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namjoon likes to think he’s responsible. it’s a skill he’s harnessed over the years of being the leader. he knows wrong from right, the appropriate times to bring something up, and when it’s absolutely necessary to hide his omegan-ness. he’s usually a pros and cons kind of guy, at least when it comes to matters of the job.
he is, also, a human being. a human being who loves cute and soft things. and cats.
he knows it’s his fault for going down the alley in the first place. he just couldn’t ignore the small mews of despair and how they tugged at his heart. usually cats are cautious around strangers, but as soon as they saw each other the cat scurried into namjoon’s arms.
how could he say no? the logical side of his brain is pestering to leave the cat. he knows there’s no way they can keep a pet there, the failed attempt at raising yeontan proves that. he reasons that it’s getting colder out, anyway, and he wouldn’t want the thing to die.
he holds the cat closer to his chest as he heads back to the dorm. he kinda remembers that everyone had individual schedules to go too, so he’s hoping that no one is home. and if there is, he prays it’s the maknae line. it’s easy enough to get them to give in.
it only takes a few more minutes to get back to the dorms. he holds the cat with one arm and punches in the passcode with the other. the door swings open and he walks through. he looks around the living room to see it completely empty.
thank god.
he tugs off his shoes and drops his coat onto the hanger. he sits on the couch and puts the cat on his lap. finally, he gets to really look at the animal.
it’s black and white, with slanted green eyes. kind of looks like it’s mad, but the way it nuzzles into namjoon’s palm contradicts that. from what he can see, it doesn’t seem to be hurt. it looks like a pretty healthy cat.
he checks underneath it’s chin to see if it has a collar or name tag. it doesn’t. (a small part of him is happy. if it doesn’t have an owner, maybe he can keep it.) he picks up the cat around it’s front legs and puts their faces together. he laughs when the whiskers brush his nose.
“hi kitty, what’s your name?”
the cat meows in response.
“hm, maybe i can give you one?”
he puts the cat back down and tries to think of an appropriate name. the cat squishes into a ball as he thinks.
“what about sunshine? do you like that, sunshine?”
namjoon leans down and kisses the top of its head. namjoon takes its meow as a yes. he stays like that for awhile, running his hand back and forth across the cat’s back. he doesn’t even think to hide it in case someone comes, or try to find food.
he’s so lost in the motion of petting the cat that he doesn’t notice his phone on the table, buzzing with a message from yoongi saying he’s heading home. he jumps when he hears someone putting in the passcode to their dorm.
he stands quickly, making sure the cat doesn’t fall. he looks around the room to try and find some way to hide the cat. if he wants his alphas to let him keep it, he needs to find a way to bring it up, not just spring it on them.
but he can’t find anything. and the lock is already clicking open. so he grabs the cat, apologizes to it, and shoves it underneath the back of his shirt. he turns to face the doorway and holds his hands behind his back, cradling the cat. he just hopes sunshine will stay quiet.
his face blanches when it’s yoongi who walks through the door. not that he doesn’t love him, but there’s a very slim chance yoongi will be okay with sunshine in their dorm. if he gets caught with the cat - well, he doesn’t even want to think about that.
“hi, baby.” yoongi pulls off his shoes and leaves them besides namjoon’s.
“hi, hyung.”
he hopes yoongi won’t pick up on his nervousness. he feels sunshine move just as yoongi walks towards him. he opens his arms like he’s going to hug namjoon. the younger dodges it and steps back.
yoongi looks at him funny but lets it go. “when did you get home?”
“oh, not that long ago.”
“hm,” yoongi checks his phone. something must have happened, because he curses and starts typing.
now is his time for escape. if he can get to his room with sunshine, the coast will be clear. then he can devise a plan on how to propose the idea of keeping it.
he takes a step back. yoongi glances up at him.
he opens his mouth to make up an excuse -
meow.
he freezes. he pushes the cat against his back, as if that’ll make sunshine quiet down. yoongi looks up at him with a frown. his phone is long forgotten.
“namjoon, what was that?”
“uh, nothing hyung.”
meow.
yoongi glares at him and crosses his arms over his chest. he has that stern look in his eyes that means you aren’t getting out of this. namjoon gnaws on his bottom lip as he thinks of an excuse for the random meowing coming from his back.
“what are you hiding back there, namjoon?”
namjoon looks at yoongi then promptly looks back down. if he wants to try and lie, he can’t look at yoongi while doing it.
“nothing.”
“you know i don’t like you lying to me, puppy.”
the usual term of endearment being used as reprimand stings his heart. he feels a tad guilty, but knows he can’t give in. not that lying ever works out in the end; he always gets caught and always gets in trouble.
“‘m not lying, hyung.”
as if sunshine is personally offended namjoon is hiding its existence, he meows exceptionally loud. loud enough that he can’t try to pretend that wasn’t just a cat. yoongi isn’t fooled. he drops his hands and walks towards namjoon. namjoon tightens his hold behind his back and tries to back away.
“namjoon ah, show me what’s behind your back,” he commands.
namjoon sighs, knowing the gig is up. he can’t deny his alphas when they use that voice on him. he slips sunshine from underneath his shirt and brings him in front. sunshine looks up at yoongi. he hisses when he gets closer. (namjoon laughs on the inside.)
“where did you get that cat?”
“i found him in the alley. hyung, he was going to die in the cold!”
yoongi doesn’t look that sympathetic. he just stares down at the cat.
“you know you have to put it back.”
namjoon dreaded exactly that. he holds sunshine closer and nuzzles his face into his fur. his “hyung, no” is muffled.
“namjoon, yes. you know we can’t keep a pet. we are rarely ever home.”
which is true. namjoon knows it’s true. there would be no companionship for the cat, and that’s just not fair. sunshine deserves to be played with and cuddled.
“hyung, please!” he isn’t ashamed that he uses his most teary-eyed look. it’s his go-to move to make the alphas cave.
yoongi doesn’t give in. he shakes his head and tries to take sunshine from his arms. namjoon pulls away and pouts.
“no!”
“namjoon,” yoongi grits out. he looks angry, eyes ready to bleed red.
“please, let me keep sunshine. just for a little!” he begs.
a second goes by in silence. yoongi looks like he’s thinking. namjoon wishes he could see inside his brain. finally, he sighs and nods.
“fine, at least until jin hyung and hoseok come home. they’ll be here in a little bit, and they can deal with you.”
it is what namjoon wanted, but yoongi’s disappointed tone makes it almost feel like a loss. he watches with a pout as yoongi sits on the couch. he puts his feet up on the coffee table and takes out his phone.
since yoongi doesn’t seem like he’s going to acknowledge namjoon or the cat anytime soon, namjoon sits on the ground by himself. he puts sunshine down in front of him. he meows and paws at his jeans. namjoon giggles and picks up one of his paws, waving it around.
for the next half and hour, he uses his earphones as makeshift toys. he drags them across the floor and watches sunshine chase after them. yoongi doesn’t join them; doesn’t even look over at them when namjoon side-eyes him to see if he’s watching. it makes him a little upset, but he knows he was being a brat.
he can only pray yoongi doesn’t punish him too bad.
sunshine’s ears point up when the front door opens. namjoon takes a deep breath and pulls sunshine onto his lap. yoongi finally gets up. he shoves his phone in his pocket and heads to the front door. namjoon can hear him talking to seokjin and hoseok. he can’t make out what they’re saying, but it’s safe to assume it’s about sunshine.
he doesn’t get a chance to greet seokjin before he’s looming over him with a frown marring his face. he quirks his eyebrows up, as if waiting for an explanation.
“i found him in the alley, he was alone and cold! i couldn’t leave him out there!”
“and?”
namjoon looks down and pets sunshine. “and...can’t we keep him? please!”
seokjin sighs. he shakes his head and namjoon nearly cries.
“but hyung - “
“no, namjoon ah, you know we can’t keep a pet. it wouldn’t be fair to the cat.”
he almost looks like he feels bad about denying namjoon. he looks at the cat, and a small smile is on his face before it’s quickly gone.
“why are you so mean?” namjoon mumbles under his breath.
it’s not as under his breath as he thought. hoseok steps into his line of sight and his mouth is turned in his telltale angry look.
“namjoon, don’t you speak to your hyung like that. he is not mean, he’s being honest.”
namjoon whines. okay, he knows he’s being a little mean, but he’s upset. he really wants a cat.
“stand up, pup,” hoseok commands.
namjoon picks up sunshine and stands.
“put the cat on the couch.”
he goes to protest but seokjin glares at him. he turns and lets sunshine jump from his arms to the couch.
he yelps when a hit comes down on his butt. “hyung!”
“keep speaking me to like that, namjoon, and i’ll spank you for real.”
seokjin’s tone sends ice down namjoon’s spine. he knows seokjin will make good on his threat. he turns around, a hand down on his butt massaging where he got hit.
“i’m sorry you can’t keep the cat, joonie. but you know we can’t.” hoseok smiles at him in sympathy. as much as namjoon thinks his hyungs are being mean, they also feel bad. they wish they could tell namjoon sure, you can keep the cat. the three of them can’t deny that it makes them happy to see namjoon happy.
namjoon drops his head. all the alpha’s hearts aches at their omega seeming so upset. he’s releasing a small amount of distressed pheromones subconsciously. the three alphas look at each other with that look.
seokjin is the one who makes the final decision. he walks to namjoon and puts a hand underneath his chin. he tilts his head up.
“okay, what if we make a deal? you can keep the kitty for a couple hours, feed him and stuff. but after, we need to take him to a shelter. deal?”
namjoon wants to keep sunshine so bad, but there’s no use in arguing. what seokjin says is what goes, so he nods. at least he’ll have sunshine for a few hours.
seokjin smiles and pulls namjoon into a hug.
“thank you for agreeing, baby. i think there’s tuna in the cabinet for the cat, okay?” he nips at his scent gland, hoping to settle namjoon down a little. he still smells like sad.
“his name is sunshine,” namjoon says against seokjin’s shoulder.
yoongi and hoseok share a glance behind seokjin’s back. of course namjoon already named it.
“hm, okay.” seokjin dismisses. he doesn’t want namjoon getting too attached. he pulls back with a comforting pat to namjoon’s butt.
“go on,” he urges.
namjoon scoops up sunshine in his arms and leaves for the kitchen. once he’s gone, the three alphas fall onto the couch. seokjin leans his head back against the couch.
“thanks for leaving the shitty part to us, babe,” hoseok jokes.
yoongi laughs and elbows him in the ribs. seokjin can only chuckle.
his babies.
after sunshine eats a whole can of tuna, namjoon brings him into his room. he plays with him a little then cuddles on his bed. it feels like time flies, and before he knows it yoongi is coming to tell him it’s time to bring sunshine back.
namjoon wraps both his arms around him. “hyung, please no! just a little longer!”
yoongi sighs but shakes his head. he walks over and forces namjoon’s arms off the cat. “namjoon, you made a deal with seokjin hyung, remember? we have to bring the cat back.”
namjoon lets yoongi take sunshine away. he wants to fight, but he did make a deal with seokjin. the alpha could have made him return sunshine right away.
“do you want to come with us to drop him off at the shelter?” yoongi asks.
namjoon wants more time with sunshine, but he also knows it’ll be torture. he doesn’t want to see sunshine be taken. he’ll probably cause a scene and get in trouble. so he frowns and shakes his head. he lies flat on his bed and shoves his face in a pillow.
he hears yoongi leave his room. sunshine gives one final meow, as if saying goodbye.
he doesn’t try to stop the tears he feels wetting his pillow. he’s so sad . even if he only spent a few hours with sunshine, he loved him.
he doesn’t move when he feels someone sit besides him on the bed. the person leans down and nuzzles at the back of his neck.
hoseok.
“baby, please don’t cry. you knew you couldn’t keep him.”
namjoon shakes his head to get hoseok away. he knows it’s not his alpha’s faults, but he’s upset. hoseok pulls back and swats his butt, on the other cheek from earlier.
“hey i know you’re upset, but don’t act bratty right now.”
namjoon goes limp on the bed. he doesn’t want to be a brat, but he can’t help it. he wants to be upset at something. maybe their circumstances - their job - for why they can’t have pets.
“i’m sad, hyung,” namjoon cries.
hoseok cooes in sympathy. “joonie, i know. and hyungs are really sorry you couldn’t keep him.”
this time, he lets hoseok crawl into the bed beside him. he turns on his side so hoseok can spoon him from behind.
he sniffs. “i wish we could have pets.”
hoseok rubs circles into his tummy.
“i know, puppy, i know.”
when seokjin and yoongi get home, hoseok and namjoon relocated to the couch. seokjin frowns at what he sees - namjoon, still releasing sad pheromones, his face hidden in hoseok’s chest. he sits on the other side of him and pats his head.
“the shetler was very happy that you found the cat. they’re gonna take care of him, and find him a good home.”
namjoon squirms and faces seokjin. he puts his face in his neck and wraps his arms around his middle.
“i’m sorry i was a brat, hyung.”
seokjin kisses the top of his head. “thank you, baby.”
yoongi passes by and places his own kiss on namjoon’s head.
“i’ll go make something to eat, okay?”
seokjin nods, accepting the brief peck yoongi places on his cheek as he leaves.