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whitesparrows97 · 1 year

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Not quite the same – Part 7

Pairing: Wolf Hybrid!Jungkook x Dog Hybrid!Reader

Summary: You had always thought that your home with your family was the final stop. After your owners abandon you and a storm drives you into the nearby forest, you think things can’t get any worse. At least until you run right into the arms of a pack of wolves.

Genre: Hybrid AU; angst, smut, fluff

Rating: 18+

Warnings: HEAVY ANGST!!!, mentions of blood and injuries

Word Count: 4.5K

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The knife almost slipped from your sweaty fingers, so you gripped it tighter. It felt odd in your hand. A branch cracked under your weight and you flinched. Immediately you paused to take in more sounds in your surroundings, but everything was quiet. Even the animals had fallen silent.

You were unsure how far away you were from the cabin and if you were going in the right direction. It was so dark in the forest by now that you couldn’t even see your own hand in front of your eyes. You had to rely on your nose and you could faintly smell Jungkook’s scent. That was the only way you knew you were on the right path. As his scent grew stronger, your steps quickened. When the smells of the others joined in, you began to run.

You stumbled into the clearing, saw lights burning in the cabin, and relief flooded through you. You took a deep breath and almost had to laugh at yourself. But then your eyes fell on the three black vans parked at the far edge of the clearing.

Horror shot through your body and made you stagger for a moment. Your hand shot to your chest, because suddenly you felt like you couldn’t breathe. Your vision blurred and you had to stop in the middle of the clearing. Somewhere in the back of your mind you knew that this was not a good place to stand unprotected. So you pressed your hand to your mouth to stifle a sob and took a deep, shuddering breath through your nose. Holding your breath for a moment, you lifted your hand from your mouth and exhaled through your mouth. Until your breathing was under control and your heartbeat no longer pulsed in your temples.

Then you wiped the tears from your eyes.

New determination filled the hole that the fear had left behind. You remembered the knife still clutched in your fingers. Hunched, you walked along the edge of the clearing, towards the vans. Dark and ominous, they stood like intruders beside the trees. Deep tire tracks had dug into the dirt, as if they had approached at high speed and then stopped abruptly.

You stood on your tiptoes and tried to catch a glimpse inside the cabin, but could see nothing except the ceiling of the living room. Quiet voices reached your ears, but you couldn’t make out any words. They were strange voices, though, you realized that much.

You ducked behind one of the vans closest to the clearing and farthest from the cabin. The driver’s cab was empty, the key was still in it. For a brief moment, you considered whether that might come to your rescue. But neither could you drive, nor would you know where to go. You didn’t know anyone you could ask for help. You were all alone right now.

So you continued to the back of the car. You knew what the back and the reinforced door were for. You had already seen it once from the inside, you would not go a second time; you had promised yourself that then.

You crouched down behind the car to catch your breath. Your eyes fell on the thick tire and then darted to the knife in your hand. It probably wouldn’t help much, but you had to do something. You clutched the knife anew and stabbed at the tire. Once. Two times. On the third time, you heard the air escape from the tire and you would have loved to cheer loudly. But your joy was interrupted only a moment later.

You heard the footsteps coming closer, but you didn’t have time to turn around when a strong arm grabbed you. It wrapped itself so tightly around the middle of your body that for a moment you couldn’t breathe and the knife slipped from your fingers in shock.

“Gotcha,” said a deep voice you didn’t know. His hot breath hit your temple and you grimaced in disgust.

“Let go of me!” you screamed, trying to squirm in his grip, but to no avail.

The man lifted you up and you kicked your legs. You were sure that you kicked him several times against the knee, which made him stumble. However, his grip didn’t loosen a bit. You tried to pull on his arm, but quickly the strength left you. You could only watch as he carried you meter by meter towards the hut.

“Well, well, well,” another man said as you were carried up the porch, entering his field of vision. “And you told me you didn’t know her.” He looked to the side. It wasn’t until you were carried through the door that you saw he had his gaze fixed on the five hybrids, who were on their knees with their hands behind their backs, staring straight ahead.

Your eyes darted over them and you saw a laceration on Namjoon’s head and blood running down his face. On his upper arm, you saw a large cut in his top and how the blood had stained the material. The others seemed to be mostly unharmed, which made you breathe a little easier. But only until your gaze found Jungkook’s. You stilled in your movements and became completely motionless.

Glaring anger overcame you as your gaze fell on the handcuffs around his wrists and the man standing behind him with a gun pointed at his head.

“I caught her slashing a tire.”

“Let go of me.” You didn’t recognize your voice yourself, and when you started to struggle again, the man behind you actually let you on the ground. But instead of freedom, his hand settled on your shoulder and upper arm. He gripped tightly, but you had something other than pain on your mind. “I said let go of me.” A loud growl filled the room and it took you a moment to realize it had come from you.

The men in the room began to laugh. You felt the man behind you as well, his chest quivering with laughter. “Isn’t she cute?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a hand approach your face that had been on your upper arm just a second ago. Without thinking, you fixed your gaze on the spot just above his wrist and bit down. The man behind you, laughing a moment ago, now cried out in pain. He tried to snatch his arm from your bite and you felt your teeth tearing through the skin.

“Let go of me, you stupid bitch!” he yelled and after a few seconds managed to push you away so that you fell to the ground. You hit the wood hard, but with some satisfaction you looked up at the man, who was holding his forearm in pain. Blood dripped from between his fingers to the floor. Looking for help, he looked over you to the man standing in the middle of the room who had greeted you at the beginning. “Are you just going to let her get away with that? She bit me!”

“I can see that,” the man replied, and though you couldn’t see him because he was standing behind you, you heard the smile in his voice. “She warned you, it was your own stupidity not to listen to her.”

The other man looked at him in disbelief, then looked down at you. “I’ll show you, you–”

“Now, now,” the man interrupted him, stepping into your field of vision to stand beside him. He put a hand on his upper arm. “You should bandage it, that looks like a pretty deep bite to me.”

The man you bit gave you another angry glare, but the other man cleared his throat.

“Now.” There was so much authority in his voice that your arm hairs stood up. It wasn’t a second before the other man had hurried out the door. The man turned to face you, and as your gaze fell on his face, you noticed the deep scar that stretched from his temple to the corner of his mouth. He reached into his pocket and as he took a step toward you, you shrank back on all fours. “Don’t be afraid,” the man said, smiling. Then he held out a piece of cloth to you and pointed to his mouth with his free hand.

Only now did you notice the metallic taste in your mouth and you almost gagged. Your jaw ached and your stomach turned. You wiped your mouth and spat the remaining blood into the cloth.

“You can keep it,” the man said as you looked at him afterwards.

“She’s got quite a temper,” said another man behind you.

The man with the scar looked at him and laughed a deep laugh. In another situation, you would have found it sympathetic, like an elderly relative telling you a funny story in front of the fireplace at Christmas. But here it sent a shiver down your spine as his gaze fell on you again. “You wouldn’t think so. But it’s always the quiet ones…” The man stepped back into the middle of the room and quickly you straightened up and turned to the others. “So, you’re telling me you’ve never seen this hybrid before?”

No one answered. The man standing behind Namjoon stepped forward and pressed the barrel of his rifle to the back of his head. Namjoon closed his eyes before shaking his head. “We’ve never seen her before.”

“Then who were the heat suppressors for?” another man interjected.

How did he know about that?

“It’s all good, Marten. We’ll sort it out,” the man with the scar said, gesturing for him to sit back down on the sofa.

Your eyes widened when you heard the name. Namjoon had had a bad feeling and you had all dismissed it just a few hours before. You had to pull yourself together not to turn your gaze to Namjoon. Apparently he had a plan and you would try to stick to it; even if you didn’t know the rules of it.

“All right, let’s play along,” said the man with the scar, looking at you. “What’s your name?”

Under his piercing gaze, everything inside you tensed and you wanted to disappear inside yourself. Still, you told him your name.

“So, Y/N.” Nausea rose in you when you heard your name from his mouth. “And what exactly are you doing here at this hour? A little walk in the woods when you can barely see where you’re stepping seems like a stretch to me.”

Quick as a flash, you came up with a story. “I went for a walk with my owners and wandered off too far. I’m sure they miss me already.”

The man raised both eyebrows as if he hadn’t expected this story. He reached for the walkie talkie stuck on his shoulder. “Brandon, come in”

It clicked and a little later another voice was heard coming through the small speakers. “Brandon here.”

“What are your owners’ names?” the man with the scar asked you.

You told him the two names.

“Can you check to see if there’s a hybrid registered in their name?”

“Roger.”

Silence filled the living room and everyone seemed to be waiting anxiously for the message that came out of the walkie talkie a few seconds later. “Boss? Actually, there really is a hybrid listed on them. Y/N is her name.”

“Oh, what a surprise,” the man muttered.

“But according to the files, she’s no longer with them.”

“Has she been reported missing?”

“Negative, but I can’t see if she’s been taken to a shelter.”

“I rather think not,” the man said, grinning. “When exactly was that?”

“Just under three months ago, sir.”

“Thank you, that’s all, Brandon.” The walkie talkie crackled, seeming to end your lie and seal your fate. “You poor thing, just abandoned here and forced to spend time with these wild hybrids?”

“We don’t know each other,” Namjoon insisted. His voice cut like a knife through the tense atmosphere.

“If there’s one thing I don’t like,” the man began, walking behind the others with slow steps until he was standing directly behind Namjoon. Then he leaned down so that his mouth was directly at one of the two gray ears perched on Namjoon’s head, “it’s lies.” He straightened up again and looked at you. “Your eyes gave you away, dear. Right when you walked in, your gaze was a little too long on the person who seemed to be very important to you. Isn’t that right?” He began again, walking slowly behind the others. Even from a distance, you saw Jimin gulp as he came to a stop behind him. Then the man turned on his heels and headed the other way. “In my thirty years, I’ve seen it all, and you really think you can fool me?”

You kept your gaze fixed on him, as he got closer and closer to Jungkook. Every fiber in your body bristled as he stopped behind him.

“I can literally feel him shaking. His handcuffs are about to snap, he’s trying so hard to pull himself together.” He placed a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. You understood that this gesture was not an expression of kindness on his part, but of power. “You should have seen him when my colleague threw you to the ground. If looks could kill.” He laughed so hard that he almost fell over backwards.

And it was at that moment that you realized you couldn’t figure the man out. His every action surprised you. But if there was one thing you knew, it was that this man was dangerous. As nice as he seemed, there was a chilling calculation and cunning behind his smile. This was far from his first mission, and probably far from his last.

You made a decision. “I guess you’re taking me with you?”

The man with the scar tilted his head. “Well, well, there’s someone who’s thinking after all!” He clapped his hands and out of the corner of your eye you saw Taehyung and Seokjin wince at the sound. The man stepped away from Jungkook and finally you were able to breathe a little easier. You could do this, even if negotiating had never been your strong suit.

“Then I’ll come with you,” you said firmly.

“Nice of you to think you have a choice.”

“Y/N, no,” Jungkook said softly, and as you looked past the man, your eyes met Jungkook’s. He shook his head. But you had made your decision. This was not about you.

“If I go with you, will you let the others go?”

The man looked at you, almost with affection. Like a father looking at his daughter as she excitedly told him about Santa Claus. Only to have her hopes and joy completely destroyed a few seconds later when he told her that he didn’t exist.

Just like that, the man crushed your hope between two of his fingers as he came to a stop in front of you. For a moment he looked at you in silence, as if considering how brutally he should convey the truth. “Oh no. We can’t just leave these dangerous hybrids here. They’re hurting walkers and posing a risk we can’t take.”

“What exactly does that mean?” You were afraid of the answer, but you had to have certainty. All you cared about was that the five of them would not be separated from each other. You didn’t want them to be torn from their environment, what they had spent years building. But you couldn’t imagine the pain of knowing that they would be separated.

Or maybe you could imagine it after all, when your eyes fell on Jungkook. Your fate was already sealed, but you didn’t want to give up for the others.

“What do you think?” the man snapped you out of your thoughts. “Do you think wild wolves can be placed with owners? That they can be integrated into society without them ever giving in to their nature and them hurting someone?”

You were confused. “They don’t hurt anyone. They’ve lived here for years unnoticed and undetected and they don’t hurt a soul. They just want to be left alone.”

“Then answer me this, Y/N: How do hunters handle it when the population of wolves gets so high that there’s hardly a rabbit or deer left in the woods?”

You couldn’t get your mouth open.

“They are shot. The population of predators will be contained and that’s exactly what we’re doing. These are predators, hybrids that have to be subordinate. If you can’t incorporate them, you have to get the risk out of the way before people get hurt.”

You thought back to the last few weeks and how you had been happier than you had ever been before. How your relationship with Jungkook had developed. The kiss that now seemed like an eternity ago. How carefree you had felt. Your gaze slid over the five hybrids still kneeling on the floor, each looking at you with the same sad look. As if they knew something you didn’t. As if they realized something you hadn’t yet seen.

“Predators like these have no right to a new home. They are filth that must be removed.” He, too, let his gaze roam over the five, but with such hatred and disgust that it left you breathless. Slowly a thought formed in you, but you wouldn’t understand it. “Take her with you,” he ordered.

Your body acted faster than your head. You had pushed past the man and dropped to your knees in front of Jungkook. Tightly you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and pressed yourself against him so tightly that no sheet of paper could fit between you.

“It’s okay,” he murmured, his soft voice tearing at your heart. Over and over again, the word the man had used came into your head. He would do away with them. And even though you didn’t want to understand it, you knew exactly what it meant.

You shook your head and tears flew right and left.

“Shh,” Jungkook tried to reassure you and you would have loved to feel his arms around you, but they were still tied behind his back. “I promise you, it’s going to be okay.”

“It can’t if you’re not there,” you sobbed. You didn’t know if the others even understood you, but it didn’t matter. Your reaction was answer enough for them. You didn’t want a life where the five of them weren’t, too.

“You have to let me go.”

You were sure that you weren’t the only one aware of the double meaning of Jungkook’s statement. One last time, you hugged him tightly before letting your arms slide to your sides and looking him in the face. His cheekbones were wet and new tears formed in his eyes when he saw you.

“It’s going to be okay. I promise you that. I’ll find you no matter what.”

You wanted to say something back, to tell him how you felt about him, but couldn’t find the right words. A small smile spread on his lips.

“I know.”

You would never forget that smile, no matter how long it would take you to see Jungkook again.

You started to speak, but out of the corner of your eye you saw something dark approaching quickly. In the next instant, a sharp pain ran through your temple and everything went dark.

. . .

You cowered in the corner, your arms wrapped tightly around your midsection, avoiding every glance that came your way. You were startled when the barred door to your cell opened and the male nurse hesitantly approached. You couldn’t help but notice his frown when he saw the untouched food he had put out the night before. He sighed as he replaced the two bowls.

“You need to eat something to get your strength back,” he said, sounding like a caring father. But you knew better. Never would you be able to trust a human again. Marten had betrayed you, your owners had abandoned you, the people in the shelter you had been in before had treated you horribly. No, you could see through the nice facade the nurse had put on.

That’s why you pressed yourself even further into the corner from which you only moved to take a shower or go to the bathroom. In the last few days, you had once again been struck by the injustice of this world. Every time one of the caretakers left your cells – or rooms, as they called them – and locked the door behind them, you laughed bitterly inside. They could pretend you were friends, but friends didn’t lock themselves in a cell. Was it fear? Distrust? Whatever it was, you would get out of here and find Jungkook and the others.

The nurse took another long look at you before finally turning around and locking the door behind him like he did three times a day. Then he stopped on the other side of the bars once more and turned to you. “I don’t know what you’ve been through to make you retreat like this, but you can trust us.” You suppressed a snort. “We’re here for you, and we’ll find you a new family.”

You didn’t want a new family. You wanted to see the others again.

“Since you’ve been here, you haven’t said a word. We don’t even know your name.”

And that’s how it would stay. A name had too much power over a person.

“If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

You wrestled with yourself whether to ask him to check on the others. But maybe that would just get them in more trouble. Or you’d get your hopes up if the caregiver agreed, only to be disappointed again. Probably he wouldn’t even bother to investigate. You stubbornly kept your eyes on the floor in front of you until he disappeared from your sight and you heard the metal door close, locking the wing you were in. The emergency wing was empty except for you. You should have been happy that no other hybrid needed medical care, but you had never felt as lonely as you had for the last four days.

Now that the nurse was gone, you broke free of your rigidity. You raised your hand and gently ran a finger over the thick bump on your temple. You didn’t have a mirror in your cell, but you could guess how green and blue your face must be. When the hybrid rescue had picked you up, you had not been able to see out of your right eye, so much had your face swollen. At least this swelling had gone down in the meantime. However, your face still hurt. Your eyes fell on the white pill that the nurse had placed next to your breakfast and which you flushed down the toilet as you had done the previous days. Who knew if it was really just pain medication and not something else.

As you watched the swirl of water drag the tablet along, you breathed a little sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about. Feeling powerless, you lowered yourself to the floor next to the bed and resumed your original position. But no matter how tightly you wrapped your arms around yourself, the trembling in your body wouldn’t stop. You drew your legs up and let your forehead sink to your knees.

And then you began to wait.

What exactly for you didn’t know. Even if you got out of here, you wouldn’t know where to start looking. You didn’t understand enough about politics to know what happened to stray hybrids that were taken in by the RCH and didn’t go to a shelter like you. For a lot of money they had bought you off, you had understood that behind the closed doors of the truck. You could still see the lights of the truck right in front of you, how they had become smaller and smaller and finally had been completely engulfed by darkness. And with it the last link between you and the others broke.

You were sure that somewhere out there they were waiting for you. Jungkook had promised you that and he would never lie to you. But your head worked against your heart. Again and again the words of the man with the scar came into your head. That he would “remove” them. But hybrids also had a right to live, no matter if they were predators or not. And they had not harmed anyone. It couldn’t be legal to just… no, it wouldn’t be legal. It couldn’t be.

When you heard the lock turn in the metal door, you quickly wiped the tears from your face. Your ears perked up as you tried to hear who was coming into the wing. Maybe it was another hybrid that the shelter had saved. At least then you wouldn’t be quite so alone.

You recognized the nurse’s voice, muffled by the several inches of metal. “I must warn you, though, she hasn’t spoken a word since she got here.”

“When was that?” asked a voice unfamiliar to you. It sounded concerned.

“Four days ago, we bought her from the RCH.”

An uncomfortable silence followed. They were talking about you. As you became aware of this, panic swept through you. Could it really be true that someone was interested in you? You didn’t want that. You couldn’t get used to a new home with strange, lying people only to be disappointed again. Thoughts raced through your mind about how you could make the worst possible impression to turn the prospective buyer away. Even though everything inside you was resisting, maybe you should growl at him as a greeting. Maybe that would be enough.

You tensed every fiber in your body and prepared yourself as the door opened and footsteps approached. But it wasn’t just two pairs, it was three, you now heard. Perhaps a couple looking for a new addition to their new family. Disgust spread through you. Not again would you be a substitute for children. Not again would you–

Like a car slamming on the brakes, your thoughts came to a halt as your gaze fell on the black, cat-like ears almost lost in the dark, tousled hair. Your eyes met the hybrid’s and his eyes widened as he returned your gaze. It took a moment for the two of you to understand. Understanding who you were facing.

But never could you forget all the years you had spent together.

“Yoongi?”

. . .

A/N: Well, well, guess who decided to come back with another chapter after three months? I feel really terrible to have been gone that long. I don’t want to come up with excuses other than life is a little bit rough right now. I hope you’re doing well though! I wonder who the other man at the end might be 👀

Written 2022-2023. Do not copy, translate or repost without permission.

#hybrid bts #hybrid!bts #bts x reader #bts hybrid au #bangtanarmynet #wolf hybrid jungkook #dog hybrid reader #bts angst #bts smut #jungkook x reader #bts fluff #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts imagines #bts fic #jungkook smut

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whitesparrows97 · 1 year

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Not quite the same – Part 6

Pairing: Wolf Hybrid!Jungkook x Dog Hybrid!Reader

Genre: Hybrid AU; angst, smut, fluff

Rating: 18+

Warnings: Making out, grinding, dirty talk, Y/N having a little bit too much fantasy (in more than one way); also the ANGST is starting

Word Count: 7.9K

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A/N: Hello, hello!!! I didn’t plan on going on hiatus for as long as I did, but the healing process of the surgery turned out to be a little bit more difficult than expected. I’m all right now, so please don’t worry! Thank you for your sweet messages though, they really helped me through some not so great days! I’m also really excited about writing again, as this story finally takes up a little bit more speed. As always, please read the warning, it’s getting intense now. I hope you’re all doing well and are just excited about this chapter as I am! Sending my love to everyone xx

Stepping outside onto the terrace for the first time in ten days, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. Fresh air filled your lungs and a weight seemed to lift from your shoulders. Even though you were used to being locked up, you would probably never get used to it. None of the others had explicitly told you to stay in Taehyung’s room, but you hadn’t been in the mood to go out or talk to the others for the past few days. The short conversations with Seokjin and Namjoon, who had taken turns to bring you food had been enough social contact for you.

Now, however, you couldn’t stop grinning when you saw Jimin and Taehyung digging up the soil of the flower beds with shovels and spades. You had spent the last few days watching the others working in the garden from Taehyung’s window after hearing voices and laughter outside. The image of Jungkook came into your head; shirtless, kneeling and concentrating on his work digging up the earth, sweaty skin illuminated by the sun.

You swallowed.

“Y/N!” Taehyung shouted as he caught sight of you and waved effusively.

This snapped you out of your thoughts and with a laugh on your lips, you headed towards them. Jimin stood up as well.

“How are you feeling?” he asked when you stopped beside them.

“Better,” you replied. The night before your heat ended, but had taken the precaution of waiting until morning to get enough rest. The suppressants that Namjoon had gotten you from Marten had drained your body. The first night you had thrown up and you had had to convince Seokjin to keep taking them.

But it had been worth it to you, because you had been dying to see the others again.

“You must be here because you want to help us with the gardening, right?” Taehyung grinned and nudged you with his shoulder. “Jungkookie actually promised us too. I don’t know where he is.” He looked toward the house with his eyebrows drawn together.

You followed his gaze and new joy rose in you as you thought of the other hybrid. “Why are you even awake already, Taehyung?”

Jimin snorted at your comment and you didn’t miss the evil look Taehyung gave him.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Taehyung pouted and picked up the shovel from the ground to continue digging. This time with a little more force than necessary.

“Not that easy when you have to share the room, huh?” Jimin looked at the other with a grin.

“I’ll let Seokjin know that you can move back into your room, Taehyung.” You felt bad that Taehyung couldn’t sleep well because you were occupying his room.

However, to your surprise, he looked at you and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s okay, you needed the room more than me.” He gave Jimin a quick sideways glance. “Even though Jiminie’s a real pain in the ass. I didn’t know anyone could toss and turn so much in their sleep.”

Jimin pouted. “You should be thankful, you could have slept on the sofa and you know how early Seokjin-Hyung always gets up.”

Taehyung paused. Then he nodded in agreement. “I guess you’re right about that. But we’ll have to solve the room arrangement in the future.”

Heat rose in your cheeks and you looked intently at the tips of your shoes, which were digging into the loose earth. Jungkook’s comment came back to your mind that you could share a room. Deep in thought of the upcoming conversation with him, you didn’t notice how your tail had begun to sway from side to side. The movement was amplified when you heard a familiar voice behind you.

“Sorry, sorry! Seokjin put me on kitchen duty, but I’m here now–”

You turned around and the smile was on your lips before your eyes even met. Jungkook had sprinted down the steps of the patio and then stopped in place when he caught sight of you.

“Hey.” His voice sounded deeper than you remembered. His still-damp hair stuck to his forehead, and with an absent movement he brushed it back.

“Hi,” you said, quieter than he did and strangely out of breath. Not even two seconds later you had thrown yourself into his arms, which wrapped tightly around your body at the same moment. You inhaled deeply. Under the soap and detergent of his clothes you could clearly make out his scent and you pressed your nose even harder against his chest. Then you felt his nose in your hair.

“I missed you,” he murmured very close to your ear, which twitched slightly and you thought you felt him press a kiss to the place where your ear disappeared in your hair.

You hummed contentedly and pressed yourself a little tighter against him.

You almost forgot about the other two standing just a few feet away from you. Until Jimin eventually cleared his throat, causing you and Jungkook to flinch. You detached yourselves from each other, if you could call it that. Jungkook still had his arm around your shoulders and had you pressed against his side while his focus was on the other hybrid.

Jimin scowled at Jungkook. “You’re late, you promised to help us.”

“That’s what I was trying to explain,” Jungkook said, rolling his eyes with a smile on his lips. “Seokjin made me do the dishes and I had to do that first because someone didn’t do them last night.” He gave Taehyung a meaningful look. The latter, however, was exceptionally focused on his task of pulling weeds and seemed oblivious to the conversation.

“All right,” Jimin said, lowering his folded arms. “You’ll get away with it this time. Will you two get some tools from the shed?”

“Will do!”

With that, Jungkook had grabbed your hand and was pulling you toward the shed, which was almost at the edge of the clearing. The closer you got to it, the more clearly you saw that the others must have been repairing the roof. Boards of different shades of wood were in place like a patchwork quilt, holding up to the rain and storms. The door squeaked as Jungkook opened it and the only light that fell into the otherwise dark shed came through the small window across from the door. It smelled slightly musty in here, possibly a bit like mold, but mostly like earth and grass.

“Do you need gloves?” asked Jungkook, who was already digging in a box while you were still looking around. You wondered if the others had all the equipment from Marten. “Hmm, can you try these on?”

He held out a pair of gloves to you and as you slipped into them and they slid over your fingers far too easily, Jungkook laughed.

“Okay, these might be a little too big.” He grabbed the fingertips that weren’t even close to being filled by your fingers and pulled the gloves back off your hands. “We don’t have any other size, unfortunately. Jimin grabbed the smallest ones.”

“That’s okay,” you said. Your eyes fell on a small shovel and a box of a wide variety of seeds. “I can help plant them. And I have no problem touching the soil.”

There was silence between you as you took various little bags out of the box and looked at them. You were so engrossed in reading the various inscriptions – tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, strawberries – that you didn’t notice Jungkook’s gaze on you.

It wasn’t until he mumbled your name, that you looked up. “I’m sorry I left you alone like that with your heat.” He looked from you down to his feet. “And didn’t even visit you. Jin-Hyung told me not to.”

You lowered the box to the floor, straightened up, and took a few steps towards Jungkook. “You don’t need to apologize for that.” The situation just before you had last seen Jungkook had shown all too clearly that Seokjin’s decision had probably been the right one.

Jungkook shook his head and emitted a frustrated grunt before his gaze found yours again. “It still wasn’t fair. I wouldn’t have done anything! Especially nothing you wouldn’t want me to.”

You had to smile. “I think that’s what Seokjin’s concern was, though. That we’d both do something rash because we both wanted to.”

The corners of Jungkook’s mouth twitched up slightly as well, but the crease of frustration between his eyebrows hadn’t quite disappeared yet. You took one last step towards him, so that the tips of your feet almost touched his, and brushed your thumb over it. You watched the skin under your finger relax.

Jungkook grabbed your wrist and turned it so that the inside was facing him. Your eyes met as the tip of his nose touched your wrist and only left each other when he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“I think I’ve told you this before,” he murmured, running the tip of his nose along the veins on your wrist, “but you smell amazing.”

A smile spread across your lips. “You can tell me as much as you want.” You raised your free hand and watched as your fingertips slid through his hair. When your fingernails lightly scratched his scalp, a satisfied rumble filled the shed. He pressed his nose even closer to your skin for a moment before finally disengaging from your wrist and letting it sink back to your side.

You heard his heartbeat beating fast and strong and one of your own rushing in your ears. Before you knew it, you had moved closer until his forehead finally touched yours. A hand clutched your hip and pulled you against him until your breasts touched his torso. The air escaped you as your torsos met.

“Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?”

A short laugh escaped you and you shook your head. “Not yet.”

“Then you’ve got plans now. I’ll show you my favorite place here in the woods.”

“Is this a date?” You leaned back a little to look at Jungkook. His eyes reflected the grin he wore on his lips. Then he nodded.

But before you could say anything, the door of the shed was pulled open. The light blinded you for a moment before you realized that Jimin was standing in the doorway.

He had his hands on his hips and was glaring at the two of you. “I know you can’t keep your hands off each other,” he began, and you felt heat rise to your cheeks for the second time today. “But leaving Taehyung and me alone to do the gardening isn’t nice. We’re counting on you guys.”

“We didn’t do anything,” you affirmed, but Jimin only raised his eyebrows. Suddenly you were aware of how close you and Jungkook were as you felt his chest against your cheek.

“Oh yeah, sure, of course not,” Jimin said as he was already turning around and heading back to Taehyung.

For a moment, you and Jungkook stood there silently, both of your eyes fixed on the still-open door of the shed, before Jungkook began to laugh softly.

Immediately, your head snapped up to him. “Stop laughing.” You wanted to hit his chest, but he grabbed your hand and intertwined your fingers together.

Small wrinkles were still visible even when Jungkook had already stopped laughing. With a smile, he looked into your eyes.

Then he detached himself from you and bent down to the watering can he had already taken from the shelf and gave you the small shovel with which you could easily dig the holes for the seeds. Jungkook tucked the box of seeds under his arm.

“Let’s go,” Jungkook said euphorically, “before Jimin gets even more obnoxious,” he added quietly so the other hybrid couldn’t hear him. You still had to laugh.

Taehyung showed you how deep you had to dig the holes and that you shouldn’t pour the soil over them too tightly so that the seeds would easily find their way to the surface. Jungkook helped you by watering the freshly planted seeds with a little water. You worked your way through the morning like this until the sun beat down on your heads.

“Oh! Look,” you suddenly called out, crouching down. “An earthworm.” You leaned forward until the tip of your nose almost touched the damp earth. The earthworm wriggled from one direction to the other. Shadows appeared beside you, covering the earthworm.

“He probably got lost and thought it was raining,” Jimin explained.

“You’ve never seen an earthworm before, Y/N?” Taehyung asked, without sounding accusing.

“Only from books that my owners gave me,” you replied, watching intently as the earthworm dug its way back into the ground. “And I think I saw one in the street once when it was raining. But I was pulled away before I could get a closer look.”

There was silence for a moment, during which the four of you watched the worm disappear completely into the earth.

“Geez,” Taehyung said, “your owners were jerks.”

“Taehyung,” Jimin said, shoving him against the shoulder so that he fell backwards onto his butt.

“What? It’s true.”

“Still, you don’t have to blurt it out like that.” Jimin continued to argue with Taehyung, but you kept your eyes on Jungkook, who had crouched down next to you.

“Did you know that earthworms come out of the ground when it rains because the tunnels they have dug are flooded?” You shook your head and Jungkook ran his fingers through the soil to loosen it up. “There are some birds that stomp on the ground, imitating rain. Then the earthworms think it’s raining and leave their shelter in the earth.”

You gasped. “Oh no, the poor earthworms.” You looked sadly at the small pile of soil the earthworm had left behind as it burrowed back into the earth.

Jungkook laughed softly when he heard your tone. “You’re cute.” He leaned to the side and pressed a kiss to your cheek so quickly that he was up before you even realized what had happened.

When Seokjin stepped out onto the terrace and called you to lunch, you could still feel his lips on your skin.

. . .

A thought solidified throughout the day and didn’t let you rest during dinner. When the conversation turned to the next grocery shopping trip and Namjoon and Seokjin began planning who would drive to town next, you plucked up your courage. Although you had never learned how to handle money, you knew that the money your former owners had given you would not last forever.

You followed the conversations that were thrown back and forth like balls between the others and waited for the right moment. Several times you started to speak, only for one of the others to beat you to it and close your mouth again. You wondered if perhaps you should discuss the issue privately with Namjoon.

Jungkook sensed your nervousness and squeezed your thigh. Once briefly and very fleetingly, but still you felt your jaw relax as you stopped pressing them together.

“What’s wrong?” asked Jungkook as you let out a frustrated breath. Jungkook’s question, even though it was asked quietly, drew the attention to the others, so that a second later, five pairs of eyes were on you. The conversations had fallen silent.

Out of reflex, you ducked your head and flattened your ears, unsettled by so much sudden attention. You sought Namjoon’s gaze. “I heard you and Seokjin talking, and I know you’re worried about money.”

Astonishment flitted across his face, but was gone as quickly as it had come. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I do, though,” you objected. “The next few months will be a little easier because we’ll have plenty of food to plant and lots of animals in the forest. But what will we do when it gets colder? How did you guys survive the last few winters?” Jimin and Taehyung avoided your gaze, while Seokjin looked thoughtfully at Namjoon.

He, in turn, straightened up so that he was sitting bolt upright in his chair and looked a few more inches taller. “We’ll get by. We have been for the last few years.”

You snorted. “And how? By a hair’s breadth and just barely?” For a moment you paused. “You let me live here without expecting anything from me. But with me, you have the possibility that we can afford more.”

“That’s out of the question,” Namjoon interrupted you.

“I have a work permit–”

“And what if they check with your owners?”

“Then I’ll put your phone number in the contact information.”

“That’ll never work.”

“Why are you resisting this so much, Namjoon? I’m trying to help you, why don’t you want my help?”

Namjoon had fallen silent and looked at you blankly. A thought formed; like a parasite, it bore into your mind.

When you spoke, your voice was very quiet. “Is it because you don’t want to depend on me? Is it because you hope I’ll leave in the next few days?”

Namjoon’s eyebrows furrowed as if he didn’t expect that statement. “Why, do you want to leave?” he asked.

Jungkook beat you to the punch with his answer. “What kind of stupid question is that?” He had straightened up in his chair next to you and leaned forward, resting his palms on the table. “I thought we settled that matter? You promised me we’d include her in the pack!”

Your heart sank when you heard that. There was nothing you would have liked more than to finally be accepted. To finally arrive. Slowly you lowered your eyes and stared at your entwined hands. Your eyes burned as thoughts popped into your head. Namjoon had just been gracious enough not to kick you out in your heat. But it had never been in his interest to include you in the pack. Him no longer assuming you belonged to RCH and trusting you enough to take you into the family were two very different things.

“She could work for Marten,” Taehyung suggested. Some warmth spread through you when you heard that he also stood up for you.

“True, he wouldn’t ask about her owners either,” Jimin agreed. Still keeping your gaze on your hands, the smile he gave you escaped you.

The loud and sudden slam of a flat hand on the wooden table made you wince. Dishes clanged for a brief moment before silence fell.

When Namjoon spoke, his voice was controlled. But you heard the effort behind it as he spoke the next words slowly and clearly. “If I say no once, that must be enough for you as an answer. If I say that Y/N will not work – whether for Marten or for someone else – then you must accept that.” He paused for a moment. “Do you understand?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the others nod. You, on the other hand, remained sitting motionless. Even though you knew they had no choice but to agree, you felt betrayed.

“But what is–”

“I know what you want to say, Jungkook,” Namjoon interrupted him. “And you should know that I don’t like having words put in my mouth.” You felt Namjoon’s gaze on you, but didn’t dare look up. “I’ll ask you again, Y/N. Do you want to stay with us?”

Silently, but without hesitation, you nodded.

“Good,” he said. You didn’t know what was good about the fact that you wanted to stay with them but Namjoon objected. You were all the more surprised when Namjoon spoke the next words. “Then we’ve settled that. I never said I wanted to get rid of you, Y/N.” His voice, which now sounded far softer than before, finally made you look up. “All I said was that I didn’t want you to work. It has nothing to do with you, it has to do with other factors.”

“What factors?” you mumbled.

Namjoon sighed. It was the first time you had heard that sound come out of his mouth, and if you didn’t know better, he almost sounded frustrated.

“I can’t say much about that yet if I’m not sure myself.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Jungkook. The irritation hadn’t completely disappeared from his voice, yet he sounded far more relaxed than he had just a few moments before.

“Namjoon,” Seokjin interjected, “we’re a family. You should tell the others.”

Namjoon closed his eyes for a moment and you saw his chest rise and fall significantly as he took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, your eyes met.

“It’s not Y/N I don’t trust. It’s Marten.”

“Marten?” came from several mouths at once.

“Namjoon thinks that Marten is acting strangely,” Jin clarified.

Namjoon turned to the side and looked at him. “When I walked into his office, I felt like I caught him in something. Like I interrupted him doing something. He was all agitated,” he explained, gesturing wildly with his hands. “He put a note in his jeans pocket that he didn’t want me to see. I’m sure he’s hiding something.”

“Namjoon…” Seokjin put a hand on his upper arm. “This doesn’t have to have anything to do with us. We’re not his only customers, so who knows what kind of shady people he’s dealing with.”

But Namjoon shook his head. “My hunch has never been wrong before. Not with that asshole four years ago, and not now.”

“But you were wrong about Y/N.” Jungkook had grabbed your hand and was sitting upright beside you.

“That’s right.” Namjoon nodded and turned his gaze back to you, “And I apologized for that.”

“It’s okay,” you said softly, and Jungkook squeezed your hand.

“Does that mean we won’t go to Marten anymore when we need help?” asked Taehyung.

“I’d prefer if we try to manage without him for the next few weeks,” Namjoon confirmed. “Just to be on the safe side.”

. . .

You sat on your bed, your legs pulled up against you, looking out the window into the cloudless night. The sky was speckled with tiny white dots and you wondered how far away the myriad stars were from you. Whether someone was staring out the window at the same time as you, on a completely different planet far away, asking themselves the same questions as you.

The door to the room opened and you quickly wiped your face with the back of your hand.

“I brought my bedding–” Jungkook fell silent. Then footsteps quickly approached. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Jungkook lower himself onto the bed, but you dodged his gaze that was on you.

“Hey, what happened? Is this because of what Namjoon said?”

You shook your head and tears flew from your cheeks onto the bedspread, staining the light blue material dark. Sniffling, you looked up. Jungkook’s ears were folded back and his lips pressed into a straight line.

“It’s fine,” you placated him, “I just get sad sometimes when I think about my owners. I think it’s just all a bit much for me right now.”

“I understand that!” Jungkook said, moving a little closer so he could clasp your hands with his. “Well, not the part about the owners, my owners were shit. But I know what it’s like to lose a family.”

You released one hand from Jungkook’s grip and wiped your face with another sniffle. “What happened back then? I only know the part about how you and Jimin joined Namjoon and Jin. What was your life like before that?”

Jungkook expelled a long breath and played with your fingers as he thought. The silence stretched for several seconds. “Different,” he finally said. “Definitely lonelier than now.”

You frowned when you heard that.

“I don’t know exactly how many hybrids we were, maybe around a hundred? A hundred and fifty?”

“A hundred and fifty?!” You had never seen so many hybrids in one place, not even at the shelter. There you had been divided up, by breed, age and sex.

Jungkook just smiled at your exclamation. “I know, it’s hard to imagine. And it wasn’t always easy… actually, it never was. As far back as I can remember, there was always fighting between different packs. Everyone wanted to be first on the food chain, because whoever was at the top had the best chance of survival.”

“That sounds terrible.” You clasped Jungkook’s hands tighter.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Looking back, it was, but I didn’t know any different. And I was never alone, so that was quite nice. I still was really lonely though. I only got to know what a family was when I met Jimin.”

“Was that the time of the Jungkook who would never have watched romance movies?”

Jungkook stared at you for a moment before a laugh fell from his lips. “Of course you haven’t forgotten Jimin’s comment.” He shook his head, his expression getting a bit more serious. “I’ll be honest with you, Y/N. I wasn’t always the sweet, reserved hybrid you see sitting here in front of you. I was really rebellious, even when I joined Namjoon-hyung and Jin-hyung.”

“A rebel?” Now you had to laugh, because you couldn’t imagine how the dark-haired wolf in front of you, with his gentle smile and soft hands, could have been so different.

“I was unbearable,” Jungkook nodded. “I thought that only loud, tough-minded hybrids made it up the food chain. And that’s how it was back then. The louder, the more popular you were with those who sat at the top.”

“Where were your owners in all of this? Did they just leave you to your own devices?”

“Not necessarily,” Jungkook replied. He avoided your gaze, but you followed his eyes with your head, making him look at you. “My first owners didn’t care about me so I eventually ran away. I got picked up pretty quickly by an organization, that’s where I met Jimin. When we were old enough, they took us to fights.”

Your heart stopped for a brief moment. One word and immediately your heart began to race. How many times had you read about it in the newspapers, seen it on the news, before your owners had been able to switch away? The secret arenas that made millions of dollars selling tickets to people who spent their free time watching living beings hurt each other. The countless hybrids who didn’t come back alive from those same fights.

When you spoke your voice was very quiet. “Did you have to participate in one, too?” You didn’t even want to say the word.

“One time they made me fight. That’s why I have this scar,” he pointed to his cheekbone, where a small indentation in the skin was visible. Gently, you touched it.

“Do you have any more scars?”

Jungkook shrugged as if you were talking about trifles and not a traumatizing experience. “A few, I might show them to you sometime. They’re hidden though.” He said the last sentence with a grin and before you knew it, he had planted a kiss on your forehead. “Now enough of all the negativity. I was actually trying to cheer you up, not worry you more.”

“You don’t worry me, Jungkook,” you said, “I care about you and I want to know what happened in your life before me. At least the part you want to share with me.”

Jungkook clicked his tongue and tilted his head. “That might take a while if you want me to tell my whole life story.”

You laughed and leaned forward. Jungkook caught you and wrapped you in his arms. His fingers slid through your hair and as his fingertips began to tickle the base of your ears, you let out a sigh.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Me too,” Jungkook murmured, resting his head on yours. “I think you’ll really like this place. I know some pretty good spots.”

You had to chuckle. “You know some spots, huh?” You leaned back and looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Is that where you take all your dates?”

“Uh-huh.” Jungkook’s attention was no longer on your eyes, but had slid down a few inches. “All the hundreds that roam the forest here every day. Haven’t you noticed that yet?”

“Must have missed it,” you returned, subconsciously licking your lips as you noticed what Jungkook was staring at. His grip on your body tightened as his gaze followed your tongue and the wet sheen it left behind.

“Fuck, you’re driving me crazy, do you know that?”

“Maybe,” you said with a grin. “Maybe I do.”

Jungkook’s eyes met yours, and only now did you see how dilated his pupils were. Almost black, they stared at you before Jungkook blinked several times and the dark brown reappeared.

“Tomorrow,” he said, squeezing your sides. “Tomorrow.” And that sounded like a promise you could hardly wait for.

. . .

Jungkook swung your clasped hands back and forth as you followed the narrow path of trampled grass through the thicket of the forest. You studied him from the side; the way his eyes roamed over the trees and bushes, his ears turned in different directions, and he took in every sound in your surroundings as he led you both through the forest. There was not a trace of uncertainty or doubt on his face, and you found it remarkable that he knew his way around so well. Even though you knew that he and the others had lived here for a few years, you still admired him for his knowledge of how to get around.

You decided to ask him if one day he would teach you to rely more on your senses. All the years before, you had had to suppress your instincts so that they eventually withered away. But that was no longer necessary and you wanted to strengthen them again.

A twig cracked and you turned your head. Your hand wrapped a little tighter around Jungkook’s.

“Just a rabbit,” Jungkook reassured you, squeezing your hand.

You, too, now saw the small gray tuft of fur scurry past across the path behind you. Consciously, you focused on the scent it left behind and how it mingled with that of the damp earth, wood and leaves.

You turned back to the front and met Jungkook’s gaze. “I’m a little jumpy, sorry.”

“It’s all right, you don’t need to apologize for that. The sound of the forest can be scary at first.” He smiled. As you looked down at him, your eyes fell on the woven basket dangling from his other arm. The faint scent of freshly cut fruit, sandwiches and steaming tea had you humming softly as you continued to follow Jungkook.

You finally came to a stop in front of a tree about half an hour’s walk from home. All around you, you saw only tree trunks, grasses, and bushes, and you wondered why Jungkook had chosen this particular spot for your picnic.

For your first date together.

Jungkook spread the checkered blanket on the ground and settled down on it, grinning. Then he patted the spot next to him and quickly you dropped down next to him. Laughing, Jungkook caught you. His hands stroked up and down your arms a few times before he turned and pulled the picnic basket towards you.

“Seokjin-hyung baked fresh bread especially for us,” Jungkook said, placing different varieties of sandwiches on the blanket in front of you.

“Oh, that’s what smelled so good earlier.”

Seokjin had blocked your view with his body when you had gotten up and came down to the kitchen. That’s why you hadn’t been able to see what he had prepared for you and Jungkook. You were even more surprised when Jungkook didn’t stop taking things out of the basket.

Fresh fruit, vegetables from the garden, a few pieces of cake, the sandwiches… even a bottle with a cloudy juice Jungkook placed in front of you.

“Apple juice from the apple harvest this year,” Jungkook explained when he saw your questioning look.

You turned the bottle around and stroked the self-written label on it, which revealed in neatly written letters what was inside. “Where did you learn all this? To take care of yourselves I mean.”

Jungkook leaned forward to look into the basket, but then put it away when he realized he had unpacked everything. “Seokjin and Namjoon had no choice but to teach themselves everything. We all acquired things so we could survive. And if I’m honest,” Jungkook said, “it’s not that hard. Gardening is even fun, and there’s something soothing about watching the plants sprout and flourish.”

“I had fun yesterday, too,” you agreed, “even though I don’t know anything about it and you had to help me a lot.”

“Oh nonsense! You were a natural.”

Laughing, you bit into one of the sandwiches, knowing that Jungkook was just being nice to you. You still had a lot to learn, but as you listened inside of you, you found a deep peace within yourself. Because you knew that you would still have all the time in the world – as part of the pack and at Jungkook’s side.

You had just stuffed the last bite of the cake into your mouth when Jungkook suddenly took you by the hand. “Come with me,” he said, and led you to the tree trunk that had blended inconspicuously into the rows of other trees just a few minutes before. Now, as you looked up the tree from close by, you could spot a platform at the top.

Excitedly, you began to wag your tail. “Is that what I think it is?” With wide eyes, you looked at Jungkook, who laughed at your reaction.

“If you think it’s a tree house, then yes.”

“Oh my god,” you gasped breathlessly, touching the bark of the tree with one hand as your gaze roamed over the branches. So many times you had tried to persuade your former owners to build a tree house in the big tree in the backyard. But after they had told you several times that this would be too dangerous for a hybrid like you, you had eventually given up.

“Come on, what are we waiting for?” Jungkook wrapped his hands around a thick branch, then his feet followed before he maneuvered himself onto the branch with the swing of one leg. You could only stand and stare. “Let me help you,” he said as he saw your helpless look. Then he held out a hand to you, which you grasped hesitantly. “Support yourself on the branch with your other hand, and I’ll pull you up.”

His grip on your hand was firm, and as you gripped the tree trunk with your other hand, you felt weightless for a moment. Then Jungkook reached under your arms and helped you up. Your legs trembled a little as you looked down where you had been standing moments before.

A finger slid under your chin and lifted your gaze. “Don’t look down, you’ll get dizzy.”

“And then how do we get back down?”

Jungkook made a sad face. “You don’t want to go back down already without seeing the view, do you?”

You tilted your head – the platform didn’t seem so far away anymore. Looking at Jungkook, you nodded, “Okay, but only if you help me.”

“Sure thing.” He squatted down, then looked up at you. “Ready?”

You nodded.

He grabbed your hips and lifted you up so you could grab the branch above you and pull yourself up with a little effort. When Jungkook was sure you had a firm footing, he followed. Like this you made your way up the next few meters until you finally arrived at the top of the tree and you no longer had branches but wooden planks under your feet.

You took a shaky breath and leaned exhausted against the tree trunk, which grew through a hole in the floor of the platform. Only when your arms were no longer shaking with exertion did you look around. The tree house was much more of a viewing platform. A small hole next to the tree trunk was the only entrance, enclosing the platform all around was a waist-high wooden railing, so you couldn’t fall off.

“Who built this?” you asked, taking a few steps forward so that you were standing at the railing. Any more words stuck in your throat when you saw the view.

“Seokjin, Jimin and I,” Jungkook explained, stepping up beside you, “do you like it?”

Mouth agape, you let your gaze wander over the treetops you could see over. You could even make out the road in the distance that led to the town you had come from. The sunset bathed the green of the leaves in an orange glow and made you perceive the forest as something completely different. No longer was it eerie and gloomy, something you needed to be protected from. But something that felt familiar. Warm. Almost like home.

You had to swallow and cleared your throat to relieve the lump in your throat. “It’s beautiful,” you croaked out. A tear ran down your cheek as you looked at Jungkook, who was already returning your gaze. He quickly wiped the tear away with his thumb.

“I could say something really corny right now.”

You turned to face him and immediately one hand settled on your hip while the other stroked from your cheek backwards, eventually burying itself in your hair.

“What?” you asked when he gave no further answer. Your gaze fell to his lips before quickly darting back up.

“I could say right now,” he began and had to clear his throat as well. For a different reason, though. “That the view isn’t as beautiful as you.”

You grimaced, pretending to be disgusted. “So that’s what kind of guy you are.”

Jungkook pulled you closer with a slight tug. “That’s the kind of guy I am,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on your lips. “Do you want to kiss me anyway?” He was so close to you by now that you could feel his breath on your face.

“Hmm,” you said, pretending to think even though your heart was pounding up to your throat. “After that sentence, I’m not so sure.”

“At least then I won’t be able to do any more of those.” His voice was low and with each syllable you could feel the touch of his lips against yours.

“Deal.” You bridged the last millimeter until your lips were on his. Immediately he pressed himself tighter against you, so that no sheet of paper could fit between your bodies. His fingertips scraped lightly over your scalp and you sighed into the kiss. A grumble emerged from Jungkook’s chest; deep, but not at all threatening. On the contrary, you felt yourself fall into his arms and relax completely.

Your lips moved together, his tongue exploring your mouth, fighting with yours for a moment before pulling back and dragging your lower lip with his teeth.

Your much-too-fast breath hit Jungkook’s chin as you looked down, laughing, at your intertwined bodies. You couldn’t wait until you saw them without clothes, feeling his skin on yours. As you ran your fingers along his pecs, he shuddered. You could feel the abs under his t-shirt and paused for a moment as your fingers reached the waistband of his jeans. They played with the buckle of his belt until Jungkook’s hand gently tightened around your wrist.

“Soon,” he promised. Then he pressed a kiss to your cheek, your temple, your forehead. Every little bit of skin on your face he explored with his lips until he reached your mouth again. His hand stroked your back; giving you the hold you needed as Jungkook intensified the kiss. His satisfied grunt sent electric shocks down the center of your body and as if on its own, you pushed your hip against his.

You sucked in air as you felt him hard between your legs, but it wasn’t enough. Jungkook seemed to feel the same way. For a brief moment, his promise was forgotten as he let his hand wander down, gripping your butt so tightly that you gasped again, pressing your pelvis tightly against his.

“Jungkook,” you groaned out.

The tip of his nose tickled your temple before he murmured in your ear. “You make me completely forget myself. I’d love to take you right up here. Bend you over the railing and fuck you from behind.” He moved his hips back and then thrust forward again. You were clawing at his t-shirt by now, afraid to fall over. “But I don’t think the railing can take it.” He bit your earlobe before leaning back and your eyes met. You could see yourself reflected in his dilated pupils, see his gaze bounce back and forth between your eyes.

A breeze passed over the treetops and hit your bare arms, making you shiver. Jungkook wrapped his arm around your shoulders and pulled you into an embrace. His body heat helped a little, but still you couldn’t suppress the chattering of your teeth against each other.

“We should get back,” Jungkook said, sighing. When he let go of you, you shook your head and wrapped your arms tighter around the middle of his body. “Baby…” Gently, he stroked your hair. “You’re cold, and we still have quite a walk ahead of us.”

“I don’t want to go yet,” you murmured into his chest. “I don’t want this day to end.”

He gave you one tight squeeze. “You do realize this isn’t our last date, right? We can come back here tomorrow. Or I can show you more parts of the forest. Or we can cook something together. I have countless other ideas.”

For a moment longer, you enjoyed his warmth and his body against yours before lowering your arms. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Jungkook looked at you through narrowed eyes. “Well, that doesn’t sound very enthusiastic. I’m disappointed.”

You laughed and wrapped your arms around yourself. It was cooling off fast, and you wished you’d brought a sweater. “I’m just jittery about the descent, that’s all.”

“Ah,” Jungkook said, “I see. That’s why you want to stay up here. And I was beginning to think it had something to do with me.”

“Idiot,” you said quietly, walking toward the hole in the ground.

“Hey!” he yelled out and ran after you. “You better be nice to me or I won’t help you down.”

Wide-eyed, you looked at him. “You’d really just leave me up here?”

He paused before laughing, shaking his head and lowering himself down the entrance. “When you look at me like that, no way.”

The last thing you saw was his arms stretching upward through the hole, waiting for you.

. . .

The descent was faster than the ascent, probably because gravity came to your aid, so only a few minutes later you had packed the picnic basket, rolled up the blanket, and were walking hand in hand back the way you had come a few hours before. You thought you recognized a few distinctive places even in the twilight and were proud of yourself.

The hoot of an owl and the soft chirping of bats accompanied you and the last rays of sunlight lit your way. When these had faded away, Jungkook went ahead and led you. He warned you of every stone, every branch or bump in the ground, so that you did not even stumble once. For a short time you even closed your eyes and let yourself be led blindly by him, until you suddenly ran against his back with the tip of your nose. Because he had done something that you had not expected.

He had stopped.

Quickly you opened your eyes. “What’s going on? Why have we stopped? Are you lost?” you quipped. But when Jungkook didn’t answer, you noticed how tense he was in front of you. You walked around him so that you were standing next to him. “What’s wrong?” you asked again, this time panic mixed into your tone.

Jungkook put his index finger to his lips and closed his eyes. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see his ears perk up and turn forward. You also tried to listen, but you couldn’t hear anything except for the animals and the rustling of the leaves. You could hear a whooshing sound, perhaps a nearby stream, but maybe it was just your heartbeat pumping blood through your ears.

“Jungkook, you’re scaring me,” you whispered. You were afraid to speak out loud.

He opened his eyes, his gaze directed into the distance among the trees. Towards the cabin, you believed.

Briefly, his eyes darted to you, “I’m not sure.” When he tried to disengage his hand from yours, you protested. Then he grabbed you by the upper arms, his expression serious. “It’s probably nothing, but I want you to stay here. I’ll go check and be back in ten minutes. I promise, okay?”

You were about to protest again when he pressed a kiss to your forehead and moved away from you. “Don’t leave me.”

He turned to you once more. “I’ll be right back.”

You watched as his dark silhouette grew smaller and smaller, blurring into the darkness of the forest sooner than you would have liked. A little longer you could listen to his footsteps, until they also disappeared. Then you began to count. Ten times to sixty. Until you had finally stretched all ten fingers from you and you still stood rooted to the spot where Jungkook had left you. Still no sound reached your ears, no Jungkook came running up to you with a grin to explain that everything was all right.

The cold had seeped into your limbs by now, but you were shivering for a different reason. Panic rose in you as you counted to sixty ten times again and nothing happened. Uncertainly, you looked back and forth between the path behind you, the path to the tree house, and the path in front of you.

Jungkook would never have left you alone in the forest at night. Especially not when he had promised you to be back immediately.

You pressed your lips together to suppress the sob. Your eyes fell on the picnic basket, carelessly set down on the ground. With stiff fingers from the cold, you opened the basket and rummaged around in the darkness until your fingers finally closed around the metal. The moonlight reflected off the sharp blade of the knife Jungkook had used as a bread knife.

You took a deep breath and tried to make out the spot where Jungkook had disappeared over twenty minutes earlier and started walking.

Written 2022. Do not copy, translate or repost without permission.

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