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Yoongi left the campus late. His last class of the day ended late, and he had to sort out some things with a friend about a project they were working on together. It was one in the morning, and Yoongi hated this time. As a cat hybrid, people would expect him to be someone who loved the night—and he did—but not when almost all the campus lights were off, making the place increasingly eerie in its absolute silence. To make matters worse, a loud scream of pure pain echoed through the air.
By instinct, Yoongi flinched slightly, his ears turning toward the direction of the sound. Yoongi recognized that sound; as a medical student, he knew it came from an injured hybrid. Worse, someone had hurt them—badly.
He was just a cat hybrid, a small animal. Yoongi had no idea who or how many people were there, hurting that hybrid. He wanted to ignore it; things like this happened all the time, and the news was proof enough that getting involved in others' fights rarely ended well.
Another scream, louder and sharper this time.
What could Yoongi do? How could he walk away knowing a hybrid somewhere in the dark campus was suffering, possibly even... No. Yoongi refused to think about it. He didn’t even consider calling someone—it wouldn’t be quick enough. So he ran. Trying to remember where the sound had come from, he sprinted in that direction. It was on campus, somewhere between the buildings housing the arts classrooms—the most isolated ones. Whoever was doing this knew exactly what they were doing.
Yoongi felt his whole body trembling, but he couldn’t falter. He... he had to save them. That’s why he entered medical school.
Feeling he was close, Yoongi heard another sound. He turned and saw them. Three hybrids of different species—a lion, a walrus, and a wolf. Three hybrids with big, sharp teeth. Lucky him.
His gaze fell at the sound of another desperate scream. An owl—it was a hybrid. Yoongi was sure, even though they were in their animal form. The owl was held in the wolf’s hands while the lion laughed, and the walrus stretched its wings, pulling and ripping out feathers.
"Let them go!"
The three laughed at him.
"And what are you going to do, huh? Scare us with those tiny claws and teeth of yours?"
Maybe Yoongi should’ve thought this through better. No matter, because that brief moment of distraction from the three was enough for the owl to bite the wolf’s hand and scratch wherever they could.
“Shit!” The wolf let go, blood dripping from their hand.
The walrus tried to grab the owl while cursing the wolf. Walruses are naturally slow; that’s one disadvantage of being a hybrid of one. The owl attempted to fly away but couldn’t lift off the ground—their wings were too damaged. The lion growled, and before they could lunge at the owl, Yoongi placed himself between them and used his claws. He might be a kitten, but his claws were sharp.
Still, Yoongi knew he was just a cat. No matter that male lions couldn’t hunt, walruses were slow, and the wolf was injured. Yoongi understood he needed to flee as fast as possible. If these hybrids decided to attack and kill, it would be over—for him and the owl.
Yoongi turned, spotting the owl a little ahead, running since their wings wouldn’t work. He dashed toward them, scooping them up carefully to avoid scaring or hurting them further, and ran, ran, ran. Yoongi didn’t look back. He didn’t hear footsteps following or growls and hoped he was right because he couldn’t keep running much longer while holding an injured owl trying to break free.
“I can help you, okay? Please stop. It hurts.”
Owls had sharp beaks and claws. Yoongi did his best to hold onto them, despite the scratches and bite marks now covering his hands. Even though it hurt, he held them firmly—he couldn’t leave them injured and alone! Who knew if another hybrid might attack them again?
Hearing Yoongi say it hurt, the owl stopped biting but still tried to free itself, albeit less aggressively.
Yoongi stopped running and took a deep breath. The campus was far away now, and looking back, there was no sign of those three hybrids. Yoongi walked slowly to a park and gently placed the owl on a bench.
“Sorry for grabbing you like that. I was just trying to get you out of there,” Yoongi said, still breathless and trying to steady his breathing. “I don’t think they followed us. Look, I know you’re a hybrid and... I’m a medical student, in my final semester. I can help you if you want.”
Suddenly, the owl flapped its wings and shifted forms, not caring one bit about being in public or the cold at 1 a.m. Instinctively, Yoongi removed his long coat, which almost reached his knees, and wrapped it around the stranger’s body.
“I doubt you’d help,” Yoongi knew that voice. The hybrid finally lifted their head after transforming. “If you knew it was me.”
“Jimin.”
“Yoongi. Thanks for... well, a bit more, and they would’ve ripped my wings off.”
“What...?!”
“Surprised I’m not the only one hated at that university? You’re not that special, kitten.” Jimin stood up from the bench. “I should head back. Unlike you, I live in the dorms.”
Jimin turned to leave, but Yoongi, momentarily stunned, didn’t expect the owl hybrid to be Jimin. A thought crossed his mind, and he ran after him, stopping him from walking further.
“You can’t. What if they’re still there? They’ll get you.”
“I’ll manage.”
“Jimin. Your wings…”
“I know. It was stupid to think changing forms would make it easier to escape them. I should’ve stayed human and punched them in the face. That’s what I’ll do if they’re still there.”
“But you’re hurt.”
“So what? As if you care that much. Did you forget we hate each other?! We argue every time we cross paths on campus.”
“Let me help you, Jimin.”
“Why?”
“Because...” It hurts to see you like this. I know your wings are hurting; you’re almost crying from the pain... “Just let me help you. I don’t want anything in return, and I’m not doing this to tease you later. I just want to help. My apartment is right there,” Yoongi pointed to the other side of the street, “I have everything you need to treat your wings. But if you don’t want that, it’s fine, I can walk you to a hospital or your dorm.”
“You really mean it, don’t you?” Jimin observed him closely, looking for any sign that Yoongi might use this help for something later. But there was nothing. Everything about him screamed sincerity. “I really hate hospitals, and maybe you’re right. They might still be there. I can’t let you come with me and risk getting hurt too.”
Yoongi smiled, not minding at all that it was Jimin. Sure, they argued all the time, but Jimin was a nice guy. If they hadn’t developed this dynamic of daily teasing, things might have been very different.
If someone asked how their rivalry began, neither could answer. It just happened, and before they knew it, they both harbored genuine dislike for each other.
What worsened matters was that their social circles were almost the same, leading them to bump into each other more often than they’d like.
When they arrived at Yoongi’s apartment, Jimin sat on the sofa, observing the decor. The living room merged with the kitchen, separated only by a large counter Yoongi likely used as a table too, since there wasn’t one around—just a tiny one in front of the couch.
“I thought your apartment would be bigger and more...”
“Luxurious? Like a clinic? Everyone thinks that about medical students, but I’m not doing medicine for the prestige, you know? And I’m a cat—I prefer smaller spaces.”
“Got it.”
Yoongi rummaged through some drawers in the living room shelf, pulling out everything that seemed necessary to treat the hybrid’s injuries and placing it all on the coffee table. He got up and sighed, realizing something.
“Do you want to stay in your animal form or...?”
“What’s easier for you?”
“In hybrid form, it’s easier to see where you’re hurt, but it might hurt more.”
“No problem. I can handle it.”
“Okay... I’ll grab some clothes for you. It might be uncomfortable to stay like this.”
A few minutes later, Yoongi returned with a pair of boxers he had never used and some gray sweatpants. He turned away to let Jimin dress, and then they both sat on the couch. Jimin faced away from him, stretching one wing for Yoongi to tend to. It hurt Yoongi to see how many feathers were missing; there was some dried blood where they had been plucked, which he cleaned gently. Then, he applied a special ointment designed for such injuries.
A deeper wound near the base of the wings, where blood still trickled, bore teeth marks. Yoongi guessed it was from the wolf.
Carefully, he pressed a small cloth to stop the bleeding while searching for a bandage in the supplies on the table. Tired of the silence and wanting to distract Jimin from the pain, Yoongi decided to talk.
“Why did they do this to you?”
“They lost to me in a game and accused me of cheating with witchcraft. Because owls are always associated with witchcraft, and that’s all their tiny, disgusting minds could come up with to justify attacking me.”
“2024, and they’re still using that argument?! Unreal,” Yoongi said, removing the cloth and seeing that the bleeding had stopped. He applied medication before bandaging the wound. “I thought they only said that about cats.”
“Yeah... I thought so too. But apparently owls are included. It doesn’t even make sense.”
“It kind of does,” Jimin turned slightly to look Yoongi in the eyes, questioning him silently. “We’re way more attractive and intelligent than them. It has to be witchcraft, obviously.”
Jimin laughed at his tone.
“Is it just me, or did Min Yoongi just call me attractive?”
“I said owl hybrids are attractive, not you.”
“But you know I’m—”
Yoongi placed a hand on Jimin’s shoulder, gently turning him back to his original position, but Jimin could see the faint blush spreading across the cat hybrid’s cheeks.
They stay silent for a while as Yoongi finishes the bandage at the base of Jimin's wing.
"You can fold your wing and turn to this side. Let’s see how the other one is."
Before Yoongi can see the other wing, his eyes fall on Jimin’s body, now that they’re facing each other, and he notices a cut on Jimin’s ribs, right where one of his tattoos is. Yoongi repeats the same process there, cleaning the blood that trickled down, cleaning the cut, and applying a bandage. Once he seems satisfied with his work there, Yoongi stands up and changes positions on the couch to sit behind Jimin again.
The second wing seems a little fuller, with fewer plucked feathers. Yoongi repeats the same process as before, carefully cleaning the blood, applying ointment, all while being very gentle to avoid causing pain.
"You know you didn’t have to go through all this trouble, don’t you? They’ll grow back."
"But it’s not natural for them to be plucked. If you don’t take care of it, it might get infected, and it could keep hurting a lot. And it’s not just your wings; you’re hurt here too," Yoongi says, touching Jimin’s back. Besides the bite wound, there are some scratches and cuts, and Yoongi quickly tends to those as well, putting bandages on the ones still bleeding.
"I’ll be fine," Jimin says, glancing at a clock on the wall. "It’s already 3 AM. Thanks for helping me; I think I should go now."
"It’s… late. And cold outside. You can sleep here if you want."
Jimin turns on the couch, facing Yoongi.
"Yoongi. Are you okay? Helping me, and now… You hate me. Why are you doing this?"
"I don’t actually hate you," Yoongi says, standing up, trying to avoid Jimin’s intense gaze. "I’ll let you take the bed. It’s more comfortable for your wings."
Yoongi doesn’t hate him?!
"Stop," Jimin follows him, standing in front of him. "You don’t hate me? Then why all those fights?"
"Instinct, I guess… and teasing you is fun."
"What?!"
"Let’s sleep, Jimin. I’m tired, and so are you. We’ll talk tomorrow," Yoongi says, moving again but only managing a few steps before stopping as Jimin speaks.
"I don’t hate you either."
"Tomorrow, Jimin. It’s late; you’re probably not thinking straight."
Trying to ignore Jimin and how that little phrase might have affected him, Yoongi goes to his room, grabbing a pillow and a blanket. He comes back, shows Jimin where the bathroom is and where his room is, and heads toward the couch. Jimin is still standing in the hallway, unsure of what to do. He definitely should leave.
"I feel bad kicking you out of your bed."
"I’m a cat hybrid. Sleeping anywhere is what I do best."
"Even so… We could just share the bed. It looks big enough for both of us."
"If you push me off, I’ll do the same," Jimin smiles as Yoongi gets up from the couch and heads back to the bedroom. Before following him, Jimin stops by the bathroom. Soon, the two find themselves lying on the bed, backs to each other, both thinking the same thing.
‘He doesn’t hate me.’
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Jimin expected to wake up in many ways: thinking this was just a strange dream, having fallen off the bed, or not seeing Yoongi in the bed anymore because the cat hybrid hated him and wouldn’t sleep next to him, maybe only staying until Jimin fell asleep or something. Or Yoongi wouldn’t be there because he woke up early.
But nothing prepared Jimin for how he woke up.
They were lying facing each other, close, but not close enough to feel the other’s breath on their face. Jimin kept his arms to himself, unlike one of his wings, which had relaxed and was draped over Yoongi. Something soft was wrapped around one of Jimin’s arms. At first, he thought he had tangled himself in the sheet until he noticed it was a white, fluffy cat tail. At least he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t control his hybrid parts.
Suddenly, Yoongi’s breathing changes, and Jimin knows he’s awake. The white tail slowly unwinds from Jimin’s arm as if Yoongi didn’t want to wake him, and maybe that’s exactly it since the hybrid keeps his eyes closed, unsure if Jimin is still asleep. Jimin decides to do the same as Yoongi, gently removing his wing from on top of him...
But for some reason, the blanket Yoongi had last night is entirely pushed down, leaving Yoongi only in his sleepwear—long-sleeved but very thin. The moment Jimin removes his wing, he sees the hybrid shiver from the cold. On instinct, driven by a protective urge, Jimin moves his wing back to cover him without thinking.
And that’s when Yoongi opens his eyes.
"I can’t tell if this is worse than you pushing me off the bed."
"It’s just instincts," Jimin says, slowly lowering his hand to grab the blanket and cover Yoongi with it before properly retracting his wing, just to ensure the hybrid wouldn’t feel cold. "And you’re the one who brought me here, remember?"
"Yeah… How are your wings?"
"They don’t hurt anymore. I just… feel like something’s missing. When feathers molt, they’re replaced quickly, so I don’t feel it, but having them plucked is… bad, and it takes longer for them to grow back. Imagine if someone pulled out your nails. They’re everything to cat hybrids, aren’t they?"
"They are. I feel vulnerable without them. Like I’m unprotected."
"It’s similar to what I feel about wings."
The two shared a complicit smile. At that moment, lying in bed and sharing things they didn’t usually open up about—even with other hybrids—they weren’t Yoongi and Jimin, who bickered and teased each other over every little thing. No, they were just Yoongi and Jimin: a hybrid helping another and, perhaps, just maybe, something more brewing between them that neither imagined.
"I know we…," Yoongi begins, looking everywhere in the room except at Jimin, "we’re supposed to hate each other and all, but if you want, I can lend you some clothes so you can take a shower, and I’ll shower too. Then I can check your injuries again to reapply the bandages, and we can have breakfast. I mean, only if you want. This all feels weird anyway. Who would’ve thought we’d end up here… crap this—"
Jimin notices Yoongi’s white tail swaying back and forth outside the blanket. He almost feels like grabbing it, as if that would ease all the agitation and anxiety Yoongi seems to have.
"Yoongi," Jimin manages to catch his eyes, even if only for a moment, "that sounds nice. I like the idea of having breakfast with you."
"Okay," the cat hybrid says, standing up. Jimin watches him, noticing how the tail coils around one of Yoongi’s legs as he walks. Maybe it’s a habit of his—coiling, as if it feels safe. Yoongi grabs some clothes and leaves them on the bed, then picks up others and heads to the door. "I’ll shower first. Oh, I… don’t have shirts suitable for hybrids with wings. Would you mind going without, or should I sacrifice one of mine for you?"
"That sounds like a great excuse to keep seeing me shirtless," Jimin teases, amused at the pinkish hue on Yoongi’s face. "I’d rather not wear one if that’s okay with you. It’s really uncomfortable."
Even though people nowadays already make shirts designed for creatures with wings, Jimin still hates wearing them. When he was a kid, he was forced to keep his wings pinned under fabric—those were times when hybrids weren’t well regarded, especially those with wings. Jimin never understood why. Bird hybrids weren’t the real threat when venomous animal hybrids existed. Either way, Jimin hated shirts, whether they had space for wings or not.
While Yoongi went to shower, he found himself thinking about what Jimin had said, “It’s annoying as hell.” It reminded him of when he also used to hide his hybrid traits—it was the exact same feeling. Yoongi was lucky that his tail and ears weren’t as bothersome as wings.
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
Jimin hadn’t realized how much he needed a shower until he took one. The downside was that, since Yoongi was going to check his injuries, it would be better for Jimin to clean his wings too. Not that Jimin disliked cleaning them—it was just that cleaning wings was often a complicated process. Cleaning them wasn’t the issue, as Jimin was used to it; the problem was how much water his wings absorbed. Jimin didn’t want to end up soaking Yoongi’s apartment. He spent more time trying to dry his wings than actually showering, and even then… Jimin felt he needed to be honest about it.
“Believe me, Jimin. Getting the apartment a little wet is the least of my problems. Forgot I have cat fur everywhere? And my tail doesn’t dry properly either,” Yoongi said, swishing his tail once to demonstrate. A small trail of water droplets formed on the floor. “Only a hairdryer works, and using it is horrible.”
“I almost burned my feathers using one.”
“Same with my tail. Come here, sit on one of the stools.”
The counter was divided: one side with food for breakfast, and the other with the supplies Yoongi had used to tend to Jimin’s injuries the night before.
“I should change your bandages now, you can eat while I do it.”
“They’ll last a few more minutes” Jimin said, grabbing Yoongi by the wrist and pulling him toward one of the stools.
And so, they had breakfast together. No fights, no teasing. When they ate together with their circle of friends, Jimin and Yoongi always sat as far apart as possible, which, according to their friends, only made things worse because their teasing would interrupt everyone else’s conversations.
“Last night, remember when I said I didn’t hate you, and you thought I wasn’t thinking straight because it was late? I still don’t hate you, Yoongi. No matter how pissed off I get during our fights, it’s not… exactly hatred that I feel.”
“I think we’re both idiots.”
“We’ll never admit that to our friends, right?”
“Absolutely not.”
Yoongi said it so seriously that it was impossible for both of them not to burst out laughing afterward.
Neither of them had imagined they could get along so well without provoking each other. The energy between them felt so light it was almost strange. They kept talking about trivial things as they finished breakfast, put things away, and washed the dishes.
Back on the stools, Yoongi tended to each of Jimin’s wounds with the same care as the night before.
“I really should go now,” Jimin said for the first time when he noticed Yoongi packing up the supplies.
“If you stay any longer, people might think I kidnapped you or something.”
“Probably.”
With everything that had happened, Jimin’s bag—with his phone and other belongings—had ended up back where those hybrids had attacked him. He had quickly hidden it behind a bush, intending to shift into his animal form, grab the bag with his talons, and fly away, but there hadn’t been time.
Without his phone, Jimin couldn’t let his roommate and best friend, Hoseok, know he was okay. Jimin knew he could have asked Yoongi to do it, but at some point in their conversation, they agreed not to tell their friends what had happened. They both knew their friends would tease them about it for the rest of their lives.
Especially Yoongi.
They’d think what Jimin had initially thought about him: that Yoongi had only helped to boast about it later. But that wasn’t true.
Yoongi wanted the focus of what happened to stay on Jimin—Jimin needed his friends’ attention and care now that his wings were featherless. Yoongi didn’t want to create opportunities for teasing while Jimin wasn’t well. The cat hybrid had never been close to Jimin, but he had been there when Jimin went through his rough patch, with rock-bottom self-esteem and self-deprecating comments. Yoongi feared that Jimin might spiral back into that now that his wings were missing feathers and there was a scar cutting through one of his tattoos.
Even though he needed to leave, Jimin didn’t move.
“Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm? Just in case they’re still around.”
“Cute. But I’ll be fine—they wouldn’t do anything during the day. There are people around.”
Jimin got up, and the two of them headed to the door, unsure of how to say goodbye. This was all still so strange.
“Thanks for everything. See you around, kitty.”
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
“Our friends won’t tease us if we don’t tell them.”
It turns out their friends noticed Yoongi and Jimin acting differently toward each other. By Monday, everyone wanted to know what had happened to Jimin, and the rest of the week followed with people asking how he was before quickly moving on to other topics during lunch.
Yoongi had never been much of a talker, but everyone noticed he seemed quieter than usual. On top of that, Yoongi and Jimin weren’t fighting as often—at most, there was an occasional tease here and there.
“Is it just me,” Jungkook whispered to Namjoon during one lunch, “or is Yoongi hyung always looking at Jimin?”
“He is. Maybe he’s just worried about him because of what happened.”
“My theory,” Taehyung, seated next to Namjoon, chimed in after overhearing their conversation, “is that hyung has fallen for Jimin’s charms.”
The other two looked at him as if he had gone insane. Yoongi, in love with Jimin? No way…
“Could be.”
“What? Namjoon, that doesn’t make sense.”
“They’re not even fighting anymore, and have you noticed when they tease each other? They’re almost always smiling.”
As if on cue, they all sat upright and noticed something real in what Namjoon had said.
That’s when they realized Yoongi and Jimin had disappeared.
“Where’d they go?”
“No idea,” Seokjin said, more interested in his food than worrying about them. However, the others caught a small smile on his lips. “I heard Jimin complaining about pain, and the next second, Yoongi grabbed him by the wrist, and they left.”
“WHAT?!”
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
Yoongi hadn’t fully thought through what he was doing; he only knew that he heard Jimin complaining about pain, and soon the two were heading out. Yoongi's apartment was close enough for them to stop by quickly and return in time for their next classes.
"You really didn’t have to do this just because I’m in pain."
"Jimin-ah. You yourself said you can tolerate pain, so if you’re complaining, it must be really bad. I have something that might help, just… let me ease your pain."
Those words, spoken with his concerned tone, were enough to stir the owl hybrid. Jimin sat on the stools by the counter, watching as Yoongi rummaged through the kitchen for something.
"Where does it hurt?"
"Everywhere." Jimin’s wings felt heavy, his entire body seemed to be unraveling, and the sharp stabs in his cuts felt as though he was being hurt by those guys over and over again in an endless loop.
But he didn’t want to share every detail with Yoongi—he didn’t want to worry him even more. Jimin noticed how agitated the other hybrid was, grabbing things from the cupboards, doing something Jimin didn’t fully understand as Yoongi’s tail swished back and forth.
A few minutes later, Yoongi handed him a cup.
"Tea?!"
"Tea. There are a lot of herbs in this world that help with pain, even if you don’t believe it. Plus, I added some medicine you won’t even taste, just to make sure the pain really goes away."
"Wow. Thanks, hyung."
They stayed silent for a while, Yoongi letting Jimin enjoy the tea and relax.
While Jimin drank, Yoongi put away the herb bags he used and poured the rest of the tea into a disposable bottle.
"For you to take and drink every time you feel pain."
"Hyung…"
"We should head back. You have class in fifteen minutes."
Jimin knew Yoongi had cut him off on purpose to avoid saying anything too sappy or embarrassing—he knew because Yoongi wasn’t looking him in the eye. The worst part was, Yoongi was right. How Yoongi memorized Jimin’s schedule was something else Jimin didn’t want to think too hard about. It meant Yoongi paid attention when Jimin talked during their group lunches.
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
When Jimin arrived at the lunch table his friends usually gathered at a few days later, he knew from the way they were laughing that the topic was somehow tied to him. He could tell just by how Yoongi was rolling his eyes at the corner of the table.
Unlike other days, Jimin decided to sit directly across from Yoongi. No one said anything about it, but it was clear they noticed.
"Jimin-ah, thank goodness you’re here!" Hoseok exclaimed enthusiastically, and Jimin couldn’t help but smile in response to his energy. "We’re talking about one of Twitter’s trending topics."
"'Owls are just cats with wings.'"
Everyone in their friend group was a hybrid of a different animal. Jungkook was a rabbit, Taehyung a tiger, Hoseok an otter, Namjoon a koala, and Seokjin a fox. That’s why they were so excited that Jimin, their only owl hybrid, had arrived.
"What makes people think that?"
"Oh, you know, your instincts are similar."
"My God. That’s why Jimin and Yoongi hyung argue all the time!"
"Cats and owls love the night. Both have sharp claws, are always alert, and have sensitive hearing. Plus, they don’t see well in the dark."
"Hold on," Taehyung, who had been quiet so far, came up with something entertaining. "What if we give catnip to an owl? What happens then?"
"Catnip doesn’t work on hybrids."
"Have you tested it, Yoongi hyung?" The hybrid nodded, leaving Jungkook disappointed by the answer.
"Just because it doesn’t work on you doesn’t mean it won’t work on others."
"Good point, Jin." Taehyung high-fived him, while Yoongi rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day. "Should we test it on Jiminie? If it works, it’s more proof you’re a cat with wings."
"Alright."
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
Everyone agreed that, in case it had any effect, it would be better to gather at someone’s home, where there wouldn’t be any problems. Honestly, Jimin wasn’t convinced it would have any effect, but at least it was turning into a good excuse for a night of drinking and trying out that little packet of catnip.
Deciding whose house to go to was easy. Jimin and Hoseok shared a dorm, as did Jungkook and Taehyung. Dorms were too cramped for this sort of thing, leaving Seokjin’s apartment as the obvious choice. It was the only one large enough to fit everyone and all the drinks they had bought. The only downside was the distance from campus. But that just gave them an excuse to stay the night since it would be tricky to return to the dorms afterward.
With Jimin and Yoongi constantly bickering, their group didn’t hang out like this very often. Sometimes it got unbearable having the two in the same space. Luckily, things had been different between them since Jimin’s incident.
Yoongi was happy to see Jimin doing well. He had been genuinely worried about Jimin’s low self-esteem. It was good to see Jimin seeming unbothered by the missing feathers on his wings, and the pain had subsided. Still, Yoongi made it a point to bring him tea every now and then.
Even when he knew Jimin and their other friends were busy drinking, Yoongi brought tea. Because a few hours earlier, Jimin had complained of pain.
When he arrived at Kim’s house for their drinking night, Seokjin opened the door, mentioning that he was doing something in the kitchen with Hoseok and that the others hadn’t arrived yet. The cat hybrid saw a perfect opportunity when he noticed Jimin scrolling through his phone on the couch.
"I brought tea for you. Even though alcohol is also great for taking away pain." Yoongi hands the bottle to the youngest.
"Nah. That stuff just gives me a headache. Thanks, hyung, I don't know what kind of magic you do, but these teas work like crazy."
Yoongi smiles and sits on the couch next to him.
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
"What if we all tried catnip, just to see what happens."
"Probably nothing's going to happen, Tae."
The truth is, Yoongi had never tried catnip. He might be someone who enjoys natural teas and works with herbs, but catnip for cats? It seemed questionable enough for Yoongi to never want to try it.
"Could be fun. Even if nothing happens."
Yoongi wants to kill all of them when they agree with what Jungkook said.
Soon, all seven of them are gathered in the living room. Jimin, Yoongi, Seokjin, and Hoseok on the couch, while the others sit on the floor. To see if it really has any effect, they decide to drink the beverages later, since alcohol would definitely have an effect.
"In kitten videos, the effect seems immediate."
"You guys forget we're not cats, right?"
"Owls are just cats with wings, remember Jimin? And Yoongi hyung is still a cat, maybe it'll do something to him."
They all sniff the catnip a few times. They even eat it, which is supposedly safe according to the internet. However, nothing happens.
"I think it would have been more fun if we had just tried marijuana or any drug. Namjoon-ah, you do acting courses, don't you have any stoner friends in your class to give us the dealer's contact?"
"Taehyung or Jungkookie are more likely to get it, the film crew is way more into drugs."
"Look at the stereotype with us. That's ugly."
Namjoon, Hoseok, and Taehyung get into a discussion about which course has more stoners. Seokjin just laughs at them, until he decides to ask Jungkook to bring the drinks to the living room, since apparently, catnip is too weak to have any effect on hybrids.
No one notices the silence of the two hybrids sitting side by side on the couch. Or how they seem to be closer than before, one of Jimin's wings wrapped around Yoongi's body, while Yoongi's tail is wrapped around Jimin's arm. Yoongi doesn't want to admit it, but he feels strange, his heart racing, a desire to shift into his cat form and eat the entire pot of catnip left on the table.
And maybe, just maybe, Jimin is feeling something similar.
They aren't sure when or how it happens, they just know that almost unconsciously, they were holding each other back from NOT doing it, because it's something so embarrassing to do in front of their friends, even though they are their best friends, who have been family for so long. It’s still so embarrassing, but they can’t hold back their instincts.
Seokjin and Jungkook come back just as the two shift at the same time and jump onto the coffee table where the pot of catnip is.
"I can’t believe it," Taehyung says, seeing the two trying unsuccessfully to open the pot. He opens it for them.
Yoongi immediately shoves his snout into the pot, wanting to eat the catnip as if he hadn't eaten anything in years. At some point, he bumps the pot and knocks catnip all over the table, and that’s when the friends see the funniest thing, the confirmation that owls ARE really just cats with wings. Jimin, in his animal form, lies on top of the catnip with his wings spread out and relaxed under the table while eating the catnip he can reach.
"Someone take their pot away."
"Oh, why, Jin hyung? Let them have fun."
"They’ll get sick if they eat all that catnip. There’s already plenty spilled on the table."
Taehyung does as requested, having fun in the process when Yoongi tries to grab his pot back.
The next two hours pass with the room filled with laughter, conversations, and drinks. Even though they missed Yoongi and Jimin in the conversation, it was still so cute to see them in their animal forms with all that cat herb around and inside them.
Jimin stays lying for most of the time, watching his friends, and especially Yoongi, Yoongi eating the catnip, Yoongi rubbing his body and rolling over the catnip. Yoongi suddenly rubs his face more gently against Jimin and starts licking the owl. Lick, lick, lick. Jimin almost falls asleep with the affection when out of nowhere Yoongi seems about to bite him.
Following their instincts, Jimin doesn’t stay still, standing up. Yoongi tries to hit him, and Jimin does the same with his wing.
The youngest hybrid in the group, Jungkook, is the first to notice them.
"Guys. I think we better separate these two."
Everyone looks at once. Yoongi seems ready to attack again, with one white paw raised, while Jimin has his wings spread.
Before either of them does anything, Yoongi jumps on Jimin, and they fall to the floor. Yoongi thinks he's in control of something, on top of Jimin, one paw on each wing. Until, for a second of consciousness in the middle of all the catnip fog, Yoongi remembers that Jimin still hasn’t recovered from his injuries. Most of them are healed, but the rib and wing base injuries still bleed if Jimin makes any sudden movements, and Jimin’s feathers are still growing, too small for him to fly.
Jimin takes advantage of Yoongi looking distracted and wraps his wings around him, holding him tight enough that Yoongi can’t escape. Not that the hybrid would try. The aggressive tendency fades, and the cat starts rubbing his head against Jimin again, looking agitated while doing so, so Jimin continues keeping his wings around him.
None of the friends know what to do.
They watch the entire interaction, scared that one of them might actually hurt the other. Seokjin is the only one who approaches them. Fearing they might fight again, Seokjin takes advantage of the fact that they seem calmer and tries to get Yoongi out of Jimin’s hold, but Jimin just adjusts his wings tighter, not wanting Seokjin to take Yoongi away from him.
"Jimin."
The owl moves his head from side to side. No.
"Maybe it’s better to leave them like this," Namjoon says, scaring everyone with his words. "They’re not going to kill each other, and soon the catnip effect will wear off."
And sure enough, minutes later, Jimin lets go of Yoongi. They both run to the rooms, soon returning in their human forms and dressed.
" 'Oh, because catnip doesn’t work on hybrids.' "
"Shut up, Tae," Yoongi says, not in the mood while he and Jimin collect their clothes and accessories that had fallen on the couch where they had changed forms before, "and we were in animal form, the effect didn’t exactly work on hybrids."
"Then why did you change forms? If it had no effect, you didn’t have to shift."
Yoongi rolls his eyes, heading to put his things in his backpack. Jimin laughs, taking the opportunity while Yoongi leaves to confirm that they shifted because of the catnip.
The rest of the night goes on the same way, with loud drinks and laughter that may or may not make a neighbor come knock on their door to tell them to quiet down or complain directly to the police, though that’s not going to stop them in any way.
After several, several drinks, Jungkook is barely making sense, in a half-sleep state, Hoseok has been staring into space in complete silence for five minutes, and Yoongi fell asleep with his body resting on Jimin, who, despite what happened, stayed sitting next to him. In other occasions, Yoongi would be one of the last to fall asleep, never affected by alcohol. His friends found this strange until someone commented that catnip could also make someone sleepy.
Namjoon, Seokjin, Jimin, and Taehyung continue chatting, with Taehyung being the only one still full of energy. If it were up to him, he'd stay up all night, but Seokjin is already wanting to clean up the mess in the living room.
"Need help, hyung?"
"Jungkook’s almost falling asleep next to you, Joon, take him to the room. Tae and Jimin can help me."
"Hobi too," Taehyung says, ignoring whatever state Hoseok is in as he continues staring into space. He shakes him, annoys him, tickles him, and soon Hoseok is sober again.
"Where have you been?"
Hoseok flips him off, then gets up to help Seokjin collect the empty bottles. Taehyung helps him too, while Namjoon and Jungkook head to one of the guest rooms.
"Jin hyung," Seokjin stops what he’s doing to listen to Jimin, "I’ll take Yoongi to the room."
It might seem strange, this interaction between them, when their friends are so used to seeing them fight and not like this. However, without questioning anything, Seokjin just gestures for him to go.
Jimin looks at Yoongi and calls him, just to make sure he’s asleep, and then, with all the care Jimin has, he picks Yoongi up and takes him to one of the rooms.
Normally, when they sleep at Seokjin’s house, Jungkook and Namjoon always sleep together because they’re dating, Taehyung, Hoseok, and Jimin share a room because they’re the ones who stay up later. Yoongi usually sleeps with Seokjin because the two like to sleep early. But in the last few months, Seokjin and Hoseok had been getting together. And the real reason Yoongi sleeps with Seokjin was to avoid fights with Jimin, but since they no longer seemed to be fighting, there was no longer any problem with them being in the same room.
The owl hybrid thinks about going back to help his friends clean up, but they’ll be fine. Jimin takes some time to sit there, next to Yoongi, watching him, his handsome face, the way his ears twitch at any loud sound from the kitchen.
"You like him, don’t you?" Jimin was so focused on Yoongi that he didn’t even hear the door open.
"Maybe... he’s nice when he’s not fighting with me."
"Want to sleep in the bed with him? I can sleep on the mattress, it’s fine."
"If there’s no problem, Tae..."
"It’s actually better, you know how hyung is about cuddling while sleeping, and I always end up hugging whoever’s next to me."
Some time later, already ready to sleep, Jimin still spends a few more minutes watching over Yoongi’s peaceful sleep. Owl things, he’d say. It’s just instincts. Until he too falls asleep.
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
Somehow, the two end up even closer to each other than the last time they shared a bed. Jimin still keeps his arms and legs with him, but the wing ended up over Yoongi again, just like Yoongi’s tail also wrapped around one of Jimin’s arms. Their proximity is so much that Jimin can feel Yoongi’s soft breath on his face. It feels too intimate. Jimin tries to move away, removing the wing from the hybrid, thinking that he should probably get up since he hears noises in the kitchen and voices, meaning some of them have already woken up.
But when Jimin tries to get up, he remembers the tail wrapped around his arm. There's no way he can get loose without waking Yoongi.
He really doesn’t want to wake Yoongi.
Maybe if he’s careful... Jimin uses his free hand, the one not held by the tail, to touch it, constantly watching Yoongi’s face, waiting for any reaction. Slowly, Jimin tries to unwind the tail, but he can barely do anything before he feels Yoongi’s hand on his and the tail returning to the way it was before.
Yoongi’s breathing remains the same. He didn’t wake up. That’s what Jimin thinks.
Suddenly, Jimin sees Yoongi’s ear twitch as if he heard something, and then he lets go of Jimin and turns to the other side of the bed.
At that moment, the door opens. Jungkook enters excitedly, greeting them and throwing himself on top of Taehyung, who had only just been sleeping a second ago on the mattress.
Jimin is sure he hears Yoongi respond to the greeting. So he’s awake? How long has Yoongi been awake? Was Yoongi aware of his tail wrapped around Jimin? And didn’t he remove it? Jimin doesn’t want to think too much about it.
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
Days go by, and Jimin still can’t understand what happened that morning. Maybe Yoongi wasn’t even that aware of what he was doing. That was the most... reasonable explanation. Thinking of another reason just drives Jimin crazy.
The friends are gathered at one of the tables during lunch when Jimin arrives in owl form, flying. He drops his backpack on the bench and lands right in the middle of the table, spreading his wings as he takes a little spin to show off his beautiful grown feathers. Jimin was so excited to finally have them back, to finally be able to fly again, that he needed to show his friends, who had worried about him, and oh, he wanted to show Yoongi.
If it weren’t for Yoongi’s care, it would have taken him much longer to recover.
Jimin hears the excited shouts of his friends and nods up and down to show his excitement to them too. He takes another spin with his wings open, looking at all of them until he sees Yoongi. Yoongi is smiling at him. Smiling with that beautiful smile of his. Jimin likes to think that Yoongi only smiles like that at him.
His smile almost makes Jimin forget everything else, almost, until he flies, grabs his backpack from the bench, and flies off to the nearest bathroom.
“You guys don’t know how good it is to be back,” is the first thing he says when he reaches the table, now in his human form.
“The way you say it makes it sound like you’ve been gone for weeks, but you just...”
“Silence, Jungkook. You understood what I meant.”
Jimin takes advantage of the fact that his friends soon start talking about other things, and he gets closer to Yoongi, whispering to him.
“I want to talk to you.”
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
The only thing Jimin’s friends knew about what happened to him was that those stupid hybrids hurt him, and he ran away. Neither of them wanted to talk about Yoongi’s help because that would lead to endless teasing from their friends. That’s why Jimin calls him to walk around the campus while they talk.
The two end up in a more secluded area of the campus, there’s no one around, most people are in class at this time or at home. They sit on the grass, enjoying the shade of a tree.
“I wanted to thank you again for taking care of me. Not just that night, but all the other days, the pain teas, and the way you look at me, taking care from afar. Or do you think I didn’t notice?”
“I just... needed to make sure you’re okay, and since we’re not really friends, I didn’t...”
Yoongi seems anxious, his tail swaying is an obvious sign of that for Jimin.
“It would be strange, maybe, wanting to talk to you.”
“But you don’t hate me, and I don’t hate you, right?” Jimin saw Yoongi’s eyes widen a little, almost as if he had forgotten. “There’s no reason for us not to be friends.”
“Yeah…” His voice tone seemed sad, and Jimin couldn’t understand why. “Can I see your wings?”
There was no way he would deny Yoongi such a request.
Jimin turns his back and opens his wings so the older can see them up close. Not wanting to seem arrogant, but Jimin thinks his wings look even more beautiful with the new feathers grown.
“Can I touch them?” Jimin nods, barely feeling Yoongi’s fingers on the feathers, so careful not to hurt him. “And your other injuries? The one at the base of your wing?”
“The scratches are gone already. The one at the base of the wing left a small scar.”
“And the...” Yoongi wants to ask, but a cut right on top of the tattoo Yoongi knows is Jimin’s favorite might just make him sad even by mentioning it.
“It looks like someone scratched the 'nevermind,' like I don’t agree with that phrase anymore.”
“You should have been more careful to avoid that.”
“You did what you could. The cut was pretty bad; it was a miracle it didn’t ruin the tattoo’s shape.”
“Yeah, but...”
Jimin turns to face him and hugs him, silencing Yoongi with such a sudden act. Yoongi freezes for a few seconds, then lets himself go, resting his head on Jimin’s shoulder and hugging him back.
“It’s okay.”
If Yoongi knew how good Jimin’s hug felt, being close to him, Yoongi wouldn’t have fought so much. Maybe they could have been friends from the start, maybe Yoongi could have been close to him and received hugs like this all the time, like he sees his friends receiving. Having Jimin so close to him strangely calms him, but he still feels anxious about how the scar looks.
“Can I... see it?”
The hug is broken, and Yoongi almost regrets what he said. Jimin pulls away to lift his shirt and show how the scar turned out. Exactly as he said, like a scratch on top of the tattoo, luckily it’s almost the same skin tone as Jimin’s, but it still hurts Yoongi just to see it. Yoongi can’t control his movements, and when he realizes it, his hand touches the scar.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not physically.”
“Jimin—” If Yoongi studies medicine, it’s to take care of and prevent scars from being so visible, and he failed, failed with Jimin. Of all people, he failed with the one person he shouldn’t have. Jimin trusted him, and he—
“I can hear your thoughts from here, Yoongi.”
The cat hybrid jumps, looking into Jimin’s eyes, eyes so intense, damn it, Yoongi forgot that owls are smart and have all their senses sharper. Yoongi doesn’t doubt Jimin might have heard and even seen his thoughts so clearly...
One moment Yoongi is about to panic, and the next, Jimin’s hands are on his face, and Jimin’s lips are on his. Yoongi only knows that he quickly reciprocates, pulling Jimin closer, while Jimin deepens the kiss with an anxiety only an owl hybrid would have.
They would have continued kissing like that if it weren’t for the fact that they were on campus, and certainly no one wants to see an owl devouring a cat at this time of day.
“Remember what I said earlier? ‘There’s no reason for us not to be friends.’ I have a reason now.”
Yoongi smiles incredulously at what he says. Yoongi can’t believe how quickly their relationship has changed, how attached he’s become to Jimin in such a short time, always wanting more, anything, any interaction, and now he’s had a hug and a kiss, and damn it, Yoongi wants this every day.
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
The first time they sleep in the same bed as boyfriends is not surprising at all. The two are so tangled up in each other, wings, tail, legs, and arms, that no one knows who is who anymore.
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
Their friends keep bringing up the topic of how owls and cats are the same creature, the only difference is the wings. Maybe they’re not wrong; after all, Jimin and Yoongi worked out because of who they are. Similar instincts.
“I can’t believe they’re actually dating.”
“The worst part is us not knowing how it happened.”
“I think it was that catnip thing,” Taehyung still laughs when he remembers that day.
“They were already acting different with each other before that.”
“It was that time,” the owl hybrid finally decides to end all of his friends’ curiosity when he hears them talking about it for the thousandth time that week. “When some stupid hybrids hurt me, Yoongi took care of my wounds.”
“YOONGI DID WHAT?”
₊˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ☆ ˚ ⊹ ⁺˳ ˖
THE END