Silver Lining

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(Jilix will always be my number one BROTP :')

Jisung is rolling around on the porch when Felix finds him, the umber-colored wolf smelling faintly of calla lilies and moss like he had just sneakily came back from the creek and was now trying to hide the evidence. He may have gotten away with it too if anyone else had found him; unfortunately, you can't fool a werewolf who has been a florist's assistant for more than a decade.

The wolf freezes all movement at the silvernette's unamused stare, orbs blown wide in a silent it's not what it looks like! But Felix just blinks, looking quite bored with it all, and Jisung sheepishly ducks his head with flattening ears in acceptance of defeat.

A twitch of a genuine smile pulls on the silvernette's lips but it's gone in an instant. This pack member was trusted to be alone and broke the rules behind their alpha's back; and yet Felix, on the other hand, has been nothing but honest with Chan and still can't go more than two feet without some sort of supervision because he's an outsider. Stupid wolf politics: perhaps they should start paying more attention to what's going on within their pack before throwing suspicion at another.

Jisung nudges his head into the t-shirt nicely folded by the steps, turning away from the omega as he transforms back and pulls the clothing fully on before slipping into the shorts lying on the ground. The omega waits, respectfully looking off into the surrounding forest to give the older-by-a-day some privacy.

After he's done though, there's a small and wobbly, "I... I know we're not supposed to leave the house without a buddy and his approval after this whole turf war thing started but I just- I just needed to leave, to have some alone time and just... just run, you know?" Jisung turns around, desperation in his gray eyes. "I have um- I have social anxiety and living with a pack is just hard sometimes because I feel like no matter where I go, there's somebody there, expecting things from me; I love them all, don't get me wrong, but it's... It's suffocating when all I can see, smell, hear, and breathe is wet dog."

Felix nods in understanding, knowing the feeling but perhaps not quite on the same level as the umber hybrid. He had never really considered before whether pack-groupies got tired of their fellow members too but kept it hidden from the outside world to keep up the look of their bonds' impenetrability. He sees now that it was naive of the silvernette to assume that everything was always perfect at the Skz house; after all, his mother had stayed in a pack she couldn't stand for eleven months and nobody knew except for her and, eventually, her yet to be born child.

A whimper escapes the older hybrid, taking Felix's hand suddenly and pouting his lip. "Please, please don't tell anyone I left. I'll be in big trouble, I'll- I'll have my hunting privileges taken away or- or worse: Chan-hyung will make me do the dishes for two months! Have you even seen how much werewolves eat? You would think we would all eat with our hands and no plates like animals do but Hyung has always been insistent on keeping the parts of our humanity as strong as can be and so you know what that means? Mountains of dishes, constantly! I'm grateful enough that Changbin-hyung always loses rock-paper-scissors and has to do them but-"

The silvernette rips his hand free to plant it over Jisung's forever-flapping gums, taking a grounding inhale and exhale before opening his blue eyes and mouthing, 'Relax'.

"Oh, sorry!" The brunette muffles out, tips of his ears flushing, "I am rambling, aren't I? I normally keep going until someone shuts me up but I forget that you don't talk much. No wonder you looked at me so blankly: I probably talked your ear off and-"

Felix places his other hand over the umber hybrid's mouth too with an exasperated sigh and a pointed look. 'Too much.'

"Are we still talking about the dishes thing or are you saying I-"

'You are too much'.

"O-Oh." Jisung deflates noticeably, eyes darting to the side. "Sorry."

The omega's lips part but then press firmly together, trying and failing to ignore the twinge of guilt ricocheting through the pit of his stomach. Jisung has always been nice and open with him, so much so that he unintentionally crosses the social boundaries that Felix has worked hard to lay out for all others to see. And unlike Changbin, the umber wolf does not care much about the omega's age, role, or status; he treats Felix the same as he does everyone else in Skz.

A friend... A friend who does not want him as a mate or as a pack member but just as simply a companion to spend time with would be... most ideal for the silvernette in a dark time like this. And considering Jisung's already rebellious nature, perhaps Felix could seek him as at least an ally in all this as well...

With a small and rather nervous smile, the silver hybrid removes his hands from the other's mouth before lightly pinching his round and quite squirrel-like cheeks to get the older's attention. 'Secret safe.'

Jisung's brows raise comically, a small giggle leaving the omega at the sight. "Wha- Wait, you mean about the running part? I... I am probably really annoying you so I don't know why you-"

Felix shakes his head, patting the umber hybrid's hair in reassurance. 'You talk.' He removes the hand and gestures to his ears before placing it upon his chest. 'I listen. Always.'

"But don't I... Don't I talk too much?"

Felix giggles again, nodding as he mouths, 'Do.' But before the other could pout, the omega adds, 'Not bad.'

And that was all it took for Jisung to perk back up and give an endearing box-shaped grin. "Good- Great- I mean, that's cool to know." There's a flicker of curiosity in his gaze for a moment before he grips Felix's shoulder in sudden excitement (and the silvernette can only mentally grimace at the quick initiation of skin-ship but can't say that it was necessarily unwelcomed). "Oh, I just remembered! That's your book, right? The one in Chan-hyung's room? He never used to read but he reads that one all the time now. You probably enjoy reading but it must be hard when there are no books lying around for you, huh? Well don't worry, whenever you need a good tale, come find me and I will tell you one; I am a fantastic storyteller, the best ever. I used to tell them to Innie all the time when we were growing up but now he says he's too old for bedtime stories, so I need somebody new! I have excellent hearing, better than the rest of the packs, so I've heard many many tales from all sorts of different people so I am sure there is at least one that you will enjoy and-"

The omega nods in agreement to the proposal, waving his hand in an exhausting attempt to get the brunette to settle down (Gosh he really talks a lot; what has he gotten himself into?).

Jisung's ears flush in embarrassment, dutifully nodding his head as well. "Yes, yes sorry, too much again; I'll um- I'll tune it back a bit, promise."

The smile comes easy now for Felix, lightly squeezing Jisung's wrist.

"So um- Just to be clear- You're not going to tell Chan-hyung that I left..?"

Eyes crinkling at the corners, the silvernette pretends to zip his mouth shut before then pretending to turn a lock and throw away the key. And despite the rather childish and silly action, the older werewolf seemed only more assured.

Maybe there won't be a need to worm his way into the hunters trio to be able to leave the pack house; maybe Jisung will willingly take Felix with him next time.