It was with a sense of defeat that you were trailing after your best friend down a series of darkened streets in the early hours of the morning. Jungkook had come back from his shift as a bartender in the popular club near your apartment, as he usually did on days when he got the later shifts, and burst into your room without warning. You’d nearly dropped the leftover pizza you’d been about to scarf down in sheer fright. You’d cursed him out but he’d been quick to ignore you, gripping your wrist and hardly giving you time to even slip your shoes on before he was dragging you out the door with the excuse that he “has something important to show you”.

You mightn’t have minded as much, except it just so happened to be storming and he hadn’t given you time to grab an umbrella to shield yourself with from the pelting rain. It was the perfect weather for cuddling up beneath the covers at home, with junk food and hot chocolate— another reason you were so salty you’d been wrenched from the comfort of your home and bed.

“Jungkook,” you began, warning him not for the first time since he’d begun dragging you on this little adventure. You’d recognised the path he was taking; it was in the direction of his workplace. “If you’ve interrupted my night and dragged me out here to go get late night drinks with you again so help me god I will show up in the dead of night and break those precious gaming computers of yours, I’m not shitting you Jungkook heads will roll—”

“Shh!” the male responded, shooting you an exasperated look, and you bristled, biting back the urge to hit him upside the head. The paths you were taking were reasonably covered but in the spaces between awnings you were both getting soaked by the torrential downpour. You were about two more awnings away from being miserable and taking it out on Jungkook. “I didn’t bring you here for drinks, you idiot.”

You couldn’t help the offended look that flew onto your face. “Jeon Jungkook I am going to ignore that, but I swear if you don’t tell me what is going on—"

You were cut off when Jungkook stopped abruptly in front of you, causing you to slam into his back. You let out a loud noise of pain, your nose throbbing. It was like walking straight into a fucking wall, and of course he stopped right between two awnings, meaning you were both currently getting soaked. Thunder rumbled in the distance. “Jungkook you little shit, give me some warning next time you nearly broke my nose—”

“Oh my god, y/n do you ever shut up? Stop complaining, we’re here. What I wanted to show you is down there.” Jungkook rolled his eyes, pointing down the long, dark, winding alleyway he’d stopped in front of.

“I’ll stop complaining when there’s nothing left to complain about,” you grumbled, before following the direction he was pointing and making a noise of alarm. “An alley…?! Oh my god, Jungkook did you bring me here to kill me—?!”

“No!” Jungkook groaned, gripping your wrist and dragging you behind him as he started down the alley. “And be quiet! You’re going to spook them with that loud mouth of yours.”

“I’m not loud!” you hissed, quietly, to prove your point. You pattered after him begrudgingly, the two buildings you were walking between offering meagre shelter from the elements. “And what do you mean ‘them’? Oh god, this is a cult initiation isn’t it? Are we about to walk in on a high-end drug deal?”

Jungkook groaned softly, “Y/n if you don’t be quiet I’ll lick one of your pizza slices while you sleep.”

You gasped in horror. If he licked one of the slices while you slept then when you woke you wouldn’t be able to tell which one, and you’d have to throw them all out.

“You’re evil.” You whispered, glaring at his stupid defined back. The male in question turned his head and shot you a smug look, before turning back and leading you the rest of the way down the alley in silence.

You were about to risk your pizza slices and ask how much longer when he stopped suddenly before you again, and you only just managed to stop yourself in time from running into him once more. He turned to you before you could open your mouth.

“They’re just around this corner,” he said, large doe eyes meeting your own. His tone was serious and conveyed a sense of urgency you hadn’t witnessed often in him, and it made you forget the smartass comment you’d been about to make and listen, suddenly alert. “I was walking home from work, past here, when I heard something and decided to investigate. There’s about four of them, and they’re not in good shape. There were two guys from the Pound, trying to take them in but they put up enough of a fight to stave them off for now, but I don’t doubt they’ll be back soon with more officers so they can take them in without a struggle.”

Your mind was racing to take in the information he was throwing at you. Jungkook continued, peering around the corner to your side for a moment before turning back to you. “The oldest one, he saw me and asked me to get help, and I knew I couldn’t help by myself so I went and got you. I called Yoongi-hyung too and he said he’d be here as soon as his shift ended, which was a couple of minutes ago so hopefully he’ll get here quickly.”

You had so many questions pressing against the tip of your tongue but no time to even organise them before Jungkook took your wrist again and pulled you around the corner. Your mind had been halfway to the realisation that Jungkook had been talking about hybrids, but nonetheless you were still surprised by the sight before you.

There was indeed four of them, all huddled up in the corner of the alley beneath a makeshift shelter consisting of a tarp and three barrels, barely enough room for two people and yet four of them were crammed in there. They all looked to be around your age, give or take a couple of years, and were shivering and clinging to each other, flinching with each rumble of thunder. The second you stepped around the corner they froze, eyes whipping to you in fear, hackles raised and a weak growl splitting the air. It came from the largest hybrid among them, the one closest to the front and sitting just beyond the tarp’s meagre reach, his raven locks dripping and triangular ears lowered threateningly.

“Wait, it’s ok! It’s me, I brought help— she’s here to help.” Jungkook assured them, quickly rounding the corner after you and moving forward. You hesitated where you stood a moment before following suit, although more cautiously. You were a new character, and you didn’t want to alarm them.

At once the hybrid stopped growling, body sagging in relief as all the energy he’d mustered for his show of bravado fled his form at once. “You came back,” he croaked, his feline eyes meeting Jungkook’s gratefully, voice soft and beautiful even as it sounded so rough. “Thank you.”

Jungkook smiled. “Of course I came back, I told you I would help. There is one more person coming, but until then, what do you need us to do?”

The black cat hybrid moved his gaze to the other hybrids huddled behind him, two puppies with blonde and grey hair and an older dog hybrid with soft orange locks, all of which were staring at you with wide eyes. He looked at Jungkook, then you, imploringly, startling you with the sheer desperation and selflessness in his gaze. “Please, just help them. They’re still young and can easily find homes, so please… help them. They- they just need a home, and someone to show them all the love and care they deserve. They can’t be here when those men come back, I… Please…”

Your heart nearly broke at his words, going out not only to the other hybrids but to him as well. He was speaking as though he didn’t deserve those things like they did, like it didn’t matter what you did with him so long as the others were safe, and happy. You were awed by his pure selflessness and the lengths you could see of his affection for them.

“Of course, we’ll do everything we can.” You said softly, moving closer and offering a smile. “We’ll help as much as you need.”

The cat hybrid leant back against the wall, blinking away tears as he shot you a grateful smile. It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “Thank you.” He whispered, sniffing, and you couldn’t tell if the droplets trailing down his face were tears or rain.

There was a movement to your right and you turned to see one of the puppies emerging from the shelter, looking at you curiously with wide chocolate eyes through messy grey locks. The puppy hybrid beside him, the blond one, whined softly, tugging his friend’s clothes anxiously and shooting looks between yourself and Jungkook.

Jungkook smiled softly, stepping forward and crouching down in an effort to reassure the nervous hybrid. “It’s ok, you’re gonna be ok. My name’s Jungkook, and this is y/n. We’re gonna help you get away from here, and give you guys a place to stay for a while, with food, and warm beds. You’ll be safe.”

The grey-haired hybrid didn’t need any more convincing, having all the confirmation he needed that it was safe to interact with you, moving eagerly from beneath the shelter to plop at your feet, reaching for your hands and clutching them softly, enveloping them in his own. “You’re going to help us?” he asked, an awed look in his eyes as you crouched down before him with a smile, returning the hold on his hands. “You’re gonna let us stay? And give us food and beds?”

“Yep,” you said, removing a hand from his grasp to lift it and brush the rapidly dampening hair from his face. He nuzzled into your gentle touch, surprising you as he pressed his face into your palm with a boxy grin, his tail wagging eagerly behind him.

“Thank you!” he beamed, holding your hand to his cheek. “I’m Taehyung!”

“It’s nice to meet you, Taehyung. You have a beautiful smile.” You complimented honestly, unable to help your smile as the hybrid’s cheeks went pink and he beamed at you happily. “What are everyone else’s names?”

Taehyung eagerly turned, pointing at the blonde puppy that was slowly becoming more and more lax beneath the ministrations of Jungkook, who had begun combing his fingers through his blond locks and scratching behind his floppy golden ears to soothe him.

“That’s Jimin-hyung,” Taheyung supplied helpfully, before pointing to the orange-haired dog hybrid that had remained beneath the shelter but looked like he was longing to move out and receive attention too. “And that’s Hobi-hyung, and Jin-hyung.” He said, pointing finally to the raven-haired cat hybrid you’d first spoken to.

“They’re all my brothers, but Jin-hyung is more like a parent. He’s kept us together and protected us ever since he found us on the streets.” Taehyung said, and you didn’t miss the look of gratitude and adoration he sent the cat hybrid. “He’s done everything for us.”

You felt your heart warming as you shot the aforementioned hybrid a glance. He was still leaning against the wall, resting his eyes for a moment as the other hybrids interacted with you and Jungkook. You suspected it was a rare moment where he let his guard down, deeming you both safe enough to entrust with his family, and nothing touched you more.

The orange-haired hybrid’s urge to join his brothers seemed to outweigh his hesitation and he quickly moved over to plop next to Taehyung, leaning forward eagerly with his tail wagging a mile a minute as you acquiesced to his wishes and brushed your fingers through his hair, scratching behind his ears. He let out a pleased hum, tail wagging faster.

“I can take two of you to my place, and I know Yoongi-hyung has room for one.” Jungkook began, turning to send you a look and you nodded at the unspoken question. You could take the remaining hybrid to your place, you had a spare room that Jungkook usually used to crash in whenever he had a late shift, but it could easily be given up for a hybrid that needs it more than he does.

As though the mere mention of his name was enough to summon him to your location, a slightly out-of-breath Yoongi rounded the corner in all his blue-haired glory, headphones still around his neck from his gig as a DJ at the bar where Jungkook worked. They swung loosely as he caught sight of the scene before him and halted abruptly. Jin’s eyes shot open and his ears flattened at the sudden arrival of a new variable, a low hiss escaping his teeth.

“Wow, you really weren’t shitting me.” Yoongi said, shooting Jungkook a mildly bewildered look, otherwise speechless. “It’s a good thing I drove.”

“It’s ok, he’s the other person we were waiting for.” Jungkook quickly reassured Jin, and the hybrid’s hackles lowered once more, although he still kept wary eyes on your friend. “This is Yoongi.”

The blue-haired male offered a sheepish if somewhat awkward wave, before he was suddenly jumping in alarm as an excited orange-haired hybrid perked up and leapt over.

“Nice to meet you, Yoongi. I’m Hoseok!” he introduced himself brightly, lips curling into a bright heart-shaped smile. He moved forward, circling Yoongi (to the male’s alarm) and sniffing the air a couple of times before stopping in front of him once more. His hands came up to clutch Yoongi’s own. “You smell really nice. Warm— like summer days, with a cool breeze.”

A look at Jin and Taheyung’s faces told you Hoseok had never taken to anyone quite like this before, and you couldn’t help but think it was the cutest thing in the world. Yoongi’s cheeks were flushing an uncharacteristic light pink.

“Uh, I— thank you?” he stuttered, bringing up a hand to rub the hybrid’s head when he gave him an expectant look. Hoseok practically melted onto him and you didn’t doubt that if he was a cat hybrid then he would have been purring loudly, but instead his tail was wagging faster than your eyes could keep up with.

You turned in time to see Jungkook’s cheeky smile. “You can take Hoseok home then, hyung.” He said, still petting Jimin as he looked pointedly at Yoongi. “They all need somewhere to stay— they definitely can’t stay here.”

Yoongi, cheeks still flushed, didn’t even bother trying to refute it when said hybrid was still firmly attached to his arm without any indication of letting go anytime soon. “Fine,” he said, his grouchy tone betrayed by his awkward stature and gentle hand in Hoseok’s hair. “He can stay with me. I’m assuming two are going to stay with you?”

Jungkook nodded, and to your surprise, before he could even speak, Jimin’s hand came up to grip his sleeve, large eyes shooting him an anxious look. Taehyung, having observed the whole thing, quickly jumped up and clutched Jungkook’s other arm, flashing him a bright smile.

“Jiminie likes you and we go everywhere together, so we’ll go with you.” He said matter-of-factly, tail wagging softly. Jungkook’s eyes were soft as he gazed upon them, a light smile pulling his lips.

“Ok, you two can stay with me then.” He said softly, caressing their heads. You watched with a fond smile, significantly less cranky than when Jungkook had first dragged you out of your house, even though you were still getting soaked by rain because the dumbass hadn’t let you get an umbrella.

“y/n, there’s only going to be enough seats for us, but your house is closer anyway so you should be good to walk. Can you come help move the things from my backseat?” Yoongi asked, reaching into his pocket to pull out his keys and throw them your way. You caught them with ease despite your slippery hands (rain had its downfalls after all) and nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.”

Jin stood, leaning heavily against the wall for a moment before easing off of it and moving closer to you, flinching at the rain. The others didn’t seem to mind it, but they were dog hybrids, and Jin was a cat hybrid. As you all started moving back down the alley towards Yoongi’s car, you shrugged out of your jacket and leant up to drape it over Jin’s head. He flinched, more out of surprise than anything, and shot you an unreadable look before graciously accepting it with a smile that had your heart skipping beats in your chest, his larger hands coming up to replace yours, holding the jacket over his head and shielding himself from the rain.

You reached Yoongi’s car quickly, and wasted no time in moving forward and unlocking it, removing all the items thrown haphazardly on the backseat and relocating them to the boot. Yoongi, while he seemed like a neat and orderly person, was one of the messiest people you knew when it came to places like his car, and his room. You knew for a fact his studio was spotless though.

The car was ready, and the other hybrids only just seemed to realise they were about to leave. They whimpered, almost in unison, and threw themselves at Jin, hugging him close like they were never going to see him again. You would have rolled your eyes if it was any other situation, but in the short time you’d been among them you’d quickly realised how close the bond was that they shared.

Taehyung looked ready to cry as he moved back, clutching onto Jimin and Jungkook simultaneously. “See you, hyung.” He whimpered sadly, eyes watering. Jin leant forward and ruffled the puppy’s wet hair.

“I’ll see you again soon, Taehyungie.” he reassured, voice soothing and soft. Taehyung leant into his touch. “Now hurry up, you better get into that car and out of this rain— if you get sick I’ll kill you.”

That made the puppy giggle, and he lurched forward to throw his arms around Jin once more before pulling back and climbing into the car. Hoseok and Jimin both followed suit, climbing into the back, and Yoongi slipped into the driver’s seat.

Jungkook paused next to you on his way to the passenger side, giving you a grateful smile. “Thanks for helping too, y/n. Make sure you take care of him, and don’t just feed him pizza every day. That’s unhealthy. You should be eating a balanced meal with vegetables and meat, preferably not fried or greasy—"

“Alright!” you exclaimed, pushing the irritating male towards the passenger side so he would stop harassing you about your dietary choices and get in the car. “I get it! I’ll cook actual meals! Goodbye!”

Jungkook grinned before ducking and slipping into his seat, shutting the door behind himself. Yoongi started the car, and you managed a brief wave before he was pulling out and down the street, soon the only thing you could see through the hammering rain the ghost of his tail lights.

You stood still for a moment, before turning to face Jin. He was still, gazing after the car and his brothers with a look that just bordered on forlorn. He seemed to jerk back to the present, gaze moving to you as he shot you a saddened, yet grateful smile, and murmured, “Thank you again, for helping them.” He then turned, moving as though he was about to make his way back down the alleyway.

You moved forward quickly and grasped his wrist, making sure your grip was loose. He still jumped in surprise, turning back in shock.

“Where are you going?” you asked, a small smile playing on your lips. “My house is this way, and we better get going soon or we’re going to be the ones to get sick.”

The cat hybrid stuttered, staying rooted to the spot despite your gentle tugs on his wrist. “I—you—what?”

You gazed at him shrewdly, wondering why he was so surprised. It was like he didn’t think he was going home with you. You smiled again, wanting to reassure him. “You didn’t think we were only going to help the others and leave you, did you?”

One look was all you needed to confirm he had, in fact, thought that, for whatever reason. You shook your head, laughing a little. You readjusted your grip so that you were holding his hand instead, and intertwined your fingers. “Silly kitty, of course we’re not going to leave you. I have a spare room at home, so you you’re welcome to come stay with me.”

Jin went a bright, delicate pink, eyes wide and mouth gaping slightly in shock, both at what you’d called him, and what you said afterwards. “I— wh-what?”

“Come on, this way.” You smiled, slightly amused by the sheer disbelief on the hybrid’s face. He really thought you were just going to leave him to go back and live in the alley when the pound would be back anytime soon to take him in? You tugged on your intertwined hands, leading him back down the path you’d come to get here. “Contrary to what Jungkook says, I do have food other than pizza. We can have something warm to eat once we get home.”

Shooting him one last smile, you turn and face forward as you lead him along the path to your home. You missed the open look of admiration and awe the feline sent your way, and simply focused on getting home in one piece with your new housemate.

.  . .  .  . .  .  .  .

“This is it!” you announced brightly, stepping into your home and swinging about, ignoring the water droplets that flew off your soaked form. Jin was just barely in a better state as he stepped through the door, gazing around in curiosity and staying in the one spot so he didn’t spread water everywhere. His ears were slightly lowered, not in hostility but in an effort to keep water out, and his dark tail was curled around his thigh protectively.

“Home sweet home,” you hummed, slipping off your drenched flats and placing them by the door. Thankfully you’d left the heating on when Jungkook had dragged you out before. You turned to Jin, moving over and taking the soaking jacked you’d given him, hanging it over one of the chairs at the table. “Of course, now my home is your home too. You can come in, we need to draw you a bath and get some clothes for you so you don’t get sick.”

Jin’s face seemed to be in a perpetual state of shock and surprise ever since you’d first told him to come back with you, like he couldn’t believe this was really happening to him. When he didn’t move immediately you skipped forward to grasp his hand once more, revelling in the warmth as you pulled him gently in the direction of the bedrooms and bathrooms. You pointed out the different parts of your apartment as you went, stopping momentarily at the room where he’d be staying.

“This is the spare bedroom, it probably stinks like Jungkook. That’s just because he usually crashes here when he works the late-late shift at his work, since my house is much closer than his. I’m kicking him out though— this is your room now. We can change sheets and all that later.” You explained happily, looking up to shoot the hybrid a grin that he returned softly, looking nothing short of angelic. Now that he was in the proper lighting of your home you couldn’t help but notice how heart-wrenchingly beautiful he was, not only in his face but in his figure, his disposition, his expressions. You didn’t think you’d ever seen anyone so aesthetically pleasing.

“Now,” you began in an attempt to keep yourself on track and stop staring at his handsome face. “To the bathroom! I’ll run you a bath. I think I have some bath bombs left over from that massive gift box Namjoon gave me last Christmas, so we can use one of those and make it pretty.”

Jin seemed alarmed. “Bath bombs?”

You paused in your journey to the bathroom, sensing his hesitance. “Oh! They’re just something you add to the bathwater to make it smell nice and look pretty. Don’t worry, Loosh products are pretty much all natural and they’re safe for hybrids too.”

He seemed relieved to learn they weren’t actual bombs, and you giggled a little despite feeling bad you’d unintentionally scared him. Moving into the bathroom, you immediately went about clearing up the little mess you’d managed to make before starting to run the water. You told him to wait a moment as you ducked out to get some of the spare clothes Jungkook left here for when he slept over, coming back with the largest ones you could find since Jin was a bit taller and had broader shoulders than the younger male.

“Here you go,” you said, holding them up for the hybrid to see. “They’re Jungkook’s. I do apologise for everything reeking of him, but he stays here a lot. We can go get you some clothes later. For now, help yourself to the bath.”

Jin took the clothes from you, gazing at the with a soft look before shooting you a tender smile. “Thank you,” he said earnestly. “I… I really appreciate all you’re doing, and not just for me, but for the others too.”

You returned the smile. “It’s no problem, we’re all happy to help. You guys deserve to feel safe and happy too, so you can stay as long as you want.”

Jin bit his lip, averting his gaze for a moment, before returning it to your face. “You’re a really kind person, y/n. I mean it, thank you.”

You were so caught off guard by the vulnerable look in his eyes as he thanked you that you could feel the heat rushing to your cheeks, your mouth dropping open in slight shock. “O-oh, it’s no problem. I’m- I’m happy to help you, Jin.”

The raw, tender look of sheer gratitude he sent your way was more than you (or your heart for that matter) could handle, and you scrambled to recover your pride from where it was, floating away from you. You could only make so many dumb faces in front of someone so handsome.

“A-anyway!” you announced, rushing over to the cupboard and pulling out a bath bomb at random before moving over to the bath and turning off the taps. It was already fairly deep. You dropped the bath bomb in, inhaling the soft scent of rose with hints of something else and watching as the bath water fizzed and coloured a deep rose pink. “Here you go, your bath is ready, towels are on the rack, if you need anything else—oh my gosh!”

You’d turned around to move towards the door only to be confronted with the sight of an unashamedly stripping Jin who was already halfway out of his ragged clothes. How you hadn’t heard him undress that far was beyond you. You spun back around with a squeak, cheeks aflame and heart racing. “Oh my gosh, give me a warning next time!”

There was a soft chuckle from behind you followed by the sound of the hybrid slipping into the bath, and you could not get the image of his beautiful sun-kissed skin, his defined figure, and his broad shoulders out of your mind.

“Sorry,” he apologised earnestly, and you risked a glance to see him sitting in the deep water with his knees drawn to his chest and long arms draped around them as he offered you a sheepish smile. “I just… haven’t ever had a proper bath before, especially not like this. I wasn’t ever allowed, and you know, there’s no bathtubs on the streets. I was a little excited.”

You turned and gave him a smile, somewhat recovered from the shock of a minute ago. “Then I hope you enjoy it.”

You moved towards the door once more, watching as the hybrid dragged his hand through the water and admired the glimmering swirls, playing with the ripples and small amount of bubbles. “Now, if there is nothing else you need, I shall be going. I’ll go heat up some food since it’s a bit late to be cooking a whole meal. I hope you like meat pies.”

You opened the door, about to slip out and flee when the sound of his voice made you pause.

“Wait-!”

You turned, eyebrows raised, curious as to what he wanted. The hybrid looked bashful, gaze everywhere but on you as his ears lowered slightly and his tail swayed where it lay over the edge of the tub. You stepped back inside the room, a small smile on your lips in case he looked up. “Yeah? What do you need?”

Jin seemed to hesitate, opening his mouth once, twice, before finally beginning to speak. “I… can’t really… I don’t think I can wash my hair or- or my tail, it’s a little more difficult to reach and navigate in a bathtub than I thought… Can you… um…”

You took a good look at him, just now realising how large he was compared to your tiny bathtub. Your gaze softened as you moved forward with a soft laugh, grabbing your favourite shampoo and conditioner off the shelf in the shower. “Of course, I can do it for you. Don’t flash me though or I’ll scream.”

Jin laughed at that, his posture loosening and releasing the tension it had held when he’d asked for your help. “Of course not,” he murmured with a smile. “I have manners.”

You giggled, grabbing the small container beside the bath and dipping it into the tub to fill it with water. “Manners that seem to fly out the window when you get excited about baths.” You joked lightly, bringing the container over his head. “Lower your ears and close your eyes so you don’t get any water in them, kitty.”

Jin jolted at the nickname, a breathless laugh escaping him at your earlier comment even as his cheeks flushed a pretty pink. He did as you said and closed his eyes, lowering his ears as well. You poured the water slowly over his head, watching as he shuddered pleasantly at the warmth as it cascaded over his broad shoulders and down his back. Your thoughts strayed as you wondered if he would even be able to reach it in your tiny bathtub. You made a note to ask him if he wanted you to help him with that too. However, with your attention on his form you began to notice things you’d missed before when he’d been stripping himself for the bath. His muscles were defined, but it was because he was lean, and thin— he looked like he hadn’t had a good meal in months, and you wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Small numbers of scars littered his golden skin, some looking like they had just been nicks while others looked like lashes and welts. They were all old, well healed, except for one down the side of his ribs, which was fresh and bleeding slightly. His murmur broke you from your thoughts suddenly. “That would be the exception.”

You hummed, taking the container and pouring the water over his head to wet his hair once more, washing out the remainder of the rainwater that had accumulated earlier. Placing it down, you picked up the shampoo and squeezed some into your hand, making sure you didn’t get too much. You were going to shampoo his hair twice anyway, so it didn’t matter if it didn’t lather up on the first go. A hairdresser had told you instead of using a lot of shampoo at once for one wash, it was better to do two separate washes.

You brought your hands to his head, beginning to gently scrub his scalp and work the shampoo through his raven hair. Jin let out a small, pleased sound, and leaned into your ministrations. You tried not to think about the scars and the current condition his body was in, since you knew if you asked it would likely ruin his current relaxed state. Instead you focused on getting his hair clean.

Once the shampoo had been worked through his hair as much as you could, you raised the container and rinsed it out, telling Jin to close his eyes as he had before. When his hair was free of product once more, you went through with the second round of shampoo, rubbing and massaging his scalp as you went since it was important to not only clean your hair but your scalp too. Plus, since this was his first bath you wanted to make it special. You worked the shampoo all throughout his hair once more, scrubbing his head gently where it met the nape of his neck. He jerked slightly, an involuntary shiver rolling through his form, and you had to wonder if his neck, or just the back of his neck, were particularly sensitive for him. Perhaps it was a carry over from his feline DNA, you mused. The back of the neck was where mother cats usually grabbed their kittens, right?

You hummed thoughtfully to yourself as you finished lathering up his hair, eyeing the ears that you had yet to touch. They weren’t filthy, but they were still dirty, and there was no sense leaving them that way when you were already cleaning the rest of his head.

“Jin, I’m gonna clean your ears too, is that ok?” you asked as you dipped the container in the water in preparation. The feline nodded, eyes closed as he sat still with his legs drawn to his chest.

At his confirmation you set the container down and used some of the shampoo lather to rub over his ears gently, making sure you didn’t press too hard. Jin shivered again, and it occurred to you he might be cold with his back out of the water so you removed one hand to pour the container of heated water over his skin. He sighed pleasantly, a sound so soft you almost didn’t catch it, and leaned into your touch when you continued rubbing the shampoo into the short, soft fur on his ears. Once you’d scrubbed enough and the shampoo was no longer brown from the dirt and oil, you brought the container up and carefully rinsed it from his ears, being mindful not to let any get inside. The rest of the shampoo was next to go, and soon you were massaging conditioner through Jin’s now considerably softer, cleaner locks. Once you’d washed that out as well, you pulled back and peered at the feline before you. There was a soft, almost imperceptible purr rumbling from his chest, and he looked like he was ready to fall asleep. You couldn’t help yourself as you raised a hand and brushed the wet locks out of his face.

His eyes cracked open, moving to you hazily, and he flashed you a soft smile. “Sorry, that just felt really good… I was almost falling asleep.”

You giggled, brushing the hair back once more. “I noticed,” you said, shooting him a grin. “Where else am I washing? Your tail? Do you want me to wash your back too? I feel like it might be hard for you to twist around in the tub to do it.”

Jin shot you a sheepish look and nodded, causing you to smile as you shifted so you could reach his tail better. It was long and a little fluffy, the fur matted slightly from the rain and dirt, but was the same beautiful raven colour as his hair. You hummed, taking it into your hands gently and first combing through the small clumps and knots with your fingers, your nails just barely dragging along the appendage. Jin gasped, jerking slightly, another shudder rolling down his spine and you paused in alarm. “You okay? I didn’t hurt you right?”

The feline made a strangled noise, clutching his knees tighter to his chest. He spared a brief look over his shoulder at you, his cheeks pink once more. “No! No, you didn’t,” he reassured with a breathless laugh. “I just- I wasn’t ready, my tail is sensitive and I’m the only one that’s ever washed it before, so you— it feels… very different. I was just surprised, sorry. You can… you can keep going.”

You could feel the heat in your own face as you returned the smile he offered you and resumed where you left off, your touch more tentative and gentle this time since you really didn’t want to cause him discomfort or pain. Soon the fur on his tail was smooth and orderly, if still dirty, and so you dipped it in the water and took some shampoo in your hand. The end of the appendage curled around your wrist mindlessly as you lathered the part of his tail closest to his body first with your other hand. He stiffened when you grew too close to the base of his tail and so you lightly covered it before moving on and avoiding it, deeming it another sensitive area. It didn’t take you too long to wash it, and by the time you were washing the conditioner out he was still purring softly, completely relaxed beneath your ministrations.

“I’m gonna move to your back now, can you lean forward a bit for me?” you asked softly, Jin complying without question and leaning forward so you could reach his back better. His tail curled up happily from the water, fur sleek and shiny now that it had been cleaned. Almost the entirety of Jin’s broad back was revealed to you, the rosy water cutting off your view an inch or so above the base of his tail. Focusing on the task at hand, you tried not to stare at the scars littering his otherwise flawless skin, and made sure to avoid the open cut on his side. You’d have to come back to that.

You reached for the shower gel you kept, your favourite mint and Teatree scented one, and noticed with a sense of irritation that Jungkook had been using it again. You grumbled, reminding yourself to tell him off for it and make him replace it as you squeezed some onto the loofa by the tub and took it to Jin’s back after pouring some more water on there so he didn’t get cold. He jerked a bit, the lotion cold, but quickly relaxed again when you began scrubbing over his skin, his purring growing the slightest bit louder.

Aside from that, it was silent as you worked, ignoring the slight ache of your knees and back and focusing on Jin. You tried your best not to pay attention to them, but you couldn’t help your gaze wandering to the many scars across his back. Almost as though he could sense your gaze and train of thought, his soft tone reached your ears. “They’re from my life on the street.” He said, gentle baritone rumbling beneath your stilled hands on his back. Your eyes widened in surprise.

He continued, adjusting his chin where it sat on his drawn knees. “The small ones are, anyway. You don’t get to survive on the streets without a couple of marks to show for it. The big ones are from my time at the shelter where I was raised, before I was thrown on the streets.”

You barely hid the soft gasp that escaped your mouth, wide eyes locking on his face. He turned slightly, a sad smile on his lips. “You were curious, right? That’s how I got them.”

You bit your lip, holding his gaze sombrely before lifting a hand and booping him on the nose, wiping some soap suds there. He blinked rapidly in surprise, mouth dropping open and full lips parting in shock.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Jin.” You said sincerely, tracing one of the long scars that spanned from his shoulder-blade to his spine. “No one deserves that, least of all you. But you won’t have to worry about anymore scars forming on that pretty skin, my dear Jinnie, cause I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you from now on! Gotta preserve that handsome face of yours, after all.”

You ended it with a laugh, smiling at the surprised look on his face that melted into a grin to match your own. Booping his nose once more, you returned to his back, finishing your gentle scrubbing and pouring more water over him to rinse off the remaining suds. You hopped up after placing the container back beside the tub. “There you go, kitty! All cleaned up. I shall leave you to finish up— take as long as you like, feel free to soak for a bit. Get out before the water gets too cold though, or else all our efforts in warming you up will be in vain.”

Jin’s cheeks were pink once more at the nickname you’d given him, but he nodded nonetheless, meeting your gaze. You shot him a bright smile. “I’m going to go get changed and heat up some pies for us in the meantime, I’ll be out here if you need me!”

He nodded once more, looking nothing short of angelic as he beamed at you gratefully. “Thank you again, y/n. Really.”

You ignored the flush in your cheeks as you returned the smile. “You’re welcome! Don’t drown while I’m gone!”

With that you slipped from the bathroom, closing the door behind you to the sound of his soft chuckles. Letting a soft breath fall from your lips, you allowed yourself to keep the big smile on your face and began in the direction of the kitchen. You had a feeling things would be very different from now on, and you couldn’t find it in yourself to mind one bit.

.  .  .  . .  .  .

In the two days since Jin had come home with you that stormy night, two things had become inherently clear to you. One, he was the sweetest person you had ever met in your life. He trailed after you like an eager puppy the entire time you were home, always helping you out and asking and saying things like, “Is there anything you need me to do?”, and “Here, let me get that for you.” It was an image you wouldn’t expect from one with feline genetics in their DNA. Altogether it was a stark change from your usual routine, but not an unwelcome one. The constant attention and Jin’s incredibly thoughtful nature were enough to throw your heart into a constant state of warmth, fondness blossoming in your chest with each gesture.

Second, it became clear to you that Jin was literally perfect. How you knew this? Not only was he the most beautiful person you had ever seen, but he laughed at all your dumb puns and jokes, and even made some himself. The amount of cat-related puns he was capable of producing was absolutely incredible, and often left you in awe. He was a genius. You didn’t think it was possible to grow so attached to someone this much this quickly, but here you were, happier than you’d ever been ever since the cat hybrid had come to stay.

You were currently in the kitchen, cutting up some fruit for you both to eat, and as soon as you finished and grabbed the plate to take it out, Jin swooped in with a bright smile and gently took it from your hands.

“I got it,” he beamed, tail curling happily as he turned and padded out of the kitchen, leaving you with a smile on your face and heat in your cheeks. This cat was going to be the end of you.

You watched his gait as he walked away, keeping an eye out for any indication he was in pain. The wound he’d had the other day (which you’d later found out was from one of the officers that had been harassing him and the others) had quickly healed thanks to his hybrid genetics, but even so you couldn’t help but be slightly concerned. It alarmed you, but you truly cared for him, even if you hadn’t known him that long.

The hybrid in question shot you a smile as you joined him at the table, cheeks full of watermelon and strawberries. That was another thing you’d noticed about him— he had an incredible love and appreciation for food. No matter what you placed in front of him he was eager to eat it, and he always thanked you excessively after each meal. You never realised how nice it was to have someone to share meals with before. It was almost… domestic, the routine you’d taken up in the last couple of days. The thought caused your heart to flip in your chest.

While you didn’t really expect him to recover that quickly from the thin, borderline-starved form he’d come here with, you were surprised to see that bit by bit the solid meals were helping to fill him out. Honestly, he ate like a pig but looked like an angel while doing it. It was enough to give you whiplash when you ate together.

It was a bit of a lazy day for you. You didn’t have work, or classes, so you were just making the most of your time at home. Usually having someone constantly hovering around you, borderline-clinging, would annoy the absolute hell out of you, but for some reason you didn’t mind at all with Jin. Perhaps it was because you could tell he sincerely just wanted to help, or because he was just… different from most of the people in your life.

You stole some of the blueberries from the plate, shooting the hybrid across from you a cheeky grin. He snorted. “If you were just going to eat them all why didn’t you just keep the bowl to yourself.”

Your eyebrows shot up, laughter bubbling in your throat. “Excuse me? I don’t think I need your cat-itude right now, mister. You ate all of the cherries yesterday. The entire punnet.”

Jin giggled at the pun you made, a cheeky grin stretching his plump lips. “I couldn’t help myself, they just looked so purrfect.”

You burst into laughter so suddenly you nearly choked on the blueberry in your mouth. The feline looked more than satisfied with his joke, leaning back with a proud smile on his face at having made you laugh, his tail curling into the air happily.

When your giggles began to cease you shot him a fond look. “That was terrible, I love it.”

The hybrid before you beamed at you, opening his mouth no doubt to let another pun loose when there was a sudden BANG as your front door was thrown open and hit the wall beside it. Both you and Jin nearly jumped out of your skin in fright, the feline yelping loudly.

“Oh— fuck! Oh no the— fuck, the wall… she’s gonna kill me… god damn it.”

You rolled your eyes as your heartbeat began to calm down, knowing almost instantly who it was that had burst into your house so unceremoniously. There was only one person you knew who was so heavily inclined to clumsiness and minor misfortune.

It didn’t occur to you, however, that Jin didn’t know who the strange person was that had just intruded upon your home and was suddenly entering the room from the hallway. A low growl split the air and caused a shiver to roll down the length of your spine, alerting you that Jin was not, in fact, on the same page as you, and if you didn’t bring him up to speed in the next couple of seconds your clumsy friend Namjoon was probably about to get scratched.

Said male froze in the doorway, a large bag in his arms and an alarmed look gracing his features. Jin’s snarl grew louder and you spun from Namjoon to face the hostile hybrid, whose eyes had turned to slits and hackles were raised. He was sitting forward in his chair, body coiled and ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. The protectiveness of his actions didn’t escape you and you couldn’t help the beats your heart skipped.

“Jin, it’s ok! This is Namjoon, he’s my friend and our neighbour. He lives on the floor above us.” you quickly reassured him, reaching across the table to gently grasp his hand where it was biting into the edge of the wood.

Jin jerked at your touch, pupils dilating from their slitted form and his eyes flying to your face in surprise, grip immediately loosening on the table. You smiled, rubbing your thumb over his knuckles soothingly, your heart swelling when his fingers slipped from the table to return your grip. “It’s ok, it’s all good. Joonie’s just an idiot who doesn’t know how to make a polite entrance.”

The tall male in question made an offended noise, but didn’t bother trying to deny it. Jin visibly relaxed, taking another look at Namjoon’s awkward form and friendly face and deeming him not a threat. In a split second you watched the hybrid’s demeanour go from protective straight to apologetic.

“I’m so sorry for growling at you,” Jin rushed, offering a sheepish look. “You really scared the hell out of me with the door though.”

Namjoon chuckled, posture easing as the tension left his body and he resumed his usual easy-going aura. His ability to take things as they came and roll with the punches was something you admired about him. It was probably why his father was so content with passing on his businesses and buildings to him; Namjoon was a good kid.

“It’s all good,” Namjoon chuckled, a sheepish look of his own splayed over his face. “I was trying to open it with one arm and overestimated how much strength I needed. Which reminds me.”

The tall male then turned to you, a bright, guilty smile on his face, cute dimple making an appearance. “The wall behind your door…”

You rolled your eyes, thumb still unconsciously rubbing over Jin’s knuckles. “Yeah, I know. I heard the bang.”

“I’ll cover it,” he said easily, moving forward and placing the bag in his arms down beside the table where you were seated. His purple locks were sticking slightly to his forehead from sweat. “And I brought the clothes you asked me to. I’m assuming this is Jin, and the clothes are for him?”

Your eyes flicked to Jin and you noticed the slightly confused look on his face when Namjoon said he would cover the cost of fixing the hole he’d made in the wall. “Namjoon’s dad owns half of this building complex and a lot of others, and our dear Joonie here is next in line.” You explained, smiling when the hybrid’s face lit up in understanding. You turned to your friend.

“And yeah, this is Jin. Jin, this is Namjoon,” you introduced them, before hopping up, your hand slipping from Jin’s, and nudging the bag of clothes Namjoon had brought towards the hybrid. “He has a lot of clothes but hardly wears any of them, so I asked him if he could give us the ones he didn’t want so you don’t have to go around in the same sweats and t-shirt every day.”

Jin looked so shocked at the concept of being given so many things for free you almost asked if he was okay. He reached a tentative hand to the bag and peered inside, looking up with a hesitant smile. “These… are for me?”

You nodded, Namjoon smiling at the hybrid. “Yep. She’s right, I have way too many clothes. I’ve hardly worn any of them so hopefully they don’t smell too bad.”

The smile Jin flashed at both of you nearly blinded you with its sheer brightness and beauty. “Thank you!” he said, resembling an eager child that had just been given a gift for a split second. He jumped up, grasping the bag. “If it’s ok, can I go shower and change into some now…?”

You grinned, “Of course, silly kitty. You don’t have to ask— they’re yours, and you’re allowed to do what you want here.”

Jin shot you a grateful smile, cheeks pink once more, before thanking Namjoon again and flouncing off in the direction of the bathroom, tail swinging happily behind him and ears perked in happiness. The sound of the bathroom door swinging shut greeted your ears moments later, and you turned to face Namjoon.

“He seems really nice,” Namjoon said before you could even think to open your mouth. His grin changed in tone, a sly glint entering his eyes as he shot you a pointed look. “And it looks like you’re getting along splendidly, if that hand-holding was anything to go by…”

All at once you felt your face flush, heat rolling up your cheeks as you sputtered in an attempt to form a reply. “I— you— shut up, you clumsy string bean.”

Namjoon cackled, moving to take a seat at the table and plopping down. He immediately went for the fruit in front of him, slipping a strawberry in his mouth. “Don’t get mad,” he said around a mouthful of fruit, shooting you a dimpled smile. “You two look cute together.”

You nearly threw sliced watermelon at him but refrained, instead falling back into your seat with a resigned sigh. It was easier to just admit he had leverage over you. For such a clumsy butt he was incredibly perceptive. It was often your downfall.

“Whatever, you butt.” You roll your eyes, taking some fruit for yourself. “How have you been? I haven’t heard you stumbling around the halls in a while.”

Namjoon laughed, picking up another strawberry. “Classes have been… wild. Most of them are pretty chill, but there’s one in particular…. The workload is insane.”

You were reminded of one of your own classes that put you in a similar situation. You shuddered. Bad juju.

“Other than that,” the tall male continued. “I’ve just been doing a lot of stuff for my dad; he’s been teaching me a lot, training me up. He gets me to handle a lot more of the work nowadays.”

You hummed in understanding, plopping a couple more blueberries in your mouth. “Oooh, things are getting wild for our dear Joonie. You seem like you’re handling it pretty well, but you gotta make sure to take care of yourself, okay? I don’t know the pincode to your apartment so I can’t bust in there and save you if you forgot to buy coffee and are having a crisis on the kitchen floor.”

Namjoon snickered. “Aye aye, captain.”

Before you could muster a sassy enough retort the sound of the bathroom door opening cut you off, and seconds later you were greeted with the sight of an eager, beaming Jin. You nearly choked.

He looked incredible. A light pink, fluffy turtleneck fit his upper half snugly, accentuating his broad shoulders, and dark denim covered his thighs, donned with the occasional rip and clinging to the muscle but still loose enough to allow proper movement. They were no doubt expensive clothes if not designer, and he looked amazing. You could feel heat returning to your cheeks as Jin spun flamboyantly, arms outstretched and a smile on his face that could outshine the sun.

“How do I look?” he asked, striking a modest pose, his raven tail swinging and curling happily in the air behind him.

You couldn’t muster the words to speak for a second, but luckily Namjoon came to your rescue.

“Woah, they really suit you!” he complimented earnestly, eyes wide. “They look much better on you than they did on me. Are they comfortable?”

The hybrid nodded, before pausing. “Actually, they are, but with the pants, um…”

You managed to tear yourself out of your momentary stupor, clearing your throat and shooting him a reassuring smile. “There’s no hole for your tail, right? We can cut one, since these are your clothes now.”

Jin smiled gratefully at you, shooting Namjoon another meaningful look. “Thank you so much. Now I feel even worse for growling at you.”

The taller male laughed, dimples making an appearance once more. “Don’t even worry about it, it happens. I’m happy to help, and I’m glad you like them.”

The raven-haired hybrid padded over to the table, sitting back down where he had previously. Namjoon started another conversation, changing the topic, and Jin eagerly joined in. It made your heart swell with pride and happiness; the two got along like peas in a pod, better than you could have ever hoped.

Namjoon spent the rest of the day over at yours, and by the time dinner was done and he had left back out the front door Jin had gained yet another friend and become that much more entwined into your life. That night, before you both went to bed in your separate rooms, he surprised you with a hug. His long arms wound around your waist and he clutched you tightly, burying his face into your neck. You didn’t doubt he could hear the erratic beating of your heart as you returned the hug, your own arms winding over his shoulders.

“I know I’ve said it before, but thank you, y/n. You’ve done more for me than anyone else in my life ever has, and I honestly… I honestly don’t know where I, let alone the others, would be without you and your help so from the bottom of my heart… thank you.” he murmured into your skin, sending your pulse racing and causing your breath to hitch quietly.

You hummed, not trusting your voice, your fingers coming up to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. You felt it as a shiver travelled the length of his spine at your ministration, and you paused, moving your hand a bit higher so you didn’t make him uncomfortable and ruin this moment.

“You’re more than welcome, Jin.” you said finally, after holding him for a few moments more. He sagged slightly in your arms as he let out a breath of relief, and you felt a little bad it took you so long to formulate your thoughts. “You deserve a better life than what you had, and they do too. I’m happy to help however I can, kitty.”

There was the usual jerk of his body at the nickname and you bit back a chuckle, Jin’s voice coming out more strained as he spoke. “Thank you,” he said quietly, falling silent for a few moments before speaking again. “And I wanted to tell you… My name, my full name… it’s Seokjin.”

You pulled back, shooting him a playful smile as your hands slid down his arms from his neck and came to grasp his hands. “Seokjin? A handsome name for a handsome guy. Is this you subtly hinting for me to stop calling you kitty?”

The male before you flushed, stuttering. “No! No I… I like it, it… it’s nice. You don’t have to stop.”

You laughed softly, booping him gently on the nose as you had two days prior, the resulting flush in his cheeks the same as it had been last time. “Good, cause I like it too. It’d be a shame if I had to find another endearing nickname. Nothing flows quite as well as ‘kitty’, does it, kitty?”

If possible, the blush in Seokjin’s cheeks darkened even further and he let out a strangled noise. “Nope!” he burst, pulling back. “You’re right, n-nothing does. I’m, uh— ah, so tired, I’m going to— I’m going to bed now, mmhm. Goodnight y/n!”

With that he stepped back, moving as though to turn and walk away, before he rethought his actions and turned back, lurching forward to deliver a prompt kiss to your forehead before reeling back.

“Goodnight!” he burst again, flashing you a bright smile before spinning and making a swift escape down the hall to his room, the sound of his door abruptly shutting greeting your ears moments later. You stood there, thoroughly shaken, as heat began to creep up into your cheeks once more. You raised a hand subconsciously to your forehead where his lips had been, eyes wide, and slowly turned, making your way back into your bedroom.

As you climbed into bed and got comfortable, preparing for a sleep, the only thought on your mind was of how you could still feel his soft lips against your skin and how your heart still hadn’t stopped racing.

.  . .  .  . .  .  . .  .

You were humming to yourself, an upbeat tune, as you climbed the stairs to your apartment. You’d noticed that lately, Jin had seemed a little… off. He was still bright and funny and an absolute pleasure to be around, but sometimes the glimmer in his eyes didn’t match the brilliant smile he flashed your way. It had taken you a while, you’d puzzled over it for a couple of weeks, and finally you’d realised—

Seokjin was lonely.

Sure, he had you, and you spent all your time with him when you weren’t at work or attending classes, but when he’d been on the streets he’d been with Hoseok, Jimin, and Taehyung. He was used to living with his family. Sure, he had you as company, but you couldn’t fill the space in his heart reserved for the brothers he loved and cared for so much. It made you a little sad, but you understood, and he never said or did anything to indicate it to you but you knew it was true.

Despite the fact that Jungkook was constantly blowing up your phone as of late (just as you thought this, your phone buzzed against your thigh once more— you noted to check it once you reached your door), you didn’t know what Taehyung and Jimin were up to all the time, so you could only reassure the hybrid living down the hall so much. To be honest, you didn’t know what to do to cheer up someone who wasn’t overtly sad. You were a bit clueless, but you tried your best…

Which was why you were climbing the stairs right now, ice-creams in hand from the store down the street. A couple of days ago you had subtly asked Seokjin if he’d had ice-cream before, to which he’d replied he hadn’t, but it sounded “paw-sitively delicious” (honestly you adored him but sometimes his puns made even you want to jump out the window, even if you did laugh your ass off when he said it). So, you’d gotten to thinking— which, on the odd occasion, could be dangerous, but this time you were doing something nice. You’d bought some ice cream for you and Seokjin to share, in the hopes that it would cheer him up for now, just long enough for you to talk to Jungkook and see if there was anything you could organise for Seokjin to see his ‘babies’ (as he’s once casually referred to them) again.

You finally hit the top of the stairs, your feet carrying you the rest of the way to your door with ease despite the pain in your calves and thighs. You were slightly out of breath, but not embarrassingly so like the time you’d gotten halfway to work before remembering you’d left the iron on and then running the entire way back.

You stopped before your door, pausing to pull out your phone and seeing a text from Jungkook— or rather multiple texts, just like you expected.

Jeon Jungshook [10:26AM] y/n what are you doing today?

Jeon Jungshook [10:28AM] y/n y/n oh my god are u ignoring me?? again???

Jeon Jungshook [10:29AM] wow WOW fine have it ur way

Jeon Jungshook [10:30AM] see u in the fukcen pit

To say you were confused would be a massive understatement. Confused, but not surprised. You simply shrugged, moving towards the door and about to use your free hand to open it when you noticed something white by your feet. Confused, you bent down and picked it up, turning it over. To your surprise, it was a letter addressed to you. Usually your mail was delivered to the large wall of mailboxes at the front of the building, so it was odd for this letter to be lying in front of your door like that.

Shrugging, you slipped it under your arm and pulled out your keys, unlocking the door and skipping inside with a large smile. “Kitty! I’m home!!”

There was a scuffle somewhere in the house as you padded into the loungeroom, placing your bag and the letter on the kitchen bench as you walked past. Seokjin burst into the loungeroom just as you did, handsome features lighting up as he caught sight of you.

“You’re back!” he cheered, dashing forward to dip his head and brush his nose against yours, arms embracing you briefly before he danced back with a bright smile. Heat rushed to your cheeks before you could stop it, staining them pink as you stuttered slightly. It wasn’t the first time he’d done it— that had been a week or so ago and honestly, you were still recovering— but your heart still skipped a beat nonetheless. Ever since that night in the hallway, there had been a large jump in Seokjin’s affectionate gestures for you— not that you minded, quite the opposite actually. You loved it, not that you’d ever admit it out loud. You felt like a schoolgirl having her first crush. He’d become so touchy, cuddly and clingy. You guessed this was what he was normally like when he was comfortable with someone, and it made your heart race after skipping a good one or two beats. You’d never felt so warm, so looked-after.

“That I am, my purr-etty housemate,” you snickered, Jin bursting into laughter at your joke. “And I come bearing gifts! Well, a gift. Here, yours is the one with a wafer stick.”

Jin’s eyes lit up like the stars in the night sky at the sight of the delicious looking food in your hands. You watched as he pieced things together. A gasp left his lips, eyes finding yours.

“Ice-cream?” he asked, biting his full bottom lip as though to contain the hope bubbling within him in anticipation for your answer. You shot him a wild smile.

“Of course, kitty,” you laughed lightly. “I couldn’t sleep knowing you hadn’t tried it, so I went and got it for us.”

Seokjin beamed, and it was almost blinding how beautiful he was with such happiness colouring his angelic features, his cheeks pink as he lurched forward and pressed a sudden kiss to your cheek. “Thank you!”

He pulled back, eyes on the ice-cream in your hand as he took it gingerly into his hand and sniffed it, tongue peeping out delicately to deliver a tentative lick. You hadn’t even recovered from the kiss on the cheek and already here you were, dying all over again at how god damn cute he was and how much he looked like a kitten licking his ice-cream like that.

The hybrid made a surprised noise of enjoyment that bordered on sinful and shot you a wide-eyed look of wonder before he dug in, enjoying the treat you’d bought.

Fighting the blush that wanted to stain your cheeks a darker pink, you smiled at him and began eating your own cone of ice-cream, moving over to plop down on the couch with a satisfied hum. Jin joined you quickly, thigh brushing yours as he reclined and continued eating his treat, the occasional pleased noise rising from his throat. He’d even begun purring, to your surprise, he was so content and satisfied where he was.

It didn’t take long for the both of you to finish, and you hummed as you licked the remainder of the sticky substance from your fingers. Jin was still purring away next to you, tail curling against your arm, the silky fur brushing your skin and eliciting a tiny shiver from you. You turned to the hybrid, a smile on your face.

“How was it? Was it ‘paw-sitively delicious’ like you thought it would be?” you grinned, watching as Jin laughed in-between licks of his own long, slender fingers. He nodded, purrs rumbling in his chest, and he shot you a bright smile.

“Even better,” he said, a satisfied look on his face before he looked at you fully and his gaze zeroed in on your cheek.

You didn’t even have time to react before he was leaning in, his soft tongue swiping against your skin as it peeped out of his mouth to deliver a quick lick at the corner of your lips. Your heart nearly dropped through the floor, skin flushing as he pulled back, licking his lips with all the satisfaction of the cat that ate the canary.

You hadn’t even had a split second to process what had just happened when the familiar sound of your front door bursting open greeted your ears (causing Jin to nearly jump out of his skin), your heart stopping in your chest once more as voices quickly approached and then all of a sudden one Jeon Jungkook was standing in the doorway of your living room, two bustling hybrids behind him. You jerked back, cheeks aflame, but it was too late— the damage had been done. You watched as Jungkook’s eyes, which had been trained on the scene before him, the small distance between your face and Jin’s and the already pink tint to your face, went from shock and surprise to sly and smug, a combination that filled you with dread.

“Oho, what did we just walk in on?” he grinned, revelling in the look of resignation on your face. “y/n, you two have gotten so close!”

You were so god damn embarrassed you were about to throw the little shit out the window, but before you could move an inch there were two cries and the sudden blur of two hybrids dashing across your living room.

“Jin!” came the synchronised yelp from both Taehyung and Jimin as they tackled the male in question into the couch. The feline let out an ‘oof!’ before his arms came up to embrace the two puppies that were hugging him like they’d honestly thought they’d never see him again.

“My babies!” Seokjin cried, the slightest inklings of tears welling in his eyes as he hugged the two puppy hybrids back with just as much enthusiasm. Their little tails were wagging a mile a minute and Seokjin’s own was swishing furiously.

He sniffed, pulling back to hurriedly wipe his eyes. His hands came up to pinch their cheeks. “You both look so good! Look at your cheeks! Cute babies, Jungkook has been treating you well!”

They both nodded furiously, almost crying themselves, and Seokjin yanked them in for another hug, looking at said male over their shoulders. “Thank you.”

Jungkook looked touched, a fond smile on his face. “It’s no problem. I have to ask though, how the hell do you manage them? They have… so much energy? Running around all over the place, all the time.”

Seokjin laughed, the two hybrids slipping from his lap to slot themselves beside him on the couch— which meant you were quickly reacquainted with Taehyung as he slid right off Jin’s lap and onto yours. He spun in your lap, smiling brightly at you and cheering, “y/n!” before you were enveloped in the most enthusiastic hug you would ever receive in your life. The grey-haired hybrid quickly pulled back to shoot you a smile and rub your noses together before he reclined against you, arms still around your neck. You resigned yourself to the fact you were going to exist as a makeshift chair for Taehyung for however long they were here.

“They’ve always had energy, but I imagine regular meals would result in a massive spike. I’m surprised you’ve survived.” Seokjin grinned, petting Jimin’s head fondly. The blonde hybrid leaned into the touch, snuggling against him. Taehyung whined, wanting affection too, and grabbed your hand to place it on his head before he snuggled into you, adjusting his position and resting his head against your shoulder. You felt your heart warm at his affectionate gestures, acquiescing to his wishes and brushing your fingers through his hair. His tail wagged happily.

Jungkook strolled over and plopped himself onto an armchair nearby, grinning. “Honestly, same.” He said, crossing one leg over the other as he reclined. “To be honest I thought Taehyung was going to be the wildest one but…”

You turned to face Jimin, shock striking you at the devious little grin he sent Jungkook. You thought he was shy and timid….?!

Jungkook muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, ‘for someone so cute he can be so dangerous’. You looked between the two before shaking your head and turning to Jungkook.

“This is great and all, but why did you burst into my home unannounced?” you asked, drilling Jungkook with a withering look. If he’d hit the door into the wall and put another hole in it after Namjoon had fixed the one he made with his own entrance then so help you, you were going to put the fear of god back in him—

Jungkook snorted, resting his head on his hand. “It wouldn’t have been unannounced if you just checked your phone and responded for once in your life. Honestly, how do you go so long without seeing texts? I’ve been blowing up your phone all week.”

“Oh, I’ve been checking my phone,” you said, and the look of slighted outrage on Jungkook’s face was enough to make you grin.

“So you’ve just been ignoring me?! I was only kidding about that, oh my god you’re a terrible friend—"

You shrugged. “You’re annoying,” you said in explanation, snickering as Jungkook squinted at you in disbelief.

“How could you even say that—”

Your banter was interrupted as your front door was thrown open once more and met with the wall behind it, making you wince before glaring. There was only one other person besides Namjoon, who you knew to be at work, that knew your pin code.

“Min Yoongi you little shit tell me you did not just put another hole in the wall!” you yelled, causing Taehyung to jump despite his snickering.

Sure enough the blue-haired genius himself rounded the corner to your living room, an enthusiastic hybrid springing from behind him to launch himself at you and the others on the couch. Your eyes widened in horror, cringing already. “NO—”

“Jin! Tae! Jimin!!” Hoseok cried, landing on you all and causing a groan of pain to escape you and Jin. You felt all of the air leave you at once, but you couldn’t even be angry at the dogpile currently forming on top of you when you haven’t seen a look so radiant and shining with happiness on Seokjin’s face in weeks. So he was lonely, you think, unable to help the fond smile rising to your lips as you watch him embrace all his ‘babies’ once more, looking overjoyed. These boys had a place in his heart that couldn’t ever be filled by anything else— they were his family, and he would always be happiest around them. You didn’t think anything would ever be strong enough to come between the bonds they’d forged on the streets.

“DJ Suga!” Jungkook cheered, leaping from his spot on the armchair to jump on the shorter male. Yoongi staggered under Jungkook’s weight, arms coming up to brace both himself and the younger boy. “You really came! I thought you were gonna ignore me like you usually do.”

“I was tempted,” the blue-haired male admitted, causing Jungkook to pout. Yoongi’s dark eyes shifted to where Hoseok was, laying across everyone and having the time of his life, tail a blur. “But the second I mentioned seeing the others to him I knew I couldn’t deny him this. Have you seen him? It’s— it’s like, if the sun and the stars were physically able to procreate, the result would be him. I can’t say no to him.”

Jungkook shot the blue-haired male a weird look, stepping back a bit as he regarded him in a new light. Yoongi didn’t even notice, still watching Hoseok hug the life out of Jimin, unaware of the small smile creeping onto his face as he observed them.

“Yah!” came Seokjin’s cry from beneath the heap of hybrids wriggling on top of him (the temptation of a dogpile with his favourite people had become too much for Taehyung and he’d ditched your lap for a place on top). “Get off you ungrateful children, you’re going to kill your mother!”

The three canine hybrids slid off one by one, giggling at Jin’s red face and mock-angry expression as he panted to catch his breath.

You smiled, looking over the scene before you. Seokjin was smiling—beaming, really— and looking so happy that you had an inexplicable urge blooming in your chest; a need to keep it that way and make sure he was never down or sad or lonely again.

Yoongi, Jungkook and their respective hybrid housemates stayed for the rest of the day, all of you ordering takeaway for dinner. Surrounded by his old family and his new one, Seokjin wasn’t lonely, and you couldn’t have asked for anything more.

.  . .  .  .  .

It was late, your guests had left not long ago, and you were standing in the kitchen with a frown on your face. The paper in your hands was stiff against your skin, high quality and likely expensive. Which, of course it would be. It had come from the owners of the building complex you lived in after all.

‘Dear y/n l/n,

             We have been notified via an anonymous tip that in addition to yourself in apartment 23, you are also currently housing a hybrid of the feline variety. As you would no doubt find upon reading the rules and regulations of your contract and this building, hybrids are strictly forbidden on the premises. You have been given until December 31 to find a solution to this problem. If it comes to this time and an action has not been made, we will be forced to take further action. We thank you in advance for your understanding.’

You looked over it once more, frowning. To be honest, you’d forgotten you weren’t meant to have hybrids in this building. It was a dumb rule, you’d thought as much when you’d first read it, and then proceeded to completely forget about it as soon as you’d signed your contract and started living there. To be honest, you were a little surprised. This building was half owned by Namjoon’s father, and that entire family had nothing against hybrids and would never put in place such a rule— they were the kind of people that actively fought for hybrid rights in this society. You made a note to ask the clumsy male about it sometime soon.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of long arms slipping around your waist, a chin coming to rest on your shoulder. You knew it was Jin even before his soft tail brushed against your leg and curled around your thigh. You let the paper drop gently to the bench, spinning in the male’s arms and shooting him a wide grin.

“Ah, kitty!” you crooned, reaching up to card your fingers through his soft raven hair and scratch behind his ears. They flickered happily, and he burst almost immediately into soft purrs. His cheeks, of course, were pink from your nickname for him. You took in his pleased, content expression with a smile. “You look much happier now, I’m glad— both that you got to see your family again, and that you’re happier. It makes me happy when you’re happy.”

Jin seemed slightly taken aback, mouth dropping open slightly. “I-I’ve been happy!” he said, eyes wide. “I’m happy here, with you.”

You grinned, shaking your head. “Maybe so, but you’re happier with the others around. Your happiness is important to me, Seokjin. I notice when you’re lonely, or down, and that beautiful smile doesn’t quite reach your eyes like it usually does.”

Seokjin flushed, stuttering. “I’m, uh— y-you—"

You cupped his cheeks, laughing a little. “Don’t worry, I understand. They’re your family after all, it’s normal to miss them! I’d miss you if you weren’t here.”

If it was possible for him to blush any more you didn’t doubt he would as he leant into your soft touch. “I’d miss you, too.” He mumbled softly, clutching your shirt around your waist.

You couldn’t help the bright smile that tugged your lips as you squished his cheeks together. “Oh Jinnie, you know just what to say to make a girl’s heart race!”

Seokjin snorted at your words, the awkwardness of the moment for him dispelled by your poor humour. “You’re an idiot,” he said fondly, before clutching you tighter and pulling you in for a warm hug. “Thank you.”

You laughed into his shoulder, hugging him back tightly. “No problem! It’s a natural talent.”

You could almost feel the hybrid rolling his eyes. Grinning, you pulled back. “Well! It’s been a long day, for both of us I think, so I’m going to head to bed. Are you gonna sleep soon?”

Seokjin nodded, a small yawn climbing his throat at the mention of sleep. “Yeah… y/n, can I ask you a favour?”

You tilted your head, looking at him curiously. “Of course, what is it?”

Seokjin averted his gaze, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth as he mulled over how to word what he wanted. You waited patiently for him to speak.

“Can I…” he started, gulping before he returned his gaze to you, pupils large. “Do you mind if I sleep with you, tonight?”

At your startled look he was quick to explain. “Not like that! It’s just, when we were on the street we would all sleep together, so sleeping alone… it’s a lot different. It’s…”

“Lonely?” you finished, offering a smile when he nodded. Your cheeks were pink as you spoke. “But yeah, of course you can. I’ve never really shared a bed with anyone before though, so don’t blame me if I snore or something.”

Seokjin laughed, his entire face lighting up. “Thank you, y/n.” He leant down, nuzzling his nose against yours before rubbing your cheeks together. You couldn’t stop the heat that rushed to your face, and it was your turn to sputter. Your stomach was doing flips.

The hybrid giggled, grasping your hand and tugging you in the direction of your room. You let him, turning the kitchen light off as you went past the switch.

Seokjin parted from you to get changed on the way and you took the opportunity to slip into your own pyjamas before he came back. Now dressed in your sleeping shirt and shorts, you pulled back the covers and slipped in, nestling deep into the sheets and letting out a comfortable sigh.

It didn’t take long for Seokjin to shuffle into the room, sending you a shy grin. You pulled the covers back on the other side and he happily moved over, climbing in. His warm hands immediately found your waist as he snuggled into the sheets, pulling you closer and burying his face into the back of your neck, his arms wrapped comfortably around you. With his exceptional hearing you were sure he could hear how your heart was racing, beating erratically against your chest. You couldn’t get rid of the grin on your face.

“Goodnight, kitty. Sleep well.”

You felt him wriggle slightly, grip tightening as he buried his face further into your neck in embarrassment. “Goodnight, y/n. Sweet dreams.”

Your eyes fluttered closed, smile on your face, and slowly you slipped into the best sleep of your life, more comfortable and relaxed than you’d ever been before.

.  . .  .  . .  .

The following weeks were spent studying, attending classes and final exams, work, and the remainder of your time with Jin. Amongst all that, you’d also been looking for a solution to the current housing problem you were faced with. You had long since questioned Namjoon about the letter you had received, and he’d seemed slightly shocked before realisation took over his features and he explained that it wasn’t a stipulation put in place by his father, but rather his business partner, the one that owned the other half of the building. He informed you that his father had actually been trying to get them to change that rule, but with no success so far. You’d nodded, not really surprised. You hadn’t thought it was Namjoon’s father that had put the rule there— it conflicted with everything the family stood for. But you now knew that there would likely be no way to get around it besides kicking Jin out— and that was something you were absolutely not going to do. To be honest the thought hadn’t even seriously crossed your mind. Seokjin was far more important to you than some apartment. You could find another place to live, but you couldn’t find another Jin.

Namjoon had proposed some solutions to you, and you’d talked with Yoongi and Jungkook about possible options. You’d decided on a course of action about a week ago and to your pleasant surprise you’d received another letter the previous morning that informed you everything was in place.

Which was actually excellent timing. Back when Seokjin had first started staying with you, you’d made sure to ask him his birthday and note it in your calendar— you really didn’t want to miss such an important date. Seokjin hadn’t seemed too fussed or excited when he’d told you December 4, which was a mere few months away at the time, yet you’d been mentally counting down the days ever since. He’d mentioned that he’d never really celebrated much, it had never been much of a big deal for him. This was unacceptable to you, and you vowed to make it the best birthday he could ever ask for. You’d been a little unsure what to get for a present, but now that your plans had fallen into place so nicely, you knew exactly what to do, and you had the next couple of days to plan before his birthday finally arrived.

You were itching to tell him about your plans. Seokjin hadn’t changed in how he’d acted around you, but you knew he’d seen the letter. You hadn’t exactly hidden it, and you’d walked into the kitchen to see him reading it the day after you received it. He never mentioned it to you, but you knew he felt bad, and you knew he was so selfless and considerate of others he was probably trying to think of what he could do to fix the situation. The sooner you hugged him and eased his worries and fears the better.

This particular morning you’d woken up to find Seokjin in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for the both of you. When you’d first opened your eyes to find the bed beside you empty, you’d been a little disheartened. Ever since that night Seokjin had made a habit of sleeping in your bed, curled against you or holding you close like he never wanted to let you go. Honestly, you didn’t mind one bit. At this point you were comfortable admitting the massive crush you’d developed on him— you liked him, a lot. Your heart fluttered with each smile and joke he sent your way and honestly you adored him so much, with all your heart, how his ears twitched cutely and his tail would wrap around you whenever you were nearby. It was a little hopeless but you couldn’t help it. He was the most beautiful person you’d ever met, both inside and out.

It had been the sound of soft, angelic singing brushing against your ears from beyond the room that had alerted you as to where he was. You’d wandered out, sleepily rubbing your eyes, to find him in the kitchen, humming an upbeat tune as he made eggs and toast, along with some bacon for you both. During his time here he’d helped you cook a couple of times and discovered it was something he really enjoyed. You’d immediately indulged it, going out and buying several recipe books you thought he’d like and buying ingredients he’d request. Cooking during the day meant there was less time to feel lonely while you were gone, plus you were eager to support anything that made him happy.

The sight caused a wave of warmth to bloom in your heart and you immediately moved forward, winding your arms around his waist in a backhug as he so often did to you. He jumped slightly, too distracted by the task at hand to have heard you approach like he usually would.

“Good morning!” you greeted, leaning around him to glimpse at the food. You hummed, your mouth watering. It looked absolutely delicious. “Oh my god, Jin, that looks so good.”

Seokjin beamed at the praise, leaning back into your hold subconsciously, his tail winding securely around your thigh. “Thank you, I tried my best since you deserve the best.” He grinned, looking over his shoulder at you with a prompt wink.

You couldn’t help the sudden flush of heat that made its home in your cheeks, you were so caught off guard. You planted your face in his back, groaning at the cheesiness and he burst into laughter, shaking in your hold. When had he gotten so bold? So cheeky?!

“Silly kitty,” you muttered into his back with a fond shake of your head before you pulled away, moving to stand beside him as he cooked. You reached up and began petting his head, running your fingers through his hair and scratching behind his ear. Almost immediately he burst into loud, enthusiastic purring, his face flushing in embarrassment at his instinctive reaction to your touch.

“Oh wow,” you giggled, continuing your ministrations. Jin didn’t complain, simply proceeding with his cooking, cheeks a delicate pink as he shot you a playful glare, still purring.

Breakfast passed with an amicable, comfortable atmosphere. You asked him what he was going to be doing today, since you had to go out for a bit (to buy things for his birthday, but he didn’t have to know that). He’d told you he would probably nap for a bit, then maybe cook something else or watch a show he’d been meaning to binge on Netflix. You nodded; it sounded like a good day. You were glad he wouldn’t be bored.

After cleaning up your plate from breakfast you went and showered, washing your hair and just relaxing while you could. You had the rest of the week off from work, and school had ended the previous week, so you were keen to de-stress. To your surprise, as you exited the bathroom you almost ran into Jin, who had been waiting with a slightly nervous look on his face.

“Oh! Hey kitty, how come you were waiting out here?” you asked, using your towel to dry the ends of your hair further.

Seokjin shot you a smile, one that never failed to make your heart skip a beat, and opened his mouth to explain. “Um, well… I wanted to ask you something.”

Your eyebrows rose, and you looked at him curiously, mind going back to all the other times he’d started with something similar to this. “Shoot, my dear.”

The pet name had come out by accident, but you were pleasantly surprised by the way the hybrid’s cheeks painted pink once more. Oh my, is he embarrassed?

“Well, you’ve done a lot for me, and you always do a lot, and I just kind of realised… I never really made it up to you? And I want to. I want to pay you back somehow, even if I can’t really do much, so…”

You were about to argue that he didn’t need to pay you back, having him here wasn’t a problem and you loved having him here— didn’t want him to leave, really— when he continued. “I just… want to show you how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me, and how you care for me, and so I… want to show you and care for you too.”

You were sure he could tell how surprised you were from the look on your face, and he grinned awkwardly, moving forward to grasp your hand. He brought it up to deliver a quick kiss to your knuckles— you cheeks were flaming— before grinning and tugging you along after him in the direction of the living room. Here he directed you to the floor in front of the couch where he’d laid some cushions, and sat behind you with his legs either side of your shoulders once you lowered yourself down. Turning your head to the side, you caught sight of the brush and argan hair oil you used to treat your hair, and a large, delighted grin found its way to your lips.

Jin confirmed your suspicions a moment later when he brought his hands to your hair, dragging his fingers through gently to disperse any knots tangling the damp strands. He hesitated before reaching for the brush. “Is it okay if I brush your hair?”

You snorted lightly, unable to help the small giggle that escaped you. You could imagine Jin’s affronted look. “You’re asking this now? Of course, silly kitty.”

Jin hummed, eagerly picking up the brush and beginning to gently pull it through your hair. Each movement he made was gentle and pleasant, and you found yourself quickly relaxing beneath his touch. With the bristles of the brush dragging gently against your head like a subtle head massage you couldn’t help but let out a soft, content sigh. As he pulled the brush through your hair, his other hand would come and replace it, nails dragging gently against your scalp as he pulled them through your hair as well.

He continued brushing for a while, long after all knots were out of your hair, and you had the feeling that at this point he was doing it to pamper you— he had said he wanted to show you he cared for you too, after all. Your heart swelled in your chest at the thought, hope for something you didn’t want to acknowledge causing it to beat a little faster. You sincerely hoped he was too distracted to catch it with his sensitive hearing.

You were almost sad when he put the brush down, movements halting. You longed for his touch again, as embarrassing as it was. Jin was humming softly as he leaned to gather some of the argan oil on his hands, and you realised belatedly he was humming along to the tune from the TV— you hadn’t even realised it was on, to be honest. You were too busy enjoying the hybrid’s undivided attention.

Jin worked the oil through your hair, concentrating on the ends and steering mostly clear of your roots as he’d seen you do before, and you were both surprised and touched he’d not only paid attention but remembered it, storing the knowledge for later.

Your eyes had closed a while ago, instinctively fluttering shut so you could focus on the pleasant sensations, and so it took you a while to realise that Jin had stopped rubbing the oil into your hair and was instead playing with it, shifting and weaving it, and it took you a couple of seconds longer to realise he was attempting to braid it. You honestly didn’t have words for how soft your heart felt right now, swelling with love and affection for the hybrid being so sweet to you.

It took him a while— not that you were complaining, because you absolutely weren’t— but eventually Jin finished braiding your hair. It was loose and in no way as secure as you usually had it, but it worked and the fact that he’d done it himself made it much more meaningful.

His hands slipped from your head and you let out a soft sigh, shifting your shoulders back and preparing to get up, assuming he was done.

“Thanks, Jinnie,” you began to say, hands gripping the floor as you started to shift before the sudden sound of Jin’s voice halted you.

“Wait!” he exclaimed, hands coming to fall on your shoulders so you couldn’t get up yet. “Don’t go yet! It’s still early, can you stay a bit more? Relax for a bit before you go…”

Jin’s voice trailed off towards the end, less strong than when he had begun speaking. You settled back onto the floor, turning your head to shoot him a reassuring smile. Truthfully, you weren’t in that much of a rush, and if he wanted you to stay a bit longer and spend more time with him then you were more than happy to oblige.

“Of course, kitty,” you agreed easily, resting your cheek against his thigh for a second as you shot him another soft smile. “I can stay a bit longer for you.”

You caught sight of the beam Jin sent your way before you turned back around and to your surprise, as you faced the television once more, Jin’s large hands began to gently knead your shoulders and the tense muscles of your neck. You let out a pleasant hum as he whispered a soft, “Thank you.”

You laughed, settling against the couch and his legs with ease. You didn’t think you’d ever be as comfortable with anyone as you were with him.

You spent the rest of the morning there with Jin, moving to the couch next to him and winding your arms around his form after a good while (his massage had been heavenly). You made sure to give him attention back, letting him know how much you appreciated him by holding him close and running a hand through his hair, scratching behind his ears. He didn’t stop purring, even as you left to get ready and finally exited through the door.

Yes, he was sure, as he gazed at the spot where you’d just been before you’d left the apartment completely, he was sure he would never be as comfortable with anyone as he was with you. He’d never find a home to replace the one he had here right now with you, and honestly? He was fine with that. If it meant seeing your bright eyes and beaming smile every day, then he was fine with anything.

.  . .  .  . .  .  . .  .

Everything, surprisingly enough, was going perfectly.

Today was the day— the day you were celebrating Jin, and also the day you’d tell him your plans about the letter so he could stop worrying. In honour of his birthday you’d invited his family, new and old, which meant that right now there were four very hyper hybrids running about your house, and two very tired make-shift owners in your kitchen helping you bake. Namjoon was currently acting as the babysitter, situated in the living room and, ironically, making sure they didn’t break anything. He was also in charge of making sure no one came near the kitchen so that it would remain a surprise what you were making and also so that Jungkook and Yoongi had some time to recharge.

“Did you know Jiminie can dance?” Jungkook gushed, apparently never too tired to boast about his housemates. “He’s so beautiful when he dances, hyung. I’m kind of jealous— his movements are so smooth and fluid. He makes me feel like a plastic doll when I dance with him.”

Yoongi was quick to roll his eyes, sipping his coffee. “Oh? Hobi can dance too, he’s amazing. No matter what beat I play, he jumps up and he moves to it. He looks so cool, like a professional dancer.”

You wanted to roll your own eyes— they sounded like old women boasting about their children. Idly, you continued mixing the icing as the two bickered playfully behind you. You peered over at the bowl beside you full of cupcake mixture, squinting. Did you already add the chocolate chips? You stared into the bowl, before ultimately shrugging and pausing your stirring to pour the rest of the bag in. Some more couldn’t hurt.

“Oh yeah?” Jungkook’s voice rose in pitch, eyebrow cocking in a challenge. “Tae found my camera the other day, and started taking pictures. Once I showed him how he was off like a pro, his photos look like they came from a famous photographer.”

Yoongi, bless his soul, was not one to be beaten. “Actually, I was playing a track off my mixtape the other day, working through some lyrics, and Hobi came and sat beside me and started rapping to some of the lines. He’s pretty good, actually.”

“Are you going to boast like proud middle-age women about their successful children for the rest of the day or are you actually going to help me bake this cake?” you cut them off before they could continue anymore, amused.

They jumped, Jungkook sending you a sheepish look and Yoongi taking a large sip of his coffee to hide his face. The youngest quickly moved over, asking what you needed help with and you laughed, directing him to a bowl that needed mixing. You were making a large chocolate cake along with a some cupcakes and a cheesecake, the latter having already been made and placed in the fridge the night before. You were ordering all of Jin’s favourite food later for dinner, and the cakes and cupcakes were for after. You weren’t worried about him or any of your guests not having room after dinner— you had a feeling that they could fit it all in and more.

There was a loud shriek and you glanced over in time to see Taehyung and Jimin dash past the doorway, Hoseok hot on their heels and cackling. Jin had probably retired to the couch with Namjoon by this point, but you couldn’t help but be amused as you watched the remaining three hybrids run the rest of their energy out.

You would have been concerned that they’d be unable to help themselves and tell Jin all about the things you were planning to surprise him with tonight, except they didn’t know a single thing either— it was going to be as much a surprise for them as it would be for him. It was something you’d agreed on with Yoongi and Jungkook— partly because you all knew they wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut, but also because they wanted to surprise their current housemates as well.

Time flew easily, everyone having a blast, but most importantly Jin was enjoying himself and the company of this family. He couldn’t lie, over the past few days, ever since the morning he’d brushed and braided your hair for you, you’d been disappearing more often, and for long durations of time, during the day— and it made him so anxious he was almost sick to his stomach. Normally it wouldn’t be anything to worry about, but he’d seen that letter you’d left on the table. You were threatened with eviction, you could lose your home, and it was all because of him. You hadn’t said anything, hadn’t mentioned it, but he didn’t know if that was worse— the uncertainty of the situation, where he fell in it, what he could do if he could even do anything, all of it had been weighing on him more the past couple of days. It had manifested in an anxious need to have you closer, he’d been much clingier than normal, fingers clutching you when you made to leave the bed in the morning as he wordlessly begged for five more minutes. He didn’t want you to leave, but couldn’t stop you when you did. He didn’t know where you were going, but couldn’t bring himself to ask in case the answer confirmed his worst fears.

What if you were arranging for him to leave?

He couldn’t blame you— you’d taken him in from the street, you had no obligation to continue housing him, but he’d… He’d grown so, so attached to you, to this place— his home. He didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to re-enter the world of uncertainty and fear he’d resided in before, but most of all he didn’t want you to want him to leave. He wanted to stay with you forever, and he wanted you to want him too. Even if.. even if you didn’t return the whole extent of his feelings, staying by your side for the rest of his life would be enough for him. So long as he could continue loving you, and caring for you, he didn’t need anything in return. He just wanted to stay with you.

But right now, he didn’t know if that was what you wanted.

Shaking his head of the thoughts, he tried to focus on the present— on the jovial atmosphere, the mini party you’d thrown for him for his birthday— it was the first time someone had ever done such a thing for him, and he was beyond touched. He smiled as Jimin came running up to him, giggling and struggling for breath as he sought refuge from Hoseok, having left Taehyung in the dust much to the grey-haired hybrid’s chagrin.

Time was passing quickly, and before you knew it you were waiting for all the takeaway you’d ordered and icing the cake and cupcakes— well, Yoongi and Jungkook were icing the cake and cupcakes. You’d managed to get Yoongi to do it by turning it into a competition of who could do it better, and he’d risen to the bait quicker than you’d thought he would. Jungkook must have really been getting on his nerves. You’d assigned Namjoon to watch them and make sure they didn’t get it anywhere since you felt bad he was stuck on babysitting duty for so long.

Having just finished setting and preparing the table, you left the kitchen and dining area, going to your room to fetch a new shirt since you’d made a comment on Yoongi’s icing ability and he’d flicked some all over you in retaliation. You disappeared into your room, unaware of the conversation being shared between the hybrids in the living room.

“Are you happy, hyung?” Taehyung asked, eyes wide as he stared at the cat hybrid sprawled gracefully over the couch. A soft smile stretched his lips. “You’re having a birthday party! Isn’t it something you’ve always wanted?”

Seokjin smiled, unable to help the swell of affection he felt for the hybrids before him. “It is, but you shouldn’t be sad,” he scolded playfully, reaching to bop the puppy’s nose. “You have someone that loves you and cares for you now, you know. Don’t you dare think you’re not getting one too.”

Taehyung smiled, but it had a saddened lilt. “I want to believe so, but I’m not sure about that hyung.”

Jin straightened, brows furrowing. “What? Why do you say that?”

The grey-haired hybrid closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh before opening them once more, voice low as he spoke, “I… I heard Jungkookie on the phone, the other day. I tried not to listen, since I know it’s bad, but I couldn’t help it,” he shifted on the couch, tugging his legs up to hug them to his chest and rest his chin on his knees. “I tried not to listen, but I still… I heard him talking with someone about papers, and payments.”

Seokjin’s eyes softened, a familiar feeling curling in his chest, but before he could reassure the hybrid that it was probably not what he thought since Jungkook adored both of them, Taehyung continued.

“Plus, he’s been gone a lot lately. For long periods during the day, and he’s gone more often.”

Seokjin felt like his heart had stopped in his chest, his blood freezing in his veins. The words tilted on the tip of his tongue, urging him to comfort the boy in front of him but he couldn’t muster the will, couldn’t muster anything except the shuddering breath that entered his lungs after three seconds too long.

Gone for long periods during the day, and gone more often.  

His fear was one thing, but if Taehyung was having the same concerns, and he’d heard those things when Jungkook was on the phone… there was no doubt. You were going to get rid of him.

It felt like his heart splintered in his chest, his breath coming shorter and not quite reaching the bottom of his lungs. He knew, he suspected this but he— he never thought he’d get confirmation so soon, he— he couldn’t do this, not right now. At the thought of facing you in a couple minutes time for dinner, gazing upon your smiling face for what could be the last time, he panicked. He couldn’t do it, he wasn’t strong enough, he didn’t want to. Before he could even realise the movements his own body was making he was scrambling from the couch and fleeing from the room, Taehyung’s cries of “Hyung!” behind him falling on deaf ears. Through the front door, he fled, realising belatedly there were tears in his eyes.

He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t face you right now.

.  . .  .  . .  .

When you finally exited your room, donning a new shirt, it was to a distraught Taehyung, tears budding in the corners of his eyes. He hadn’t gone to Jungkook yet, you were the first person he set his eyes on.

“y/n!” he gasped, leaping over to couch to run to you. You froze as he attached to you, hands gripping you arms in a panic. “y/n, he just jumped up and r-ran away, out of nowhere! I don’t know where he went but he looked so s-sad, y/n! I-I think I made him sad and I’m so s-sorry—”

It all came in one big rush and you had to bring your arms up, hands gently cupping his cheeks as you shooshed him soothingly. “Shh, Taehyung, who ran away? Who’s sad?”

Taehyung looked ready to wail. “Jin-hyung!” he nearly sobbed, clutching your hands as his eyes watered. “I made him sad and I feel so bad!”

Your heart nearly stopped in your chest, your eyes widening. “Jin?” you echoed, worry beginning to seep beneath your skin. Nonetheless you managed to remain focused, soothing Taehyung. “Shh, Tae, it’s okay, it’s not your fault. What was it that made him sad?”

Taehyung’s hands grasped yours tightly, large eyes wide as they stared into your own, distressed. “I… I mentioned how I d-didn’t think Jungkookie was going to keep us, because I heard him on the phone talking about p-payments, and papers, but he only got sad when I said Jungkookie has been leaving a lot during the day, for long times.”

You knew what he was talking about; Jungkook had been leaving to go with you and Yoongi to sort out everything— wait…. You blinked, mouth dropping open a bit in realisation. You were gone just as much as Jungkook had been the past couple of days, and if Taehyung thought that the male was making arrangements to get rid of him and Jimin, then Jin too probably thought…

You bit your lip, suddenly understanding why the male had run off like that. You would have been upset too, if you were in his place. Although, you couldn’t help but note how ironic this was, how terrible the timing— you were about to announce at dinner the thing you’d been hiding from him and the other hybrids.

You needed to find Jin and bring him back. You stroked Taehyung’s cheek, offering him a soft smile despite the worry curling in the pit of your stomach. “Listen, Tae, I want you to know you shouldn’t worry, okay?” you said, meeting his saddened gaze. He looked at you, eyes wide and alarmingly trusting. “’Cause we’re gonna announce something at dinner, a surprise.”

Taehyung’s large, chocolate puppy eyes lit up. “A surprise?” he echoed, a mixture of hope and excitement tinging his tone.

You nodded. “Yep, a surprise, and it’s gonna make everything better, okay? So don’t be sad. I’m gonna go find Jin, why don’t you go and tell Jiminie and Hobi about the surprise?”

Taehyung nodded vehemently, your hands falling from his cheeks as he burst forward to throw his arms around you in a tight hug before retreating and dashing off to find the others. “I will! Thank you, y/n!”

You smiled after him for a moment, before remembering your own hybrid had run out and you needed to find him. You hurried out of the room, making a beeline for the door and immediately going for the stairs once outside. For a cat, Jin didn’t have much stamina, so you honestly didn’t think he would have gotten very far very fast.

Still, that didn’t do much to curb the worry eating at your insides. He was a grown hybrid, a grown man, and could take care of himself, but still…. He didn’t have a collar, and while most people probably wouldn’t care or even look twice, it was something that could cause problems if the wrong people caught sight of him and his bare neck.

Your gaze flew about as you exited the building, trying to think where he could have gone. On a whim, you turned to your left and began down the street, eyes searching every corner and every face, almost desperately wishing to catch sight of those inky ears, to see that long tail peeping out from behind a building.

You tried to remain calm as you went, despite the distant panic that wanted to freeze your limbs in place. It worked for the most part. He couldn’t have gone far, he was probably nearby, you kept reassuring yourself. Honestly he’d just run off to sort through his emotions, it wasn’t like he was running away from home.

Home. You saw it that way— he was your home, wherever you lived it wouldn’t matter if he wasn’t there with you. He was a vital component of your life now, a component you would fight to protect if you had to. You’d wondered if he knew that, if he knew he would always have a place with you and that you wouldn’t trade him for the world, much less want him to leave. Given the current situation, however, it was clear he hadn’t known— he’d been full of doubt the entire time and you hadn’t even noticed. Nothing made you feel worse. You cared for him so much but were so busy organising things for both of your future you hadn’t paid attention to how he was feeling, how he’d become clingier and more anxious each time you left the house. You wanted to curse your own obliviousness, because now he was probably feeling terrible and that was the last thing you wanted.

You hadn’t been walking long, your feet carrying you almost by instinct as you searched, lost in your thoughts. To your surprise, you’d reached the park down the road from your apartment, somewhere you’d frequented a couple of times with the tall feline in question. You began to walk further in, squinting in the low light as you searched for the tell-tale broad shoulders and swishing tail.

A sniffle, soft and barely able to be picked up by your human ears, sounded from your left and you turned, eyes searching. There he stood, arms wrapped around himself as he stared out over the small lake, small tremors wracking his large frame. You bit your lip in regret, wishing you’d paid more attention and reassured him so he wasn’t feeling so bad. Silently, you moved closer until you were slightly behind him. “Jin?”

He started, having been completely enraptured in his thoughts, and spun around with wide, red-rimmed eyes. He seemed to choke on his words as he caught sight of you, mouth falling open. “y-y/n,” he managed to croak, taking a subconscious step backwards.

You panicked, stepping forward quickly to grasp his wrist loosely. “Jin, wh—”

The hybrid’s bottom lip began to tremble at the tender look in your eyes, fresh tears welling in his own and threatening to spill down his smooth cheeks. “I’m sorry,” he blubbered, withdrawing his wrist from you hold. He took another step back. “I’m sorry I’m being like this when you’re doing all those things for me, for my birthday, a-and I’m sorry that I’m, that I’m not…”

He gulped, and the lump rising in your own throat prevented you from saying the things you really wanted to as you stared at him with wide eyes. He continued, sniffing, his ears lowered and tail still behind him. “I’m sorry I’m not g-good enough for you to want to keep. I l-like you a lot and I just want to stay with you b-but I know you don’t want that and I’m s-sorry I’m not en-nough—”

You stepped forward, refusing to listen to any more as you threw your arms around him and pulled him close, cutting him off. He was shaking slightly in your hold, still in shock for a moment before it registered in his brain and his own arms came up to clutch you closer, his face burying in your neck and his tears cascading down your skin, hot and wet.

“Shh, listen,” you said softly, holding him close and rubbing his back as he cried softly. “You are good enough, more than good enough, and I want nothing more than to have you with me for the rest of my life, okay?”

He sniffed, going to protest but you shushed him once more. “Silly kitty, if you’d just waited a half an hour more you’d know why I’ve been out of the house so often the past couple of days. I’m sorry I didn’t notice how you were feeling, and didn’t reassure you— I should have paid more attention. I was just focused on making sure everything was in place for the surprise today.”

Jin sniffed, pulling back with red eyes. “…Surprise?”

You nodded, smiling softly as you brought a hand up to caress his cheek, thumb wiping away the stray tears. “Yep. I had to make sure everything was perfect and sorted so I could surprise you and the others today. I was going to do it at dinner, which was probably only about half an hour away when you left.”

Jin looked sheepish as he sniffled, wiping his face. “Oh... Sorry,” he mumbled, averting his gaze.

You let out a slight laugh, leaning up to press a short kiss to his forehead. He pulled back in surprise, eyes wide as he stared at you in shock, cheeks colouring pink.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry for, Jin,” you said, your hand finding his own and intertwining your fingers. “Now come on, the food should be there by now and I told Taehyung to tell the others about the surprise so they’re all probably dying while waiting for you.”

He let out a soft chuckle, sniffling, and allowed you to lead him back to the apartment, feelings of sadness pushed aside for curiosity about what you’d organised for him.

It didn’t take long to reach your apartment once more, and soon you were entering through the front door, greeted by six eager faces as soon as you stepped foot back in the kitchen and dining room.

“Jin-hyung!” Taehyung wailed as he caught sight of the taller male, rushing forward to throw his arms around him. Jin stumbled back with a surprised laugh, arms coming up to embrace the remorseful puppy. “I’m sorry for making you sad! I didn’t mean to— and y/n said she has a surprise! Please don’t be sad, hyung.”

Jin smiled at the younger male, whose tail was wagging sadly.  “Don’t worry, I’m not sad anymore,” he said, reassuring him with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Your own narrowed in on it, and your lips pursed. You needed to tell him so he knew you were serious— you wanted him in your life and so long as he wanted it too you were going to do everything in your power to keep him in it.

You looked over, noticing the food on the table and meeting eyes with Namjoon as he opened his mouth to explain, “The delivery guys came while you were gone. You should have seen how confused they were to see so many of them from different restaurants.”

You snickered at the thought, vividly imagining the looks on their faces. You were almost sad you’d missed it. “Alright, well I’m sure we’re all hungry, and you guys can’t wait to hear about what we have to tell you, so lets all sit down and dig in, yeah?”

You were greeted by a chorus of enthusiastic agreement as the hybrids dashed to their seats, sliding into them in record timing, and the rest of you followed at a slightly slower pace.

You all dug in, enjoying the variety of food you’d ordered (all Jin’s favourites) and you’d never seen the hybrid with such a look of satisfaction and content on his face as he munch on each dish, eyes lighting up whenever he caught sight of something he hadn’t noticed before. You knew his feelings and the doubts plaguing him were still in his thoughts, and that they would be until you revealed the surprise, but you were glad that for now he was wholeheartedly enjoying the food before him. You knew food was one of the many things he loved and adored.

Dinner finished, and you quickly moved into the kitchen after plates were cleared to retrieve the desserts. The look on Jin’s face as you brought out the cakes and cupcakes with the help of the resident muscle pig was something you wanted to remember forever; the way his eyes lit up, a large smile tugging his lips until he looked positively radiant where he sat, surrounded by the people he loved most and looking at you with such vulnerability and adoration in his eyes it made you heart both ache and swell at once.

You’d lit the candles before and Yoongi had turned the lights off as you moved over to the table, Jungkook and yourself starting to sing, “Happy birthday to you~!”

The others quickly joined and the entire song Jin’s eyes never left yours, and you shot him a bright smile once finished. “Make a wish,” you instructed softly after placing the cake on the table before him, and he closed his eyes, doing as you said, before he opened them once more and blew the candles out in one go.

The resident puppy hybrids cheered loudly, throwing their arms around their favourite cat hybrid and screaming “Happy Birthday, hyung!” in his ears. He laughed, shrugging them off playfully, and you moved your gaze to the other people in the room, meeting their eyes. At their nods you couldn’t help but smile— it was time.

You waited for the commotion to die down a little before you spoke, seeking the cat hybrid’s eyes. “I’m guessing you want to know what the surprise was?” you asked, resisting the urge to grin at how all four of the hybrids perked up.

“Yes!” Jin burst, slightly embarrassed that he hadn’t been able to contain his excitement. You shot him a comforting smile.

“Alright,” you agreed, leaning against the table. Idly, you wondered if you should have cut the cakes before telling them but to be honest you’d been waiting all week to tell them and couldn’t wait a second longer. “Well, as I’m sure you saw, I got a letter a while ago from one of the owners of the building— not Namjoon’s father, in case you were wondering— that said having hybrids on the premises was in violation of the complex rules and my contract. So, I obviously needed to find a solution to this.”

You noticed the hint of fear in Jin’s eyes, the slight trepidation hiding in his expression, and sent him a soothing smile. “Any solution where you had to leave or I had to leave you was unacceptable— you’re so important to me, I don’t want to be living a life without you there to brighten my days and warm my heart. So, I went to Namjoon, and I asked about some things.”

The fear had been traded for curiosity and warm fondness, and you continued, getting to the bit that would hopefully make their night. “And once we had an idea, I went to Jungkook and Yoongi. The reason we’ve all been absent a lot more the last couple of days was because we were signing things, finalising payments and all that. You’re a family, and I know how important that is to all of you, and how much you all miss each other when you’re apart, which is why…”

You took a deep breath, grinning. “Which is why Jungkook, Yoongi and I decided to allocate our money and rent three apartments in one of the buildings Namjoon’s father owns. Which means, starting next week… we’ll all be living together, in three separate apartments on the same floor.”

You reached over and booped the nose of a shocked, wide-eyed feline, the other hybrids looking just as surprised. “You’ll be together again, and you can keep staying with me,” you paused suddenly, growing sheepish. “Well, I mean, that is if you want to— I guess I didn’t ask OH—"

Jin lurched from his seat, throwing his arms around you and hugging you so close and so tight that for a second it was hard to breathe.

“Of course I do, silly human!” he cried, and it took you a second to realise not only did he just reverse your silly nickname for him but he was also literally crying into your shoulder. Your arms came up automatically to return his embrace, holding him close as he wailed. “Of course I do, y-you idiot, the only th-thing I want is to stay with you, and y-you just—”

You laughed, the sound of the other hybrids pouncing on your friends in excitement and Namjoon laughing loudly at them reaching your ears. Jin pulled back, eyes watering, and began peppering soft, ticklish kisses all over your face in an attempt to convey what he was feeling since words weren’t enough. You giggled, unable to help your grin as he stopped only to draw you back in his arms and swing you around. “Are you happy?”

Jin wailed, breath hitching as he sobbed slightly in happiness, “You just told me not only do I get to stay with you but I get to stay with m-my family too, of course I’m happy!”

You laughed, your own eyes tearing up at his reaction. “I’m glad, Jinnie, that’s all I could ever want.”

He sobbed, almost inconsolable, into your shoulder. “Thank you so much, y/n, I-I love you so much. Thank you.”

Your eyes shot wide open, heart skipping four too many beats as his words registered in your ears. He didn’t seem to notice, too taken by his emotions, and you felt your heart swell with affection in your chest, causing a lump to rise in your throat.

The boy in your arms had quickly become the most important thing in your life, and you didn’t ever want to live without him.

With all your heart, you loved him too.