Work Text:
Moonlight spills through the windows, flooding the apartment in silver. During the full moon, Taehyung is not allowed to shut the curtains, as if bathing every one of their possessions in the light will cleanse them once a month. Combined with their Halloween decorations strung up over every surface, the glow gives the apartment an eerie atmosphere that Taehyung is rather proud of. It’s a shame that Jungkook has to spend the party in his bedroom.
“Where’s Jungkook?” Hoseok asks, the second he opens the door.
“He’s not feeling very well so he’s sleeping,” grimaces Taehyung, an answer he has to repeat five times, because every single one of his friends inquires after the bunny hybrid before they’ve even said hello.
Taehyung’s friends adore Jungkook. Usually the bunny is the first to the door with boundless energy. Since Taehyung adopted him six months ago he’s installed himself as the beloved baby of the group; every time they see him, at least one of his friends asks if they can take him home and keep him. Taehyung understands. The day he saw Jungkook at the shelter, he knew that he could never let him go. Big, wide-eyed, inquisitive with a twitching nose and soft, flopping black ears.
The adoption form listed Jungkook as a black Fuzzy Lop. Just a bunny.
They left out some details.
A part of Taehyung thinks he should go back to complain because it’s a questionable omission, but to do so would suggest he’s dissatisfied with Jungkook. He’s not. He loves Jungkook more than anything. The bunny just has a secret. A secret that Taehyung discovered on the first full moon after bringing him home. He was at work, that evening, when the moon came out. When he returned home, the apartment was torn apart.
Details.
“Does he need to see the doctor?” says Jimin with a pout, somewhat softening the effect of his Pennywise costume. Though they have piled into the living room and poured out drinks, the missing bunny is still the centre of conversation. “Or a vet? Does he see a vet?”
“He sees a doctor who specialises in hybrids,” laughs Taehyung. “But he’s fine. It’s just a bug – he’ll be okay tomorrow.”
“But he’s missing the party!” complains Seokjin, fiddling with the sound system. He links up his Halloween playlist and turns the music up loud enough to cover their voices, but not loud enough to disturb Jungkook if he’s asleep. “Jungkook loves a party. I bet he’d feel better if he came out to say hello.”
If Taehyung had had any foresight, he wouldn’t have invited his friends around today, but when he arranged the party two months ago he didn’t think to check the lunar schedule. Now, he and Jungkook have stuck up a chart on the refrigerator so that they don’t forget again. Jungkook is easy to manage during the full moon now that Taehyung has done his research, but their full moon operations don’t usually include guests in the apartment.
Taehyung switches on some white noise for him and creates a nest of blankets on the bed. Jungkook brings his favourite snacks, something to chew on, and plenty of bubble-wrap to pop. His destructive tendencies aren’t too difficult to divert in more positive directions; as long as he can have his room nice and dark and quiet, he shouldn’t go feral.
Except Taehyung’s friends are here, and when they have soju they get noisy, and they’re growing increasingly anxious about the absence of their youngest friend. Yoongi takes Taehyung aside to check that Jungkook really is okay and that he’s not trying to play it down so as not to worry anyone. Biting back a laugh because Yoongi having such a serious moment in his Chucky costume is ridiculous, Taehyung answers that he promises everything is fine.
He thinks he’s got away with it, distracting the group with a spooky table-top board-game, before Jimin drifts away to get more drinks. And from the hallway, not a minute later, he hears a blood-curdling scream.
Namjoon, at his side, almost jumps out of his cape.
“Jimin?” bellows Hoseok, leaping to his feet.
Taehyung manages to tear in front of him after one stumble on the hem of his costume, and out in the hall he sees Jimin falling back from the bedroom door, as the were-bunny launches out.
Fuck.
Jungkook has not taken well to the disturbance. In his changed form, mutated by the glow of the moon, his lop ears stick bolt upright, alert, and his soft, warm eyes turn purplish and narrow. His teeth grow sharper, protruding past his lower lip, and his fur stands on end as though he’s buzzing with an electric charge. His gait is low, like a predator, as he claws at Jimin’s costume and growls, trying to snap at him with his teeth.
The lampshade overhead spins, dazzling the corridor with light, and the rug underfoot rucks up into a bundle as they wrestle.
Taehyung launches himself across the hallway and grabs Jungkook around the middle, hauling him back. He’s wearing his cute carrot pyjamas and the fuzzy socks he sleeps in. “Baby no!” Taehyung shouts as he tries to hold him, but Jungkook is strong at the best of times and stronger when he changes. “It’s me! It’s your Taehyungie!”
Jungkook scrabbles at his wrists, but Taehyung has locked his hands together and no amount of scratching will make him let go.
“Calm down. Just calm down,” he breathes, close to Jungkook’s ear, praying that he’ll recognise his voice. “It’s just Taehyung.”
Slowly, still scratching at him, Jungkook starts to stop struggling. He drops his feet back to the ground because Taehyung has been bearing half his weight, and his right foot begins to thump angrily. Jungkook thumps when he’s anxious but he also thumps when he’s angry. Taehyung loosens his grip, aware that his bunny is not impressed by being restrained, and tries to soothe him with gentle strokes to his side.
Jimin scrambles to his feet, pulled back by the others where they have all tumbled into the hall. “Jungkook?” he says hesitantly, holding up his hands. “Jungkook it’s me! It’s just Jimin!”
“What’s wrong with him?” says Namjoon. He wraps one arm around Jimin to hold him back.
“I thought he was sick and I just wanted to take him something to eat!” wails Jimin.
“It’s okay!” Taehyung pants. The increased noise isn’t going to help calm the were-bunny. “Everyone just… let’s just quieten down. Alright, Jungkook, it’s alright.” He has to keep murmuring to him because Jungkook is thumping louder and faster, and he tries to nip at Taehyung’s hands, as he always does when he’s frustrated. “It’s only Jimin. These are your friends, remember?”
Jungkook’s keen eyes flit from friend to friend. They ought to be familiar, even on the full moon, but as they stand there looking back Taehyung sighs. Every one of them is wearing a mask or makeup, swathed in unusual costumes. They’re dressed as monsters, and Jungkook is wild.
“He’s just scared,” Taehyung says quickly. “He thinks you’re invading his territory!”
“But – but it’s Jungkook?” says Seokjin.
“Yeah, about that…”
It takes ten minutes to get Jungkook into the living room, because he now absolutely refuses to return to bed, alert to the full moon. Taehyung brings the blankets from his nest and gives Jungkook his Halloween nibble toy, a tough white ghost. Only having something to rip up or gnaw on helps keep his were-bunny at bay. Jungkook curls up on Taehyung’s lap, growling at every one of them, and his fierce eyes give a clear warning: Don’t come any closer.
“Is he… guarding you?” Hoseok asks hesitantly.
Taehyung sighs, petting Jungkook’s ears until they flatten back down. The soft black turns to velvet again under his gentle touch. “I have to tell you guys something.”
“Yes, you do,” nods Namjoon.
“The truth is that when I adopted Jungkook they forgot to mention – or rather chose not to mention – that he’s not a normal bunny.”
“Not a normal bunny?”
Taehyung clears his throat. “Jungkook is a were-bunny.”
The eyes of his friends turn wide. They all look to each other in astonishment, clearly wondering how their favourite cuddle-bunny could turn to a feral monster once a month. How many times has Jungkook curled up with them and chattered in excitement about his time as a kit, and the months he spent at the shelter? Now he isn’t speaking and he growls at anyone who gets too near. The moonlight touches his black ears through the open curtains.
“Were-bunny?” Seokjin squeaks.
“He’s completely safe! We have a good thing worked out. Each month at the full moon he just gets a nest ready and shuts himself away and he likes to pop bubble-wrap. It limits his yearning for destruction.”
“So what you’re saying is that you adopted Stitch?” says Namjoon.
Jungkook’s ears perk up at the mention of one of his favourite movies. Taehyung tickles behind them and strokes his hair. “Do you remember when I had to buy a new couch and I said that it was because one of the neighbours’ cats got inside and scratched it to shreds?” That first full moon, Jungkook had wrecked almost everything that he could get his hands on. Anyone else might have returned him to the shelter. Taehyung would never.
He loves his bunny, full moon and all.
“I can’t believe you almost bit me,” pouts Jimin, glaring at Jungkook.
The were-bunny begins to thump again and all of them coo, no longer scared of his teeth now that Taehyung has him secure in his lap. His costume took the worst of the scratches on his arms, at least, though there is a throbbing bite on one of his fingers. Now that Jungkook has recognised his friends, at least, he calms down enough to be let loose, and Taehyung is able to sit him beside him while they resume the board-game. No one concentrates, too distracted by watching the fidgety were-bunny tear up strips of tissue paper for something to occupy his hands.
Any other time, Jungkook would drink enough soju to account for the rest of them, but when offered anything to drink in this form he just wrinkles his twitchy nose and nips at any hand that gets too close.
“He’s adorable,” sighs Hoseok.
“Almost as cute as he is when it’s not the full moon,” Jimin nods.
Jungkook growls.
-
The warmth from the morning sun wakes Jungkook before the light. He yawns, stretching out, and is surprised to find himself curled up in Taehyung’s bed rather than his own. Usually on the full moon he stays locked away in his bedroom like a den. He rubs his eyes free of sleep and sits up, messy hair falling over his eyes. “Taehyung?” he calls, nose twitching at the scent of breakfast. Padding from the bedroom he hops his way down the hall and then freezes in the doorway.
Jimin and Yoongi are yawning over coffee at the table, Halloween costumes in disarray.
“Did you sleep well?” Taehyung turns, face softening at the sight of him.
“I – yeah,” says Jungkook awkwardly. Taehyung knows full well that it was the full moon last night and Jungkook won’t remember a thing. “How was the party?” He sits at the table and rests his head back against Taehyung’s abdomen in a request for pets. Taehyung obliges, stroking his lop ears and scratching his scalp where he likes it most. “I’m sorry I wasn’t feeling well.”
“It was interesting,” grins Yoongi.
Jungkook dives into breakfast, always ravenous after the full moon, and only looks up when he sees Taehyung exchanging an awkward look with Jimin at the table. Then, all three of them look at him, and Jungkook’s eyes narrow. “What? Do I have carrot on my face?”
Taehyung sits beside him and finds his hand on the table to squeeze. He starts slow, hesitant: “You know you slept in my bed, last night? Because you were very clingy at the party. I think you thought our friends might challenge our territory.”
The words take a moment to sink in. “At – at the party?”
“It’s not a big deal, bun,” Jimin says quickly.
“They know?” he wails, and before Taehyung can even hold his hand tighter Jungkook pulls free and races through the apartment back to his own bed. No one can catch him when he runs. He throws himself onto the bed and drags the blankets up over his head, burying his face to the pillow. It was supposed to be a secret. Everyone will think he’s weird now.
The mattress sinks as Taehyung sighs and sits beside the shaky lump of his body. “Sweetheart? Come out, bun.”
Jungkook has never been very good at refusing Taehyung. He slips out from under the blankets and pouts up at him, fussing his lower lip with his teeth. “They know I’m a were-bunny?”
“They do. But they thought you were very cute, last night.”
“I didn’t do anything bad, did I?”
Taehyung hesitates. “No. No, but you did want to be part of the gang.”
Jungkook’s cheeks are scarlet. At the sound of creaking floorboards, he looks up, and sees that the rest of their friends have emerged sleepily from the living room and are now waiting at the door, looking upon him with their usual adoration. Jungkook likes that. He feels spoiled, having a group of humans who love to chase around after him. And they’re all looking now; their expressions haven’t been changed by last night.
“Can we come in?”
He nods, scooting up the bed so that they can all fit.
Jimin is the first to pet him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and playing with the tips of his ears, and they all soon follow.
Jungkook sighs in relief.
Every full moon he gets a little weird. He might not be as dangerous as a werewolf but that’s not to say a were-bunny can’t do some damage. He thought that when Taehyung brought him home he’d send him right back to the shelter as soon as he saw what happens on the full moon, but Taehyung never sent him away. The rest of the group all smile and pet him too. No one seems to mind what they must have witnessed last night, when his ears turn sharp and his eyes glow purple.
A family, for his kind, is called a fluffle.
These six, he thinks, make up his were-fluffle.