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It's been less than 48 hours and somehow Seokjin has already managed to lose his familiar.
His familiar.
A whole familiar.
How does one even lose a whole familiar?
Seokjin stands in his apartment, Suga's collar dangling loosely from one hand. Not only did he lose his cat, he lost the cat while his collar is off. He glares at the window that he foolishly left open while trying to give Suga a bath in the sink after the cat spilled powdered ginger all over his black fur. Maybe he should blame Jaehwan for suggesting he should "wash his cat" because "cats shouldn't be licking spell ingredients to begin with, no matter how organic."
Then again, Jaehwan has a fucking Turkish Van for a familiar. Those fuckers love water. Seokjin has the more common American Shorthair and he's very sure now that they are not a fan of water.
He just got Suga too, after finally graduating the next level of witchcraft and thus allowing him to have a familiar to help him with his spell and potion work. A familiar looks more or less like a regular cat, Seokjin learned, except that they are much more cognizant about magic and the world around them. No one is completely sure how much knowledge familiars have but that they are quite clever. Maybe that's why Suga seemed so docile up until Seokjin tried to dunk him into the warm water - he saw Seokjin left the living room window open and already had the perfect means of escape. A sprint across the floor, two perfectly balanced jumps, and the cat all but disappeared into the bushes two floors down from Seokjin's third story apartment.
Seokjin wants to cry, just a little. He has no idea how to explain to Taekwoon, the head of the familiar adoption department, that he already lost his cat. Taekwoon might just hex him for his incompetence, knowing how seriously Taekwoon cared for the creatures. He considers contacting maybe Namjoon or Hoseok but even if he did, Suga would never come to them because they haven't graduated with high enough clearances to earn a familiar's respect. He decides to dial Namjoon anyways, maybe he might have some advice.
"Taekwoon-hyung is going to have your head," Namjoon says after Seokjin explained the situation to him.
"Not if he doesn't find out," hisses Seokjin, clutching his phone. "Now, do you have any ideas on how to get Suga back?"
He hears Namjoon shuffling around, then the small 'ding!' of a laptop turning on. "Well, hyung," Namjoon hums, fingers audibly clicking on the keyboard. "He is a cat, so maybe you could tempt him with food? You have bonded with him, right?"
"Yeah, otherwise I could never have adopted him." Seokjin thinks back to the standoffish cat eyeing him from the highest shelf in the room. Taekwoon suggested Suga to him, saying they had a similar energy, whatever that meant. Seokjin offered the cat some treats, and Suga delicately climbed down to appraise him for a moment before nibbling them out of his palm. Apparently, that meant the cat liked him enough to allow a compatibility spell to be casted on them to confirm a potential bond and Seokjin was cleared - he's heard stories of people getting rejected by familiars and didn't want to end up on that side of a negative statistic.
"Why don't you try calling around for him? I'm sure he's hanging around the building. It's not like he's going to run all the way back to the academy to tattle on you."
"You don't know that," Seokjin says darkly. "But I'll give that a try, Joonie. Thanks."
"Anytime. Text me updates!"
"Yep." Seokjin hangs up the call, tucking his phone back into his pocket before grabbing a bag of cat treats off the counter. Slipping on his shoes, Seokjin exits his apartment and hurry outside to where he last saw Suga. He scatters a few treats around by the bushes he saw Suga bound into and awkwardly calls out, "Suga... Suga... Here, cat. Suga... Suga... Please come back, I promise I won't bathe you ever again... If you come out, I'll let you scratch Jaehwan for even suggesting that." Seokjin shakes the bag of treats, feeling more and more ridiculous by the minute. He's half-bent over, dropping little piles of treats and trying to look anywhere a cat may hide in. "Suga, please come out. I'll buy you salmon! I can't even afford salmon for myself, but I'll buy it for you!" He rattles the bag again.
Nothing.
"Sugaaaaaa," Seokjin whines. He wishes that Suga had his collar, then at least he could activate the tracking spell on the collar but nope, he just had to take the stupid thing off.
He spends a good hour and a half, wandering around his building and walking two blocks in each direction, calling out for the familiar and placing treats in any potential hiding place. As he walks back to his apartment, the bag of treats empty, Seokjin despairs and tries to think of a way to tell Taekwoon that he lost his cat and not get hexed to hell and back for it.
And that's when he sees a huddled mass of black fur by the bushes where Suga dived into, munching on the largest pile of food Seokjin had left earlier.
"Suga!" he breathes to himself, not wanting to startle the cat. Slowing his steps, he creeps forward as quietly as possible to the preoccupied feline before diving forward and grabbing the black cat around the torso. "Gotcha, Suga!"
Suga yowls indignantly, trying to squirm out of Seokjin's arms but nope, he is not having any of that shit right now, not after he spent all that time roaming the neighborhood and calling out the cat's name like a stuck record. Tightening his grip around the cat, Seokjin hurries back inside, thankful that someone leaving helps hold the door open for him, up the stairs and back into his apartment. He carefully sets the cat onto the kitchen counter and hastily affixes the dainty red collar back around his neck. The little bell, imbued with a tracking spell, tinkles merrily as Suga paws at the collar, obviously miffed.
"Stop that, you brat," Seokjin chides, tapping lightly at his paw. "If you had this on, I wouldn't have to search high and low for you." Suga turns to glare at Seokjin, and he tries not to shiver under the scrutinizing intensity. "Yah, don't look at me like that. I'm sorry for trying to give you a bath but how else did you expect me to clean off all that ginger root?"
The cat, unsurprisingly, doesn’t answer.
“That’s what I thought.”
---
"You tried to wash Suga?" Jaehwan howls in delight later that night as Seokjin calls his friend to relay him what had happened. Suga hasn't forgiven Seokjin, opting to sulk by the front door and meow loudly until he realized Seokjin wasn't going to open it. Last he checked, the cat was crouched by the door, bright emerald eyes narrowed into annoyed shards of glass. "Seokjinnie, I didn't think you'd take me seriously! You could have just used a cleaning spell."
"You can use those on familiars?" demands Seokjin.
"Yeah, did you even read that stupid little pamphlet Taekwoon-hyung gave you? I know it looks corny as fuck, but there's all sort of maintenance spells for familiars in there."
"Uh..." Seokjin glances over to the pamphlet laying innocuously underneath his DS on his nightstand.
"Ohhhh my stars, Kim Seokjin, you are a fucking riot!" Jaehwan dissolves into a high-pitched laugh before wheezing and saying, "At least you found him. So, did Suga forgive you for trying to drown him?"
"Shut the fuck up. And no, he hasn't, he's currently on strike by my front door. I think I'm going to be stuck in here forever because if I so try and leave, he's going to jet the hell out of here."
"Smart cat."
"Shut up Lee Jaehwan."
"Mmm, tell me more. I like it when you boss me around."
"Jeez, fuck, I'm hanging up."
There's a loud smack of lips at the other end of the line. "Mwah! Good night, Jinnie! Hopefully Suga doesn't murder you in your sleep tonight!" Before Seokjin can say anything, Jaehwan ends the call.
Seokjin sets the phone down next to him on his bed and he chances a glance to his partially ajar door. He jumps hand to his chest, Jaehwan's mocking words in his ears.
Suga is sitting right in the opening, staring at him with those wide, unsettling amber eyes. Seokjin doesn't remember them being so golden. He always thought it looked a bit more greenish, but perhaps he just hasn't looked at his familiar closely enough. Maybe it was a trick of the light.
"Hi, Suga," Seokjin greets, pretending that he is totally not afraid of the familiar. "What's up? Have you forgiven me yet?"
Suga doesn't even blink.
"So... No?"
Suga continues staring at him.
"How about a joke? What you do call a cat made out of water? A rocket cat!" Seokjin laughs for a second before feeling like an idiot - did he expect the cat to laugh? Actually, that'd be kind of terrifying if the cat did start laughing. When he glances back towards the door, Suga is gone. He pretends like he's totally not relieved at all.
For the rest of the night, Seokjin studies up on the potions he must learn to prepare for his practical in a few weeks, checking between the online witch sites and his textbook, his pen enchanted to write down anything Seokjin says out loud. He scowls anytime he reads the ingredients "powdered ginger," and wonders how Suga is doing. The cat is back camping out by the front door when Seokjin went out to top off his food and water bowls for the night. He closes his bedroom door when he reentered, convincing himself that it was force of habit and not of Jaehwan's words.
Knocking over his pen, thus breaking the enchantment, Seokjin checks the time on his laptop before shutting it. It's nearing two a.m., and he wonders if Suga is asleep.
Wait, no, cats are nocturnal. Seokjin's initial idea of going to grab some water from the fridge fizzles out in an instant and he shuts off his lamp instead. Crawling into bed, Seokjin tries to convince himself, again, that it's because he's not thirsty and that Jaehwan is a lying idiot.
He dozes off into an uneasy sleep, jerking awake at odd hours at the sound of distant scratching. He writes it off as Suga clawing at the front door to escape and curls back into a restless sleep.
---
The front door is mark free, and Suga is waiting patiently by his now empty food bowl. Seokjin reaches down to pet at Suga's soft head, delighted when he feels the smallest thrums of a purr from the cat's throat. "Have you forgiven me, Suga?" Seokjin asks. Suga meows, soft and affirmative. Seokjin doesn't remember Suga having such a quiet meow but maybe the yowling from the evening before wore out his throat. He grins and goes to refill the bowl, listening to the crunches as he warms up leftover seaweed soup and rice from the night before. He doesn't have classes for the next couple days so he can focus on studying for the potions practical and he remembers the promise he called out to Suga the day before.
"I said I'd give you salmon when you came back," Seokjin says out loud. Suga's ear twitches in acknowledgement. "I do have to go on a grocery run anyways, you lucky brat." After he finishes his breakfast, he showers and dresses for a day out - he figures he better stock up on ingredients too so he can practice his potion making in his heavily enchanted spare-bedroom-turned-practice-room. Smoothing down his oversized hoodie Seokjin grabs his house keys and wallet from his nightstand, and stops by the front door to pull on his sneakers. Suga is sitting a few meters away, eyes half-narrowed. He looks relaxed, and Seokjin lets his guard down just a little - maybe the cat won't bolt when he opens the door.
Seokjin opens the front door, just enough to squeeze himself through, and Suga fucking bolts. The cat darts between his legs before Seokjin could even comprehend what is happening.
"No!" screeches Seokjin, seeing Suga bounding down the hall towards the stairwell in a black and red streak. He sprints after the cat, jumping down each flight but the cat is faster. "Suga, Suga come back! Suga!"
Suga paid absolutely no heed to Seokjin's words, still running full speed towards the front entrance once he reaches the first floor. To Seokjin's horror, the door is propped wide open, probably to let in the crisp autumn breeze into the lobby, and he thinks Suga's pace picks up at the sweet smell of freedom. "Suga!!"
The cat bounds out the door, onto the sidewalk, and out of Seokjin's view in less than a heartbeat. Seokjin's heart is about to eject from his throat, along with his lungs, as he stares in dismay at where he last saw the cat before he practically vanished into thin air.
‘...At least he has his collar on’, he thinks. Seokjin wheezes for a few seconds before slamming his hand onto the elevator button - fuck if he's going to climb his way back up three flights of stairs.
Back in his apartment, Seokjin grabs Taekwoon's pamphlet off the nightstand and nearly tears it trying to find the part with the spells. It's a small incantation, best used with dried cat mint that he lights in a mortar. Seokjin digs through his collection of herbs in the other room until he comes up victorious with a single sachet of dried cat mint buried beneath everything else. Grabbing the nearest clean mortar, he drops a few leaves into it before lighting a match, whispering the spell, and letting go. The leaves catch in moments, gray smoke clouding up, and Seokjin coughs a little as he feels the spell take hold. The flames go out, but the smoke lingers, trailing out from the bowl and onto the floor, leading right out of the bedroom.
Seokjin literally is following a smoke trail to his missing cat.
"Okay, cool," he mutters. The trail is almost invisible but he can feel the magical pull in his gut as he leaves again, hurrying out onto the busy sidewalk and following wherever he's feeling the tugs. The trail takes him several streets down from his building to a stretch of cozy one-story houses. The pull is stronger now as Seokjin slows down on the unfamiliar road, eyes peeled for the wayward familiar.
He spies Suga padding down the sidewalk right across the street from him, confidently strolling up to one of the houses and up the steps to the front door. He yowls so loud and clear that even Seokjin could hear him from across the street. Suga continues meowing, preoccupied, and Seokjin takes it as his chance to snatch the cat back up - what the hell does he even have business with some stranger's house? He crosses the street, intent on grabbing the cat before the house owner opens the door, when lo and behold, the door opens just as his hands are outstretched.
"What the fuck."
"Uh."
Suga completely ignores Seokjin and wraps himself around the house owner's legs. Seokjin straightens hastily, pointing to Suga and not making eye contact. "Uh, that's my cat."
"No, this is my cat." The male voice is so confident in his claim that Seokjin yanks his gaze to glare at the owner. He stands a little shorter than Seokjin with messy blonde hair that falls into his eyes, dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and ripped black jeans. Pink lips are pulled into an unimpressed glower and Seokjin would think he'd be pretty handsome if he wasn't trying to steal Suga from him.
"Yeah?" Seokjin demands. "Prove it."
The owner bends down and unclasps Suga's collar. The bell tinkles pathetically in his grip.
No one should be able to take off enchanted collars off familiars, unless one) they're the owner or two) the collar is on the wrong familiar. The collars have a small charm to sway off non-magical folk into taking them off.
The owner pointedly hands the collar back to Seokjin. "I think I know what my familiar looks like," he says dryly. "I suggest you do the same."
Seokjin clutches the collar, the feeling of dread climbing back in his throat. "My... My mistake," he stammers awkwardly. If this isn't Suga, then that means Suga is still missing. Oh stars, Suga is still missing and Seokjin is right back where he started. He stares blankly at the black cat purring by this guy's legs and oh shit Suga is still fucking missing and anything could have happened to him because he definitely was not in Seokjin's apartment last night.
"Hey... Hey!" Hands grab at his upper arms, steadying him - Seokjin didn't realize he was even swaying on the stoop. "Hey, man, you alright? I'm sure your familiar will come back." Concerned eyes peep out from behind the messy blonde mop, the unimpressed look gone.
"I've only had him for two days," Seokjin whispers. "That's not enough time for him to properly link with me and my apartment. We've only really had the customary bond."
"Oh... Yeah, that's not good." The young man scratches his head before stepping aside. "Why don't you come in? Maybe I can help."
"Could you?" Seokjin brightens at the first grasp of hope.
"I said 'maybe.' I'm Min Yoongi, by the way. Eighth level witch."
"Kim Seokjin. Sixth level." Seokjin toes his shoes off while Yoongi closes the door behind him.
Yoongi's house is cozy and his cat races ahead of him, already on the search for something. The walls are bare, but the air is sweet scented with the familiar tang of herbs. Yoongi leads Seokjin to a small kitchen, where the cat is nudging a tin box of tea out onto the counter and swatting a dainty paw down onto the electric kettle's lever. Seokjin totally isn't jealous that Yoongi's familiar works so seamlessly with his witch.
"Agust is a good familiar," Yoongi says, following Seokjin's line of sight to the cat. "Purebred Bombay. Is yours a Bombay as well?"
"Uh, no. Black-haired American Shorthair. I didn't realize there was a difference."
The kettle boils merrily behind them as Yoongi reaches over to pet Agust. The cat arches up into Yoongi's touch, copper eyes narrowing into little slits. Seokjin feels awkward, sat on the kitchen chair, witnessing what a proper witch/familiar relationship looks like. He opens his mouth, ready to excuse himself from the house and thanking Yoongi out of politeness when Yoongi interrupts, "Don't look so put out. I'm sure your cat will show up again - they're far smarter than we give them credit for."
"But does Suga want to come back after I tried to give him a bath?" Seokjin asks despairingly.
"...Okay, one: you named a black cat Suga. And two: you tried to give him a bath?"
"One: Taekwoon-hyung named him and two: my friend suggested it as a joke but I thought he was serious."
"Some friend you got there, Seokjin-sshi."
Seokjin sighs, cupping his face in his hands. "You're telling me." The kettle goes off with a small click and Yoongi moves to bring down two mugs from the cupboard. Placing a teabag in each, he pours the steaming water into the mugs and the fragrant tea aroma mingles with the smell of herbs. He passes it to Seokjin, who murmurs, "Thanks."
They sip their tea in silence, Agust crouched at the edge of the counter and watching Seokjin.
"Agust knows you mean no ill intent," Yoongi says suddenly, nearly making Seokjin burn his tongue on his next sip of tea. "Even if you did lock him inside all night."
"Sorry about that," Seokjin directs his words to the cat, who merely blinks. "I really thought you were Suga. Why is he running around without a collar, anyways?"
"He doesn't like em," Yoongi answers, matter-of-fact. "So I keep it off and I trust he doesn't disappear on me." He pats the cat again. "I like to think that he likes me enough."
Agust purrs.
"I hope one day Suga and I can have that bond," Seokjin says gloomily, the tea feeling cold in his grip. "Y'know. If he comes back."
"Have you tried a tracking spell?"
"Can't. He doesn't have his collar on."
"You can do a tracking spell with something that's his, like a toy or his bed, as long as it's something he's claimed in a sort of way. Didn't he come with his own bed and toys when you adopted him?"
"Yeah, a bed and a toy mouse."
"That's great." Yoongi nods his head thoughtfully. "Why don't you grab that mouse and bring it back here, and I'll get the herbs ready for the tracking spell."
"O-oh, alright." Seokjin is a little taken aback from how easily Yoongi reigns in the situation but who is he to complain? "I'll be right back."
"Agust, go with Seokjin-sshi so he can find his way back." Seokjin flushes at Yoongi's hindsight as the black cat hops down from the counter and follows Seokjin back outside. "I'll see you in a few, Seokjin-sshi."
"Thanks, Yoongi-sshi," he replies sincerely, flashing Yoongi a grateful smile, before turning in the direction of his house. He runs back home, letting Agust dash ahead since the cat seems to know exactly where he is going. Agust trails at his heels when he reaches his apartment building, walking with him back up to retrieve the mouse from Suga's bed, before taking the lead back to Yoongi's house. On his way back, his phone trills from his pocket - it's Jaehwan.
"Seokjin, tell me you found your cat," Jaehwan says in lieu of a greeting.
"Uh, I'm trying," Seokjin replies, ready to inform him about a fellow witch helping him out when Jaehwan interrupts.
"Well, you better hurry because I hear Taekwoon-hyung is doing an inspection spree after news got out some of his pets have been mistreated by fellow students. He and Wonshik are going around, checking the newest adoptions first."
"They're what?!" Seokjin nearly stops in the middle of the crosswalk, spurred on only by a loud meow from Agust. "Shit, fuck, Jaehwan what do I do?"
"I doubt they'll check on you first because pretty sure Taekwoon-hyung trusts you... But you were the newest adopter..." Jaehwan sucks on his teeth. "I guess I could stall them."
"How long could you buy me?"
"However long it takes for Taekwoon-hyung and Wonshik to come," deadpans Jaehwan in complete seriousness. "Which hopefully will take some time."
"I wish I knew you were kidding," sighs Seokjin, spotting Yoongi's house in the distance. He picks up his pace, his other hand clutched around the toy mouse. "Thanks for the heads up."
"Yeah, my head's going down for you, Jinnie. Better find that cat fast."
"Hey, I wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't tell me to wash my cat!"
"And you wouldn't be in this mess if you read the pamphlet," snarks Jaehwan in return. "Now go! Good luck, Seokjin."
"Thanks, Jaehwan." Seokjin ends the call just as he reaches Yoongi's front door. He knocks a couple times and the door opens by magic. "How successful will this spell be?" he asks Yoongi as he closes the door behind him.
"For your sake, let's hope this Suga really likes the cat toy," answers Yoongi. "Come on." He leads Seokjin to a room at the back of the house. Pushing open the door, Seokjin steps into a spacious room filled with neatly organized shelves of herbs and various mortars. A small mortar rests on top of a sooty desk and Seokjin can see a few herbs already crushed up into it. "Drop the toy in." Seokjin does as Yoongi says and starts a little when Yoongi hands him a box of matches. "It's best if you cast it."
"Right... Makes sense." Yoongi has a small book open on the tracking spell and Seokjin chants it softly as he strikes a match. It blazes to life, burning ocher before Seokjin drops it into the mortar. It catches immediately, filling the room with thick, white smoke. Agust lets out a sneeze and Seokjin fans the smoke away from his face as he feels the magic float around him, searching, searching, searching.
He doesn't feel anything catch in his gut.
The smoke starts to dissipate, the magic weakening as the air clears, leaving Seokjin to stare at the smoldering remains of Suga's toy mouse, burnt into a twisted mess of fabric and plastic. He feels Yoongi's hand touch his shoulder gingerly, consolingly, and Seokjin starts to brace himself for the official loss of his familiar when he feels the weakest pull low in his stomach.
"Yoongi-sshi," Seokjin breathes, almost not wanting to believe the tug. He waits, unsure if it's just desperation making him believe, but there it is: the slightest yank that grows more insistent. "Yoongi-sshi it worked...!" Seokjin spins around and pulls Yoongi into a hug, laughing a little in relief. He feels Yoongi's hands pat at his back and he moves back out of Yoongi's personal space, grinning sheepishly.
"Would you like to come with me to find Suga?"
"Well, I made it this far with you," huffs Yoongi, and Seokjin notices his ears are a bit pink, peeping out beneath his blonde hair. "Might as well go the whole nine yards."
After telling Agust to stay put, Seokjin and Yoongi hurry out onto the street. Seokjin hesitates, letting the magic pull at his feet, and he follows the trail up a very familiar path back to his apartment. For a moment, Seokjin wonders if the spell was cast incorrectly and he voices his concern to Yoongi.
Yoongi, dressed in a long black coat with a matching floppy hat, shakes his head decisively. "It works," he says. "I can guarantee it."
Seokjin is taken aback at the confidence. "Oh yeah?"
Yoongi shoots him a sidelong glance, a wry smile on his face. "Let's just say, Agust wasn't as amicable in the beginning as he is now." Seokjin laughs, feeling some of the worry uncoil as the pull strengthens even more now that he's nearing his apartment building.
"It's not going to lead me directly to Suga, will it?"
"It'll lead to the general vicinity. Maybe ten or so meters." Seokjin wheezes at the answer, glancing up and down the area in dismay at all the hiding places a cat would tuck themselves into. "At least he didn't wander from your building."
"Small graces." Seokjin crouches down by the bushes again. "Suuuuga? Suga? Please come out before Taekwoon-hyung shows up."
Nothing. Typical. Maybe the cat is still holding a grudge. Seokjin wouldn't be surprised.
"Suga?" Yoongi calls, prodding at another part of the bushes. "Hello?"
"Please, Taekwoon-hyung will hex me and I'm too beautiful to be hexed," Seokjin wheedles, sticking his hand into his pocket and pulling out the bag of treats. He gives it a shake. "Suga! Please!"
The moment Seokjin stops shaking the noisy bag, he hears it. The faintest meow. "Suga?!" Seokjin spins on his heels, looking all around him for the source. Another meow, this time longer. "Where are you??"
Yoongi tilts his head back and squints upwards. "There's... Something by that window," he says, pointing. Seokjin looks u to where Yoongi is pointing and recognizes two things immediately.
One: Suga.
Two: The window to his study, where the curtains are still drawn shut.
"That's my apartment," Seokjin says, hysterical laughter bubbling from his throat. He runs back inside, Yoongi on his heels, all the way up to the third floor. Bursting into his apartment, Seokjin beelines to the window and throws the curtains aside to see Suga patiently sitting atop the empty flower box. "Suga!" He slides open the window and gathers the cat into his arms, delighted by the immediate purring he hears. "Suga, oh stars, don't ever scare me like that again! Were you waiting there all night?" Glancing at the window, he notices faint scratch marks and he realizes that Suga was the source of the scratching from last night.
Suga looks at him then looks up. "The roof," Yoongi says, surprising Seokjin. He almost forgets about the other witch. "He was probably on the roof for the night then hopped back down here." Suga meows, as if confirming Yoongi's suggestion.
Seokjin snuggles Suga closer and gives the cat a little kiss on the head. "Sorry for trying to give you a bath," he says. Turning to Yoongi, he offers out Suga. "Want to pet him?"
"I am not one to turn down a request like that." Yoongi reaches out to pet Suga, the black cat meeting his hand partway with his head. Suga purrs loudly as Yoongi pets his ears. "You are very soft. One hundred out of ten, would pet again."
"For everything you've done, you are welcome to come by and pet him as many times as you want," Seokjin says, faux gravely.
Yoongi looks at Seokjin. "Are you also available for visits?" he asks, voice light. "Your company isn't half bad, y'know. Besides the whole trying to give your familiar a bath ordeal."
Seokjin flounders, almost yanking Suga back so he can bury his face into the cat's fur. Suga makes a little mrrrp sound as Seokjin's grip tightens anyways. "Uh, yeah, sure, I'm down," he says. "Just, uh, give me a heads up?"
Yoongi grins. It's a very nice grin, Seokjin thinks distantly. "So does this mean I also get your number?"
"Oh. Yes. My number. You may acquire that. Yep." Seokjin sets Suga on his desk so he can pull his phone from his pocket. Yoongi's smile widens as their fingers brush in the exchange, and Seokjin pretends to be preoccupied with petting Suga as Yoongi texts himself from Seokjin's number. As Yoongi hands the phone back, a knock at the door makes them both jump. "Oh shit, Taekwoon-hyung."
Seokjin hurries to the door as there's another knock. Opening it, Taekwoon and Wonshik are standing there with Jaehwan. Taekwoon looks unruffled, Wonshik looks like he's trying to go for unruffled and failing, and Jaehwan looks pleased with himself.
"Hey, Seokjin," Taekwoon says. "We've been receiving reports of our familiars getting mistreated so we're doing rounds to check up on our most recent adoptions."
"Not that we're accusing you of anything, hyung," Wonshik says hastily, hands flapping a little.
Jaehwan, to Seokjin's surprise, doesn't say anything but just continues beaming.
"Sure, come in." Seokjin steps to the side to let them walk in before he shuts the door. Yoongi is lingering uncertainly at the end of the hall.
"Oh, Yoongi," Taekwoon greets in surprise. "I didn't know you knew Seokjin."
"Uh, well, we just met recently," Yoongi replies. Seokjin winces because nothing gets more recent than two hours ago.
"Yeah? How'd you two meet?" Wonshik asks, though his attention is elsewhere. "Where's Suga?" Fucking saved. Seokjin counts all his blessings, every single one of them.
"In my study," Seokjin manages as Yoongi flashes him a panicked look. He can hear Jaehwan stifling his laugher, that asshole. The two males walk down the hall to Seokjin's still open bedroom. Seokjin hurries after them, Jaehwan and Yoongi close behind, and he enters to see Wonshik scratching behind Suga's ear as Taekwoon scruntinizes the cat.
"Where's his collar?" Taekwoon asks and Seokjin feels his stomach drop out of his ass.
"Um, Suga doesn't like wearing his collar," Seokjin explains (lies. Oh man, does he fucking lie). "Kept trying to kick it off so I figured him being comfortable is more important than the collar."
"And you aren't worried he might escape? Your window is wide open." Taekwoon gestures to said open window and, honestly, when did windows become the absolute bane of Seokjin's existence. He kind of wants to melt into the floor and just. Die a little.
Instead, he gives the older male a smile. "I think Suga and I really hit it off when we got back to the apartment, and I trust he won't run away from me. Right?" Seokjin gives Suga a stroke along his back and the cat arches into his touch, purring loudly. If Seokjin didn't know any better, he would think the cat is completely playing along now.
Taekwoon gives the room one more look over before reaching out and giving Suga a good pat on the head. "Everything seems in order and Suga seems very happy with you," Taekwoon concludes. Seokjin fights back a sigh of relief.
"Jinnie, you never answered how you and Yoongi met," Jaehwan pipes up from behind them and Seokjin relief pops like a bubble and he is two seconds away from hexing his friend out the fucking window.
Seokjin doesn't get a chance to panic under Wonshik's bright attention as he turns to look at Seokjin again as Yoongi answers, "I found him talking to Agust. I sent Agust out to see if he could find any wild mushrooms and when he didn't come back after a while, I went outside to check and saw he was preoccupied." Yoongi laughs a little. "Seokjin was petting him into kitty coma."
"He's very soft and nice," Seokjin argues playfully, trying not to trip over his tongue. "He holds great conversations."
Jaehwan coos. "Aww, that's so cute," he says, and Seokjin wonders how the fuck does Taekwoon and Wonshik not notice the fake sugary tone his friend is taking. Did Jaehwan suck out their bullshit radar through their cock or what? Seokjin scowls at Jaehwan when Taekwoon and Wonshik turn their attention to give Suga one last good pet.
"We'll get out of your hair now," Taekwoon says as they head back to the front door. "Other people to check up on."
"Are you coming too, Jaehwan-hyung?" Wonshik asks. A sly, faux-apologetic smile is already working on Jaehwan's face - Seokjin knows him too well and knows he's going to say "no" so he can grill him and Yoongi further. So, with a smile, Seokjin shoves Jaehwan out the door and calls out a hasty, "goodbye!" that gets drowned out by one) Jaehwan's shriek of "bitch!" and two) Seokjin closing the door as fast as possible.
Sighing, Seokjin leans his back against the closed door and slides down until he's sat on the floor. Suga, drawn out by the commotion, pads up to Seokjin and promptly sits on his lap. Seokjin winces as he feels the pinpricks of Suga's claw poke through his jeans.
Yoongi squats down by them. "You good?" he asks and Seokjin finally lets the bubble of hysterical laughter pop from his lips as all the drama and panic of the day winds down. He pats Suga and says, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Thank you, like, so much for everything. Let me treat you to dinner or something, it's the least I can do."
"Dinner sounds great," Yoongi says warmly, smile pushing his eyes into little crescents. He's cute, Seokjin's brain reminds him. Nice. "Any place you have in mind?"
"I mean, you saved the day so I think you get to choose."
"What if I pick somewhere absurdly expensive?"
Seokjin gives him an unimpressed look. "Murder is free."
"You'd go that far?"
"I'm a broke ass witch. Gotta cut corners and throats, if I must."
Yoongi ducks his head and laughs a little in disbelief. "Alright, well, since I enjoy having my neck, I know a cheap noodle place with the most divine broth. Sounds good?"
"The way to my heart is with good noodles and good broth," Seokjin intones, hands over his heart.
"Is that all? Guess I've won your heart then."
Seokjin laughs, flustered. Yoongi's coy facade breaks almost immediately and he tucks his face between his knees, like he wants to curl up and disappear. "That was awful," comes Yoongi's muffled voice.
Seokjin nudges Suga off his lap and stands up, patting Yoongi on the top of his head. "Yeah," he agrees cheerfully, pretending like his ears aren't red. "Let's get some noodles, casa nova."
"Don't ever call me that again." Yoongi's head pops up. "Hyung."
Seokjin grins at the sudden familiarity and offers out a hand to help Yoongi up.
---
"I told you, you don't have to knock anymore," Yoongi says, opening the door for Seokjin.
Seokjin rolls his eyes. "It feels weird just walking in without, like, letting you know I'm here," he complains, toeing off his shoes and walking in. Suga is nestled around his shoulders but hops off once they're inside. Suga sniffs the air before slinking towards the kitchen, where Agust likes to hang out.
"We've been dating for four months!" Yoongi complains, but allows Seokjin to kiss his cheek anyways.
"It's funny," Seokjin says, hefting the bag of herbs and other ingredients towards Yoongi's spell room. "We've stuck with that story we made up and told everyone that's how we met."
Yoongi trails after him, Agust and Suga by his heels. "I mean, if you want them to know that you lost Suga for a day and stole my cat for a night..."
"And have Taekwoon-hyung find out I lost a cat? Ha!" Seokjin drops the bag on the table, watching as it tips over and scattering packaged ingredients everywhere. "Also, I didn't steal your cat. It wasn't like it was intentional."
"You held him hostage in your apartment."
"Hostage gives the notion there was negotiations involved."
"Prisoner! Cat prisoner!"
Seokjin rolls his eyes and throws a satchel of aniseeds at him. "Shut up, honey."
Yoongi scoops up Agust and holds the cat by his face. "Didn't Jin-hyung hold you prisoner?" he asks, eyes glinting playfully.
"Mrrr," meows Agust.
"See! He agrees!"
"I fed him! Gave him water! There was a perfectly good couch to nap on!" Seokjin sticks his tongue out. "Anyways, it's not like I was a great guard since he did escape."
Yoongi gives Agust a kiss on his little kitty cheek before dropping him to the ground, the cat landing with a light thud. "That's good, because that meant I got to meet you," he says.
"So you're saying my ineptitude with cats is a good thing?" teases Seokjin. Yoongi reaches out and tugs Seokjin closer, gives him a kiss on the lips.
"Maybe not for the cats," he amends, tilting his head. "But we're talking about me here, so."
"Oh? I thought we were talking about the cats." Seokjin laughs into the next kiss Yoongi pulls him into. "Okay, okay, we're talking about you." Seokjin drops Yoongi a kiss on the nose. "My favorite cat."
"Wh- Again?"
"Yes, because you are basically Agust: keeps odd hours at night, pretends to be aloof but are cuddly, and ever since you re-dyed your hair back to black you kinda look like him, minus the copper eyes."
"Is this what the kids these days call a furry."
"I'm honestly not sure - we could ask Taehyung."
"Want me to text him or you?"
"You can, but later. Right now..." Seokjin runs his fingers through Yoongi's dark hair, tugging his head back slightly. "I have business with my kitty."
"Hmm, is that so?" The words come out almost like a purr and Seokjin grins. He turns Yoongi so he's facing the table and releases his hair.
"Yep! You're going to help me with this potion so I can pass my exam!"
"Wait, what."
Seokjin magics a cauldron towards them, letting it land on the table with a loud clunk. "And if we don't get blown up, I'll blow you."
"Oh. Oh yes. Nice." Yoongi starts rifling through the bag of ingredients as Seokjin pulls out his notebook. "So, what's the potion?"
Seokjin hides his smile a little. "A love potion."
Yoongi turns to give him an amused grin. "Is that so? Going to use it on me?"
"It wouldn't work, since you're already in love."
Yoongi's laugh is shy and he continues setting out the packets of ingredients. "Yeah," he chuckles, giving Seokjin that small, soft fond grin that makes his heart flutter in his chest. "I am."
Seokjin leans over and kisses him. Behind them, the window is open to let in the afternoon breeze. On the sill, Suga is grooming his face as Agust curls up for a cat nap.
Seokjin draws back and they linger momentarily in each other's presence, letting time stop between them. A breeze washes over them, sweet and cold. Refreshing. Yoongi smiles, and he's in love. Soft purrs fill the room.
Time starts again when Seokjin opens his notebook and Yoongi opens up one of the packets, the quiet crinkling of potion making just another sound added to the ambient afternoon.