence helping me slow down and breathe properly, the nerves not allowing me to have a clear mind right now.
“It’s okay, Jimin-ah, don’t worry. You be safe on the road, don’t go too far, okay?” he murmurs and I hum, my arms hugging him back before I’m stepping out of his hold to go back outside.
I get in the car, eyes falling on my phone again and hoping to have a response to my messages, an incoming call, anything, but there’s nothing, just a blank screen.
I start up the car and get on the road, no real goal in mind but to just drive through every main streets nearby to find… fuck, what am I even looking for? Her standing somewhere with a broken car next to her?
I decide to just follow my guts and go wherever my instincts tell me to go, turns where I wouldn’t think but with every kilometers crossed, my heart beats faster, the conviction that she’s nearby weird but also reassuring because I feel like I’m on the right path to finding her.
I hope it’s not me being delusional… now that would make me feel ridiculous.
I suddenly look left when I feel a strong pull just in time to see a car very similar to Y/N’s in a parking lot and I instantly turn around before pulling into the space beside her vehicle, eyes wide because how the heck did I do that?
How did I find her when I had not a single clue where she was? What if it’s just a very similar car and I’m here breaking a rule because I think it’s her?
My nerves are all over the place as I step out of my car but as I make my way to the other one, when I notice the exact same little things I’d noticed the last time she took me in, the penguin plush floating under her rear-view mirror, the purple phone holder that sticks on the glass, there’s no way it can be someone else.
She’s here.
I turn my attention to the building, unsure of what’s inside, if I’m even allowed in, but unable to resist the pull, I’ve made it this far against all odds, I’m not about to just leave her behind, I walk to the side door and open it, no lock getting in the way. This is… fine, right?
I enter a dark corridor, my hybrid eyesight quickly adjusting even though there’s nothing particularly special to see and manage to make it to another door where I can see some light coming in from under.
She has to be in here, I’m sure of it, it’s like my whole soul is screaming her name and begging me to reach her side. Breathing in slowly and deeply, I knock on the door to avoid startling her too much.
“Y/N? Are you here? It’s Jimin… I’m really sorry for showing up without any warning, I don’t even know how I made it here to be honest but… can I come in? Please?” I let out softly, now getting very insecure about the fact that I somehow found her without her ever telling me about this place.
Would she think me a freak? A stalker? Oh gosh…
“Jimin..?” I hear her voice say, it’s so quiet that I barely hear it but it is indeed Y/N’s voice, it’s her.
“I’m coming in, okay?” I warn her before opening the door to get inside what appears to be a medium sized room, it looks like a lab, a few old scents letting me know that this must be where she makes her perfumes, she was still at work?
A sniffle catches my attention, the sound alerting me as I look around the empty room with a growing panic and I follow it like a bird on a hunt, careful as I walk towards a counter in a far corner where I find her sitting on the floor, her knees to her chest and eyes red, orbs that avoid me as she bends her head down pitifully, the sight has my heart squeezing in pain.
I stop where I am, take a moment to try and understand what could’ve happened to put her into that state, eyes looking around me to see if maybe something broke, if a test failed, anything, but the whole work space is clean and devoid of any tools, except for her phone besides her.
“What happened, Y/N? Why are you… did something happen?” I ask, brain unable to process as I step closer to sit in front of her, needing to see her from closer, I just need her to look at me, I need her eyes on me.
I observe anxiously as she shifts to move her hands out of sight and I frown, something clearly isn’t right but I don’t want to push her, make her afraid, she’s already shaking enough as it is, but I can feel my limits getting nearer, why do I feel like I need to protect her from danger?
“I…” her voice breaks as she tries to remain in control of her emotions but I can see her eyes fill with tears and my soul begs for me to get to her, to take her in my arms, a pull I fight against, let her speak, give her space, she’s not used to physical contacts.
“I thought it would stop, that it would remain behind me but… that was just a hopeless dream, it’s always going to happen, no matter how much I try to stay away from trouble” she lets out with a trembling voice and I swallow thickly as I try to make sense of her words.
Her tears start flowing down her cheeks and she sniffles again before using her sleeve to wipe them away, it allows her hands just enough into the light for me to see her palms stained with blood, a sight that has my wings flapping behind me urgently.
She’s hurt? She’s been sitting her all alone for I don’t know how long with bleeding hands and she has remained uncared for?
This is unacceptable, it has my instincts crashing into me like an overwhelming wave and I scoot closer to get her wrists and have a better look, which she doesn’t resist, already knowing that it’s futile to hide it anymore.
She looks like she washed her hands, but the skin is far from being properly clean, dried blood still covering the surface, indents of small rocks spread about and looking painful, it has me breathing in harshly, eyes looking up to hers in a need for answers.
“What happened to you, Y/N? I can’t help you if you keep quiet, why are you hurt?” I ask again, as softly as I can because I can see that my golden eyes are spooking her with how on edge I feel right now, my soul hurting rivers for her.
“Bullies is what happened, Jimin. It’s always bullies” she whispers, hands pulling out of my hold and back against her stomach where she can cradle them safely, eyes looking away from me, as if her words would suddenly make her look insignificant in my eyes.
My guts twist with anger at the admission and I stand up to search for a first aid kit while I try to digest what I just heard, wings beating loudly behind me, unable to fold them as a rage like I’ve rarely felt in my life floods through my veins, I barely register as a paper gets pulled into the wind and in the air before falling down a few feet away.
She was bullied? Is that how she hurt her hands then? Who are the bastards who did that to her? Where are they now? How dare they hurt such a sweet girl like her when she’s just trying to live her life to the best of her abilities?
Anger flows steadily within me but I force myself to calm down, as hard as it is, wings folding behind me tightly, muscles contracted to make sure they don’t go flapping wildly through the air again as I resume my search, unaware of Y/N’s eyes following my every moves from her corner.
“What are you doing, Jimin?” she asks after watching me go through a few unsuccessful attempts and I breathe in deeply to get my voice soft and calm, because the last thing I want is to add to what she already went through.
I saw last time how she reacts to strong voices and I’m not having her scared of me again.
“Your first aid kit” I answer simply, wondering just where the heck it could be as I try another cupboard. Please don’t tell me that she doesn’t have any because that’s going to have me freaking out even more.
“Oh… it’s in the cabinet in the corner, above the sink” she eventually mumbles and I nod, feet taking me there where I indeed find it, the white box with the red cross waiting patiently and once in my hold, I make it back to her on the floor where I settle it next to me before opening the lid to search through the content.
“Who were they?” I can’t resist asking as I grab a cleaning wipe and the hydrogen peroxide to prevent infections, her palms upwards as she waits for the inevitable with wary eyes, the burn not one she looks forward to.
“A group who used my parking lot without authorization. I just wanted to take a picture of their registration plates to hand over, they would’ve gotten a warning, nothing more, I just didn’t want to deal with them myself but… they found me in the middle of taking a picture and… yeah” she answers quietly while I proceed with the cleaning, her eyes avoiding me as if she’s ashamed for having tried to do the right thing.
“Did they… did they attack you?” I ask, already knowing the answer if her hands are anything to go by, the words leaving my mouth make me want to take them back just as fast, heart burning at the simple thought that someone could do that to her and when she nods slowly, it confirms my worst scenario.
I gather what I need to wrap her hands in clean bandages so that the healing cream can stay, the sight of her now safe skin easing some of my concerns but not quite all of my messy feelings.
“Where are they now?” I continue with the questions, eyes gazing over her hands still in my hold, the sight gives life to a weird burning in my stomach, I hate knowing that she’s in pain.
“They left after threatening me. I just want my damn parking lot to remain clean and safe for my visitors, I don’t get why it’s so hard for others to understand that. There was a human with them, she didn’t do anything, simply stood there and watched with a smirk on her face while her three hybrid friends pushed me around… it sucked” she explains in more details as she starts calming down slightly, opening up once helping her to do it more.
I start looking over the rest of her body to make sure she’s not hurt anywhere else, teeth biting on my tongue as I take in what she just said.
She was attacked because she refused access to a space that belongs to her? Just why are people so entitled to get what they want without a care in the world?
Did they threaten her by saying that they would hurt her again if she tries to get her rules respected then? I wouldn’t be surprised, that’s how they usually do things, when they’re experimented enough.
Denounce me and I’ll make your life a living hell. Easy words to scare someone who’s already afraid. Y/N obviously already had enough of it, it must be scary, not knowing what to do and being all alone to deal with it.
Can I help her? Can I do something without it turning against her? Or is there nothing we can do? Maybe Yoongi and Jin would have a solution to that problem… but would she agree to let them know?
“I’m sorry for not answering your call and messages… I always isolate myself when this happens, I didn’t mean to ignore you on purpose” she apologizes all of a sudden, eyes finally looking up to meet mine, her orbs glistening, filled with regret, guilt, as if I could ever get mad at her, not again.
I can’t resist lifting a hand to cup her cheek, heart melting when she leans into the touch like a starved kitten, her skin cold to the touch, it lets me know just how scared she was, just how long she’s been sitting here without moving a muscle.
Taking her reaction as a good sign, I scoot over to her side and slowly pull her into a hug, wings just wanting to wrap around her but I resist the urge, again not wanting to overdo it, and although she takes some time to react, once her arms are around me, she’s not letting go anymore.
“I understand, you don’t need to apologize for anything, Y/N, it’s okay” I tell her and she nods her head under my chin, thankful before allowing silence to wrap around us.
Hearing her breathing from so close, the warm puffs of air that hit my skin, I can’t help it when my heartbeat picks up the pace, gentle tingles filling my insides, butterflies flapping their wings, I’m really long gone, aren’t I?
We stay like that for a while until she pulls back to look up at me, the loss of warmth making me want to whine before pulling her back in my hold, which I don’t do, obviously, I’m a proud bird, not a baby chick, I can take it, I’m a patient man.
Why does it sound like I’m trying to convince myself?
“How did you find this place, Jimin? Not many know that this is where I work, I know for a fact that I didn’t tell you” she asks and I gulp, unsure of how to reply to that one but I know I need to tell her the truth because remaining quiet would only give her the wrong idea about me, which I don’t want.
“I’m not sure, Y/N… I just had that deep feeling that something was wrong, that something happened to you and when I took the car to drive around, my instincts led me here. It was like I knew that they were leading me to you and when I saw your car, I couldn’t believe it. Does it… bother you that I’m here?” I ask hesitantly, not wanting her to be grossed out by me.
She quickly shakes her head, a small smile making it to her lips and easing my heart. “I’m glad you’re here… it’s… nice to have someone worry about me” she answers sheepishly, almost shy by her words but they make me so relieved that I just have to pull her into my hold again for another hug, one she accepts easily this time.
“Of course I worry about you. You have me now, okay? When something happens to you, please don’t stay alone and let me know, I don’t care where I am and what I’m doing, I’ll be going to you right away no matter what” I let her know and she chuckles, the sound warming my heart and helping to calm my nerves from the whole situation.
“Thank you Jimin, truly, I mean it. For everything” she murmurs and I hug her slightly tighter, nose buried into her neck where her warmth and scent pull me in.
She’s starting to smell like flowers, that’s something I noticed yesterday, I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I really like it, I could breathe her scent in forever and I would never get tired of it.
I feel oddly possessive over it, yet it feels right.
A loud grumbling breaks the moment and we both freeze, cheeks heating up when we realize just how hungry we both are, that timing was pretty… synchronized.
I lean back slightly to gaze down at her with an amused grin. “Hungry?” I ask the obvious, loving the pink on her face, a lovely sight that pleases my soul and she nods bashfully, a bandaged hand going to rub her stomach to try and keep it from crying out again.
“Are you still up for coming to eat with us? Jin made something delicious, you would love it” I ask, hoping she would agree because I don’t want to leave her alone when she’s just starting to show signs of feeling better, if I could, I would keep her by my side all the time from now on.
She purses her lips and looks down at my outfit, then at hers, her eyes speaking thousand of words in a single second.
Obviously, she was at work, alone, in a lab. She didn’t wear special clothes, instead opting for comfy grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt, I honestly would’ve chosen the same pieces for such a day.
She sighs, looking like she’s regretting a choice she made, which really, isn’t her fault considering all that happened.
“I didn’t bring a change of clothes, I almost decided to bring the outfit with me this morning but I thought I would finish early enough to go back home before it’s time to head to yours so I voted against it… I should’ve brought it anyway, I look like shit” she mumbles, disappointed with herself but I shake my head and hold her shoulders to make her look up at me.
“You don’t look like shit, you’re very pretty, Y/N, no matter what it is that you’re wearing so don’t go saying such nonsense again. I want you to be at ease so let’s go to my place together and I’ll get changed into something similar, okay? There’s no pressure with Jin and I, none at all” I assure her and she relaxes slightly before nodding her blushing face, her voice a small whisper as she thanks me.
I help her up with me as I stand from the floor, her phone grabbed between her fingers before she let’s me hold her elbows and when that done, steady feet holding our weight once more, her stomach grumbles loudly again, one that mine follows close behind and we both laugh at the ridiculous noises we’re making.
Clearly staying here any longer is not a good idea, we’re going to starve.
“Do you have everything you need before we go? We should take my car and leave yours here, I can drive you back home later tonight and when you need to get to work tomorrow, I can pick you up and bring you back here” I offer her, watch as hesitation takes place on her face.
“Jimin, I can’t ask that of you, I’ll be fine with driving, I’ll just go slow” she says while looking at her hands but I shake my head with a frown. So many people say those very words only to end up in an accident, I’m not having that happen to her.
“I would really prefer if you allow me that luxury, Y/N. I won’t be able to stop worrying otherwise, your hands should have a night to heal before you use them for driving again” I insist and she reluctantly nods her head with a soft sigh.
“Okay… thank you then, I’ll just grab my bag and we can go” she mutters before walking towards a section of the wall decorated with a few hooks where I can see a few coats as well as said bag hanging, waiting for when she will need them again.
I follow behind her once she makes a sign for me to join her and together we exit the room, a door that she locks before leading the way back outside.
Once out of the building, I can sense her restlessness as she gazes around, unable to not expect the same to happen again, eyes falling on a bag not too far and when I look intently, I notice broken bottles inside, were those perfumes?
“I wanted to give you samples of the perfume I was working on, I finally reached the smell I was going for and I was really excited about sharing it with you but the bag fell and they broke so…” she explains before shrugging slightly, nothing to be done about it right now.
She turns to me and offers me a small smile when she sees my frown.
“Don’t worry, it’s okay, it’s easy to remake with a complete recipe, it won’t take too long. I’ll make another batch for the next class on Thursday and you can give one to Jin then. I wanted to give it today to thank you for the invitation but I guess it’ll have to be a little late after all” she continues with a hum, eyes going back to her hardwork, one that got destroyed in a matter of seconds.
Seeing the way she doesn’t seem so hung up on the fact that they broke, I decide to not bring that part much attention, her brighter mood one I want to keep improving instead of the opposite and so, as we resume our walk to my car, I bring up the positive part that she let slip.
“That’s the perfume the drawings of bottles were for, right? So you finally did it?” I ask her and she grins with a nod of the head.
“It is the one, yes! I ended up with three different designs, I wanted your opinion on them but that’s going to have to wait. The perfume itself was incredibly hard to make, it took a lot of failures before I could make it, I honestly almost gave up along the way but I’m so glad I didn’t, the smell is just as I had imagined if not better, I’m really happy about it” she chirps, her mood growing brighter and brighter as she talks about it.
I smile at the clear joy on her face, it’s so obvious to see how much she loves her job, how much she loves giving life to smells, it’s impressive really, I have no idea how anyone could come up with precise scents like she does but it’s amazing.
The perfume I own that was made by her is my favorite, even more so now that I know she’s behind it, it’s fascinating.
She takes a small break from speaking to sit in the car once I unlock the doors, seatbelt locked over her before she turns her attention back to me, eager to share the process that will now follow, it’s making me curious as I take us out of the parking lot and on the way to my home.
“With that step done, we’ll have to start working on the marketing so I have a meeting with someone I know who helps me a great deal with that, he’s my sponsor but honestly, he does a lot more than that, he takes care of all the complicated matters and allows me to reach out to half of the world, he’s amazing. You’ve probably heard his name at least once on the news, Kim Namjoon, he finances a lot of start up companies.
His company building is a few hours away from here and this Friday is the only time we can meet before he leaves oversea so I’m going to have to leave in the middle of the night, but it should be fun, the sight is great, maybe I’ll get to see the sunrise from the beach” she muses, voice full of praises and completely oblivious to the fact that she’s saying the name of a young CEO who has been making the news lately as if it’s no big deal, something that lets me see just how precious her work is.
“Are you worried about the meeting? It must be nerve-wrecking to be with someone so… well… impressive” I ask her, wondering what’s her view on seeing such an important person but she shakes her head with a smile.
“Not really, I know him well and he knows me well too. We met a few years ago from a class we had together in university, before he made it to where he is now so honestly, he doesn’t scare me at all, he already went through all my awkward phases from when we had projects together. We’re not really friends but I feel like if we tried, it could happen, he’s just too busy” she explains softly, eyes gazing at me before she’s turning her gaze to the outside world, mind getting lost in thoughts.
I hum at her words, unable to not feel a sting of jealousy as she clearly holds a lot of respect for him, much more than I’ve ever seen from her until now.
It’s intimidating and I’m not sure if I should feel anxious or not because I’m not even close to his level, I’m… a nobody, but knowing that even though we haven’t been friends for that long, I can invite her over for dinner and spend time like this with her, it lets me know that I’m already close enough to her, I can make time easily for her and I should focus on that part, on what we can build together.
Thinking about what she can build with someone else would only take away from me what I already have and I don’t want that. Being jealous is not something fun and I want nothing with that. What they have is different from what I have with her after all.
He’s her sponsor, he helps her with her work while I’m her friend, I’m part of her every day life. Leave it at that, don’t over-think about it anymore, it wouldn’t serve any purpose.
“Look at the time… I’m going to have to apologize to Jin for being so late… you even went out of your way to find me, he must be impatient after working hard to make the food” she mumbles suddenly and I briefly gaze at her to see the worry on her face, fingers poking at her bottom lip while biting it in nerves.
I look at her other hand on her thigh, my fingers twitching to reach out and intertwine with hers to reassure her but I restrain myself with a silent sigh. Why is this so hard?
“He won’t be mad, don’t worry, Jin knows that I left and he’s going to be very happy to see you. He might take a look at your hands though once he sees how I bandaged them, he’ll be fretting a little but he’s harmless, I promise. He’ll do his best to put you at ease” I tell her, watch as she nods, still unsure, but once she gets a taste of his personality, she’ll understand that she really had nothing to worry about to begin with.
“And we’re here” I muse as I turn into the house’s driveway, eyes taking notice of Jin already stepping out of the house, his curiosity getting the best of him at hearing the familiar sound of the motor and when he sees Y/N in the passenger seat, a bright smile appears on his face.
I turn to her and see how she shyly waves at him.
“See? Totally harmless, he’s a softie” I tell her, to which she giggles softly with a nod of the head before adding with the most beautiful eye smile sent my way “Just like you are”.
My heart skips a beat at her words, cheeks heating up before I fumble with my seatbelt to step out of the car, not noticing how she keeps gazing at me with endeared eyes as she does the same, door closed behind her before meeting me at the front of the car, my wings fluttering happily at her presence besides me once more.
If only she knew what she’s doing to my heart, she already has a piece of it and she doesn’t even know.
For more information about this story, find it here
“It did not look like an elephant” I tell him with a scoff as we exit the class.
I apparently failed the competition because my rendering of a cocky eagle wasn’t good enough, but I have to say, his giggling elephant was even worse.
“Your wings were too small, they didn’t even look like mine” the hybrid counters while we make our way downstairs to head outside.
I roll my eyes. “That’s not enough of a reason to have me losing. Your elephant’s trunk looked like… I’m not even gonna say it. Yoongi had to gather every single wits he had to not burst into laughter” I retort again, which causes the eagle to snap his head my way in horror, his wings flapping behind him in an offended manner.
“He did not-” “She’s right. It was terrible, Jiminie”.
We both turn around to see the cat hybrid gazing at us with an amused smile and Jimin starts whining at his comment, which has me grinning as we make our way outside together.
Since my talk with Yoongi, I feel less uncomfortable with him. Not as comfortable as I am with Jimin, but I no longer see him like a threat and that is good enough for me.
Of course, I can’t forget that day so easily, a day that has my heart pumping blood in a frenzy, a day that makes me wake up crying in the middle of the night, a nightmare that is also a memory, but Yoongi has changed so much that it’s starting to feel like they’re two different people and that’s something I’m thankful about.
If I want to keep Jimin in my life, I need to accept that Yoongi will also be a part of it, maybe not in my immediate environment, but nearby and I don’t want to fight again with the eagle hybrid. It made me miserable and apparently, Jimin felt the same.
“Well, I’ll see you two in a few days on the next class, be safe until then and drive home safely” Yoongi suddenly says, his voice pulling me out of my thoughts and I look behind me to see him heading to his car further away from where I parked.
I share a look with Jimin, wondering where he is parked but he smiles at me and points at his car, which so happens to be right next to mine, it has me smiling back happily, glad that we don’t have to part just yet and so, we keep walking towards our vehicles with an almost nonexistent distance between us, which for some reason, doesn’t make me feel awkward, it’s nice.
The fact that I’m growing used to Jimin’s presence so fast is almost scary, the way he’s walking through my walls as if they don’t exist, and yet it makes me wish he would do it more, because feeling so comfortable with someone, I have but a handful of people who allow me that.
Two in particular. One is my sponsor, and although I like calling him an old friend, he’s not, not really.
Acquaintance would be a better word, we’ve just met so often for my perfumes that… well, we could probably be friends if it wasn’t such a long road for me to see him and if he wasn’t always so busy, and the same goes for the other one.
Still, I can’t deny that Jimin does make me slightly nervous, although not in a bad way, it’s just… feeling his warmth makes me feel shy and my heart all tingly. I guess that’s just the effect he has on me.
We reach our cars and as I walk to my door to unlock it, Jimin remains nearby, body fidgeting on his two feet, ripples waving through his feathers and making him look nervous about something instead of going around his car to get in too.
I leave the key in the lock and turn towards him, wondering what’s wrong all of a sudden. “Everything okay?” I ask, watch as he looks up to meet my eyes with a nod before hesitating again.
“I was wondering… could we exchange phone numbers? I had no way to contact you during the last two weeks and I didn’t like that” he lets out, a question that takes me aback because no one has ever asked me that before, not with the motive of keeping in touch.
He did mention that we are friends now, so I guess that’s what friends do, right? They… share phone numbers? Does that means he’s going to call me and send me messages for fun? It sure would be nice.
I nod and get my phone out of my bag before unlocking the screen, then hand it to him.
“Here, you seem like you know how this works more than I do” I tell him, a chuckle leaving my lips when he beams at the sight of it before quickly snatching it from my fingers, as if afraid that I might change my mind.
“You can’t ignore me for too long when I send you a message okay? I can tolerate one day, two at most, but not weeks” he warns me as he gives it back and I hum, unable to not smile brightly when I look a the new contact created under his name, and is that a… bird? He added a bird to his name.
I quickly press on the message icon to make sure he has my number too only to realize that he’s already done that. I look up to see him dangling his phone from under my nose to show me the contact page under my name along with a tiny flower, it’s cute.
“How did you do that so fast?” I ask, not really surprised, I just don’t know how they manage to work these devices so easily, my nonexistent social life and busy work life both not including using a phone often, I’m a slow user.
“You speak like you’re a dinosaur when it comes to using technology” he laughs, his words meant as a joke but when I don’t react, he loses his smile. “Are you?”.
I shrug a little with a nod of the head. “I am, I never really use it so it feels weird when I do, please be patient when waiting for me to reply”.
He sighs, lips slightly pouty. “So I guess if it takes days for you to reply, I should just assume that you’re still attempting to write a full sentence?” he asks, his voice exasperated, it makes me laugh, much to his disgruntlement.
“Maybe? Who knows” I muse before turning back to my car to fully open the door, then grab the keys, ready to sit inside to get going, but not without turning to Jimin one last time with a smile.
“I’ll see you on Thursday, right?” I ask and he nods his head quickly, plump lips stretching into a happy smile.
“Of course! And I better not hear that work took over again or I’ll be annoying you with thousands of messages until you show up in class!” he claims, words that have me chuckling as he runs around his car to get inside, his threat given, mission complete.
I huff softly and sit in my driver’s seat, then close the door and turn on the engine, the rumbling filling the air just as Jimin’s car’s joins mine, although his is much quieter than the one surrounding me.
Maybe it’s time I start thinking about getting a better car? This one has done its time after all, it was already old when I bought it, but just the idea of spending so much money… I sigh, let’s try to make this one last for as long as possible, we’ll see then.
I suddenly hear a loud honk and when I look outside, it’s to see his passenger’s window sliding down, a hand motioning for me to lower mine so he can say something, and I do, eyes curious as I take in the hopeful look on his face.
“If I invite you to come over for dinner tomorrow, would you agree? My hyung would be there as well, he’s a really good cook”.
I tilt my head at his question and purse my lips.
The man who abandoned him with me, right?
He did seem like a nice guy, not scary, although I’m always awkward with new people, but if I can get used to Yoongi, surely I can get used to that man too.
“Does he know?” I ask, wanting to make sure I’m not going to get in the way of anything, but Jimin grins. “He won’t mind, he’ll be happy to hear that you’re coming, so is that a yes?” he attempts, eyes sparkling.
I chew on the inside of my cheek as I think it over, but undoubtedly come to the conclusion that it can’t hurt. It would be nice to get to know the man who adopted Jimin and took care of him, because isn’t it kind of thanks to him if I could meet Jimin and become friend with him?
“Sure, I’ll be there then, text me the time and address and I’ll be sure to get there on time” I tell him, hear the sound of his feathers rustling against his seat as he jumps a little, unable to resist clapping his hands in happiness.
“Great! I’ll tell him as soon as I get home so expect a message from me soon!” he chirps before waving me goodbye, window rising back up before he drives away, fancy car gone in the blink of an eye.
I do the same with a chuckle and head back home, eager to get to rest in bed after such an exhausting day, it was demanding, both physically and emotionally, and as much as I was hoping to sleep tonight now that everything is settled properly, I have the feeling that having dinner with Jimin and Jin tomorrow will be on my mind all night.
Am I supposed to bring something? Wine? Or a cake maybe? I can’t possibly go there empty handed. And how should I dress? Oh my gosh, I don’t know, should I search on Google?
It’s with a nervous heart that I reach my home and as soon as I get inside and lock the door behind me, I run to my room before searching through my closet, clean clothes thrown all over my bed to try and make a pretty outfit out of one of them.
Once my best pieces out, I turn to my bed and start taking a better look at each of them to categorize them from passable to too professional.
Doing that makes me realize that I have very little clothes made for the enjoyment of looking pretty without needing to get something out of it.
If my clothes aren’t to secure investments and get deals from companies who could promote my perfumes, then they’re overly comfy and boring looking, made to relax at home before I head back to work the next day.
It’s kind of sad.
Still, after making a few attempts, I end up with one possible outfit, the top slightly on the fancy side, matched with clean, simple pants, I think I can make this work. I’ve never been confronted to situations that are in a middle between every day life and work so it’s making me a little nervous.
I mean, it’s not like I’m having to impersonate someone I’m not, right? Jimin invited me not to look my best but to spend time with me, it’s a casual dinner at his place with his hyung, so this should be fine. Hopefully.
My phone suddenly dings and I look at it, heart skipping a beat when I see Jimin’s name. Did I ever get a text message that wasn’t simply spam or a confirmation that my restaurant takeout was on the way? I don’t think so.
After unlocking the screen, I look over the information he sent me, which surprises me, the unexpected address causing me to hum in interest.
“He’s closer than I thought” I murmur, one quick look at the map showing me that he’s just a couple of streets away, five minutes at most from my home.
I could almost go to his place on foot, it’s giving me childhood vibes, when I could go to my friends anytime I wanted without having to worry about transport.
When my life was still normal and not a total mess.
It almost feels like a past life, none of those memories happened in this lifetime, did they?
I send him an easy okay and then put my phone back, eyes falling on the outfit again.
I guess that’ll have to do.
—
I stare at the sample of perfume in front of me.
I shake my head, wondering if it’s just my brain messing with me.
I grab my coffee beans for the fourth time and breathe in the smell once more to make sure that when I do smell the perfume again, I get the real deal.
I tentatively bring the sample closer to my nose and there it is, the smell I’ve been dreaming of for so long.
“I did it…” I murmur to myself, disbelief, excitement, pride, it all mixes together within me, it makes tears rise in my eyes, that not giving up actually brought me to my goal, I finally got the right recipe for it.
I sniffle to try and keep the tears from spilling but can’t resist letting out an ugly sob at the joy I’m feeling, to finally have managed the smell I’ve been working so hard to achieve.
This is exactly what I imagine when I think of my grandma and I can’t believe I finally did it, after so long!
I make my way to the three possible bottles for it that I have designed, then proceed to pour some of the sample perfume inside to get a bit of an amount for each of them.
They won’t be filled to the brim, but they have enough for a few shots, which is more than what those tiny little samples can give you.
I’m going to give these to Jimin and his hyung so they can tell me what they think, maybe try some on their wrists so I can have an idea of how they turn, I would love to write it down.
If they like it, well… they can keep it, although I don’t know if they’d want to wear it for their every day life activities.
I take one of the three and spray some on my wrist that I then rub against my neck to see how it reacts to my skin.
I give it some time and get surprised when the fruity side gains in strength, but not enough that it takes over the water and woody tones. I quite like it actually, it’s really nice, soft and calming.
I grab my notes and add my thoughts on it, wondering how it might change on other people. How would it be if the water or woody tones were to take over instead of the fruity one? I really want to find out.
With that finally done, we’ll be able to get started on the marketing part of it so I need to hand it over to be made into an actual product with a package and the whole deal, that’s the part that excites me the most after coming up with the perfume itself.
Letting lose to my creativity to make the box and description interesting, it’s really fun and the usual designer who helps me, a young man of my age - Jungkook, is amazing to work with, he has incredible ideas, and one of the few who I can be comfortable with since we’ve worked together a few times, although it’s strictly professional with him.
I’ll have to go to Namjoon and present the product to him in person, he’s been patient enough to wait and he deserves to hear about it as soon as possible.
I grab my phone and contact his number, hoping he won’t be in the middle of a meeting because I don’t think I can remain patient enough to wait with all of my excitement flooding within me.
His secretary answers the phone and after telling him who I am along with the purpose of the call, he directs me to the CEO without too much problems, to my biggest relief.
Nervous and excited all at once, my heart beating way too fast for me to be comfortable, a deep voice eventually lets me know that he’s now on the other side of the line.
‘Hey, Y/N, how are you? I heard you have good news for me’ he asks right away and I grin, posture straightening in pride.
“Namjoon, it’s nice to talk to you again so soon, I’m actually really excited right now, I’m calling you because… I did it, the perfume is finally ready, it’s… exactly as I imagined it, the very same” I tell him, unable to keep my voice from going a pitch higher.
‘Oh my gosh, you did?! Y/N, that is wonderful news! See, I told you you could do it, there’s nothing you can’t do when it comes to perfumes! You just needed a little push!’ he gushes happily, his excitement fitting mine, he was the one who pushed me to keep going after all.
Just last week, I’d called him one night saying that I wasn’t too sure if it would work, I wasn’t confident anymore, everything was getting too much and my self-esteem was rock bottom, but he made me promise to give it my all, and now that I’ve made it, I’m really glad he did.
‘I’m guessing now you want to know when we could meet so I can sample it, right?’ he asks and I hum, the both of us used to the process. “Yes, is there a time when you are free in the coming days? I know you’re busy so I’ll adjust to your schedule”.
He hums lowly and the sound of papers being flipped reaches my ears, he must be looking through his agenda.
‘I would have… on Friday, early in the morning seems to be my only free time, I’m packed before then and next week, I have to fly to Japan so I won’t be available for another two weeks. Around… 7 in the morning, is that too early for you? The only other time I would have would be next month, which would be a lot of wasted time but I really can’t do it any other day.
At least if we meet on Friday, then you can get to work with Jungkook in my absence’ he informs me, apologetic because he knows the long road I need to do to make it to his company building but honestly, I’ll take anything he gives me, I’d drive at one in the morning if I had to, it’s not like I’ve never done it before.
His office is around four hours from here, he’s a few cities away but the path to get there follows along the sea so it’s quite nice, I’m not complaining. It’s nothing a good coffee, a box of fresh muffins and music can’t fix.
“It’s no problem at all, I’ll be sure to be there on time on Friday morning then, it really wouldn’t do to miss a whole month of progress, waking up early is nothing compared to being on standby doing nothing” I tell him with a smile and he chuckles in agreement.
‘Right, as long as you promise to be careful on the road, I don’t want to learn that you got into an accident on your way over here. You know what to do before then, right? We need a list of the ingredients, the story behind it, I’m thinking you want to follow the same style as with your other perfumes so I’ll have someone during out meeting to look it over with us to make sure it fits, is that alright with you?’.
“You don’t even need to ask at this point Namjoon, I trust you and your judgement” I let out and he hums in satisfaction.
‘Alright,I’ll meet you in a few days then, will that be all or did you have anything else to ask me?’.
“Nothing that can’t wait until our meeting”.
He lets out a soft noise. ‘Alright then. Have a good evening, Y/N, see you soon’.
“Yoo too, Namjoon, bye”.
We end the call and I immediately start jumping out of joy before staring at the three different bottles with a tilt of the head.
I guess I could bring all three and ask Jimin and Jin which one is their favorite before my meeting with Namjoon, it’s always good to have the opinion of possible users before making the final choice, he’d love to have that sort of information for when we go over everything.
I look at the time and figure that finishing so early is actually a good thing, it leaves me enough time to go home and relax a little before I need to get ready to head to Jimin’s place, it’s nice, I don’t like being in a hurry.
I put the perfumes in a protective bag then grab the rest of my belongings before making my way outside of my lab and to my car when I find three other vehicles I don’t recognize in my parking lot.
I stop and groan, hating that it’s always the same ones, I just want to grab a rock and scratch their cars so they can get the fuck away from here and never come back again, but then I fear them doing the same thing to mine and I can’t allow that to happen.
That and I’m not brave enough to do such a thing.
I grab my phone to take pictures of their registration plates to hand over to the police so they can issue an official warning for me since I am paying to be allowed to use the term - Private parking - legally, the only thing I can think of that won’t get me in problem.
What I don’t expect is the foot that hits me right in the middle of the back when I bend to have a good view of it, the impact making me fall against the trunk with a grunt.
I hiss at the pain that stretches along the length of my spine, a painful sting that I know I’ll be feeling for a few days and quickly look behind me to see a few hybrids scoffing at my pitiful form, a wolf, a lynx and a fox, the three of them dressed like punks, something that I don’t register as good, my experiences not helping in the least.
A human woman is standing behind them with a smirk on her face, arms crossed over her chest, like she doesn’t give a shit about what’s going to happen to me, it gives me a really bad feeling, this isn’t good.
“What do you think you’re doing, hm?” the wolf asks me with a threatening smile as he comes closer, relishing in the way my body starts trembling, a déjà-vue that I would avoid at all cost if I could.
I try to breathe in to keep calm, but I know I’m not missing much to have a full-blown panic attack when he crouches in front of me, a position I hate seeing when I’m on my back, it’s making me freak out, hands shaking as I try to keep hold of my phone when it starts slipping out of my fingers.
“T-this is m-my property, you can’t just p-park here” I manage to say in a disgusting stutter, my voice so quiet that the only ones to hear me are the hybrids, and when they start laughing, I know things aren’t going to end well for me.
I close my eyes only to see Yoongi’s face flash in my mind, his past self that amused himself over scaring me, over hurting me, I guess the past is never really far behind.
“tHiS iS mY pRoPeRtY” one of them mimics me with an annoying voice and I look down, hoping this could be over already. Just get it over with, you made your point, what’s left to do?
“She’s fucking pathetic bro, look at her shaking like a leaf, it makes me want to shred her into pieces, it’s so fun with leaves, then they start floating in the air, yeah? Do you think the same would happen with her?”.
A hand forcefully shoves me to the ground when I try to stand up to get away from them and I don’t have time to try to lower the shock as the bag filled with my bottles of perfume falls loudly to the ground, bottles breaking audibly just as my stomach falls flat on the asphalt, the impact stealing my breath momentarily.
I gasp in an attempt to fill my lungs again and clench my teeth when I notice my hard work disappearing so easily, shards of bottles piercing through the bag as the liquid spreads through the cloth, the strong smell taking over the parking lot, it smells awful like that and it’s enough to break my heart.
Just when it was finally done…
The fox’s nose scrunches up in disgust and he steps back with a frown, unable to handle the smell a second longer. “Man that shit smells fucking strong, what the fuck?”.
The lynx hybrid kicks the bag away and pivots quickly to use my head as the next target but the wolf stops him with a hand over the shoulder and a shake of the head.
“She’s not worth it dude, let’s just leave, I think she got the message” he lets out boringly before motioning for the girl to join his side, her arms lovingly wrapping around his waist as they walk to one of the car with a chuckle.
He turns to me one last time as I try to sit up, body burning with humiliation, shame and pain.
“If I hear anything about me using this parking lot, next time I might not stop them from going any further, you’d do well to remember that”.
They enter their cars and exit without a single additional word said, leaving me a trembling mess on the ground.
I rest my head against my knees, arms going to hug my legs to comfort myself from what just happened, pain the only thing I can think about right now as it only seems to get worse with each breath I take, adrenaline making me hate every seconds that pass.
That was brief, a simple show of power against someone they know to be weaker.
It was a small threat to let me know what awaits me if I try to defend myself again, to let me know that things will go against me as long as I try to make use of my rights.
They keep control by infecting their prey’s mind with fear, the best way to keep getting what they want without having to worry about a thing.
It’s a pattern I don’t want to fall into again, yet it freaks me out. It freaks me out and I wonder if in the end, maybe I should stop trying to keep my parking lot as my own. Maybe it doesn’t really matter if other people park here too.
I shake my head at that loser’s thought. If I have possible investors wanting to visit my laboratory, I need to have space available at all time, I need this space to remain clean and safe, I can’t just have anyone coming here, especially not when they can be so dangerous.
So what can I do? What can I do to take care of this situation? If they get a warning from the police, they’ll come back and who knows what happens then?
I try to push myself to my feet and hiss at the way my body resists the movement, a look at my arms telling me that I’m bleeding and my bottom lip quivers, the sudden need to have someone caring for me suddenly very strong, but also useless.
Because there’s no one.
I start crying as I make my way back inside the building, needing four strong walls to protect me from this shitty world.
For more information about this story, find it here
I guess a two weeks break does nothing to make this easier, does it?
I stand still like a statue in front of the door leading inside the classroom and then start wondering if it’s really such a good idea to be here after all.
I got here early so the room should be empty, that gives me a chance to get inside without attracting attention, but what if only Yoongi is inside?
Or maybe the door is actually locked because I came by too early and I’m going to have to wait, which means I have more chances of meeting people and I’m not too sure if I want that.
Oh goodness, what have I done? Do I try the door? Do I run away and wait in my car?
“Y/N?” I hear a familiar voice from behind me and my breath hitches in my throat, body tensing up instantly.
I slowly turn around to find Yoongi standing behind me with an apologetic smile, a cup of coffee in one hand, keys in the other.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just surprised to see you here, let me unlock the door for you” Yoongi says, kind and soft eyes meeting mine as he does exactly that, door opening for me before he turns on the light.
“Here you go, no one’s set to get here before a dozen minutes so… just make yourself comfortable, I’ll leave you to it” he assures me, about to get away to leave me my space but my body reacts before my mouth can say a word and I grab his wrist to make him stay.
He turns to me with wide, shocked eyes and I release him quickly, heat taking over my face just as much as discomfort fills my soul. “I-I’m sorry, I… can we talk? I won’t be long” I ask, eyes going to stare at the floor, this is so embarrassing and nerve-wrecking, but I need to do it before I chicken out.
“Of course, come on in, I’ll close the door to make sure no one comes in too soon” he murmurs before stepping aside to let me in, his tail nervous as it sways behind him, I’m not the only one hating this right now.
I make my way to my desk to set down my bag by the window before turning to Yoongi as he comes back from his own, keys and coffee now out of the way, fingers instead clenching and relaxing by his sides over and over again, eyes meeting mine in hesitation, although his orbs are also warm and soft, attempting to be comforting, something I don’t know him for, it’s… a nice change.
“Take your time, there’s no hurry” he states calmly, his voice soft when he hears me sigh, my voice locking up on me as I fidget on my toes, why is apologizing so hard?
My grandmother didn’t teach me to be such a coward when it comes to owning up to my mistakes. If I do something bad, then I need to admit it and then share my regrets over what I did, I need to make it better, even if the act was justifiable.
Acting like a bully is never the way, don’t do to others what you hate happening to yourself, she used to say.
I breathe in and out slowly. Come on, Y/N, you can do this.
“I want to apologize for what I did last time, about the message on the drawing. I… I thought I could get this sick sense of satisfaction but honestly, it just made me feel terrible and it’s not like doing so can change the past. I was mean to you and I want you to know that I’m sorry, I regret it.
You haven’t done anything to me since we met again to deserve anything like that, it wasn’t right of me to do what I did” I finally manage to say, heart beating wildly in my chest, but it feels freeing to own up to my mistakes, my conscience wasn’t dealing with my actions very well, I’m sure grandma would be proud of me.
It should go well from there, except that the silence that greets my words… it makes me start regretting coming here at all, body twisting uncomfortably under the gaze I can feel on my form, my eyes unable to look up from my feet, what is Yoongi thinking right now?
Maybe he hasn’t forgiven me as I had previously thought? It’s not like he has to, right? What I did was like shoving a burning knife into a fresh wound, it’s not the kind of thing that can be forgiven that easily.
But what more can I do? I just poured my heart out right now, I can’t do it twice! I wouldn’t even know what else to say!
His feet make a few steps in my direction to get closer before stopping so there’s still a good distance between us, nothing to make me feel cornered and I hear his shaky breath before he clears his throat quietly.
“I… I more than deserved this message, Y/N, I… I messed up your whole life, I made you miserable, I bullied you and I took everything away from you, for the simple reason that I could. I was sick in the head and you were this unlucky prey that became the target of all my anger, you suffered so much because of me.
So you don’t have to apologize to me, Y/N, if anything, I should be the one apologizing, so I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I could apologize for the rest of my life and it would never be enough, but I’m still going to do it, until the day I can fully atone for what I did, if it’s even possible”.
His voice is so… sad, more than I’ve ever heard from anyone and when I look up to meet his eyes, I can see so much honesty in his gaze, along with guilt, extreme guilt.
I swallow thickly as I process the reality facing me. We’ve both let the past get such a strong hold on us all these years, that I wonder if we’ve even really allowed ourselves to live our life since that fateful day. We can’t keep going like that forever, it’s no way to live.
“It’s in the past, Yoongi. You’ve changed a lot, you’re not who you used to be, and I… well I’m still working on that, but slowly, I think I can make it there too, to who I want to be as an adult, and I think it starts here. I can’t spend my whole life stuck in the past and you shouldn’t either.
I might not be able to act like it’s fine just yet, but I don’t want to keep a heart filled with darkness anymore, not when I have someone so bright and kind next to me, it makes me feel like I don’t deserve to be by his side” I counter with a dry chuckle and run a hand through my hair with a sigh.
“Are you talking about… Jimin?” he asks softly, ears twitching on top of his head as he processes my words and I blush a little, eyes going back to stare at the floor for safety.
“I mean… you know him, he’s always smiling and trying to help. He got mad at me last time but it was only because he cares about you, he likes you a lot, even I can see that. We talked yesterday and… I think things are okay now…
I just don’t want to make him sad or mad again, he’s been so nice to me and I wish I could do the same for him, focusing on the past wouldn’t help that purpose” I mumble sheepishly, unaware of the smile growing on the cat’s face, tail faster in the way it excitedly hits through the air.
“That makes me really happy to hear, Y/N, really happy. Jimin cares a lot about you, I know that to be a fact and I was afraid that the friendship between you two would be over before it even really started.
He had been a mess since that day, I guess that explains why he was strangely happy today when I saw him, you two already talked it over” he muses and I start regretting opening up so much about that, heart embarrassed and cheeks going a tone of red.
Is he going to tell Jimin what I just said? Oh gosh, I hope he doesn’t, I would be mortified!
Distraction, I need to change the subject, anything but this!
I open my mouth a few times before closing it just as fast, his eyes slightly amused at the blush going on in my face, why does it feel like he’s understanding more about me than I know myself at the moment?
“Erm… I… you… do you have time? I actually had a few questions about the last project? If you don’t mind?” I try, teeth going to bite the corner of my bottom lips because I’m unsure it that was the right direction to take, but when I look up at the exact moment when his ears perk up, tail curling up behind him, I register his happiness before I even take a look at his face or hear his voice.
“Of course you can! Ask me anything, let me just get the last class’s plan, I’ll be back before you know it” he chirps happily before rushing to his desk with eagerness, something that softens my heart the slightest bit.
Jimin’s POV
Today, I feel as if the last two last miserable weeks never existed, as if my heart never squeezed in nervousness in my chest, as if I never almost brought an end to a new wonderful friendship with someone who doesn’t see me as a bird hybrid, either as a fascination or as a source of trouble, but who sees me just as… me.
Just as Jimin, that one guy who likes his family a little bit too much, that guy who would get himself into trouble even when it’s not necessary because he thinks that’s what he has to do.
This morning, Jin was pleasantly surprised to see me running around the house with a smile on my face as soon as I woke up, eager to get started with my day, he’d laughed happily and even had to threaten me with a skipped breakfast to get me to calm down a little, the complete opposite of what he had to do just yesterday morning.
Yoongi looked confused but happy nonetheless when he came by to eat breakfast with us before leaving with Jin to their respective workplaces and my colleagues were simply relieved to see me back to my former good mood that I’m usually known for.
It made me realize just how badly I had handled the situation with Y/N, that it impacted not just me, but everyone around me. That realization has something pleasing to it, because doesn’t it mean that they just care that much about me?
“Jimin-ah, how has it been going with that friend of yours? You look like such a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, did you see her yesterday?” Hoseok asks me as he comes to join me by our lockers so we can gather our belongings to leave for the day, his guess spot on, I guess I’m really an open book with them.
I turn to him with a grin and a firm nod of the head, heart tingling proudly at knowing that we finally could fix our misunderstanding.
“I did! Jin hyung actually left me with Y/N at the grocery store when we went yesterday and then went back home without saying anything, only told me with a text message once he was in the kitchen to ask her for a ride because he had something urgent to do but we all know it was just one of his tricks. I felt so bad to impose myself on her like that but she never complained even though she looked uncomfortable and ended up taking us both to a park I never knew existed.
Once there, we talked about what happened and managed to clear the air between us. She wasn’t avoiding the drawing lessons because of me like I thought, she was just busy with work, she should be there today and I’m so excited about it” I chirp, completely focused on my story while Hoseok smiles at me until I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders.
“Whoa, Jimin-ah, finally made a step to get things back in order, good job” Taehyung claims happily, his stripey tail waving behind him as he stares at me with bright eyes, his voice humming as he opens his locker besides mine to grab his bag.
“Well, technically, I didn’t really make the step, Jin forced it, but I’m glad he did” I counter, hear his laughter as he releases me to have a better look at the smile on my face.
“Maybe, but the result you got wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t open up, which means you also had a say in what happened” he retorts and I tilt my head with a small shrug, wings flapping delightedly behind me.
I guess I did make good use of this opportunity, but it’s also thanks to Y/N who opened the door, literally and figuratively.
“Thanks for saying that, Tae” I muse, a giggle leaving my lips at my own happiness. It feels good to feel good.
Looking at the time on my phone, I realize that I don’t have that much time left before I need to get to the school,so with that in mind, I quickly grab the last of my stuff and wave my friends and colleagues goodbye before hurrying out of my workplace and to the destination I’ve been thinking of all day.
Yoongi should already be back from driving Jin back home from the rehabilitation center since I have the car, which means the door should be unlocked when I get there.
Just thinking about the close bond they have together makes me smile, not many would get out of their way to drive their friend around like Yoongi does, the same way Jin does sometimes when the cat’s car needs to stay at the garage overnight to get fixed.
I get inside the vehicle before driving out of the parking lot and towards Y/N, a happy hum leaving me as I drive through the traffic, something I usually don’t like all that much. It’s funny how I’m more excited to see her than I am to see Yoongi this time.
It must be because I always see him since he spends a lot of time with Jin and as close as we are, I know he’s more of Jin’s best friend than he is mine, which is fine, really, I know Yoongi loves me and I love him just as much, that’s enough to me.
But a best friend of my own? That’s Y/N, if she wants to be that person for me, I wish she could see me as hers too.
We should exchange phone numbers, I don’t want to depend on these classes to see her and talk to her. Not knowing what was happening to her during the last two weeks was nerve-wrecking and I don’t want to go through that again. What if work takes her away from me a second time, and a third time?
I shake my head at that. Here I am, already talking as if we’re dating.
Slow down, Jimin, you’re getting too excited about her being back, you’ll scare her away at this rate. Her not being afraid of you is taking too much space in your brain, take it easy, I scold myself, I don’t want to mess up a second time, once was enough.
I finally reach the huge building and as I pull into the parking lot, I notice her vehicle already parked in an empty area. I look at the time, surprised because it’s still pretty early, but I’m not complaining, that means I get to see her sooner, so I proceed to park right next to her car.
I should always do that from now on, find her car first and then park right next to it, that way I’m keeping her from having to face a stranger when reaching her door, it’s going to be me she’ll see instead of a nobody. Ah!
Still, I hope she’s not too anxious today, she does look like she tends to avoid people on reflex, I did notice a pattern yesterday at the grocery store.
Thankfully, Yoongi doesn’t take verbal attendance when he enters the class, he does it by himself since he’s pretty good at remembering everyone’s faces and names, and by doing so, he makes sure that most people aren’t aware if someone’s present or not, something I know he does entirely for Y/N.
I was serious when I told her yesterday that no one really pays attention to that sort of stuff, she doesn’t have to worry about people staring at her.
I overheard Yoongi talk with Jin in the middle of the night once, was it last week? He’d mentioned that she’s developed such a strong fear of people, humans and hybrids alike, so he’s trying to lower her burden by making it so that attention isn’t given to the people taking his lesson.
That means no class presentation - not for a while anyway - , taking the attendance by himself, giving individual work and him walking around the class to help others instead of waiting for them to come to him at the front, things of the kind.
Those are all small attentions that Y/N might not realize herself, but in the end, all accumulate to improve her comfort while at school. It makes me wonder just how bad her past was to require all those efforts, what part Yoongi played in this ordeal for him to try so hard.
Then he said that he’s hoping that in maybe a few weeks, she’ll be more at ease to start including more people around her because he can’t really destroy the lesson’s experience just to avoid her discomfort, he believes that if he does things at a slow pace, it might help her get out of her protective shell.
He also hopes for me to be a good help to her considering how close we were during the two first classes, that I’m the only one who doesn’t make her close up on herself and shut off from the world.
That revelation made me swell with pride, the idea that he believes I can help her to that extent making me feel important.
I enter the building and walk up the stairs to reach the class, wondering if she’s already inside since I didn’t see her on the way, it’s the only place I can imagine her being at, I don’t think she’d wander around all by herself.
Once I reach the door, I notice from the small window besides it that the light is turned on and so, I push it open to find…
“That’s right, you have to use a darker shade and blend it out, that way, you end up having a great shadow effect without looking exaggerated, the way you did it made it look too pale, it didn’t bring the impact desired” Yoongi explains as he bends over Y/N’s desk while she looks focused on the paper in front of her, brows furrowing and teeth biting on her bottom lip as her fingers follow his instructions.
I freeze at the sight, unsure if I’m seeing right, I must be hallucinating.
What’s that? They’re interacting peacefully? There’s no tears, no anger, no fear?
Curious and excited, ripples shaking through my feathers at the sight, I quietly make my way to my own desk next to hers to have a better view of what’s going on, but there’s no avoiding Yoongi’s sharp senses when his ears perk up at the slightest noise I make and his eyes come to meet mine.
“Hey, Jiminie, how are you?” Yoongi asks, his words making Y/N look up from her work and I’m momentarily stunned by her beauty, hair tucked behind her ears as her wide eyes stare up at me, lips parting and tongue licking her lips-
No, Jimin, bad bird. Don’t go there, you just met her. Gosh. But she does look beautiful.
“Hey hyung, hi Y/N, I’m feeling really great today, how are you two?” I ask as I pull back my chair to take a seat, unable to keep my eyes from sparkling when she smiles at me.
“Hi Jimin, I’m doing alright, Yoongi was showing me a few tricks from the last project because I had some difficulty with it” she comments softly and Yoongi huffs lightly with a shake of his head.
“You did really good, you just needed some guidance with the blending out part. Other than that, we can really see the black and white effect, you managed this by yourself so give yourself some credit” the cat counters and Y/N blushes lightly at the praise.
Wait. She’s blushing?
No no no.
I scoot closer to her, feel the way her body turns stiff at the sudden proximity and I hum as I look at her drawing, try to pretend like I’m not noticing her blush deepening or the way possessiveness flares within me at the idea that Yoongi might make her shy.
I want them to become friends, but nothing more, he can’t take her from me, he already has Jin hyung.
Yoongi snorts, the sound barely noticeable but when I look up to meet his eyes, he’s grinning at me like he saw right through me. I gulp and quickly turn my attention back to her drawing. Crap.
“Well, I have something to do before the students start coming in but you two are welcome to stay here, people should start arriving soon anyway” he excuses himself as he straightens up before making his way towards the door, his tail swaying happily behind him and the next thing we know, he’s exiting the class and leaving the two of us alone.
Silence swallows Y/N and I and now realizing that I might have overdone it with getting closer to her, I scoot away just a little, watch as her shoulders relax almost instantly.
Yeah, that might have been too much, my bad.
She clears her throat, a hand going to rub the back of her neck and she stares at me briefly before looking back to her paper, her cheeks still a pretty pink, why do I suddenly feel like touching them? They must feel so soft under my lips-
Eyes widening, I shake my head and pinch my thigh to try and bury those thoughts away, goodness, what’s happening to me?
“It looks good” I say to focus on something else, my sudden words taking her aback. I point at the drawing when she turns to me and she smiles sheepishly, eyes creasing prettily.
“Thank you, I had fun doing this one, I just struggled a little when it came to the shadows so Yoongi’s help was great, he’s very good at explaining, I understand why he took on that job” she says, seemingly pleased with the end result.
“You two seemed… alright with each other. Did something happen before I arrive?” I ask, unable to stop myself, I want to understand. Just yesterday, she’d said that she would try but that it seemed hard, but what I saw… that didn’t look hard at all.
It makes me feel divided. Part of me wants to remain the only person she’s comfortable with, I want to enjoy that for a bit longer, but I know that it’s very selfish of me, it can’t be comfortable being scared of everyone all the time, I just… she’s myfriend.
She hums as her gaze turns to her drawing, pens settled down besides it. “I apologized to him, it felt good getting it off my chest after all this time thinking about it. He ended up apologizing as well, then we talked a little about- anyway, yeah, I asked him questions about the project and then you came in” she says softly, looking as if a burden has indeed left her.
I nod, proud of her, that she could go through with it as she wanted. She looks up to meet my gaze and makes a small smile that warms my heart.
“I’m going to try and cut the strings linking me to the past from now on. I might not be able to forget, I don’t want to forget, but… if I can stop hurting because of it and focus more on the present… I think that would be great, for everyone concerned” she states and I feel my wings flap in pride behind me, as if her willing to make this step is a personal victory of mine.
“That’s great, Y/N, really. I’ll help you reach that goal, together I’m sure we can make it there, to a happy future” I blurt out before slapping a hand over my mouth at the way I just assumed that she would want or even need my help. My tongue really has a mind of its own sometimes.
She turns to me though, eyes looking surprised. “You want to help me?” she repeats, as if she can’t believe it, to which I nod seriously.
“Because we’re friends, aren’t we? What kind of friend would I be to let you face this alone?” I say, watch as her eyes widen slightly and silence surrounds us again.
I shift nervously on my chair, heart beating nervously against my rib cage. Does she not want to be my friend? Are we not after everything that happened?
I see her eyes start to glisten and fear takes over me, that I might have gone too far. My wings fold tightly behind me as I try to think of what to say to assure her that it’s okay if she doesn’t want to be my friend, even though the words would feel like ripping my heart in half but then she smiles brightly, one I’ve never seen on her before and it takes my breath away, the way it shines like the sun.
My heart calms down at the sight and I feel a strange feeling spread throughout my whole body, warm and comforting, like honey drizzling over my soul and sweetening everything that might be sour and bitter within me.
“I… it’s been so long since I had a friend, I’m sorry, it just makes me very happy. I wasn’t expecting you to say it aloud like that, to confirm that we are, I didn’t… I wasn’t sure” she murmurs and I sigh out in relief, a hand going to ruffle my hair with a nervous giggle as I try to not focus too much on how sad those words are.
“Thank goodness, for a moment, I thought you were going to say that you didn’t want to be my friend” I admit, watch as she shakes her head quickly, eyes widening in shock.
“No! I would never say no to that, plus I’d be crazy to refuse the only person that doesn’t scare me, I like spending this time here with you” she lets out shyly and I straighten up, soul tingling with pride at her admission.
She likes spending time with me?
Her eyes suddenly dart to the door and the warm cocoon that was enveloping us disappears without warning when she tenses up before bringing her attention to her intertwined fingers, legs turning fidgety as one foot starts bouncing on the floor.
Confused, I look up to see a big group of hybrids and humans coming in, loud conversations taking over the class as they rush to their desks with energy, their mood bright and bursting, which makes sense considering that most of them have had time to get closer during the last weeks.
The class has become a much more comfortable space since the beginning so people converse a lot more than they used to.
I bring my gaze back to her, see the way she startles when someone laughs loudly, it makes me want to hide her from her fears, to make it all better for her, but how can I do that when I don’t even know why she’s scared in the first place?
She closes her eyes and starts doing breathing exercises to keep calm, it makes my heart ache, wings restless to wrap around her, if only I could do that, maybe then she’d feel better?
I guess the only thing I can do for now is to remain by her side and try to not make things worse.
The classroom keeps filling until every desks are taken and Yoongi comes back shortly after, a stack of papers in hands that he proceeds to give to every first desks of every rows so they can reach the back of the class quickly.
Once sure that everyone has one in front of them, he clears his throat to get the attention on him, which brings a slow end to the conversations still going on, something that helps Y/N in calming down, thank goodness.
“I do believe that everyone has a paper in front of them? If so, take a look at it, there are in total four different types of lining to avoid everyone ending up with the same thing. Today’s project should be fun, I want all of you to be inspired by what is already drawn and complete the drawing. Use the lines to get a shape and have fun with the possibilities” he explains with a smile and I perk up because I love these kind of projects, there’s something really fun in giving free reign to my imagination.
I turn to see what kind of lines Y/N has and notice how she’s frowning at them as if they insulted her personally, it makes a smile form on my lips.
“What the heck am I supposed to do with that?” she grumbles to herself and I keep in a giggle at the way she pouts at the paper before patting her shoulder to bring her attention to my own.
“Want to switch?” I offer, watch as she takes in the lines I have, eyebrows furrowing lightly before she nods, mind already getting more ideas with this one.
“Please, that would be really nice of you, but are you sure? Mine looks tricky, I have no idea what could be done with it” she lets out, eyes meeting mine in hesitation.
I grin and switch our papers. “Watch me” I let out, pleased when I hear her chuckle at my confidence.
“Alright, birdie, do your worst then” she lets out, a teasing smile on her face at the childish nickname that slips through and I scoff before poking her side with one wing, her cute giggle I get in response a sweet melody to my heart.
“I’m not a child, youdo your worst, I’m going to do my best” I retort and she laughs, the melodious sound reaching straight to my soul and echoing there over and over again, gosh I love it.
“How about a competition then? Let’s see which drawing ends up being the best” she attempts and I narrow my eyes at her, not expecting this competitive side of her, it’s a nice surprise.
“Deal, this is a war then” I agree and at that, we both start working on our own drawing, focused like never before, a drive to win fueling us, but mostly just a need to enjoy this moment between the two of us.
“I’m so winning this” she mumbles to herself and I laugh. “You wish”.
“I will protect you from all around you. I will be here don’t you cry. For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm… ‘Cause you’ll be in my heart. Yes, you’ll be in my heart. From this day on now and forever more. You’ll be in my heart no matter what they say, you’ll be here in my heart always.”
-Phill Collins
Summary: Your last owner had almost beaten you to death, leaving you at the very shelter he had adopted you from. This time, two tall men walk in, immediately drawn to you as you rested in your small cage. You couldn’t help but become attached, just hoping you wouldn’t be abandoned once again by the idols you grow to love.
Warnings: feelings of abandonment, major angst, fluff, polyamory love, mentions of violence, mentions of sexual assault, reference to rape, discrimination,
Summary: Hybrids have always been known to humanity after scientist decided to test the limits of the animal genetics on humans. Now the world uses them as adoptable companions, which is why a group of friends found their way at a Hybrid Shelter. Though one trip turns into an ugly fight involving Yoongi to walk away—But what happens when that same male finds a cat hybrid that is scared out of her mind with a dark past. Who said that dark past was over?
~Pairing: Min Yoongi (BTS) | Suga x Hybrid f! Reader
Wild feline orbs snapped wide open, panic swirling through them while your senses refused to cooperate from the emotional roller coaster running inside. You hated that everything felt out of control, it was like a slap to the face. A reminder that the past is never really gone, despite Yoongi’s desperate attempts to shake it from your memories.
Without hesitation, you jumped into a defensive stance—practically pure instincts at this point—only to hiss when bumping your head against a hard surface. The sudden harsh movement having you wince as well, the injury on your shoulder blade acting up.
Right now… You felt like a blind man walking through a dark forest, breathing taking a sharp turn as your body trembled—You’re okay… You’re not back. It’s okay, just calm yourself.
A marathon of reassurance—comfort—chanted within, tail flickering and puffing in distress. Although you were still on edge, the words did help regain your five senses… From hearing to smell.
Unconsciously sniffing the air around, inhaling familiar scents that you’ve grown to come accustomed too as your stress decreased and faded. Knowing you were even remotely close to one of the seven puts you at ease. Vision coming back into focus, shaking your head to get it together before observing the surrounding area.
However as much as you tried to forget, focus on something else, like the vibrations taking place underneath your paws from the moving vehicle. Tears still threatened to spill—That dream… You can’t get it out of your head.
It’s been months since you’ve had a nightmare, especially one as real as this…
Yet, the darkness had swallowed and welcomed you back with a sinister grin. Almost as if those demons inside didn’t leave at all, only waiting for your return—Which, in a way, the past did wait… In the depths of your mind until they were triggered back to the open surface.
Shaking the thoughts away with a downward glare, you didn’t realize that your sharpened claws were digging into the carpet ground. The sight forcing you to flinch and crawl away, wanting to come out of hiding but nearly shrieking when tripping over something hard and… fluffy?
You didn’t even have time to catch yourself—So much for cats always landing on their feet as you stumbled before coming into direct contact with something wet and squishy.
Peeking an eye open, widening seeing familiar golden fur and a slightly large snout touching your own small nose—Hoseok.
The dog hybrid was halfway beneath the seat, as if he tried to forcefully squeeze himself through the narrow space. Carefully, you tried to ease yourself out of the way, only to freeze feeling something move and snuggle into your side. Ears perking up, finally noticing Jungkook was here too… In fact, he was probably the cause of your fall.
Huffing, all you could do was stare at the bunny who was sound asleep, squirming around for warmth as he breathed in your scent with a content sigh—Jungkook and Hoseok being there, despite pushing them away earlier, had a warm feeling spread into your heart.
What was this? You couldn’t find a word for it.
It was different, calming, new… Honestly it made you feel fuzzy and light inside.
But what exactly was it? You’ve felt it before with Yoongi. Although it was stronger around him, but you just couldn’t pinpoint what this new feeling was called. Maybe you should talk about it with Namjoon, he once told you that purring was perfectly normal so he should know about this… Right?
It’s funny… Never in your life did you imagine you’d be friends with hybrids that weren’t cut from the same cloth, no less humans for that matter.
Getting on all fours, you gently rolled Jungkook over to the golden retriever so the small hybrid could stay warm with the help of Hoseok’s fur. Cat-like eyes narrowing playfully to make sure the youngest didn’t try to inch himself toward you like the last few times.
When it was clear Jungkook was planning to stay… you turned around and only took a single step before freezing. Hesitating, you glanced behind and inhaled sharply, rushing towards the two hybrids to nuzzle their necks affectionally that caused Hoseok and Jungkook to smile blissfully in their sleep.
More than embarrassed, tail coming to cover half your face, you maneuvered out from underneath the shadows with a silent hiss. The need to know your location being greater than the pain forming on your shoulder, ignoring the sting as you squinted because of the light shining through each window.
Orange and yellow colors flowing in your vision, it seemed to be around sunset outside but still bright enough to where you wanted to crawl back into the shade.
Standing tall on your hind legs, eyes narrowing to the other sleeping hybrids—Jimin and Taehyung being in a cuddle session of their own. Although your head snapped towards the front, humming near the driver’s seat catching your attention almost instantly. You’d know that familiar tune anywhere, automatically speed-walking to get closer as if you were in a trance. Jumping into the lap of the male that changed your life… possibly forever.
Not expecting the sudden weight, Yoongi tensed for a minute before slumping in relaxation when hearing and feeling your purrs rumble throughout his body.
You weren’t sure when Yoongi decided to trade spots with Seokjin, OR when the eldest wasn’t in the car anymore for that matter. But you weren’t complaining, eyes darting out the window. Enjoying the scenery and quietness of the road… It brought a sense of peace.
And when a single hand started combing through your black fur, you didn’t tense like earlier. Instead, practically turning into Jell-O.
Yoongi didn’t bother talking … nor did he mention a word about what happened between you and that hybrid eagle. The music lover knew when to shut up, letting you come to him instead of forcing it out. Yoongi was just happy that you didn’t flinch or shiver in disgust at his touch.
A soft—rare—smile graced Yoongi’s features as you leaned further in his hand with an expression that told him you were in heaven. A much better change than the painful one.
Occasionally, Yoongi would check the rear-view mirror to make sure Seokjin and Namjoon were still following behind in the other vehicle. But for the most part, the side was comforting. The only sound being the lowered music as Yoongi hummed, rapping his favorite verse louder for your ears.
Although you didn’t exactly know where you were or heading… Right now, in this moment.
You’d travel anywhere as long it’s with him.
~
“Psst… Psst, Y/N! Time to wake up.”
Groaning at the noise, you curled up and turned around to face away from the new presence. Only to accidentally rollover, falling off the seat and hitting the ground. Cracking an eye open to glare at the laughing introducers that disturbed your peace.
“And here I thought cats always land on their feet…”
A snickering fox was glancing down as Taehyung towered over you two in his human form with a wide grin, playfulness shining in both their eyes. “Come on, Yoongi sent us to wake you. He wants you to meet someone, we all do!”
Confused, you sleepily got up with a yawn and stretched out your limbs, hissing when straining your shoulder once more. You were a hundred percent certain that it needed to be treated, especially when you didn’t officially know how bad it looked.
In pet circumstances, a vet could do an evaluation without problems… but you weren’t a pet. You’re a hybrid and human form usually is more suitable to check for injuries properly. Especially since you have black fur that covers any bruise or open wound.
The two hybrids glanced at one another in concern, feeling discomfort roll off you in waves. However, you didn’t bother telling them what was wrong, completely avoiding eye contact.
“Where are we?” You mumbled, the question being more directed at Jimin than anything since Taehyung could barely understand without being in his tiger form. Hybrid language was extremely different inside your animal form then it was being human. Taehyung only being able to get the gist of the conversation, but not fully.
“Home!” Jimin shouted excitedly, small yips leaving his mouth as the bright colored tail wagged on like a dog getting a treat—But thanks to your sleep introduced state, you could not focus on the fact that there were other new smells around or the sound of someone gathering the luggage in the trunks.
Home? That didn’t seem right… You all took a whole day trip, only to come back to the beginning? Is this a human and hybrid thing?
Weirdos…
Scratching behind your ears, you didn’t bother listening to what else the two hybrids had to say. Immediately jumping onto the seat where Jimin practically purred at the close proximity, nuzzling his head into yours as Taehyung twirled your black tail around his finger playfully.
Snorting you let out a hiss, only for the warning to be left ignored as they continued. The two already used to you trying to push their affection away, all the hybrids knew that if you didn’t actually want it… You’d do more than hiss.
Alright that’s enough… After nudging the two away, you jumped out the car door that was left open.
The first thing you noticed was how cold the ground and air was, snow scrunching underneath your paws while shivering. Face scrunching up when feeling Jack Frost nip at your nose—However, the second thing that caught your attention was getting lifted off the ground…
By someone that you did not know.
“Is this her?! Yoongi, she’s adorable!! Her beautiful fur reminds me of my little bun!” A women squealed out in awe, your eyes widening at the sight of her. Especially the peanut butter colored bunny ears that flopped down her short-styled hair.
The random women had such wide doe-like eyes that held so much happiness… and it was being directed at you.
You didn’t know how to react to this… because on one hand, you wanted to scratch and bite to freedom—I mean you were a predator and she was prey, you could scare her! But then again… Her eyes held so much warmth that it made you feel safe.
Just who the hell was she?
“Dear… Maybe you should put her down. Poor girl looks like she is going to faint,” Another voice echoed out into the night sky as it started to snow, tensing at the new presence as you swiftly glanced around seeing another bunny hybrid—The guy was slightly less tall than Jungkook, but instead of this women, he had black ears that stood up straight. A large smile forming on him… He had Jungkook’s smile.
“Her name is Y/N, right?”
“Oh! Chim mentioned that on the phone the last time we talked!! What a lovely name, it fits the little black rose perfectly!”
“Yoongi, I can’t believe you adopted a hybrid!! How many times has your mom tried to convince you to get out the house or schedule blind dates? At least now she’ll stop since you have a hybrid to take care of. I’m sure Y/N will have no problems whipping you into shape.”
Yoongi scoffed, turning his head sideways as a light blush rose on his cheeks from being called out. The action causing all the adult parents to laugh at the pouty expression Yoongi was showing, Though while it embarrassed him, you grew more on edge from being surrounded.
Eyes growing wide seeing multiple couples, from an orange and white tiger… to brownish and gold fur retrievers. Then finally a pair of bright orange and red foxes… However, you didn’t see any other couple that wasn’t considered a hybrid.
Eventually it started to feel like you were being suffocated, trying to wiggle out of the female’s grasp that only made you hiss from how much movement you were doing as the smell of fresh blood reached your nose. However it probably would’ve been noticed if where you were inside a closed space and not outside a snowy environment.
Though the sudden action had everyone freezing in alarm and concern before understanding lit up—They were overwhelming you. Although it was hard to detect in the wind, the strongest sense in the air was pain and fear… along with something else that smelled familiar to them. But from what Yoongi explained about your past… It would be best not to make a first bad impression by bringing up horrid memories.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!! I—I didn’t mean to be rude,” The women stumbled upon her words, ears pinning back as an embarrassed blush painted her cheeks red. Gently, she placed you down on the cold ground where you unconsciously hissed at everyone to back off, back arching as high it could go while tail bristled in anger.
The defensive position had the parents deflating, sadness filling them as the others eye’s softened—Maybe it was a mistake not to inform you that they were coming here…
“Y/N, it’s okay… You can trust them. It’s about time you meet the big family,” Namjoon calmly explained, crouching near as the four hybrids smiled in reassurance. Giving you an encouraging nod before standing next to the ones that shared similar traits with them—Are these their parents?
“Maybe we should let Y/N get settled in first! I bet she’s dying to eat a nice hot meal and shake off the cold—Yoongi… Namjoon… Your parents should be inside finishing up dinner. While Jin, your parents are getting the rooms ready,” Mrs. Jung spoke up, brownish tail wagging as the sun radiated off her smile.
Nodding in agreement, Namjoon ruffled your head before Yoongi came to scroop you up in his arms. Unzipping his jacket so he could wrap you up in it, becoming your personal heater.
During the trail, you watched how all the boys were in a good mood… Despite them being tired from staying up too late. Laughter could be heard a mile away as they joked around with big grins, even Jungkook had tears falling when being embraced by each of his parents.
Just then a flick was felt upon your ear that caused you to glare upward, Yoongi smirking down before an annoyed hiss fell from your lips that had him chuckling in amusement. The sound catching everyone’s attention, secretly glancing over their shoulders to coo. As well sighing in relief seeing Yoongi open up to someone that wasn’t his parents or the boys.
Soon enough, after heading through the darkness and snowy fog… You could make out a building that was neatly decorated as Christmas lights shined the pathway—This is a house?! It looks like a castle!!
Your mouth couldn’t help but drop when seeing a semi-giant mansion…
“Speechless dearie? Believe me… I was too when our seven boys surprised us with it,” Mrs. Kim stated, walking slower to keep in pace with Yoongi as she saw the awe shine in your eyes. Smiling at her son and husband that were ahead them, black and white tail blending into the snowy environment while it swished around.
Yoongi rolled his eyes, a small grin forming as he stared at the big house that was coming more into view—Wait was that? You couldn’t help but snicker in amusement when feeling Yoongi puff out his chest in pride. It seems the sight of the house inflated his ego…
“…All of you deserved it from how much you put up with us. We all have successful jobs… It was about time we lend a hand,” Yoongi explained with a far-off look in his eyes at the mention of being successful. While he did work in the music industry, Yoongi didn’t just want to be claimed as another random face… He wanted to make a name for himself that the world knew and deep in his gut, something told him that was coming soon. “Ah, anyways… All we did was start the race; it was you all that finished it remember? I hear the clinic and restaurant are the talk of the town, soon it’s going to go global—Eomma even told me your starting your own fashion line… What’s that all about?”
At the comment, Taehyung’s mom ended up coughing in her hand as she grew shy… The only people who actually knew about that was the ladies and her husband. Mrs. Kim didn’t even tell her son about what she was planning to release next fall. “Yes well… You didn’t think Taetae got his fashion sense from his father, did you?”
Yoongi laughed in agreement, glancing at the two male tigers to see one sporting a designer outfit while the other was wearing something that was entirely mismatched. The music lover couldn’t help but flinch seeing the terrible combination… Even HE had some fashionable sense.
Finally arriving at the front door, the guys were the first to rush into the house to get out of the cold weather. Dragging snow with them that had the woman glaring at the mess, pulling off their coats to put away. Honestly, you were surprised when Yoongi didn’t shed off his jacket as well or even ask if you’d sit on the floor from how much heat you were adding.
Suddenly a delicious aroma filled the room, it had your stomach grumbling in anger. In fact, you don’t think you’ve eaten anything since breakfast, and it seemed the smell wasn’t only affecting you. The other hybrids practically melting on the spot as drool formed, following the smell.
It wasn’t hard to find where it was coming from, Yoongi settling you down on the counter when spotting a beautiful women facing away from everyone. She was wearing an elegant black outfit, long hair tired up as she focused on chopping. The lady looked like Yoongi when he cooks.
Speaking of him…
“Eomma…. I’m home.”
Snapping her head up, eyes growing wide as she accidentally dropped the knife on the floor that had you jumping into a defensive position. Relaxing slightly when seeing the women throw herself into Yoongi’s awaiting arms before she pulled away. Placing a single hand on his cheek that had Yoongi leaning in for comfort.
“Oh my boy… Wait, am I sure your him? My, Yoongi, was never this handsome,” Mrs. Min snorted as Yoongi rolled his eyes, gently pushing his mother’s hand away playfully.
“Okay… Well you ruined the moment,” Yoongi chuckled.
“I was just kidding dumpling… Of course your mine, only I could create such a beautiful child,” Mrs. Min chuckled as she reached for the knife on the floor, placing it in the sink before turning around to get a better view at her son. However, her eyes widen seeing Yoongi’s shirt… “Oh my!! Yoongi you’re bleeding! Are you okay?!”
“Bleeding? What, are you finally going crazy? What are you talking about, I’m not…” Yoongi scrunched up his nose in confusion, glancing down at his shirt only to freeze. There, right in the middle, was in fact a blood stain… Although it was not a lot, it was still alarming.
“This doesn’t make sense…” Yoongi mumbled, thinking back on what happened today as his mother fused over him on possibly being injured. It was then that a light bulb lit up in his head… Y/N. Maybe that fight with the hybrid eagle did more than damage your mental health.
Ignoring his mother, Yoongi slowly crept to where you sat with a clinging Jimin. The fox being putty in your arms as you pat his head with a single paw. Giving a shushing sign when the hybrids spotted him getting closer. When Yoongi was close enough, he spotted your black fur had a shining wet coat to the shoulder. Although he couldn’t tell if it was blood or not.
Narrowing his eyes, Yoongi whispered an apology before touching the wet spot that had you wincing and letting out a loud cry. A deadly hiss escaping as wild eyes stared into Yoongi’s soul, everyone gathering into the kitchen when hearing the sound.
It surprised the parents when something triggered in their four boys, startled eyes watching them transform as they stood guard in front as Yoongi stared at the tips of his fingers that had fresh blood on it. Snapping up when hearing growls ring through the air as the hybrids eyed him suspiciously, only backing down when you finally relaxed seeing it was just Yoongi.
Seokjin and Namjoon stared with worry, wondering what the hell was going on. The two coming up behind Yoongi to peer down at what he was looking at that had curiosity grow in the parents too. Suddenly a gasp left one of them, the eldest being the first to react.
“Someone get my dad, immediately!!! Y/N’s hurt!!”
~~~~
Welcome to the thirteenth chapter of Changing One’s Tune! Thank you lovelies for your patience. All my hard-work finally paid off, I graduated with my associates!
Likes, Comments, Reblogs, and Follows are appreciated if you enjoy the story. Its always exciting to know that you like my writing, and it gives me more motivation to update faster!
Summary: There will always be a time when someone spirals between reality and fantasy, forcing yourself upon the visible barrier with a single hand reaching out for that one daydream—Wishing, wanting, needing for it to be true! But when it’s about an inch from your grasp… You wake up once more.
What if that world you see isn’t imaginary? What if it’s a predication? The red string that connects everyone together—What if its… fate?
~Pairing: Min Yoongi (BTS) | Hybrid Suga x f! Reader
~Genre: Angst & Fluff, Hybrid au
~Word count: 1K
A/N: This is just a preview (Glimpse) of what’s to come. This is not the whole chapter or story. Please be patient, and here’s a taste of my newest story coming soon! Thank you.
Parts: 1/? -> Coming Soon…
I’ve been having these weird dreams lately… of a world like no other.
It’s almost familiar~
But when I open my eyes, it scatters like a far-off memory.
Makes me wonder…
Is any of this real, or simply hope for a better fantasy?
“Y/N let’s go! —Get your lazy ass up and remember us already!”
You woke with a gasp, sweat lining your forehead while unconsciously kicking the covers off to cool down. Swiftly, you glanced around the room to see sunlight cracking through the colored curtains as it lined up perfectly, dancing with even the smallest shadows—Bedroom… You were in a bedroom.
Specifically, the bedroom you resided in as objects that practically had your name invisibly engraved with ownership burned holes right back from staring.
What was that? A dream?
Or…
Suddenly, you jumped in fright when an alarm rang throughout the quite bedroom. Your eyes widening, loosing all train of thought to scramble for the phone that kept buzzing on top of your nightstand. You yourself flinched at the noise; it was like hearing a screeching fire alarm that would’ve had anyone trying to claw off their ears to gain silence.
Quickly shutting down the alarm—not wanting to wake up your family either—you groaned in despair seeing the familiar reminder to take medication. Sight transferring from staring at the wall to the ceiling, body landing with a soft thump against the bedsheets. A silent cry leaving your lips, into a pair of hands.
Youhated it—Despised everything that was related to an issue involving medical or mental. Glaring towards the organized pill container, the little box laying not far from yourself.
Ever since you were a mere child, night and day were the times you had to drown a pair of tablets or capsules with water. The medication being prescribed, along with some much-needed vitamins apparently. Your parents explained they were necessary, important, and not a day should pass by where you miss a single dose.
Doctor appointment after another, each one telling you the same thing. It was like living inside a broken record player as it constantly repeated.
All of them explained it was to cope with anxiety, depression and other vital things… Something that had you scrunching up in confusion, because it didn’t feel like any of the medication was working or helping with those specific problems—Who were you to judge or go against a professional’s opinion?
But then…
A bad week came where you missed a few doses, such as last night for example. It had panic swelling inside, trying to hide any evidence as best as you could when seeing the still full container that read the exact time and date it was missed.
You must’ve gotten paler in color when your mother practically burst inside the room to make sure the medication was taken. Lies falling off your lips as a nervous smile graced itself. Though it wasn’t long until she left, satisfaction upon her face as you finally released a giant breath of relief before landing on your bed with an exhausted grumble. Eyes slowly drooping, and dark engulfing yourself.
However, unlike the other times where it would just be a blink away until morning. This felt different… It was almost like a gateway, your asleep brain wanting to process all the little visions that flew past in a hurry as the darkness started to grow brighter ahead.
For a second, you feared it was death—But then, you’d wake up and it would all disappear once more like if nothing happened.
Maybe it was only a glimpse of a dream?
A dream… something you haven’t had since your childhood.
Frowning, you snapped out of it while shaking your head to get rid of last night’s memories. You needed to focus on taking your medication before forgetting once more—The important pills were the first to go, wincing when they touched your tongue, leaving an ugly taste in its wake. It had you gagging, forcefully swallowing the tablets, as a familiar voice from inside your dreams faded away into ashes. Nose wiggling in distaste when feeling like your entire brain was getting wiped clean, leaving it hazy to even think.
Although, you didn’t have time to process anything more. Yelps leaving your mouth when seeing the time, running around the room to appear presentable and ready before the clock reminded you again on how late your running.
Cussing when knocking down the open water bottle to the floor, deciding to let it dry instead of cleaning up the mess before snatching the small backpack that was hanging upon the wooden door. You tried not to waste any time as the main lights were switched off, hopping on a single foot to slip inside your shoes with difficulty.
The idea of being tardy had stress building up, accidentally slamming your bedroom door a tad loud for anyone’s liking. But it was too late… The damage was done as you rushed throughout the hall, wanting to make it outside before hearing complaints and a whole lecture from your parents. Hurriedly setting a pace, you didn’t bother noticing something quite particular that happened all around.
Reflections that were supposed to have yourself… Didn’t.
There was not one that showed a body or face, well, at least not yours. Eyes that belonged to seven figures secretly gazing at you with a frown etched into their faces, glancing at one another before disappearing as you passed by without a second thought.
Throughout the years, they saw you change as life goes on… But not in the good way—They watched your eyes grow dimmer, weight on your shoulders growing heavily, and true-self distancing further into the pits of your heart.
And they couldn’t do a thing about it.
At least, not yet—For now… All they can do is watch over like guardians without you being able to see them. Watching, until the day comes where you’d remember everything.
Little did any of you know. That day would be coming along much sooner than anticipated as a container inside your room fell to the ground with a crackle. It bounced a few times, the fall causing the cap to pop off before rolling away. However, it wasn’t alone. Pills getting discarded in groups before finally landing with a silent splash… in the puddle of water, medication dissolving and getting soggy.
Now ruined.
~~~~
Welcome to the future story of DAYDREAM!
Now, like I mentioned before… This is just a taste of what’s to come. This is NOT the actual full chapter or story! It’s just that I’ve been real busy, but wanted to give you lovelies a little something. Comment what you think so far, I’ll try to have the full chapter ASAP! Thank you.
Likes, Comments, Reblogs, and Follows are greatly appreciated if you like the story. Its always exciting to know that you like my writing, and it gives me more motivation to update faster!
Summary: Hybrids have always been known to humanity after scientist decided to test the limits of the animal genetics on humans. Now the world uses them as adoptable companions, which is why a group of friends found their way at a Hybrid Shelter. Though one trip turns into an ugly fight involving Yoongi to walk away—But what happens when that same male finds a cat hybrid that is scared out of her mind with a dark past. Who said that dark past was over?
~Pairing: Min Yoongi (BTS) | Suga x Hybrid f! Reader
~Genre: Angst & Fluff, Hybrid au
~Word Count: 3.7K
**WARNING: This chapter contains bullying, PTSD, and slight violence… If this makes you uncomfortable or triggers you in anyway. Please do NOT read!**
The female leader snapped out of her shock, puffing out her chest and straightening up at the challenge. Blackish and brown eagle wings bristled behind, flexing wide to show her dominance over you. The action immediately causing the two lackies to submit, avoiding all eye contact as possible by tilting their heads toward the ground. Their bodies hunching over to curl in on themselves to appear smaller than they actually are.
“What’s this, a mere cat is standing up for a fox hybrid? Dear… You do know that your nothing but prey to him, right?” The hybrid snapped, anger bursting inside that someone below her species was giving off a defiance. Not appreciating how you didn’t show an ounce of submission or fear, only unconsciously straightening up more to show off your power instead.
Though the eagle hybrid made no sign of moving, fierce eyes calculating her odds and tactics before attacking.
“This mere cat is going to kick your ass if you don’t get out of here. Unlike you dear, I am more bite than bark,” You hissed, teeth baring as the white lie fell easily from your lips as if it was true. Although you’d love to think that you could rip the bird’s head off with no problem, you also knew that fighting was not your strongest ability.
As well, going up against a predator? That was a death wish waiting to happen.
Still… One glance at Jimin, and you knew it was worth a shot to try. Rather taking on all three if it meant that he would be safe—But the comment seemed to upset the bird hybrid more, a screeching noise that sounded more animalistic echoed throughout the air that had your sensitive ears flinching. Even causing some real birds to fly off while rodents ran for cover, neither wanting to be a victim.
Tensing, you watched all logic go out the window when seeing the female’s eyes shine with nothing but wrath and lust for blood… You’re blood.
Cat reflexes starting to kick in and go into overdrive, hearing the whistling sound of the wind as the hybrid’s wings stretched out to give her an extra boost in steps. You barely managed to jump out of the way in time to avoid being tackled to the ground.
However, a hiss left your lips noticing that she was much closer to a statue-like Jimin The idea of the hybrid being remotely lose to him left a bitter taste on your tongue, not wasting time to practically force the eagle to follow with a tight grip upon her wing. Squeaks of pain leaving the bird’s mouth with a surprised gasp, especially after getting roughly shoved to the snowy ground by the other’s two feet.
“Pretty feathers, too bad there attached to someone with a shitty personality,” You scoffed, twisting a single feather that managed to get yanked undone between your thumb and index finger. Golden eyes following the movement, zooming in on the beautiful feather that fell to the street before the wind picked it up and out of sight.
During that time, you didn’t know better that the fuse to a bomb inside started to ignite. Everything going by so fast, not allowing you to process anything until it was too late.
Choking from the force, you staggered back when a punch to the face had your eyes watering. You didn’t even have time to defend yourself before more assaults came that had you coughing and wheezing. The eagle hybrid didn’t hesitate or have any regrets as she kneed you in the stomach that made your body double over in pain to the ground. She didn’t even give you a chance to catch your breath before another blow was delivered that had you crying out—Get up… A chant-like marathon echoed throughout your head, teary eyes cracking open slightly to see the bright sky.
Except, another the swing of the female’s leg had your body forcing itself to the side from the powerful kick. Blue sky long gone as your body felt like it was on fire, lungs burning for oxygen and ears pinning back in distress. The feeling had you curling in on yourself.
“Pathetic… Not saying anything now, huh kitty? I wonder what that fox thinks of you, trying to defend his honor, only to end up like a piece of gum on the floor. You couldn’t even put up much of a fight,” A voice cackled near your ear, her presence looming over you as the eagle bent down with a scowl.
The mention of the fox hybrid had your eyes snapping open straight away, searching before landing on a shivering figure. You had no idea how much time passed or if the others were looking for the two of you, but right now. In this moment… You couldn’t give a single fucks as your eyes focused on the tear stains that was covering dried up blood from the mark that SHE caused.
Biting your tongue, you fought against the pain in your stomach and everywhere else. The taste of copper tainting your taste buds from the punch in the face earlier. The hybrid, who’s guard was down, let out a shocked gasp as she staggered backwards from an elbow to the face. It distracted the eagle enough to let you stand up.
The sudden turn of events had the other two hybrids springing into action. Thankfully the two were much smaller than you, being easier to knock them down with little trouble.
Panting in exhaustion, not noticing the taller hybrid behind you until it was too late as a silent scream fell from your lips. Sharp talons digging into your shoulder blade that had you wanting to fall to the ground and cry.
“You’re starting to piss me off,” Hands shoved you with little effort and care into the wall right next to Jimin, causing him to winch at the sound it made. Biting your lip, you stared directly into cold eyes with no fear… Not wanting to give her the satisfaction that you were in pain all over.
“Jimin… Leave,” You croaked out, the comment had the eagle smirking at the requested demand. She didn’t even bother to take her eyes off you, knowing damn well that the fox wasn’t worth it anymore. But the girl that tried to stop her from having “fun” …Well that was a different story, and she was determined to leave a life learning lesson here to never mess with someone below your own species again.
“Wha—”
“NOW!” You growled, holding onto the wrist of the hand that was planted against your own throat. You could feel the cold touch of the sterling silver metal from your tag rubbing into the skin, gritting your teeth when the black collared tightened. Ears flickering when hearing the fox hybrid scramble to his feet and run in a hurry, scared yips leaving his mouth as the smell of roses and peaches faded away.
“Sending the fox away? Good idea kitty… We wouldn’t want him third wheeling on our little fun together,” The eagle grinned devilishly, her grip tightening that had you clenching with the idea of being corned until Jimin gets help. “What should I do with you? …Break a bone? How about leave a permanent scar?”
The list went on that would have had most people shiver in fear, but you showed no signs. In fact, you stared dead in the eye of the women that had won this fight with a hard glare… It didn’t upset you as much as you would’ve thought.
It was fine.
Jimin was safe and that was all that mattered. You handled far worse anyways, and the thought of Jimin going through the same thing as the light dimmed out of his eyes was worth being in this place instead of him.
Golden eyes scanned your face, humming deep in thought on what she could do. However a single movement had her slightly glancing up as a wide smile formed, her feather that was plucked earlier and picked up by the wind flew by next to your fluffy black cat ears. It had her grin growing wider than the grinch. “Oh, I know exactly what to do with you darling.”
“How about an eye for an eye? You remember my pretty little feather? …Well it’s time that I pluck something of yours too,” A sickly sweet voice caught your attention, nose scrunching up in confusion on what that meant until something happened that had you stiffening.
Sharp long nails dragging along the tip to the base of your ear, the action having it flinch back in disgust at the feeling. It didn’t feel anything like the way Yoongi does it, how it always felt comforting when he brushed his fingers in your fur or scratched around that area.
No—This felt wrong and frighteningly… familiar.
It felt like an ice-cold bucket of water was thrown over your body, breathing starting to turn ragged as your pupils widen in fear. Palms feeling sweaty as your tail wrapped around you in comfort as best it could, while your mouth went dangerously dry—Just like that… you weren’t on the side of a convenience store pinned down, you weren’t with a threatening eagle hybrid, there was no such thing as Yoongi (That has been searching for you for a while in worry).
No… You were at a place that you’d only seen in dreams. Somewhere you never wanted to physically return too.
You were back, and that familiar face staring deep into your soul had you paling hard. A hand that was pressing your collar against your throat wasn’t there, but an itchy rope that had you wanting to vomit as it dug deeper into your skin. Panicked eyes watching as the mouth moved, not hearing a single word over the ringing of your own heartbeat. You felt the all too familiar feeling of something being broken inside your body, when in reality, everything was in their rightful place.
“Filth, people like you should be an abomination. Don’t worry, I know a perfect remedy that will have you knowing your place in life,” The laugh had you shivering in place, a cold touch against your fluffy ears made you freeze—Then…
Red.
That’s all you saw while fighting the force that was trying to hold you in place. Vicious hisses that held nothing, but venom left your lips as you screamed, fighting with all your might. You didn’t even realize what you were doing in the real world as you kept up your assault against the face that haunted your mind. The reason you ran and never looked back, the person that had you preparing to die in an alleyway instead of in that house—Raising your arm, you were about to deliver the final bowl against the slightly cracked mirror of your past.
That is until a hand reached out to grab your wrist in a calming/gentle, but forceful manner.
The action had you crying out in anger, feral slit eyes swiftly looking for the one responsible that immobilized your clenched fist. However, you froze… wild green eyes coming face-to-face with concerned chocolate drop eyes.
Yoongi.
Everything faded away, the memories melting to nothing but a hazy mess. Yoongi’s grip relaxing and releasing your wrist when seeing you come back to your senses as your posture relaxed, hand unclenching. Glancing down, your eyes widen when seeing you straddling the unconscious hybrid. Her face covered in scratch marks, bites, and bruises. Blood rolling down her parted lips, the only sign that she was still alive was the up and down breathing of her chest.
Scanning the area, you noticed the others here as well—Jimin shaking in place as Hoseok tried to comfort the fox hybrid, while Namjoon tried to pull the other three from practically strangling the two hybrids that stared upon you with fear in their own eyes. Scared squeaks leaving them as they didn’t hesitate to transform into their bird forms, flying away when seeing they now had your attention on them.
“I… I’m sorry, I—” You stuttered over your words, not exactly knowing what to say. Hell, you didn’t even know who exactly you were apologizing too. Hands blindly finding the ground to help you stand on wobbly legs. Stumbling in pain or fear, you didn’t know… Shakily turning to leave back to the car. However before you could even make a single step in that direction, someone grabbed your hand to stop yourself from leaving. The action making you tense once more.
“DON’T TOUCH ME!!” You shouted, yanking in back with not much effort before wrapping your own warms around you as a shield. As if it was going to make you turn invisible against the world. Directing your sharp gaze to whoever reached out for you, eyes widening when seeing a hurt expression on Jungkook’s face.
This was the first time that you actually saw fright in the bunny’s eyes as he staggered back before quickly hopping to hide behind his hyungs. Immediately guilt consumed your heart that had you wanting to reach out to the youngest, but you didn’t. You couldn’t… Not right now at least.
“I’m sorry… Jungkook I—Just… please, leave me alone,” You whispered out in a broken voice, tightly closing your eyes shut to not see the others faces. Afraid they will be staring at you in disappointment, anger, or disgust. You didn’t waste time to run towards one of the cars, slamming the door closed as you transformed to hide underneath the seat, far from everyone. Staring off into the distance, tears silently streaming down and staining your fur.
The hybrids tagged along in the car you were in to try and comfort you, but to no avail. Tension in the air was thick, and the smell of blood had the hybrids whimpering as they felt you in pain. Even Jungkook was worried, despite being snapped at like if you were ready to bite his head off. He knew that you didn’t mean it.
No one said a word for the whole ride, not even music played on in the background.
~
“PSTD?” Yoongi frowned, eyebrow raising in question as Seokjin explained the symptoms and how it develops after a traumatic situation.
The seven stood outside the car, their last stop before their final destination since a bathroom break was much needed right about now. However, you still refused to come out of your hiding spot in the car. Not even bothering to transform back, it was starting to make everyone anxious with worry on not seeing your smile. They were so use to you starting to become comfortable around them that this setback was unsettling.
“This actually explains what happened hours earlier. She could have gained it when Y/N lived with her old owner—I mean… Y/N has only lived with Yoongi for close to a year now but for her mind it could still be fresh down memory lane,” Namjoon nodded along in agreement, deep in thought as the rest of the males tensed at the idea of you reliving the exact moment that caused you pain. “None of us have the whole story on what exactly happened in her past, but whatever it was… It had a major impact on her mental state.”
“What should we do then? She’s in a fragile state right now, we should help—I should help! What do you need me to do? …Yoongi?” Hoseok whined, sad puppy dog eyes starting to water as his floppy ears drooped over in distress. Immediately looking towards the second oldest with permission to go and cuddle you.
Hoseok didn’t like the fact that you were in pain, or that you were starting to shut yourself down from them again. The dog hybrid prided himself on being able to help anyone, especially his loved ones. So feeling useless right now was foreign to him, instincts screaming at him to go make you feel better until your eyes sparkled brighten than the sun.
“Well the first thing we can do is be patient, Hobi. None of us should rush her to do anything she doesn’t feel like doing. It will just put more pressure on her mental state that will have Y/N pushing us further away,” Seokjin stated firmly, nods of understanding going around as Hoseok deflated slightly but didn’t protest. Although the seven wished to do more than sit back until you decided to come towards them again, they also knew that giving you space was something that was desperately needed.
“Honestly, the best thing any of us can do right now is act normal. If we just be ourselves around her, Y/N will start to relax and ease up,” Jimin encouraged, a small smile breaking out to lift their sour moods. The comment had everyone’s gaze turning on the fox hybrid with soft eyes.
It took an hour until Jimin could calm down and fully speak a full sentence, and yet even so, he would rather look out for others instead of himself.
“That’s a great idea—How are you feeling though? Does this still sting?” Seokjin asked in concern, cupping Jimin’s face gently as a single thumb rubbed against the small bandage on the fox’s cheek. Despite wincing from the wound, Jimin looked up at the oldest with innocent eyes as his tail waved around in happiness.
“I’m fine! In the beginning… I was a little shaken up, but if it hasn’t been for Y/N. Well let’s just say that I’m grateful she was there for me in time,” Jimin sighed in adoration for the black cat, wanting nothing more than to go and cuddle you in thanks for protecting him against those three females. The mating season making Jimin turn into putty at the thought of a cuddle session later.
At the confession, Taehyung sighed in relief, letting out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding in. The white tiger not wasting time to hug his best friend in comfort and reassurance, for both of them.
When the both of you disappeared for a long time, everyone was in distraught as they searched around the gas station for you guys. None of them thinking to look on the side of the building as their minds were scrambled with possible scenarios on what happened—Not even the hybrids could track you and Jimin down, their sense of small not being able to pinpoint anything out against the bunch of scents that were mixed in the outside air. But when Jimin came running towards them in fear and panic without you by his side, they immediately knew something was wrong.
Especially after a terrified and wild scream was heard that had Yoongi on edge when recognizing your tone of voice.
“Although this is no one’s fault, we all should’ve known better to keep a better eye on Jimin. His rut attracts unwanted attention and—Wait a second… Guys, where’s Jungkook?” Namjoon started to lecture everyone, even himself, until he counted the group. Needing to do a double take when realizing the bunny hybrid was missing.
“What? He was here a minute ago,” Yoongi mumbled, scrunching up his nose as everyone now started to search for the tall hybrid. They didn’t even notice Jungkook leaving them during their conversation, the bunny hybrid being silent when he wants to be.
“We didn’t step on him, right?!” Hoseok panicked, immediately transforming to sniff the ground as Seokjin looked under the car in case the bunny was hiding. Taehyung didn’t waste time to transform as well, deciding to search the ground but making sure to be close to Jimin. The fox hybrid trying to use the white tiger’s body as a small stool to peak over the car’s roof because the thing about Jungkook is… He likes to hide anywhere in the most unconventional places.
“Did we leave this car door open?” Namjoon asked, confusion all over his face at the cracked open door. The question catching everyone’s attention as they all but ran to squeeze themselves through the door but seeing no one. That is until they heard soft little snores underneath the seat that didn’t sound at all like you.
Each member of the group trying to peak underneath the car seat, eyes widening seeing the bunny hybrid huddled up in a content sleeping position. They couldn’t help but sigh as they smiled when you unconsciously curled around the black fluff ball as Jungkook snuggled further into your side with a twitch of his button nose.
Earlier when his hyungs was explaining the situation you were currently going through, Jungkook decided to sneak away without warning. There was determination in his wide doe eyes as he transformed into a bunny as soon as he stepped into the car. Not hesitating to crawl in a slow movement toward your sleeping form, being extra careful to not alert you of his presence. Afterwards, sleep was not hard to come by as he got wrapped up in your warmth and lovely scent. Loving when your tail wrapped around him like a blanket.
“That sneaky little brat…”
It wasn’t long before the rest of the hybrids found themselves asleep in the car too. Hoseok knocked out at the foot of the seat in a comfortable rolled up position, wanting to be close to you as well but not being able to fit underneath the seat like Jungkook. Nearby Taehyung and Jimin were both sleeping together, but in the backseat, the fox cuddled up in the arms of the white tiger.
Everyone was comfortable as music played on, until a phone started to ring. Yoongi reaching out in his pocket to stop the sound from waking the hybrids up as he answered the incoming call. Seokjin’s voice echoing throughout the walkie-talkie from the other car. Not bothering to stop his rapping skills as he continued to drive, yelling at someone out the window as they cut him off.
“Hello? No, yeah, we’re almost there—Yah, what do you mean that I’m a sloth?! I wasn’t the one driving half the time! …Yes, I can’t wait for you to meet her too. Okay, we’ll see you soon. Bye, eomma.”
~~~~
Welcome to the twelfth chapter of Changing One’s Tune! Thank you lovelies for your patience— Ding, Ding, Ding… Winner: YOU! Although now you have to deal with something much harder…
Meet the parents.
Likes, Comments, Reblogs, and Follows are appreciated if you enjoy the story. Its always exciting to know that you like my writing, and it gives me more motivation to update faster!
Everyone had heard of the Dirty7s, even distantly. Nobody could put names or faces to the members, but the name was enough to strike fear in the hearts of civilians, criminals, and law enforcement alike. They’re known to be methodical, impenetrable, and most of all, merciless. Nobody wants to cross any of them. Lest of all you - a college student stripping to pay her debts.
What happens when you fall into their web of deceit and lies?
What happens when you find you don’t want to escape, even when you know you should?
Masterlist / i don’t have a tag list / find me on twitter / word count: 3.2k
Pre-heat hits you like a bag of bricks to the forehead.
You weren’t allowed on the club’s premises until your heat had completely passed, so it gives you one day before it starts and two days on the tail-end for scent regulation. According to legal regulations for both predators and prey working nightlife and entertainment. Even patrons existing on either side of the speciation spectrum had to abide by these rules as evidence of rut and heat was too obvious to hide.
Some used scent-blockers to try and wiggle around the rules but it never ended up well for anyone involved. Gang rapes, pheromone-induced premature rut or heat, neurotoxin-sickness brought on by rapid-exposure to uncontrolled semiochemicals. All of it, well-documented and heavily-regulated by employers and social-workers alike.
By purposefully triggering another person’s heat or rut, you could end up being imprisoned for up to two years or fined an exorbitant amount of money that would make you regret even bothering.
Technically, working at the library wasn’t dangerous despite your heat coming in tomorrow, so you tried to go in for a couple of hours to help re-arrange the new kid’s fiction section that you had created for the pre-schoolers that came in every other day for an hour in the mornings, but your cramps got so bad that your manager sent you some with some herbal tea and a gentle pat on the back.
Your manager, Areum, was a Beta owl-hybrid, with wide eyes and thick glasses that make her look far more innocent than she actually was. Her partner and wife, Mina, was an Omega owl-hybrid that liked to make sweet treats in her spare time. You had a number of her Tupperware containers in your cupboards that you were due to give back a long while ago.
You take the subway because you can’t afford another cab this month and it takes you about an hour before you can breach the safety of your own home, smelling your comfort scents.
A guy on the train makes a rude gesture at you, two fingers spread and his tongue working between the digits, and it makes you recoil in disgust. He doesn’t seem to like the fact that you aren’t into it, and he flips you off before he gets off at his station.
The whole ordeal makes you feel even more weary.
Blearily, you grab your blanket from the couch and undress yourself on the way to your bed, tripping a little over your pant leg and tossing your dirty clothes somewhere off to the side. Your sensitive nose can’t stand the scent of outsideon your clothes. It almost makes you want to burn them but you know how delusional that sounds.
You bang your hip on the bedside table and you curse, side throbbing and your head banging along with it.
Disorientated, you rifle through your drawers until you lay your hands on medicine for the headache and wrap yourself up in the sheets without a second’s thought.
It takes you a little while to drift off, the effects of the medication ebbing at the aches in your body slowly - it feels slower than usual - and seconds before you actually dissolve into the welcoming blanket of black that bleeds into your vision, you hear your phone ping from somewhere in your pile of clothes.
When you open your eyes, your room is pitch dark. The curtains are drawn open, but the only passing light you can see are the lights from the buildings across the way. You are too high up to be bothered by street lights, but you can hear the distant car driving across the highway your building was built near.
The reason you woke up wasn’t due to the arbitrary sounds of life outside of your window.
No, what woke you from your near-dead slumber was the incessant sound of your phone ringing that had bled into your dreams. In your dream-turned-nightmare, the talking beetle that had been your companion for your mythical journey spontaneously turned into a gigantic, human-eating cellphone and chased you down the street until you jolted out of bed, sweating.
Blinking away your bleariness, you roll out of bed and move to your feet, but, much to your shock, your legs turn to jelly. You have to drag yourself across the room to rifle through the pile of clothes, grimacing every time another smell hit your nose. Asphalt, grit, smog, cigarette smoke, human smell, other hybrids - it was all foul enough to make you feel distressed.
You grab the phone and push it to your ears. “Hello?”
“YN, are you okay?”
You pause for a moment, confusion taking over your features. “Jimin?”
He enquires, somewhat impatient, “Are you okay?”
You push your fingers into your eyes when a sudden burst of light makes your headache feel nauseous. “No, I feel shitty.”
“Why?”
You grumble, “Heat.”
A beat.
Then,“You’re in heat now?”
He sounds testy.
You clarify, “Not exactly.”
He grills, “Are you… Are you alone?”
Your frown deepens as you query, “Why?”
Jimin commands, amusement leaking into his tone, “Just answer the question, Pretty.”
You grumble, “Only Jungkook calls me that.”
He retorts, silkily, “Exactly why I’m doing the same.”
You decide to drop it. It didn’t matter what he called you, not right now. The blistering headache that had felt like it was burning through your body mere moments ago seems to be lessening gradually the longer you talk with the man. “I’m alone.”
Jimin replies, “Good. Keep it that way.”
“Why?”
He replies, simply, “You don’t need anybody. Not anymore.”
He’s lucky that pre-heat only gave you headaches and body shivers. You didn’t get horny until day two or three of your heat, especially considering you were without a heat-partner. But, something about his tone was testing that theory.
“I’ll bring whoever I want into my bed,” you respond, pressing the button for loud speaker. Your stomach pangs in hunger and now that your headache isn’t as over-bearing, you finally feel it. You move to your feet, kicking past the clothes you dropped on the way, and into your small kitchen. “That’s got nothing to do with you. Boss.”
You tack the end word on purpose, to remind him of his position in your life. “We might have shared a fun night of conversation, Jimin, but don’t get that confused with anything else.”
He lets out a gruff sounds, annoyed but not angry, before he answers, “And Jungkook? What about him? You think he’ll be happy with you spending your heat under somebody else?”
You barely hold back a sardonic laugh. “You were the one to remind me of my place in Jungkook’s life. Or did you suddenly forget that?”
He goes quiet on the phone, so silent that you have to look at the screen to check if he’s still on the line, before he grits out, “I’m sorry. For saying that.”
“No, you aren’t,” you return, cracking another egg into the bowl. A stuffed omelette sounds like just the right. Your heat was making your mouth loose, ignoring the risk to your job in that moment to get the truth off your chest. You continue, “Alphas like you never are. You just say whatever, do whatever and everyone else just listens. You’re never sorry because you don’t feel like you have to be.”
“I could be a different kind of Alpha,” he bargains, always the charmer. “You don’t know that.”
“Our first encounter says otherwise,” you answer. “Jungkook’s impression was much better.”
“He’s not as nice as you think,” Jimin grumbles like an admonished kid. “You wouldn’t like him more than you like me if you knew.”
“He’s already told me how bad of a guy he is,” you respond. “It’s kind of like a broken record at this point.”
He asks, noting your distracted tone of voice, “Are you doing something?”
You respond, shoveling the cooked mushrooms into the one half of the still-cooking omelette, “Cooking.”
Jimin remarks, “It’s eleven at night.”
You respond, absently, “I’ve been asleep all day.”
He asks, attentively, “Where does it hurt?”
You respond, honestly. You rummage through the refrigerator for some hot sauce to go over the top, “Headache, mostly. I feel better now though.”
Jimin prompts, “Since you slept?”
You shake your head, even though he can’t see you, and you return, honestly, “Since we started talking.”
He acknowledges, and you hear the pride in his voice so clearly, as if he were standing right next to you, “I’ve heard that just by hearing an Alpha’s voice, sometimes the effects of heat can relax.”
You riposte, almost amusedly, “Oh really?”
He hums. “How about we try something next time?”
You suggest, annoyance leaking into your tone, “A sex thing?”
Jimin laughs, the sound bright and buoyant, before he teases, “Your mind’s in the gutter.”
Unable to help yourself, you palliate, defensively, “I am in heat.”
Jimin tuts gently before he says, “I just meant we spend a little time together. See if we’re compatible.”
You respond, with an eye roll, “So this is about sex?”
He takes a moment to mull over your words before he clarifies, “That’s something we could work out later.”
You bite on your bottom lip, the suggestion of mind-numbing, deeply-satisfying sex making a coil of tension grow in your lower stomach.
You shove another mouthful of omelet into your mouth to stop yourself from letting out the breathy whine that threatens to escape your throat, and you grumble, “Talking about this with me is a little improper right now. I’m not in the right headspace to make these kinds of decisions.”
Jimin says, simply, “That’s why we’ll talk about it later.”
You clear your throat and reply,“Look, I’m eating and talking to you is making me jumpy.”
He counters, easily, and you can just imagine him, sprawling out on the couch, spreading his legs apart to just occupy space, “Okay. If Jungkook or I call you over the next couple of days, can I ask you to just pick up?”
“Why?”
“Not being able to see you is hard for him,” Jimin explains. He pauses for a moment before he carries on, “He’s scheduled for a couple fights over the next week or so and he gets into these funny head-spaces where he can’t talk in full sentences or empathize with anyone about anything. So, I told him I’d check on you.”
“Jungkook doesn’t care about me,” you grumble around a mouthful of cheese, egg and mushrooms. “He’s got a hard-on for me. There’s a difference.”
He makes a surprised sound in the back of his throat and he mutters, “If only you knew how wrong you were about that, Pretty.”
Something in his voice almost sounded regretful, but you ignore it, chalking it up to your heat making you crave things that you need to lock up tight in your heart.
“I have to go,” you say, suddenly.
He demands, hurt, “What? Why?”
“I’m tired again,” you respond, quietly, looking down at the half-full plate of steaming food, and the lack of appetite that washes over you frustrates you deeply. “I just want to sleep.”
“O-Okay, Pretty. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he promises. “Pick up when I do… Please.”
Quickly, you end the call and toss the phone into the sofa. You toss the food into the refrigerator, knowing your body well enough to know that the urge to eat has disappeared for at least another three hours and in that time you know you can catch a bit of sleep before your body was thrown into over-drive.
Jimin’s POV
Letting YN put the phone down was harder than he thought it would be. His instincts were growling at him to go and see you in person - just to make sure you were okay with his own two eyes. He’s almost confused as to why he cares so much, considering he isn’t the one who wants to claim you.
Or, at least, he doesn’t think he does.
Not like Jungkook does.
Jungkook’s been on your ass like white on rice since the day you ran into his chest at the club, all teary-eyed with a rabbiting heartbeat. The wolf excitedly came home to tell the rest of the boys about this pretty little gazelle that he couldn’t keep his eyes or hands off of, and that made him curious.
The others too.
Namjoon even had someone follow her at one point without Jungkook’s permission to make sure she wasn’t on the take or working with the cops. When he showed her picture to the rest of us, Hoseok almost jumped out of his skin with how fast he snatched it out of Joonie’s hand, eagerly explaining about how he knew about her.
The whole story about her friend working the blade and getting caught selling ass to a cop, then getting feisty with him and get popped in the mouth a couple times. YN came into a den of predators, an alpha-beta medley of pheromones that would have any prey skittish and crawling out of their skin, nervous but determined, and helped her friend home.
Hoseok found her unbearably cute, and brave, and he couldn’t stop himself from following her home. Hobi was a great tracker, his nose was better than any cop in his graduating class, and he found your apartment easily. He couldn’t enter, of course, with it being a prey-only complex.
But, he did sporadically park his car in the lot outside of your place or follow you home once he figured out you were working at the library, and then later at the strip club. He didn’t like it, thinking that it wasn’t a good place for you, thinking that it was dangerous, but he knows that it was only because he couldn’t go inside. He couldn’t risk you remembering his face, not when he hadn’t figured out how he wanted to approach you.
Hoseok surveilled voluntarily, never telling any of us about his pet project, but he did enjoy recounting all the times he got to see you in your element, much to Jungkook’s displeasure.
Hobi spent a whole lot of time gloating about how pretty you were, how kind you were even when eyes weren’t on you, how special you were, how brave you were, how sweet you smelled even on rainy days.
It was enough to bolster Jimin’s interest in you.
Jungkook was picky about things like this. It was his first time actually having someone catch his eye like this, so he wouldn’t let anyone come near you. Every time Jimin even mentioned coming into the club for a peek, Jungkook would start his posturing, tail swishing and a growl growing in his chest until Jimin eventually reneged.
Jungkook was technically higher up on their pack’s hierarchy than he was, although they never needed to enforce their dynamics at home. The only time they ever had to was during negotiations with other gangs to prove that there was a clear line of deference that ended with Namjoon, their leader.
Even though their home life wasn’t the same way, they needed to have the respect of the usually-traditional syndicates that they dealt with, otherwise they would be considered weak and would attract problems from other sadistic Alpha packs who thrived on violence and domination.
To do so, they had to show other people in their line of work that they had an unshakeable foundation built on deference and inflexible respect.
Although, they had mouth-pieces to work in their stead so they didn’t have to risk having their names and faces circulating. Men and women who, using their connections and endless streams of income, they had hoisted out of the dumpster and turned back into working, living human beings.
Men and women who they didn’t have to ask twice to do anything.
Men and women who owed them their lives, the very breath in their lungs.
Men and women who would die for them if they asked, falling on their sword without a moment’s hesitation.
As far as they knew, no law enforcement had their faces or real names, but a few members had a more public role.
Jimin, as the silent owner of a series of discotheques and strip clubs.
Jungkook, who was an under-ground fighter and wan involved with a couple of the big players pushing drugs out of his and some other gyms in the state. He didn’t just push drugs out of the gyms, obviously, but that was where he liked to prowl around the most.
Even Namjoon, whose official job was that of an international trader of foreign and exotic hybrids, meaning that he had to work closely with customs and even sometimes cops.
They knew our faces but have no idea just how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Never would they actually guess that the seven ‘menial players’ werethe cruel and vengeful organization that left fear in the hearts of criminals and cops alike across the country.
Yoongi, Hoseok, Taehyung and Jin all made the rest of their substantial income and their illicit connections being knee-deep in the illegal.
So, when Jungkook ended up falling into a rut after taking one too many sniffs of your underwear in bed, Jimin took that opportunity to go around his order.
The tabby-cat walked into the strip club, smelling the sex and sin in the air, and immediately spotted you on the top of the pole, dressed in ostentatiously bright zebra-print with a charming, seductive smile on your face that was equal parts siren as it was endearing. He could see it - the pretty in you, the softness in you, the sexy in you.
Jimin was techincally the boss’ boss’ boss so while Rocky knew him by name, the others staff didn’t.
Just the way he liked it.
He got his favorite drink sent up to their private VVIP lounge (somewhere that only he and the other six could even access) and spent the next hour silently lusting after you. He watched you, observed your behavior so closely that it was concerning, and he sent photos of you in all kinds of positions to Jungkook for spank-bank material.
Jimin felt the cravings before he started to notice the changes in his body. Alcohol stopped doing it for him a long time ago, which is when his habit started. He could control himself, most of the time, but when he got antsy and needed to ground himself in Joonie’s scent (and Namjoon had been out of the fucking country for half a month scouting for omega predators on behalf of some perverted oil tycoon in Dubai so he was already pissed off and uncomfortable), sometimes he had to rely on other means of calming himself down.
Jimin couldn’t help it. When he saw you walk in in the reflection of the glass, he let out some of that frustration on you - innocent and adorable you - and had you on your knees in seconds. He didn’t really expect you to be able to withstand how strong his compulsion was, but he was surprised by how queasy you looked.
It made him feel guilty.
Which is an emotion he wasn’t accustomed to feeling, not even towards omegas. He liked them, any alpha would, but he didn’t feel sorryfor the things he did to them, especially if it wasn’t his fault.
None of them felt feelings of guilt or regret. It had been long beaten out of them at the group home, or after many years of working knee-deep in murder, drugs and solicitation.
That should’ve been the first indication that you weren’t going to be a normal omega to him.
Description: You love your best friend, Taehyung. You love his husband Yoongi. You love his kid, Jimin. But Taehyung has a nasty habit of surprising you and trying to make you choke to death. Today is no different, while being altogether, entirely too different.
Warnings:None?
Posted:12/07/2021
Tags: family au, yoongi x taehyung x reader?, hybrid au, Taegi x reader eventually, Kid!Bangtan, Kid Jimin
Fluff with some angst (because I was aiming for fluff so I got angst): 2,842
Author’s Note: This is for my @kerikaaria baby! For her birthday! It’s not what I originally planned for you, but I hope you like it all the same! Love you!
When asked how to describe your friend, the best word you could come up with was ‘choking’.
This tended to get you strange looks, because without context it was rather a scandalous descriptive word for your friend of the opposite gender.
However, it was what happened every time you met up with him.
He liked to spring things on you.
Like now, as you choked on your tea because he just ~appeared~ and practically yelled, “You’ve got to help me!”
In the following moments, as other people in the cafe sent concerned looks your way, and Taehyung pounded your back to help you stop choking (honestly making it worse), you tried to figure out two things: 1) how did he know where to find you, and 2) what could he have possibly gotten himself into this time.
“What did you do this time?” You asked, throat now even more sore than before. You got the tea to soothe your throat, not to choke on and make your throat worse. Now you didn’t dare take a sip because you knew he would choose that moment to drop his bombshells. “And how did Yoongi not stop you?”
“He doesn’t know! You’ve got to help me!” He tugged on your arm. “Please!”
“Help you with what?” You asked, tugging your arm back and putting your things in your bag. Looking forlornly at the cup of tea you didn’t dare finish with him around. What could he do without Yoongi knowing and stopping him? How bad was this about to get?
“Hurry, hurry, hurry,” He whined.
“No, now be quiet for two minutes,” You croaked, then once he huffed, you took a nice swig of your tea and sighed. “Okay. Where are we going?”
He tugged you along behind him, not saying a word, which was probably more terrifying than if he was talking constantly.
You were surprised when he led you to his and Yoongi’s apartment. “Tae?”
“I know. I know. Worst place I could hide them.”
“Hide…them? Who? Tae?” You followed after him more quickly, seeing that there was a…hastiness needed.
“It’s Jimin’s fault,” Taehyung said.
“What is Jimin’s fault? Also, how can you blame your son for anything? And who has your son? Please tell me he’s with Yoongi!” You winced as your voice cracked painfully.
“He is, he is! Yoongi took him to work,” Taehyung answered, still sounding a little panicked. “Yoongi’s going to murder me.”
“Too much legal trouble, he’ll just make your life a living hell,” You answered, following him into the apartment.
The teenage neighbor glanced up. “That was quick. You can just add it to my next babysitting fee,” She said. “They’re pretty easy.”
You stared at Taehyung, wondering who this “they” was.
Taehyung turned to you. “Don’t freak out.”
“Little late for that, don’t you think? Also, you’re the one freaking out, I’m just wondering if you’ve absolutely lost your marbles.”
Taehyung cleared his throat. “Thanks, Miji. I’ll make sure to get you next time.”
“No problem,” She said again, shrugging and leaving.
“They?” You hissed.
Taehyung gulped and lead you to the spare bedroom.
Three kids were playing quietly on the floor, and a smaller one was sleeping on the spare bed.
But they weren’t just any kids.
“What the—”
“I know! I know! But they were there and adorable and orphaned and the worker was like, ‘Hey! You’re a parent! We could give you a stipend for them!’ and you know I always wanted a lot of kids and yeah, we’re probably going to have to move so that we have room and it’s a lot of work for just us and I know you’ve been looking for an extra job and it’s not like we’re financially tapped out or anything and the youngest is actually human, we just couldn’t get him away from the other boys—”
“He’s human?! Tae!”
“Shhhh,” He shushed, pulling you out of the room as the boys looked over. “The authorities were there and everything and…it’s all above board. He’s orphaned too, and they know about Yoongi and I so it’s not a big deal, the only thing they said was we needed to have a place we fit in more comfortably within the next four months and that’s doable! Our lease is up next month anyway, and yours is up then too so I thought, hey,—”
“No, no, don’t try to play this off as you having thought about it! This is the kind of thing you discuss and talk about—especially with a spouse,” You hissed, hitting his arm. “I can’t save you from Yoongi! And how dare you have tried to blame Jimin!”
“But…Jimin always talks about wanting siblings!”
“Do you even know anything about taking care of hybrids?!”
“Some, but I do know that you know!” He grinned. “Which is why my plan is fool-proof!”
He was seriously smiling?
You poked your head back into the room.
The three that were awake were all looking at the door with slightly scared expressions.
You took a deep breath, then turned back to Taehyung. “Did you at least ask their names?”
Tae nodded.
You nodded. “And offer them food?”
He hesitated.
You took a deep breath. “Oh, this is going to be a long day.”
“I should have done that.”
“Yeah.” You turned and went into the room fully. “Hey, little ones. Sorry for scaring you. I was very surprised. Are you hungry? We’ve definitely missed lunch.”
Two of them started shaking their heads no as the other emphatically nodded.
“I’m really hungry! Starving!” He folded his arms, but instead of defiant and pouty, it came across as a defensive and scared movement.
“Okay, why don’t we fix that? I’ll go make lunch, and I’ll call you guys when it’s ready. You don’t have to eat if you’re not hungry,” You added lightly, trying to keep your voice gentle but ending up a little raspy due to your throat’s condition.
The three hybrid children nodded carefully.
You nodded firmly and got up, dragging Taehyung to the kitchen. “You better call Yoongi. Right now.”
“Now?” He went to a cupboard and brought out the stash of throat-lozenges you kept there. “But….”
“Better he find out now, then when he comes home.”
“Can’t you—”
“No,” You said quickly, shutting that down. “It’s your grand scheme.”
“But—”
“Tae, I swear, if you don’t call him right now, then I’m walking out that door and leaving you to cook for those poor kids.”
You shook your head and popped a lozenge in your mouth before turning back to making lunch for five kids and yourself. You kept it simple and Tae made you some honeyed tea to try and appease you while he waited for Yoongi to call him back.
“It’s like he knows there’s something I need to talk to him about,” Tae groaned, flopping onto the counter.
“He’s probably just busy at work,” You reasoned. “But yeah, you calling him usually sets off some red flags. Go tell the kids that lunch is ready. You’ll have to introduce me to them.”
“Oh, right. Okay.” He hurried off to the spare room.
You looked at the ceiling, finally able to process a little of Taehyung’s plan in silence. He wanted to adopt these kids, move into a house, and have you move in like…what? A live-in Nanny? To be fair, you were already Jimin’s nanny, but being nanny to one sweet little boy is different from being nanny to two human boys and three hybrid boys. Five. Five boys.
But…it couldn’t be that bad…right?
The proximity to Yoongi and Taehyung might be dangerous, but you would be there for the kids and your rent would definitely go down.
The proximity to Yoongi and Taehyung would definitely be an issue.
You loved them.
In all senses of the word and you’d only loved them more ever since Jimin was born.
How much more if they were raising four more sweet boys.
It was crazy. Adopting four kids without consulting a spouse was crazy, but it was such a Taehyung thing to do. He didn’t think about repercussions, he thought, “These kids have nowhere to go, they have no family, I have a place they can go and I can love them enough, I’ll take them.”
The front door rattled.
You tried to call out to Taehyung to warn him, but your voice came out a hoarse whisper of “Yoongi’s here” instead.
Jimin raced in, spotting you and brightening even more. “Y/n!”
“Hey,” You whispered, catching him in the hug he wanted. “How was your day?”
“So good!” He gushed, bouncing.
“Hey, y/n, what are you doing here? Did Tae call you?”
“Sort of,” You answered hoarsely.
“So, how bad is it? I figured I could just wait until I got home to talk to him. We were just down the street.” Yoongi strolled into the kitchen, then examined everything. “Wow, how’d you know we hadn’t had lunch yet?”
You stared at him, then down at the food.
“Y/n?”
You shook your head. “Tae!”
Yoongi looked confused.
Taehyung slowly appeared, poking his head out of the hallway. “Oh. Yoongi. Hi.”
“Daddy!” Jimin started toward him, but stopped. “Why are you hiding?”
“Yeah, Tae,” Yoongi agreed, eyes narrowed skeptically. “Why are you hiding?”
You cleared your throat, grabbing another lozenge. “I’m just…I’ll be in…the spare bedroom.”
“No, no, stay where you are,” Taehyung protested, desperate.
“Daddy’s being weird, Appa,” Jimin said decidedly, then skipped over to you.
Yoongi folded his arms. “Yes he is. Taehyung?”
Taehyung gave a nervous little laugh, then stepped fully out of the hallway, the smallest child in his arms. “They were orphaned and I couldn’t just let them go to one of those group homes—not when we could love them and we always said we wanted to have a house someday and Jimin’s always wanted siblings!”
Jimin was staring with his mouth open. “You got me a little brother?”
“Yeah!” Taehyung agreed, smiling, then catching Yoongi’s gaze and becoming more sober. “If…if Appa says it’s okay.”
“They?” Yoongi asked in a carefully dead tone of voice.
“Well, there’s Jungkook, this little one, he’s the youngest. Then there’s Seokjin, Hoseok, and Namjoon….” Taehyung trailed off.
Yoongi’s eyes were huge and his mouth gaping.
“Those three might be older than Jimin, or the same age, I’m not sure, nobody is. But they were going to separate them and those three were so protective and caring for Jungkookie…how could I see them separated? And we always wanted to move into a house—”
“Someday!” Yoongi hissed. “Down the road. Probably when we didn’t need Y/n’s help watching Jimin, because we can hardly ask her to commute to care for Jimin.”
“But we could ask her to live with us! It wouldn’t be that hard to have her live with us, she practically does already, and she could help us look after the boys. She would do that, wouldn’t you, Y/n?”
You considered the condition of your voice and the looks both of them were giving before shrugging and sinking below the counter.
It was quiet for another moment or two.
“See what you’ve done? You’re scaring her off. Tae, why wouldn’t you talk to me about things like this before doing anything?” Yoongi continued in a quieter voice.
“She’s not scared off, she’s just avoiding being in the middle of our fight!”
“We’re not fighting!”
“Sounds like we are!”
You reached around and grabbed Jimin, putting a finger to your lips and gesturing for him to follow you.
Taehyung and Yoongi were in the emphatic phase of their disagreements, and didn’t see either of you crawl to the hallway. They didn’t even register you rescuing Jungkook from Taehyung’s arms.
The three hybrid boys were hiding under the bed of the spare bedroom.
You carefully closed the door, and locked it. “They’re just being dramatic, little ones. Don’t pay them any mind. You’re safe here. I brought biscuits to tide us over until we can go out there. This is Jimin. Jimin, this is Jungkook, Seokjin, Hoseok, and Namjoon. Seokjin, Hoseok, and Namjoon are hybrids, Jimin. But that’s perfectly normal and fine. Okay?”
“Okay! Hi! Are you my new brothers?” Jimin asked, grinning at the three under the bed.
Jungkook let his head drop back on your shoulder.
The bold one from earlier crawled out from under the bed. “I don’t know.” He cautiously took one of the biscuits and nibbled on it.
You smiled as Jimin worked his charms and slowly got the other two out and eating biscuits as well.
The bold one was Seokjin, and you could tell he wasn’t so much bold as he was trying to put up a front and be brave for the others. You had no idea what kind of hybrid he was, though, only that his tail was tan with black on the end.
Namjoon had a short but very fluffy-looking grey tail and small ears that just barely poked out of his hair that were black and white.
Hoseok looked like he was a dog hybrid, quite possibly a golden retriever. Whatever he was, he was soon playing with Jimin while his ears and tail flopped after them.
Jungkook ended up in Jin’s small lap, eating a second biscuit, so you whispered to the boys that you were going to check on the argument and slipped out.
They were having a stare-down.
Taehyung was pouting.
Yoongi was glaring.
You sighed. “Yoongi, we both know you’ve already caved in, so why bother denying it? Taehyung, we both know he’s going to make your life hell for the next few days, so just give him some space to come to terms with it. Either of you do anything to those boys and you answer to me.”
“Y/n?” Yoongi said carefully.
“Taehyung,” you redirected. “What kind of hybrids are they?”
Taehyung hesitated. “They said they thought Namjoon was a badger and Hoseok was a golden retriever. Nearest they could find for Seokjin was a prairie dog?”
“Two exotics and a golden retriever walk into a shelter and no one thinks to ask who orphaned them? They aren’t going anywhere if all of this is legal. Not if I have anything to say about it—don’t interrupt me I’m running out of voice—because if these boys get put in the system then they’re going to end up separated and on the market. They put dog hybrids like Hoseok with exotics to help keep them calm. Like cheetah cubs in the zoo,” You finished, then sighed. Hopefully that would be sufficient.
Yoongi got quiet. “Still…with your plan, Tae, it requires Y/n being willing to nanny the kids and move with us. That’s making a lot of impolite supposition.”
Taehyung turned to you. “We used to talk about sharing a home. We could probably make it so you have your own suite, and…and…you would still only have to work the hours you work now! I can work from home part-time, like we’d discussed before, so that would also lighten your load. Please, y/n? You can even help us house-hunt, right hyung?”
Yoongi was staring at Tae for a moment, then turned to you. “We would appreciate it. And we can make up the financial difference. It would be a full-time job though. Even when we’re home, getting used to five kids after only having one…it’s going to be an adjustment. And I’m going to be busier than ever at work with this new project.”
“You got the project?” Tae gasped.
Yoongi nodded. “Jimin sort of clinched it for me. But it means I won’t be working from home at all until the project is finished.”
“Bad timing,” Tae whispered, but then got a determined look. “We can handle it. We can figure it out. Please, y/n? Say you’ll agree?”
You bit your lip, uncertain. It would mean even more exposure to them…but after seeing those kids…how could you say no? “There will be very strict terms to the agreement.”
“Of course, we can even get a lawyer to draft everything if you want,” Yoongi said.
“A lawyer?” Tae squeaked.
You waved a hand. “I appreciate that, but I think it’s something we can figure out on our own. It’s more like…ground rules. To be determined at a later date.”
“Okay.” Yoongi took a deep breath. “Now, we better go apologize to the kids for arguing and you better introduce me. They’re my kids now too, right?”
The tension finally left your shoulders.
There was never any true doubt that he would turn the kids away, but there was doubt about how long he would resist Taehyung on this matter.
Now…you just had to figure out how much you would be dealing with in the future….
Description: Yoongi’s first Halloween with Euny, and apparently he has to choose a costume? He’s not sure about any of this. One of the halloween raffle stories. (“What happened to normal Halloween costumes? Like spider-man or something?”)
Warnings: None
Posted:11/2/2021 (was supposed to be yesterday, TuMbLr.)
Tags: Sanctuary series, hybrid au,
Fluff: 1,259
Author’s Note: Stupid dumblr, deleting my scheduled post, and making me format all of this again. I have one more halloween raffle story to post, hopefully tonight.
“What happened to normal Halloween costumes? Like Spider-man or something?” Yoongi complained, sorting through the costumes on the rack. “If I have to dress up, can’t I at least wear something…typical?”
“You have to dress up,” Taehyung insisted, pulling a costume off of the rack. “Ooh, this one could be fun.”
“I’m not wearing anything that could be potentially scary. Euny doesn’t like scary costumes.”
“Right. Don’t need nightmares. Ooh! I could wear this Tigger costume! The tail is long enough!” He waved the adult-size costume around with more enthusiasm than Yoongi could ever muster.
Yoongi pulled out a detective costume. “What about this?”
“Kind of boring.”
“Wouldn’t Euny be okay as long as I dressed up?”
“She’d be more excited if it was a fun costume!” He argued happily, tossing the Tigger costume into the cart. “You could be Pooh!”
“No,” Yoongi declined, sighing and looking through the costumes again. “Why does Jimin insist on us wearing these costume anyway? We’re just taking care of the twins and Euny. You’re the one going trick-or-treating with the triplets and Jungkook.”
“And Hobi and Namjoonie.”
“Right. How could I forget.” Yoongi rolled his eyes.
“It’s Euny’s first Halloween!”
“It’s not, though.”
“It’s her first with you,” Taehyung pointed out.
“You’re going to dress as Tigger for trick-or-treating with the boys and triplets?”
Taehyung stopped. “Oh. Right. No. So. What about a pirate costume?”
“You’re the one wearing it.” Yoongi pulled out a prince costume. “What about this?”
“She is going as a princess, it would be cute,” He agreed, then gasped. “It’s a knight costume! We could all match! I’m getting it! We should take family photos!”
Yoongi quietly shook his head in amusement over his younger brother’s enthusiasm. “If you can get Euny to let you take a picture with us, then go ahead. But you know she’s scared of the camera flash.”
“I’ll get one, you watch me.” Taehyung glanced at his phone. “They’re on their way back to the apartment with the twins.”
“Okay. If you’ve made up your mind, lets get some food for dinner and candy for trick-or-treaters.” Yoongi pushed the cart along, not watching to see if Taehyung followed.
“Hyung, are you sure you don’t want to take Euny trick-or-treating?”
“She’s too little, she wouldn’t enjoy it. She’ll get overtired and cranky, and then I’ll be cranky because it could have been avoided.” Yoongi shook his head. “Besides, leaving Jimin alone with the twins?”
“Ariel is there!”
“Leave Ariel alone with Jimin with the twins?”
“Fair.”
It wasn’t that Jimin was incompetent. Jimin was excellent with kids and babies. No, the problem was that Jimin really, really wanted kits of his own and sometimes got a little…distracted. Ariel and Jimin weren’t trying for kids, though, not yet. So, there was a lot of whining and cajoling and trying to talk sense into Jimin while taking care of the kids.
When they also had the triplets, it was different because there wasn’t time to think about wanting kids.
So, Yoongi was there to run interference and to avoid the chaos that was trick-or-treating.
“I want to be a kitty! Like that!” A boy, a human boy, pointed at Yoongi as they passed in the store.
It’d been a while since anyone was so…blatant.
Taehyung had stopped.
Yoongi didn’t bother. The boy’s mother was shushing him and telling him not to be rude. It wasn’t his job to educate or correct such a young kid.
It was his job to get something for dinner and candy for the kids in the apartment building Jimin and Ariel lived in.
Taehyung didn’t bring it up, and Yoongi didn’t have any plans to bring it up either.
Jimin was purring over one of the twins in his lap and Euny, half-reading the book in his hand. Some sort of kids halloween book.
Ariel was holding the other twin, already wearing some sort of blue witch costume—nothing dark or scary—and she had her hair up and sparkles on her cheeks. “Hey! Go ahead and get ready, we’ve got this.”
Yoongi nodded, setting the groceries down and taking his costume.
The prince costume wasn’t too…ostentatious or overdone, which was a small blessing. Still, it took him a while to change because while to shirt was the right size, the pants were…decidedly not. So he had to go through his suitcase to find some pants that would match.
But he was a little excited to match his daughter.
Jimin had, apparently, dressed Eunyeong while Yoongi was searching for pants.
She was the cutest little princess ever. Taehyung had picked out her outfit, and it was an excellent choice.
But she absolutely glowed when she saw Yoongi. “King! Appa King!” She bounced until she was set down and raced over to him.
King. Yeah. Okay. That would work. That was better than a prince.
Taehyung came out with a plastic shield. “Don’t forget Uncle Knight TaeTae! Here to gaurd and protect you!”
Euny squealed delightfully.
Taehyung looked at Yoongi. “Can’t we at least take her to some of the apartments to trick or treat?”
Yoongi looked over at Ariel and Jimin.
“Go for it,” Ariel said, setting one of the twins into the swing and strapping the baby in. “The twins are asleep. And the neighbors aren’t doing anything drastic or scary.”
Jimin nodded. “Although, the one neighbor said she always dresses as a sexy cat. She checked to make sure it wouldn’t offend us.”
“Awesome! Let’s go! Euny’s first trick-or-treating!” Taehyung dragged Yoongi toward the door.
Yoongi smiled a bit and took the plastic jack-o-lantern bucket Jimin offered. “Can you say ‘trick-or-treat’?”
Euny shook her head with a soft mew.
“Can you try?”
“Riiowee,” She squeaked, obviously reluctant.
Taehyung chortled and bounced down the hall to the first neighbor’s door, knocking. “Trick or treat!”
“Tiwoweee!” Euny called as well.
Yoongi grinned, setting her down facing the door.
The neighbor opened the door, wearing a cat-costume. “Oh my goodness! Look at this adorable princess and her bodyguard!”
Euny twisted a bit, tail moving but hidden under her skirts. “Icky feet!”
She gushed while Yoongi melted internally. She dropped a piece of candy into the bucket that Yoongi was helping Eunyeong hold.
Euny watched it drop, then looked up with big eyes. “Candy?”
“Yeah,” Taehyung cheered. “Tell her thank you.”
“ ‘Tank-ee’,” Euny started vibrating. “Candy!” She started running down the hall toward the elevator.
Yoongi and Taehyung quickly exchanged and look and went after her. “Only a few houses, Tae, you don’t have much time.”
Taehyung just huffed, but also laughed. “And I need to take our picture.”
Yoongi scooped up Eunyeong and pulled out his phone. “Try a selca.”
Taehyung gasped happily and crowded in. “Smile Euny! Smile for candy!”
She grinned at the mention of candy (which Yoongi knew he would have to investigate how often she was getting candy, but for now, on Halloween it was just going to be okay), and bounced in Yoongi’s arms seconds after the photo was snapped.
Taehyung held the phone like it was precious and then was using Yoongi’s phone to text the photo to everyone, including himself.
Yoongi couldn’t help but feel that everything was right with the world in that moment. It was silly.
And a little spooky.
Something he wouldn’t let go of no matter what manner of demon or spirit came at him.
OT7, Hybrid!Members (Dog!Taehyung, Gray Fox!Jungkook, there are others but not specified - this is a shortie and it wasn’t important~)
Genre: (PG) Fluff, poly, not romance-centric
Warnings: VERY vague mentions and allusions to animal injuries and abuse
WC: 1.7k
Description: Taehyung couldn’t resist bringing a dog home, and his pack has mixed feelings about it.
A/N: This is a fic written for the lovely @ditttiii‘s birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE! (It’s too early to be her bday in my own time zone, but it is where she lives, so good enough!) I know the concept of hybrids having pets is unusual and may sound weird, but I did my best to make it cute! I’m also not too sure about the title, so I may end up changing it later lol. Enjoy!
Taehyung had a big heart. Too big, his pack would sometimes say with endearment. It was the reason why having six mates was perfect for him. There was never a shortage of cuddles or affection when he had so many people to give it to him. Even on the rare days that he couldn’t receive those things as often as he’d like, whatever affection he did have the chance to be swaddled in was enough to get him through those oh so longdays.
And while they could feel in their hearts and in the bond that sang between them that seven was their perfect number, that they were full of love and didn’t need any more, it didn’t mean that their family had to stop there. Taehyung had more than enough love to continue finding others who he could care for in non-romantic ways.
Description: You’re the first of your kind, and today is your first day meeting your new master and going to your new home. There are so many things to learn, but hopefully he’s one of the easiest. His boyfriend too.
Warnings: None?
Posted: 01/13/2022
Tags: hybrid au, Namkook x Reader, Namkook
Fluff with some angst but also fluff: 3,372
Author’s Note: This is for my baby bird, @ditttiii, for her birthday. Love you, hon! Hope you have a wonderful day and hope this isn’t too terrible of a read <3
You paced back and forth as you waited for your master. The workers would be showing him in at any moment and then you would leave this room for the first time…ever.
Your creators constantly murmured about you being unique, one of a kind, and they had talked about looking for someone special to be your master. Something about tests before expansion and creation of more creatures like you. Things that weren’t quite human, but also weren’t quite animal.
The door opened and in came one of your creators with a man you’d never seen before.
You tilted your head, curious but anxious.
His eyes were huge as he looked at you. His mouth dropped open. “Whoa…”
You quickly darted your hand through your hair and tugged your ear nervously. You hoped your fur looked clean and fluffy.
He stepped closer, reaching out and then pulling his hand back. “You’re real…wow…uh, sorry, wow! Hi!” He grinned at you.
“Hello,” You whispered, trying to look excited but you were really nervous. You stepped forward hesitantly. You could smell him now and he smelled nice. Had bacon with his breakfast, and was around people wearing fake scents but he didn’t have a fake scent on him, thankfully. The scents on him were strong enough that you were already getting a little dizzy in combination with your nerves.
“My name is Namjoon,” He said, switching his approach so that he was talking softer and waiting for you to approach instead.
Some instinct said that he was a good person. That you could trust him. He had a wonderful sort of aura.
You stepped forward, and smelled his hand to take in his scent specifically. Nice, rich, calming. He was in excellent health. An ideal protector.
You ducked slightly, putting his hand on your head.
He seemed to hesitate, then he gently slid his hand over your hair. He then brought his hand back up to rub over your ears. He stepped closer so he could pet you more easily. “We’re going to go to my home, okay?”
You pressed your lips together nervously, focusing on the warmth of his hand.
“I’ll keep you safe. There’s a lot of new stuff out there, but I have some stuff to help you block some of it out. I made sure that they didn’t have smells, and I got my car and house cleaned professionally so that we’d start with a clean slate. I also have the next two weeks off to help you settle in. We’re going to make sure everything is just right for you.” He spoke softly. “We’ll take it one thing at a time. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed just by stepping outside. I brought you a face mask, and sunglasses. I also brought earplugs and headphones, but I don’t think those will work so well with your ears…”
You liked how deep his voice was, and you stepped close to him.
“Maybe a hat to sort of muffle the sound?” He suggested, closing the last bit of distance and gently pulling you to his chest.
You nosed his chest, then sighed and rested there for a second. “Okay.”
He leaned down slightly and kissed the top of your head. “I should have one in my bag.”
You looked up at him and nodded, letting him pull away a little and guide you outside of your room for the first time.
He bent down to a bag he had on the floor, pulling out a sealed bag with a facemask and sunglasses. You knew what they were because the scientists brought things in to help you familiarize yourself with day-to-day items.
He let you open the bag and put them on, so that aside from their natural scent it would just hold your scent for now. Then he found a hat and held it out for you to sniff before you nodded and he carefully put it on your head.
You liked his scent, so having it close was kind of nice, even as you pulled the face mask up. You took his hand, trusting him to take care of you in the scary world that awaited you.
Noise. Everywhere there was noise once you left the safety of home, good noise and bad, but all together to assault your ears.
His steps were hurried, guiding you to what you identified as a car from the pictures you had seen before. He opened it and helped you in, then closed it again when you were in the chair inside.
It muffled noise quite wonderfully.
You looked around it, noting the smell of him and cleaner, with hints of other smells lying deeply underneath. Unidentifiable at this point, but still in an undertone that was oddly comforting.
“Better?” He asked after he got into the car. He had a slight tinge of worry in his scent and voice.
You nodded.
“Alright, so…home,” He said, then hesitated before he started the car. “Uh, for the record, I only got my license a little while ago, so…sorry.”
You blinked.
He glanced over. “Oh, uh, seatbelt.” He pointed at the strange device beside you that he had already pulled across himself.
You studied how he did it, then did your best to imitate it.
He grabbed it and put the metal part into a thing that made it click.
You stared at the device for a moment, while he tugged on the fabric-type thing which tightened it on you.
Then he leaned back into his own seat and nodded, turning on the car, then nervously driving.
You tried not to get nervous, looking around at the world, which looked so huge and foreign, as it passed by.
Namjoon was obviously uncomfortable driving, but it wasn’t bad in your opinion. Probably because he was being careful.
Not that you would know if he was bad.
The vehicle finally stopped in front of different building. It looked like the house from your flashcards, but also different. It was less square, and didn’t have a yard like in your flashcards. Or that fence thing.
“So, uh, this is it.” Namjoon said, staring out of the car like he was afraid to get out.
“Is it a house?” You asked, curious.
He glanced at you. “Um…yes?”
You nodded. “Your house looks very nice.”
Namjoon smiled again. “You’re adorable. Okay, let’s show you the house.”
If you had thought it was loud outside of your former home, then you were mistaken.
It was loudhere.
The city was loud.
Namjoon hurried to the door of his house and let both of you in.
The door closed and it was quiet again.
“You okay?”
“It is very loud out there,” You whispered, pressing your face into his chest because it was big, warm, and safe.
He automatically wrapped his arms around you, stroking your hair lightly. “It is. Is it quieter in here?”
You nodded. “It is.”
He relaxed a little more. “Good. We can also do some more soundproofing if it bugs you too much. Okay?”
“Okay,” You answered, happy just to stay there. You didn’t normally get cuddling like this. You’d had limited cuddles, usually timed.
He never asked you to move away, or rushed you through the hug. Just held you.
You peeked up at him and found him smiling down at you.
“Okay?” He whispered again.
You smiled and nodded, hugging him tighter.
“Want me to show you the house now?” Namjoon asked, and his voice was so kind and loving.
You sighed and released him. “I suppose.”
He laughed, keeping his hand on your back, guiding you past the entryway (giving you the cutest slippers ever to wear through the house) and showing you your new home.
You paused in front of the photographs. “Who is this?”
Namjoon checked the photo and smiled. “Jungkook. He’s one of my friends, and a coworker. I’ll introduce you, when we’re ready. When you’ve adjusted.”
You nodded. “Part of my socialization program?”
He face twitched. “Um. Yes. Sure. That.”
You smiled. “Okay. Are you two best friends?”
He cleared his throat, looking away from the photos and toward the kitchen. “Uh, yeah, something like that. Um…what should we have for dinner?”
“Which meal is dinner?” You asked, trying to remember the order of meals as your teacher had presented them.
“Uh, the third one. Last one, usually in the evening.”
“Ah, right,” you shrugged, “whatever you cook will be fine with me.”
He froze, looking back at you. “Ah, yeah, about that…my cooking abilities are…minimal. But I’m good at ordering delivery.”
You tilted your head. “Okay. What does delivery mean?”
“Uh, I order food from restaurants and they bring it to me. You know what a restaurant is, right?”
“A business that sells cooked food,” You recited, happy as he nodded, following him to the kitchen. “So you order food?”
“Yeah, most days. If I’m not at a friend’s house. That doesn’t happen as often, which for now is a good thing. How much of this do you know?” He gestured to the kitchen.
You looked it over, then pointed out things and named them. Things like ‘refridgerator’ and ‘cooktop’, ‘cabinet’ and ‘sink’. It appeared that your teachers had used some photos of his home to teach you some of the things you would have to know, though, so that helped a bit.
“Cool, so you know how they work? What they do?”
“Cabinets hold things and so do refrigerators, but refrigerators keep the things they hold cold to delay decay. Cook tops are for cooking on. Sinks are for water and washing,” You recited, a little bored. “Does Jungkook bring you flowers a lot?”
Namjoon jumped and slammed the refrigerator shut, turning to stare at you with wide eyes. “What?”
“Well, he’d brought you those flowers in that photo, yes? And that’s him walking up to the house with flowers right now, right?” You peered out the window, not wanting to go closer but also very curious. It was a very exciting day.
Namjoon, however, seemed frozen.
Jungkook appeared to have a key to the house, and came in with a, “Hey, hyung!”
Namjoon drew in a sharp gasp and hurried toward the entryway. “Jungkook-ah! What are you doing here? I told you that today—”
“Oh…oh, hyung, I’m sorry! I forgot.”
You tried to peek into the entryway, but Namjoon was big enough to block your view.
“We’re trying not to overwhelm her, and you probably reek,” Namjoon groaned. “Not that I don’t appreciate you, and love seeing you, but—”
“Hello?” You called, trying to peek around Namjoon.
They both went quiet, Namjoon turning just enough that you could see Jungkook.
Cute.
Smelly, but cute.
Namjoon hesitated, just for a moment. “Y/n, can you go to your room while I help Jungkook and get this place…less smelly?”
“Is Jungkook-ssi staying?” You asked in the cutest way you knew how (the one that always got smiles from your caretakers).
“Cute,” Jungkook breathed.
Namjoon smiled. “Would you like him to?”
“If he would like to,” You answered, smiling back. You were slowly picking out Jungkook’s scent in a sea of smells, and if you were right about it, it was also a nice scent.
And you so rarely met new people in the lab that meeting two new people in one day was thrilling and different.
But the smells were starting to give you a headache.
Namjoon was looking at Jungkook.
Jungkook glanced nervously between you and Namjoon, then nodded. “I’d like to, hyung. If that’s okay?”
You let your gaze fall to the flowers for a moment, wondering what kinds of flowers they were and which scent they were responsible for and why Jungkook was bringing them to Namjoon. One of your teachers had told you that lovers did that. Were they lovers?
Would they hide that they were lovers?
“Namjoon-ssi, is Jungkook-ssi your boyfriend?” You asked, unable to contain your curiosity.
Both stared at you with wide eyes.
You waited, wondering how long they would take to answer.
In the meantime, your head was really starting to ache from the smells.
“I’ll go wait in my room while you clean,” You said quietly, after waiting for several more minutes for a response that never came and growing increasingly nauseous.
Namjoon’s gaze then shifted to worry. “Here, take a can of de-scenting spray. Just in case.”
You nodded, taking it and scurrying to your room.
You liked your room.
He’d taken the liberty to prepare it for you, and it was so very different from the lab. It was mostly neutral tones, and there was still a lot of white, but the white seemed softer with the natural wood of the furniture itself.
He’d hung a vine plant that was in a pretty blue pot, in a darker shade than the blue of the fluffy blanket and matching pillows on the bed. There was a round chair in the corner by the window in a bright and lovely golden-yellow color, and it had pillows of different colors and blankets.
All of it seemed to be tied together with a pretty rug with all of the colors that was so fluffy.
You were definitely not rubbing yourself against the carpet when Namjoon knocked and entered your room.
He grinned and started laughing a bit. “Y/n?”
“It’s so soft,” You gushed.
He laughed a bit more. “I’m glad you like it. I was worried the room might be too overwhelming for you.”
You shook your head. “It’s pretty! Like the flowers Jungkook-ssi brought you.”
“He was actually bringing them for you. He thought I was bringing you home tomorrow,” Namjoon told you, crouching down beside you.
“Is he staying?” You asked, tilting your head and reaching out to snatch a blanket.
Namjoon nodded. “He’s offered to cook dinner, too. He’s just jumping through the shower to try and get rid of the extra scents. You were looking a little green.”
You stared. “Green? Did I get something on me?” Your hands flew up to your ears.
He laughed. “Uh, no. Sorry. Green, as in…you looked a little nauseous.”
“Oh. I was. But neither of you answered me.” You shifted so you were sitting up with the blanket around your shoulders.
He considered it for a moment, sitting down with you as well. “We…haven’t really…defined ourselves yet. We’ve both been so busy….”
“But you are a couple?”
“Yeah, a couple of idiots,” He muttered, rubbing his face. “How much…do you know about romance?”
“Not much,” You answered easily. “Don’t really know much about anything, really. I’m trying, but it’s hard. Makes my head all spinny, and then I can’t sleep.”
“Well, let’s avoid that. Are you okay, so far?”
You nodded, smiling. “I’m very excited to meet your friend and I really like this room. Thank you.”
“Is the papasan chair okay?” He asked, gesturing to the chair.
You smiled. “It looks very nest-like.”
“You haven’t tried it?”
You shook your head. “I’m going to try it before I sleep so that if I fall asleep in it I don’t have to worry about missing anything.”
He smiled at you for a long moment before reaching out and petting your head again.
You made a high-pitched happy noise and collapsed into his lap.
Ha laughed softly, continuing to pet you. “You remind me of our friend, Jimin.”
“That’s good?”
“Yeah. Don’t worry, he doesn’t hold a candle to you in cuteness.”
You grinned and snuggled closer, waiting for him to continue rubbing your ears.
He complied wordlessly.
You lay there like that for quite a bit, then bolted up when you sensed something.
Jungkook was standing in the doorway, hair still wet and dressed in what definitely struck you as Namjoon’s clothing, smiling and watching you two.
Jungkook held up a hand placatingly. “Sorry, it was just cute seeing you two. I know I’m intruding on your first day in your new home. Just wanted to let you…be there.”
You stared, then tilted your head. “Instead of coming over and giving me more pets?”
His eyes widened. “Um…yes?”
Namjoon chuckled and stroked your hair. “This is the time you would normally be getting your cuddle time at the facility, yes?”
You shrugged. “Think so.”
“Are…are you sure I can touch….” Jungkook’s gaze flicked to your ears, then your tail.
“She already invited you to,” Namjoon pointed out. “Didn’t you?”
You nodded and leaned back into Namjoon’s touch, blissfully happy.
You watched him cautiously reach out, waiting for him to pet your tail.
He glanced at you, then lightly stroked your tail.
You smiled as his eyes widened and he went in to continue petting your tail. You still couldn’t figure out why everyone was so excited about your fur, but you always enjoyed their reactions.
People always looked happy when they were petting you.
But according to your creators, you were the first of your kind.
Jungkook readily started petting you after that.
You quickly started getting sleepy in their laps, perfectly adored for what felt like the first time ever.
“She’s so cute,” Jungkook breathed. “She’s going to steal you from me.”
“Sounds like she’s already stealing you from me,” Namjoon joked in a whisper.
Jungkook laughed softly. “Maybe we should just both steal her.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
“Maybe.”
You hummed sleepily, wondering what other adventures awaited you in this new, strange world. It was all so new and different and you really didn’t want to miss any of it.
It was loud and smelly.
Namjoon wasn’t loud.
Jungkook smelled like soap. It was nice. You’d never met someone who smelled like soap.
“So, what did you tell her about the flowers?”
“That you brought them for her.”
“Hyung.”
“What was I going to tell her? ‘Oh, yes, my boyfriend who can’t be my boyfriend because he’s pretending to be someone else’s boyfriend for their safety brought me flowers’?”
“Hyung….”
“Am I wrong?”
“No,” Jungkook sighed.
It was all so fascinating.
Did they think you were asleep?
You decided to let them believe that for now.
“We can still date….”
“No, because we’d be too obvious.”
“All of this will end sometime. And then…well…she’d factor in now. You’re her legal guardian, right?”
“They used the term owner and I kind of hate it.”
“Ew. Yeah, let’s stick with guardian. And I know…I know I gave you a hard time about it before, but that’s…anyway, she’s here now. She really knows nothing about…life?”
“She doesn’t even understand why they let her out.”
“Really?”
You shook your head.
They both tensed up.
“Y/n?” Namjoon asked tentatively.
You sleepily pushed yourself up. “You talk so quickly. How am I supposed to understand so quickly?”
“You don’t need to understand right now,” Namjoon said softly, reaching out and gently brushing your hair from your eyes. “I’ll explain it all to you as you’re able to understand. Okay?”
You frowned. “Why is everything so…hard?”
“Some people think that the struggle helps make them stronger, and makes life’s happy moments even better,” Jungkook offered, but the words just made you dizzy. Like you’d been at your lessons for too many hours again, despite your teachers’ warnings.
Why was it so hard for you to learn?
You took a deep breath. “I don’t understand.”
Namjoon nodded slowly, then reached over to the top of the dresser and grabbed the hat he had put on you earlier. He gently placed it on your head.
You looked at him curiously, confused.
He gently tugged you into his lap, holding you just so.
You curled into the hold, letting your cheek rest against his chest and feel the beat of his heart.
“I’ll help you. I’ll help you learn and understand and experience everything life has to offer. You’ve had a big day, y/n. Let’s take a nap, and maybe by then Jungkook will have dinner ready. Okay?”
You slowly nodded.
Jungkook pressed a quick kiss to your forehead. “I’ll make it extra yummy, I promise.”
You definitely wanted more forehead kisses.
But you’d settle for seeing Jungkook and Namjoon happily in love and together.
summary: the reader is a bunny hybrid with a past that has left her traumatized and struggling to heal. some things can be helped with therapy, but some things can only be fixed through realizing you’re not all of the things that hurt you—you are, in fact, just loved.
The garden of The Violet was lush and sprawling, filling everything the eye could see with green leaves, bright flowers, and twinkling butterflies. The day was perfect; spring had just begun and the days were perfectly cool, the sun warming whatever parts of people it could touch. The humans moving around were all smiling, making polite conversation, and snacking on whatever food had been put out by the catering company. The banner that hung over the entrance to the garden reminded everyone that they were there for a cause: The Violet Hybrid Awareness Fund. As if the attendees could forget anyway.
The Violet had set up the event to raise awareness for hybrid care and hybrid lives—something the foundation had become directly involved in when they opened a shelter of their own almost a decade prior. Hybrid rights was a young movement but there were more and more people dedicating themselves to being a voice for the hybrids who were constantly being silenced. The Violet had invited some of the community’s most powerful and influential people to spend the day learning more about hybrid life and how they can help hybrids even if they didn’t want to adopt one.
There had been classes on almost every kind of hybrid and what they were like. There were classes on hybrid treatment (and cases of mistreatment). There were classes detailing The Violet’s plan to improve as many hybrid lives as possible. Currently, hybrids still had to be adopted to be free, and when they were in public they were required by law to wear their collars. The Violet, however, wanted hybrids to be enabled to gain their independence and autonomy without fear of humans interfering or hurting them.
While it was now generally frowned upon to have hybrids as servants, there were plenty of people in the world who thought of hybrids as property they paid for and could do what they wanted with. There were a few programs forming that worked to create policies that protected hybrids and made it possible to prosecute people who treated their hybrids inhumanely, but there was still a lot of work to be done. The Violet was asking communities to partner with them in the fight.
The morning had been filled with information and passionate words from founders of The Violet as well as from employees who had one story or another of how they were faced with the injustice of hybrid treatment and how they chose to stand and fight for those who were not allowed to fight for themselves. It was all very emotional and moving, if Park Jimin did say so himself.
Hybrid Min Yoongi x Female Reader; Platonic OT7 x Female Reader; Namseok; Jinkook
Summary:After helping Yoongi get away from his abusive former owner, you’re left to focus on your relationship and how it progresses. That is, until you find six other hybrids who need your help, and their former owner decides he’s going to make your life hell. Genre: hurt/comfort, angst, fluff Word Count: 2,564 Rating:M Warnings (updated per chapter):stalking
Major thanks to @eatjeanjin for beta-ing this and for listening to me complain almost constantly. You’ve been nothing but helpful and sweet, and I’m so grateful for your opinions and assistance.
The thing about having a black cat as a pet is that it suddenly becomes a major part of your personality. Everything and anything that comes in a black cat variety can and will become your Christmas present for the rest of your life. Dish towels, pot holders, sassy garden flags, ceramic knick-knacks, decorative throws–you’ll own them all.
This is all well and good. Black cats are cute, and statistically, they’re adopted much less frequently. And really, when your cat doesn’t understand that its likeness is mirrored on almost everything you own, it’s simply a personality quirk of the owner.
It becomes a problem, however, when your cat is actually half-human and is very much aware that all of your tea towels bear his likeness and that your parents have taken every excuse to buy you tiny ceramic black cat figurines to decorate your home office. It’s a problem, because not only does he find it hilarious, it makes him a little smug.
Now, you couldn’t go anywhere without him pointing out every black cat item to you.
Summary: Jimin pushes himself too hard. Jungkook cries.
Warnings: The recognizable names and personalities do not reflect their real life counterparts. (death mention/past non major character, lowkey gender dysphoria, nudity, self doubt/self hate, weight loss/weight gain, eating disordered behavior, lying, body image issues, therapy, psych meds mention, ptsd, trauma flashbacks mention, insomnia)
Hoseok and Jin jogged up just as you were getting out of the car.
“[F/N]! [F/N]! [F/N]!” Hoseok bounced from foot to foot, grinning at you as Jin hunched over, leaning his hands on his thighs, panting. “You’re just in time to see me beat hyung to the gate!”
“Only because I was under the impression we were jogging, not full on sprinting,” Jin complained. He took off his hat. His ears flicked. His hair was damp and messy. It was getting a little long, bangs falling over his eyes. You brushed it out of his face. He sighed, closing his eyes a bit. His tail slipped out from underneath his oversized shirt and tapped against your arm.
“Are you that old, hyung?” Hoseok teased. “Can’t keep up with me?”
“Uh-huh,” Jin said. “Respect your elders. Carry me inside. Get me a cold drink.”
“Okay.” Hoseok leaned over, preparing to lift him. Jin shrieked and pushed him out of the way. Their eyes met and they dissolved into laughter. You smiled. “Ah, it is getting warmer, though. Almost spring.” He pulled off his newsboy cap. “I’m overheating a bit, actually, but gotta keep a low profile, and all that.” He ran a hand through his hair, frowning when he got caught on a tangle. You reached up to help him, but he dodged. “Don’t. I’m all sweaty.” His shirt was soaked through. “I need a shower…” His nose twitched. “You smell like jasmine.”
“Jasmine?” You sniffed your shirt.
Jin reached into the back of Hoseok’s shorts and pulled his tail out. Hoseok jerked forward. “Hyung!”
Jin cackled. “Chill out. I don’t want your tail cramping.”
“Dani hugged me before we left, so it must be her perfume,” you realized. “It’s a bit strong isn’t it? Maybe I need a shower too.” You unlocked the front door. All of you stepped inside, pulling off your shoes.
“Um, maybe the three of us could take one together?” Hoseok suggested tentatively. Jin glanced at him, eyebrow raised, and then looked at you. Your brow furrowed. Hoseok held up his hands. “Ah—we don’t have to, I just thought, it might be nice…”
“I don’t think three people will fit in my shower,” you thought. “And, even if they could… I think it might be a little overwhelming for me.” You chewed at your lip. “I mean, I actually don’t think I’d mind showering with one other person, but, um, I don’t want anyone to feel left out…”
“The two of you should shower together, I don’t mind having a shower to myself,” Jin said. Hoseok frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, yes.” Jin waved his hand. Hoseok looked at you.
“And you’re sure too? If you don’t want to, or if you’d rather with Jin—“
“I’m sure,” you interrupted him.
“I’ll go get my stuff then!” Hoseok practically bounced out of the room.
“One would think he’s the rabbit, instead of JK,” Jin mused. He pecked you on the forehead. “Don’t have too much fun without me, okay?” He started to move away.
“Your definition of fun might differ from mine, since you were out jogging this early,” you thought, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to you. He groaned.
“That was Hoseokie’s fault. I tried to say no, but he bribed me with breakfast in bed.”
“Hmm. I don’t think you do anything you don’t want to.” You kissed him on the cheek. “You’re a good mathyung.”
“Don’t.” Jin squished your cheeks in his hands, shushing you. “You’ll ruin my bad reputation.”
*
You and Hoseok stood in your bathroom, staring at the running water.
“Is this temperature good for you?” You asked. The water was hot enough so that a subtle steam filled the room, clinging to your skin. Hoseok dipped his hand under the water and nodded. “Okay, so we could get undressed and get in…” Neither of you moved.
“Are you sure?” He asked you again. You nodded.
“Just, if you could…” You played with the bottom of your shirt, your heart thumping in your ears. “Don’t look at me too closely, okay?”
“I promise. And I promise I won’t be annoyed or anything, if you change your mind.”
“I’m starting to get annoyed, with you asking so much,” you muttered. “I’m… I want to. I’m curious, and I think sharing that kind of intimacy with you could be nice.”
“…Me too,” he said quietly.
*
You averted your eyes. The rustling of clothes hitting the floor was impossibly loud as you stepped into the shower. You stared at the row of colorful bottles on your shelf—specialized hybrid shampoo, conditioner, body wash…
“Could you pass me my shampoo?”
You sucked in a breath and nodded, reaching forward for the first bottle. You nearly dropped it, your hands were shaking.
“Sorry.” Your fingers brushed as he took the bottle from you. You pulled back, hugging your arms around yourself.
“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” Hoseok thought. “If it’s making you this nervous…”
“Everything makes me nervous,” you reminded him. “That doesn’t always mean I shouldn’t do it.”
“I want to understand. Why is it making you so nervous? Is it, like, an asexuality thing?”
You blinked. “That could be part of it. Nakedness is, like, super sexualized where I grew up, but that’s something I’m unlearning, particularly with you guys, because it isn’t always sexual with you, right?”
“Well, yes. But… sometimes it is. I mean, sometimes I look at them and just… wow…”
You smiled. “So do I,” you told him. He made a noise of surprise. “Just because I don’t see you as sexydoesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the way you look.”
“…Yeah?”
“Yes. You’re so handsome. I want to look at you all the time.”
“That’s not…” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, you were talking about what makes you nervous.”
“What, like how compliments make you nervous?” You teased. He giggled. “Hmm. So, there’s like, society’s expectation of nudity, and then, it’s a little overwhelming because I’m not used to it, but mostly… it makes me nervous to be naked in front of you, because my body isn’t…” You took a deep breath, focusing on the feeling of the water against your skin. “Well, it’s not really where I want it to be.”
“That’s…” Hoseok sighed. “I think, unfortunately, we all feel like that sometimes, maybe some of us more strongly or more frequently than others.”
“We don’t have to compare it,” you thought.
“Still… it’ll be a little hard to take a shower together without looking at each other, but… I’m still willing to try, if you are.”
“Let’s try.” You started washing up, Hoseok apologizing when his elbow jabbed at your side.
“Sorry. The angle’s kind of awkward. This really isn’t the biggest shower.”
“Namjoonie said Minho-ssi purposefully took the room with the smaller bathroom, separate from the others,” you recalled.
“Makes sense, given what we’ve heard about him,” Hoseok thought. “Can you pass the conditioner?” You twisted around, trying to pass it to him without looking. “You can look at me, if you want. I don’t mind. I still won’t look at you.” Hesitantly, you turned, still clutching the bottle of conditioner. You didn’t know where to look (so much skin!).
“That doesn’t seem fair,” you thought.
“Sure it is,” he disagreed. “Cause we have different sensitivities. You don’t mind taking care of all the spiders for the rest of our lives, right?” He smiled. His tone was half joking, but…
“I will,” you said, seriously. “You can rely on me. I’ll help you any way I can.”
“Well…” His smile flickered slightly. “There is something I could use your help with, right now. You can say no, obviously, but… it might be easier, if you helped me with my hair. If… I mean, if you’re okay with touching me.”
“More than okay.” You reached up, cupping the side of his face, running your thumb over the stubble lining his jaw. He sucked in a breath, eyes widening. You drew back, squeezing some conditioner into your hand and putting the bottle off to the side. “You can come closer.” Hoseok swallowed and then took a step, his feet just touching yours. You massaged your hands into his hair.
He sighed. “Feels good…” He leaned his head against your shoulder. “Okay…?”
“It’s good.” You could feel the warmth of his breath on your skin. He whined.
“Ah, watch the ears, they’re a bit sensitive.”
Hoseok returned the favor by washing your back. He had a firm touch and promises of a massage the next time your back acted up. You laughed when his fingers brushed your side, jerking away from him. His eyes glinted. “Don’t you dare!”
“Okay, okay.” He held his hands up, grinning.
*
You quickly dried off and got dressed as Hoseok stood in front of the mirror in his underwear, shaving and running through an impressive skin care routine. You decided to moisturize as well, as he started blow drying his hair. He caught your eye in the mirror and then turned to look at you fully, switching off the hair dryer.
“That is Jungkook’s,” Hoseok noted, tugging at the baggy t-shirt. “One of his favorite’s, I think.” You smiled sheepishly.
“Well, he left it in here—but you’re one to talk, you were wearing Namjoon’s yesterday!”
“Well, it was his, but he gave it to me cause it got too small on him,” Hoseok explained. “You know, since he’s been working out with Kook more he’s gotten…” He made a vague motion over his chest and then flexed his bicep, wiggling his eyebrows. You laughed. “So don’t drag me into your little t-shirt stealing ring. Between you and Jiminie, none of us will have anything left to wear.” He tapped his chin. “Ah, maybe that was the grand plan…” He sighed dramatically. “Such an inconvenience, to have to see all my sexy mates shirtless.”
“Horrible,” you played along. “I might go blind from all the beauty.” He flushed, laughing nervously. “Hoseokie can’t take a compliment? You don’t want to hear about how good you look? Your skin is such a pretty pink. Your hair looks so soft.”
“You’re a menace,” he muttered. You reached up, running your hand through his fluffy hair. “Ah, stop it.” He held your wrist. “I just got it the way I liked.” You drew back. “Ah, but it did feel nice. Maybe later?” He tugged on a strand of your hair. “Can I dry yours?”
“Um… maybe with a towel? I don’t like hair dryers.”
“Okay.” He started rubbing gently at your head with your towel. “How come you always leave it wet?”
“It dries soon enough. And hair dryers are scary.”
“Scary?”
“A little too loud and too hot,” you explained. He snickered.
“You big baby.” And then he frowned. “Did me drying my hair in the same room bother you?”
You shook your head. “It doesn’t bother me too much when it’s not close to my head.”
“I sort of understand. Since my ears are so sensitive,” he said. “Next time you can just dry my hair for me like this…” You resisted the urge to close your eyes as he rubbed at your head again with the towel. You were glad you were able to keep them open to see his soft smile. “Looks like you’re enjoying yourself.”
“I am. Next time?”
“If you want to…”
You smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
Hoseok and you cooked dinner together. You snuggled up on the coach afterwards, as Namjoon and Taehyung cleaned.
Jungkook flopped on top of both of you.
“I’ve been wondering where this went,” he said, tugging at your (his) shirt sleeve. Embarrassment twisted in your stomach. You pressed your face against Hoseok’s shoulder for a moment and then looked at Jungkook.
“You left it in my room. I can take it off, if you want me to?”
“Why would I ever complain about you smelling like me?” Jungkook said. You smiled at him, the knot in your stomach untwisting.
“You should’ve complained,” Jimin said to Jungkook. “She was offering to take her shirt off.”
Jin rolled his eyes. “Not everyone wants to be shirtless all of the time, Jimin-ah.”
“Notall the time,” Jimin said. “Sometimes, I wear shirts.”
“Yeah. And most of them are ours,” Yoongi thought. Jimin shrugged. “Are you and [F/N]-yah starting a shirt stealing club?”
“Hoseok-ah made that joke already,” you told him. Yoongi reached over to give Hoseok a fist bump.
“You should take Namjoonie-hyung’s next,” Jimin told you in a fake whisper. “Nice and soft.”
“Why not mine next?” Hoseok whined, pulling Jimin into a headlock. Jimin bit his arm. Hoseok let go, pouting.
“I’ve worn your shirt before,” you reminded him. “It was a little tight on me.” Jungkook looked at you, considering.
“Boobs,” he said, eloquently. You looked down at yourself.
“I mean, yes? I’m a girl, I guess, sort of?” The stomach knot was back with a vengeance. Jin simultaneously rubbed your arm and flicked Jungkook on the forehead. Jungkook whined.
“You can have boobs and not be a girl,” Yoongi pointed out.
“I know that!” Jungkook said. “I do lots of chest exercises, but we can’t all have as good boobs as noona and Namjoonie-hyung.”
Everyone laughed.
“Huh.” Hoseok tugged on one of Jungkook’s ears. “I thought your thing was thighs.” Jimin grinned and patted his leg.
Jungkook pinched him, laughing at the indignant noise he made. “I can appreciate multiple body parts and body types, thank you very much. When I saw Namjoon-hyung for the first time, I didn’t know where to look. He’s just so…”
“Huh,” Namjoon said, leaning against the doorway. Jungkook spluttered. Jin whacked him on the back. Namjoon watched them in amusement. “I’m trying to decide whether I feel objectified, or flattered.”
“Por que no los dos?” Taehyung suggested, ducking under Namjoon’s arm, and squeezing next to Yoongi on the armchair. Yoongi grumbled, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips.
“I am looking respectfully,” Jungkook said, attempting (and failing) to wink. He and Taehyung giggled at each other. You exchanged a look with Jin. Namjoon plopped down next to you.
“I feel like I’m missing something…” Yoongi said.
“Memes, grandpa,” Jin told him. “Outdated, American, memes. Are we not Korean, boys?” Jungkook and Taehyung pouted at him.
“Actually, internet culture has given a rise to global—” Namjoon started.
“Does anybody have anything to bring up today for the family meeting, before Namjoon-ah gives us the lecture on memes that he is so clearly itching to give?” Hoseok asked. Namjoon rubbed the back of his neck. “Not that we wouldn’t love to hear it!” Hoseok patted at Namjoon’s chest.
Namjoon smiled a little sadly. “You don’t have to indulge me…”
“No, he’s right. I could listen to you talk about anything,” Jimin said. “Especially when it’s something you’re really interested in.”
Hoseok nodded eagerly. “Oh my God, the passion in your voice? I could melt.”
Namjoon covered his rapidly blushing face. Taehyung watched him fondly. Jin snickered.
“Ah, but, before Joonie’s much anticipated lecture,” you said. Namjoon groaned and Jin laughed louder. “There was something I wanted to bring up.” Everyone looked at you. “The friend I went to see today, she’s a pretty well known choreographer. She works at the same company as Soonyoung.”
“Oh?” Hoseok titled his head. “I wonder if we meet her during that one dance practice of hers we saw, right before we met you the very first time.”
“It’s possible,” you said. “I mean, you might remember, because she’s one of the only darker skinned people working in that department.”
Hoseok’s brow furrowed. “I can’t remember very well. I remember being impressed with the dancing—enough that Soonyoung-noona noticed and suggested lessons, but so much happened that day, that it’s hard to recall any details.”
Jungkook nodded. “I just remember being really nervous.”
Namjoon grimaced. “Me too.”
“Me three,” you chimed in. “Ah, but I’m always nervous.”
“Less so, these days, I think,” Jin said. You made a noncommittal noise.
“No, he’s right,” Yoongi agreed. “You should be proud of yourself.” You pressed your lips together. Jin poked at your puffing out cheek.
“Did your brunch go well?” Jimin asked. You smiled and nodded. “I’m glad.” Jimin smiled back at you. “You seemed a little nervous about seeing her.”
“A bit,” you admitted. “Since we’ve mostly messaged each other over the years. I haven’t seen her in person since I was eighteen.”
Yoongi’s brow furrowed. “Nine years?”
“Why so long?” Taehyung wondered.
You chewed at your lip. “Well, that’s the last time I visited Korea. I was… Soonyoung debuted, and was doing well… not as well as she’s doing now, but the shows were still pretty crowded… she says she doesn’t mind, but I’ve always felt bad for not being able to support her more.”
“If she says she doesn’t mind, that must be true,” Yoongi said. “Soonyoung-ssi doesn’t seem like the type of person to lie to spare feelings.”
“She isn’t,” you agreed. You blinked. “Ah, but I’m getting sidetracked. I meant to tell you, Dani mentioned that Big Hit, or, at least, the dance department, is opening auditions to hybrids.” Hoseok made a surprised noise.
“What—what do you mean?” Jimin asked.
“Ah, I think there’s information online, but, from what she said… they’re auditions for background dancers. You know, for like live shows and music videos? Currently it’s only open to hybrids who are owned by people who work at the company, or by people who don’t work for other companies in the same industry, because they don’t want there to be a conflict of interest.”
“So… we could try out?” Jimin asked.
You nodded. “I’ll have to check to be sure, but, yes, I think so.”
“…I don’t think I could do something like that,” Hoseok said, after a moment of silence. Jimin blinked.
“What? But, hyung, you lovedancing!”
“Sure I do.” Hoseok nodded. “But my feelings on performing in front of an audience are… complicated.” Jin frowned slightly.
“Does this have something to do with that dance crew you don’t like talking about?”
Hoseok winced.
“Hyung!” Jimin hissed at Jin. “You don’t have to be so blunt!”
“It’s fine.” Hoseok grimaced. “I’m just… Seokjin-hyung’s right. I don’t like talking about it. I have my reasons, but… maybe it’s time I try to… it would help you understand.” He sighed. “I don’t… I don’t even know where to start.”
Taehyung’s brow furrowed. “You said you were called Neuron, and you disbanded after something bad happened,” he recalled. Hoseok nodded. “…Did you have a stage name?”
“It’s ah…” Hoseok tugged at his ear. “A little embarrassing, but… I was thirteen at the time, so I thought it was cool.”
Taehyung grinned. “Well, now I want to know even more.”
Hoseok laughed. “It’s not that interesting. They called me Hope. Hobi, for short, sometimes.”
Jungkook’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“It’shope in English,” Namjoon explained.
“Does that mean you own this house?” Jin joked. You giggled. Jimin let out a long sigh.
“Why did you choose that as your name?” Namjoon asked Hoseok.
“I read this book, on Greek Mythology, about this woman called Pandora. The gods gave her a box, and told her not to open it. So, of course, she did. And fear, and anger, and disease, and all these horrible things came out of the box, but at the bottom… the very last thing that came out of the box was hope.” His bow furrowed. “Or maybe hope was the only thing that was left in the box?” He shrugged. “Something about hope. There was a little happiness, despite all the bad. I don’t know. I liked the idea.”
“…What mean gods,” Jimin thought. “They had to know she’d open the box.”
“They did. They gave it to her to punish humanity,” Namjoon said. “But even still, there’s hope.” He smiled softly at Hoseok. “It suits you.”
“Does it?” Hoseok said uncertainly. “I just wanted to bring a smile to people’s faces. Maybe I should’ve called myself Smile, or something.”
“But then you wouldn’t own this house,” Jin argued, pouting.
“Hyung,” Jimin said. “Once is enough.”
“What happened?” Jin asked Hoseok, his expression turning serious. “What happened to make this such a painful memory for you?” Hoseok leaned his head back, blinking away sudden tears. Jimin scooted closer and hugged him from behind. Hoseok reached up and held his hand.
“Wonho… another boy in the dance trope, he was killed,” Hoseok said hoarsely. Jimin made a muffled noise of surprise against his neck. “He was… we were performing, and his hat fell off, and Hybrid Control… we ran, Taeyeon-noona took my hand and she hid us behind this dumpster. Later we heard, they restrained him so roughly… he didn’t make it.” Hoseok let out a long breath. “After that, the crew broke up. I haven’t seen any of them since. I stopped dancing for a while. I mean, I went clubbing, but that wasn’t the same.” Jimin squeezed his hand. Hoseok kissed his whitening knuckles. “I do love dancing, Jiminie. I’m glad I saw Soonyoung-noona’s practice, and she introduced me to Jiwoo-seonsaengnim and Kwangsu-seonsaengnim … but I don’t think I could ever perform in front of people again.”
“You don’t have to,” you assured him. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“But…” Jungkook’s brow furrowed. “It makes me sad, and angry, that they took that away from you.”
“Me too,” Hoseok admitted.
“I have similar feelings about the piano,” Yoongi said. Hoseok looked at him, curious. Yoongi frowned. “Sorry, we’re talking about you right now.”
Hoseok shook his head. “Tell me. I want to know the things that are important to you. And this sounds important,” he said. Yoongi opened his mouth, but no words came out. Taehyung wrapped his whole body around him. “And maybe… maybe it’d make me feel a little less… alone, to hear about your feelings and experiences.”
Yoongi let out a long breath.
“Take your time,” Taehyung told him. “We’re here to listen, whenever you’re ready.”
“Nobody died, well, at least, no one I knew personally, but after so many years of being forced to perform in front of people who looked at me like a slab of meat…” His nose wrinkled. “It would be hard, to do that again. I could do it, I think, to survive, but it would feel… bad. Sometimes, I almost hated the piano, but I tried my best to keep loving it. Because the idea that those fuckers could take it away from me pissed me off. Because, other than my brother, the piano was the only thing keeping me going.” He sighed. “I mean, I lost both of them, when they sold me to the fights, but by then I was so drugged up I couldn’t feel anything anyway.” Taehyung nuzzled against him. Yoongi patted distractedly at his arm. “Without Soobinie, I would’ve run myself into the ground.” You grimaced.
“…Remind me to cook them a steak, or something,” Jin muttered. “What’s their preference—medium rare? Rare and bloody?” Yoongi snorted. Jimin unwrapped himself from Hoseok, frowning thoughtfully at the ceiling.
“Jiminie? What’re you thinking about?” You wondered.
“I think…” Jimin said slowly. “I want that.”
“A steak?” Jin said.
“Sure,” Jimin said. “Ah, but, I meant… I want to keep dancing for people, even though maybe I should hate it. I want to audition.”
*
Over the next month, Jimin spent most of his time at Jiwoo’s studio. Hoseok was with him more often than not, running through the routine Jimin was going to use for his audition.
“[F/N].” Hoseok nuzzled against your neck. “I was just getting drinks. Jiminie should be done changing by now.” When you entered the room, Jimin was still practicing. He moved the red fan like an extension of his arm, flicking it open like a flaming wing. Then he glanced at you. He leapt, his body seeming to hang in the air for a moment. Hoseok tensed beside you and Jimin was cursing and tumbling into a somersault. “Jimin…” Hoseok ran to him, you close behind. “Why are you doing aerials at the end of practice—huh?”
You elbowed Hoseok. “Are you okay?” You asked Jimin.
“I’m okay,” Jimin said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know how to fall. The only thing that’s bruised is my pride.”
“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Hoseok said, taking his hands. “You’re overworking yourself… you were shaking.”
“Was I?” Jimin looked down at his hands. “Well, I’m not anymore.” He shrugged. “I’m fine. Just embarrassed. I heard you enter, I wanted to look cool.”
“You are cool,” you assured him. He grinned. “But are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m great!” Jimin gave you a thumbs up. You studied the dark circles under his eyes, the way his shirt hung more loosely off of his frame than it had last month. You sighed.
He started asking you to pick them up later and later at night, to the point where Jin stopped setting spaces for them at the table.
Hoseok had an odd look in his eyes when Jimin said they were picking up food from a convenience store nearby, and not to worry.
Jungkook was wiping down the table when he suddenly stopped and stared at nothing. The rag he was using dripped, dripped, dripped against the table.
Jin nudged his side. “What’s up?”
“Should I have gone with them today?” Jungkook wondered.
“Hoseokie and Jiminie, you mean?” Jin asked. Jungkook nodded. “Hmmm…” Jin picked up the stack of dirty dishes and took them over to the sink.
Taehyung groaned. “More?”
“Please and thank you,” Jin said, giving him a peck. “You’re doing such a good job.” Taehyung grinned and turned back to keep washing, handing them to you to dry. Jin glanced at his phone. “Almost time for our show. I’ll go fetch Yoongi-yah.”
“I can’t find the correct lid for this container,” Namjoon muttered, glaring at the leftovers he was attempting to put away. You grabbed one from the drying rack.
“Try this one.”
“Ah ha!” Namjoon gave you a half hug and then attempted to put the lid on the container. His eyes narrowed. “The container’s too full.”
You snorted. “Someone should just eat some more then.”
“I will gladly make that sacrifice,” Taehyung said, turning and opening his mouth.
Namjoon fed him a spoonful. “Baby bird.”
Taehyung hummed. “I’m a fox, actually.”
Namjoon snorted. You snapped the lid on the container and placed it in the fridge. Everyone made their way into the living room, where Yoongi and Jin were cuddled up on the couch, the TV playing on mute. Taehyung sprawled on top of them. Yoongi complained loudly, but was smiling.
Jungkook walked into the armchair and nearly fell over. Namjoon steadied him. “Jungkook-ah?”
“Maybe if Jiminie-hyung has more help with his routine, he won’t need to practice as much,” Jungkook thought, eyes still unfocused. You tugged him down to sit on the floor with you.
“I don’t think that’s how that kind of thing works, Kook,” Namjoon said, grimacing. “Not that I know much about dancing, but… I know something about losing yourself in determination.”
“What do you mean?” Jungkook asked.
“Well, I was fine when we had residents in the house, because then we were on a routine. But otherwise… I often got lost in my studies, holed up in my room reading for most of the day, forgetting to eat or sleep. Uncle would come in with food and try to encourage me to go for a walk with him.”
“He hasn’t been sleeping,” Taehyung said, straightening up. “Like, usually he has trouble, but at least he’ll lie down a bit. One time he fell asleep holding his phone and it hit him on the face…” Taehyung smiled fondly and then shook himself. “Ah, but recently, he’s been practicing footwork in our room at all hours. And I’m not sure he’s eating either. Jin-hyung’s been packing him lunch, but—”
“But I caught him dumping it out,” Jin said in a clipped tone. “And then he apologized—he tried to assure me that my cooking was delicious—” Jin scoffed. “As if that was what I was worried about.” He looked down at his lap. “…Well, maybe a little.” He looked up again, eyes blazing. “That wasn’t the main point, though!”
“So, he was trying to look after you without realizing that you were trying to look after him,” Jungkook mused. “Sounds like our Jimin.”
“Hoseok-ah told me they haven’t been going to the convenience store for dinner,” Yoongi said. “He was upset because he didn’t want to lie to us, but he didn’t want to betray Jiminie’s trust either.”
You frowned. “So, you spilled the beans instead?”
“Kitten, you know I value honesty,” Yoongi said.
“There’s a difference between honesty and…” You waved your hand in frustration. “We shouldn’t be talking about him like this. I mean, I know we’re all worried, but, talking behind his back feels…”
“If he’s going behind our backs to hide that he isn’t eating again, why shouldn’t we go behind his to talk about how we’re worried about him?” Jin replied.
“Ormaybe,”you said. “We could treat him like an adult, who has the right to make his own choices.”
“Even adults make mistakes sometimes,” Jin pointed out.
“Uh-huh.” You eyed him.
Jin’s jaw worked. “[F/N]-yah.”
“Seokjin-ssi.”
“I think it depends on how bad it’s getting,” Namjoon said, after watching you and Jin frown at each other for a moment. “If Jimin-ah’s health—mental or physical, is badly at risk… then we might have to go behind his back, even if isn’t the most honest way to do things.”
*
Unfortunately, you were unable to come to an agreement. Before you knew it, it was the day of the audition, and no one had talked to Jimin about your concerns.
You and Hoseok sat off to the side while Jimin went through his routine for the last time.
He bowed, panting, straightening up when the judges thanked him and asked for the next contestant to come forward.
Jimin slumped against the wall next to you, gulping in air. His modern style hanbok hung off of his shoulder.
“Jiminie?” Hoseok kissed his bare skin and then pulled the fabric back over his shoulder. “How’re you feeling?” Jimin shrugged.
“Can we leave?”
“Okay.” You picked up his duffel bag. “You don’t want to change first?” He shook his head.
“Just want to leave.” The three of you walked in silence to the parking lot. You unlocked the car and Jimin quickly hopped into the back seat.
“Not gonna fight me for the passenger seat like usual?” Hoseok teased.
Jimin shook his head. He was gripping his fan in his lap, staring down at it. Slowly, he drew in a shuddering breath, tears falling on the red fabric. “It was awful.”
Hoseok frowned. “It wasn’t.”
“Itwas.I made a mistake!”
Hoseok slid into the seat next to him, wrapping his arms around his mate. “You mean cause you fell?” He asked. Jimin gave him a hard look. “Don’t look at me like that.” Hoseok nipped the side of his face. Jimin’s nose wrinkled. “Jimin-ah, you fell, but you made it look so natural, so beautiful, I would’ve thought you did it on purpose, if I didn’t know your routine so well.”
Jimin blinked. “Really?”
“Really, really.”
“I thought you looked cool,” you said quietly. Jimin smiled a bit, hiding his flushed face against Hoseok’s neck. “Do you want to go out for lunch to celebrate?”
Jimin looked up, his brow furrowing. “Celebrate what?—we don’t know if I got in or not yet.”
“Still, you worked hard for this audition, that’s something to celebrate,” you thought. Jimin made an uncertain noise. “Do you want to go out to eat? Or… we could take a trip to the beach if you want?”
Jimin yawned. “Ah, maybe another time? I’m a little tired, I think I just want to go home and take a nap.”
*
“Jiminie? Taehyungie? Dinner’s ready…” You knocked on their door. It opened. Taehyung grimaced at you.
“Okay, so, Jiminie may be just a little overtired.”
You frowned. “That’s sounding… I don’t know how to say it in Korean, but, oxymoronic.”
Taehyung raised an eyebrow at you. “I don’t know what you just said, but I feel like you insulted me.”
You clicked your tongue. “That’s not… anyway, what does ‘a little overtired’ mean?”
“…Come see for yourself.” Taehyung tugged you into the room and pointed at Jimin’s bed. It took you a moment to recognize the blue-grey cat curled in his white duvet. Your eyes widened.
“Is he okay?”
“Like I said, overtired, I think,” Taehyung said. “I’ll keep an eye on him. Let’s just let him sleep for now.”
“Okay.” You turned.
Taehyung grabbed your hand. “Noona?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t tell the others yet, okay? I just… I don’t want Seokjinie-hyung or Hoseokie-hyung lecturing Jiminie right now, okay?’
You sighed. “Okay, Tae. But come get me if… if either of you need anything, okay?”
“Of course.” He kissed your hand.
*
The next morning, you woke up to someone gently shaking your shoulder. You squinted up at Taehyung.
“Tae? Did I oversleep? Is Jiminie okay?”
“It’s still early, we just couldn’t sleep. He slept a lot already, so maybe that’s why. Oh, and I think he’s a little hungry, but, really, he’s fine,” Taehyung assured you. You rubbed your eyes, noticing cat-Jimin perched on Taehyung’s shoulders. Tae reached up and stroked under Jimin’s chin. Jimin purred. “See?” Taehyung laughed as Jimin head-butted his face. Then he stopped abruptly, his brow furrowing. “Ah, but we can’t keep it from the others any longer, that wouldn’t be fair.” Taehyung bit his lip. “I just thought, ah, maybe we could walk into the kitchen together, extra reinforcements, you know, in case Jin-hyung is feeling huffy.”
*
“Morning!” Taehyung called as you entered the kitchen.
“Taehyung-ah’s awake before noon?” Yoongi teased.
“Yeah, well, Jimin-ah was hungry and he wouldn’t let me sleep,” Taehyung complained lightly. Yoongi turned, studying Jimin for a moment. Then he put down his coffee and moved over to the cabinet, pulling out a can of tuna. Taehyung made a happy noise and gave him a kiss.
Jin picked up Yoongi’s coffee and took a long sip, frowning at them over the rim of the mug.
“Seokjin-oppa…” You said warily.
“Hyung…” Jungkook said, walking into the kitchen and yawning.
“Yes?” Jin, Yoongi, and Taehyung said all at once (Jimin mewed as well). Jungkook laughed.
“Yoongi-hyung—you said you’d send me something for this week’s post, but you never did.”
“Oh yeah.” Yoongi’s brow furrowed. “Sorry, Jungkook-ah—I can work on something today if you want?”
Jungkook nodded, scratching Jimin behind the ears. “That would be great. Thanks.”
“You’ve been very serious about this blog recently, haven’t you?” Jin noted, pushing Jungkook’s hair out of his face. Jungkook made an agreeable noise, taking Yoongi’s coffee out of Jin’s hands and taking a sip.
“It’s fun. I like being able to share people’s stories like this.”
“You’re good at it,” Taehyung said, pulling him into a hug and nuzzling at his neck. Jimin hopped off of his shoulders, onto the counter, and batted at the can of tuna.
You climbed onto the counter to grab a bowl from the cabinet. Yoongi reached over, his hand hovering at your back.
*
After breakfast, Yoongi disappeared to work on his entry for Jungkook’s blog. Hoseok was video chatting with Daewon. You, Namjoon, and Taehyung sat at the coffee table in the living room, looking over some community center work while Jin and Jungkook set up a game.
“I’m just saying,” Jungkook said. “Other games besides Mario games exist.” Jin gasped dramatically.
“Blasphemous! You take that back!”
Jungkook laughed, rolling his eyes.
“And we’re sure we don’t need to take him to the doctor or anything?” Namjoon asked.
“Hmm?” Taehyung looked up from the thank you email you and he were composing to a donor. He watched Namjoon pet Jimin for a moment and then smiled. “Oh yeah, he’s fine. Trust us, okay?”
“…Okay.” Namjoon leaned down to bury his face in Jimin’s fur. Jimin purred. You frowned at your computer.
“Namjoon-ah, did I use the correct word here?”
Namjoon straightened up to look. Jimin hopped onto the table, stepping onto your keyboard.
“Aw, are you annoyed Namjoonie-hyung stopped paying attention to you?” Taehyung teased.
“Jimin-ah, stop being a kitten,” Jin scolded. “You’re going to ruin all their hard work.” He had a point, but…
“How can you scold him when he looks so cute?” You held Jimin up by the armpits, pouting.
“Oh no…” Jungkook held his hand over his chest. “Double cuteness attack. They’re too strong together…” You laughed and put Jimin down on the floor.
Jin snorted. “Jiminie’s always cute. I don’t see why this is any different than usual. You’re just weak, Jungkook-ah.”
“Against kitten Jiminie? Oh, for sure,” Jungkook said. Jimin made a pleased noise and stepped up onto his lap. “You’d have to be heartless not to be.” Jungkook picked him up. Jimin tucked his chin over Jungkook’s shoulder and held on with both paws. You cooed. Namjoon pulled his phone out to take a picture. Jungkook flashed a grin and a peace sign at him.
Jin frowned. “I’m not heartless. I’m also a very cute cat. Therefore, I’m immune.”
“Hmm, sounds logical,” you thought. “Namjoon-ah, you should take pictures of Seokjinie too, since he’s so cute, right?”
“Of course!” Jin laughed loudly, his ears turning red. Namjoon agreeably turned his phone towards Jin. “Wait, no, stop looking at me!” Taehyung chuckled.
*
When Namjoon suggested a walk, Jimin pattered after you.
“I thought cats don’t like rain,” you mused, as Jimin winded around your ankles, clearly insisting on being picked up.
“Jimin-ah does, though,” Namjoon said simply. Jimin rode on your shoulders. Light raindrops plopped against the yellow umbrella Namjoon held over your heads. “Can we stop at the nursery?” You nodded. “I think they’ve got some new stock in, since I was there last.”
“Spring is really here,” you said, looking around the nursery. The moisture clung to the newly blooming flowers in sparkling drops. Jimin hopped off of your shoulders. He moved hurriedly under the shop’s awning, leaving a trail of damp paw prints. He stuck his nose into a pot of purple flowers and—sneezed! His whole body shuddered. You laughed. He mewed indignantly. “Silly kitty.” You scooped him up again.
“It’s almost a year, since we’ve met,” Namjoon noted.
You smiled. “Should we do something special, to celebrate?”
“If you like,” Namjoon said, shrugging. “Otherwise, spending time with you like this is special enough for me.” Jimin stretched out to head-butt Namjoon’s arm.
“He’s calling you cheesy, isn’t he?”
“Hmm? Suddenly I can’t understand the intricate body language communication of a hybrid in animal form. I guess we’ll never know what he’s saying.”
*
That night, Jimin and Taehyung joined you in your bed. You fell asleep with Taehyung’s arm wrapped around you. You could feel the vibration from his laughter as Jimin kneaded at his stomach.
When you woke up, human form Jimin was cuddled between you. “You’re back…” You brushed his hair out of his face and kissed his forehead.
“More kisses…” Jimin muttered, still half asleep. You laughed and pressed more kisses to his face. He giggled. Taehyung rolled on top of you, making shushing noises in your ear.
“Sleep more,” he grunted. “Not time to get up yet.”
You poked his side. He squirmed and then grabbed your hand. “But, Taehyungie, Jiminie is back.”
“That’s great, still wanna sleep,” he told you.
Jimin snorted. “Some soulmate you are. Don’t even care if I’m a cat or not.”
Taehyung flopped over so that he was on top of Jimin instead.
“Jiminie is Jiminie, no matter what,” Taehyung said, nuzzling against his neck. Jimin sighed, stroking his hair a bit. You tried to wriggle out from the covers, but Taehyung frowned, eyes scrunched shut as he gripped your shirt. “Stay.”
You groaned. “Taehyungie, I have to pee, and I have to drink coffee.”
“Ohhhh, coffee,” Jimin said in a longing voice.
“Want me to bring you a cup?”
“Yes please.” His green eyes glinted. “You’re amazing.” You laughed as you got out of bed, nearly tripping on a pair of underwear on the floor, glancing at Jimin thoughtfully and then tossing the wrinkled item of clothing at him.
It hit him on the face. Taehyung, squinting one eye open, snickered.
“Ugh, gross,” Jimin said, sitting up and frowning at you. “What’d you do that for?”
“Please wear some clothes if I’m going to be getting back into bed with you,” you requested. “And I’m not sure you can call it gross when you’re the one who left it on the floor in the first place.”
“…I forgot we haven’t really seen each other naked yet,” Jimin muttered, clenching the underwear in his hands, his expression serious.
“You’re both disgusting,” Taehyung groaned. “Abandoning me for coffee. Honestly, if I wanted that, I would’ve slept in Yoongi-hyung’s bed.”
“I’ll bring you a hot chocolate,” you offered.
“…You’re right, Jiminie, she is amazing.”
You laughed again.
*
“Oooh, is that for me?” Jin asked, hugging you from behind as you mixed Taehyung’s hot chocolate.
“It’s for Tae Tae, but I can make you one if you like.”
“That’s okay.” Jin kissed your neck a couple of times before pulling back, studying the tray you were setting up. “You look like you have your hands full. Three cups… is Jiminie back, then?” You nodded, eyeing him warily. “Let me carry this for you.” Jin picked up the tray. You frowned. “I promise I won’t scold him, I just want to check on him, okay?”
“…Okay.”
*
Jin studied Jimin for a moment and then let out a long sigh. Jimin sat up, his body swaying as he glared. Taehyung sat up slowly, wrapping his arms around him, half hanging off of him, half keeping him upright.
“If you’re going to lecture me, let’s just get it over with,” Jimin said hoarsely. Jin put the tray on the bed and then tapped you on the nose.
“Don’t you spill that when you get back into bed, that would be just like you, clumsy kitty.”
“You’re the cat,” you muttered, very carefully getting into bed. Taehyung chuckled at you, voice still rough from sleep. You passed him his hot chocolate. Taehyung took a long sip and then kissed you.
“Thank you,” he murmured against your lips. “Tastes good.”
Jin snorted. “You shameless flirt.”
Taehyung hummed. “This is coming from you?”
“Coffee.” You placed the next mug into Jimin’s hands. He was still squinting suspiciously at Jin, who was hovering.
“…Do you want some soup?” Jin asked suddenly. Jimin blinked at him.
“What?”
“Kimchi jigae—that’s your favorite, right? Or do you want something else?”
Jimin sniffled, rubbing his fist against his face, shaking his head. “K-kimchi jigae sounds good. It sounds really good.”
“Okay.” Jin smiled. “I’ll go make it for you.”
“Wait…” Jimin reached out. Jin walked over and took his hand. “You’re not angry at me?”
“Oh, I am furious,” Jin said. Jimin flinched. “Not at you Jimin-ah. I’m angry… I’m angry at whatever makes you feel like you have to push yourself so hard that you break.”
“But, that’s me,” Jimin said. “I did it to myself, so I probably deserve to suffer a little.” Jin’s brow furrowed. Jimin shook his head. “If I was good enough, this wouldn’t happen.”
“That’s not…” You bit your lip, frowning.
“We all have things we can improve on,” Jin thought. “Maybe something you can improve on… when your body transforms on its own, it’s trying to tell you that something is very wrong. So, it would be good if you could learn how to listen to your body, so you can rest and recharge before it gets to that point…”
“I knew… I saw the warning signs,” Jimin admitted. “I just… I ignored them. I thought if I kept pushing, I could get through it. And, well, I did, but then I… crashed.”
“So, again, maybe that’s something you can improve on,” Jin said. “Because you deserve a healthy body and mind, Jimin-ah.” Jimin made a noncommittal noise.
“You do,” Taehyung told him. “You deserve health and happiness, and no suffering.”
“Is it so hard to believe?” You asked Jimin. Jimin nodded sharply, avoiding eye contact with any of you. Jin sighed again. Taehyung hummed, pressing his face against Jimin’s.
“Okay,” he said. “Even if you don’t believe it, I do. Maybe today is a bad day. There will always be bad days, but I believe there will be good days too. Maybe it doesn’t feel like it right now, but we’re gonna be happy. I believe that.”
*
After drinking your coffee, you got out of bed, despite Taehyung and Jimin’s very convincing arguments that you should stay and cuddle.
You went onto the back porch to have a video chat with your sister. Hoseok came over while she was telling you about her new routine. He seemed interested, and the two of them (with you doing your best to translate) compared skating to dancing until she had to go.
“I forgot, I made coffee, that’s why I came out here,” Hoseok said, handing you a mug. He frowned. “It’ll be cold by now.”
“I don’t mind,” you said, drinking it anyway.
“And Seokjin-hyung’s starting to make lunch,” Hoseok said. “He was wondering if you wanted to help. He’s thinking of trying a new recipe.”
*
Lunch was almost ready when Jimin wandered into the kitchen, stumbling, nearly walking into the counter. His hair was sticking up at all angles, his shirt hanging off one shoulder as he squinted.
“Smells good,” he muttered.
“You smell a lot better!” Jungkook nuzzled at him. Jimin weakly smacked at his arm, yawning.
“In a matter of speaking,” Hoseok muttered, nose wrinkling as he collected the food waste in the compost bin.
“It smelled almost like you were sick,” Jungkook mumbled against Jimin’s ear. “You smell a little better, now that you’ve rested. I’m glad…” He nipped lightly at the arch of Jimin’s ear. Jimin snorted and whacked him again before turning in his arms and rubbing his face against Jungkook’s chest. “You do, like, seriously need a shower though.” Jimin groaned.
“Don’t want to be alone right now,” he admitted quietly.
“Okay,” Hoseok said. “Do you want me to shower with you?”
Jimin looked at you, biting his lip. You raised an eyebrow at him. “Noona, you, ah, took a shower with Hoseokie-hyung recently,” he said slowly. You nodded.
“I did. Did you want me to join you?”
“I, um, I would appreciate the company, but right now, my body’s a little…” Jimin waved his hand. “It’s just cause I’m not strong enough at the moment. Once I’m stronger I’ll work harder—“
“Sometimes, working harder isn’t the answer,” Hoseok said sharply. You frowned. Hoseok took a deep breath. His gaze softened. “We’ve all pushed ourselves too hard sometimes. Maybe that’s how we learn our limits. But… if you want to be a professional dancer, you need to take care of your body. You’re always checking in with us, seeing how we feel—you can do that with yourself as well, you know.”
“In theory… I know that,” Jimin said. “In practice… I’m not so sure.”
“That’s okay,” Hoseok said, squeezing his shoulder. “It takes time to build up these skills.”
“I find things easier sometimes when I break them down into small steps,” you commented. “One thing at a time. Like, if you need to take a shower, focus on that first.” Jimin nodded slowly. “And I think there’s a way I could keep you company while still giving you some privacy, if you want.”
“Yeah?” His ears perked up hopefully. You nodded again.
“But, Jimin-ah…” You bit your lip. “You know I’ll love you whatever your body looks like, right?”
Jimin grimaced. “Maybe. But I think you’d prefer it to look good.”
“I think my preference would be… you’d be healthy, and happy with the way you look.”
Jimin snorted. “Right. Like that’s so easy.”
“I didn’t say it was.”
*
You sat on the toilet, holding Jimin’s phone, humming along to the soft song playing from it.
When the water turned off, you stuck your hand through a gap in the curtains, holding Jimin’s towel out to him. You heard a thump. Jimin cursed. Your heartbeat sped up.
“Jimin-ah… can I open the curtain?”
Jimin let out a long breath. “Yeah…” He was sitting on the shower tiles, hugging his knees to his chest, his towel awkwardly tangled with his legs. “I tripped.” He rubbed the palm of his hand against his eyes, trying to force back the tears. “I’m a mess.”
“We all are, sometimes.”
He frowned. “But… I don’t want to be. I want to be perfect. I want you to like me.”
“I already love you, and not because I think you’re perfect,” you told him. He shivered. “Are you cold? Do you want another towel? Do you want help getting up?”
He sighed. “Alright. Fine. Both, please,” he said quietly. You got him another towel, wrapping it around him before helping him to his feet. “Hoseok-hyung is right. My body is so weak. Even if they did somehow accept my pitiful audition, I fucked up. I pushed too hard, and now I’m too weak, and I won’t be able to dance like this.”
“Step by step,” you reminded him. “You have time. You have months before the results are announced. Focus on what you need right now, at this very moment.” Jimin nodded.
“Step by step. I’m wet, and cold. I should dry off, get dressed.”
Soon enough Jimin was dressed in his comfiest clothes, sitting at the counter eating his soup, teasing Jin with compliments, and laughing when he blushed.
*
A week later, Jimin came out of his doctor’s appointment smiling.
You slipped your sketchbook back into your bag. “Good news? Ah, wait, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want…”
Jimin laughed. “It’s fine. I mean—it’s amazing to have the option to pick and choose what to tell you, but I don’t mind if you know most of it.” Jimin had been pleasantly surprised when Dr. Cho asked if he wanted you in the room or not.
“She said I can go jogging with Hoseok-hyung now, as long as I take it easy, especially at first,” he told you. You smiled at him as you got into the car. “Hey, do you want to stop at that bakery you like before we go home? We can get Jungkookie some of those cookies he likes—and I wouldn’t mind a slice of that cake!”
Your smile widened. “Me too!”
Jimin teased you about your sweet tooth, even after he kissed the sugar off the corner of your mouth.
*
The house was eerily quiet when you opened the door. No one greeted you in the hallway. You fumbled as you removed your shoes, nearly tripping over yourself. Jimin gripped your arm, keeping you upright.
Hoseok and Taehyung were in the living room, curled up on the couch, tightly around each other. Hoseok growled when you stepped closer. Jimin hissed back, pulling you behind him.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Sorry, sorry.” Hoseok rubbed his blotchy face.
“What’s happened?” Jimin asked sternly.
“Jungkookie… I think he had a panic attack?” Hoseok said uncertainly. “That sent Jin-hyung spiraling—we had to separate them—Seokjin-hyung was fighting Yoongi-hyung all the way…”
“Jungkook—he’s crying,” Taehyung choked out. He looked at you. “I—he never cries. We used to tease him and try and get him to, because he never—“
“He cries sometimes, when we do,” Jimin argued.
“…Yeah,” Taehyung said in a small voice. “But that’s… that’s different, isn’t it? I’ve never seen him like this.”
“But, Jin-hyung and Jungkookie…” Jimin said. “Why would you separate them?”
Hoseok sighed. “They were making each other worse.”
You and Jimin hovered awkwardly. Then suddenly Jimin said, “Jungkookie’s not—he’s not alone is he? He shouldn’t—I mean, unless he wanted to—Did he want to be alone?”
“No, no.” Hoseok shook his head. “He’s latched onto Namjoon-ah, I don’t think he could let go if he wanted to. I think that’s part of what set Seokjin-hyung off. You know how protective he gets when he thinks Jungkook-ah is… vulnerable.”
“Jin-oppa wanted to protect Jungkook-ah from Namjoon?” You asked, surprised.
“Jin-hyung has tried to protect Jungook-ah even from us a couple of times,” Taehyung told you. “But, um, Seokjinie is with Yoongi-yah right now, so I think he’s starting to calm down.”
Your phone buzzed. Your whole body jerked, your hand shaking as you reached into your pocket. You somehow managed to not drop your phone as you processed the words on the screen. “It’s Joon… he’s asking me to come out—the backyard?”
“Is Jungkookie okay with that?” Taehyung asked. “We have to ask him if he’s okay with that—if he’s responsive…”
You texted Namjoon back. “Yeah… Jungkook says I can come out.”
“Then I should—” Jimin started.
“Let’s try one at a time,” Hoseok suggested. “We don’t want to crowd him.”
“Alright,” Jimin muttered, frowning.
*
They were under the tree.
“Why—why now?” Jungkook hiccuped. He was lying on Namjoon’s lap, gripping his hand so hard his knuckles were white. Namjoon was rubbing his back, brushing his hair out of his face. One of Namjoon’s ears swiveled towards you as you approached, while the other kept pointed at Jungkook. Jungkook’s ears were drooped. He tugged on one with his free hand, glancing up at you. “[F/N]…” His eyes were even larger than normal, his face puffy and red, streaked in tears and snot.
“Jungkook.” You crouched down, rubbing at his face with your sleeve.
His nose wrinkled. “Now your shirt’s dirty.”
“That’s okay.”
“But, you like that shirt,” he muttered. “A lot. I’ll wash it for you.” Your heart clenched.
“Okay. Thank you. But… later, okay? Right now… can you tell me what happened?”
“Hmm.” He hiccuped again. “I forgot how to breathe.” The pressure in your chest increased.
“Oh. That… happens sometimes.”
“Does it?” He asked. “To you?” You nodded. His chin jutted out. “I didn’t pass out though. I’m still… I’m not completely fucked up, you know.”
“I know.” You sat down fully, trying to keep a little space between you, but Jungkook’s hand jerked out and he pulled you closer so your legs were tangled together. You squeezed his hand. “We’re all a little fucked up. Doesn’t mean I love you any less.”
“…You love me?” His voice cracked.
You nodded. “I do. So much.”
“Me too,” Namjoon added. “Both of you.” Jungkook smiled slightly. And then his smile fell and he looked at you, considering.
“Noona, do you know why?”
“…Kookie, I don’t understand the question.”
He huffed. “Why…” He sat up a bit, leaning against Namjoon’s shoulder, still holding both of your hands. “I remembered some things today. I hadn’t forgotten… not fully… but… I pushed them away, I think. I pushed them down, but today they came back up—why today? It’s been good. Jiminie’s been smiling more. I beat that level I was trying to since last week—and Yoongi-hyung was showing Jin-hyung a new song, it was so romantic, and then I fucked it up, and now everyone’s miserable.”
“You didn’t fuck it up,” Namjoon told him seriously. “If we need to be sad right now, we’ll be sad. We can be happy again later, together.”
Jungkook let out a long breath. “Why today?”
“I’m not a therapist,” you said. Jungkook squinted at you.
“No fucking duh.”
You flinched at his tone. “Jungkook-ah…” Namjoon said, brushing his hair out of his face again. Jungkook grimaced.
“Sorry.”
You shook your head. “It’s fine. I just want you to understand. I’m not a therapist, but I’ve had… a lot of therapy, and one of my therapists told me… when you’re in it, sometimes, when you’re in survival mode, your brain doesn’t have the energy to process certain things. Then you come out of it, and… when your brain thinks you’re ready, certain things might come back.”
Jungkook frowned. “I don’t want it to come back. I want it gone.”
“I don’t know… I don’t really know how that works,” you said. “I think it could become easier to deal with, but… you might have to work through it first.”
Jungkook’s eyes glinted. “I can work hard,” he said. “That’s something I know how to do.”
“I know,” you said. “But this is… be gentle with yourself, please.”
“…I’ll try,” he said. “I’ll try my best.”
“Hmm.” Namjoon moved Jungkook’s hair out of the way so he could nuzzle at his neck a bit. “And we’ll do our best to support you.”
*
It took lots of phone calls and consultations for Jungkook to find a therapist he was comfortable with. There had been one that he said was ‘okay’ and stuck out for several weeks before that therapist encouraged him to see a specialist.
Jungkook was having nightmares (“Flashbacks,” he told you quietly at 3 am, tracing shapes on the back of your hand with his thumb. “Chinho-ssi says they’re called flashbacks…”).
During that time, both you and Jin found therapists as well.
“She gave me a long winded metaphor about a house having multiple support beams so it can be sturdy,” Jin told you, reorganizing his Mario figurines after Namjoon broke one (that, Jin told you, would take an entire session to work through). “I am happy, though, most of the time. Honestly, I am. When I’m sad, I’m sad, but when I’m not… I don’t think about it too much. Not anymore. There are more pleasant things to think about, for which I’m grateful.”
You were back on psych meds again, trying out different ones to see if any would stick. It had been almost two weeks on the latest one. You were sitting at the counter with Namjoon, going over some paperwork when arms wrapped around you from behind, a nose pushing against your neck. You stiffened, and then relaxed at the familiar sound of Jungkook’s inquisitive noises. “Noona.” He pulled back, his nose wrinkling. “You smell different.”
“Certain medications can do that,” Namjoon commented.
“Should I stop taking them?” You asked in a small voice. “I can—”
“No!” Jungkook looked horrified. “I wouldn’t ask you to do that! Not if it can help you feel better.”
Your shoulders slumped. You looked away from him. “But, you liked my scent a lot.”
“I still do,” he said. “Even if it’s different, because it’s you.” You continued frowning at your paperwork. “But you know what would make it even better?” You finally looked up.
“What?”
“If it was mixed with mine.”
He scented you liberally every chance he got.
So, the scent issue seemed largely managed, but the medication side effects also included a significant weight gain, the kind you hadn’t had to deal with in years.
You asked Namjoon to hide the scale that had been in your bathroom.
When Jungkook started pestering you about working out with him, you gave Namjoon such a betrayed look that Namjoon had to take you aside and promise you he hadn’t said anything. He hadn’t said anything, but he thought maybe youshould say something to the others.
“Taking care of yourself is hard work,” Jimin said, as the two of you lay with a blanket pulled up over your heads like a shield.
*
It felt like work to admit to Jungkook that it was a little too intimidating to join his workout routine (although he said he was fine with it, you weren’t sure). It felt like wor
Summary: Jin and Yoongi decide to take the mc grocery shopping so she can help gather ingredients for dinner. Unfortunately, or fortunately, Jungkook and Taehyung tag along for the ride.
Genre: absolute fluff. like seriously, nothing but fluff.
Warnings: not much, just tae kook being little brats and playing tricks on the mc, jin and yoongi. some tears may be shed. can’t promise anything.overload of cuteness. mc pouts and gets away with lots. baby mc power. kook and tae get what is coming to them. slight daddy yoongi.
“Baby, you can’t bring your plushie into the store.” Jin spoke calmly, trying to keep calm in order to not make you cry.
You hadn’t been to a grocery store since before you were brought into the Little Fox and couldn’t remember what being inside a store was like, so you brought your wolf plushie to hold onto. You had thought no one would bother you if you brought your large plushie in with you, or so Jungkook had told you.
“The idea of being free was a foreign concept. Being free meant having choices, having opportunities. Being a hybrid meant never being free.”
Summary:Just as you escaped the Little Fox, a bidding house, you find yourself at war with your thoughts, not wanting to go to another shelter. You didn’t expect yourself to find a home anywhere, especially not with the men who found you, and their pack.
Warnings: insecurities, anxiety, past abuse, past sexual abuse, mentions of rape/noncon, some violence, mentions of violence. Some warnings may be added to the beginning of individual chapters.
Yoongi is a Canadian Lynx with very cat-like features, especially his eyes and behavior. Scent reminding everyone of warm green tea with a hint of patchouli. He can be rather shy, but also deprecating and stubborn - usually getting what he wants, even if he has to fight (maybe even unfair) for it. His father was a rare breed of a fox, which somehow got into his DNA, now he has a fox tail - his other hybrid features are those of a lynx. He’s a CEO, but his name isn’t well known because his company sells mostly to the US, so Jungkook doesn’t know him, but soon finds out that he has lots of money and holds lots of power in his job. He drools over Jungkook and gets flustered around the attractive fitness instructor, so some of his animal-like antics come out whenever he’s shy or nervous.
He has some patchwork tattoos on his thighs.
Hybrid features: pointy ears with sand-colored thick fur, thick gray fox tail, canine teeth (not that huge though, just slightly bigger than average), his eyes can change colors - they turn yellowish.
Jungkook (24) is a black flemish giant bunny - his scent is similar to cherry blossoms. He’s tall with well defined muscles, even though he hides his body under loose clothes most of the time. He works at the gym, has several medals in different martial arts and is a professional yoga instructor. He’s ashamed of his hybrid species, so he hides it, because who would find out anyways? Jungkook doesn’t bother fighting with predators, though - if they’re rude, he’s not shying away from them. He’s got back tattoos and both sleeves done, as well as a hip tattoo and some traditional designs on his thigh. Nose and lip ring.
Hybrid features: droopy ears that he usually ties together with a hairband (obviously with a satin scrunchie so he doesn’t hurt his fur), soft tail, b u n n y t e e t h and nose scrunch, thumps his foot when he’s nervous or angry, teeth nibbling, he nibbles on his friends or different items.
