The bell jingled behind you as the door closed, putting you out into the cold, rainy night. A drawled out sigh escaped past your lips as you held out the small umbrella and pushed it open hearing the small droplets hit down on it. Once again you were walking home by yourself, on your way to an empty apartment with no one to welcome you back.
You plopped your feet into puddles with every slow step, in no rush to get to an empty and dark apartment. You decided to take a break from drinking and clubbing per request of your co-worker and friend, who once again denied your offer to pay for her drinks if she came with you. You battled with yourself on wanting company or wanting to be left alone, wanting to be held and comforted. Wanting to be loved.
Or maybe declare war on men.
Your last failed relationship wasn’t something you were hung up about because of the guy, it was that you were beginning to think the problem was you. Were you that unloveable? It always goes good in the beginning and then somewhere in the middle you ignore the red flags all the way to the end where he cheats on you or tells you he’s not emotionally available. You were starting to believe that asking for romantic love was too much to ask for. No matter how much love you put into you, you shamefully wanted to share how much you loved yourself with someone else. You wanted to fall in love with someone and share worlds with. You wanted all these things, slowly losing the grasp and accepting it as something you couldn’t obtain.
You watch the traffic lights change colors for an empty street as you walk on the sidewalk path towards home. The fear of walking alone at night left you long ago when you grew used to it, seeing the difference in the amount of people there were depending if it was a weekday or weekend. No one was out to bother you, nothing but empty cars on empty streets. Empty alleyways except for the stench of trash barrels and a wet dog sitting beside-
You stopped in your tracks with your feet plopping in water and eyebrows knit together. You slowly turned your body to the side, looking back at the person sitting down in the corner of the alley. He had his knees pulled up to his chest, a jacket that stood no chance against the rain soaked against his body. You could see his bangs underneath the hoodie plastered against his forehead, the strands wet and dripping with water. It was a pitiful sight, although he didn’t seem to be shivering or whimpering for help.
You could have kept walking, acknowledging the possibilities that this guy could be a psychopath or a serial killer. Make it home without risking yourself in danger and get in your warm bed. Usually you took these things into account but for some reason none of those thoughts popped up in your head. You were only holding out your umbrella to him, shielding him from the rest of the rain as his head finally peered up with dark eyes staring into your green ones.
You could hear the rain continue to come down, you could feel the cold onslaught of it on your back as you leaned over. No matter how much you tried in that moment you couldn’t think of yourself or think of anything else except what you thought of him as a smile grew on your face.
“You’re soaked.”
*
You pushed your body on the door when you got it unlocked, huffing out with effort as the bottom of the door scraped on the floorboard. You reached over to the side and switched on a light, then a couple more until you got the right one dimming the hallway with light.
“Home sweet home..” you announced with a relieved breath, turning around to make sure your stranger was still behind you. He peered over your shoulder into your home until your hand on his wrist was dragging him in and closing the door behind.
“Don’t be shy! It’s warm in here and I have plenty of food. Let me just heat up a pot really quick. You like ramyun?” You dropped your bag by the coat rack after hanging up your raincoat, slipping out of your boots and ushered him to do the same. You hurried to the kitchen telling him to follow as well, going straight to your cabinets and pulling out your usual pot when you made noodles. You thanked the heavens you deep cleaned and tidied your place for this, going through a checklist in your head just to double sure you didn’t have to be embarrassed about anything. You heard his feet drag into the kitchen as you stood up, looking over your shoulder and seeing him still in his wet jacket and shoes as you tried not to grimace. You didn’t let it get to you, immediately thinking he was just shy and went to turn on the stove and fill the pot with water.
“My name’s Dahyun, what’s yours?” You introduced yourself, putting the pot on the stove before turning around and yelping out with how close he suddenly was. You didn’t get a clear look at his face with his hair in it and the hoodie still pulled over to hide it, only catching sight of his hands cupping your face.
“It can be whatever you want sweetheart.” He breathed, surprise making your body freeze over. His breath didn’t smell bad at all like you thought, and finally hearing his voice was like honey on your eardrums. You caught yourself as he was pulling your face closer to his, getting a peek at pink plush lips before you were stiffening in his hold and shaking your head.
“Woah! No! You don’t have to do that- I didn’t bring you here for that.”
He stopped his advancements and the both of you stood there as if you were on pause. You didn’t push him away, allowing his warm hands to stay on your cheek as you swallowed. “Your clothes are soaked and you’ll get sick if you stay in them.”
It took him a moment before he let you go, pulling away and stepping back as his hand came over his head. You blinked with wide eyes as he pulled back his hood, pushing his wet hair back and giving you a good look at his face.
And the floppy ears at the top of his head.
They were a deep brown, clashing with his black hair but nonetheless adorable as they twitched about trying to get water off. Before you reached out on impulse to touch them you realized that this wasn’t just a stranger you brought into your home but a hybrid, which led to other questions. Did he belong to someone? Was he a stray? Did he run away from his home?
The questions that lingered in your mind only worried you more before you shook them off when you were clear about your answer.
“You can stay here tonight. It’s warm, much better than outside.” You assured him before grabbing his wrist again and leading him to the bathroom. You readied a towel and got out an extra loofah, setting them to the side and pulling the hybrid in. “Take a nice hot shower and I’ll have some pj’s ready when you get out. With a nice hot bowl of ramyun.”
He nodded his head to you before you smiled gleefully and closed the door behind, setting out to get the noodles boiling before searching for some extra clothes. Luckily you always had oversized shirts and boxer briefs stashed away that you personally liked to wear for the comfort they brought. You pulled out the garments and hurried back to the bathroom, opening the door quietly and peeking in. He was already in the shower thankfully, setting the fresh clothes next to the towel before gathering his discarded clothes off the floor. You made quick work to throw them in the washer machine with some detergent before heading back to the kitchen and finishing the noodles for two.
He came out just as you set two piping bowls down the table, finally getting a good look at the pup you welcomed into your home. His hair was wet but this time by a shower, his body dried and in the pajamas you gave him to wear. They were just as baggy on him as they were you but he looked comfortable and clean, smelling delightful in your shampoo and body wash. You ushered him to the table, pushing his bowl towards him that had extra helpings of the noodles and kimchi. He sat down in the creaky stool chair and dug in with the chopsticks, the sound of his slurping filling the kitchen. You couldn’t help the smile on your face as you watched, hurrying to pick up your own and dig in when he peeked up at you. You both ate silently, not letting the awkwardness bother you as you finished your bowls clean, leaving nothing behind. You deposited the dishes in the sink to worry about in the morning, making your way to the living room and making sure the pup followed behind. You already had a pillow and cover ready for him, the bed being a little too weird and soon to offer up. He climbed in without your encouragement, seeing how tired his body was as he relaxed into the cushion. You could see the sleep on his eyelids wanting to welcome him, straining to keep awake as he watched you bent down.
“You can stay, as long as you like. If you want.” You blurted, finally saying what you wanted. This was all a bit sudden, and this could be taken in a lot of different ways but most of all you wanted to help someone in need. That was the Dahyun thing to do, and you wanted to at least put it out there someone wanted to help him. His tired eyes stared at you, tired blinks you counted up to three before you glimpsed at the small smirk forming on his face.
“My name’s Jimin.”
It was your turn to blink before your mouth formed an ‘o’ and a smile spread over your face. You nodded your head and introduced yourself again before saying goodnight, heading off to your bedroom with hopes of what tomorrow would bring.
*
It brought pain.
You stood in your living room, staring at the spot where your tv and devices used to be counting up the amount of money lost with each item. The pup had stolen the electronics in your house and whatever he considered valuable, as you found the couch empty the early morning you woke up. Luckily he didn’t sneak into your room where your wallet and computer were, at least you could keep those to yourself. As much as you should be hurting, you weren’t surprised. Hybrid or human, men were still trash.
You dragged yourself back to bed, not bothering to look for the thief or attempt to rebuy what was stolen. You didn’t have it in you to report him or ask around, just hoping it brought him a little spending money as you will yourself to go back to sleep. This was expected as much, you were a fool. A pitiful, naive fool. Fuck good intentions, you will never do another good thing for any being anymore. You dreamt about becoming an asshole version of yourself, even daydreamed about it when you woke up and went about your day all the way to readying for work. All the way down to the bar, promising yourself you would never lend a helping hand to anyone ever again. Even as you entered through the door and greeted your friend Nari and the new co-worker named Chaesol, you were readying yourself to announce you were turning over a new leaf. A new leaf that only brought pain as the sole customer at the bar turned around, familiar dark eyes giving you their attention as a sly grin spread across his face and his brown tail wagged.
“Are you fucking kidding me…” you quietly hissed to yourself, glaring ahead at the dog sitting at the bar eyeing you back with an amused grin on his face. You wasted no time stepping forward and dropping your purse on a freshly wiped down table ready to get your hands around his neck. You didn’t make it that far as Nari called your name in warning, making you stop in place though the anger in your face never left.
“What is this fucking theif doing in my bar?” you asked through gritted teeth, staring down the mutt as his lips tugged into a wider smirk.
“Our bar, Dahyun.”
“Hey! What was your name again?” Jimin gleefully greeted, making your blood boil as your nose flared and eyes twitched.
“Let’s step outside and I’ll tell you.”
“Enough with the hostility please.” Nari begged, continuing to wipe down the bar counter behind the pup who was enjoying the encounter he was having with you. He leaned forward in the bar stool, hands between his legs as he gripped onto the edge of the black chair. The addicting smile on his face only angered you more, annoyance and vexation making you want wring his neck loose.
“This is the dog that stole my shit!” you pointed a finger at him, irritation in your voice as you spoke to Nari. You wanted to cry with how bad you wanted to hurt him, the only thing holding you back was your trusted co-worker who was seemingly having the thief’s back.
“I have no argument to that, I truly did.” Jimin confessed to Nari, tilting his head back for her to hear before she was rolling her eyes.
“He’s here wanting to apply for a job.”
“If you have your own little pet mascot in here, I don’t see why you won’t keep me. I’m much cuter.” He turned in his chair to face Nari, ignoring the second pair of eyes glaring him down as he rested his chin in his palm. He was pulling all the stops on Nari, even the puppy eyes that seemed to have no affect on her.
“You’re going to hire him!?” you rasped, mouth dropping and eyes going wide, ready to drop to your knees in anguish.
“No.” The answer was given in unison by Nari and the new girl, making Jimin feign an exasperated sigh.
“Oh well. So much for turning over a new leaf. You need a partner for the mating season, sweetcheeks?”
A growl was his only answer from Chaesol before he shrugged and turned back to Nari. “What about you?”
“Already have one.”
“Maybe you need a new one.”
Nari chuckled to herself, beginning to wipe down the shot glasses as her eyes focused on her tasks. “Trust me, I don’t. I’m not a dog person.”
Jimin slowly turned in his chair, the only option left in the room having to be you as that same aggravating smirk appeared on his face. You readied yourself to cuss him out until you watched his face drop as the sound of the bell signaled a customer coming into the bar.
Your eyes darted to Nari, seeing her eyebrows knit together at the door as she asked, “What are you doing here?”
You turned your head around, eyes going wide at the sight of the same two men from hybrid control making their way down the steps.
“Came back for that drink.”
You fast stepped straight to Jimin, helping turn his body in the chair before pulling his hood up over his head and wrapping your arm around his shoulders. You leaned in close to him and pulled his tail between the two of you trying your best to hide it as you kept your eyes on the back watching the two men as they came forward between the empty tables. Nari came from behind the bar counter, crossing her arms after throwing a rag on the table to set the boundary between them.
“Well we’re open, but I honestly wouldn’t want to serve you after the last encounter we’ve had.”
“Kicking us out the bar because you don’t want us seeing how you already have a hybrid holed up in here, huh?”
You could feel Jimin stiffen in your hold as you held onto your breath, clenching your eyes shut as escape plans flew through your mind. Luckily Chaesol was the one to speak up, confirming they didn’t know about Jimin and calming the both of your nerves. “I work here.”
“She has a working permit and she works for me in my bar. I have no obligation to release her to you guys.” Nari corrected the men in front of her, challenging their authority as they both laughed. One of the men stepped closer to her, the same dark eyes boring into her hazel ones as he spoke lowly, “Who do you think you are, wanting to save every hybrid that comes in here?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’re upset that I’m making your job harder for you. If you don’t like it, call your boss.”
He stared her down for a long while, the room tensing up upon their stare down match before the man said aloud, “What ya standing around for, pup? Pour me a drink.”
He moved to the bar, a little ways over from you and Jimin before his partner joined him. Nari gave a nod in Chaesol’s direction before she was pulling out shot glasses, taking the two men’s orders before giving the both of you a look.
“We’re gonna go out and grab something to eat, we’ll be back later.” you quickly said before grabbing onto Jimin’s hand and pulling him up and towards the door. The hairs on your back rose, feeling all sets of eyes on the two of you as you kept it moving, hearing Nari muster her best normal response so the men wouldn’t catch on.
“Go ahead, take your time. Me and Chaesol have it covered here.”
You could finally breathe when you stepped outside, the cold night air filling your lungs and relaxing a bit of your nerves as you refused to stop walking. You headed straight for home with Jimin in tow, thinking of how you were going to handle this situation. You were sadly mistaken though, the hand in yours snatching back and making you turn to give Jimin a curious look.
“What are you doing?”
“What are you doing?” He countered back, anger written in his features as his fingers curled into fists. “I’m not going with you.”
You scoffed. “Oh excuse me, like we all didn’t try to save your ass back there. Chaesol is in more danger than you and you want to act like a petty prick right now?”
“I didn’t need saving. I can take care of myself.”
You scoffed again, letting out a chuckle before crossing your arms. “Says the person who needs to steal things from others just to support himself.”
The glare in his eyes was too much of a contrast from the snarky looks he was giving you in the bar, completely throwing you off and confusing this situation for you even more. You stared at each other for a long moment, until the look in his eyes began to soften and his fists uncurled.
“Get home safely, Dahyun.”
You watched in bewilderment as he turned and walked off, leaving you there in bitter confusion with your mouth dropping open. “You're leaving??! Just like that!!?”
He didn’t bother to look back, not even a wave as he continued to walk briskly in the cold night and away from you. You dropped your arms to your sides, your body feeling completely defeated. You didn’t have the energy to try anymore, turning around on your heel in the direction to home. Soft bursts of chuckles released from your body with shakes, a whimper in your laugh as you entertained the idea of beating your head on the wall. It’s only been a day and you felt like you were going crazy. Was everything you were doing wrong?
You dragged yourself into your apartment, still not used to your missing property from their rightful spots. It left your apartment feeling cold and empty, a perfect match to your soul as you laughed at the thought lightly. You didn’t have the energy to make food or get in the shower, only giving thanks to Nari for giving you the night off as you slipped into a loose t-shirt and a pair of panties. You made sure to send a quick text asking if Chaesol and her were alright after slipping underneath your covers, pulling the blanket over your head and curling your body in on yourself. You could only whimper, making yourself more upset from being too drained to cry.
You couldn’t get your mind off of him. The annoying, bastard of a dog who played you like a fiddle. The amount of kindness you try to show and this is what you were rewarded with. Even with those types of thoughts, your mind still lingered to his eyes, his smile that made his eyes curl up into small little smiles. Those floppy ears on top of his head that would twitch every time he was amused by something.
Why did you save him there?
You could have let hybrid control have him. Reported him right then and there and watch him be forced into a truck that would take him away. Even if that would calm your want for revenge, the image of it makes you sick to your stomach. You didn’t want to watch him suffer, you just wanted an apology for once. You just wanted someone to stay for once.
Your eyes popped open when you heard the sound of rain pouring outside. You realized you had dozed off thinking about Jimin as you sat up to look out the window and watch the rain come down. You stared at it for a moment, your mind bubbling up with the memory of finding him out there from before, completely drenched and shivering in the cold.
You moved out of bed quickly, not bothering to throw on some more clothes as you stepped your feet into your slippers and headed out the door. You left your apartment in a hurry, racing down the steps and hopping down at the last two to burst through the doors and out into the cold rain. You didn’t have any idea where he could have gone; with how much time had passed he could be anywhere. You thought maybe to start with the first place you found him before, and headed in that direction before coming to a complete stop.
You whipped your head to the side of your building, looking down at the mutt leaning against the brick wall. He turned his head just as you noticed him, needing to blink the rain out of his eyelashes to realize it was you coming over to him. Just like before though the rain was much heavier and cold on your back, you reached out your bare arm to shield the rain from his eyes
with your hand. You offered a smile, the best one you could muster as you decided to save your little pup stuck in the rain again.
Nothing felt better than clean, cotton sheets against freshly washed and shaven skin. You inhaled deeply through your nose, the scent of your lavender chamomile candle making you sigh blissfully with your eyes closed. A well needed day spent doing self care and cleaning had you in bed by five pm after a bath and successful skincare routine. But the candle wasn’t what woke you up by midnight, it was the weight around your waist and pressed against your back, the sound of soft snores you instantly recognized making you turn around in bed.
The weight shifted on instinct when you moved, giving you room to roll over and push yourself into his embrace. The smell of Yoongi was the best thing next to the smell of your favorite candles, a smile gracing your face as you pressed your face into his chest with a long whiff.
“You’re home early.” you breathed, feeling the hum in his chest.
“It’s started to rain.” he responded as reason, his arm slinking around your waist more comfortably. His body was heavy with tiredness, you knew as you leaned your head back to get a look at your kitten.
“Not because you missed me?” you asked playfully, voice gentle as you scanned his face. His eyes were closed, slightly long lashes touching his skin as parted pink lips with soft, steady breaths were released.
“I always miss you when I’m gone, Nari.”
You feigned a frown with a pout, unable to help yourself from pecking a kiss on his lips. “Not as much as I miss you. You should come home sooner.”
“Mmhm.”
Silence between you was never uncomfortable, but you always had an urge to bother Yoongi when you were like this. He would come home tired, and as much as you loved to sleep in his arms you loved to get every little reaction you could out of him as well. With how much time you had with each other, you knew all the buttons to press, and all the spots to touch.
Your arms wrapped around his body, as best as you could to let them trail up to the back of his head. You started at the end of his hair, working your way up to his feline ears with tender scratches and instantly being rewarded with a soft moan of appreciation. You bit down on your tongue to hold back a giggle, smiling as the grasp on your body tightened, the furrow in his brows wrinkling his forehead.
“Keep going.” Yoongi breathed when you took your fingers out his hair too soon. “Nari.”
“Come home to me sooner and you can have all the head scratches you want.” you bargained and your heart skipped a beat when his eyelids suddenly opened. Deep brown eyes, just underneath hooded eyelids stared into yours before they moved closer as lips pressed against yours sweetly. A few more persistent pecks had you a blushing mess as you whined, asking him why.
“Kisses, for head scratches.” he bargained with you back, unrelenting his attack as you did the opposite, letting your fingers return with more head scratches. A light chuckles against your lips and he was pulling you closer to his chest again, letting you hear the soft purrs. And for a split second you almost forgot, nothing felt better in this world than having your hybrid’s arms around you, purring softly.
Your face scrunched underneath the imposing sunlight filtering in from the windows, letting out a tired sigh of annoyance. You thought maybe you could sneak in a few more minutes of sleep since Kyungsoo didn’t come to wake you, but the rising sun was filling in for his part of the job. You managed to open your eyes as you turned your body, waking yourself up from a deep sleep you were annoyed from ending. A groan escaped from your throat as you stretched your tired limbs with exertion underneath the thin sheet across your body.
You sat up in bed with a smack of your lips and looked around, eyebrows furrowing when realization dawned on you. Everything in the room was still the same from last night before you went to bed. It was out of place for you since Kyungsoo would have laid out clothes and opened the curtains before you rose out of bed. You took a glance at the clock beside your bed on the nightstand, eyeing the two lines pointing in the direction of the time. It was only 8:50am, you could have gone back to sleep and go on until noon. You decided not to though, not when curiosity was eating at you wondering where you obedient butler could have gone.
You managed to wash up and dress yourself all on your own, dragging your feet into the dining area where you caught the small commotion of noise. You recognized the two idiots instantly, Victoria and Suho bickering between themselves as they set the table with a platter of food for one. You watched them push and shove at each other, huffing and carrying on which dish to present closer to the edge. You cleared your throat loud enough for them to hear, watching their heads pop up and eyes go wide with the sight of you.
“Good morning!” Their voices rang in unison, smiles gracing their faces as they readied the table and ushered you to come sit down. You took a seat at the head of the table, eyeing the assortment of food laid out just for you. It was ten times more the amount you were used to, but Kyungsoo was the only one who limited your intake and kept an eye on your diet. The first thing you made a grab for were the biscuits, a lovely spread to the side of the stack of pancakes in front of you. You took a bite into the thick bread, the sound of your munching filling the room that had grown silent.
“These biscuits.” You commented, tasting the fluffy bread in your mouth as both servants eyed you with expectancy. “Are bland.”
It was quiet for a moment until Victoria stuttered on a reply. “A-all it needs is a little honey!”
She quickly came to your side, hands reaching out for the sweet condiments in the middle of the table and set to work on buttering your bread. You dropped the biscuit down onto a napkin before picking at the fruit bowl, aiming for the fresh ripe strawberries that made your mouth water.
“Where’s Kyungsoo?”
“He’s out running errands for Mistress. He should be back no later than the evening.” Suho answered unhesitantly, still standing to the side with a goofy smile on his face. They must have planned for this since this morning, or maybe last night before you went to bed. Either way, it crept a few ideas into your head as you raised an eyebrow.
“Really? Should I have some fun then?”
*
Your idea of fun wasn’t all that bad. You just wanted to play a little prank on Kyungsoo, get him riled up to see the mess you created in the house when he came back home. It started with a food fight with the breakfast your servants prepared for you, taking it into as many parts of the house as you could as you laughed with joy. Victoria and Suho had no choice but to join you, enjoy the game together and forget about the impending doom when he was on his way home. You ended up ruining your attire for the day, leading into the dress up party as you created a fashion show in your own dressing room. Once again your servants had to participate, giving you a good laugh to see Suho in the different dresses you managed to fit on him. You made sure to take pictures of all three of you, something to show Kyungsoo so he could see what a fabulous time you had without him.
Your fun was short-lived when a knock came at the door, followed by the familiar ring of your doorbell. You gave each other a look, no one expecting guests at all before Victoria hurried to go downstairs. You were quick to follow after her, racing down the stairs before slowing your steps as you got to the door. You stood behind Victoria with a curious look on your face, watching as she answered the door. A man neither of you recognized stood in the doorway with a bright smile, charming and quite handsome as he gave the both of you a bow.
“Is Miss ___ in?”
You brushed by Victoria before she could stutter an answer, crossing your arms before plastering a smile on your face.
“Who’s searching for her?”
To your surprise he held out his hand, palm facing upwards as he asked for your hand to place a kiss on top of it. “I’m Kim Taehyun. Messenger of House Park. It’s an honor to make your acquaintance, my lady.”
You blinked at him, a slow smirk growing at the corner of your lips. “What brings you by?”
“My lord wanted me to stop by on his behalf to present gifts and offer a partnership. I can explain our businesses in more detail if you have the time.” He answered, that smile on his face as his eyes gleamed with playfulness, urging you to take the bait.
You hummed in amusement before you gripped his hand and pulled him inside. “Come. Victoria, fetch my gifts out of his carriage and ready the sitting area...and tell Suho to prepare snacks and tea.”
Victoria’s unhesitant answer of a ‘yes mistress’ was all that was needed before she was hurrying outside to complete her task, letting you lead the guest to one of the fortunately clean rooms. You were well aware how uncommon it was for you to not have more servants in such a big mansion you resided in, and how it came off to others who would visit. It didn’t matter, and it played well into your game to see the reactions and responses you got out of them. So when you sat down with Taehyun, the switch in your head turned on to start the game.
“Now, who do you work for?” you began, just as soon as Suho rolled in a platter of cookies and fresh brewed tea.
Taehyun kept his eyes on yours, accepting the tea that was set in front of him on the coffee table. “Park Chanyeol. Owner of Park’s Trading and where constantly expanding to reach new heights and places. My master heard numerous stories and has kept a watchful eye on your company and is quite impressed with how large your company has grown since you’ve taken ownership. He wanted to form a partnership, which I guarantee will produce immense growth in not only sales but integrity. ”
You hummed in thought, seeing Suho bow in the corner of your eye before he left the room. “Why didn’t he come himself? Isn’t it rude to not introduce yourself formally to the person you so want to be partners with? Or is he shy?”
“On the contrary he’s known to make his acquaintances shy. That’s why he sent me to break the ice.” Taehyun chuckled, his playful response making you raise a brow as you smiled.
“Oh?”
Taehyun took a bite of a cookie that was displayed out, humming at the sweet treat before thinking for a moment. “He has a way with his words, Mistress.”
You gave a nod. “Hm. So do I.”
You had made your decision right then and there, even as your guest continued to sell the offer to you and try to convince you to sign a contract he had brought with him on this new ‘partnership’. You finally brought it to an end with a glance at the clock and sighed. “As fun as it was listening to the absolute bullshit Mr. Kim, I have other fun matters to attend to. You can be on your way.”
You would have laughed at the look on his face as you stood to your feet, stretching your limbs as you made a move to the door.
“My servants will see you out and give you some of my own gifts to take home, and you can tell Mr. Park-”
A hand slammed on the door beside your head, making it slam shut before you could have it opened all the way. You breathed a sigh as you felt the cool, sharp edge of a knife on your neck threatening to sink in and draw blood.
“I tried to be easy with you, ___.”
“First name basis now, huh?” You mused with a giggle.
The knife pushed deeper into your flesh, Taehyun’s mouth by your ear as he chuckled. “All you needed to do was sign the papers and make it easy. Now I might have to forge your signature while your body goes missing.”
“Mmm, make me sell away my assets and property to expand yours? Good plan~” The obvious sarcasm earned a sting of pain on your skin, warm liquid spilling down your neck as you hissed softly. You felt hardness press against your backside, his arm snaking around your waist as he pulled your closer.
“Maybe I should play with your body for a little bit before I take your head to Chanyeol.”
“That sounds like fun.” you breathed, giggling with your tongue between your teeth.
“Not only are you a spoiled brat, you're a psycho too. Maybe I should end your life now and put your servants out of misery-” Taehyun threatened before his words were cut off, watching you turn around in his arms as dead, cold eyes bore into his.
“Do you really think you could kill me? You walk into my territory and think you are going to make out alive?”
He started to open his mouth to say something, only for it to hold open without a word coming out. His mouth had gone completely dry, the taste iron dripping down his throat and completely built up in his mouth. He coughed up blood, seeing the red stains on his hand as his eyes went wide in horror. His head shot to the door, watching it ease open with an eerie creak. Victoria stood in the doorway, a smile plastered on her face as she waved.
“What the fuck did yoo do to me?” Taehyun managed to get out, his voice choked and hoarse.
Victoria cocked her head to the side as her face dropped into feigned confusion. “You mean the poisoned sweets you called gifts to my mistress? That’s what we served you Mr. Kim.”
His eyes widened to the point they could bulge out their sockets, gaining an amused laugh from you before he turned his attention back to you. With a roar he aimed his knife to strike only for it to miss you as you dodged, letting Victoria handle the attacker. She restrained the knife out his hand with ease but he managed to get out of her hold, racing to the staircase with only the setting sun as his means of light. Taehyun didn’t make it to the top, finding himself falling along with pieces of cracked wood all the way down to the first floor. A glimpse of Suho at the top, smiling down at him as he fell confirmed the thought that he had been pushed, with unbelievable strength that managed to smash the stair railing off its hinges.
His back collided with the marble floor, the last bit of stable air in his lungs escaping from him along with more blood. He cried in pain, his body aching all over as he urged himself to move, crawl on the floor if he needed to make it to the front door. He knew they were right behind him, the two frightful servants making their way down the staircase towards him. He found his feet onto the ground, pushing himself up and stumbling to the door before swinging it open.
The worst sight of the night, the one he was warned never to cross with greeted him at the door, curious black eyes staring him down and stealing the regained breath in his body. Kyungsoo looked him up and down, standing firm in the doorway with an arch in his thick brow.
“Hello.”
Taehyun screamed and pushed with all his might, freeing himself from death inside the mansion and made a getaway down the dirt path. Kyungsoo watched the guest leave before turning his attention to you, having made it down the stairs as your other two servants disappeared from their own monster when he found out the state of the household.
You smiled gleefully before skipping over to your butler. “Where have you been all day?”
“Taking care of errands.” Kyungsoo answered, eyeing the wound on your neck where blood was still coming down from. “What have you been getting yourself into?”
“Some fun. For once. And you just let it loose. Now what’s going to happen?” You questioned, keeping your eyes on his as he whipped out a handkerchief from his back pocket, pressing the white cloth against your neck and staining it red.
“He won’t get too far.” Kyungsoo assured, pulling your body into his arms after kicking the door shut. He peeled the cloth back and tilted your head to the side carefully with fingers gripping your chin, right before he brought his mouth down and slowly licked. A soft moan escaped you as your eyelids fluttered close, already starting to feel your neck begin to heal.
“I took Kai off his leash.”
You smiled, a buzz in your body spreading all over at the thought of letting the screams of anguish be what it was to lull you to sleep.
vampire!bobby drabble ﻬ insomnia starters ﻬ “I’m pulling an all-nighter.”
You dragged your bare feet towards the noise coming from your living room, body heavy from not wanting to leave your bed. You rubbed at your squinted eyes as you scrunch your eyebrows, peering into the lit space and taking in the view in front of you. The TV was on, playing a show you immediately recognized and probably an episode you already watched. Your attention was on the intruder in your open kitchen, an open bag of pizza bites in his hand and a goofy smile on his face.
“Wassup?” Bobby greeted you, eyes blood red as he had come in from his own type of feeding.
You blinked at him with tired eyes before asking, “What are you doing?”
The vampire blinked back at you with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’m pulling an all-nighter.”
You scoffed. “You’re a vampire, you pull an all-nighter every night. I mean what are you doing in my kitchen.”
“Making a little Tostitos.” Bobby answered, plopping the small sized bites onto a plate before sticking it in your microwave. “You want some?”
“I would like to get some sleep.” You sighed.
He glanced back at you, a smirk playing on his lips as his voice lowered a tiny bit. “You want me to come in there and cuddle with you? I won’t sleep but I can put you to bed if you know what I mean-”
“Good night, Bobby. Turn the TV down.” You cut him off before turning on your heel and heading back to the bedroom. You had no energy to entertain the free-loader, but you knew he would be in your bed some time tonight to entertain you.
The key turned the lock open, allowing you access to the now familiar home you’ve been accustomed to. You peeked your head in, eyes darting straight to the kitchen area in search of your noisy roommate. The apartment was silent and bare of any human in the living room area, a relieved exhale passing your lips as you carefully entered the home with bags of groceries on your arms. You closed the door behind you gently and clicked the lock back into place before scurrying over to the kitchen to set the bags carefully on the table counter. You would set out in the early morning before the birds would wake up, doing a little shopping for the apartment now that it was occupied by two. Hoseok never really kept too much in the refrigerator until you came along, but you wanted to keep yourself busy and help out where you could.
For the first week you kept yourself locked in the house, afraid to step outside due to the trauma of being caught by hybrid control. You were like a scared little pup, keeping to yourself and exploring your surroundings when Hoseok would leave for work. You familiarize yourself with everything in the house so you wouldn’t have to continuously rely on him, stuffing your nose in every garment and object taking a big whiff. You found whatever cleaning products he had hidden underneath in the cabinets and closets and cleaned the house from top to bottom. You managed to whip something up in the kitchen whether it was simple sandwiches or miso soup, all in time to scurry back over to the couch and pretend you were asleep when he arrived home. You wanted to keep yourself scarce, but he was still so full of energy when he came home from work to bother you. No, it was more like he still managed to wear a smile on his face when he came home all to greet you and stay by your side. You realized he was breaking the line you set out between you two, trying in his own way to get you comfortable in your new profound home.
You kept your haunting thoughts at bay as best as you could. When Hoseok wasn’t at home to distract you you could hear the whispers of doubt in your head, battling with your nerves to keep yourself calm. You had to keep reminding yourself that you were in a safe place, but at some point you would have to leave. So when you would sneak out at the crack of dawn to shop, you also spent the time job hunting. First step was to earn money, have a steady income to save for the future. So you found yourself right on track when you returned home, a light breeze of air tickling the back of your legs.
Your sharp ears picked up the sound of movement coming from the bedroom. Hoseok was finally stirring awake, the sound of the mattress creaking underneath his body. You kept at your task in front of you by putting the groceries away while listening to Hoseok in the other room start his morning routine. His bare feet would touch the cold floor and he would groan, stretching his limbs in the air with a yawn. He would get up and make his way to the adjoining bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, trying to hurry himself so he could come out here and greet you. You caught on to his small little actions, growing used to them and understanding his intentions. It was hard to admit that he was rubbing off on you, the pull at the corner of your lips evident.
“Good morning.”
His tired voice greeted after the drag of his feet into the kitchen, your body spinning around at the counter as you felt the light swish of your tail.
“Morning, I went shopping again.”
“Mmm, I told you to wake me up so I can go with you.” The grumble in his voice made your body tingle, your ears flattening back as excitement bubbled in your throat.
“Guess who found a job.”
He paused from rubbing his eyes, peeking one open and raising his eyebrows at you. “A job?”
You bounced your head happily, your hands holding the edge of the counter behind you. “Yes. It’s a bartending position. So I’m going to be making tips along with receiving a paycheck.”
The glee in your voice died with every word, picking up on his expression as he listened to you carefully. You knew Hoseok to be bubbly and jumpy whenever you shared good news, but there wasn’t a smile on his face. He wore a serious gaze, pulling away to think it over in his head as he hummed. “Okay. I would like to see this-”
“Why?”
You instantly asked the question, almost retracting back when his eyes perked up in surprise at you. You didn’t mean to cut him off or ask why to his request, you wanted to know why he wasn’t excited for you. A yearning pulling at your heart strings, frustrated that he didn’t show a bit more enthusiasm for you.
He let out a breath, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. “To know what area you’re in and if I ever need to pick you up or-”
He paused to glance at your face, reading your expression as he quickly changed his tone with an apology. “You don’t have to tell me. I’m just scared if something happened to you I wouldn’t know where to find you.”
You held your breath, the sound of his voice caressing a whine to spill from your throat. He was only worried for you, and here you were already on your guard. You took a breath in, exhaling it through your nose and took a step forward with a soft smile growing on your face.
“It’s okay. I’ll write down the address for you. I’m really happy that I got a job and I’m really grateful that I found it because it’s hybrid friendly. Meaning I don’t have to hide my-”
You didn’t even get to get out the rest of your sentence, already in his arms and holding on tight as he swung around in a circle with his noise of excitement mingling in with your giggles. His body was warm against yours and his scent flooded your senses. It was like you found the source of all of the things in the house that you spent sniffing and familiarizing yourself with. It was a comforting smell, soft and earthy and...all things wonderful that you still couldn’t but a name on. Or maybe you were still afraid to.
He set you down on your feet, arms still wound around you tightly as you tried not to melt in his hold. He pulled away a moment later with hands cradling your face, the smile on his face matching yours as he gave a toothy grin.
“I am so very proud of you, and I’m happy you’ve found a job that makes you feel good to work at.” The sound of his voice caressed your ears, your white tail hitting the back of your legs as he continued. “I’ll support whatever decision you choose for yourself, Chaesol. Always.”
Your eyes casted downwards, nodding in understanding as a weight tugged at your heart. “I need this job to get out of here.”
“You don’t have to-”
Soft brown eyes blinked up at him, watching as he thought his words over in his head. He sighed, the pads of his thumbs tickling the top of your cheeks. “Leave. You don’t have to go anywhere, you can stay right here with me. And I’ll take care of you.”
You realized it then and there, not wanting to admit the feelings that had been created between the two of you. It felt like you’ve been here for too long but then it felt like you needed more time to stay. You were more than grateful for Hoseok, but there was so much more that he didn’t understand. This internal battle that you were facing everyday by being here, all the while trying to move forward with yourself and strive for more. He didn’t understand that it was you, the problem was you, and you weren’t going to ruin him.
You placed your hands on top of the ones on your cheeks, pulling them down and grasping them with a squeeze. You breathed in through your nose and forced the best smile you could muster on your face, one that wouldn’t worry him. And took a step back. Drawing the line once again.
Exaggerated screams poured from the speakers of the television as the black and white movie played over the screen. It was movie night and you mistakenly left it up to a cyborg to pick one out. You were sure Taeyong would pick from the many selections on Netflix but somehow he got into your grandparents old dvr collection, and apparently found a dvr too. It took a bit to set everything up to the TV, but no matter how annoying it was to figure out ancient tools you couldn’t say no to that wide-eyed puppy look on Taeyong’s face.
You had to admit the old horror classic wasn’t so bad especially when your roommate was enjoying it so much. His eyes flickered with each passing scene, no matter how cliche and corny it was he enjoyed it like the movie had just come out in theaters. You took peeking glances over at him every now and again, your body sinking into the comfortable spot next to his body. Other than how boring the movie was to you, tonight was perfect for you to spend it with Taeyong.
You didn’t realize it at first, the warmth of fingertips tickling against your palm. It wasn’t until you found your fingers linking with his that you blinked out of your trance and turned your head over to him with a questioning gaze when you found yourselves holding each other’s hands. It took him a moment to turn his attention to you, distracted by the movie before he was blinking at you and matching your gaze.
“What?” his voice asked softly, and you couldn’t help but glance down at his pink full lips.
You swallowed and looked back into his eyes, a small smile playing on your lips as your face heated up with a blush. “Nothing.”
You were the first to turn your attention back to the screen before he followed suit, keeping the question to yourself so the action wouldn’t have to end. Little did you know it was completely intentional, as the hand in yours held on a bit tighter.
“I’m telling you that’s not how you take the picture.”
“And I’m telling you it is.” you retorted back, paying no mind to your boyfriend that was whining behind you. Through the digital screen of the camera you focused on the perfect snapshot of the waterfall far up ahead.
You both agreed to going on this little hike together since you’ve been cooped up inside, but now it seemed like the both of you were competing on who took better photos. It was technically Baekhyun’s camera, but you knew your best angles more than anyone else.
“Listen to me, you’re not a real photographer.”
“And neither are you-”
“Yes, but I’m better than you.”
You finally had enough, pulling the neck handle over your head and pushing the camera into Baekhyun’s hands. “Fine, but I’m not going to smile.”
You turned away from your boyfriend with his triumph smile and walked towards the edge of the hill, listening to him snigger behind you.
You turned to face his way, holding true to your word as you folded your arms and put on a scowl.
“There’s the pretty girl!”
You scoffed out and turned on a heel to face the other way, hiding away your lips that were turning up into a smile. You could hear the camera snap away and his insistent comments to make you smile as you looked out into the expanse of the scenery. The waterfall was surrounded by lush greenery leading down to a pitfall of a pond that was clear and crystal from where you stood. You listened to the sound of the fall of the water, hitting the rocks down below as it called for you to come take a dive.
“They came out pretty good!”
You made a small noise as you flinched, turning around to face Baekhyun who had a steady hand on you and his head drooped down staring down at the camera in his other.
“You know I didn’t wanna brag but once you take a look at these pictures you’ll understand what I mean by a real photographer.
It was probably the way the sun rays bounced off the strands of his golden hair, the soft locks tempting to touch. The way his pink lips curled up into a bright smile, his white teeth exposed to your sight as you caught the pink of his tongue between his teeth. Or maybe it was how you noticed his long nimble fingers fly over the buttons, remembering the hand that was now attached to your waist realizing it never left you.
It was all simply Baekhyun that made you feel like this in these moments. Catching all the small details that summed up how much you adored the boy who never left you and to hold dear to your heart.
“I love you.”
“What was that?”
He picked his head up with a glance towards you after he asked, brown orbs staring into yours as your face heated up underneath the gaze.
“Nothing .” You quickly answered, taking the camera out of his hands and moved closer to his body as he chuckled at your action of holding the camera up to catch a snapshot of the both of you. You angle the camera as best as you could, not being able to see how it will turn out but smiled either way into the lens. Just as you were ready to press the snap button, you felt the tingling sensation beside your ear, Baekhyun’s breath wafting against your skin.
