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If he thinks it’ll help, Hongbin would bury his face in a cushion and scream until his frustration disappear, but he’s tried it before and it doesn’t. The last applicant walks out his front door and Hongbin almost does just that anyway. Hakyeon slumps against his side and groans.
As they say, misery does love company.
“Are you absolutely sure you have to move out, hyung?” Hongbin asks for possibly the twentieth time this week.
Hakyeon tips his head onto Hongbin’s shoulder and sighs. “I could stay,” he hums lazily. “But Taekwoon and I will probably be busy consummating our marriage like bunnies over all these flat surfaces, and—”
“Gross!” Hongbin cries, dislodging a giggling Hakyeon off him with ferocity. The doorbell chimes and they both groan in unison. “What if it’s another weirdo?”
“Face it, kid,” Hakyeon says sagely. “You’ll never find a roommate as awesome as me.”
Hongbin rolls his eyes and goes to answer the door. The guy behind it looks perfectly normal at first glance, anxious lopsided smile aside. He blinks at Hongbin with innocent brown eyes and adjusts the beanie on his head.
“Um. I’m here for the roommate ad?”
“Sure,” Hongbin says, waving him in. “What’s your name?”
The guy slips off his shoes but stays in the foyer, fidgeting. “I – I actually haven’t called or anything. I just thought I’d drop by.”
Hongbin stops looking down at the list of the applicants’ names, glancing back at Hakyeon to see him shrug. “That’s okay,” Hongbin assures, ushering the guy to the couch. “I’m Hongbin. And this is Hakyeon.”
“I’m Jaehwan,” the guy mumbles, sitting gingerly on the seat opposite them. “Sorry, I just saw the ad this morning, and I thought I’d try my luck.”
Hongbin scans him, chestnut hair poking out from his hat, a good-looking face, hands folded politely over his lap. He doesn’t exactly scream psycho, but you can never be too sure. “It’s fine. So you’re looking to move into this neighborhood?”
“Yes, the company I’m with recently moved nearby and I was hoping to cut down on commute hours.”
Hakyeon finally joins in, nodding empathically. “Oh, yeah. Commuting is a bitch in this city.”
Hongbin elbows him in the ribs, and returns to face Jaehwan. “Do you mind telling me what you do?”
“I’m an artist. Animations, mostly,” he answers almost shyly, mouth curled into a coy smile.
“Oh, that’s cool. I’m a vet at the clinic a few blocks away.”
Hongbin thinks he sees something unpleasant flits across Jaehwan’s features, but it’s gone too quick for him to be sure. Jaehwan nods slowly, smiling woodenly. “Ah, I’ve walked past that clinic.”
Hakyeon’s giving him weird looks, so Hongbin decides to move on. “So, I’ll tell you a bit about this place. It’s a two-bedroom, Hakyeon’s room will be empty soon. It’s the one facing east, so there’ll be lots of sunshine. We have two bathrooms, this living area right here, and there’s the kitchen. I don’t really have rules about food or anything, just that everything is left clean after cooking or whatever.”
Jaehwan looks around, his nose scrunching cutely as he inspects the space. Rearranging his beanie again, he clears his throat and looks straight at Hongbin. “Everything looks nice. I like it here.”
“Great,” Hongbin nods, not trying to sound too relief. As far as he can tell, Jaehwan is a prime candidate as he doesn’t look dirty, stoned, or shady – which is a lot more than can be said about the other guys who dropped by earlier. “I’ll just need you to write down your contact info, and I’ll let you know if you get the room.”
Jaehwan doesn’t budge, swallowing visibly instead. “There’s something I feel like I need to get out in the open.”
Hongbin and Hakyeon exchange glances, both sitting up straighter. This is it, Hongbin thinks. With his luck, Jaehwan is actually a serial killer and Hakyeon and him are going to be gutted right here on his momma’s old carpet. “What is it?” he asks thickly.
Jaehwan reaches up and tugs his beanie off. He keeps his eyes down as Hongbin takes it in – takes all of him in. Jaehwan’s cat ears are pure white and fluffy, almost lavender at certain angles, and they twitch under Hongbin and Hakyeon’s scrutiny. “I don’t know if it’s a deal breaker—”
Hongbin snaps into attention at that statement. It explains why Jaehwan is so cagey, and how Hongbin being a vet might be problematic. Vets and hybrids are naturally wary of each other. Vets are often deemed perverted when some choose to manipulate the hybrids’ lack of inhibitions during their heat or rut with their medical knowledge. Hybrids are viewed as nuisances, keeping vets busy because they’re too complicated for regular doctors, but protected by law so their medical bills are kept as low as their animal counterparts. Basically, hybrids think vets are sick bastards and vets think hybrids are sexualized half-creatures who need to pay up.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Hongbin assures him, his tone placating. “I’m not – I’m not that kind of person.”
Jaehwan doesn’t look entirely convinced, but his posture relaxes somewhat as he shoves the beanie back onto his head. “Okay,” he says, wiping his palms against his thighs. “I guess I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Hongbin smiles, knowing full well that he’s already made his decision.
~
“How’s the roommate hunt going?”
Hongbin looks up from his case notes to see Wonshik cocking an eyebrow his way. One of his bunny ears perks up in unison. “Good, I think. My new roommate’s going to be a hybrid.”
He doesn’t think it’s the most important detail, but for some reason he just wants to get it out in the open. Hakyeon doesn’t seem to oppose, but then again Hakyeon’s brain is probably too occupied with thoughts on his upcoming honeymoon with Hongbin’s boss, so he’s not really reliable these days.
Wonshik’s eyebrow doesn’t go down, and neither does his ear. “Oh. What is he?”
“Cat,” Hongbin says, finding himself trying to sound nonchalant. “Persian, I think. Could be Scottish fold.”
“Wow. Must be cute, then,” Wonshik says breezily, beaming at Hongbin and walking out of his office.
Hongbin watches the nurse walks away, black ears flopping with his stride, and wonders if there was any attraction last night. He soon gets distracted by a complicated puppy birth, having to call Taekwoon in for assistance. They eventually manage to save the two pups and the mother, handing all three over in blue and pink bundles to the grateful owners.
“Sorry I had to leave this morning,” Taekwoon says, trying to catch his breath inside the changing room. “You must’ve had your hands full.”
Hongbin waves him off, wiping down his face with a towel from his locker. “It’s alright, hyung. The wedding preparation must’ve been keeping you busy as well.”
Taekwoon sighs, arms suddenly going limp at his sides. “Yeah,” he admits. “Hakyeon and I agree to a small ceremony, but the details he wants are still massive.”
Wonshik, who’s finished changing out of his scrubs interrupts with a whipping sound, chuckling afterwards.
“Sass me one more time, fluffball,” Taekwoon replies menacingly.
Wonshik fakes a whimper and scurries out, long ears tucked close to his head.
Hongbin smiles at their antics, temporarily forgetting about Jaehwan until he’s walking out with Taekwoon much later.
“Hakyeonie told me you’ve found your new roommate.”
Hongbin nods. “Did he tell you how the interview went?”
“Just that you two seemed to hit it off well,” Taekwoon shrugs.
Hongbin considers telling him about the hybrid issue, wonders if Hakyeon had dropped that detail on purpose. In the end he chooses not to dwell on it. “Right. I hope everything goes over well.”
Taekwoon smiles serenely, claps Hongbin on the shoulder and takes off in the opposite direction. Hongbin stays rooted in front of the clinic until it gets a little bit too chilly, and then walks on home.
~
Hongbin doesn’t know what to expect when he texts Jaehwan to tell him the room is his, but a simple okay, thank you is definitely not it. He stares at the reply a little too intensely, scrambling to put his phone away when Wonshik notices and tries to take a peek.
“Who are you bringing to the wedding next weekend?” Wonshik asks instead, wriggling his nose out of habit. It makes him look like a – well, giant rabbit.
Hongbin’s ready to say nobody, but backtracks at the last minute. “I don’t know yet. You?”
Wonshik shrugs. “My sister, I guess,” he says, already narrowing his eyes before Hongbin can respond.
Wonshik’s sister is extremely pretty, but Wonshik will transform from warm and fuzzy bunny rabbit into a ferocious man-eating lion if anyone ever so much as look at her too long.
Adventurous (and moronic) side activated, Hongbin thinks about asking Wonshik if he can have a dance with Jiwon, but the front desk bell dings and saves him from himself. Wonshik rushes out to greet their patron cheerfully but pauses mid-sentence.
“Oh, it’s just you,” Hongbin hears clearly.
Sanghyuk’s sarcastic voice travels into his room, as well. “Hey, what kind of customer service are you—”
“What can I help you with, Hyukie?” Hongbin steps in, watching Sanghyuk fumble with his words.
As soon as he sees that it’s Hongbin, though, his whole body goes slack again. “Hi, Hongbin hyung,” he says, ducking speedily before Wonshik can smack him upside the head. Holding up a mid-sized carrier, he adds, “These three have the flu, I think. Abandoned near the shelter last night.”
Hongbin peers through the door and frowns at the kittens inside – tiny and shaking, all of them. “Let’s bring them in and I’ll take a look.”
Wonshik lifts a part of the counter and Sanghyuk follows Hongbin into one of the examination rooms. He places the carrier on the steel table and tries not to squirm, but Hongbin catches the way his long leg keeps jiggling.
“I’m alone today.”
Sanghyuk looks up in surprise, as if he doesn’t expect Hongbin to read him so well. “Oh,” he clears his throat. “Where’s Taekwoon hyung?”
Hongbin finishes prepping and leans over to take one of the kittens in his hand. “He’s out,” he hesitates. “To look at something for the wedding.”
Hongbin doesn’t need to see him to know Sanghyuk has his shoulders slumped, tall frame as wilted as his voice sounds. “I see. It’s really coming up soon, isn’t it?”
Hongbin nods, cradling the squirming cat to his front. Sanghyuk stays silent afterwards, only cooing softly at all three kittens as Hongbin finishes treating them. Hongbin’s heart goes out to the kid. Sanghyuk first started coming to the clinic a year ago, at first with an injured dog, then two weeks later with a pregnant cat. When he started coming by with a different animal every other week, they started to get suspicious, Wonshik slyly probing to check if he was a pet robber of some kind. It turned out Sanghyuk volunteered at the city animal shelter in his free time.
And he had the most massive crush on Taekwoon.
Taekwoon, the lunkhead, treated the boy like a prince, adoring the fact that he adored animals. The first time he introduced Hakyeon as his boyfriend, Sanghyuk snapped.
“But what about me?” he yelled.
Taekwoon had no response to that, and the rest of them watched helplessly as Sanghyuk ran out of the clinic clutching the hamster cage like a lifeline, an arm wiping furiously at his eyes.
He comes back to the clinic eventually, but he dodges Taekwoon’s touch all the time, only staring at him when he’s sure he won’t get caught. Sanghyuk’s only twenty, barely out of school, and Hongbin imagines everything must have hurt a thousand fold at that age.
“You’re right, they have the flu,” Hongbin says, seemingly breaking Sanghyuk out of his reverie. “I’ll give you something to help them.”
“Thanks, hyung,” Sanghyuk smiles boyishly. He towers over all of them, but at times like this, he always appears so small and helpless.
Hongbin keeps Sanghyuk entertained while Wonshik fills the prescriptions, steering clear of the topic of the wedding or Taekwoon, asking about college, his family, and the shelter.
But when Wonshik hands him the bag of medicines, he smiles wanly and says, “I’ll see you guys at the wedding.”
Hongbin blinks, barely manages to keep himself from blurting out you’re coming?. Taekwoon did invite him, they all know that much – the image of Sanghyuk fisting the lavender envelope still fresh – but not a single one of them expects him to attend.
“Relax,” Sanghyuk adds, reading their expressions. “I can handle it. I’m a big boy.”
Wonshik, ever the peacekeeper, scoffs. “You can say that again. Will you stop growing, you punk? Soon you won’t be able to fit through our door!”
Sanghyuk cracks a grin, ruffling Wonshik’s bangs for good measure. “It’s okay, hyung. You’re still a couple of inches taller than me if you count the bunny ears.”
Wonshik snarls and Sanghyuk pretends to get scared, waving at them amicably as he exits the clinic.
~
Jaehwan moves in on Friday. By then Hakyeon has completely transferred all his belongings to their newlywed house, officially living in it. Hongbin’s still a bit worn out from helping him, so he’s relieved to discover that Jaehwan doesn’t have a lot of things to bring in – bags of clothes, a few boxes of personal things and a couple more with his high-end computer stuff. They designate the empty space Hakyeon’s large bookcase left as Jaehwan’s work station, Jaehwan beaming proudly when everything’s all set up.
It’s almost seven in the afternoon when they’re done, and Hongbin’s stomach is protesting the meager ramen lunch he had hours ago.
“Do you want something for dinner?” he asks. “Pizza okay?”
Jaehwan’s cat ears perk up. “Oh, yes. My treat. Since you helped me move in.”
Hongbin grins, giving Jaehwan the menu he grabbed from the side of the fridge. “This place is good. Please order whatever you want. I’ll be in the shower.”
Jaehwan nods and immediately scans through the menu, curling up on the couch with his phone in his hand. When Hongbin steps out of his room half an hour later, Jaehwan is missing and there’s a tiny stack of cash on the coffee table pinned under the pizza place menu. Hongbin can hear the shower running in Jaehwan’s room, so he settles down in front of the TV and waits for their food.
Jaehwan comes out a few seconds after the pizza guy left. Hongbin literally does a double take when he sees him – dark hair damp and tousled, thin comfy shirt hanging off his attractive frame, and his long, white tail untucked and free from his shorts. But it’s the sight of his eyes that makes Hongbin stare.
“Sorry, I can’t stand not taking a shower. I felt so filthy,” Jaehwan apologizes, blinking from behind a thick-framed pair of glasses.
“Your eyes are blue,” Hongbin mumbles dumbly.
Hybrids have the increased chance of having recessive eye colors, anybody who took elementary school Biology knows that. And he’s a veterinarian, for crying out loud.
Jaehwan doesn’t call him out on it, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “Yeah, my contacts were killing me so I took them out.”
“You were wearing brown contacts to—” Hongbin trails off, worried that he might be overstepping his boundaries.
Jaehwan understands what he’s asking, shrugging calmly. “Sometimes. If I feel they might make people uncomfortable.”
Hongbin can’t fathom how something so beautiful can ever make anyone uncomfortable. He realizes that he’s still sort of gawking at his new roommate, and shakes out of it mentally. Fortunately, Jaehwan is too busy sniffing the piping hot pizza and smiling at it to notice.
~
Unfortunately, it doesn’t really take Hongbin’s mind off it at all. He doesn’t understand why the color of Jaehwan’s eyes is making him so stupid, but he finds himself studying Wonshik’s face closely as they have breakfast at the clinic the next morning.
“What?” Wonshik asks after a couple of minutes, muffled through the half-chewed bagel in his mouth.
Hongbin doesn’t even feel disgusted by it, he’s too distracted. “Your eyes really are brown, right?”
“No. They’re actually pink, to match my hip hop soul,” Wonshik deadpans. “What’s the matter with you?”
Hongbin coughs. “Nothing. Just curious.”
Sometimes Hongbin hates how perceptive Wonshik is. “Why? What’s your new roommate’s eye color?”
“Blue,” Hongbin replies before he can even process the question fully, nearly biting his tongue to stop himself.
“Oh my god, you so think he’s adorable,” Wonshik chuckles.
“No, I don’t. I didn’t say anything.”
“Dude,” Wonshik smirks. “You actually think about what color his eyes are. Most people wouldn’t even notice their roommate’s eyes unless they’ve been living together for, like, a month at least.”
Hongbin shrugs, trying to play it cool even though he thinks it’s much too late. “I’m just observant.”
“Now I really have to see how he looks like. Do you have a picture on your phone?”
“No,” Hongbin scowls.
Wonshik’s rabbit ears flicker the way they always do whenever he’s excited. “Oh my god, you are so smitten,” he laughs.
“Stop saying oh my god,” Hongbin glares. “And no, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Most people would say ‘Why would I have his picture?’, but you—”
“Well, I’m not most people,” Hongbin snaps, more embarrassed than angry, really. He can feel his face heating up furiously.
Wonshik actually tones down the teasing, smiling warmly. “You know it’s not wrong to be attracted to him, don’t you?”
Hongbin can neither deny nor admit to anything, but he shakes his head. “I really don’t think I should.”
Wonshik inclines his head, eyebrow raised. “Okay, maybe you should ask yourself why.”
He leaves Hongbin alone in the break room, and Hongbin ends up drowning himself with work to escape his own thoughts for the rest of the day.
~
It takes less than a week for Hongbin and Jaehwan to fall into a comfortable rhythm (Hakyeon claims it’s alarming, but whatever). It’s still up for debate on Hongbin’s part on whether or not he’s attracted to Jaehwan that way. He’s pleasing to look at, sure, and he’s surprisingly chatty and funny once he’s passed the point of shyness, but Hongbin’s still not labelling it as a crush (Wonshik’s stupid word for it).
He has to admit that they’re pretty compatible, though. They’re both minor neat freaks, capable of being quiet when necessary, and decent cooks. Hongbin even enjoys trying to kick Jaehwan’s ass at the large collection of video games he’s brought over. Trying, because on top of being good, Jaehwan likes to play dirty – like “accidentally” elbowing him in the side at critical gaming moments, or brushing his tail across Hongbin’s leg to tickle him, or blinking owlishly at him with those brilliant creek water blue eyes.
Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t on purpose, but still. Jaehwan is distracting. Hongbin’s also decided that Jaehwan is most definitely a maine coon. He has his subtle feline qualities, but he acts like a puppy at almost every waking moment. Which is how Hongbin finds himself reading on the couch after dinner, Jaehwan’s head squished against his shoulder as he squints and glares at his tablet.
Hongbin glances down to see indistinguishable blobs appearing after Jaehwan’s light pen strokes. “You should go get your glasses. You’ll ruin your eyes even more like that.”
Jaehwan looks up at him, still squinting, lips bunched up in a ridiculous pout. He sighs and retreats to his room, muttering, “Yes, doctor.”
Hongbin can’t help smiling. It’s something they’ve talked about. Hongbin’s started to drop the formalities and taking to calling Jaehwan hyung, and the guy asked if he’d like to be called doctor. Hongbin wouldn’t have any of it. Even Wonshik doesn’t call him that. And he probably should, at least in front of the patrons at the clinic.
Jaehwan comes back with a more relaxed expression, his glasses perched on his nose. He goes back to snuggling against Hongbin’s side, picking up where he left off.
“Isn’t that better?” Hongbin asks offhandedly. “I don’t know why you hate them so much.”
“They make me look like a dweeb.”
Hongbin smirks. “I hate to break it to you, hyung, but you pretty much look like a dweeb either way.”
Jaehwan hisses, perfectly cat-like, and jams a finger in Hongbin’s neck. “I am adorable!”
Hongbin squirms underneath the assault, giggling helplessly. “Okay!” he relents, curling up into a ball. “Okay, you’re cute.”
Jaehwan beams proudly and stops tickling him. “That’s right, I am.”
Hongbin oddly misses the touch. Jaehwan looks so pleased, cheeks balled up and ruddy, pink lips stretched into a sweet grin that Hongbin just wants to—
“Hyung, are you free on Sunday?”
Jaehwan considers it for a beat, tapping the tip of his pen to his chin. “Sure. Why?”
Hongbin’s mouth is suddenly dry, his tongue feeling fat and awkward. “I know it’s short notice, and we just got to know each other and all, but—” he freezes, realizing how much it sounds like he’s asking the guy out for a date – which he is most certainly not. “Um, Hakyeon hyung’s wedding is on Sunday. Do you want to go with me?”
“Free food and booze?” Jaehwan grins. “Sure!”
Hongbin is unclear why, but the light fluttering in his belly just died down abruptly, leaving him feeling deflated. “Okay,” he says quietly. “Let’s do that.”
Jaehwan nods, cat ears flicking with his movements, and goes back straight to drawing on his tablet, tail curled against his thigh. Hongbin keeps on reading, but when he has to go over the same three lines more times than he cares to count, he excuses himself and retreats to his bed.
All night he dreams of soft white fur and beautiful, deep-belly laugh. He barely sleeps at all.
~
For all the years he has known both Taekwoon and Hakyeon, Hongbin has honestly never seen them so happy. The ceremony is gorgeous, filled with personal touches that make Hongbin feel very fond, and he’s having so much fun despite his worries in the morning.
After inviting Jaehwan to the wedding, he’s been tiptoeing around his roommate even though Jaehwan doesn’t seem to treat him any different. Then, this morning, he has to stop himself from ogling as Jaehwan walks out of his room dressed for the event. He’s wearing a charcoal grey suit, tailored perfectly to his frame, and although his tail is hidden, his ears are stark against his smartly coiffed dark hair.
Hongbin might’ve been staring a little bit anyway, because Jaehwan blushes slightly. “Shall we?”
They talk, eat, and drink chummily as always, so Hongbin’s mind doesn’t latch on to anything he isn’t supposed to. Hakyeon hugs Jaehwan for coming, and Hongbin watches as his cat ears wriggle happily. He introduces Jaehwan to Taekwoon and Wonshik – who’s kind enough not to mention anything about silly crushes or stupid frissons. In return Hongbin doesn’t taunt him about how pretty his sister looks in her dress.
The party’s still in full swing, and Hongbin catches the grooms on the dance floor, not really dancing but swaying gently to the music. Hakyeon reaches up to fix Taekwoon’s hair, and Taekwoon’s adjusting Hakyeon’s lapels and they’re both smiling brightly at each other. Hongbin’s heart flutters just at the sight of them. Wonshik laughs at something Jiwon is saying to him, and Hongbin looks up to find the seat next to him empty. He looks around, craning his neck to see above the throngs of people and an extraordinarily tall person catches his attention. He’s just about to call out to Sanghyuk when he notices who the kid is talking to.
Sanghyuk’s grinning wide, a hand at the back of his neck in a posture so coy Hongbin has to look harder to make sure. Jaehwan’s talking animatedly to him, an equally mirthful grin on his face. Hongbin’s out of his seat and walking towards them before he knows it, the two acknowledging his presence with a friendly nod. Something ugly twists at the pit of Hongbin’s stomach.
“Hyung,” Sanghyuk greets enthusiastically, grabbing his jacket sleeve when he’s near enough. “You didn’t tell me your new roommate is the amazing Lee Jaehwan!”
Jaehwan blushes furiously, looking down to the ground immediately. “Uh,” Hongbin says warily. “I didn’t know you want that information.”
Sanghyuk laughs, boyish and carefree, and even through the mild irritation (about what, Hongbin isn’t sure) Hongbin’s glad he’s happy here. “I’m going to go meet Wonshik hyung. I’ll see you around, Jaehwan-nim.”
Jaehwan nods, smiling kindly as they watch Sanghyuk leave. Jaehwan’s gaze flicks to meet Hongbin’s and he’s still flushed. Prettily, if Hongbin has to admit. “He’s – a fan of my animation, it seems.”
Hongbin flashes him a smile, trying hard to ignore the churning in his stomach, the violent tugging on his heartstrings. “I can see that. Sanghyuk’s cute, don’t you think?”
Jaehwan’s expression is unchanging, and it’s aggravating Hongbin for some reason. “Yes, he is.”
Hongbin shuts everything inside him down, and changes his mind about asking Jaehwan if he wants to go home. He’s suddenly in dire need of alcohol.
~
Hongbin’s shaky finger manages to punch in the security code before he stumbles inside the apartment and throws himself onto the couch, groaning endlessly. It’s been a week since Taekwoon’s honeymoon vacation and he’s been so busy juggling a two-person caseload at the clinic. He’s wrung out and constantly frustrated about something unknown that even Wonshik is steering clear of poking any fun at him these days. He’s glad that Taekwoon’s coming back tomorrow although a bit sorry that he and Hakyeon can’t have a longer vacation. He’s probably been lying on the couch for about two minutes when he nods off.
He wakes up to a wet feeling on his fingertips, a raspy tongue licking them, and opens his eyes frantically when he feels a pair of lips wrapping around a digit, sucking it in. Jaehwan’s kneeling by the couch, nuzzling at his hand, looking up at him with large, dewy eyes pleadingly. They’ve darkened over to almost green, and Hongbin can’t look away.
“Hyung?” he croaks. “What’s happening?”
Jaehwan makes a whimpering sound, stretching up so he can press his mouth to Hongbin’s jaw, bolder now that he’s awake. “I’m – need, please. Please, Hongbinnie, please.”
He’s not making any sense, but Hongbin knows instantly what’s wrong. “Oh, god. Hyung, your rut. Didn’t you know when – oh.”
Jaehwan’s mouth latches onto his throat, tongue making lazy patterns in his skin as he sucks Hongbin’s blood to the surface. “I usually chart it, but the move – I was too – I forgot.”
It takes every fiber of Hongbin’s being to stop himself from giving in, Jaehwan’s warm and willing body a pleasant weight against him. He takes Jaehwan by the shoulders and pushes him away, ignoring the tiny keening noises. “We can’t, hyung. This is – I can’t do this to you.”
Jaehwan’s tail flicks angrily behind him, a throaty sound bubbling out of him. Hongbin closes his eyes and tries to calm his own breath. Hybrids in a rut or heat are uninhibited, and consent is a tricky issue especially if they’re not mated or imprinted in any way. Hongbin isn’t sure how Jaehwan usually manages his cycle or how he releases himself, but as a doctor he has the informed knowledge to decide.
Fumbling with his phone as Jaehwan tries his hardest to climb onto his lap, Hongbin hits speed dial number four and waits for the call to be picked up. Jaehwan swivels his hips against him and Hongbin nearly moans, dick fattening up in his pants. Taekwoon’s soft voice rescues him. “Hello? Taekwoon hyung, I’m sorry. It’s an emergency, I need your help.”
“Hongbin, what is it? Are you at the clinic?”
Hongbin evades Jaehwan’s mouth before it lands on his, certain that a kiss will be the final straw on his self-control. “Home. I’m – Jaehwan hyung’s, he’s. Please come quick, I need you to bring a suppressant from the clinic, too. Please, hyung.”
Taekwoon agrees immediately, aware of the urgency of the situation. Hongbin has to half-carry, half-drag Jaehwan off him and into his bedroom, pinning him to the bed until Taekwoon arrives, Jaehwan mewling and begging Hongbin to take him. Taekwoon calmly sticks the needle into Jaehwan’s arm and seconds later he’s out like a light. Hongbin arranges the sheets around him, avoiding Taekwoon’s look, only to face him again in the living room.
“Did he tell you about his arrangements?” Taekwoon asks.
Hongbin shakes his head. “He said he has a schedule going on, but with the move and all, he forgot about this cycle.”
“When he’s out of it, you really need to have a talk,” Taekwoon advices, patting him on the shoulder.
“We will. Sorry to trouble you, hyung. And thanks again.”
Taekwoon nods, telling him to come visit anytime soon, and that Hakyeon misses him. Hongbin sends him off with a pleased smile, but as soon as the front door closes, he drops to the floor wearily. It’ll be hours before Jaehwan comes out of the suppressant’s stupor, then it’ll take the both of them to decide whether their lives are going to be complicated moving forward.
Hongbin draws his knees closer and hopes.
~
Jaehwan stumbles blearily out of his room around dawn. Hongbin’s at the kitchen counter nursing a cup of coffee, and when Jaehwan sees him his whole face turns crimson. He tucks his tail against his side and takes a seat opposite Hongbin, trying to maintain eye contact.
“I’m so sorry about last night,” he mumbles, scratching his cat ear ruefully.
Hongbin smiles gently, placating him. “I’m sorry, too. I had to – are you feeling okay?”
“Better,” Jaehwan nods. His eyes are back to blue, although the pupils remain a little blown. The suppressant isn’t permanent, and the effect will wear off in a few hours. They need to discuss what it entails when it happens.
Hongbin leans back in his chair, keeping his voice calm. “Do you take suppressants usually?”
Jaehwan shakes his head no. “I have – I use toys,” he says instead, cheeks flushed with shame.
Hongbin tries not to react to the images in his head – Jaehwan writhing in his bed, spending hours to chase his release. Suppressants are like pain killers, and addiction is a risk, so most hybrids only ever use them as the last resort. Mated or imprinted hybrids rely on their partners, and everybody else finds their release in their own little ways.
“Okay, so,” Hongbin clears his throat, still trying to stop the reel of lewd pictures in his mind. “I’ll be out of your way today, and you can—”
“No,” Jaehwan says. Hongbin’s heart skips a beat. “It has to be you. I need – I want you. Please.”
It can only mean one thing. “Hyung,” Hongbin breathes. “Are you – when did you—”
Jaehwan ducks his head, and Hongbin wants to cradle him close so bad. “When we first met,” he mumbles feebly. “I didn’t want to take the room, because it’s so strong and – I didn’t want it to get complicated.”
Hybrids imprinting on humans is extremely rare. It’s nearly impossible for them to get attracted to anybody else after it happens, and so unrequited hybrids are absolutely miserable. Jaehwan felt the pull the first time he saw Hongbin, and Hongbin can’t even begin to imagine how awful it was for him to be so intimate and not knowing how Hongbin had felt about him. Hongbin wants to change that immediately.
“You want me to fuck you, hyung?”
Jaehwan’s eyes dart up, wide and terrified. There’s a barest hint of a nod, then, “It’s – it’s okay if you don’t want to. I’ll manage.”
Hongbin keeps his tone level, not giving himself away just yet. “I have to go to work,” he says, watching Jaehwan’s shoulders slump in disappointment. Smiling, he reaches out to cup Jaehwan’s face, stroking his cheek. “Will you wait for me?”
The surprise on Jaehwan’s face is mixed with apprehension. He leans into Hongbin’s touch ever so slightly, his voice shaky. “You really want,” he hesitates, swallowing visibly. “You really want to?”
It’s not exactly what he meant to ask, Hongbin can tell, but he answers it either way. “Yes, I do,” he says, thumbing Jaehwan’s cheekbone just to see his eyes flutter closed. “I really like you.”
Jaehwan curls in on himself, a smile tugging at his lips, and Hongbin wishes so bad that he can stay at home and just cuddle or something. Instead, he presses a kiss to the side of Jaehwan’s head and surrenders to his room to get ready, already willing the hours to go by faster.
~
Wonshik (hopefully) is clueless of what’s happening, and Taekwoon doesn’t comment at all when Hongbin excuses himself and rushes home at the end of the day. He nearly forgoes the elevator altogether in his haste, but realizes that dashing up thirteen floors of stairs would probably zap him of all his precious energy. All he does the whole day is think about Jaehwan – how soft he looks in the morning, the way his hair falls into his eyes sometimes, the swerve of his tail when he’s being playful, the curve of his lips when he’s genuinely happy, the way he curls up in bed right where the sunspot is.
Hongbin’s heart throbs with fondness as he opens the front door, partially expecting Jaehwan to be waiting for him. He’s nowhere to be seen, and sheer panic instantly claws at Hongbin, wondering if he’d spooked Jaehwan, or made him wait too long. Hybrids in heat or rut are essentially helpless, the reason why there are so many laws trying to protect them, and if Jaehwan decided to wander outside – Hongbin’s afraid to imagine what it’ll do to him. The door to Jaehwan’s room is ajar, but he’s not in bed, and Hongbin breathes out slowly as he tries his own room.
Jaehwan’s bundled up in his sheets, face flushed as he watches Hongbin enter, hair sticking up all over around his perky cat ears. Hongbin doesn’t waste any time, rushing forward to embrace him, burying his face in Jaehwan’s neck and enjoying the closeness.
“You waited for me,” he says happily. “Sorry it took me so long.”
Jaehwan sighs, legs falling open to accommodate Hongbin’s bulk. “It’s okay. I’m – this bed smells like you, I needed to—”
Hongbin doesn’t allow him the space to apologize, surging up to kiss him. Jaehwan moans and opens up immediately, lips soft and inviting. His wicked tongue licks inside Hongbin’s mouth, exploring his taste and texture. They fall onto the mattress giggling, Jaehwan so warm underneath him, so eager as the kiss dissolves into a dirty battle to tease and please, Jaehwan’s tactile tongue gaining the lead. Hongbin breaks it finally, catching his breath only to lose it again when he looks down at Jaehwan’s face. His eyes are back to blue-green, so gorgeous in the dim lighting, and his pink lips are wet with spit, parted just so.
Hongbin yanks off his shirt, smiling when Jaehwan does the same, undressing in a frantic pace before coming back together in an urgent kiss. The first skin-on-skin touch makes them both gasp, Jaehwan’s fingers tracing the contours of Hongbin’s chest and belly, Hongbin’s hands trailing down even lower. Jaehwan’s cock looks angry red, stiff and leaking, and Hongbin’s tongue darts out to lick his lips unconsciously.
He takes it in his fist and starts pumping, marveling at the precome trickling from the tip. “So wet,” he groans breathlessly, and ducks down to have a taste. It’s nothing particularly special, but it drives Jaehwan crazy, so Hongbin opens wide and suckles at it until Jaehwan pulls at his hair and comes in his mouth, hips bucking wildly.
Jaehwan pets his head in consolation and Hongbin grins up at him, still stroking his dick. Multiple orgasms is what makes a rut different, and Jaehwan’s hard again in no time. He clearly has something else in mind, carefully pulling away and turning on all fours, presenting himself as he keeps his head on the mattress. Hongbin’s cock twitches at the display, body reacting violently as he cups Jaehwan’s supple ass and parts it. He can imagine now how this can be so addictive. Jaehwan’s slick already and he’s begging Hongbin with the lazy flicks of his tail and the seductive look in his gorgeous eyes. The whimpering is what pushes Hongbin over the edge.
He fumbles around the bedside drawer to grab a condom just to have Jaehwan holding his wrist. “No, just you, please.”
Pregnancy isn’t an issue in male hybrids, but safety (and hygiene) is, and the trust Jaehwan is showing him is simply astounding. Hongbin has nothing to give back but another kiss, pouring his affection and gratitude into it as much as he can. Jaehwan’s tail loops around his thigh and Hongbin moans, body trembling with want.
Fucking into Jaehwan is sublime, but then he’s all the way inside and he’s torn between staying where Jaehwan’s muscles are gripping at him or moving. Jaehwan takes the decision out of his hand when he rocks back and forth, fucking himself on Hongbin’s prick. Hongbin can’t take his eyes away from the bounce of Jaehwan’s ass against his groin, so he curls his hands around Jaehwan’s cut hips and starts slamming into him. On every other thrust Jaehwan cries out, his body increasingly pliant and needy beneath Hongbin.
“Fuck, hyung. So hot for me,” Hongbin grits out, keeping a steady rhythm – deep and fast. “Oh, god. Fuckin’ – fuck, hyung.”
Jaehwan’s mouth falls open in a drawn out moan, eyes shut tight, cheek pressed into the sheets. “Yes, please. Please, give it to me. Hongbinnie, I’m so –”
Hongbin doesn’t know which of them comes first, but the other just leaps off the ledge with him, both shaking with the force of it. For how incredible the orgasm is, Hongbin is startlingly still halfway erect, and if Jaehwan’s wide-eyed, bottom-lip-biting look is any indication he notices it too. Hongbin chuckles and flips him over by the legs, careful not to crush his tail. He settles back in between Jaehwan’s thighs, dick sliding in smooth and sure, making Jaehwan sigh contentedly. He goes slowly this time, dragging in and out teasingly.
Taking advantage of the position, he leans down to kiss Jaehwan thoroughly, worshipping his beautiful lips, nipping softly on the bottom one. “This what you want, hyung? You want me to take care of you like this every day?”
Jaehwan whimpers, tilting his head back so Hongbin can gnaw at his long neck. “Yes, please.”
“Please, what?” Hongbin teases, sucking a mark into his throat.
“Please fuck me,” Jaehwan sobs.
Hongbin idly wonders how much of it is Jaehwan being a hybrid and how much is just him being incredible and responsive. He can’t wait to find out.
Hongbin snaps his hips sharply and Jaehwan shouts out his name, quivering as Hongbin thrusts harder and faster again, not nearly as coordinated as the first time. They both come anyway, a few beats apart from each other. Jaehwan’s bitten Hongbin on the shoulder in the heat of the moment, and he laps away the sting with kittenish licks. Hongbin collapses on his back, chest heaving, and he swears he can hear Jaehwan purring against his side.
Jaehwan’s finger trails up his arm and to the bite mark he just left. “Do you – you think you’ll still want me if I wasn’t a hybrid?”
Hongbin’s expected this, Jaehwan’s insecurity, and he gathers him closer, ruffling his hair and rubbing his cat ears. “I don’t know,” he says earnestly. He turns to see Jaehwan staring at him, and the fascination in him swells. “I do know that I like absolutely everything about you right now.”
“Everything?” Jaehwan echoes faintly, burying his nose in Hongbin’s shoulder.
Hongbin nods, interlacing their fingers and smiling at how they fit seamlessly together. “And counting.”
Jaehwan blushes, and Hongbin kisses him just to hear him laugh. He gives Jaehwan two languid handjobs before they finally fall asleep, tangled together under the sheets.
~
Hongbin’s pulled out of slumber by the gentle butterfly kisses all over his face, then the wet licks on his jaw and down his neck.
“Wake up,” Jaehwan calls softly. “I made breakfast.”
Hongbin keeps his eyes closed and pulls Jaehwan closer, inhaling the scent of his citrusy shampoo. Jaehwan squishes Hongbin’s cheeks between his palms. Hongbin stretches lazily and whines, refusing to get up.
“Now who’s the kitty?”
Hongbin’s eyes fly open and he tugs at one of Jaehwan’s ears playfully. “You still are.”
Jaehwan digs his blunt fingernails into Hongbin’s naked chest and whacks his tail at Hongbin’s crotch in retaliation.
Then, the war breaks out.
They end up wrestling on the bed, laughing and kissing, springs creaking and pillows tumbling to the floor. Hongbin finds out Jaehwan plays dirty at everything, and he doesn’t mind losing if the prize is Jaehwan spread on top of him, cat ears wiggling delightedly. Hongbin reaches up to scratch at them, and Jaehwan burrows closer onto his chest, warm and soft.
Something unlike arousal unfurls inside of Hongbin, terrifyingly big and overwhelming, but he basks in it gladly. Jaehwan snuffles and Hongbin hugs him tighter, growing adoration taking him over. Jaehwan doesn’t actually purr, but it’s pretty close, and Hongbin kisses the crown of his head in return.
It will take a while to quell the doubts between them, but Hongbin’s sure they can make it.
Forever is a long enough time.