Chapter Text
Days like these made her wonder if she was lonely. Jamie was currently staring at her phone, a hot coco in hand, as the rain poured outside her window. The room was dark, save for the slight light outside and the orange pumpkin fairy lights she had on. Her phone was off and laying on the bed, her eyes stuck on it in case one of her friends texted her back. She asked both of them if they could hang out soon, and she was really hoping they could make time for her. They were best friends, but they had boyfriends and lives she was scared she didn't fit into anymore, which is why she was staring at her phone and praying they could make any sort of plans.
When the phone finally vibrated, she nearly dropped her mug as she tried to pick up her phone with haste that wasnt warranted. She opened it, and all of her hope fell as her friends' names popped up in her notifications. Both of them were too busy in the foreseeable future to make plans.
She's never felt so lonely in her life.
The goth decided she needed to get off her phone for the night. She powered it down and set it aside before slowly slipping off her bed and putting on her house slippers. She walked out of her room and into the kitchen, dumping out the coco and watching as it went down the drain. She had no desire to drink it anymore.
After rinsing out the cup and setting it aside, she grabbed her keys and umbrella. Perhaps the cold rain could bring her mind back into focus. Maybe it could take her out of the slump that has hit her. She kissed the top of her cat's head before heading out for a walk. She then locked up her quiet and still apartment.
—
“Oh, it's raining way more than I thought it was,” jamie muttered to herself as she fiddled with her open umbrella, making sure it was keeping her dry. She started her walk down the sidewalk, looking around at anything of interest. Storefronts, people chatting, even the animals. Really, anything she could gaze upon and distract herself. She let herself take in the world around her, her ears picking up conversations and the pitter-patter of rain.
She felt a little better, being out of the house. Her apartment was way too big for just her, and it was starting to drive her insane. What did she need three rooms for if it's just her? It was too much, but at least her rent was cheaper than anything else she could find in town since her aunt owned the place.
Jamie took a deep breath to get out of her own head. She looked at the cars that passed, taking in the sound of the wheels running through the puddles that had started to form in the road. She smiled softly, but that smile fell when she felt herself land on the pavement of the sidewalk below with a sharp thud and pain in her left side.
“I am so sorry!!” a man said as he moved to help her stand before she got even more drenched than she had started to become. Jamie instinctively put the umbrella over both of them as she got to her feet, her glasses covered in water now, rendering her unable to see. “I ran into you, didn't I?” jamie asked him, her hand on his arm since he helped her up. “I really need to pay more attention.” With her free hand, she took off her glasses and finally saw him without water droplets in the way. Her breath hitched as she took in his face and his wolf ears. This was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen, and she embarrassed herself by bumping and tripping over him. She put her glasses into her jacket pocket as he smiled at her. “It's fine, I wasn't either. I was making sure the shop looked good…” his dimples were completely distracting her. Had he just been standing in the middle of the sidewalk? Wow, she honestly wasnt paying attention. She felt even more guilty, but put on a smile anyway.
Looking at the shop next to them, she noticed it was the building that had been empty for ages because it was too oddly shaped for most franchises or regular stores. She hadn't noticed that it had been bought out. “You run it?” she looked back at the wolf hybrid.
He smiled brightly at the question, so much so that his tail started to wag. “Yeah! It's a shelter for hybrids, run completely by hybrids. It's a passion of mine, and I need it to be perfect,” he spoke as he stared at the window to make sure the stickered letters weren't out of place in any way.
Jamie looked at the shelter, humming softly. Stray kids? She smiled a bit at the name. Even though it was confusing to her, it was still pretty cute. “What does the name mean?” the goth asked him as she looked at him. She watched as his wolf ears twitched and his neck turned red. “I think of the hybrids as my kids, and theyre strays so… stray kids.” Jamie couldn't help but burst into laughter. It was such a hilarious name that it would definitely draw attention to itself and bring in business. “Oh, it's perfect. Truly perfect.”
The wolf hybrid giggled. “Really? It's not too silly?” jamie shook her head no. “It's perfect! Itll draw attention to itself from the name alone. Plus, it treats the hybrids less as pets, like most shelters.” She adjusted the umbrella as the rain shifted. “Is it open yet?” jamie never wanted to own a hybrid. She found the idea of having a hybrid pet odd, especially since they're part human. However, this hybrid was clearly very passionate about his work, and not many hybrids got the chance to do this, so why not look around? The man instantly dragged her into the shelter. “It's opening in a few days, but it's not illegal to allow you to adopt today!” he smiled brightly as he opened the door and took her inside.
The main area was cute, with a black, red, and white theme. There was a waiting area, a receptionist desk, and a wall of photos. It was decently small, but big enough to fit people and even some larger hybrids if needed. “These are all of the hybrids I'm housing right now,” the hybrid spoke softly to her as she looked at the pinboard. Under a name were two photos, a human form and an animal form. There were five hybrids in total. Her eyes instantly landed on the golden retriever, Seungmin. His smile in both human and dog form, how sweet yet mischievous he looked. She wasn't a dog person, but he was already changing her mind on that.
The male's tail wagged more when she saw him stare at the photo of Seungmin. “You interested in him?” the Aussie asked her softly, watching her facial expressions as she answered. “I'm definitely intrigued.” jamie smiled, still looking at the photo.
“I'll tell you more about him then!”
Soon enough, jamie was sitting in Chan's office, a book in hand. (She finally learned the poor man's name when she noticed the degree on his wall. He had gone into music, business, and hybrid care. Impressive for a hybrid to go to college and graduate from it, but she didn't dwell much on it). The book she held was small, containing Seungmin's basic information and some photos. He's been through five families, and each time they've taken him back to the shelter. Chan had to take Seungmin in when he found him left in an alleyway after his fifth family, who didn't bother to take him to a shelter. Jamie felt her heart ache for him. He probably has issues with intimacy and longevity, which she understood completely. Jamie looked up at Chan after reading through the book. He smiled at jamie. “He's not the worst case I have. Just standoffish and guarded.” jamie nodded slowly, looking back down at the photos of the dog hybrid. He seemed really cute, all things considered. He was older than her, though, which may be strange for a while if she did adopt him. She looked up at Chan, her mind made up. “Can you set up an appointment so I can meet him? After the shelter is officially open?”
Chan smiled brightly and instantly set up a time for her to come in. “Of course! God, I really hope it works out with you two. He needs a good home.” jamie smiled softly at how excited Chan seemed. She didn't even intend to adopt a hybrid today, or really ever, but this wolf really changed her mind. She had the room and the money, since her rent wasn't much compared to her paycheck, so it's not like this is a horrible decision. Just not one she ever thought she'd make in the first place. It had always felt inhuman to her. Jamie glanced at the photos and decided she just wanted to be his friend and give him the stability he needed. She didnt want him as a glorified pet.
“I hope I can give him a good home,” jamie spoke softly and honestly, smiling up at Chan. “May I ask why he hasn't had a consistent home, though?”
Chan let out a sad sigh. The Australian straightened up, and his ears practically flattened. “He's a golden retriever, so the families wanted to foster him for their kids. They all decided on hybrids because fostering them will pay you more than fostering an actual animal, which is nothing. They weren't ready for the fact that he was an actual person, and they all sent him back to the shelter when he became too… much.”
Jamie felt her heart ache. They wanted a pet. Not the person they got instead. Jamie slowly shut the book and placed it on Chan's desk. “He won't have to deal with that from me. I promise.”
Next thing jamie knew, she was in her apartment, cleaning up the place and making sure it was perfect. She may not even adopt Seungmin, but what if she did? What if she adopted another hybrid instead? She needed everything to be perfect. She even bought him a bed and a dog bed in case he preferred that in dog form (it was human-sized, and she was definitely gonna nap on that thing tonight). She made sure he would have everything he needed if she adopted him. Maybe she was jumping the gun, but she didnt care. She just wanted this to work out.
She didnt want to be alone anymore.