goldensugarywaffles - Tumblr blog

goldensugarywaffles · 8 months

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This is adorable! I love it so much!!!

who's the boss | jhs

pairing: jung hoseok x oc

genre: fluff, slight enemies to lovers, boss!hobi, pa!oc

warnings: like one moment of suggestive content, confessing but no real confessions, jimin is your annoying best friend

words: 4, 663

summary: valentine's day with your stupid (hot) boss

“You look miserable.”

Jimin snickers when he walks past your slouched body across your desk, ensuring that you saw the mocking look he gives you when you glare at him.

“Please tell our boss that.” You mutter under your breath, attempting to avoid the mountains of work that sat in front of you.

“You’re his assistant—you out of all people should know that he’s a force to be reckoned with.” Jimin points out, slamming a new pile of folders on your desk.

You gape at him, observing the unforgiving amount of work that now occupies both your desk and time; and Jimin only offers you a half-hearted shrug before patting you on the shoulder.

“Mr Jung wants it by tonight,” Jimin lets you know as he begins to walk off.

The deadline has you snapping your head rapidly to his retreating figure as you quickly stand up to call for him.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” You exasperate, “Jimin—there’s no way I can get this done by tonight let alone this week!”

Jimin doesn’t even turn around when he shrugs, as if to tell you that it was your problem to deal with.

You growl, helplessly staring at the work that scatters your desk before your eyes narrow to the office next to yours, doors shut tight.

Before you can think twice, blinded by pure anger, you storm towards the secluded room; ignoring the stares from your co-workers, and a few sighs that you can tell is coming from Jungkook knowing that you were going to piss your boss off yet again.

You don’t knock, long past that level of formality with your boss as you slam the door open, eyes narrowed intimidatingly at the unsuspecting victim of your rage, who just looks up from his laptop with a raised brow.

“____, are you already done with—”

“Jung Hoseok.” You hiss, interrupting him as you shut the door behind you, rolling up your sleeves as if that would intimidate the man; fully aware that he towered over you, even in heels.

He slowly brings his laptop to a semi-closed position and leans back into his seat, arms carefully folded across his chest in a way that makes him look intimidating yet commanding.

It was a pity that your boss was such a douche because he was truly one of the most beautiful men that you’ve had the pleasure (or displeasure) of meeting in your entire life. Hoseok had the charm of a man that held himself with confidence and assurance, knowing that he was likely the hotshot of every room he walked into.

However, that also meant that he had a justifiable inflated ego that you were on the receiving end off, purely because you were hired as his personal assistant and not some other poor soul.

“That is my name, yes.”

You stomp towards his desk and slam your hands down onto the expensive wood, making sure your eyes are locked onto his stoic expression.

Momentarily, you see his eyes glance down to your chest where a decent amount of cleavage is likely being displayed to your boss, but it goes as quickly as it comes when he returns his gaze onto your blazing one.

“Are you fucking crazy?” You snap.

He blinks at you, hands clutched together as he leans forward on his elbows, face getting impossibly closer to your own that you have half the mind to put some distance between the two of you to preserve the beating of your heart.

“Is that any way to speak to your boss?” He cocks his head to a side, a teasing smirk dawning on his face.

“Cut the shit,” You hiss, “In what goddamn universe did you think it was justifiable for you to give me a month’s worth of work and expect it to be done by tonight?!”

He sighs, leaning back into his chair and man spreads in a way that you usually would hate, but of course, Hoseok made it look undeniably hot, and inviting.

“Didn’t I hire you because of your work ethic?”

You scoff in disbelief, arms folding across your chest.

“This is not about work ethic, and you know it. You have some secret vendetta against me and I see through your shit.” You accuse.

“Do I, Ms ____?” He says in a voice so low that it makes you stutter in your response.

“You tell me, Mr Jung.” You retort.

He observes your expression for a moment, taking in the way that you were breathing heavily and how your cheeks were a little flushed from your rant. Hoseok smirks at you because even though you were a lot to deal with, and had a tongue sharper than anyone he’s known, you were adorable.

Just like a kitten that was waiting to be tamed.

“Very well then,” He claps his hands together and opens his laptop again.

You raise an eyebrow, waiting for his next set of words. You recognise the slight gleam in your eyes and that causes an unsettling feeling to develop in your stomach.

“Work overtime.” He says simply as if it was the most obvious solution.

You gape at him, baffled at his blunt suggestion.

“What? That’s your solution? To work overtime?” You snap.

“I don’t see a better option knocking at our door’s here.” He shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.

You grit your jaw and feel your eye twitch at his indifference, and you think about risking getting reported to HR, or even getting fired just so you could reach over and strangle the hell out of your insufferable boss.

“Give me an extension.” You all but demand.

“No.”

You’re about to leave with your dues until he answers you, and you snap your head to look at him incredulously.

“What do you mean no?” You hiss.

“It’s exactly what it means, Ms ____. I want the documents sorted through and filed by tonight. Even I’m working overtime and I’m the boss.” He smirks, eyes still not straying away from his laptop.

“Hoseok you don’t understand. I can’t.” His name slips out involuntarily, and you almost miss the way a smile teases his lips when you opt for his actual name than the nicknames you’ve resorted to.

“Oh? Did you have plans tonight?” He pries, eyes twinkling with mischief.

He knew. He knew what today was and gave you a shit ton of work.

You clench your jaw and give him a curt nod.

“Yes. I do.”

He hums under his breath, glancing down to type something onto his laptop before shutting it completely.

“Well—cancel them. You have plans with me now.” He says.

You choke on your spit at his calm declaration as you splutter to find a response.

“I can’t just cancel a date—!”

You snap your mouth shut when his eyebrows shoot to his hairline in a mischievous manner as if seeing you flustered was his favourite sight to behold.

“As your boss, I think I call the shots here, don’t I?” He pushes himself off his chair to walk towards you, height and presence imposing on your retreating figure.

“You’re such a fucking asshole.” You spit when he engulfs your space with his presence.

The navy grey suit he chose to wear today flattered his physique wonderfully, showcasing his lean and long limbs as well as his built. It didn’t help that he styled his hair with it parted by the side, his forehead on full display—as if to mark his territory as the most intimidating (and handsome) person at the office.

“Call me what you wish,” He shrugs, a smirk on his face, “We’ll have a lot of fun tonight, won’t we?”

You’d be lying if you didn’t have butterflies in your stomach.

“Mina—tell the blind date you set me up on that I can’t make it tonight,” You sigh, phone between your shoulder and your ear as you type away at your computer.

You hear Mina whine on the other end about how she thought the guy she set you up with was a perfect match for you. Truthfully, you didn’t even want to go on the date in the first place; but Mina said that you needed to get over the hots you felt for your boss even if he was the most infuriating person in every room he’s in.

“You’re not lying to get out of this, right? Do you really need to work overtime?” She whines.

You sigh.

“Do you remember who I work for? Of course I need to work overtime.” You mutter.

“How am I going to tell Jae?” She complains, and you briefly hear a thud on her end; probably signalling the fact that she flopped onto a surface in despair.

You snort and narrow your eyes to get a better view of the details on your spreadsheet, ensuring all facts and figures were aligned before saving it and proceeding to the next set of work you needed to finish.

“You’ll find a way,” You tell her, “I need to go. I have ten more documents to sort through and they’re all due tonight.”

Mina blows a virtual kiss for you and bids you goodbye, saying to kick your boss in the ass for her.

The moment you hang up, you see Jimin and Jungkook walk pass your desk with their bags over their shoulders, stopping by you to offer a sympathetic smile.

“Have fun working overtime ____,” Jungkook says, and it’s sincere enough to make you give him a half-hearted smile.

“Work on sucking your boss’ dick too.” Jimin snickers, mimicking the action inside of his cheek as you glare at him, chuckling a piece of crumpled paper in his direction.

“Jungkook—tell Taehyung I said hi,” You smile sweetly at him, then narrowing your eyes into slits at Jimin, “Jimin, I hope you puke out all the chocolates you’re going to binge on tonight.”

He gasps, hands resting on his chest in mock offence as he waves you goodbye, heading out as you return the gesture with your longest finger.

There the last bit of your co-workers that left the office, and now it was just you—and Hoseok—but he was cooped up in his office, for whatever reason it may be.

You sigh, cracking your knuckles forward as you attempt to race through all the documents that needed to be sorted through as fast as you can so you could go home and binge-watch all the romantic comedies in your watchlist.

The quote time flies sits prettily on the tip of your tongue when you glance at the clock on your table to tell you that it was half an hour till midnight, meaning that you slaved away to work for an additional 6 hours.

You huff, at least thankful that you were finally done.

Even with Hoseok’s words saying that he’d work overtime as well, you were sure he was just in his office relaxing while you did his hefty work. The thought makes you frown as you clean up your workspace, ensuring that it’s in a pristine condition before you head back.

“_____?”

Hoseok’s voice peeks out from his office and you stop your ministrations to turn your head to look at him, a few stray strands of hair falling by the side of your face as you do so.

Hoseok can’t help but appreciate how relaxed you look, a juxtaposition from the usual prim and proper persona you took on during work. Your hair was tied in a messy bun, and a few buttons of your blouse were undone to give yourself some room to breathe.

“Yes?” You raise an eyebrow, beginning to get irritated with the way his eyes unabashedly observe you.

You have the words on your tongue already, preparing to cuss him out with your mouth and your fist if he gave you any more work to do.

“Have you eaten yet?” He asks.

You raise an eyebrow, watching his figure lean against the frame of the door.

“No, I haven’t. I was too busy finishing up the documents for you, remember?” You bite, can’t be helping the snark that your tongue releases.

A small twinge of a grin appears on his face as he cocks his head to his office, gesturing you to enter.

“I have some food. Do, join me.” He asks.

You blink at him, hands still clutching the last bit of your belongings as you mull over his proposition. While you and Hoseok worked close and hand in hand in business operations, you managed to have professional boundaries with him (which didn’t include the fact you cussed him out every five minutes). So, for him, the poster image of uptight and professionalism; with the occasional blunder, to invite you for a small meal outside of business?

You try to ignore the way your heart beats a little faster.

“Ah … it’s fine—I’ll probably heat some leftovers up—” You shake your head to deny.

But as you were caught up in a daze, Hoseok had seemed to have made his way to your desk, body positioned in a way that locks you in so that you had no other way to escape.

“Nonsense.” He tuts, grinning at you with his award-winning smile and you find it very hard to find him distasteful when he has the ability to reduce you to mush.

You notice that he mirrors your appearance in the sense that he looks far more casual than he usually does during work hours. He’s abandoned his blazer, and all he’s left in is his dress-shirt that does absolutely nothing in hiding his figure and slacks that just accentuates his waist even more. The fact that he also has his sleeves rolled up makes you more flustered than you’d like.

“It’s late—” You try to make an excuse, but he’s tugging you by your wrist to follow him and you have no objection on your tongue when you’re in his office.

Somehow, you've been in the room a million times, the second person that spends the most time in here besides Hoseok himself, yet tonight feels different.

The context of sharing a small meal with him seems almost illegal as if you were committing a crime.

“When did you even order this?” You mutter, when you realise his desk was already cleaned of all work-related stuff and only left with the brown packaged bags of food.

“Of course you didn’t notice,” He teases, gesturing for you to take a seat on the chair next to him.

You roll your eyes, bowing your head slightly to thank him when he passes you a sandwich, and you’re pleasantly surprised to know that it was your favourite order from a place you frequented during your lunch breaks.

“How did you—?”

“I’m not that much of an asshole to not know your likes and dislikes ____.” He jokes.

You purse your lips, flustered because while you and Hoseok bantered back and forth, and you were definitely tougher on your own boss than you were to your colleagues, you knew deep down it was an act of self-preservation to convince your own heart that keeping him away was safer for you.

“I didn't mean it like that …” You mumble, munching on your food.

Your eyes are too focused on the sandwich that you miss the fond expression Hoseok gives you, opting to just observe small bites that you were taking.

Eventually, you do notice that Hoseok isn’t eating but paying full attention to you, chin resting on his palm as he blatantly stares at you. When your eyes look up to meet his own, you flush and look away immediately, ears burning red under the dim light as you attempt to cover it up with a cough.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

He shrugs.

“I had my dinner hours ago. This is for you.” He gestures to the food, “You know I despise these things. They’re so pretentious.”

You gape at him with an open mouth.

“Then why are you still—” It seems like Hoseok is dead-set on not allowing you to finish most of your sentences tonight when he responds before you can finish.

“I was waiting for you.” The confession knocks the wind out of your chest as you look at him with wide eyes, heart beating faster when he nonchalantly admits that he was cooped up in his office—waiting for you?

“You didn’t have to do that Hoseok …” You mumble, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear bashfully—a habit you only do when you’re embarrassed.

He snorts.

“A thank you would be nice, sweets.” He leans forward, face inches closer to yours as you yelp and leans back into your chair.

The term of endearment doesn’t fall deaf on your ears as you blush even harder. You want to curse at yourself because you’re much stronger than this, you’ve trained for years to not let your feelings show in front of Hoseok because well … he was the CEO and you were his personal assistant.

While there was no strict ban on dating your boss, you had ethics and principles of your own that somehow convinced you that it would’ve been messy. And messy it would be because you worked with him on every single project, communicated information to him and basically was his confidant—purely transactional—so you wouldn’t risk your career just to be with him.

Especially when you didn’t know if he felt the same way.

Even when he looks at you like that.

“I’m waiting …” He sing-songs, grinning at you.

You roll your eyes, looking away when you mumble:

“Thank you.”

He seems satisfied as he leans back into his chair, gesturing you to finish your meal.

The sandwich was delicious, as always, but once you took the last bite you were starting to wonder if Hoseok had really just waited hours, and now to just have you eat in front of him.

“Thank you for the meal, Hoseok.” You say politely.

He eyes you for a second, until his eyes glance to the side of your head—then back at you.

“It’s five minutes before midnight.” He points out.

You raise an eyebrow at him.

“… okay?”

“So … aren’t you going to wish me?” He pries.

The cue falls over your head, until you see and feel Hoseok, cage you in your chair.

You let out an eep at the sudden proximity, flushed at the way Hoseok grins at you all suave-like.

“Wish you?” You squeak, “W-What do you mean?”

He sighs, resting his palms on the side of your chair, looking at you with a fond expression that you were sure your eyes were deceiving you with.

“I dunno. Isn’t today a special day?” He teases, and he revels in the fact that you’re turning into a tomato under his scrutiny.

“I-Is it? I didn’t—I didn’t know that …” You gulp.

Hoseok takes the leap of faith and reaches out to pat your head, as you freeze under the touch.

“There were flyaways.” He smirks.

You feel like dying because of how close he is to you, and you know that he won’t let you go unless you say the words he’s tried to pull out from you. So, you swallow your pride, and honestly, gather all the courage you have in you to wish him.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Hoseok.” You mumble, eyes avoiding his.

He doesn’t do anything for a split second, and you feel like a fool. You’re about to push him away until he moves—shuffling between his drawers to pull out—

“Flowers?” You cock your head to the side when he hands them over to you.

They were a beautiful arrangement, meticulously curated with the hands of someone that wanted perfection. It was very like Hoseok, but also included all of your favourite flowers and colours that you can’t help but imagine how cohesive the two of you would be.

You try to shake out of your delusions because you’re still processing the fact that Hoseok had handed you a bouquet of the most beautiful flowers you’ve ever seen and received.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, _____.” He smiles, and it lacks the usual mirth that he carries when he’s out to poke at you. This time, his smile is kind, warm—and longing.

“W-What is this for …?” You admire the arrangement, and it feels heavy in your palms. A testament to the effort put in, as well as how expensive it must’ve been.

“For being a great personal assistant,” He says.

It’s like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on you when he says those words. You blink up at him, then you scowl—shoving him away from you as you abandon the flowers on the table. Your heart was so hopeful as if you had managed to understand what was going on in Hoseok’s heart—but he reminded you of who you were and the world between the two of you shattered.

“Hey—hey. Where are you going?” Hoseok seems panicked but you don’t pick up on much as you hastily try to leave.

“Home, Hoseok.” You say curtly.

He’s faster than you when he grabs your elbow to spin you around to face him.

“Do you not like it?” He furrows his eyebrows.

You glare at him, and all the irritation in you returns when he genuinely looks clueless.

“No, Hoseok. I fucking love it.” You try to pull away, but he’s stronger than you.

“Then what’s the problem?” He huffs.

You narrow your eyes at him and even though he both makes you want to rip your hair out and makes your heart feel funny—he genuinely looks confused.

“You!” You yell, shoving at his chest as he just looks at you quizzically.

“You’re my problem Jung Hoseok,” You point a firm finger into his chest, “You’re always making me do your work for you and teasing me until I want to rip your hair out—then you do this … whatever this is, with the flowers and the stares you’re giving me and you—and you expect me to be okay?”

He blinks at you.

“You’re so confusing Hoseok! Like God—first, you look at me with those eyes of yours and expect my heart not to flutter? Is that it? Do you just like embarrassing me like this? You stupid son of a motherfucking bitch—!”

He really needed to shut you up, and granted, it wasn’t the best way to do it. But there was something oddly endearing about the way you were yelling his ear off that he needed to just close the distance.

Hoseok grabs you by the waist with a firm hand on your cheek when he leans down to kiss you.

The kiss is explosive, both in pent up frustrations and longing all at once and you’re both confused and relieved when you feel the plush of his lips against your own. You forget what you were saying when he holds you like this—close.

Hoseok looked like a magnificent kisser—you theorised—and your hypothesis was proven with the way he’s gentle yet assertive with the way his body moulds against your own.

You whine when he pulls away, your hands clutching at the front of his dress shirt. Only when you see his flushed cheeks, and swollen lips do you remember what was happening.

“_____—”

You punch him in the stomach.

Hard.

He grunts, doubling over as you glare at him.

“Are you insane?” You shriek.

He wheezes, clutching at his abdomen.

“You could’ve just told me you didn’t like me!” He snaps, shooting you a venomous glare.

Your mouth falls open as you give him one of your own venomous stares.

“Are you stupid?” You throw your hands into the air, “Why the fuck did you do that?”

“I was trying to be romantic!” He grits out.

You huff, and you soften for a moment to see him still holding onto his stomach.

You quietly reach out to him, holding him by the elbow like you did something wrong (punching him in the stomach) and look up at him with apologetic eyes.

“Does it really hurt?” You meekly ask.

"No. I'm on the floor because it's comfortable," He deadpans.

You pout as you flush a pretty shade of red.

He’s about to retort when he sees how guilty you look, then he sighs; reaching an arm around your shoulder to bring you into an embrace against his chest.

“It’d hurt a lot more if you were rejecting me.”

You scoff, leaning your cheek against his chest when you feel the movement of his chest with his deep breaths.

“Why couldn’t you ask me out like a normal person?” You complain.

He rolls his eyes.

“You’re not a conventional person to ask out.”

You narrow your eyes at him, and he wants to kiss you again because you’re the cutest thing he’s ever laid his eyes on.

So he does.

This time, you’re not as shocked, but it’s still as pleasant as when he first kissed you. You lean into his embrace, taking the initiative to run your hands across his shoulders and into his hair.

“We could’ve been doing this way longer if you weren’t such an annoying brat.” He mumbles against your lips.

The moment is broken when he returns to his normal self, but your heart still remains.

“Me? Annoying? You know what’s annoying—the fact that I spent six hours on Valentine’s Day sorting through your stupid documents because you wanted to hold me, hostage, here—”

Hoseok purses his lips as you progress through your rant, but in all honesty, you looked like a little rabbit that was frustrated than anything else, and all he feels in endearment.

He lets you have your moment, though—because he likes you like this—honest, unforgiving and so irrevocably yourself.

“—like, romantic? Please, Hoseok—you have zero romantic bones in your body and I’m pretty sure you’re 100% annoying than human—”

He pouts when you resort to insulting him, and he reaches for your cheeks to squeeze them in his palms so you’d stop.

“Okay enough of that, my feelings are hurt.” He pouts, “But … I’ll let you off the hook cause you’re so cute.”

You glare at him, cheeks still squished together like a chipmunk.

“I hathe eberything avout you.” You say through a muffled breath.

He sighs.

He releases your cheeks and begins packing up the trash, and you’re confused at the way his touch suddenly disappears and disappointed because you weren’t close to him anymore.

“Hobi?” You meekly call out, and he swears his heart stutters at the nickname.

“Can you stop being cute for one second and let me clean up?” He groans, shoving the stray paper bags away into the dustbin below his desk.

You blush even harder, keening under the praise.

You twiddle with your thumbs, awkwardly hovering by his desk as you watch him. You’d try to help, but there was something so utterly domestic and … homey about the way that Hoseok tuts you off when you reach out to pick something up.

Once he’s satisfied (because as annoying as he was, you applauded him for his neatness), he throws his blazer over his shoulder effortlessly, and shuts all the lights off, saying nothing more besides walking to the door.

You eye him curiously, wondering why he hasn’t uttered a single word yet, but as you’re about to open your mouth, he turns around to look at you over his shoulder with a raised brow.

“Are you coming?”

You tilt your head to the side.

“W-Where?”

“With me,” He shrugs his shoulders, leaning against the wooden frame of his door as you feel your heartbeat grow faster at how effortlessly good he looks under the dim light.

“I think I owe you a belated Valentine’s Day celebration, no?”

Oh.

#though as a person who despises work with a firey passion me and hobi would have to fight #how dare you make oc work overtime because you like her #i hope she got paid for this #justice for oc #tho hibi is very cute and sweet so i may be convinced to ket it go

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goldensugarywaffles · 9 months

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Abundance (XXIII)

— summary: You never expected that you would end up adopting a hybrid, and if someone had told you that you would end up with seven? Well, you would have thought they were crazy. But here you are, with three different packs of hybrids that don't get along – but all want to stay with you. Yeah, it turns out crazy is an understatement. — pairing: hybrid bts x human f!reader — genre: fluff, angst — warnings/content: none — word count: 5k

Masterlist / Previous chapter / Next chapter

Yoongi hovers awkwardly near the entrance to the kitchen, tapping a nervous rhythm against his thigh as he watches Seokjin work. The hamster hybrid's shirt is stretched tight over his broad shoulders, the fabric hardly even shifting as he slices into the vegetables on the cutting board. He cuts with the kind of speed and precision Yoongi has only seen on TV, the kind that comes with years of practice.

Yoongi waits for the moment Seokjin puts the knife down before he clears his throat, "Hey, uh, do you need any help?"

Seokjin's hands jerk with surprise, startled, at the unexpected voice that calls out to him. A slice of cucumber falls out of his grasp, landing on the floor with a soft splat. Yoongi winces as Seokjin lets out a soft sigh, watching as the hamster hybrid carefully deposits the rest into a nearby bowl.

As he bends down to pick up the fallen piece, Seokjin's slacks hugs his figure a little too perfectly. Yoongi's back stiffens as he finds his gaze drawn to Seokjin's backside, cheeks warming at how he struggles to look away, eyes glued to the sight in front of him. There's no one that can hold a candle to Jimin's ass– uh, assets, but Seokjin certainly isn't far off.

Yoongi's throat suddenly feels terribly dry.

He doesn't manage to tear his eyes away before Seokjin throws him a look over his shoulder, brown eyes unreadable as they dart from his feet to the tips of his pointed ears. Yoongi fights the urge to take a step back, to cower, all too embarrassed at being caught staring. Seokjin's undivided attention makes his body feel hot and itchy, like his skin is too tight and too loose at the same time. He wants the older alpha to look away, to give his flushed body a break, but he also dislikes the idea of Seokjin not looking at him all the same. It's confusing. Yoongi hasn't felt this way for years – not since he first met Jimin.

"Sure, you can help," Seokjin shrugs as he straightens up, tossing the slice of cucumber away like he didn't just catch Yoongi blatantly gawking at his ass.

Yoongi's tail whips nervously behind his back as he walks over to Seokjin's side. He takes the cutting board and knife offered to him with a small thanks, biting his lip as he starts carefully slicing up a couple of carrots. Yoongi is hyperaware of Seokjin's presence just next to him, their elbows brushing whenever the hamster hybrid reaches out for something.

They work in silence for a while, only Seokjin's low hums filling the air between them. Even though Yoongi feels like his cheeks might be permanently stained pink with embarrassment, he can't help but feel strangely relaxed, comfortable, as they continue to prep the food.

Yoongi finally musters up enough courage to speak when Seokjin starts dividing the vegetables into small lunch boxes, hands clutching the edge of the counter as he says, "I want to apologize for how I accused Jeongguk of messing with Jimin."

Out of the corner of his eye he sees how Seokjin pauses, tilting his head in Yoongi direction to show that he's listening. Yoongi is thankful that Seokjin doesn't turn to face him head on, that he lets Yoongi talk without the added pressure of being stared at while he does so. He's once again struck by how considerate Seokjin is even when he doesn't have to be, how he always stretches himself a little further to be accommodating to those around him.

Seokjin is nothing short of a true pack alpha.

Yoongi releases a small breath, "Deep down I knew it had nothing to do with him, but it was easier to use him as a scapegoat than to actually face the fact that I hadn't been as attentive as I should have. It was out of line, and I'm sorry."

Yoongi's ears pull back as he dips his head, almost disappearing into the shadow of his dark hair.

"I appreciate your apology, Yoongi," Seokjin nods, easy-going as usual as he swiftly moves on, "Now, can you help hyung prep the food we need for dinner? Y/n mentioned she might get home a little late, but it doesn't hurt to get a head start on things."

Seokjin reaches out for another cucumber to dice, pursing his lips in effort not to smile at the breakneck speed Yoongi's head shoots up to look at him. The cat hybrid's gaze is wide, clearly flustered at the comfortable tone Seokjin has taken with him.

"S-sure," Yoongi stutters.

His tail does a cautious yet curious swish behind his back as he accepts a new batch of vegetables from Seokjin. Yoongi places them down on the board with clumsy fingers, skin burning from where Seokjin's hands brushed up against his. He worries at his bottom lip as he dices up another carrot, all too aware of the question that's been burning at the back of his mind for some time.

"Have you and Jeongguk been settling in alright?" Yoongi lets it spew out before he can talk himself out of it.

There's a slight pause in the Seokjin's steady rhythm as he cuts, the split second of it enough to make Yoongi worry he's overstepped.

"I think we've adapted to the situation pretty well. Our instincts settled about a month ago, that made things a little easier," Seokjin pulls his shoulders back in small shrug, unbothered.

The confirmation makes Yoongi's stomach drop.

Only a month ago?

It's been well over three since you brought them all home.

Guilt claws itself up Yoongi's throat, his chest tight with shame. He acted horrible towards the preys for what he thought was a valid reason at the time – he wanted them gone to give himself and Jimin a better chance at staying with you – but he knows now that there's no excuses for the awful things he did. Yoongi can't imagine having his instincts on edge for months, of always feelings like danger is lurking around every corner.

And in a way, it was.

It didn't take more than a petty comment to trigger a full out brawl in the living room and it's only a miracle that no one was seriously injured. Who knows what could have happened if you hadn't come home when you did?

Yoongi doesn't know how to apologize for the months of torture he was compliant in putting Seokjin and Jeongguk through. He doesn't think there is a way to ask for forgiveness for something so terrible.

Yoongi swallows around the lump in his throat, his slow drawl soft as he asks, "And your ruts? Were they manageable?"

It's no wonder it hit them out of the blue, that Seokjin didn't realize what was going on before it was too late. With how their instincts must've been going haywire for months, it makes sense that their cycles arrived earlier than they should have, that their bodies were desperate for something to regulate their emotions; to make them feel like they were in control.

Yoongi remembers how sick they both looked, their eyes hazy and skin flushed red, something that's not in the slightest bit normal for a rut. The whole situation screamed wrong and out of the ordinary, yet he practically had Seokjin's head for not noticing sooner.

"Ah, Yoongi-chi, why the sudden interest in our rut? Do I smell a little jealousy?" Seokjin sniffs the air obnoxiously in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Despite the turmoil that's settled on Yoongi's face, Seokjin sees the corner of his lips quirk, his ears lifting up just the slightest bit from his head.

Seokjin grins. He's never one to pass up on an opportunity to tease.

"You certainly did seem to like how Y/n smelled after it passed, hm?" He hums, turning to Yoongi with a raised brow as he adds, "I don't think I've ever heard a cat hybrid purr so loudly before."

He sees the flush return to Yoongi's pale cheeks, hears the embarrassed whine the cat hybrid lets out as he ducks his head. Yoongi abandons his knife in favor of hiding his face behind his hands, muffled voice garbling out something unintelligible.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, it's okay to like our scents," Seokjin leans his hip against the counter, cocking his head a bit before he adds, "It's cute."

Yoongi's tail flicks behind his back, showing his interest despite the groan he lets out at Seokjin's comment. The cat hybrid rubs his face, hands falling down to his side to show off his pout as he says, "Ah, hyung, don't tease."

Seokjin's heart skips a beat at the sight, stomach fluttering at the soft jut of Yoongi's pink lips. He finds himself a little speechless at the other alpha's use of honorific, blinking in surprise. Yoongi has always kept that wall firmly between them, always made sure to be a little disrespectful, bratty, in ways he could get away with.

The hamster hybrid clears his throat when Yoongi glances up at him, hoping he doesn't see the slight tremble to his hand as he reaches out for his shoulder. Seokjin settles his hand there, giving Yoongi a gentle squeeze.

"Our ruts went fine, by the way, it's nothing to worry about. It was just our pre-ruts that were a bit more intense than normal."

Yoongi's expression shifts into a scowl, his shoulder sagging under Seokjin's hand as he murmurs, "I'm sorry. I'm part of the reason it was triggered too early – that it made you and Jeongguk sick."

Seokjin shakes his head.

"It's all water under the bridge, Yoongi-chi. Don't worry about it."

Yoongi makes a non-committal sound in return, holding himself back from following after Seokjin's hand as he lets go of his shoulder.

The thing is, Yoongi doesn't think he deserves to be let off the hook that easy. Much like Jimin feels guilty for the way he's been acting towards Taehyung, Yoongi shares the same sentiment towards Seokjin. He needs to prove himself worthy of the older alpha's forgiveness before he can embrace it.

"Though, if you really feel bad, maybe you can go pick up that box of groceries that's supposed to be delivered to the door in a few minutes? I think my knees are starting to give out with my old age."

Yoongi looks at Seokjin with a frown, "What are you talking about? You're only one year older than me."

"A lot can happen in 365 days!"

"Fine," Yoongi hides his eagerness to help with a roll of his eyes, tail swishing with faux annoyance.

If he has to blow his back out carrying boxes to get in Seokjin's good graces, it's an easy sacrifice he's willing to make.

He hurries out of the kitchen before Seokjin can change his mind, pressing his hand to his chest the moment he's out in the hallway. Yoongi feels his heart hammer beneath his skin, jumping against his palm from the radiant grin that Seokjin flashed him as he walked out.

Yeah, Yoongi thinks, ears perking at the sound of the doorbell, he'll do whatever it takes to make Seokjin smile at him like that again.

Namjoon glances up at the blue sky with a sigh, grass tickling his ears.

The fresh air does little to clear his mind, his thoughts straying back to Taehyung no matter what. It was shocking to find him wrestling on the ground with Jimin, their tussle reminiscent of how pups play fight to grow closer and learn about boundaries. Taehyung's giggles were bright and happy, a little wild, the way he only gets when he's truly excited. That night, after he and Hoseok had scented Taehyung so aggressively they almost left him scent drunk, desperate to restate their claim on their packmate; shame had curled deep in Namjoon's chest as he realized he couldn't remember the last time he made Taehyung sound like that.

Have they waited too long?

Namjoon lets out a harsh breath through his nose. It's like his mind is warring with itself, the bright yellows clashing with the blues.

One part is happy that Taehyung is growing closer with Jimin, that he's bridging the gap like you asked them to do, that he's gaining another friend that isn't just his own pack. But the other part is terrified, clawing at his insides and screaming that Taehyung has realized he can do better, that the shelter left him with limited options and now he's realized he wants more.

It leaves Namjoon feeling a murky green, his emotions bubbling just below the surface, waiting for that final drop before it all overflows.

Namjoon jolts up at the sound of the garden door slamming shut. His loud thoughts are interrupted by the sight of a frozen Jeongguk, the bunny hybrid's fingers still closed around the handle. As soon as their eyes meet, Jeongguk's body relaxes, the tension draining out just as quickly as it arrived.

"Hey, hyung," Jeongguk offers shyly. He gives Namjoon a gentle smile, probably smelling the turmoil in his scent as he walks across the garden to join him.

Namjoon can't help but wonder just what made Jeongguk change his mind about him. He knows that his species alone is one most people, let alone hybrids, tend to stay away from. Namjoon is also an alpha wolf – which doesn't exactly make him the most inviting. It's like taking the two worst possible things and slapping them together, making one creation that's designed to scare away prey hybrids.

Jeongguk has always been a little skittish around him, even after their truce, but the bunny hybrid's opinion of him appears to have softened drastically in the past weeks.

He thinks it started the day he made Jeongguk laugh for the first time, Namjoon's clumsiness always hitting at the worst possible times. He was carrying a load of fresh laundry, everything clean and folded neatly in a stack. He was only a few steps away from the den when he tripped over nothing, hands dropping all of Hoseok's hard work as he reached out to brace himself against the wall.

Groaning, Namjoon had sat down in the hallway, staring mournfully at the crumpled clothes. It was only when he had tried to fold the same sweater three times that he picked up on Jeongguk's small giggle, the bunny hybrid peering at him from the kitchen.

Blushing, Jeongguk had timidly crossed the hallway to join him, bending down to show Namjoon how it was done with a kind, "Oh, hyung, you're doing it all wrong."

Namjoon tried, he really did, but nothing ever seemed to line up quite right when he tried to fold it the way Jeongguk had showed him. He learned how patiently impatient Jeongguk was that day. In the end, he sat on the floor, watching the bunny hybrid with wide eyes as he quickly folded the laundry back to the pristine way it had been before Namjoon had tripped.

Ever since that moment, it felt like Jeongguk had slowly begun to realize that Namjoon wasn't much more than a clumsy wolf, with hands and feet too big for his own good. He was certainly no vicious predator.

"What are you doing out here?" Jeongguk asks, eyes darting to the blades of grass stuck to Namjoon's hair.

"Just thinking," The wolf hybrid sighs, shaking his head to dispel the images that keep repeating in his head over and over. "I thought coming out here would give me a fresh perspective but it didn't help much."

"Do you... uhm, do you want to talk about it?"

In all honesty, Namjoon doesn't. He's tired of thinking and feeling uneasy about his relationship with his pack. Talking about it with Jeongguk, who seems to have the most stable and loving bond with his packmate and mate, feels like the worst thing to do for Namjoon's heart right now. Why set himself up for more heartache than necessary?

But as he takes in the cute furrow between Jeongguk's brows, the way his slightly too large front teeth nibble at his lip in worry, he must admit that it's sweet that Jeongguk is that concerned about his troubles.

"Actually–" Namjoon pushes himself off the ground, dusting off his trousers, "Would you like to go on a walk with me? I have something I want to show you."

Namjoon keeps glancing at Jeongguk with every other step, making sure the bunny hybrid looks comfortable as he leads him down one of the paths he found. It's pretty, wildflowers covering every side of the small trail, sparse trees on one side and houses on the other. He timed it multiple times to know it only takes eight minutes to walk from the house to the beginning of the trail, the area you picked out a perfect blend of having both nature and the city within manageable walking distances. The city is certainly further away, probably thirty minutes by foot, but Namjoon finds he prefers their quiet neighbourhood over the hustle and bustle of city living. It must be the wolf in him, always yearning for nature no matter what.

Jeongguk's step falters as he noticed a patch of pretty wildflowers, the vibrant hues of red, lilac and yellow blending together in a striking picture. "Wow," He smiles, one foot thumping the ground in excitement, "the flowers are so pretty here!"

"They are," Namjoon agrees, tail wagging as he watches the bunny hybrid lean down to sniff them. He stands there, instincts silently preening as he observes Jeongguk enjoying the scenery. Jeongguk likes the the trail he picked out, he did good.

Clearing his throat, Namjoon ducks his head, a little shy as Jeongguk glances over at him, "I don't mean to overstep, I hope I'm not, but I've been spending some time memorizing a few safe routes you can walk on your own if you need time to yourself. This is actually the longest one."

Namjoon pulls a face as he looks off to side, chest rumbling he explains, "What those weasel hybrids did to you was terrible, Jeongguk. The fact that it happened on your first walk alone too... I'm so sorry. Shelters never allow you much privacy, so going on walks have always been very therapeutic for me. It makes me sad that your first experience was so badly tainted by them."

"I know how frustrating it is to be constantly cooped up inside so I wanted to offer you an alternative. I understand if you don't feel comfortable walking these routes yet by yourself, especially not after what happened last time, but I'm always willing to accompany you if you need it. I can even walk far behind you if you'd like, making sure that everything is safe while still offering you some time alone! Or not, that's fine too! I'm sure Seokjin hyung or Y/n would–" Namjoon's rambling ceases at the small noise Jeongguk makes, the bunny hybrid giving him a look he can't quite decipher.

Jeongguk's lips are parted in what must be surprise, long ears standing tall with attention and his doe eyes sparkling.

"Namjoon hyung," Jeongguk breathes, visibly touched at the wolf hybrid's thoughtfulness. "Thank you."

"Oh," Namjoon murmurs. He stares bashfully down at the ground, cheeks reddening as he says, "It's, um, no big deal."

It really isn't, so why is his heart beating so hard?

Namjoon suddenly find himself unable to meet Jeongguk's gaze; the soft eyes he can feel studying his face. "Let's continue walking? There's a spot a little further up the road I think you'll like."

"Sure, hyung," The bunny hybrid hums, taking pity on him. He falls into step besides Namjoon, matching his long strides without problem.

Namjoon is so caught up in trying to tame his flaming cheeks that he doesn't notice the small rock in his path, the front of his shoe getting caught on the edge. He lets out a yelp as he stumbles forward, eyes closing automatically as he braces for the inevitable impact. The last bruises he got on his leg had just started fading too.

A strong grip closes around his arm, yanking him back before he can fall. Namjoon opens his eyes to find Jeongguk staring at him intently, the corner of his lip twitching like he's fighting off a smile, "Hyung, you really need to be more careful."

Namjoon blinks, the blush that was once contained to his cheeks slowly spreading down his neck at the amused look Jeongguk gives him.

"I know," He sighs. As far as Namjoon remembers, he doesn't think there's ever gone a week by where he hasn't been told that in some shape or form.

Jeongguk gives him a small tug on the arm before he lets go, resuming their walk. Namjoon takes care to pay extra attention to his surroundings this time, not wanting to make a fool of himself once again. It's the heightened focus that makes him aware of how close the bunny hybrid suddenly is, the distance between them so small that their arms keep bumping into each other.

Namjoon doesn't comment on it, pleased that Jeongguk feels comfortable enough to touch him - accidental or not.

His gray ears perk as they round the last bend, the trail opening up to a small park hidden away at the end of it. It's quiet today, no kids running around and no adults occupying the benches places around the grassy field.

"Ah, he's here!" Namjoon lights up as he sees the small cart tucked into one of the corners of the park, beneath one of the largest trees. The old man resting beside it raises his hand in greeting as he notices them and Namjoon copies the motion.

Jeongguk makes a questioning sound as the alpha wolf speeds up, tail wagging behind his back. Namjoon glances back at him, grinning as he says, "You like ice cream, right?"

Namjoon offers a warm greeting to the old man once they reach him, exchanging pleasant small talk as Jeongguk contemplates which flavour to pick. The bunny hybrid's eyes are shining with joy as he peers into the containers, gaze jumping back and forth as he struggles to choose.

"Have you had cookies and cream before? I think you'd enjoy that," Namjoon points to the flavour in question, smiling as Jeongguk immediately agrees.

Namjoon goes for chocolate, letting Jeongguk find them a bench as he pays. The bunny hybrid's back is facing him as he walks over, his brown cotton tail vibrating with excitement. Namjoon has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning too big, endeared at the sight.

"Namjoon hyung, this is so good," Jeongguk wrinkles his brows as he eats, staring angrily down at the ice cream as if he's offended by how good it tastes.

"Right?" Namjoon hums, taking a spot on the opposite side of the bench. "Mr. Kim's ice cream is definitely worth the walk."

They enjoy their treats in silence, only offering a few passing comments here and there. Namjoon knows his tail hasn't stopped moving since they entered the park.

He offers the last bites of his cup to Jeongguk, pushing it forward as the bunny hybrid eagerly leans across the table to grab it. Jeongguk's oversized sweater slips as he moves, exposing the skin below his collarbones, his faded mating mark on display.

Namjoon swallows thickly, averting his eyes before Jeongguk can catch him looking. He traces his fingers along the wooden grain on the table, ears twisting back with uncertainty.

He wants that too.

Namjoon can try to deny it all he wants, that he's content with the way things are - but he's not. He doesn't just want a packmark, fleeting touches and careful kisses during ruts, he wants everything. He's tired of always holding back, of not being able to take care of Hoseok and Taehyung like Seokjin takes care of Jeongguk. He wants, no, yearns, to love them, chest tight with the need to call them his.

They promised to take it slow, to talk about it later, but it's been years. How long are they going to allow themselves to suffer, to stay in this weird in-between where all the lines are blurred yet impossible to cross?

He didn't want to burden Jeongguk with his troubles, but perhaps the bunny hybrid can offer him another perspective. Namjoon thinks he owes it to himself to at least try.

"Jeongguk," Namjoon picks at a loose splinter, mustering up the courage to ask, "How did you and Seokjin hyung become a pack?"

"Oh, I wouldn't leave hyung alone," Jeongguk snorts as he swallows the last of Namjoon's ice cream. He leans one arm on the table, resting his head in his palm. His long ears twitch as he thinks back, a fond smile on his face as he explains, "From the moment I saw Seokjin hyung, no one else mattered. He always took care of me and the younger hybrids, taking on the role of an older brother. He has always been so kind and selfless, always willing to help. I kind of latched on to him – after my shelter transfer I was desperate for something stable, safe, and hyung was exactly that."

"We became bonded very quickly, much to Seokjin hyung's horror," Jeongguk sighs. "He wanted me to have a chance at being adopted, to find a home, but that didn't matter to me. I didn't want a family if he wasn't part of it."

Namjoon nods, heart squeezing in sympathy. He knows how that feels.

"He was just as attached as I was though, so we decided to become a pack so that they legally couldn't separate us. For all the lectures hyung gave me on the importance of being adopted, I think he was just as scared as I was whenever someone came to look around. He didn't want to lose me either."

"How did you become mates, then? It sounds like what you had was more brotherly than a relationship?" Namjoon tilts his head, glancing up at Jeongguk.

The bunny hybrid grins, a little smug. "I'm very determined once I set my mind on something and I just knew that hyung was it for me. He had his worries since I'm younger, but none of that mattered to me. It took some time to convince him to give it a shot, to at least try to see me as a potential mate and not just someone he needed to take care of. Uh, well, let's just say my first rut opened his eyes a lot?"

"I was already nineteen at that point, so there wasn't anything legally holding us back from mating. We waited another year I think, I didn't want to rush hyung into something he wasn't comfortable with. Deep down, we both knew we loved each other and that we had done it for a long time, but sometimes it's just easier to fall back on what's comfortable. Change can be scary."

Namjoon feels exposed, like Jeongguk can read the thoughts appearing behind his eyes.

Smiling wistfully, the bunny hybrid shrugs his shoulders, leaning back on his seat as he says, "Change can be scary, but at least you'll know, right? For better or worse."

"Yeah," Namjoon grimaces, "For better or worse."

He flashes Jeongguk a wobbly smile, collecting their used cups as he gestures to the path they came. "Are you ready to go back?"

The bunny hybrid springs to his feet, the seriousness gone from his expression in a flash. Namjoon steps over to a nearby trashcan, taking a deep breath as he chucks the empty cardboard away.

Whatever Taehyung and Hoseok wants, he'll accept it. If they have to stay the way they are, he'll learn to deal with it. He's been tampering down his feelings for years already, so what's a lifetime more of it, really?

As he walks back with Jeongguk, eyes once again trained on the ground, he finds that he can't voice the thing he wants to say the most. That while he'll always respect his packmates wishes, he's not sure he will ever be able to fully heal if they reject him. Not again.

There's only so much sorrow a heart can take before it's beyond repair.

"Shit," You curse, wincing at the uneven gravel road.

The ground is filled with bumps and holes, rattling your car something fierce. You're in the middle of nowhere, following the coordinates your whistleblower supplied you with. They hadn't said much, just that whatever was waiting for you would be helpful to your case.

Your destination is twenty meters ahead.

You try to squint past the dust the car keeps kicking up, seeing nothing but the road. Your contact hasn't betrayed you, right? They wouldn't send you off into the forest to have you taken out by one of Lim's men?

Glancing over at the GPS, you slow the car to a stop just as the cheery robotic voice announces that you've reached your destination.

You wait for the dust to settle, eyes scanning the road for anything out of the ordinary. Finding nothing, you cautiously exit your car, keeping your keys tucked between your fingers. You doubt it'll do much should someone actually try to attack you, but it feels comforting nonetheless.

It only takes walking to the other side of the car before you spot it, a rusted red mailbox barely visible beneath the climbing vines growing all over it.

"Please don't let something jump out at me," You whisper, stepping through the tall grass to reach it. You lean back as you open it, letting out a relieved breath when you only find a small envelope inside.

You quickly snatch it up, hurrying back to your car. Locking the doors, you do another sweep of the forest around you before you carefully open it, pulling out the folded piece of paper inside.

You can't quite believe your eyes as you straighten it out.

They can help, is all it says, along with three names scribbled messily below.

You know them.

A choked sound bubbles past your lips, hands shaking as you stare at the black ink.

An Daeun

Yoo Jeonghui

Nam Minseo

It's...

It's the same names you gave to Kim Hajoon only a week ago.

a/n: i know things are pretty angsty for the canines right now, but it'll get better soon 🥺 we are very close to a breakthrough!

i would really love to hear what you think about the chapter! yoongi's crush on seokjin is pretty obvious, huh? do you think he knows? and what so you think about namkook's talk? or what the MC found at the end?

(it's 1 am rn and i'm tipsy so i'll fix any mistakes in the morning lol)

if you like the chapter, please let me know! 💖 engagement has been quite low lately and it’s pretty discouraging :(

chapter 24 should be posted near the end of August! see you all soon and stay safe <3

#everytime you update my brain makes car crash sounds #like a cave man with fire #ooga booga update me must read

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