Catalyst

Part 7

I walked to my car with an extra sway in my hips. I was feeling accomplished. Things were going better than expected. 

I spotted a green backpack in the bushes once I got to the ground floor, and retrieved it as nonchalantly as possible. 

On my way home, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up some necessities. I also picked up a box of dark blackish-brown hair dye. If Jimin was going to go into public as a human anytime soon, the orange hair would have to go.  

I paid for the groceries, all the while pretending there was not a squirrel in my purse. 

Once we arrived at my apartment, I deposited the backpack and squirrel in the bathroom, and went back out to grab the groceries. 

Jimin was standing in the hallway when I got back inside. He was still wearing the same clothes. 

"Why didn't you change your clothes? I felt the backpack. I know you took some of your clothes."

Jimin raked a hand through his hair, and, to my utter surprise, started taking off his shirt. 

"Let's dye my hair first." He dropped his shirt on the floor, practically daring me to stare at his body. 

I took the bait. 

Jimin did not disappoint. He was quite toned despite being on the thin side. 

He chuckled, "You like what you see?"

"Yes. It's very nice. Thank you." I thrust the grocery bags at him, "Now put these away." Arrogant much? 

Wait. I rubbed that belly when he was a cat. AH! Weird! Weird, weird, weird!

I grabbed an old towel out of the linen closet, and tossed Jimin's discarded shirt in the laundry basket. Jimin had finished putting the groceries away when I walked into the kitchen with a dinning room chair and sat it near the sink. He was leaning against the counter, reading the back of the box of hair dye. 

"Dark brown? Really? It's so boring," Jimin whined.

"Do you want to go outside as a human and not risk getting picked up by Kronos?" 

"Well, yeah."

"Then sit!" I pointed authoritatively at the chair, but Jimin just stared at me. 

In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between us. My breath hitched as he hooked his thumbs in my leather jacket, gently brushing my collar bone, and slowly slid it off my shoulders. His thumbs lightly grazed my skin as his continued to slide the jacket all the way down my arms. 

"I don't want you ruining my jacket." He whispered. Turning on his heel, Jimin walked into the living room and draped the leather jacket over the arm of the couch. 

What the hell was that? What a tease! 

I looked down at my white shirt, and decided I should change. 

When I re-entered the kitchen in a baggy t-shirt and sweat pants, Jimin was sitting in the chair by the sink, towel wrapped around his shoulders, waiting patiently. 

He gave me an innocent smile. "I'm ready. Be gentle."

I smacked him upside the head a little harder than necessary. Jimin just laughed. 

I set to work dying Jimin's orange hair a more natural color. He told me about growing up in Korea, and why he came to school in the States. Jimin mentioned that he and Yoongi had met while serving in the same unit in the military. He bragged that they were both top marksmen. 

When I finished with his hair, Jimin went to take a shower. 

After tidying up the kitchen, I settled on the couch and decided to partake in something more akin to my typical Saturday. I watched an episode of Forensic Files. 

Just as things were picking up in the show, I felt Jimin sit down next to me. 

"I love how the narrator seems to get super excited when describing how the murder went down." 

I looked over at Jimin, "Me too." 

Holy crap. Damn, Jimin! 

His hair was still damp from the shower, and he was clad in very tight black jeans that were ripped at the knee and a plain white t-shirt. I scooted a little further away from him as I was not entirely confident I could control the urge I suddenly had to bite him on the neck. In other words, he looked like a snack. 

Although I had tried to be stealthy, Jimin noticed my retreat. 

He looked down at the couch cushions with a smirk. Running a hand through his hair, he looked up at me with lustful eyes. "Where are you going?" 

DAMN IT, JIMIN!

I cleared my throat. "So, what's next?"

Jimin arched an eyebrow and leaned in closer to me. I leaned away. 

"I mean the plan. What's the next part of the plan? You have your passport now, right? Do we need to get you to a Korean consulate?" 

He sat back with a disappointed sigh. "Eventually."

"Eventually? What do you mean 'eventually?'"

Jimin looked at me with big doe eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"No!"