#oxhaven

You watch the traffic lights change colors for an empty street as you walk on the sidewalk path towards home. The fear of walking alone at night left you long ago when you grew used to it, seeing the difference in the amount of people there were depending if it was a weekday or weekend. No one was out to bother you, nothing but empty cars on empty streets. Empty alleyways except for the stench of trash barrels and a wet dog sitting beside-

You stopped in your tracks with your feet plopping in water and eyebrows knit together. You slowly turned your body to the side, looking back at the person sitting down in the corner of the alley. He had his knees pulled up to his chest, a jacket that stood no chance against the rain soaked against his body. You could see his bangs underneath the hoodie plastered against his forehead, the strands wet and dripping with water. It was a pitiful sight, although he didn’t seem to be shivering or whimpering for help. 

You could have kept walking, acknowledging the possibilities that this guy could be a psychopath or a serial killer. Make it home without risking yourself in danger and get in your warm bed. Usually you took these things into account but for some reason none of those thoughts popped up in your head. You were only holding out your umbrella to him, shielding him from the rest of the rain as his head finally peered up with dark eyes staring into your green ones. 

You could hear the rain continue to come down, you could feel the cold onslaught of it on your back as you leaned over. No matter how much you tried in that moment you couldn’t think of yourself or think of anything else except what you thought of him as a smile grew on your face.

“You’re soaked.”

*

You pushed your body on the door when you got it unlocked, huffing out with effort as the bottom of the door scraped on the floorboard. You reached over to the side and switched on a light, then a couple more until you got the right one dimming the hallway with light. 

“Home sweet home..” you announced with a relieved breath, turning around to make sure your stranger was still behind you. He peered over your shoulder into your home until your hand on his wrist was dragging him in and closing the door behind. 

“Don’t be shy! It’s warm in here and I have plenty of food. Let me just heat up a pot really quick. You like ramyun?” You dropped your bag by the coat rack after hanging up your raincoat, slipping out of your boots and ushered him to do the same. You hurried to the kitchen telling him to follow as well, going straight to your cabinets and pulling out your usual pot when you made noodles. You thanked the heavens you deep cleaned and tidied your place for this, going through a checklist in your head just to double sure you didn’t have to be embarrassed about anything. You heard his feet drag into the kitchen as you stood up, looking over your shoulder and seeing him still in his wet jacket and shoes as you tried not to grimace. You didn’t let it get to you, immediately thinking he was just shy and went to turn on the stove and fill the pot with water. 

“My name’s Dahyun, what’s yours?” You introduced yourself, putting the pot on the stove before turning around and yelping out with how close he suddenly was. You didn’t get a clear look at his face with his hair in it and the hoodie still pulled over to hide it, only catching sight of his hands cupping your face. 

“It can be whatever you want sweetheart.” He breathed, surprise making your body freeze over. His breath didn’t smell bad at all like you thought, and finally hearing his voice was like honey on your eardrums. You caught yourself as he was pulling your face closer to his, getting a peek at pink plush lips before you were stiffening in his hold and shaking your head. 

“Woah! No! You don’t have to do that- I didn’t bring you here for that.”

He stopped his advancements and the both of you stood there as if you were on pause. You didn’t push him away, allowing his warm hands to stay on your cheek as you swallowed. “Your clothes are soaked and you’ll get sick if you stay in them.” 

It took him a moment before he let you go, pulling away and stepping back as his hand came over his head. You blinked with wide eyes as he pulled back his hood, pushing his wet hair back and giving you a good look at his face. 

And the floppy ears at the top of his head. 

They were a deep brown, clashing with his black hair but nonetheless adorable as they twitched about trying to get water off. Before you reached out on impulse to touch them you realized that this wasn’t just a stranger you brought into your home but a hybrid, which led to other questions. Did he belong to someone? Was he a stray? Did he run away from his home? 

The questions that lingered in your mind only worried you more before you shook them off when you were clear about your answer.

“You can stay here tonight. It’s warm, much better than outside.” You assured him before grabbing his wrist again and leading him to the bathroom. You readied a towel and got out an extra loofah, setting them to the side and pulling the hybrid in. “Take a nice hot shower and I’ll have some pj’s ready when you get out. With a nice hot bowl of ramyun.” 

He nodded his head to you before you smiled gleefully and closed the door behind, setting out to get the noodles boiling before searching for some extra clothes. Luckily you always had oversized shirts and boxer briefs stashed away that you personally liked to wear for the comfort they brought. You pulled out the garments and hurried back to the bathroom, opening the door quietly and peeking in. He was already in the shower thankfully, setting the fresh clothes next to the towel before gathering his discarded clothes off the floor. You made quick work to throw them in the washer machine with some detergent before heading back to the kitchen and finishing the noodles for two. 

He came out just as you set two piping bowls down the table, finally getting a good look at the pup you welcomed into your home. His hair was wet but this time by a shower, his body dried and in the pajamas you gave him to wear. They were just as baggy on him as they were you but he looked comfortable and clean, smelling delightful in your shampoo and body wash. You ushered him to the table, pushing his bowl towards him that had extra helpings of the noodles and kimchi. He sat down in the creaky stool chair and dug in with the chopsticks, the sound of his slurping filling the kitchen. You couldn’t help the smile on your face as you watched, hurrying to pick up your own and dig in when he peeked up at you. You both ate silently, not letting the awkwardness bother you as you finished your bowls clean, leaving nothing behind. You deposited the dishes in the sink to worry about in the morning, making your way to the living room and making sure the pup followed behind. You already had a pillow and cover ready for him, the bed being a little too weird and soon to offer up. He climbed in without your encouragement, seeing how tired his body was as he relaxed into the cushion. You could see the sleep on his eyelids wanting to welcome him, straining to keep awake as he watched you bent down. 

“You can stay, as long as you like. If you want.” You blurted, finally saying what you wanted. This was all a bit sudden, and this could be taken in a lot of different ways but most of all you wanted to help someone in need. That was the Dahyun thing to do, and you wanted to at least put it out there someone wanted to help him. His tired eyes stared at you, tired blinks you counted up to three before you glimpsed at the small smirk forming on his face. 

“My name’s Jimin.” 

It was your turn to blink before your mouth formed an ‘o’ and a smile spread over your face. You nodded your head and introduced yourself again before saying goodnight, heading off to your bedroom with hopes of what tomorrow would bring. 

*

It brought pain. 

You stood in your living room, staring at the spot where your tv and devices used to be counting up the amount of money lost with each item. The pup had stolen the electronics in your house and whatever he considered valuable, as you found the couch empty the early morning you woke up. Luckily he didn’t sneak into your room where your wallet and computer were, at least you could keep those to yourself. As much as you should be hurting, you weren’t surprised. Hybrid or human, men were still trash. 

“This is the dog that stole my shit!” you pointed a finger at him, irritation in your voice as you spoke to Nari. You wanted to cry with how bad you wanted to hurt him, the only thing holding you back was your trusted co-worker who was seemingly having the thief’s back. 

“I have no argument to that, I truly did.” Jimin confessed to Nari, tilting his head back for her to hear before she was rolling her eyes. 

“He’s here wanting to apply for a job.” 

“If you have your own little pet mascot in here, I don’t see why you won’t keep me. I’m much cuter.” He turned in his chair to face Nari, ignoring the second pair of eyes glaring him down as he rested his chin in his palm. He was pulling all the stops on Nari, even the puppy eyes that seemed to have no affect on her.  

“You’re going to hire him!?” you rasped, mouth dropping and eyes going wide, ready to drop to your knees in anguish. 

“No.” The answer was given in unison by Nari and the new girl, making Jimin feign an exasperated sigh. 

“Oh well. So much for turning over a new leaf. You need a partner for the mating season, sweetcheeks?” 

A growl was his only answer from Chaesol before he shrugged and turned back to Nari. “What about you?”

“Already have one.” 

“Maybe you need a new one.”

Nari chuckled to herself, beginning to wipe down the shot glasses as her eyes focused on her tasks. “Trust me, I don’t. I’m not a dog person.”

Jimin slowly turned in his chair, the only option left in the room having to be you as that same aggravating smirk appeared on his face. You readied yourself to cuss him out until you watched his face drop as the sound of the bell signaled a customer coming into the bar. 

Your eyes darted to Nari, seeing her eyebrows knit together at the door as she asked, “What are you doing here?”

You turned your head around, eyes going wide at the sight of the same two men from hybrid control making their way down the steps. 

“Came back for that drink.” 

You fast stepped straight to Jimin, helping turn his body in the chair before pulling his hood up over his head and wrapping your arm around his shoulders. You leaned in close to him and pulled his tail between the two of you trying your best to hide it as you kept your eyes on the back watching the two men as they came forward between the empty tables. Nari came from behind the bar counter, crossing her arms after throwing a rag on the table to set the boundary between them. 

“Well we’re open, but I honestly wouldn’t want to serve you after the last encounter we’ve had.”  

“Kicking us out the bar because you don’t want us seeing how you already have a hybrid holed up in here, huh?” 

You could feel Jimin stiffen in your hold as you held onto your breath, clenching your eyes shut as escape plans flew through your mind. Luckily Chaesol was the one to speak up, confirming they didn’t know about Jimin and calming the both of your nerves. “I work here.”

“She has a working permit and she works for me in my bar. I have no obligation to release her to you guys.” Nari corrected the men in front of her, challenging their authority as they both laughed. One of the men stepped closer to her, the same dark eyes boring into her hazel ones as he spoke lowly, “Who do you think you are, wanting to save every hybrid that comes in here?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’re upset that I’m making your job harder for you. If you don’t like it, call your boss.” 

He stared her down for a long while, the room tensing up upon their stare down match before the man said aloud, “What ya standing around for, pup? Pour me a drink.” 

He moved to the bar, a little ways over from you and Jimin before his partner joined him. Nari gave a nod in Chaesol’s direction before she was pulling out shot glasses, taking the two men’s orders before giving the both of you a look. 

“We’re gonna go out and grab something to eat, we’ll be back later.” you quickly said before grabbing onto Jimin’s hand and pulling him up and towards the door. The hairs on your back rose, feeling all sets of eyes on the two of you as you kept it moving, hearing Nari muster her best normal response so the men wouldn’t catch on. 

“Go ahead, take your time. Me and Chaesol have it covered here.”

You could finally breathe when you stepped outside, the cold night air filling your lungs and relaxing a bit of your nerves as you refused to stop walking. You headed straight for home with Jimin in tow, thinking of how you were going to handle this situation. You were sadly mistaken though, the hand in yours snatching back and making you turn to give Jimin a curious look. 

“What are you doing?” 

“What are you doing?” He countered back, anger written in his features as his fingers curled into fists. “I’m not going with you.”

You scoffed. “Oh excuse me, like we all didn’t try to save your ass back there. Chaesol is in more danger than you and you want to act like a petty prick right now?”

“I didn’t need saving. I can take care of myself.”

You scoffed again, letting out a chuckle before crossing your arms. “Says the person who needs to steal things from others just to support himself.”

The glare in his eyes was too much of a contrast from the snarky looks he was giving you in the bar, completely throwing  you off and confusing this situation for you even more. You stared at each other for a long moment, until the look in his eyes began to soften and his fists uncurled. 

“Get home safely, Dahyun.” 

You watched in bewilderment as he turned and walked off, leaving you there in bitter confusion with your mouth dropping open. “You're leaving??! Just like that!!?”

He didn’t bother to look back, not even a wave as he continued to walk briskly in the cold night and away from you. You dropped your arms to your sides, your body feeling completely defeated. You didn’t have the energy to try anymore, turning around on your heel in the direction to home. Soft bursts of chuckles released from your body with shakes, a whimper in your laugh as you entertained the idea of beating your head on the wall. It’s only been a day and you felt like you were going crazy. Was everything you were doing wrong?

You dragged yourself into your apartment, still not used to your missing property from their rightful spots. It left your apartment feeling cold and empty, a perfect match to your soul as you laughed at the thought lightly. You didn’t have the energy to make food or get in the shower, only giving thanks to Nari for giving you the night off as you slipped into a loose t-shirt and a pair of panties. You made sure to send a quick text asking if Chaesol and her were alright after slipping underneath your covers, pulling the blanket over your head and curling your body in on yourself. You could only whimper, making yourself more upset from being too drained to cry. 

You couldn’t get your mind off of him. The annoying, bastard of a dog who played you like a fiddle. The amount of kindness you try to show and this is what you were rewarded with. Even with those types of thoughts, your mind still lingered to his eyes, his smile that made his eyes curl up into small little smiles. Those floppy ears on top of his head that would twitch every time he was amused by something. 

Why did you save him there?

You could have let hybrid control have him. Reported him right then and there and watch him be forced into a truck that would take him away. Even if that would calm your want for revenge, the image of it makes you sick to your stomach. You didn’t want to watch him suffer, you just wanted an apology for once. You just wanted someone to stay for once. 

Your eyes popped open when you heard the sound of rain pouring outside. You realized you had dozed off thinking about Jimin as you sat up to look out the window and watch the rain come down. You stared at it for a moment, your mind bubbling up with the memory of finding him out there from before, completely drenched and shivering in the cold. 

You moved out of bed quickly, not bothering to throw on some more clothes as you stepped your feet into your slippers and headed out the door. You left your apartment in a hurry, racing down the steps and hopping down at the last two to burst through the doors and out into the cold rain. You didn’t have any idea where he could have gone; with how much time had passed he could be anywhere. You thought maybe to start with the first place you found him before, and headed in that direction before coming to a complete stop. 

You whipped your head to the side of your building, looking down at the mutt leaning against the brick wall. He turned his head just as you noticed him, needing to blink the rain out of his eyelashes to realize it was you coming over to him. Just like before though the rain was much heavier and cold on your back, you reached out your bare arm to shield the rain from his eyes 

with your hand. You offered a smile, the best one you could muster as you decided to save your little pup stuck in the rain again.   

It was quiet for a moment until Victoria stuttered on a reply. “A-all it needs is a little honey!”

She quickly came to your side, hands reaching out for the sweet condiments in the middle of the table and set to work on buttering your bread. You dropped the biscuit down onto a napkin before picking at the fruit bowl, aiming for the fresh ripe strawberries that made your mouth water. 

“Where’s Kyungsoo?” 

“He’s out running errands for Mistress. He should be back no later than the evening.” Suho answered unhesitantly, still standing to the side with a goofy smile on his face. They must have planned for this since this morning, or maybe last night before you went to bed. Either way, it crept a few ideas into your head as you raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Should I have some fun then?”

*

Your idea of fun wasn’t all that bad. You just wanted to play a little prank on Kyungsoo, get him riled up to see the mess you created in the house when he came back home. It started with a food fight with the breakfast your servants prepared for you, taking it into as many parts of the house as you could as you laughed with joy. Victoria and Suho had no choice but to join you, enjoy the game together and forget about the impending doom when he was on his way home. You ended up ruining your attire for the day, leading into the dress up party as you created a fashion show in your own dressing room. Once again your servants had to participate, giving you a good laugh to see Suho in the different dresses you managed to fit on him. You made sure to take pictures of all three of you, something to show Kyungsoo so he could see what a fabulous time you had without him. 

Your fun was short-lived when a knock came at the door, followed by the familiar ring of your doorbell. You gave each other a look, no one expecting guests at all before Victoria hurried to go downstairs. You were quick to follow after her, racing down the stairs before slowing your steps as you got to the door. You stood behind Victoria with a curious look on your face, watching as she answered the door. A man neither of you recognized stood in the doorway with a bright smile, charming and quite handsome as he gave the both of you a bow. 

“Is Miss ___ in?” 

You brushed by Victoria before she could stutter an answer, crossing your arms before plastering a smile on your face. 

“Who’s searching for her?”

To your surprise he held out his hand, palm facing upwards as he asked for your hand to place a kiss on top of it. “I’m Kim Taehyun. Messenger of House Park. It’s an honor to make your acquaintance, my lady.” 

You blinked at him, a slow smirk growing at the corner of your lips. “What brings you by?” 

“My lord wanted me to stop by on his behalf to present gifts and offer a partnership. I can explain our businesses in more detail if you have the time.” He answered, that smile on his face as his eyes gleamed with playfulness, urging you to take the bait. 

You hummed in amusement before you gripped his hand and pulled him inside. “Come. Victoria, fetch my gifts out of his carriage and ready the sitting area...and tell Suho to prepare snacks and tea.” 

Victoria’s unhesitant answer of a ‘yes mistress’ was all that was needed before she was hurrying outside to complete her task, letting you lead the guest to one of the fortunately clean rooms. You were well aware how uncommon it was for you to not have more servants in such a big mansion you resided in, and how it came off to others who would visit. It didn’t matter, and it played well into your game to see the reactions and responses you got out of them. So when you sat down with Taehyun, the switch in your head turned on to start the game. 

“Now, who do you work for?” you began, just as soon as Suho rolled in a platter of cookies and fresh brewed tea. 

Taehyun kept his eyes on yours, accepting the tea that was set in front of him on the coffee table. “Park Chanyeol. Owner of Park’s Trading and where constantly expanding to reach new heights and places. My master heard numerous stories and has kept a watchful eye on your company and is quite impressed with how large your company has grown since you’ve taken ownership. He wanted to form a partnership, which I guarantee will produce immense growth in not only sales but integrity. ”

You hummed in thought, seeing Suho bow in the corner of your eye before he left the room. “Why didn’t he come himself? Isn’t it rude to not introduce yourself formally to the person you so want to be partners with? Or is he shy?”

“On the contrary he’s known to make his acquaintances shy. That’s why he sent me to break the ice.” Taehyun chuckled, his playful response making you raise a brow as you smiled.

“Oh?”

Taehyun took a bite of a cookie that was displayed out, humming at the sweet treat before thinking for a moment. “He has a way with his words, Mistress.” 

You gave a nod. “Hm. So do I.” 

You had made your decision right then and there, even as your guest continued to sell the offer to you and try to convince you to sign a contract he had brought with him on this new ‘partnership’. You finally brought it to an end with a glance at the clock and sighed. “As fun as it was listening to the absolute bullshit Mr. Kim, I have other fun matters to attend to. You can be on your way.” 

You would have laughed at the look on his face as you stood to your feet, stretching your limbs as you made a move to the door. 

“My servants will see you out and give you some of my own gifts to take home, and you can tell Mr. Park-”

A hand slammed on the door beside your head, making it slam shut before you could have it opened all the way. You breathed a sigh as you felt the cool, sharp edge of a knife on your neck threatening to sink in and draw blood. 

“I tried to be easy with you, ___.” 

“First name basis now, huh?” You mused with a giggle. The knife pushed deeper into your flesh, Taehyun’s mouth by your ear as he chuckled. “All you needed to do was sign the papers and make it easy. Now I might have to forge your signature while your body goes missing.” 

“Mmm, make me sell away my assets and property to expand yours? Good plan~” The obvious sarcasm earned a sting of pain on your skin, warm liquid spilling down your neck as you hissed softly. You felt hardness press against your backside, his arm snaking around your waist as he pulled your closer. 

“Maybe I should play with your body for a little bit before I take your head to Chanyeol.”  

“That sounds like fun.” you breathed, giggling with your tongue between your teeth. 

“Not only are you a spoiled brat, you're a psycho too. Maybe I should end your life now and put your servants out of misery-” Taehyun threatened before his words were cut off, watching you turn around in his arms as dead, cold eyes bore into his. 

“Do you really think you could kill me? You walk into my territory and think you are going to make out alive?”

He started to open his mouth to say something, only for it to hold open without a word coming out. His mouth had gone completely dry, the taste iron dripping down his throat and completely built up in his mouth. He coughed up blood, seeing the red stains on his hand as his eyes went wide in horror. His head shot to the door, watching it ease open with an eerie creak. Victoria stood in the doorway, a smile plastered on her face as she waved. 

“What the fuck did yoo do to me?” Taehyun managed to get out, his voice choked and hoarse.  

Victoria cocked her head to the side as her face dropped into feigned confusion. “You mean the poisoned sweets you called gifts to my mistress? That’s what we served you Mr. Kim.”

His eyes widened to the point they could bulge out their sockets, gaining an amused laugh from you before he turned his attention back to you. With a roar he aimed his knife to strike only for it to miss you as you dodged, letting Victoria handle the attacker. She restrained the knife out his hand with ease but he managed to get out of her hold, racing to the staircase with only the setting sun as his means of light. Taehyun didn’t make it to the top, finding himself falling along with pieces of cracked wood all the way down to the first floor. A glimpse of Suho at the top, smiling down at him as he fell confirmed the thought that he had been pushed, with unbelievable strength that managed to smash the stair railing off its hinges. 

His back collided with the marble floor, the last bit of stable air in his lungs escaping from him along with more blood. He cried in pain, his body aching all over as he urged himself to move, crawl on the floor if he needed to make it to the front door. He knew they were right behind him, the two frightful servants making their way down the staircase towards him. He found his feet onto the ground, pushing himself up and stumbling to the door before swinging it open. 

The worst sight of the night, the one he was warned never to cross with greeted him at the door, curious black eyes staring him down and stealing the regained breath in his body. Kyungsoo looked him up and down, standing firm in the doorway with an arch in his thick brow. 

“Hello.” 

Taehyun screamed and pushed with all his might, freeing himself from death inside the mansion and made a getaway down the dirt path. Kyungsoo watched the guest leave before turning his attention to you, having made it down the stairs as your other two servants disappeared from their own monster when he found out the state of the household. 

You smiled gleefully before skipping over to your butler. “Where have you been all day?” 

“Taking care of errands.” Kyungsoo answered, eyeing the wound on your neck where blood was still coming down from. “What have you been getting yourself into?” 

“Some fun. For once. And you just let it loose. Now what’s going to happen?” You questioned, keeping your eyes on his as he whipped out a handkerchief from his back pocket, pressing the white cloth against your neck and staining it red. 

“He won’t get too far.” Kyungsoo assured, pulling your body into his arms after kicking the door shut. He peeled the cloth back and tilted your head to the side carefully with fingers gripping your chin, right before he brought his mouth down and slowly licked. A soft moan escaped you as your eyelids fluttered close, already starting to feel your neck begin to heal.

“I took Kai off his leash.”

You smiled, a buzz in your body spreading all over at the thought of letting the screams of anguish be what it was to lull you to sleep. 

Your sharp ears picked up the sound of movement coming from the bedroom. Hoseok was finally stirring awake, the sound of the mattress creaking underneath his body. You kept at your task in front of you by putting the groceries away while listening to Hoseok in the other room start his morning routine. His bare feet would touch the cold floor and he would groan, stretching his limbs in the air with a yawn. He would get up and make his way to the adjoining bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, trying to hurry himself so he could come out here and greet you. You caught on to his small little actions, growing used to them and understanding his intentions. It was hard to admit that he was rubbing off on you, the pull at the corner of your lips evident. 

“Good morning.”

His tired voice greeted after the drag of his feet into the kitchen, your body spinning around at the counter as you felt the light swish of your tail.

“Morning, I went shopping again.” 

“Mmm, I told you to wake me up so I can go with you.” The grumble in his voice made your body tingle, your ears flattening back as excitement bubbled in your throat.

“Guess who found a job.”

He paused from rubbing his eyes, peeking one open and raising his eyebrows at you. “A job?”

You bounced your head happily, your hands holding the edge of the counter behind you. “Yes. It’s a bartending position. So I’m going to be making tips along with receiving a paycheck.” 

The glee in your voice died with every word, picking up on his expression as he listened to you carefully. You knew Hoseok to be bubbly and jumpy whenever you shared good news, but there wasn’t a smile on his face. He wore a serious gaze, pulling away to think it over in his head as he hummed. “Okay. I would like to see this-”

“Why?”

You instantly asked the question, almost retracting back when his eyes perked up in surprise at you. You didn’t mean to cut him off or ask why to his request, you wanted to know why he wasn’t excited for you. A yearning pulling at your heart strings, frustrated that he didn’t show a bit more enthusiasm for you. 

He let out a breath, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. “To know what area you’re in and if I ever need to pick you up or-”

He paused to glance at your face, reading your expression as he quickly changed his tone with an apology. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m just scared if something happened to you I wouldn’t know where to find you.” 

You held your breath, the sound of his voice caressing a whine to spill from your throat. He was only worried for you, and here you were already on your guard. You took a breath in, exhaling it through your nose and took a step forward with a soft smile growing on your face.

“It’s okay. I’ll write down the address for you. I’m really happy that I got a job and I’m really grateful that I found it because it’s hybrid friendly. Meaning I don’t have to hide my-”

You didn’t even get to get out the rest of your sentence, already in his arms and holding on tight as he swung around in a circle with his noise of excitement mingling in with your giggles. His body was warm against yours and his scent flooded your senses. It was like you found the source of all of the things in the house that you spent sniffing and familiarizing yourself with. It was a comforting smell, soft and earthy and...all things wonderful that you still couldn’t but a name on. Or maybe you were still afraid to.

He set you down on your feet, arms still wound around you tightly as you tried not to melt in his hold. He pulled away a moment later with hands cradling your face, the smile on his face matching yours as he gave a toothy grin.  

“I am so very proud of you, and I’m happy you’ve found a job that makes you feel good to work at.” The sound of his voice caressed your ears, your white tail hitting the back of your legs as he continued. “I’ll support whatever decision you choose for yourself, Chaesol. Always.”  

Your eyes casted downwards, nodding in understanding as a weight tugged at your heart. “I need this job to get out of here.”

“You don’t have to-” 

Soft brown eyes blinked up at him, watching as he thought his words over in his head. He sighed, the pads of his thumbs tickling the top of your cheeks. “Leave. You don’t have to go anywhere, you can stay right here with me. And I’ll take care of you.” 

You realized it then and there, not wanting to admit the feelings that had been created between the two of you. It felt like you’ve been here for too long but then it felt like you needed more time to stay. You were more than grateful for Hoseok, but there was so much more that he didn’t understand. This internal battle that you were facing everyday by being here, all the while trying to move forward with yourself and strive for more. He didn’t understand that it was you, the problem was you, and you weren’t going to ruin him.