Still Life
summary: Maybe running away from your hybrids wasn't a good idea.
or,
Y/N leaves her family home to go UNI, leaving behind six hybrids. Leaving a second time is proving to be nearly impossible.
warnings: this series will deal with body image issues, toxic relationships, family issues, sexual themes, Non-con, possible rape, abusive themes and more. If that isn't your cup of tea please continue scrolling.
Authors note: yet another story. This one i have been posting on my ao3 account! feel free to sus it out there as well at King_myg
As always, my stories follow dark themes so if this is something you aren't comfortable with I suggest looking elsewhere :) Enjoy! feedback is always appreciated.
Hybrids had been commonplace in your youth, growing up with five in your home before you turned 16. Hybrids had become a hot commodity two years after your birth, being revealed to the public after years, and years, of perfection. It took roughly a year before the hybrid trend caught on, with celebrities and other wealthy people sparking the trend, you didn’t doubt now that they had been paid to promote the latest species added to the planet, and like always, it worked. Your parents were slow to fall into the trend considering their status, purchasing a hybrid a few years older than their eldest child when you turned 10, a male Sea Otter named Seokjin. Your parents were enamored by the male, raising the new addition almost as a son. There was always an invisible line, something everyone knew not to cross when it came to the relationship between human and hybrid, while Seokjin, or Jinnie as your parents had called him, seemed content with the care, you never understood it. His presence was confusing, his creation baffling. You found it hard to connect, and not just because of the 6-year difference in age. Hybrids were created to get along with anyone of any age, and while he had tried his best to be friendly and form a friendship with you, it always fell flat. Your parents loved having Seokjin around, he was helpful toward your mother, doing all the things you and your siblings refused to do. He joined her on shopping trips, and coffee trips and kept her company in salons. Meanwhile, he kept your father company with his outdoorsy activities your brother had never taken an interest in. Seokjin was always thrilled to join your father for early-hour fishing trips hours away, and it seemed to be something they genuinely bonded over.
For your brother's 16th birthday, he had requested a hybrid of his own, and your parents happily obliged, thrilled that your brother had taken an interest. The month before his actual birthday they had taken him into the city to pick his very own hybrid. The process would take some time, so they had tried to get onto it as quickly as possible so that the hybrid would be home by the time his birthday hit. There were a million and one steps to the adoption process, they checked income and work status, looked at your homes, interviewed all household occupants, and made sure any other hybrids in the home were well cared for and open to sharing their ‘territory’. You were sure most adoption centers weren’t as thorough, but your parents were always keen to go about things the right way, especially when their children's well-being came into play.
Exactly 1 month and 2 weeks later, the afternoon before your brother's birthday, the trio returned with the newest addition to the household (or 'family' as your parents had proudly announced!) Jiho, your brother, had introduced his hybrid Hoseok, a ferret the same age as him. Jiho and Hoseok had become incredibly close in the year they had spent one-on-one. They had similar personalities, bright and bubbly, and enjoyed a few of the same hobbies. It was around the time of your sister's sixteenth birthday the following year when she had requested 2 hybrids. She got along well with Seokjin, and Hoseok, but rarely got to spend time with the latter your brother not wanting to share his gift, often gloating. Following the same steps as they had with your brother, this time starting earlier due to your sister's pickiness, the hunt for your sister's lifelong companions commenced. Eventually, she settled on two from the same adoption center, which made the process much easier on your parents. By this point your parents had pulled back from their parental duties, starting to enjoy their retirement. They had run their own business for longer than you could remember, they had made more money than you could ever spend and they decided it was time to take a break. With your brother only a year off of adulthood, and two hybrids of similar ages to Jiho, your parents were more than happy to entrust their daughters' safety to the three– soon to be five– men.
Your sister had proudly shown off her hybrids, claiming to have gotten the most handsome ones ever. While you were sure that wasn’t entirely true, even you as a child could agree that your sister had picked two very attractive boys. Jiyoo, your sister, had ended up picking Jimin, a Swift Fox, something you hadn’t heard of, and Taehyung, a coyote. They were polite, shy men who had playful personalities once they settled in. They garnered plenty of attention from Jiyoo’s school friends, the mass of young teen girls that had started amassing your home had been overwhelming. Jiho had quickly become jealous of Jiyoo and demanded a second hybrid only weeks after her birthday. It didn’t take much convincing from your parents, who agreed that if Jiyoo could have two, why couldn’t Jiho? Lucky for Jiho, his previous adoption made the process much quicker when it came to bringing home his next hybrid. The entire thing took roughly two weeks, and suddenly the fifth hybrid was home, another male of the same age as Jiho, a dingo named Namjoon. After Namjoon's arrival, life had settled into an easy flow. Your parents' presence was always coming and going, but their constant calls and messages filled some of the holes in their absence.
Over the next four years you had noticed your siblings coming and going attention to their hybrids, proudly showing them off to friends and online, but behind closed doors, their frustration had built up. Annoyance with their clinginess, the constant need to be near was beginning to be more of a nuisance to your siblings. They were careful to hide their growing frustrations from their parents whenever they returned home, always showing off new talents and changes to their appearances, piercings, or haircuts they had recently gotten. You had kept your distance from anything hybrid-related as much as you could, and whilst it had taken some time for them to catch on to your carefully planned avoidance, they eventually caught on and left you alone. The only hybrid you had actively sought out and spent any time with had been Namjoon. Your ‘friendship’, if you could even call it that, had formed after you were caught struggling with a school assignment. Namjoon had asked to take a look and was quick to help you out with what seemed to be a never-ending supply of knowledge. From then on, all your homework and assignments were completed with Namjoon close by whenever your brother and Hoseok went to tennis. Whilst it wasn't a close relationship, you were content in the dingo hybrid presence, often forgetting he wasn’t just your brother's friend from school, but an actual hybrid.
As your 16th approached, your siblings grew excited, and curious about what kind of hybrid you would choose. The three of you weren’t very close, always some kind of divide had existed between you all, stopping any kind of sibling bond from forming. You weren’t too bitter about it, you found their personalities far from pleasant. You had tried your best to explain to your parents that you didn't want or need a hybrid, you had never expressed any interest in one, so why would you suddenly change your mind? When pestered about gifts, you had given a list of what you wanted, and perhaps you should have been more specific with your words. You had been an animal lover, something that was still popular among the middle to lower class. You had always wanted a cat, just a regular house cat like your school friends had. You should have assumed your parents were only skimming over your list, maybe you should have just waited until they were home before you requested a pet.
You were uneasy when you came home from a friend's day out to celebrate your birthday to find your siblings excitedly waving you over.
“Y/n, you said you weren’t getting one!” your brother grinned, knocking your shoulder as if you had told a joke.
Your blank face must've been enough for your eldest sibling to catch on to your lack of understanding. He had rolled his eyes, your sister cutting him off once he reopened his mouth, she was quick to tell you to go to your room to see the ‘surprise’ your parents had dropped off. The giddiness in her words had your chest constricting, but you did as told despite every cell in your body screaming to turn around. Your bedroom door had been left ajar, already a red flag. Your door was always left shut. Using the tips of your fingers you pushed your door open, a breath you weren’t aware to had been holding fell past your lips as you stepped into your room, empty.
At least you had thought it was.
You had walked further into your room, tossing your backpack onto your bed as you eyed over everything. Not a single thing looked to be out of place. All the anxiety that had built up in your body when you ascended the stairs had melted out of you, relief washing over you far too early. The click of your door behind you falling shut behind you had you tense back up, your brain had refused to let you turn around to face whoever (whatever) was behind you.
“Do you have no survival instincts at all, Master?” The last word fell out harsher, almost as if the word had been spat onto the hardwood of your floor.
Your jaw clenched, irked at the attitude of the man who broke into your room. You turned on your heel, arms crossed over your chest. The male in front of you looked roughly your age, your parents keeping to the theme. He was taller than you, small-framed, and soft-faced. His hair was short and dark, complimenting his honey skin. He looked at you with annoyance, like you had intruded into his own home. His eyes were a striking blue, standing out vibrantly against the dark color of his hair, and he stared at you so coldly that you felt like your skin was trying to peel itself away to hide.
The male opened his lips once more but was quickly cut off by your brother and sister barging into the room, the door barely missing the stranger in your room. His jaw clenched, his gaze staying glued on you as your siblings invaded your space more than it already had been.
“Surprise! Isn’t he such a cutie?” Jiyoo cooed, looking the younger male over with a grin. “He was dropped off this afternoon, dad had it all arranged, but Mom picked him out for you! A black cat, right?”
A choked sound left the hybrid's throat, his eyes narrowing in on your sister. “Leopard.” He corrected, his eyebrow twitching in what you assumed was annoyance.
Jiyoo sent him a nasty look, her lips pursed as she looked the boy over. “Cat ears, cat tail..” She trailed off, before crossing her arms. “Pretty sure you fall under the cat category, kid.”
Your sister's words seemed to have snapped something in the hybrid, his eyes hardening in silent rage. Despite the look that made you want to melt between the cracks of your floorboards, your sister stood her ground, a smug smirk on her lips. A perfectly plucked brow quirked up, as if silently taunting the boy, ‘What are you gonna do?’
This day had seemed to spark a lifelong feud between the two.
Your relationship with the hybrid, whom you later learned was named Jeongguk, had been tense. You weren’t too sure about how he felt, his eyes always regarded you with disdain, and on a good day, boredom. Despite this, he followed you everywhere. The only escape you had from the leopard hybrid was your days at school. He lingered everywhere you went, be it at home or out with your friends. His poor attitude had soiled many friendships, a lot of your friends found his company uncomfortable and since you had unknowingly become a package deal, your friends dropped like flies. Even poor Namjoon had backed off, leaving you lost in a sea of assignments. On the few occasions you had given in to your pride and asked Namjoon for help, he had kept a considerable amount of distance from you, much different from the way he used to hover over you or sit shoulder to shoulder as he walked you through everything.
Jeongguk’s presence had proven to be lonely, whether he had meant it to be or not, you weren’t sure. He seemed to lack, or maybe just didn’t care for social cues. He ignored you, bossed you around, and was often too rough. He didn’t form any kind of relationship with the other hybrids of the house, he tolerated them and would sit in the same room as them until you returned home, using them to fill your absence. You quickly learned Jeongguk had unparalleled loyalty, devoted endlessly to you. Your brother had quickly picked up on your hybrid's strength, and his interests in physical activities. In the times you managed to slip away and have space for yourself, and Jeongguk was forced to be alone, he would often hang out in the home gym, or join Seokjin and Jiho for video games in the living room. Jiho had decided he and Jeongguk had far more common interests than the two of you had shared, and he proposed a swap. He offered you a choice of whichever of his hybrids in return for yours. There was no denying the thrill of getting rid of Jeongguk once and for all, you had been quick to bring the offer up to the leopard hybrid, who looked at you in disgust.
“No Master.”
Jiho had been bitter about the rejection, claiming you were being selfish. Your older sibling wasn’t informed that the rejection had come for Jeongguk himself, who had some choice words about your brother. To keep the peace between the men of the house, human and not, you took the blame.
Three years couldn't have passed fast enough. You finished your final year of school, got accepted to the university of your choice, and organized an apartment in the city with roommates, which meant no ‘pets’. You were finally free of hybrids. All your plans had been kept away from Jeongguk, and you were thankful that your brother didn’t care enough to speak about you to the hybrid, and your sister spent no time around Jeongguk, so your secret never slipped. It wasn’t until the night before you were due to leave, that the bags you had managed to pack over the last few weeks were stacked up in your emptied room and ready to go. You were going over a mental checklist, eyes fluttering over everything in your room to ensure you hadn’t missed anything important when your door flew open. You had yelped, your socked foot kicking into your suitcase. Cursing you looked over your shoulder with narrowed eyes, only for the anger to melt away at the sight of an enraged-looking Jeongguk. His chest which had grown muscular over the last few years was heaving as if he had just run the entire length of the Great Wall of China twice, his eyes looked crazed, looking over you and your empty room. His eyes finally landed on yours, an accusatory look that almost made you regret everything you had planned.
“Where are we going, Master?” his voice straining, as if trying to control the obvious rage bubbling under his skin.
“Not we, Jeongguk.” You sighed, leaning against your bedpost to keep the weight off your aching toes. “Just me.”
The leopard gave a very forced laugh, sounding more like he was choking. It honestly looked like he was in pain trying to keep himself in check. His knuckles that gripped the doorway had turned bone white, his jaw flexing as if trying to hold back his words. You watched as his eyes fell shut, his eyelids squeezing shut as if he were in pain. Maybe he was. When his eyes flew back open, locking back on yours all anger had seemed to fade away, back was the blank look he usually regarded you with.
“Master doesn't go anywhere without her pet.” He gritted out, once again seeming to be in pain.
Your shoulders sagged, and all the oxygen in your body seemed to deflate out. Part of you wanted to snap at him, ask him why you never went anywhere without him. Why did he have to be so clingy? You gave him the space to be his own person, why couldn’t he just go against what he was taught? Why did he have to be this way? Maybe if he had been nicer, more open like Jimin or Hoseok you could’ve tried to be his friend. Jeongguk was too moody, his presence often left you on edge and made you feel miserable, you didn’t want friends like that.
“I don't have any pets.” Your shoulders shrugged, finally looking back to the hybrid who looked like he had the wind once again knocked out of him.
“Master has me.” He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
You shook your head, sucking in a long breath. “You aren’t my pet Jeongguk, you're a hybrid. You’re too human to be a pet.”
Confusion flickered across the man's eyes before the same hard look settled back. Why did he always have to look so angry?
“But I'm not human.” He said matter-of-factly.
You snorted, nodding in agreement. He wasn't. Jeongguk, despite his mostly humanoid features, wasn't… Human. Getting along with Jeongguk had been impossible, and exhausting. Despite all your common interests, all the grounds you both stood on that could have made an impressive friendship, his attitude had made it impossible. He was blunt and abrasive. The way he looked at you made you want to shrivel away from his eyesight, and yet every time you tried he followed. If you strayed too far his fingers wrapped around your wrist, an unforgiving grip that left your bones aching. He scared away your friends, boys you liked, there wasn’t a life for you with Jeongguk lurking around. You had tried so hard to reach Jeongguk, to break that trained way he behaved. You hated the way he referred to you as Master, and himself as a pet. It always makes your stomach churn painfully. You had all but begged the hybrid to treat you as an equal, and he had always refused. You had given up a year ago, whatever hybrids are taught was too far ingrained into them for you to help.
“No, you're not.” You agreed bitterly.
The leopard cocked his head, his brow raising in silent questioning. Maybe he expected more from you, an explanation of what you meant, but you said nothing. There was nothing. You were sick of trying to maintain, and fix, all the issues you had with Jeongguk. You felt like a middle-aged woman stuck in a loveless marriage.
“Master, where are we going?” He questioned again, his words firmer.
“Not we, me.” You reiterated, rubbing your eyes tiredly.
"Master doesn’t leave with–”
A frustrated groan cut Jeongguk off, and you were surprised that it had come from you. His jaw clenched shut, his hands now gripped by his side.
“I do, Jeongguk, and I will.” The sternness of your words seemed to bother the hybrid across from you, his shoulders shaking.
“No.” He spat out.
You scoffed, years of resentment bubbling up your throat. “So now you can make decisions, go against me?” Your voice verges on hysterical laughter. “Honestly Jeongguk, go fuck yourself. Go away.”
Your words seemed to snap whatever invisible rope had been holding Jeongguk back, his body lurching forward. There wasn’t enough time to react, Jeongguk knocking you off your feet and onto your back, the softness of your mattress hitting saving your spine. Your eyes looked up at the hybrid who stood over you, the muscle in his jaw clenching and unclenching as he glared down at your shocked eyes.
“Master doesn’t leave.” He hissed, his body vibrating. The muscles in his throat flexed like he was trying to physically keep the words down. “Stay with Jeongguk, safe.” His words were chopped as if it were his first time speaking the language.
Shaking your head, your heart clenched nervously in your ribs. Jeongguk has always been rough, but nothing like this. He had never shoved you. You pushed yourself up on your elbows, trying to wiggle back, your legs stuck between Jeongguks. He quickly caught onto what you were trying to do, his hands shooting down to your thighs, tugging you back down the bed. He quickly climbed on top of you, his thighs on either side of your hips as he continued to scowl down at you.
“Jeongguk, get off.” You huffed, hand reaching to his chest trying to shove him away. To absolutely zero shock, his body didn't even budge.
“Stay safe here, Master.” He repeated.
The desperate, crazed look Jeongguk stared down at you with, had your skin burning in discomfort, and for the first time in three years, you were scared of him. Never had you felt any fear toward any of the hybrids that resided in your family home, even with Jeongguk’s less than stellar personality, had you ever felt threatened or fearful of him until this moment. So, instead of arguing with him, instead of attempting to fight back, you gave in. You went limp, all the fight you had left in you was breathed out in a heavy sigh.
“Okay, I’ll stay.” You agreed, hoping he couldn’t see any hint of the lie that fell from your tongue. “I’ll stay here, safe. You can help me unpack in the morning.”
The hybrid kept a steady gaze on you, his eyes reading over every inch of your face before slowly nodding all previous tension in his body melting away. For the first time since you had met Jeongguk, his features relaxed. There wasn’t any hostile glower, no tension or aggression left in his body. You noticed the twitch in the corner of his lips, his attempt to fight back a smile. His hand shakily moved toward your face, moving at a snail's pace. Fingers lightly grazing over your jugular before his palm took up resting on your cheek, his thumb running along your cheekbone. For the first time ever, Jeongguk looked at you with something you could only describe as adoration, and that scared you more than his icy eyes ever have.
It had taken hours, but Jeongguk eventually went back to his own room that was shared with Seokjin, the hesitation clear as day. You didn’t get a single second of sleep, eyes glued to your phone's clock waiting for the hours to pass. As soon as your phone hit 4:30 am you got to work, creeping through the halls with your bags. You were sure your heart was in your throat, trying to force itself out of your mouth. You had never felt as much anxiety as you did at this moment. The possibility of Jeongguk hearing your footsteps, your breath, even your heart, was far too real.
Your muscles don't relax until the cab's tires crunched against the gravel, the main road coming into view as you approached the gates of your home, you were approaching freedom. Out of habit, your eyes flickered to the rearview mirror upfront, taking a peek at your childhood home that you'll miss for the next few years, all relief seemed to freeze as your eyes connected with Jeongguk’s furious eyes through the mirror.
