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Namjoon stretched his arms high above his head, his fingers lacing together to loosen his cramped joints. He had been holed up in the library, studying sonnets, for nearly 6 hours and his eyes were beginning to cross. He snatched his glasses from his nose in frustration.
Finals were just around the corner and he’d be damned if Shakespeare was going to ruin his impeccable grades.
Namjoon was a Literature major, and as such, he read a lot. It didn’t usually bother him to read whatever was on the syllabus, but these sonnets had quickly become the bane of his existence.
There were over 150 of them, and his professor expected him to be able to recognize each one and analyze them. That was fine and dandy, except that after about the 60th sonnet, they all started to run together.
“Fuck this,” Namjoon muttered under his breath. He couldn’t take it anymore. The library was too warm and crowded. The number of students cramming for their exams had increased dramatically in the time he had been there.
He could hear their anxiety, the tiny groans of frustration and sighs of defeat combining with sounds of pages turning to create a sort of beatbox rhythm in the background. It was maddening.
He packed his notebooks into his bag, placing his pencils back into their compartment before heading for the exit.
On the way out, Namjoon stopped by the desk to chat with the librarian, Yoongi. The older boy had taken the job to get closer to the cute pre-law student who practically lived in the library.
“How goes the stalk- I mean, Jimin-watching?” Namjoon asked, a dimpled smirk lighting his face. He loved watching the smaller man get worked up. And mentioning Park Jimin was a surefire way to turn him red.
“Stal-!” Yoongi sputtered, looking around to make sure no one had heard him. “Shh! Namjoon, goddamnit, what if he heard you?”
“That boy is waaay too into that textbook to notice if the fire alarm went off,” Namjoon chuckled. “Besides, he is four sections away. Unless he has super-hearing, I doubt he did.”
“You can’t be too careful,” Yoongi sulked. He looked around again, only continuing once he was sure the chubby-cheeked cutie hadn’t overheard. “I’m surprised to see you leaving so early. I usually have to run you out.”
“Yeah, well, I was starting to feel a little caged,” Namjoon replied. “Sometimes a guy’s gotta spread his wings a little, yeah?”
“Get some sleep, Joon,” Yoongi advised. “I know you have your finals soon but, at this rate, you’ll fall asleep and drool all over your scantron.”
“That’s why coffee was developed,” the dimpled man grinned.
“When your heart explodes from too much caffeine intake,” Yoongi deadpanned, “I’m gonna stand over your hospital bed after your transplant and say ‘I told you so.’”
“I don’t think that is physically possible,” Namjoon responded. “I’m pretty sure I’d throw it up before that happened.”
Yoongi made a disgusted face, his nose wrinkling up. “Leave now before I throw up. And don’t come back until you have gotten at least eight hours.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m going,” Namjoon laughed, earning glares and shushes from nearby students.
He waved goodbye to Yoongi and made the trek across campus toward his dorm. The fresh, early evening air was already doing wonders for his mood. He breathed in a lungful, sighing in content at the cool breeze that was blowing down from the nearby foothills.
He could feel the familiar prickling under his skin. He was itching to shed his textbooks and head for the mountains. Yeah, he should probably sleep like Yoongi suggested, but it had been weeks since he had changed. It was high time he stretched his wings.
Namjoon climbed the stairs to the second floor of the dorms, intending to head straight for his door. However, as fate would have it, the door to 5B opened right as he was nearing it, and an angel stepped into the hallway.
The area around the gorgeous boy seemed tinted by pink and sparkles, like in a drama. Namjoon shook his head, blinking thrice when he realized he was staring. His cheeks were flaming with embarrassment as the brunet said something that didn’t register.
Had Namjoon been given a week to psych himself up for a face-to-face with the god from two doors down, he may have handled himself better. As it was, he had been completely and utterly unprepared, so he did the only thing his panicked state would allow: he took flight.
Not literally, but he ran as quickly as his feet would take him and didn’t stop until he was safe inside his dorm. He leaned back against the door, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. Even in his room, he felt too claustrophobic. He needed to escape.
Namjoon couldn’t wait to feel the freedom of the wind beneath his wings. He threw his bag on the couch and quickly removed his clothing. He’d once made the mistake of shifting while wearing them and had destroyed his favorite sweater trying to untangle himself.
Once he was naked, he opened his window wide, letting the cool breeze in. Namjoon shivered with anticipation as he felt the beginning of the change. He felt warm and itchy as his body transformed, his human bones hollowing and bending to make a new shape.
Then, it was over and the world looked so much bigger from nearly five feet lower. Namjoon stretched out his wings, his brown feathers rippling with the movement. He made his way closer to the window, hopping up onto the sill before taking to the sky.
He always got a thrill from flying through the air, feeling the wind beneath his wings. He felt free, his responsibilities and worries dissipating as they were replaced with sights and sounds that he could only pick up with his heightened senses.
They didn’t call it a ‘bird’s eye view’ for nothing.
He headed for the foothills, needing to get away from the bustling of the city. As an owl, the sounds were a little too loud to be considered comfortable. He would much rather be surrounded by nature, closer to his ancestors’ way of life. Just without the rodent-eating…
The hills and trees spread before him, monochromatic but still beautiful. He soared above the treetops and circled back around once he neared the stream. His eyes detected movement to his left and he turned his head to get a better look.
There was a bunny darting between some bushes. Joon thought it might be fun to frighten it a bit. He flew lower, giving chase to the cottontail. The bunny let out a wail, the sound not dissimilar to a crying infant, and ran as fast as it’s back legs could propel it.
The owl turned at the last minute as the bunny ran into a hollow of a nearby tree. He’d had his fun. There was no need to give the poor thing a heart attack. He decided to go a little further into the forest that covered the base of the mountains.
He was a good ways past the treeline when heard a noise from nearby. Namjoon turned his head to look over his wing. Nothing seemed amiss, so he continued his flight, landing on a fallen log. He walked along the log, following a trail of ants. The insects had always fascinated him.
He was so focused on the ants that he completely missed a knot on the log and tripped over it, falling to the side. He flailed, momentarily forgetting that he wasn’t a human falling. It was just his bad luck that there was a steel trap hidden beside the log.
SNAP! Pain shot through his right wing as the jaws of the trap clamped down on it. He was stunned, the agony overloading his nervous system. When he came down from the initial shock, he tried to pull his wing free, but the steel bit into it.
Maybe if he changed back, he could get it loose… Namjoon tried to calm himself enough to return to his human form but, no matter how much he concentrated, the transformation wouldn’t start. He was stuck as an owl for who knows how long. And it was dark. And there were bears…
Jin blinked a few times, yawning as the morning sun shone blindingly through the curtains. It was Saturday and since he didn’t have classes, he had planned to head out to get some photographs to include in his senior portfolio.
How had this semester flown by so fast? It was nearly over and his senior project was only halfway put together. He had film he needed to develop and he wanted to get some more pictures of different wildlife to include as well.
His alarm blared from his nightstand on the opposite side of the bed, the monotonous sound ringing in his ears. He glared at it, willing the thing to turn off without him having to roll over to do it himself. It didn’t.
“Alright, alright, I’m getting up,” Jin groaned, rolling over twice in order to reach the button. He always kept it as far away from himself as possible, or else he knew he would abuse the snooze.
He dragged himself out of bed, heading for the bathroom as he yawned. After relieving himself, he began to get ready for the day, choosing a comfortable sweater and his favorite jeans, ignoring the fact that his thighs would probably end up cold.
Jin made his way into the little kitchenette that all the dorms in his building came with. It had been the reason he had applied for housing in that particular building. He really enjoyed cooking and he wanted a space where he could practice his skills.
Jin heard his stomach growl and decided that breakfast was a necessity before he headed up the mountains. He added some ham and cheese to a couple of eggs in a frying pan, making himself an omelet.
He brought a bite to his mouth, tasting the marriage of the ingredients. It was missing something. It wasn’t as bad as his last attempt, but it just didn’t taste the same as the eggs his favorite restaurant made.
“Hmm… why isn’t it fluffier?” Jin frowned, looking despondently at his flat omelet. He had followed the online recipe he had found. Why didn’t it puff up? “Better luck next time, I guess…”
He finished the remainder of his eggs and washed his dishes so that he wouldn’t have to do it when he got back from his photo session. Drying his hands on the towel hanging by the sink, Jin turned to retrieve his camera from its place on his desk.
He had taken pictures of a little bit of everything. From landscapes to family photos, he had photographed it all. However, his favorite subjects were plants and wildlife. There was just something about getting out in the fresh air and observing untainted nature that Jin loved.
Jin double checked that he had an extra battery pack for his camera, as well as a portable phone charger. Grabbing a couple of protein bars and a large bottle of water, he tossed them in a small knapsack and headed out the door, locking it behind him.
It was a bit of a walk to get to the base of the foothills and he found himself a little winded after walking it on a full stomach. He took a rest at the beginning of the hiking trail, taking his water bottle out to quench the thirst he had worked up on his walk.
It was then that he realized that he had left his phone on his kitchen countertop.
“Well, shit,” Jin groaned. He wasn’t about to go all the way back to his room to retrieve it. He would just have to do without it. “No hiking playlist for me.”
He returned his water to his bag and continued on his hike. The weather was really nice and the sun was already warming up the air around him. He knew the higher he climbed, the cooler it would be, but the view would be worth any discomfort the temperature may bring.
He came upon a clump of pretty blue wildflowers at the base of a tree and snapped a picture, making sure to get an angle that showed the intricacies of the bark pattern. Jin took several shots, trying out different filters and then checking the results.
Once he was happy with the results, he made his way a bit off the hiking trail, wishing to find a less tame landscape. He’d hoped that the further off the path he went, the more wildlife he would find. He was rarely able to snap more than the occasional bird or squirrel.
He had walked for a good forty-five minutes, stopping here and there to shoot the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves overhead or the odd rock grouping, when he heard thrashing and metal from a short distance away.
Should he go and check it out? For all he knew, there could be a dangerous animal just waiting for a tasty snack to feast on. What if it messed up his face? Jin was way too handsome to be mauled…
But what if someone's dog had gotten caught on some thorns? Jin frowned. He didn't hear any growling or whimpering. Wouldn't a dog at least make some of those noises? He thought for a moment, weighing his options before deciding that a peek wouldn't hurt.
Jin cautiously approached the area the racket was coming from. As he came closer, the sounds stopped. He decided to try using his camera instead of getting any closer. He didn't see anything. There was a log, some bushes, and trees. Then he saw a brown lump near the log.
Jin could see feathers. It seemed some kind of bird had fallen from a tree overhead and died, the poor thing. Jin sighed sadly. Such was the fate of all living things. He lowered his camera, ready to resume his search for whatever had made the noises when he saw the bird move.
It was an owl. The thing let out a high-pitched whining sound, flapping one wing. The other was still and, as Jin closed some of the distance, he could see dried blood caked around a steel trap. His eyes met the owl's and the bird calmed down and just stared at him.
It was such an odd moment. The way the owl stared with wide eyes, unblinking, was almost human. Jin could feel the pain rolling off of it, even from that distance. Usually, he could only feel strong emotions off of people. He had never felt them off of an animal.
Jin inched closer to the wounded bird, putting his camera into his knapsack. He would need both of his hands free if he was going to help the bird. The owl stayed still, curious as Jin knelt down next to it.
The trap was clamped down halfway up the bird's wing. The teeth had torn into the flesh and there was a good possibility that it was broken. Jin wasn’t sure how long the owl had been stuck, but it had tired itself out trying to free itself. It was resigned to its fate.
"It's ok," Jin said soothingly as if speaking to a child about to get a shot. "I'll get you out of this and get you to a vet."
He slowly moved his hands toward the trap, half expecting the owl to try to scratch or peck at him. But the owl trusted him. He could feel it.
The trap was difficult to open, especially with the way it was positioned on the wing. He could barely see what he was doing with the blood and feathers blocking his view, but eventually, he managed to dislodge the owl's wing from the steel teeth.
The owl flapped its one good wing, trying to take flight, but was unable to get anywhere without the use of both. Frustration hit Jin like a tidal wave.
"Woah, there," he tried to calm the bird. The owl needed treatment for its wing, but there was no way Jin could just grab him.
Once the owl stopped trying to escape, Jin pulled his sweater off before removing his undershirt and shrugging the sweater back on. He was a little embarrassed to strip in front of it, but he needed something to wrap the bird in so he could carry it back into town.
But that was crazy. Why should he be shy in front of a bird? It was a bird. It didn’t care if his nipples hardened in the cold air. Though, maybe it did, judging by the awkwardness he was receiving from the owl. Who knew animals had a sense of modesty.
Jin got closer, babbling stuff that he hoped came across as calming. The owl just looked at him in that unnerving way. It made him nervous. Especially when he held out the shirt and the owl hopped right up to him, allowing him to wrap the white t-shirt around its body.
The trek down didn't take nearly as long as the journey up. Of course, he wasn't stopping to take pictures either. His mind was on one thing: getting the owl to a vet. However, it was a Saturday. The vet was closed. And he couldn't call because he'd left his phone at home.
"Well, it looks like you are coming home with me," Jin said to the owl. He felt the bird stiffen and anxiety invaded his senses. "Ah, come on. Don't be like that. You'll hurt my feelings. After I rescued you from that trap and ruined my white shirt with your blood."
The owl made a sound that almost sounded like a sigh. The tension left its body and Jin felt he could relax as well.
"You are a strange one," Jin mused, "but I must have found you for a reason."
Jin couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about that bird.
Ohshitohshitohshit, Namjoon thought as he was carried closer to room 5B. This was not how he'd imagined his first time going home with Jin would be.
He'd sometimes imagined that they bumped into each other in the hallway and the older asked him in for tea. Or maybe he'd ask to borrow a cup of sugar and Jin would invite him in while he retrieved it.
But then there was also the one where he was hired to tutor the beautiful man. However, that particular fantasy tended to go a little NC-17… It was his favorite one.
Namjoon felt their movement halt and his body being carefully shifted toward one side. There was the sound of jangling keys and a mechanism clicking before they were moving again and he was being cradled once again in both of Jin’s arms.
“Well, here we are, home sweet home,” Jin quipped, sitting his keys on the countertop. “There’s that damn cell phone!”
As Jin moved further into the apartment, Namjoon took the opportunity to look around. The layout was Identical to his own dorm, 5D. However, where his was cluttered with books and clothes strewn haphazardly around the room, Jin’s space was neat and organized, the only thing askew being his unmade bed.
“If I put you down, you won’t try to fly away, right?” Jin asked him. “Also, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't destroy my sofa. I'm a broke student. Couches are expensive to replace.”
Jin scoffed at the ridiculousness of his previous statement.
“It’s not like the bird understands economics,” Jin mumbled, taking a towel off of his stack of folded clothes and spreading it over the upholstery. He set the owl on the towel barrier and went to wash the blood off of his hands.
Namjoon cocked his head, watching as the man grabbed his phone and tapped the screen. Who was he calling? Wildlife rescue? The vet? He certainly hoped not a rescue. They would try to put him in a cage. He had finals soon. He couldn’t ditch them. He would fail the semester!
Namjoon was panicking inside and almost missed the end of the call.
“Thanks so much. You have no idea how glad I am that you know what to do,” Jin sighed, relief evident in his posture. “Yeah, I’ll be here. See you in a bit. Thanks again. Bye.”
Then, Jin put his phone back on the counter and walked toward his bedroom area. Namjoon couldn’t help but track his movement until he couldn’t turn his head anymore. And he instantly regretted it.
If he could blush in his owl form, his face would be as red as a robin’s breast. Jin had stripped down to his underwear and was bent over in front of his dresser, reaching into the bottom drawer for something. Namjoon nearly snapped his neck making himself look away.
Fuck, why does he have to be so fucking gorgeous and have an ass to die for? Namjoon thought, trying to calm his heart rate and cool his body. He shrugged out of Jin’s shirt that he had been wrapped in and flapped his good wing to try to circulate some air.
“Hey, now, calm down or you are going to fall off the couch,” Jin said, walking toward him still shirtless.
Oh God, Oh God, this is how I die, Namjoon lamented, flapping harder as his heart beat faster. And yet, Jin continued to get closer.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Jin veered off course to go answer the door, slipping a clean shirt over his head and covering those broad shoulders. Namjoon heard a familiar voice coming from the doorway and paused.
“You are a lifesaver. The vet was closed and I didn’t know who else to call,” Jin explained, leading whoever was hidden behind him into the living area.
“You were right to call me. I can check him over now,” the disembodied voice said, “And we will call a rescue, but it will be tomorrow, I’m sure, before they can get here. The closest one for large birds is several hours away.”
Had his luck changed? The owl looked to confirm his suspicions. Oh thank God!
Jin had moved over and the newcomer became visible. Just the person he needed to see. "HOBI!"
The red-haired man startled, frantically glancing around before settling his eyes on the owl. “Namjoon?”
“Who’s Namjoon?” Jin asked, looking confusedly to Hoseok for an answer.
"Don’t you dare tell him," Namjoon squawked to Hoseok. "I don’t want to freak him out."
“Uh, Namjoon?” Hoseok gave a very fake laugh. “The bird just looks like a Namjoon to me.”
The owl wanted to facepalm himself. Unfortunately, he didn’t have palms. Nevertheless, he was happy to see Hoseok. The man was the son of a renowned doctor among shapeshifters. He and the redhead were actually childhood friends.
“He looks more like a Rowlet if you ask me,” Jin said, snickering, “but you’re the one with the Pokedex.”
“Hey, PokemonGo is a great stress reliever,” Hoseok retorted, setting his bag on the coffee table. “Anyway, where’d you find him?”
As Jin told Hoseok about the bear trap and such, the red-haired man took some supplies from his bag: gauze wrap, non-stick medical pads, some antibacterial spray, and other first aid items. The man always had a medical bag on him since he’d joined the vet program.
“Ok, Nams, I’m gonna clean this up some and then get you bandaged up,” Hoseok said to the owl. Then he turned to Jin, who was close by. “Would you mind getting some water so I can clean his wounds?”
“Oh, sure,” Jin replied, heading to the kitchenette. “Do I need to boil it?”
“It couldn’t hurt,” Hoseok said. Namjoon knew that the man was trying to distract Jin so that they could have a conversation.
That was another thing the shifter liked about Hoseok: he was a Zoolinguist, like his father. It made Namjoon feel more at ease to know he could be understood in his owl form. As the older man set about boiling water, the redhead turned to the owl for some answers.
“Okay, why haven’t you changed back?” Hoseok asked in a whisper. “Your arm would heal up in the shift and you would barely have a scar.”
"Don’t you think I would have tried that if I could?" Namjoon squawked in his defense. "I tried to shift in the woods, but it didn’t work."
“That’s weird… I’ll have to check with my dad and see if he knows what the issue could be,” the redhead muttered to himself just as Jin was bringing a steaming pot of water into the room. “Ah, thanks, hyung.”
"Hyung? How close are you two exactly?" Namjoon asked, puffing up in displeasure. He was admittedly a little jealous of Hoseok’s extroverted personality. Maybe if he had put himself out there more, he could be friends with Jin too, or maybe more than friends.
“Oh, that is way too hot. We want to clean him, not eat him over candlelight,” Hoseok said with a dark smirk in Namjoon’s direction. The owl shivered at the veiled threat. He sometimes forgot that underneath that sunshine exterior hid a slight sadist.
“Ah, Hoseok, I think maybe you shouldn’t joke about such things in front of him,” Jin said, casting a worried look toward the owl. “It’s almost like he understood you. I think he is scared.”
“You’re getting a reading off of him?” Hoseok asked with obvious interest.
A reading? What the hell was he talking about? Namjoon cocked his head to the side. Come to think about it, Jin had seemed really in tune with Namjoon’s feelings. Was it possible that he had a gift like Hoseok’s?
“I’m not sure,” Jin said with a frown. “It’s strange. Sometimes his emotions come through, but it’s like there is static or interference. But I usually only catch feelings off of people. I’ve never had it happen with an animal.”
“Hmm… that is strange,” Hoseok agreed. However, his eyes had an impish glint that told of mischief to come. Namjoon got the feeling that the vet student was up to something, and he wasn’t sure that he was going to like it.
Jin returned with the pot of water, only it was warm rather than boiling. Once he was sure that the redhead was satisfied with the temperature, he sat back down near the owl, grabbing an extra pair of gloves out of Hoseok’s bag. “Just tell me what to do.”
“I need you to hold his body while I wash his wing,” Hoseok explained.
"Oh, fuck… he is touching me again..." Namjoon screeched, stiffening as he felt Jin’s gloved hands pick him up and bring him over to the table where the warm water was. He tried to make himself relax, but it was hard to do when his crush was holding him firmly with gentle hands.
“You dirty bird,” Hoseok smirked at Namjoon, who was having a gay crisis.
"I can’t help it, Hobi… you have eyes. He’s hot and sweet and his hands are-" Namjoon began to ramble in a series of chirps. He was embarrassed that he had started screeching a mating call while Jin had him in his hands, but it really was just his instincts. He wanted Jin.
“Uh, Hoseok,” Jin shuddered as Namjoon’s feelings filtered through, “is he a horned owl? Because I think he is horny.”
"Just let me die," Namjoon growled as he hid his face in his shoulder in humiliation.
“Oh my God, hyung,” the redhead laughed loudly, “you didn’t have to expose him like that. He’s never going to be able to look you in the eye again.”
“Huh?” Jin gave him a confused look. “Why would he- You know what, nevermind. I’m getting all kinds of crazy vibes from the two of you and I’m not going to drive myself crazy trying to interpret them.”
“Party pooper,” Hoseok muttered, clicking his tongue in disapproval. “Fine. Bring him closer so I can get him clean and bandaged before he decides to claw my eyes out for teasing him.”
The two men made quick work of cleaning the dirt and dried blood from Namjoon’s wing. They even bathed the rest of him since he was covered in filth from the forest floor. Then, he was wrapped in a clean towel and Hoseok went about bandaging his injury.
The owl had gotten used to being in Jin’s grasp. His stomach was still doing flips, but he managed to push his arousal to the back of his mind. As a matter of fact, Namjoon had gotten so used to Jin that he began to doze in his arms.
And that was when he felt it.
His body felt like it was burning, an inferno rising up inside his bones as they began to mend themselves before they bent and morphed. It was extremely painful, more painful than a change had ever been before.
He had begun to writhe in agony, but arms wrapped around him from behind. Jin was attempting to hold him still on his lap. It was both calming an unnerving. He really needed to get loose before he-
“Hold still or you will hurt yourself more,” Jin chided, still trying to calm the bird. “Hobi, he is squirming a lot and he is in pain. Is there anything we can do for him?”
“I’m not licensed to give pain medicine or sedatives…” Hoseok frowned, giving Namjoon a once over.
"Hurts so bad…" Namjoon shrieked, his body convulsing as the pain overwhelmed him. The burn was so intense that he wasn’t sure how much longer he could remain conscious. "Not supposed to feel like this. Am I dying?"
“Namjoon, I need you to stay awake,” Hoseok said, looking straight into the owl’s eyes. He then looked up to Jin. “Something is wrong. I need to call my dad.”
As Hoseok pulled out his phone and dialed the older Jung’s number, Namjoon’s vision began to get spotty, tunneling and sparking at the edges. This was it. This had to be death. There was no other explanation he could come up with.
It’s a pity I never got to kiss him before I died, Namjoon lamented, resigning himself to his fate. He closed his eyes and stopped struggling against the fire inside of him, willing it to consume him. At least if he died, it would be in the arms of the man he’d wanted to love.
The last thing he felt was drops of water landing on his head and something soft brushing against the feathers near his ear.
“Please be ok,” Jin whispered softly, his lips against the owl’s ear.
A burst of energy jolted through Namjoon and the fire subsided, finally having accomplished its purpose. There was a gasp as Namjoon’s bones elongated and gained density, his feathers falling out as his skin stretched to accommodate his changing body.
“Oh, holy shit!” Jin exclaimed, retracting his arms from around Namjoon’s human body. The shifter’s upper body flopped sideways, his head hitting the cushion with the THWACK of skin on leather. “Hoseok! Why is the cute nerd from down the hall naked on my lap? Where’s the owl?”
Namjoon groaned and attempted to sit up. The room was spinning and there was something firm under his ass. He clenched his eyes shut against the rolling in his stomach. He was completely disoriented.
“Where am I?” he groaned, bringing a hand to his head. He felt like he was flying in a storm, being blown back and forth. He tried to swallow back the churning he felt.
“Your naked ass is currently on Jin-hyung’s lap,” Hoseok snickered, putting his phone back into his pocket.
The words ran through his mind once, twice, three times before he fully grasped the meaning of the syllables that had been strung together. His eyes bugged out as he whipped his head around, his vision darkening with the motion.
His stomach revolted against the sudden movement and, to his absolute horror and mortification, he vomited down the front of Jin’s shirt.
“What the fuck!” Jin practically screamed, standing abruptly. Namjoon fell into the floor, landing flat on his ass, the towel conveniently covering his naughty bits. “Hoseok, you ass, stop laughing and grab some paper towels!”
Jin stripped his puke-covered shirt off, careful not to let the putrid substance touch his face. Once he had napkins in hand, he knelt down next to Namjoon, who was offering heartfelt apologies, and blotted the man’s mouth with them.
“Shh, you’re ok,” Jin said, attempting to soothe the blabbering buck-naked boy. He accepted a glass of water from Hoseok and brought it to Namjoon’s lips. “Take small sips of this. It will help.”
Namjoon took a sip of the offered water, his senses slowly returning as he listened to Jin’s calming voice. He was still embarrassed as fuck, but at least the beautiful man wasn’t angry with him. In fact, the man seemed to be adamant about taking care of him.
“Toss me a couple of t-shirts from that stack, will ya, Hobi? And a pair of shorts,” the older man requested. Two shirts came flying in a perfect arc toward them, followed closely by a pair of basketball shorts. Jin snatched them out of the air and handed the clothes to Namjoon.
Jin’s chest was so broad and Namjoon knew for a fact that his arms were strong. It was a combination that had made him feel protected when he was hurt and afraid. He was almost sad when the man’s creamy skin was covered by one of the shirts.
“Hey, Joon,” Hoseok called, nudging the shifter out of his daze, “are you gonna stare like a naked creeper, or are you going to get dressed? Dad wants us to meet him at the clinic so he can check you out.”
Namjoon blushed bright red, which just so happened to have been the color of the shirt he was holding. Jin turned away, which allowed Namjoon the chance to slip the shorts on. Once he was decent, he stood on shaky legs.
“Hyung, I’m going to take him for a check-up now,” Hoseok said, grabbing Namjoon by the arm before he could apologize or even thank his savior. “I’ll call you later, yeah?”
“Sure, Hobi,” Jin said shooting a sympathetic look toward Namjoon. “I hope you feel better.”
Namjoon stuttered out what he hoped was recognizable as a thank you before he was dragged barefoot out to Hoseok’s car. They spent the ride to the clinic in relative silence, Namjoon too preoccupied with ways to show his gratitude to his savior that wouldn’t creep him out.
Dr. Jung gave him a thorough examination and declared him fully healed, but dehydrated. It turned out that his body had refused to change back until his fight or flight instinct had shut off and the intense burning when he did change back was a normal part of the healing process.
Three hours and a fluid I.V. drip later, Namjoon dragged himself toward his dorm room. He was exhausted and, even though the fluids had helped, he still felt sick. He pulled his spare key, which he’d had to retrieve from Yoongi, out of his pocket.
There was a noise from down the hall and Namjoon turned toward it. A familiar figure stepped out of 5B and walked his way carrying some kind of Tupperware dish. Namjoon swallowed thickly, his nerves starting to buzz.
“Hey, Namjoon, right?” Jin said, smiling at him. “How are you feeling? Did the doctor get you patched up?”
“Yeah, he did. I’m good as new,” Namjoon replied, standing there awkwardly with his key still hovering near the doorknob. “Thank you… for everything. You are very kind.”
“Oh, um, no problem,” Jin responded, a slight blush on his cheeks. “I love animals, so… Not that I think you’re an animal or anything… though, I guess you sort of are…”
Namjoon chuckled, happy that he wasn’t the only one who was nervous. Jin was actually quite cute when he was flustered.
“Anyway… I thought you might not have eaten, so I made you some soup,” Jin said, indicating the bowl in his hands. “It’s vegetable since I wasn’t sure if you ate chicken.”
“I do, but thanks. You didn’t have to do that,” Namjoon said, accepting the bowl from the brunet. He took a deep breath and gathered up his courage. “I owe you big time. Maybe I could take you to dinner to say thanks.”
“Are you asking me out on a date?” Jin asked, biting his lower lip.
“I, uh, just wanted to say thanks,” Namjoon said, shuffling his feet.
“What if I want it to be a d-date?” the older stuttered, wringing his hands.
“Then it can be a date,” Namjoon said quickly, afraid that if he hesitated, it would turn out to be a daydream. “I didn’t think you would want to after-”
“Let’s not ever bring that up again, please,” Jin said, holding up a hand.
“Yeah, ok, that’s fair,” the blond replied, his smile summoning his dimples. “So, Saturday night? I’ll pick you up at 7?”
“Sure, sounds good,” the older said. “I’ll see you then. I’m looking forward to hearing all about flying.”
“It’s the second best feeling in the world,” Namjoon replied.
“What’s the first?” Jin asked, cocking his head in confusion.
“Seeing you smile,” Namjoon admitted. “It’s the best feeling ever.”
“I would accuse you of lying, but I know you aren’t,” Jin said with a blush, “because I feel it too.”
And it was the truth, until five years later when Jin agreed to be his husband.