One moment, Xiumin is just quiet and a little tense around the campfire… the next, his eyes narrow like a cornered predator, pupils swallowing all the brown until they turn pitch-dark. His breath turns shallow. His shoulders tremble beneath his jacket like he’s trying to hold himself together by force.
He stands abruptly, stepping back from you as if you’ve burned him.
“Stay over there.” His voice is too low. Too shaky.
You frown. “You’re shaking,”
“Please.” His jaw locks tight. “I’m going into pre-heat. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Heat. You’d heard the others mention it but never saw it firsthand. Cats in heat weren’t just needy-they were instinctive, touch-starved, hypersensitive to scent and temperature. And you? You were the worst possible temptation.
He tries to walk away. You grab his wrist.
“Then don’t walk off alone.”
His breathing hitches. His ears flatten. You can feel the pulse racing under your fingers.
“You’re not scared?” he whispers, voice cracking with the effort to control himself.
You shake your head.
He looks like that answer nearly breaks him.
⸻
You guide him to the sleeping area when the night gets colder. He refuses the blankets. He stays on the farthest end of the shared mat, curled tight like a coil ready to spring. Every second, you feel him fighting something primal.
He buries his face in his arm.
“Your scent... You have no idea what you’re doing to me…”
You edge close enough for your hand to touch his back. “Then let me help. Tell me what to do.”
He shudders violently.
“…Scratch behind my ears.”
You do. Slowly. Gently. Fingertips brushing his soft fur, the little tufts twitching. His breathing instantly picks up, deep, shaking inhales. A guttural purr rips out of him, loud and desperate, like his body had been starving for this.
His muscles loosen little by little under your calm pacing and careful pressure, until he’s leaning into you, forehead pressed to your thigh, letting out unsteady, needy sounds.
“More… Please…”
You scratch lower, along his neck. He grips your waist without thinking, claws lightly grazing your shirt but not breaking the skin. The touch feels claiming and uncontrolled. His face buries deeper into you.
You whisper, “Xiumin… Look at me.”
He lifts his head.
Eyes blown wide. Cheeks flushed. Chest heaving. A wild, feral hunger and fragile restraint all tangled together.
“If you stay…” he murmurs, voice raw, “…Don’t run when I touch you.”
You answer by guiding his hand under your shirt.
He freezes, then trembles.
That’s all the permission he needs.
⸻
He kisses you like instinct, it was rough, hungry, lips scattering heat across your jaw, your neck, down your collarbone. His tongue laps at your skin, tasting, marking, trying to memorize every inch of you. You tug his hair lightly and he groans, hips jerking against you, uncontrolled, and needy.
“Too much,” he breathes, forehead pressed to yours. “I can’t think anymore.”
“Then don’t think.”
He growls, low and pleased before sliding you onto your back. His hands roam, frantic but careful, tracing your curves like a territory he’s mapping. You feel him grind against you, already hard, pulse throbbing where he pushes between your thighs through your clothing.
He lifts your hips, stripping layers off with trembling fingers, breath hot and uneven. You help him, pulling him closer until there’s nothing between his heat and your skin.
Then slow. Deliberate. He pushes inside.
Your breath escapes in a sharp gasp. His entire body shivers, claws digging into the mat beside your head to keep from holding too tight.
“S-Soft…” he pants, voice breaking. “You’re so soft, Y/N, I can’t,”
You squeeze around him, and he loses the sentence entirely, hips bucking into you with desperate, shallow thrusts.
You hold his face, forcing an eye contact.
“Move, please,”
He does. Hard enough that your breath catches, slow enough to savor the stretch. His thrusts deepen with a rhythm you can feel in your spine, his purring turning violent with pleasure. He licks your shoulder, bites softly at your neck, instinctive, claiming, but careful, as if you’re breakable.
You arch into him. He presses deeper, hips grinding, voice ragged in your ear:
“Mine… You’re mine…”
Not possessive. Not dangerous.
Instinct speaking without filter.
And you hold him there, whispering against his mouth:
“I’m staying.”
The way he moans into you relieved, undone, makes his whole body push harder, deeper, until heat spirals tight and overwhelming between you both. You climax first, squeezing around him, body shaking with pleasure. He follows with a broken, guttural sound, burying himself fully as his release hits, clutching you close like he’ll never let go.
After, he collapses against your chest, trembling, nose nuzzled into your neck, still purring.
“Don’t go,” he whispers.
You brush his hair back.
“I won’t.”
His tail curls around your thigh like a ribbon.
A quiet claim.
A soft, instinctive tether.
And you fall asleep knowing you’re exactly where you belong.
-
You wake to birdsong, light spilling through the branches above your shared bedding. Xiumin is still curled around you, warm, heavy, his tail draped lazily across your hip. The air smells faintly of woodsmoke, morning dew, and him.
He blinks awake slowly, eyes half-lidded and soft, then nuzzles into your neck with a small rumbling purr.
“Morning,” he mumbles, voice rough with sleep.
You run a hand through his hair, and he practically melts, pushing his ears into your palm. He’s calmer now, heat subsiding, instincts settled. Still clingy, still affectionate, but clear-eyed.
Human.
“I need to tell you something,” you say, tracing your thumb over his cheek.
His ears twitch, alert. “You’re leaving?”
“No.” You slide your fingers down, resting them against his wrist. “I want to stay. With you. Not because I got lost. Because I feel safe here with you.”
He stares, pupils widening not in hunger this time, but in awe. You can see how the words land, how they shake him. Not ownership, not obligation…
Choice.
“Here,” you say, picking up the small red ribbon you’d been keeping tucked in your bag. A remnant of your old life once part of something you hated, now chosen for something new. “Give me your arm.”
He offers it without hesitation, though you can feel the tremble under his skin, anticipation, a strange nervousness. You tie the ribbon slowly around his wrist, knotting it securely, letting the color stand out against his pale skin.
When you’re done, you kiss the inside of his wrist, just below the knot. It’s small. Gentle. A promise without words.
Xiumin inhales sharply, lips parting.
He lifts his arm, inspecting the ribbon as if it’s priceless treasure.
"What does it mean?” he asks quietly.
“That you belong to someone who cares,” you answer. “Someone who isn’t here to use you, or cage you. Just to stay.”
He presses the ribbon to his chest over his heart.
“And you?” His voice is soft, almost shy. “Do I get to keep you too?”
You take his hand and press it to your own chest.
“You already do.”
His tail sways behind him, slow and content. He pulls you into his arms, forehead resting lightly against yours, and his voice drops to a whisper not by instinct, and not possession this time.
“Then we choose each other.”
⸻
Days pass. You build a small shelter together, using broken wood and gathered stone. You hang blankets and herbs to dry in the sun. Xiumin teaches you how to navigate the forest, how to read scents in the wind, how to find safety by instinct, not fear.
And at night, you fall asleep wrapped in him-tail curled around your waist, ribbon still tied to his wrist like a silent vow.
A future makes itself, not with grand plans, but by waking up each morning knowing you don’t have to run anymore.
You’re safe.
You’re chosen.
You’re home.
⸻
On a quiet evening, he holds you in his lap by the fire, nose buried against your shoulder, purring so softly you feel it more than hear it.
“Thank you,” he murmurs.
“For what?”
“For letting me belong somewhere. With someone.”
His hand squeezes yours, gentle. “With you.”
You kiss him, slow and sure, and his ears redden just like they did the first time he leaned too close.
This time, it isn’t by accident.
-
There’s a new quietness in the forest as spring comes. It’s subtle-different sunlight, fuller air, sweeter leaves. You sit by the stream, washing herbs, when Xiumin suddenly stops mid-step behind you, ears perked, tail going still.
He crouches, nose brushing the side of your belly through your shirt.
Again.
He’s been doing this for days. Gentle sniffing, slow breathing, as if listening to something only he can hear.
Today, you cup his cheek.
“You can really smell it, huh?”
His eyes lift to yours, soft, focused.
“There’s another heart scent… Faint but warm. Like you. Like me.”
You swallow, nerves and joy tangling. “Are you… Okay with it?”
He doesn’t answer.
He purrs, loud and thick, and nuzzles lower, pressing his lips to your stomach reverently.
“I’m proud,” he whispers.
Your breath shakes. The look in his eyes is worship, not instinct. Love, not heat.
Then he kisses you, slow first, then deeper, fuller. His hands drag up your back, careful, always careful now. Every touch reverent… but he’s still hungry for you.
“Lay down,” he murmurs.
You do.
He climbs over you, bracing his arms so none of his weight rests on your belly. His tail curls around your thigh protectively. His kisses trail down your jaw, neck, collarbone, worshipping every curve that has changed, every new softness.
“You’re so beautiful,” he growls quietly, like a truth, not a compliment.
Your thighs open for him automatically, body warm and already wet from his voice alone. He touches you gently, but the moment he feels how ready you are, his pupils blow wide.
“You want me?” he breathes, like he needs to hear you say it.
“Yes,” you whisper. “Come here.”
He pushes in slowly, easing you open around him. You gasp, and he moans like the sound is driving him insane. His forehead drops against yours, ears flicking, breath shaking.
“I won’t go too hard,” he promises, grinding deep instead of thrusting fast.
It’s slow heat, no rushing, no need. He’s careful with your body, but devoted to your pleasure. One hand holds your hip. The other keeps massaging your thigh, grounding you, cherishing you.
You wrap your legs around him anyway.
“I’m okay,” you tell him, kissing his jaw. “You can move.”
He does, deeper, rolling his hips, sending sparks pulsing through your core. Your body arches into him, which makes him swear softly, kissing you through it.
Pleasure builds slowly, heavy and warm, like honey spreading under your skin. When you clench around him, his tail tightens your thigh, and he groans into your mouth.
“Let go for me,” he whispers.
You do while shuddering, breath breaking, and thighs shaking around him.
He follows only after you come down, pulling you close and burying himself fully as he spills inside, quiet, trembling, holding your belly protectively against his chest.
⸻
He stays inside you for a long time, not moving, just breathing against your skin.
“You’re carrying our family,” he says softly. “You’re my home my mate and I’ll protect you both.”
You kiss his forehead.
“And I’ll stay. With both of you.”
His purr vibrates against you, deep enough to lull you. His tail wraps your waist as he curls beside you, one hand resting over your belly as if it’s fragile treasure.
And you fall asleep like that, warm, claimed, protected.
You noticed it the morning after the fight. Xiumin didn’t come sit beside you by the fire, didn’t hover close when you cooked, didn’t even look at you longer than a second. His movements were sharper, restless… yet clumsy, like his instincts were too loud for his body to keep up.
His pupils were blown wide, swallowing almost all the color from his irises. His breathing was fast, constantly. Even the scent of him changed, thicker, musky, warming the air around him.
You found him outside, sitting in the snow that hadn’t melted in the shade, with a deep frown creasing his brow.
“Xiumin?”
He flinched as if the sound of your voice burned him.
“Stay inside.”
His voice was low, strained, almost a growl.
You stepped closer instead.
“What’s happening to you?”
His ears flattened tight against his head, tail curling around himself as if to hide it.
“Pre-heat.”
You froze. “…Heat? As in-”
He cut you off with a glare, cheeks flushed a dark red.
“Don’t say it out loud. It makes it worse.”
His breathing hitched on the word worse. Like the very thought of you saying it heightened every sensation.
You swallowed, stepping closer despite his warning.
“Are you in pain?”
He caught your wrist. Hard. Not enough to hurt, but enough to hold you there. His fingers trembled.
“Not pain. Instinct. I can smell you stronger. Hear your pulse. Every time you look at me"
He shut his eyes tight.
“My body reacts.”
The last word came out like a groan, as if just admitting it made him even more sensitive.
You knelt in front of him slowly. His hand loosened but didn’t let go. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”
His eyes shot open instantly.
“…No. But if you stay… Don’t run if I touch you.”
Your heartbeat pounded so loud he inhaled sharply, pupils dilating even more.
You lifted your free hand and let your fingers trail to the side of his face, brushing under his ear. His whole body shivered, violently and he let out a sound between a gasp and a purr, as if you’d hit a nerve.
Then you realized you did.
Gently, you scratched behind his ear.
His reaction was instant.
His head jerked forward, forehead pressing against your shoulder, hands gripping your thighs for balance as a low, broken purr tore out of him, raw, needy, uncontrollable.
“D-don’t… do that… unless you’re prepared.”
You did it again.
This time, his fingers dug into your skin through your clothes, pulling you closer. His breath heated your neck, purr becoming louder, almost a growl, vibrating against you. His scent enveloped you, warm, spicy, sweet, laced with desperate arousal.
You whispered against his hair:
“Let me help you. Tell me how.”
He nuzzled lower against your neck-not scent-marking, not yet. Tasting the warmth of your pulse with his lips.
“Just touch. Anywhere. Slow.”
You slid your hands down his tense shoulders, massaging the muscles tight beneath his shirt. His hips twitched forward, barely brushing against your knees, a strangled curse falling from his mouth.
“More. Please.”
Your palms stroked down his back, fingers digging in lightly. His tail wrapped around your waist without him noticing, binding you to him. His breathing stuttered against your skin.
Your hand slid up again, this time scratching just under his jaw, closer to his ear. His entire body arched, a deep moan vibrating against your throat.
“You’re going to drive me crazy.”
His voice was wrecked, hungry, nothing like the composed hybrid from before. Heat radiated off him, intoxicating, thickening the air between you.
He pulled back only enough to look at you. His eyes were heavy, fierce, pupils blown black.
“If you stay tonight… I won’t be gentle.”
Your breath caught. “I’m not afraid.”
He swallowed hard, jaw tense, tail tightening against you.
“Then stay close. Don’t look at anyone else. Don’t leave my side.”
His hand slipped to the back of your neck, not forcing, just holding.
“And don’t run… when I finally touch you the way I want.”
Your body warmed at his words- anticipation pooling low, familiar and intense.
You leaned forward and whispered, “Then don’t make me wait.”
His ear twitched. His purr rumbled deep. His restraint snapped just a little.
He kissed your throat-slow, heated, claiming, but still holding back.
For now.
-
The wind outside howled against the cabin walls, but in Xiumin’s arms you were wrapped in a different kind of heat, untamed, rising, trembling through him like a storm just barely held back.
Your back hit the wooden door as he kissed you.
Slow at first.
Warm lips brushing yours like he was learning every second of your breath, memorizing the way you opened against him. His fingers cupped your jaw, thumbs gentle, though his arms were shaking with restraint.
His tail looped around your waist again, pulling you closer until there was no distance left to hide in. His forehead rested against yours, breaths mingling, pupils dark and blown with desire.
“Tell me again,” he murmured, “that you want this.”
“I want you.”
He inhaled sharply like your answer hit deeper than touch. His lips dragged down your jaw, then to your throat, kissing, tasting, worshipping the skin that made him lose patience.
Your hands slid under his shirt, feeling muscles tense and twitch beneath your palms. You traced his spine, nails lightly dragging.
He growled.
Not a threat. A plea.
He pressed his hips against yours, and you felt how hard he was through the fabric. The sound he made was helpless and his instincts urging him to take, yours inviting him to do it.
But he stopped, leaning back just enough to search your face.
“You have to tell me when to stop. At any time.”
“I’m staying,” you whispered. “With you.”
Whatever restraint he had left snapped.
He lifted you effortlessly, hands under your thighs, body caging you against the door. You felt him through his pants, hot, needy, and his breath trembled against your mouth.
Your lips met again-no longer slow.
Heat clashed, tongues searching, kissing like neither of you planned to breathe again. When he finally pulled away, a string of saliva stayed between you, breaking only when he lowered you onto the bed.
He crawled over you, eyes glowing like silver in the firelight.
“I’ll go slow until you tell me not to.”
You nodded, heart racing. He kissed you down your chest, fingers slipping under your clothes, pushing them away with careful urgency. His mouth found your skin, lips parting around it, sucking gently.
You gasped, fingers tangling in his hair.
He purred.
The vibration against your body pulled a moan from your throat, and he froze for a second, staring at you like the sound lit every nerve in his body.
“Do that again.”
You barely touched him, only stroked along his ear and the back of his neck and he moaned into your skin, helpless against the sensation. His body rocked against you, instinct seeking friction.
Clothes fell away in pieces you barely remembered taking off. When his body finally pressed fully against yours bare, heated, shivering and you felt him align between your thighs, slow, cautious, asking without words.
You cupped his cheek and whispered:
“I want you. All of you.”
His breath broke.
He entered you slowly.
The stretch made your fingers claw at his shoulders, and he froze immediately, muscles tight, waiting for your reaction.
You pulled him closer.
“Xiumin… Move.”
The first roll of his hips was gentle, deep. He groaned into your neck, the sound rough, as if he’d held it in for too long. His rhythm stayed slow at first, savoring every inch of you, your body clenching around him.
Then your nails dragged down his back.
Something in him cracked.
His pace became harder, deeper, hips meeting yours with hungry precision, not cruel, not careless, but desperate, like he’d been made to fit exactly here and nowhere else.
You held him, kissed him, gasped his name every sound you made pushed him further out of control. His teeth brushed your shoulder, not biting, only trembling with the need to mark.
“Can I?” he breathed against your skin.
“Yes.”
He bit gently, deep enough to claim, soft enough to worship. A whine escaped you at the same moment a growl tore from him, his hips grinding deeper, faster, as though marking made him yours too.
Bodies pressed tight, heat building fast, pleasure coiling low. He slowed only to feel you tightening around him, to kiss you through each wave of sound you made.
When you came, he knew before you said a word.
Your legs tightened around him; your voice broke against his ear; your body pulsed around his length. He thrust through your release, shuddering, then followed you over the edge with a choked, breathless moan of your name.
He stayed inside you until his body calmed enough to move. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you against his chest like you were something he’d protect even in sleep.
His voice, sleepy and raw, brushed your ear:
“You’re mine,” he whispered.
“…So I’m yours too.”
Purring eased into silence as he drifted, still holding you, still inside you, like instinct wouldn’t let him part.
And you let him stay.
-
Your hand slid up, scratching gently behind one ear.
His eyes fluttered shut, a shudder rippling through him.
The purr erupted, violent and vibrating, shaking his frame as he leaned into your touch.
Emboldened, you massaged the knotted muscles of his neck, thumbs pressing into the heat radiating from his skin.
He melted against you, head dropping to your lap, tail curling loosely around your waist.
"Feels... too good," he groaned, voice husky. "Don't stop."
The touches lingered, your nails raking lightly down his back, soothing the restlessness that clawed at him.
He nuzzled your thigh, inhaling your scent, his hands gripping your hips with restrained strength.
Trust bloomed in the quiet as your pain echoing his, binding you in shared scars.
Night deepened, and the pre-heat surged. Xiumin pulled back slightly, eyes locked on yours, pupils vast and needy.
"If you stay... Don’t run when I touch you." His words hung heavy, a plea wrapped in command.
You nodded, heart pounding.
"I won't."
He moved then, fluid and predatory, pinning you gently to the fur rug by the fire.
His mouth claimed yours in a fierce kiss, tongue thrusting deep, tasting and dominating.
Claws retracted, but his grip on your wrists was iron as he ground his hardening cock against your core through your clothes.
You arched up, gasping, and he tore at the fabric, your shirt ripped open, exposing your breasts to the cool air.
His lips descended, sucking hard on one nipple, teeth grazing just enough to sting, drawing a moan from you.
"Mine," he growled against your skin, the word vibrating through you.
Heat poured off him, his body a furnace as pre-heat demanded release.
He stripped you bare, callused hands roaming, kneading your thighs apart.
His tail lashed wildly, brushing your inner legs like a tease.
You reached for him, fingers tangling in his hair, scratching his scalp until he purred louder, the sound rumbling into your bones.
Xiumin shed his pants, his thick cock springing free, veined and throbbing, tip already leaking pre-cum from the overwhelming sensitivity.
He rubbed it against your slick folds, coating himself, a hiss escaping as the friction nearly undid him.
"So wet for me," he murmured, voice breaking. "Smell like you need this too."
You soothed him again, hands massaging his chest, nails dragging over his nipples until he bucked forward.
Trust let you guide him, your legs wrapping his waist, pulling him in.
He thrust inside with one powerful stroke, stretching your pussy around his girth.
The burn was exquisite, his heat flooding you as he bottomed out, balls slapping your ass.
He stilled, panting, forehead pressed to yours.
"Don't run." Then he moved, claiming you in deep, relentless drives.
Each snap of his hips drove his cock deeper, hitting that spot that made stars burst behind your eyes.
His purr turned to snarls of pleasure, claws lightly scoring your hips as he fucked you harder, the rug burning your back.
You met him thrust for thrust, hands everywhere scratching his ears, massaging the flexing muscles of his ass as he pounded into you.
Emotional waves crashed with the physical: his eyes held yours, gold flecks piercing the black, sharing the pain that had led here, the trust that kept you locked together.
"Gonna fill you," he rasped, pace faltering as pre-heat peaked. His thumb circled your clit, rough and insistent, pushing you over the edge.
You clenched around him, crying out as orgasm ripped through you, walls milking his cock.
He followed with a roar, burying deep and pumping hot cum into your pussy, marking you inside as his.
But he wasn't done. Heat demanded more. Xiumin flipped you onto your hands and knees, tail wrapping your waist to hold you steady. He mounted you from behind, cock sliding back in with a wet squelch, cum easing the way.
"All mine," he growled, one hand fisting your hair, the other rubbing your back in soothing circles, mirroring your earlier touches.
He fucked you like a beast, hips slamming, cock dragging against your sensitive walls.
You pushed back, meeting his rhythm, fingers reaching to scratch his thighs.
Purring violently, he leaned down, teeth sinking into your shoulder, not breaking skin, but claiming, the bite sending jolts straight to your core.
Another orgasm built fast, your body trembling as he rutted deeper, balls tightening.
"Come again," he demanded, fingers pinching your nipples, twisting just hard enough to blend pain and pleasure.
You shattered, pussy spasming, and he flooded you once more, cum overflowing, dripping down your thighs.
Exhausted, he collapsed beside you, pulling you into his chest. His purr softened to a contented rumble, tail stroking your leg. In the afterglow, touches turned gentle your hand massaging his ears, his lips brushing your scars. Pain had brought you together; trust sealed the claim. And in his territory, you were home.
The fish tasted better than anything you’d eaten in months.
Not because it was seasoned well (it wasn’t), or cooked perfectly (it definitely wasn’t), but because someone made it for you, not to control you, not to punish you. Simply because you needed to eat.
You sat across from Xiumin near the fire, watching him fidget with his own bowl. He didn’t eat; he watched you eat, as if your hunger was more important than his.
When you finally noticed and asked,
“Aren’t you hungry?” he blinked and sniffed faintly.
“I ate earlier. I can smell you need food more.”
You choked a little. “You… smelled my hunger?”
His ears twitched in confusion, as though that was the most normal thing in the world.
“Humans didn’t notice this?”
He leaned forward suddenly, nose hovering close to your cheek. You froze, unsure if he meant to kiss you or inspect you. His breath tickled your skin as he sniffed lightly.
“You smell tired too. But safer.”
Safer.
Not safe.
Safer with him.
You swallowed softly. “Thank you.”
He blinked again, and his ears folded back in awkwardness. He didn’t understand gratitude yet, but he understood tone. He nodded once and resumed pretending to eat. At least he brought the bowl to his lips now and then, mimicking your actions like he was learning how to be human through you.
You watched him mimic your chewing motions, even though there was nothing in his mouth.
You had to bite back a smile.
⸻
After the meal, your ankle throbbed rhythmically beneath the bandages. You tried standing, bad idea. Pain shot up your leg, and you gasped sharply.
Xiumin was next to you in half a second.
Not walking.
Not running.
He pounced.
One moment you were upright; the next, his hands steadied your waist, his body angled protectively in front of you, tail lashing erratically.
“Don’t do that,” he growled, voice low, muscles tight.
You frowned. “I just tried to-”
“You could fall,” he snapped, voice edged not with anger, but fear.
His chest rose and fell fast. His nails had extended slightly, retracting only after he forced them back with a shaky breath.
He wasn’t scolding you.
He was scared you’d get hurt.
Slowly, gently, you touched his forearm. “I’m okay. It just hurt.”
His eyes flicked down to your hand on his skin.
He didn’t pull away.
Instead he tilted his head, staring with open confusion, then curiosity. His nose brushed your wrist.
You froze as he scented you, breath warm on your skin. Not sexual. Not possessive. More like… reassurance. Like checking that you weren’t in pain or afraid.
“Your heartbeat changed,” he murmured. “I needed to know why.”
Before you could respond, his ears twitched sharply.
His head snapped toward the door.
In one smooth motion, he was on his feet, body low, muscles taut, a hunter ready to strike.
You heard it too then.
A metallic snap in the distance.
Followed by something struggling. Whining.
Xiumin bared his teeth.
“Trap.”
Your heart lurched. “An animal?”
“No,” he growled. “Humans.”
His voice held no confusion now. No innocence. Just pure instinct and memory twisted together.
He grabbed a weapon from the wall a crudely carved spear and his tail bristled, hair rising along his spine. Not fear.
Rage.
“Stay inside. Don’t move.”
You opened your mouth to protest to say you couldn’t let him go alone, but the moment you shifted your injured foot, Xiumin turned, scooped you up effortlessly, and lowered you back onto the bed.
His voice dropped low, cold, sharper than anything he’d used on you.
“They hurt creatures who smell like me.”
His eyes flicked to yours, and the truth sank into your bones: he didn’t mean animals.
He meant hybrids.
Maybe even him.
Maybe many like him.
His gaze softened just a fraction, as he touched the edge of your blanket, pulling it slightly over you in a halting, awkward motion. Like he wanted to protect you, even while he fought.
“I’ll be back.”
Then he was gone. Silent as moonlight. Deadly as winter.
You were left alone with the crackling fire, your racing pulse, and one terrifying realization:
You escaped a life of cruelty, but the world you’d fallen into had dangers of its own.
-
Nights in the forest were colder than you expected.
The temperature dropped the moment the sun slipped behind the trees, pulling the heat out of the tiny cabin as though something were breathing it away. You sat near the fire Xiumin made, hugging your knees beneath the oversized sweater he had reluctantly given you the night before.
You didn’t tell him how the sweater still smelled like him, warm spice, pine leaves, and something faintly sweet, like winter flowers crushed between fingers. You didn’t have to tell him. Every time you inhaled, your heartbeat fluttered, and he heard it.
He always heard it.
Tonight was no different. His ears twitched when you shifted on the blankets, and his gaze lifted from the steaming pot of broth he was stirring.
“Heart’s loud again.”
You choked on your breath. “It’s… not loud.”
He tilted his head, as if listening to you rather than believing you. His snow-white tail flicked once, slow, thoughtful and not annoyed, but curious.
“It is. It speeds up when you’re cold.”
You looked away, choosing not to answer. You told yourself it was only the temperature, only your body reacting to discomfort… not to him, not to the nearness of him each night when the wind howled like a pack of wolves outside.
As though to prove something, Xiumin set aside the pot and walked over. You expected him to hand you a blanket. Instead, he sat right beside you, shoulder pressed to shoulder, tail sliding over your lap like some instinct-driven thing he didn’t meaning to do.
You froze.
His ears reddened immediately.
“I… it’s warmer like this. Don’t make it weird.”
You didn’t. You couldn’t. Because just like him, your body reacted without permission. Your heart slammed in your chest, and his nose twitched, pupils narrowing into thin feline slits.
“You’re not cold.”
Your cheeks burned. “Then move away.”
He didn’t. Instead, he leaned closer, breath ghosting over your neck.
“You smell nervous.”
You swallowed, throat tight. “Maybe you should stop smelling me then.”
He blinked. Slowly. As though the idea itself was absurd.
“I can’t. You’re in my den.”
You didn’t know whether to argue or to melt.
Instead, you fell into silence, leaned just slightly into him, and let the warmth settle. His ears gradually cooled, tint fading. The longer you stayed like that, the calmer you both became, until a crunch echoed outside, something heavy stepping across the leaf-littered ground.
Xiumin’s body changed instantly.
He wasn’t warm.
He wasn’t flustered.
He became predator.
A low, deep growl rumbled through his chest. His tail unwound from your lap, fur bristling, muscles tensing beneath his clothing.
“Stay here.”
The words were sharper than usual, carrying no question, no softness. You reached for him, but he was already moving, slipping outside with a speed that belonged to something more instinct than human.
You waited only seconds before the sounds reached you: snarling, heavy thudding, something being thrown against the dirt. You ran outside despite his order, adrenaline slamming through you.
A large hybrid long-limbed, with mottled gray fur was clawing at Xiumin, teeth bared. They were fighting, territorial, animal. Not over land. Not over food.
You realized it when the intruder’s eyes flicked toward you.
Xiumin lunged instantly, pinning him to the ground, growling words you barely understood.
“Not yours. Don’t look.”
A moment later the trespasser dashed off, limping into the dark. Xiumin stayed where he was, shoulders rising and falling with sharp breaths.
When he finally turned toward you, something wild hadn’t left his eyes. Something possessive. His scent was stronger, hotter. And when he approached you, it wasn’t to check if you were hurt.
He cupped your jaw gently, too gently for someone who had just been fighting.
“You don’t look at other hybrids. Not here.”
Your pulse hammered.
“Why?”
His pupils contracted again. His breath hitched once, as if he’d only now realized what he was about to do, yet instinct pushed faster than thought. He leaned in, nose brushing the side of your throat, inhaling deeply.
Hot breath. Sharp sigh.
Then he rubbed his cheek against your neck, slow, deliberate.
Scent-marking you.
Claiming you.
“Because you’re safe here…”
His lips grazed your skin without a kiss, barely contact, trembling restraint.
“Safe… and mine.”
He froze after saying it, as if waking from instinct too late.
You whispered back, barely audible:
“Xiumin…”
He swallowed hard, ears burning deep red again, tail flicking rapidly caught between pride and panic.
“D-don’t overthink it. It’s just… how hybrids protect things.”
You smiled softly, though your heart was racing in a way that had nothing to do with fear or cold anymore.
“Then protect me.”
His eyes widened but this time, he didn’t look away.
A steady, pulsing warmth along your back. A low vibration, like something was purring against your spine. Which made no sense, you hadn’t owned a cat since you were a child. You shifted slightly and felt something heavy slide off your shoulder, followed by a sudden halt of the vibrating sound.
Your eyes opened to a dim room.
Wooden walls. A stone fire pit glowing embers. Furs and blankets piled around you like a nest. And the warmth pressed against you was not a mattress or a heater...
But him.
The hybrid from the woods.
He was sitting behind you on the floor, one knee bent, one leg stretched out, broad chest rising slowly with breath. When he realized you were awake, he froze, his ears going rigid, tail flicking sharply once behind him, like a warning flag.
His voice came low, cautious.
“If you try to run, you’ll fall again. You’re injured.”
His tone wasn’t threatening, but his eyes were. Sharp, calculating, watching your every micro-movement like you might turn feral yourself. There was intelligence in them, and experience and too much for someone so young-looking.
You stared at your foot, now wrapped in bandages thick with fragrant paste. Something herbal, faintly sweet. And this is his doing.
“You… Cleaned my wounds?”
He didn’t answer at first. Instead, he sniffed the air slightly, as if checking for lies or fear. And then, finally:
“You were bleeding. Blood attracts predators.”
A practical answer. Not emotional, not heroic. Just fact.
Still, you whispered, “Thank you.”
His ears twitched, he is almost shy? He looked away like he didn’t understand what to do with gratitude, scratching at one ear like it suddenly itched. Clearly uncomfortable.
“Humans say that a lot. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do when they do say that.” His cheeks become slightly red, pinkish. It seems he was blushing.
It wasn’t rude. It was honest.
You pushed yourself up slowly, and instantly his body tensed. Not in aggression but in instinctive readiness, prepared to bolt or pounce if needed. His tail swayed low, uncertain.
“Sit. You’re still weak.”
You swallowed. “I just want to look around.”
He hesitated, then scooted a little farther back, giving you a space and still watching closely. His movements were precise, controlled, like every muscles waited for an order.
You looked toward to the fire. It crackled quietly. The scent of mint and pine lingered in the room. Something boiled in a pot over the flames, like a food? He caught your glance and cleared his throat awkwardly.
“It’s fish. I cooked it. For you.”
A beat. “Not poisoned.”
The clarification was… Absurdly earnest.
You almost laughed, but you were afraid laughter might break the fragile truce forming between you. Instead, you nodded.
“Can I… Know your name?”
He stiffened again. This time his tail flicked more defensively.
“Names are danger.”
You blinked. “Why?”
He didn’t answer immediately. He simply stared at the bandages on your ankle, eyes narrowing as if remembering something unpleasant.
“If someone has your name, they own you. At least, that’s how humans treated me.”
Ah.
There it was. The mirror of your own escape. The recognition you saw in him wasn’t imagined.
Quietly, you offered: “I won’t own you. I just want to know who saved me.”
He looked startled, not by the idea of being owned, but by being called a savior. His eyes widened a fraction, ears twitching like a nervous tell. He sniffed lightly again, then lowered his gaze.
“…Xiumin.”
He said it softly, like the word itself hurt.
You whispered back your own name.
"My name's Y/N"
When you did, Xiumin inhaled sharply as if the sound of it hit some instinct in him. His pupils widened slightly, and his tail curled loosely, unsure.
He repeated your name slowly, tasting the syllables.
Not possessively.
Not suspiciously.
Like he was learning a word that mattered.
Like he finally believed you weren’t here to hurt him.
⸻
For a moment, the room was quiet.
Just fire, breath, and two people who didn’t quite know how to exist without fear.
Then he stood suddenly and grabbed the pot.
“Eat. Your body smells too weak.”
Awkward. Direct. Caring in the only way he knew how.
And as your stomach twisted with hunger and relief, you realized: you weren’t the only one running from cruelty.
You just happened to collapse into the arms of someone who had already survived it.
Romance / Fantasy / Drama / Smut R18+ / Comfort&Healing au / Hybrid au /
Starring Kim Minseok/Xiumin!!!🫶🏻🤍🤍🤍
Part 1
You run away from a life filled with control and abuse. Lost in the woods, starving and injured, you stumble into territory claimed by an unusual resident: Xiumin, a lone cat hybrid, muscled, quiet, territorial, and distrustful of humans after years of being treated like a weapon and a commodity.
He should chase you away. Instead, he takes you home.
Because you smell like the pain he understands.
-
The kitchen floor smelled like bleach and cold metal.
You could still taste blood at the back of your throat, metallic and warm, like it didn’t quite know it should stop flowing yet. The world had narrowed into a tunnel of your shaking hands, the broken plate on the floor, and the words that had carved themselves into your skull like a brand:
“You’ll never leave. You’re nothing without me.”
You didn’t remember deciding to run.
Your feet just moved.
Your bag was light. Too light. A wallet, a flashlight, one bottle of water, your ID, nothing that mattered, not even a coat. You couldn’t stand to go back for more. The air in the house felt poisonous, thick with control. If you stayed one more minute, you’d choke on it.
So you left. Barefoot at first, shoes pulled on mid-run, laces trailing like tailing threads of a life you were trying to cut free from.
Anyone watching might have thought you were fleeing a fire.
You were.
⸻
The town disappeared behind you, swallowed by trees. Branches scraped your arms, roots caught your feet, and your lungs burned like wildfire. You didn’t stop. Fear pushed you forward harder than exhaustion could stop you.
The woods felt endless, dark in a way that wasn’t empty but alive whispers carried by wind, animals watching unseen. You didn’t know where you were going. You just knew anywhere was better than home.
Night crept faster than you expected, dragging temperature with it. You hugged yourself for warmth, shivering, fingers numb. The flashlight flickered, struggling against the growing dark. Your stomach made a hollow, angry sound and how long since you’d eaten?
You were so stupid for not packing more.
But you had been in survival mode and not planning mode.
You slowed only when your legs gave out, dropping onto damp earth. Your knees hit hard, your palms catching yourself in mud and falling leaves. The flashlight finally died, plunging everything into black.
That’s when the regret finally hit.
What now?
Where do I go?
What did I just do?
Your breath came in panicked little bursts. You hugged yourself tighter, trying to stop the shaking, whether from cold or fear you weren’t sure. You pressed your forehead to the ground like you were praying.
You didn’t hear the footsteps at first.
Soft, too soft, like someone who knew how to move without sound. Like something that belonged to the forest more than you did.
A branch cracked somewhere behind you.
Your head snapped up, adrenaline jolting through your tired body.
Silence followed, as heavy as the night.
You swallowed, throat tight. “H-Hello?”
No answer. Only the wind brushing leaves.
You ran again.
You didn’t get far this time.
A root caught your foot and the world flipped. Pain exploded in your ankle, and you landed hard, breath knocked from you. You tried to crawl, but your leg protested sharply.
Then you saw him.
A pair of eyes which are reflective and pale like moonlit frost and they watched you from between the trees. Eyes too intelligent to be an animal, too wild to be human.
He stepped closer, slow, cautious.
White hair, flattened ears, tail curling low in curiosity. A body built to fight or flee at a moment’s notice. Not human. Not just animal.
Something else.
You opened your mouth to scream, but nothing came out.
He tilted his head, studying you. There was no malice in his stare, only caution… and something stranger.
Recognition.
Like he’d seen your pain before.
You blinked once, twice, vision swimming and then the cold, the exhaustion, and the blood loss finally won. The ground rushed up, and your eyes slipped shut as the last thing you heard was a quiet voice near your ear.
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