Archive of Our Own

cats, hybrid and not, were known for being cold and uncaring; content to do their own thing and allow humans into their lives if and when they made the active decision to do so. it may have been a stereotype, but it wasn’t entirely unfounded, at least in yoongi’s opinion. like a lot of cat hybrids, he wasn’t overly cuddly, he wasn’t much of a lap cat, he didn’t want to be petted and doted on and touched all the time. he wasn’t unusual.

so why did everyone expect him to be otherwise?

his first family tired of him when he was just sixteen. he’d been with them for three years, chosen on the very first day that he was deemed old enough for adoption. he was so excited to have a family, to have been chosen out of so many hybrids, cats and dogs and exotics alike, that he allowed them to cuddle, pet, snuggle him all they wanted. he didn’t shirk away when their hair tickled his ears or when they stroked his sensitive tail - until he decided he didn’t want to live with unwanted touch his entire life and began to dodge their pets and growl when they tried to pick him up.

he hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. they’d never punished him in a way that made him fearful and they so clearly loved him. they told him so all the time, that he was theirs, he was a member of their family, that the sunny spot in the kitchen was his forever and ever and ever. but then they started to frown at him more often. they began to chastise him with sharp remands and harsh scoldings. then - he hissed for the first time and they smacked him across his face. it was the first time he had felt pain like that and it was from his master. he had stared up at him, cupping his stinging cheek, before running off to his room, hiding his shocked sobs in his pillow.

the very next day, he was dropped off at the hybrid shelter. his master had packed his bag for him; none of the treasures yoongi had loved for years were in it.

he let the workers pet him, tickle his ears, stroke his tail, and maybe that was his downfall.

his next family was an older couple. they had been looking for a pet to fill their empty nest; someone calm and quiet who didn’t need to be walked or worn out. even at sixteen, yoongi fit the bill. they took him home to their small apartment, where they put a collar with a bell on his neck, set up a bed on the floor of the living room, fed him the vet-recommended kibble that yoongi hated but was too afraid to say anything about, and pet him all the time.

he put up with it as best as he could. he was terrified to be abandoned again, the thought of it enough to drive him to tears in the middle of the night. he allowed them to cuddle him on their laps, to have him eat from the floor instead of the table, to encourage their friends to pet him even though he didn’t even know them.

the fear he felt when he scratched his master without thinking was unmatched.

he packed his bag himself that time, collecting what few toys and treasures he had accumulated over his two years with them. the ride to the shelter was silent, though his mistress cried as she kissed his hair before signing him over.

they took home another hybrid the same day; an older cat who was beautiful and quiet and would never, ever scratch them, even if they sat on her tail. she gave him a sympathetic look as she was led out by a leash, but he turned away, unable to watch them drive off without him.

“yoongi,” one of the workers scolded him, even as she tucked him close. she’d been there for years, even before he was adopted as a kitten. “you can’t do that. you know that, right?”

he nodded. he was in the wrong. he was at fault. “i know.”

he pushed her away all at once, going to his tiny room and closing the door, curling up in his bed and refusing to leave for days.

he scowled at whoever brought him his meals, bared his teeth when they tried to console him, hissed and lashed out when they got too close. after a year at the shelter, they moved him into a room without a viewing window, like they did for those deemed unadoptable, or those who didn’t want to be adopted. he hadn’t said he didn’t want to, so he knew what they thought of him.

at least they weren’t forcing him to join a family that would tire of him after the first hiss.

though there was the occasional older hybrid signed over to the shelter, yoongi was consistently the eldest, the coldest, the example of what not to be, even though no one said it outright. the other hybrids knew not to bother him, to not try to convince him to play or to join their scenting piles. the workers knew not to promote him on social media, to cuddle him, to make him leave his room when he didn’t want to. the humans looking to adopt didn’t automatically know to avoid him, but they did after his first scathing glare.

he realized once, at twenty-five, that it had been years - five years - since he had been touched by anyone other than the hybrid veterinarian at his six-month checkups. maybe a worker had felt his forehead when he had a fever or someone had tucked him in when he was sleeping, but he couldn’t remember.

they knew to avoid him. to ignore him. to not touch him.

it was what he wanted, he thought. he knew it was what he wanted. it was good. he was good.

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

though yoongi wasn't adoptable, he didn’t avoid viewing areas. the viewing rooms had the best windows and perches, and he liked the smell of other hybrids inhabiting a space. (it made him feel less lonely, though that thought was pushed to the farthest corner of his mind, ignored and unacknowledged.)

he didn’t often like when anyone tried to talk to him, though, hybrid or worker or visitor. no one really tried when he was shifted. when he lounged in the sunny window or curled up on a high perch, he knew he looked touchable - his fur long and soft and well-groomed, his body big and fluffy, his face sweet when his glaring eyes were closed - but, though he didn’t have friends, the other hybrids looked out for him.

one would interrupt to introduce themself when a visitor looked at yoongi with interest; another would say “that’s not allowed!” when a visitor stood on tiptoes to reach his hiding spot. he was grateful to them, albeit quietly.

no one had told the new employee about him, apparently.

the shelter was closed, emptied of visitors. most hybrids left the viewing rooms in favor of finding a snack, company, or quiet time. no one was there to warn the new guy to leave him alone.

“oh!” he said, finding a sleeping yoongi carefully hidden behind his favorite throw pillows. yoongi blinked at him with sleepy, confused eyes. “hello, pretty thing. i didn’t mean to wake you.”

yoongi probably wouldn’t have responded if he had been in his human form either. he laid down, watching him suspiciously.

“i’m jimin,” he said, giving him a smile. he was small and kind-eyed and beautiful. yoongi didn’t mind his voice. “we haven’t met, have we? i’m afraid i don’t know your name.”

perhaps jimin had been warned about him, but only by name. keep away from min yoongi, maybe, the one with the claws and teeth. if he knew who he was, maybe he wouldn’t have reached for him, wouldn’t have offered his hand for a customary sniff.

if jimin had known his reputation, perhaps yoongi would have kept it. but - jimin smelled nice. clean. his face was pretty. his voice was kind.

yoongi glanced around before he leaned in to sniff. he quirked his ears to check for anyone in the hall before offering his finger a tentative lick. jimin cooed above him but made no effort to rush him, to ruffle his fur or scoop him up. yoongi waited another moment to make sure he wasn’t going to try before shoving his head in his hand, too weak to resist. jimin cooed again, higher this time, clearly endeared. 

yoongi shoved down his purrs - it was too early for that, he didn’t want to give him too much satisfaction.

“you’re such a pretty kitten,” jimin said quietly. “a big boy, too, aren’t you? you’re all fluff!”

yoongi let out a quiet growl, though he didn’t pull away.

“sorry, sorry,” jimin said with a smile. he rubbed the space between yoongi’s eyes in apology. it was acceptable enough. yoongi quieted. “just your head, sweetheart?”

yoongi thought of jimin grabbing his tail and growled again, louder. he was already starting to bristle and jimin’s tiny hand hadn’t even come close to it yet.

“okay, just your head.” jimin said it so easily, like he wasn’t even tempted to do something yoongi didn’t want him to do. even though the shelter employees were all respectful of his boundaries (and if they weren’t, they learned quickly through deep yowls and scratches and a write-up for inappropriate behavior), he could always see when they wanted to do something. he could practically feel their hands itch to pick him up when he was shifted or to brush his tail with too-sharp bristles when he wasn’t. 

but jimin didn’t make the same almost-motions, his crescent moon eyes didn’t glance wantingly. yoongi rewarded him with a split second purr.

jimin beamed, scritching the soft fur of his cheek without straying down to his sensitive chest, even though that was where he was softest. “you’re such a cutie, you know that? i bet you do.”

yoongi did. he hated it sometimes. often. being such a cutie meant that more people wanted to bother him. even when they didn’t try, it was tiring to have to be on the lookout for unwanted touches. he was thankful for the hybrids who watched out for him when he was in the viewing rooms so he could catch a nap when the sun was at its peak.

he let out another quiet purr when jimin scratched under his chin with dainty fingers, pressing into his hand a little harder. when jimin slowly took his hand away a moment later, yoongi opened his eyes a tiny bit, just enough to glare.

“sorry, sweetheart. i have to keep tidying up. it shouldn’t take me more than an hour if you still want cuddles, though!”

that was the wrong choice of words. yoongi gave him an unimpressed stare for a moment before hopping up, leaping from the window seat to a perch high enough that jimin, as short as he was, couldn’t reach him.

jimin frowned but, shockingly, didn’t chastise him. “i’m sorry if i overstepped, honey, i promise i didn’t mean to. but—if you want anything else, i’ll check back in when i’m finished, okay? so stick around or find me if you’d like.”

yoongi gave him an unimpressed stare, though he felt a strange pang of disappointment when jimin turned away to keep cleaning. he watched as he finished the viewing room and caught himself just before he yowled at his departure. jimin gave him one last glance and a tiny smile before he left. yoongi tried his best to be annoyed but annoyingly fell short.

he made sure jimin was out of sight before running off to his room, going through the flap at the bottom of the door and shifting only when he was safely hidden. he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to be so secretive about who he was - he tried to tell himself that he wasn’t being secretive, that he was only doing what he normally did, that jimin had not shaken up his routine just enough to do something different. but he knew.

if he shifted in front of him, jimin would recognize him. new employees had to read over everyone’s files to make sure they knew medical conditions or allergies, or even just things to make them seem even more alluring to potential adopters. yoongi’s file only had a picture of him unshifted, nothing visible that would give him away other than his fluffy ears. they weren’t even that distinctly maine coon when he wasn’t shifted, either, just fluffy and dark brown, the tufts of fur on the tips not quite as distinguishable as some others of his breed.

min yoongi. 25. male. feline sapien. maine coon hyrbid.

allergies: none.

medical conditions: none.

notes: semi-voluntarily non-adoptable. prone to aggression (growling, hissing, scratching) when touched, sometimes unprovoked. employees are not to recommend him to potential adopters. do not touch unless invited. do not expect to be invited. follow social cues and maintain distance when demanded.

jimin would have read about him, would know not to touch him. he would know he was practically not even allowed to, according to his file. and yoongi—

yoongi didn’t want jimin to not pet him again.

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

yoongi didn’t wait for jimin the next night.

he just - hung around the corner from the viewing room, even as it emptied out after viewing hours were over. he didn’t even know if jimin was working that night. he had heard his voice down the hall a few hours before, followed by a laugh that was so charming that it had to be his. his shift could have ended; maybe he didn’t even usually work evenings, maybe he was covering for someone else and yoongi would be waiting around for nothing.

his heart sank when another employee turned the corner, tidying up the hall as they went. they saw yoongi staring at them and gave him a quick nod in acknowledgement before going off to do jimin’s job.

for whatever reason, his stupid mind decided to feel betrayed. he had nothing to feel betrayed about - he had met jimin only yesterday, it wasn’t like they had an established routine, nor did jimin have any sort of obligation to him. certainly no obligation to pet him, even though yoongi’s grumpiness seemed to indicate otherwise. 

he huffed to himself, waiting until the worker finished and left to slip into the room and hop up to his favorite perch, though there was no one there to hide from. but when he woke a few hours later, it was to a laugh that he thought—he could be wrong. he was probably wrong. but he still leapt down to investigate, sneaking down the hall and around corners even though he hardly needed to sneak in his own home.

jimin was at the front desk, waving to a hybrid who had stopped to talk to him. he had a show pulled up on the desktop, settled in for the overnight shift. yoongi stayed quiet, staring for a long moment, listening for any approaching hybrids, before letting out an experimental mrow.

jimin turned, blinked at him in surprise, and beamed.

“ah, it’s you!”

yoongi stared.

“i missed you today, sweetheart. i was worried i wouldn’t see you at all.”

yoongi took a few hesitant steps closer.

jimin reached down, though he made no move to beckon him or try to grab him, only offering his hand for him to approach if he’d like to. and yoongi would like to. he slowly walked up to him, sniffing his hand lightly before rubbing his cheek against it. claiming him, he thought, though he would deny ever doing so.

jimin cooed, giving him an obliging scritch. “oh, you’re so sweet, pretty baby. i’m so glad to see you.”

yoongi mrowed again, stepping closer to give jimin better access to his head, letting out a brief purr when he stroked over one of his ears.

“i am,” he confirmed. “would you keep me company, honey?”

yoongi sat within reach after a moment, looking away from him, trying to convince himself it was only because he wanted to be there regardless, jimin being there was just - something that didn’t influence his decision at all. he could see jimin’s grin out of the corner of his eye. 

jimin unpaused his show and kept petting him, even with his head turned to the screen. he occasionally had to stop touching him to write something down or to answer a shelter call, or to text someone on his cell. he laughed when he looked back at yoongi just to see his displeased face. if he hadn’t been shifted, there would have been an undeniable scowl on his face at the lack of attention.

when he heard a door open down the hall, he tensed, tail puffing. jimin pouted at him with concern, stroking his cheek.

“baby, hey—”

there was the sound of slippers coming close and he rushed under the desk, tucking himself behind one of the file boxes, thankful that whoever was coming wasn’t shifted and wouldn’t be able to smell him quite as well. the hybrid only asked jimin if there was an extra toothbrush in the store room, having accidentally bit his in two. jimin laughed, charmed, and yoongi bristled at the sound directed at someone who wasn’t him. he bristled more when jimin left to fetch one, the hybrid following him.

he stayed hidden even when jimin came back, even when he peeked under the desk to find him a moment later.

“that can’t be a cozy spot, baby,” he said, but didn’t try to drag him out of it. 

yoongi watched him straighten up, starting up his show again. he waited until he heard the sound of jimin texting before making his move; careful, calculated, risky. he jumped into jimin’s lap before he could doubt himself too much. he pretended his heart wasn’t thumping quick in his small chest at the action, that it wasn’t incredibly abnormal, that he hadn’t done this in years and years.

“oh!” jimin said. he looked down at yoongi with wide eyes, though he carefully avoided meeting them. yoongi was on the large side for a cat and jimin was on the small side for a human, so there was not much space for him to choose from. still, he turned until he was satisfied with his position, loafing sideways on his lap and attempting to look natural.

jimin didn’t call him out on it. he doubted he had reason to, if he didn’t know who yoongi was. he would have been much more reluctant to pet him if he did, fearing a skin-breaking bite or a sharp scratch - but jimin just stroked his head, rubbing his ears gently.

“can i pet your back, pretty?” he asked. 

when yoongi didn’t growl, or even turn, he carefully, slowly, gently, ran his hand down his spine, quickly stopping when yoongi let out a warning sound as he neared his tail.

“okay.” jimin said easily. “i’ll stay away from your tail, lovey, no problem.”

true to his word, his next stroke ended on the middle of his back, as did his next and his next. his touch was almost intoxicating, lulling yoongi into a a drowsy trance. he drfited as jimin pet him, resting his small hand on his head occasionally. yoongi stayed awake, at least somewhat. he flicked his ears when he heard sounds down the hall or jimin gasped at his show. 

when he realized he was purring - loudly, too, a rumble he could feel all over - he stopped for just a moment, blinking up at jimin slowly. it was clear he had just looked away from him. he was biting a smile back, sucking in his cheeks and trying to not look overly pleased. he met yoongi’s eyes when he chanced a glance down and couldn’t hold back his laugh. it was just as charming as before, though yoongi shifted, aiming for annoyed.

“sorry, darling,” jimin said, a laugh still in his voice. “you just make me so happy.”

whatever yoongi had subconsciously expected, that was not it. once the shock of it wore off, a warm, glowing pride filled him to the brim. he made jimin happy. he was on jimin’s lap, purring for him, being pet by him. and, now that he thought about it, jimin’s sweater was incredibly soft, and perhaps he deserved a reward for making him smile.

he considered it for only a moment before turning, pressing his paws into his stomach to kneed, experimentally nosing the fabric. 

“oh!” jimin gasped, freezing. “oh, pretty baby, oh my god, you’re so sweet—”

yoongi carefully pretended that his loud purr didn’t come back, that the praise didn’t shoot through him like the warmest, most pleasant bolt of lightning. he didn’t suckle at his sweater, but - he did drool. admittedly. it was nice, he lost himself in how soft it was. jimin didn’t seem to mind. in fact, he was practically vibrating, stroking yoongi’s back all soft and excited as he tried to not distract him. not that yoongi could be distracted; he had nothing but focus until he had no focus at all, the world fading around him as he fell asleep, still purring.

he woke some time later when jimin scooped him up, slowly and carefully. yoongi blinked blearily up at him and jimin gave him an apologetic smile. “sorry, darling, i have to make my rounds. i hate to wake you.”

he stood without jostling him too much, but, when he aimed to set yoongi back down on the desk chair, he yowled in quiet displeasure, hooking his claws into jimin’s sweater.

jimin froze with yoongi held in his arms. “i can’t stay, baby. do you want to come with me?”

yoongi mrowed, and jimin heard it for what it was.

he cradled yoongi to his chest, pressing a kiss to the top of his head so tenderly that it made yoongi’s stomach swoop. he didn’t think about what any of the hybrids might think if he saw them like this. he only thought about how he might very well die if jimin put him down, if he left him. nothing in the world felt more right than jimin carrying him in his arms.

jimin was quiet as he walked down the loop of resident rooms, sometimes looking into to the rooms of younger hybrids to check on them as they slept, knocking quietly on doors when he heard others still gaming or playing around. he laughed quietly when he passed another room, the voices of a group that seemed to never be apart gathered in one bedroom.

“boys,” he said warmly and warningly. they were loud and raucous little sneaks, and yoongi’s absolute favorites.

yeonjun opened the door guiltily, his fluffy tail wrapped around his leg, ears drooped contritely. “hi, jimin hyung.”

yoongi squinted at him when yeonjun met his eyes. the fox hybrid very carefully did not say a word.

“we’ll go to bed in a minute, swear—” beomgyu said, popping over yeonjun’s shoulder. yoongi’s squint went a little more glaring as his eyes widened. unlike yeonjun, the bear hybrid did not seem to get it. “hyung?”

yeonjun elbowed beomgyu’s side as yoongi hissed, claws digging into jimin’s sweater protectively.

“kitten!” jimin gasped, though he knew full well yoongi was certainly not a kitten. even without knowing who he was, it was clear he was one of the oldest ones there. “be kind to the babies!”

“it’s okay,” yeonjun rushed out, holding his hands up in surrender. “don’t worry. we’ll go to bed. quietly, right, beom?”

“uh-huh,” beomgyu said. yoongi growled quietly when he realized soobin was peeking over their shoulders, called over by beomgyu’s subtle beckoning behind his back. his eyes widened, as well, bunny ears perking up.

oh my god, he mouthed, like yoongi couldn’t see him.

see if he’d make them midnight treats again.

“bed, boys,” jimin said sternly. “i’ll be checking on you again, and i will take your phones away.”

they collectively whined but slumped out of taehyun’s room regardless, filing away to their own - each of them casting yoongi shocked glances but thankfully (for them.) not saying a word.

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

yoongi seemed to be given several strokes of luck over the next few days. jimin continued to cover the overnight shift for the regular night desk worker, meaning yoongi was free to cuddle with him without suspicious (tattletale) voyeurs. he could snuggle on jimin’s lap all he wanted, knead his warm sweaters, be given so, so many pleasant scritches and pets. he let (coaxed) jimin carry around during his rounds, tucking himself against his shoulder whenever they ran across any other hybrids. he wasn’t sure if it was his years-long reputation or his fellow hybrids' generosity that kept them from telling jimin who the vicious creature in his arms was.

when jimin told him he was going back to regular dayshifts - yoongi would be lying if he said it didn’t feel like his world shifted.

he’d had three nights with jimin, and all three were some of the best nights of his life. he’d been given every single thing he pretended to not crave for years, and now - if he jumped in jimin’s lap during the day, in front of humans and hybrids who knew him, jimin would surely never let him so close ever again.

min yoongi. prone to aggression. do not touch. maintain distance. jimin had read his file. jimin knew he wasn’t a sweet kitten who deserved love and pets. he would know he had a history of scratching, of hissing, of biting, of chasing away anyone and everyone who tried to trick him into thinking he was wanted.

but he didn’t think jimin was tricking him. jimin was kind and gentle and doting and the best human - the best creature - yoongi had ever met. it wouldn’t be jimin’s fault if (when, his mind hissed) he found out yoongi’s nature and decided he wasn’t worth it.

he tried to stay away from jimin during his day shifts, but he couldn’t pull fully away even if he tried. jimin was magnetic, and even if looking at him from around the corner made yoongi ache with how much he wanted jimin to touch him, he would never be able to just - stop. 

he knew better than to say he loved jimin. they’d known each other for not even a week, and jimin didn’t even truly know him. but he really - it came close. as inadvisable as it was. yoongi felt close to love.

stupid.

jimin saw him lurking a few times. if yoongi didn’t know better, he would have said he looked sad to not have his company - but jimin didn’t try to coax him closer or call him out for it. not when others were there.

but as soon as he was alone, cleaning or helping with lunch or even on his break, he would give yoongi the chance to object before scooping him up. he let out dramatic oofs when he did so, but yoongi never felt truly teased or hurt. jimin didn’t seem to mind that he was on the bigger side for a cat, one of the bigger, fluffier breeds. yoongi thought jimin might even think it was funny in a good way if he knew yoongi’s unshifted form didn’t match up at all. he wasn’t sure, his perspective wasn’t the greatest as a cat, but he thought he might even be a little smaller than jimin. it was, shockingly, a nice thought.

when soobin ran into them in the kitchen, yoongi cradled in jimin’s arms like a baby, fluffy belly up but left untouched because jimin thought he wouldn’t like it, the rabbit’s ears perked straight up in surprise before being deliberately lowered, obviously trying to act like it was normal.

“hi, hyungs,” he said casually. “i just want a coke—”

“ah!” jimin gasped, wrinkling his nose teasingly. yoongi couldn’t resist reaching up to bat at it, claws carefully retracted. jimin laughed, kissing his paw on its way down.

soobin looked wildly shocked but schooled his expression when he caught yoongi’s eyes.

“no wonder you’re so sweet,” jimin teased the rabbit, though he was already getting him one from the fridge. “you have so much sugar in you that you’re practically made of it.”

soobin giggled, ears twitching happily. “thanks, jimin-hyung. i’ll just—” he blinked at yoongi. “bye!”

jimin laughed as he waved him off before looking at yoongi, a grin still on his face. he had a crooked tooth. it made yoongi’s heart swoop, endeared. “what was that, huh? you like my nose?”

yoongi reached up to swat at it again, blinking when jimin caught his paw, giving it a few sweet kisses. yoongi mrow ed, but jimin heard it for what it was.

“my pretty baby, so sweet,” he cooed, cradling him closer and kissing the top of his head, nose pressed to his fur. yoongi’s ears tickled when they touched each cheek, but he didn’t mind. “will you stay with me today? i always miss you when you’re gone.”

yoongi’s stomach turned a little at the prospect - it was daytime, viewing hours, hybrids and employees alike everywhere. they’d see them together, there was no way they wouldn’t.

but. he felt so nice in jimin’s arms. he always felt nice around him. and jimin’s shift was only another hour, and he’d have to wait two days before seeing him again because they were his days off.

“you don’t have to, obviously,” jimin said softly, giving his head another kiss. “i just love my little kitten.”

yoongi blinked, then blinked slow.

jimin loved him.

or at least thought he loved him. and that - that was enough.

yoongi mewled in quiet agreement and was rewarded with jimin’s beautiful, perfect, radiant smile. it was so beautiful, perfect, and radiant that he had to hide, adjusting until his paws were on jimin’s shoulder and his face was buried in his neck, nose pressing against his skin.

jimin cooed and kept him close, even as he went through the halls, even when he stopped to talk to people, even when he gave potential adopters instructions and paperwork.

an hour passed by much, much too quickly.

“okay, honey,” he said apologetically, carefully prying yoongi off of his shoulder. his eyes looked shiny when yoongi let out a sad mewl. “i know, sweetheart. but i’ll see you soon, okay? i’ll be back on tuesday. you’ll be good while i’m gone, right?”

yoongi’s tail flicked.

jimin laughed. “or not, that’s okay.”

yoongi watched him leave after a few last pets, sitting on the reception desk and staring out the window until he couldn’t see him anymore.

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

he knocked on yeonjun’s door the next night, snorting when the boys crowding it immediately fell silent, thinking they would be scolded for staying up too late as they were every night.

“we’re going—” yeonjun said as he opened it, freezing when he saw yoongi.

they were his favorites, but he tried his best to not let it show. at least he could pretend they didn’t know it. “hyung’s making pajeon.”

he walked off, knowing they’d follow. they deserved some sort of reward for keeping his name out of jimin’s ears - and if it also functioned as a bribe to keep doing so, so be it.

he listened to their chatter as he cooked, enjoying their company even if he didn’t provide much to the conversation. it was nice to listen to them - happy kids who had bright futures ahead of them, and would hopefully have each other’s friendship for many, many years to come. he hoped forever, but he knew how adoptions could go. they offered to help him cook a few times, but he waved them off, content to provide.

beomgyu, bless him, the scheming bear, waited until he was finished cooking to ask, “so what’s up with you and jimin-hyung?”

hyuka and taehyun simultaneously elbowed him, attacking him from both sides, as soobin buried his hands and yeonjun groaned “come on!”

and yoongi, of course, missed the handle in shock and grabbed the hot pan with his bare hand, jumping back and yelping in pain. the boys scrambled to help him, though their version of helping seemed to be frantically figuring out what to do as yoongi cursed through his teeth. 

he pushed through them to run his hand under the water, curses dying to reassure them with quick “it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine—”

he got help from the overnight worker to wrap the burn, feeling inordinately annoyed when they very carefully and deliberately asked if they could come close. it wasn’t like the question was out of line. he knew what they thought of him.

with the kids escorted to bed and reassured their hyung wasn’t going to die from a burned palm, he flopped onto his own bed with a groan. he hated injuries like that - who wouldn’t, who wanted to be hurt - because shifting made it hurt worse. he wouldn’t be able to walk well as a cat, and he wouldn’t be able to take the meds that would ebb the worst of the pain.

he could sleep it off, at least. he was good at sleeping, and sleep had the added bonus of bringing jimin sooner, and then he’d be able to shift and cuddle, and maybe be coddled a tiny bit more if his paw was still a tiny bit hurt. it would be fine.

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

yoongi grunted at the knock on his door the next morning, unwilling to get up to answer. the doors didn’t have locks, anyways. if they wanted him to have breakfast, they could drop it off and leave him to sleep for two or ten more hours.

he thought he might be dreaming when the door opened and he caught a whiff of jimin’s breeze-clean scent, but he certainly didn’t dream up the touch on his back, the quiet “oh, poor baby” in jimin’s chiming, unmistakable voice.

yoongi opened one eye and saw jimin’s very real, not-a-dream, concerned face.

“it’s not tuesday,” he mumbled.

“no,” jimin smiled softly. “i wanted to check on you. soobiinnie called and told me what happened.” he clicked his tongue rubbing his back again. his human back. his very much not-cat, human-yoongi back. “i will say—he made it seem like you were close to death, and i am very glad to see that that’s not the case.”

yoongi blinked as jimin tucked his hair behind his ear, carding his fingers through it softly. “oh.”

“i brought a salve—my friend swears by it. he’s a doctor so i trust he knows what he’s talking about. can i put it on for you?”

yoongi blinked before sitting up, pulling his knees to his chest and offering his hand. he watched jimin unwrap it, cooing sympathetically even though it was barely anything to worry over. jimin was careful as he smoothed it on, holding his hand so gently, rubbing his wrist with his thumb when yoongi let out a quiet whine when he brushed over the most sensitive part of the burn.

“you know who i am,” yoongi said, quiet and solemn.

jimin glanced at him with a little smile before starting to wrap a new bandage around his hand, just as carefully as he had touched him before. “i do.”

“oh,” yoongi said again. eloquent, he scolded himself, but he didn’t know what else to say.

“i had my suspicions,” jimin said. he brought yoongi’s hand to his lips when he was done wrapping it, giving it a gentle kiss. “i’d met everyone but the mysterious min yoongi, so i figured—”

“you touched me,” he interrupted. it sounded accusatory and he flushed, ashamed. the last thing he wanted to do was force jimin to realize that he shouldn’t have. by all accounts, he shouldn’t have. but the thought of jimin ignoring him now, keeping his distance, made his very soul keen miserably.

“i did,” jimin confirmed. he didn’t stop touching him now, holding his wrist gently, loose enough that he could pull away without effort. “i figured you would let me know if you wanted me to stop.”

“oh.” yoongi tried to frown; it came out much shakier, much sadder, than he intended. “my file.”

jimin smiled a little, letting go of his hand. he rubbed his knee soothingly when yoongi whined at the loss, ears twitching sadly. “it didn’t seem right to me then, and it seems completely incorrect now. you’re the sweetest darling i’ve ever met in my life, kitten.”

yoongi stared at him. it didn’t make sense. “i don’t think you know me.”

“i don’t,” jimin agreed with a shrug. “i haven’t known you long, and that in itself makes it difficult. i’ve only known you shifted, too—not that that’s any less you, i don’t mean that, i just mean that i can’t talk to you quite so easily.”

yoongi peered at him, glancing at the hand on his knee.

“i would love to get to know you, min yoongi.” he wrinkled his nose and looked so lovely, the most beautiful man yoongi had ever seen. “my darling little kitten.”

“i’m not little,” he objected, though he didn’t know if he thought that was a good or bad thing.

jimin waved his hand. “ah, in spirit, you are.”

yoongi stared at him. his ears twitched, tail flicking beside him, every want, need, and instinct making him want to be near him. “jimin?”

jimin’s eyes crinkled into beautiful half-moons, like he knew exactly what yoongi wanted. perhaps he did. “yoongi?”

“will you keep touching me?”

he didn’t expect jimin to surge forward and press a kiss to his forehead, wrapping his arms around his shoulders in a light hug. “oh, of course, sweetheart. my favorite baby—”

yoongi couldn’t help himself - he buried his face in his neck, ears twitching as they brushed jimin’s cheeks. he smelled so clean, his skin was so soft, his hold not too tight or too light, just everything that yoongi wanted. even as he reacted so needily, so kittenesque, he tried to maintain some semblance of what everyone thought he should be. he huffed without pulling away. “you’re not supposed to have favorites.”

“mm, but i do.” jimin pulled back but never stopped touching him, only cupped his face in his hands, brushing his thumb over his cheeks. “i don’t think anyone minds.”

“i’m never anyone’s favorite.” it came out so pathetic that yoongi winced at himself.

“patently untrue, kitten. i just said you’re mine.”

“oh,” yoongi said. so eloquent again. “that’s nice.”

jimin snorted, pressing another kiss to his forehead, his temple, his cheek. “i’d like to get to know you. if you’re okay with that.”

yoongi nodded once, careful to not dislodge himself from jimin’s hold. his hands were so small, it was hard to handle. “okay.”

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

yoongi clung to jimin’s sweater, claws hooked into the shoulder without scraping his skin. it was warm out, now, but still - jimin pulled on yoongi’s favorite cardigan as soon as he got inside the shelter, even when he fanned himself as he first arrived. yoongi had practically kneaded holes in it by now, and the possessiveness of it didn’t make him blush as much as it had before.

he didn’t move when an employee came through the front door with cheerful hellos, there to relieve jimin for the night. yoongi wouldn’t move away from jimin anymore, unless it was jimin chiding him or him off his lap for one reason or another. he always scooped him back up later, pressing apologetic kisses to his fluffy cheeks.

he pressed an unapologetic kiss to his cheek now, giving his scruff a pleasant scritch. “are you coming home with me tonight?”

yoongi mrowed but didn’t move.

jimin laughed, nuzzling his head. “go pack a bag then, lovey. i’ll wait for you here.”

he huffed but released his sweater, though he growled his discontentment even if it was just for show. jimin pulled up the form he filled out every other night, his information autofilling for yet another overnight trial.

“when are you going to make it official?” he heard the other worker say as yoongi turned the corner. “you’ve practically adopted him already.”

yoongi froze, unwilling to not eavesdrop. he’d been trying to not think about it - how jimin hadn’t adopted him, how he never even expressed interest. he tried to convince himself that he would be fine being a shelter resident forever, but.

he wouldn’t mind being jimin’s forever instead.

but jimin never brought it up, even when he wrangled yoongi into being the little spoon at night or when he sought yoongi out as soon as he got to work or when he texted yoongi to see if he wanted to go on an adventure on his day off. for anyone else - anyone else - yoongi would have said no. but jimin loved adventures, and yoongi loved jimin, and he would travel to the ends of the earth if it would make his human smile.

but jimin wasn’t his human. he hadn’t asked to be his human. and yoongi, in the dead of night, in his lonely shelter bed, hugging the pillow he stole from jimin but exchanged every time he slept over to make sure he always had one that smelled like him, could admit to himself that it hurt.

“what if he doesn’t want me to?” jimin asked quietly. the worry in his voice was real. yoongi would have scoffed if he hadn’t been shifted. “i don’t want to upset him, i don’t—i don’t want to lose him even a tiny bit.”

“you don’t want to lose him?” the worker asked skeptically. “even if it meant gaining him entirely?”

jimin clicked his tongue. “that’s not how it works. he wouldn’t be mine, he’s his own person—”

“come on, you know what i mean. why don’t you just ask? it’s a simple question, yes or no. if he says yes, you can get him a pretty collar and a fluffy bed and a high perch so he can hiss as you from the comfort of his own home, and if no, you can keep doing what you’re doing. it’s not like he’s talking to any potential adopters. he’d be almost yours but—here.”

jimin was quiet for a long moment. “i don’t think he’d like a collar.”

yoongi was struck all at once with how much he wanted a collar - thinking about jimin’s name around his neck made everything about him seize, a lightning bolt of want-need-crave shooting down him with white heat.

he hurried down the hall, shifting in his room. he’d packed an overnight bag before jimin even arrived, expecting to be asked. he carefully did not run down the hall, bag slung over his shoulder.

“ready?” jimin asked with a bright smile as he rounded the corner.

yoongi nodded.

jimin grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together. he bid his coworker goodbye and walked with yoongi out the door.

yoongi loved the feeling of jimin’s hand in his own. it felt right.

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\

yoongi grumbled when he felt jimin get out of bed the next morning, always reluctant to wake. it was a cat thing and a yoongi thing, making it doubly hard.

“wanna stay,” he mumbled, peeking at him. 

jimin was rubbing his sleep-puffy face; the sight made yoongi’s stomach do somersaults. he wouldn’t mind seeing that more than he did. every morning, maybe. “i have to go in, baby. you can sleep a while longer if you’d like, though. you have a key.”

yoongi watched him quietly, long enough that jimin glanced back to see if he’d fallen back to sleep.

“forever,” yoongi amended.

jimin’s eyes widened with shock, and even as yoongi blushed brightly, nervously, he refused to look away.

“okay,” jimin breathed after a moment. “for—forever?”

yoongi nodded once.

jimin stared at him for another moment before letting out a cry all at once, throwing himself at yoongi and laying on him heavily. “kitten, baby, oh my god, are you serious—”

“don’t make me say it again—” yoongi groaned, though he would ask a billion times if it meant jimin might eventually say yes.

“i love you so much,” jimin sobbed, clinging to him, tears dripping onto his neck. 

there was a lump in yoongi’s throat that he valiantly tried to swallow down. “so—?”

jimin sobbed out again, wordless, kissing his shoulder with rapid little pecks. “yes, of course, forever, please—” he laughed once, watery and joyful. “but that—that does mean you have to get up, you know? i need your signature on the paperwork. does that change your mind?”

yoongi groaned dramatically, flopping on his back to look up at him. “thirty minutes.”

“fifteen.”

yoongi pouted. “twenty.”

“seventeen,” jimin said, holding out his hand. “‘cause i love you.”

yoongi grabbed it, licking his palm just to hear jimin shriek. he covered his head with the blankets to prevent any retaliation. if it doubled as a way to keep jimin from seeing his quickly-rising tears, that was his business.

seventeen minutes later, jimin yanked the blankets down, pressing a consoling kiss to his cheek.

it had been long enough that yoongi had gathered himself, his red eyes the only remaining sign of his tears, his pink cheeks the only sign of the effort the statement took. “i want a collar.”

it was clear that jimin very carefully did not react with a yell or squeal or coo and yoongi was grateful for it. “yeah—yeah, of course, you can pick one out.”

“no,” he pouted. “you.”

“me? i—yeah. okay, me. i will.”

yoongi nodded once before sitting up and resolutely not looking at him. “let’s go. i need to pack.”

jimin laughed. “with your bedhead?”

“yup,” yoongi said, popping the p. “so—?”

“yeah,” jimin grinned. yoongi didn’t need to turn around to know it was there. “let’s go.”

/ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\