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"Hyeongjun, please, come out of your room.. Seungmin won't hurt you, he's not like that!" Jiseok pleaded, knocking softly on the hybrids door. "NO!! HE'S A FOX, HE'S GONNA EAT ME! I'm not leaving this room until he's out of this house, no compromises!!!" Hyeongjun shouted back, his voice shaking.
Jiseok sighed, shaking his head and glancing at Seungmin, who stood beside him. "Sorry Seungmin.. Just give him time, I'm sure he'll warm up to you." Jiseok apologized, rubbing the fox hybrid's shoulder sympathetically. Seungmin shrugged in defeat, sighing sadly. "I doubt that... he's right, our species are natural enemies. I'm a predator, and he's prey. He's never going to warm up to me, I already know it.. Let's just give him space." Seungmin muttered, his ears flat against his head.
The pair made their way to the living room, and saw Jooyeon sitting on the couch, watching a random show. His head snapped up, his facial expression scrunching into one of disgust. "Seungmin, you alright? Your scent is... wrong. It's got a really sour hint to it, almost like moldy berries, as gross as that sounds." He commented, pushing himself up from how he'd been laying on his stomach. Seungmin shrugged, flopping onto the couch, pulling his knees up to his chest, and burying his face into them.
"I'm perfectly fine. Don't worry about me, or how bad my scent is... I'm alright.." Seungmin replied, his voice muffled. Jooyeon gave Jiseok a worried glance, and the other male shrugged. "Alright... but if you want to talk to me about it, I'll listen. I'm here for you Seungmin, you know that." Jooyeon said, sighing before turning his attention back to the show he was watching.
"Jiseok?? Can you come to my room for a second? I've got something to ask you!" Gunil suddenly yelled, making Jiseok smile and wave goodbye to Jooyeon and Seungmin.
Jiseok headed towards his room that he shared with their oldest, and he pushed the door open. "Hey man, wassup? You said you wanted to ask me something?" Jiseok commented as he walked inside, flopping onto his bed and sighing happily as he was met with the soft mattress. Gunil cleared his throat, bringing his laptop over to Jiseok. "I did. So.. you know we've got Hyeongjun, Jooyeon and Seungmin right?" He started, causing Jiseok to sit up against the pillows.
Jiseok nodded slowly, interested in where this conversation was going. "Okay, and we both know that Hyeongjun is extremely scared of Seungmin. So, I was thinking, maybe we can get a new hybrid friend for him, and maybe Hyeongjun can get some of his confidence back from before we got Seungmin? Plus, Jooyeon and Seungmin look really lonely. Hyeongjun's scared of both of them, but Seungmin more than anything. So a new friend may help with that loneliness. What do you think?" Gunil continued, showing Jiseok a page he had open on his laptop screen.
Jiseok nodded as his eyes read through the text on the page, and he hummed softly. "I'll be honest, that sounds like a perfect idea! Plus, he looks cute. Are you thinking we might get him?" Jiseok said, pointing to the picture on screen. Gunil nodded, looking back at the screen and smiling. "Yeah, I think he'd be perfect. Plus, Jungsu is an adorable name. But one of my worries is that this website says he's still a kitten... aren't you a bit worried we're not ready to handle a kitten? We got Hyeongjun, Jooyeon and Seungmin as full grown hybrids, not when they were still little. Jungsu may a bit of a handful if I'm being honest." Gunil asked, tapping his nails on the back of his laptop.
Jiseok rested his hand on Gunil's shoulder, squeezing gently. "We can handle it. We're a great team, and I know that together we can handle a kitten hybrid." Jiseok reassured their eldest.
*a week later...*
"So guys, Jiseok and I have been talking." Gunil mentioned one night while they were all gathered in the living room, watching a movie and eating pizza. Every set of eyes in the room looked towards Jiseok and Gunil, waiting in excitement. Even Hyeongjun, who Jiseok had somehow convinced to come out of his room, looked upwards, peeking through his shaggy bangs at Gunil. The rabbit hybrid was glued to Gunil's side, and he stayed far away from Seungmin and Jooyeon. He was terrified of those two, and every time one of them would shift to a more comfy position, Hyeongjun would curl himself tighter into Gunil's side, and his eyes would get wide.
"So, we're thinking of maybe getting a new hybrid friend for you guys. He could help Hyeongjun get back that confidence he once had before we got Seungmin, and it could give you all a friend to keep yourselves company if Jiseok and I need to go out to run a few errands. How's that sound..?" Gunil asked, glancing at Jiseok. Jooyeon's eyes grew wider and he nodded eagerly. "I'd love that!! It'd be fun to have a new friend, since Seungmin can get really boring and grumpy sometimes." He joked, making Seungmin gasp in offense.
"Hey, I'm not boring, neither am I grumpy, you jerk!!" Seungmin snapped, his eyes glinting with anger as he tackled Jooyeon to the ground, his claws out as he swiped at the wolf hybrid. Hyeongjun yelped in fear, burying his face into Gunil's side as he whimpered, shaking uncontrollably. "Yes you are!! All you do is sulk and pout that Hyeongjun hates you, it's so annoying to hear you complain all the time! And whenever someone brings up his name, you get all grouchy, just like you are now!! You're acting like a pup, grow up already!" Jooyeon fired back, baring his teeth at Seungmin as he pushed back the fox hybrid's arm and growled deeply at him.
"Oh Seungmin, Lee Jooyeon!! If you two don't quit fighting, I'm sending you to bed for the night. And you're going to help with chores tommorow, and there is a lot. You're scaring Hyeongjun even more, so would you two cut it out already!?" Jiseok snapped, glaring at the two other hybrids. Seungmin looked up, seeing Hyeongjun cowering in fear next to Gunil.
His ears pinned back against his head instantly, and he climbed off Jooyeon in a flash. "Oh my god, I'm so so so SO sorry Hyeongjun, I didn't mean to scare you- I-" Seungmin babbled quickly, his eyes filling with tears as he saw how bad the rabbit hybrid was shaking. He covered his mouth with his palms, and Jooyeon noted the sudden shift in Seungmin's scent.
Hyeongjun sniffled loudly, moving his bangs out of his eyes to look at Seungmin. "...don't fight.. I-it makes me so nervous.. and I don't want you guys t-turning your anger onto me, J-Jiseok or Gunil... p-please stop arguing.." Hyeongjun whispered, his eyes wide and filled with tears that were threatening to spill.
Jooyeon felt a wave of regret flood his body, and he looked down in shame. "I'm sorry Hyeongjun... we won't fight anymore, I promise you. We don't want to scare you, I swear on my life. We don't want you to feel threatened or unsafe around us, that's never how we want you to feel!" Jooyeon promised, looking up at Hyeongjun. The rabbit hybrid was silent, his bottom lip trembling as he took a shaky breath.
"I.. I know you don't want to hurt me, but every instinct in my body tells me to be on my guard around you two. You both are predators, and I'm just a defenseless little rabbit who's scared of everything... I want to feel safe around you two, but I can't get my brain to stop thinking the worst outcomes if I'm around you guys. Seungmin, if you think I hate you, that's not it at all! I'm just... nervous..." Hyeongjun explained slowly, melting into Gunil soothing touch as their eldest gently pet his ears.
Seungmin's cheeks were wet with tears, as he choked back a sob. "I-I'll never hurt you, I swear for a-as long as I live. I want you t-to trust me, f-feel safe and happy around me, a-and not constantly feel o-on edge... P-please.. you can trust this fox, I would n-never lie to you." Seungmin managed between choked out sobs, his eyes full of sadness.
Hyeongjun took a deep breath, nodding slightly. "I... I trust you. Just a little, I don't fully trust you yet. Just... give me a while to fully warm up to you." He said quietly, moving away from Gunil and standing up, hesitating to move towards Seungmin. The fox hybrid simply waited patiently, shifting over in his small makeshift den that he made on the floor of the living room.
Hyeongjun carefully stepped closer, kneeling down beside Seungmin. "U-uh... c-can I come inside your den.. and snuggle? J-just so I can get used to be near you..." Hyeongjun whispered shyly, his nose twitching nervously. Seungmin nodded gently, his expression patient as he wiped a tear off his cheek. "You can. I don't want you to feel like you're forced to do this, so I won't do anything unless you're okay with me touching you. We can just lay beside each other, if that's what you want." Seungmin smiled softly, lifting his blanket so Hyeongjun could crawl under it next to him.
Hyeongjun hesitantly crawled next to the fox hybrid, pushing his instincts to run and get as far away from Seungmin as he could to the back of his mind and attempt to enjoy this moment. He snuggled under the blanket with Seungmin, his nose twitching at the scent of sandalwood and sweet berries surrounding his entire being. Seungmin's scent was bright and happy now; a drastic change from the sour sadness from before.
"Can I put my arm around your shoulders...? You can say no if you're uncomfortable with that or not ready." Seungmin whispered after a few moments of the five of them watching the movie and munching on some pizza. "Uh... yeah. I'm alright with that. Ah... Have you always smelled this good, Seungmin..? Have I just never noticed before..?" Hyeongjun replied softly, his body tensing as Seungmin draped an arm around his small shoulders.
"I guess so. I like your scent, it's sweet. Cinnamon and coffee beans... it's a calming mix. This is really nice, I'm sorry that you felt really scared of me..." Seungmin whispered resting his head against Hyeongjun's. "No, it's me who should be sorry. I didn't mean to say all that mean stuff about you, I was just really worried you'd hurt me, given our species. This bunny can be a bit dumb sometimes.." Hyeongjun answered, his eyes glued to the movie screen.
"Yah, Jiseok-ah, what do i smell like?" The younger male turns to Gunil. He leaned his head in to sniff near his neck, but recoiled quickly, holding his nose.
"You smell like you haven't showered since you came back from the gym earlier" Jiseok said, letting out an exaggerated gagging motion while leaning far away from him on the couch. He dramatically looked the older male up and down, still plugging his nose.
"Yah-" Gunil smiled sheepishly, shoving the younger male's shoulder with a small laugh.
Seungmin smiled, humming softly as if to deny Hyeongjun's statement. "You're not a dumb bunny. You're very smart, in fact. A dumb bunny wouldn't have been careful around Jooyeon and I, but you were very careful and cautious. So, by default, that makes you a smart-" Seungmin began, only to be cut off by a loud rumble of thunder from outside, which made the lights flicker. Hyeongjun screamed, clinging close to Seungmin and pressing his nose to Seungmin's scent gland, taking deep breaths of the foxes scent.
Gunil paused the movie, standing up to look out the window. He frowned, turning back to the group. "A big storm is coming, so I think it's time to call it a night. We can finish this movie some other time. Hyeongjun, do you want to come sleep in my room tonight, or do you want to stay with Jiseok?" He asked, giving the rabbit hybrid a glance.
Hyeongjun gave Seungmin a soft whimper, and clung closer to the fox. Seungmin held him close, looking up at Gunil. "I think he's going to stay with me. I can make sure he's alright, I won't do anything to him. Please, can you guys trust me? I won't hurt him, I swear on my entire being." Seungmin pleaded, holding the trembling rabbit in his arms.
Gunil opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Jiseok holding up a finger. "Maybe for tonight let's trust him, Gunil. Let's see if Hyeongjun is okay with being around him. We can never know if we don't try." Jiseok pointed out, noting how Hyeongjun was clinging to Seungmin. Gunil thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Just for tonight." Gunil said, nodding at Seungmin.
"Hyeongjun-ah, do you want to come sleep in my den tonight...? I'll keep you safe from the storm, don't worry." Seungmin whispered, rubbing Hyeongjun's back slowly. A soft whimper came from Hyeongjun, and he nodded quickly against Seungmin's neck. "Can I pick you up? I'll take you to my room, and we can cuddle in my den. How does that sound?" The fox hybrid questioned, noting how Hyeongjun had stopped shaking the slightest bit.
Another muffled whimper came from the rabbit hybrid, and Seungmin smiled. "I'll take that as a yes. Okay, hold on tight, I don't want to drop you." Seungmin said quietly, picking up Hyeongjun and scooping him into his arms with ease. Another loud rumble of thunder came from outside, and Hyeongjun yelped, burying his face into Seungmin's neck. "Shh... it's okay bunny, I've got you. I've got you..." Seungmin cooed gently, walking away from the living room and starting the journey towards his room.
The pair reached the fox hybrid's room, and Seungmin kicked open the door, mumbling words of comfort to Hyeongjun as he set the rabbit down gently into his den. "It's going to be alright bunny, I'm here, I'll keep you safe." Seungmin whispered, brushing Hyeongjun's bangs from his eyes. He left Hyeongjun in his den, walking back to the door to close it and dim the lights.
Once he finished that, he immediately went back to Hyeongjun, who had grabbed one of the fox hybrids blankets and wrapped his small frame in it. Seungmin's inner fox wanted to growl at Hyeongjun for messing up the den, but Seungmin ignored it. Instead, he crawled inside the den and laid down next to Hyeongjun, flooding the room with his scent to try and calm the rabbit hybrid.
"Come here bunny, I'll keep you safe. It's alright, alpha's got you now. Don't worry, I'm here." Seungmin muttered, taking Hyeongjun's hand and squeezing it softly. Hyeongjun sighed gently, snuggling next to Seungmin. "I... I'm sorry, I just hate storms.. they're too loud... my ears are extra sensitive to loud noises, and the thunder is.. a lot. If I'm inconveniencing you, I'll just go and sleep with Jiseok or Gunil, it's really not a big deal.." Hyeongjun muttered, sighing in defeat.
"What?! You're not inconveniencing me Hyeongjun! I'm happy to share my den with you, you're a great cuddle buddy. And I don't want to push you away, you look comfy right now, bun." Seungmin gasped gently, wrapping his arm around Hyeongjun's shoulders again. Hyeongjun gently punched Seungmin's chest and blushed. "Stop it... you're making me all flustered!" He pouted, an embarrassed laugh slipping out of him.
Seungmin laughed, rubbing his nose against the base of Hyeongjun's ears. "Let's get some sleep, okay bunny? Then you won't need to hear the thunder anymore." Seungmin pointed out, scratching gently behind Hyeongjun's ears. Hyeongjun purred softly, which surprised Seungmin. He knew cats purred, but he never knew that rabbits could as well. Granted, Hyeongjun was purring very softly that most people wouldn't even hear it if you weren't listening for it. "Alright... don't eat me after I fall asleep, okay?" Hyeongjun said, with a small smile afterwards. "I know you're kidding, but don't worry I won't. I'll keep you safe, don't worry Hyeongjun. Goodnight bunny, sweet dreams~" Seungmin whispered, placing a kiss of Hyeongjun's head.