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Jimin reaches out to stroke Hoseok behind his black ear, the hybrid moving back only the tiniest bit now. It was a lot more progress than just ten minutes ago when he had found the cat boy. Hoseok had been curled up in the alley beside Jimin’s apartment complex, soaking wet from the downpour that decided to start. Luckily Jimin had brought his umbrella with him before he left, knowing it could begin raining at any given time.
When he came back from his little grocery outing, he spotted the hybrid there, looking cold and pathetic as ever and in an instant, his heart melted. Why was he there and where on earth was the person who looked after him? Crouching down, Jimin carefully stretched his arm out, offering his hand to the other and out of fear, Hoseok swatted at him, his nails that had grown too long scrapping Jimin’s skin enough to break it just barely. He swore he heard a small hiss over the sound of the rain hitting the pavement, but this was no time to give up and just leave the boy here. Jimin was too nice of a person to do such a thing, and by the looks of it, this boy needed his help.
“I won’t hurt you… I promise. Look, I’m harmless.” Jimin reassured, placing his grocery bag down to hold his hands up, showing the hybrid that he meant no harm. It seems to work a little, Hoseok leaning in a little curiously, mostly because he wanted to see what was in the bag, and well, Jimin seemed nice enough. But that was the thing… The nice people always turned out to be mean.
Jimin looks over the boy carefully. His dark hair is drenched, covering his equally dark eyes. Eyes that look so… sad. Empty almost, and the fact that this hybrid might be hurting in that way is heart wrenching. He also looks a bit too skinny for his size, at least being a bit taller than Jimin from what he can tell. There should be more meat on his bones. And there’s a scar on his left cheek and bruises on his neck, at a closer glance those dark marks are shaped like fingerprints and it makes Jimin sick to his stomach. Who would dare to hurt such a cute hybrid?
Swallowing hard, Jimin tries once more, holding out his hand towards the other boy and he hisses again but doesn’t swat at him this time, and that’s at least one step closer. And then he has an idea. He bought a lot of snacks at the convenience store and maybe if he offered the hybrid something, it would earn his trust a little more. Jimin shuffles through the plastic bag and pulls out the bag of shrimp snack chips, thinking that, since this is a cat hybrid he’s dealing with, that he’ll definitely–
Oh…
And suddenly, when Hoseok catches sight of what Jimin’s holding, he automatically leans in, pupils growing wide with interest. His tongue swipes over his lips, ears perking forward and gosh… He’s so damn adorable, Jimin thinks. “You’re hungry aren’t you. Do you like these?” Jimin asks, giving a little shake to the bag. “If you come inside with me, you can have some. And you can take a nice hot bath and get warm and I can give you a change of clothes.”
Hoseok hesitantly nods, and although he still looks frightened, he let’s Jimin pet him behind the ear and for once in his life, he trusts those words from a human.
“I’m gonna take care of you, okay?”
So Jimin gathers the bag up and guides the hybrid inside and into his apartment. It’s small, since he lives alone, so it’s really all he needs, and though it’s not the cleanest, it’s warm and cozy and Hoseok feels comfortable inside. Jimin runs a bath for him and while Hoseok bathes, the shorter boy rummages through his wardrobe to try and find something that will fit the hybrid. Turns out that he was just a bit taller as Jimin predicted. He ends up finding a t-shirt and some sweatpants that Taehyung had left over at his place and grabs a pair of boxers, setting them right inside the bathroom door. Afterwards, he puts the groceries away, leaving that bag of shrimp chips out, and fixes the two of them some hot chocolate. It was always Jimin’s favorite on rainy days.
By the time Hoseok comes out, pulling nervously at the clothes Jimin had provided him with, Jimin had made up a comfy nest on the sofa, their cups cooling down on the little table in front of it.
“Ah, there you are. Come here~” Jimin calls quietly, patting the spot beside him.
Hoseok is hesitant, tail swishing behind him, his ears held back nervously as he pads over and settles down by Jimin. If anything, he’s even cuter now, having regained the color in his cheeks and Jimin has to hold back from cooing and trying to pet him.
“I made hot cocoa.” Jimin points down at the steaming mug. “But don’t drink it yet. It’s hot and you’ll hurt your sensitive kitty tongue.” a soft giggle passes his lips as he picks up the bag of chips and opens it, holding it out for Hoseok. “So… do you have a name?”
Before Hoseok even answers, he’s grabbing a handful of chips and shoves it in his face, getting crumbs everywhere and Jimin thinks he really must have been starving before he found him.
“Here, eat all you want. And um, I can cook something else too. I think I have some type of fish in there? I’m not too sure what cat hybrids like…”
“Hosthuk.”
“What?” Jimin blinks at the sound of the others voice, though a bit muffled due to his mouth being full. He’s honestly surprised to hear him speak at all.
The hybrid swallows, licking over his lips and flashing those sharp fangs of his before he repeats himself. “Hoseok… that’s my name.” and what a nice name it is.
“Hoseok~… I like it.” A small grin tugs at Jimin’s lips, and he can’t stop himself from asking.. There’s so many things he wants, and needs to know. “So what were you doing out there by yourself?”
The hybrid curls his tail around himself, gazing down almost sadly into the nearly empty bag of chips. “My master kicked me out… he got mad. Said I was useless and grabbed me by the neck to force me into the rain.” He speaks as if it’s almost nothing, and god, it makes Jimin’s blood fucking boil. So that’s where those bruises had come from…
“Nothing’s going to hurt you anymore. I… I’ll take care of you.” Gosh, what is Jimin thinking? He’d never even had a goldfish let alone a hybrid as a pet. How was he supposed to take care of something he knew nothing about?
But as Hoseok gazes up at him, with sparkling eyes– were those tears?, and reaches with his crumb filled fingers to take Jimin’s hand, nuzzling his nose against it affectionately, Jimin can’t even bring himself to take back those words. Yes. He would take good care of Hoseok, the best he could.
-
A month later, Jimin’s home had become Hoseok’s as well. The hybrid adjusted rather quickly, both to the living arrangement and to Jimin himself. He’d earned himself a pretty royal blue collar, with ‘hobi’ and etched into the tag. For a week, Hoseok refused to take it off, wearing it proudly, and Jimin had to fight with him to at least take it off during baths. Hoseok just pouted the whole time, his ears bent back like a whiney little kitten. Jimin’s only shot at getting Hoseok to forgive him was a little peck on the cheek, sending the hybrid off on a squealing outburst and the orange haired boy had to sit and watch him dash about the tiny apartment until he got all of his excitement out and end up falling asleep curled up to Jimin on the sofa.
Jimin would pet at his head and ears (Hoseok especially liked that.) and Hoseok would purr softly until Jimin brushed his fingers over the hybrids stomach, making him squirm and bite playfully at Jimin’s hand. But it didn’t hurt so Jimin didn’t mind, only leaning over to press his lips to Hoseok’s and the other would melt all over again, forgetting that Jimin had even touched him in such a sensitive area while a low purr rumbled in the back of his throat and he eagerly leaned into it, grabbing at Jimin’s shirt to pull him flush against his body, his tail curling around his human almost possessively.
This was their relationship. It was comfortable and perfect and Jimin fell so in love with the hybrid, secretly thankful for whoever had given Hoseok up before.
“Hoseokkie…” Jimin murmurs, burying his face into the others neck to listen to his purring. “I love you.”
It takes a long moment for Hoseok to answer and for a second Jimin worries that those might not be the words that he should have said, but he didn’t regret them, not at all.
“I love you too…” he finally whispers, turning his head, to catch of glimpse of the other boys face. “My Jiminnie.. thank you for saving me that day.”
Jimin beams brightly, tilting his head up to nudge his nose to Hoseok’s. “I promised I’d take care of you, didn’t I?”
“You promised~..” Hoseok mumbles happily, wrapping his arms tightly around the younger’s waist, capturing those soft lips in a gentle kiss.