STRAY // JJK x HYBRID (bunny)✔️ Re-Writing

·CHAPTER 14·

BO-YOUNG

My lungs ache as I gasp in the frigid air, my weak legs struggling not to buckle as I run past the club and towards Jungkook's apartment. I can taste the distinct metallic tang of blood in my mouth. The brick apartment is in sight. I carry on, despite my body's pleas for me to stop.

I unlock the front door with trembling hands and step in, looking in horror at the stairs and feeling an impulse to scream out of frustration. Each step burns my calves as I climb.

Floor one—I want to curse whoever invented stairs.

Floor two—I feel like I've run a marathon.

Floor three—I can hear the blood pumping through my veins and pulsing in my head.

Floor four—one more to go, as long as my legs don't give up.

And finally, floor five.

I lean against the door, wheezing. "I'm never doing that again."

The door unlocks with a click, and I step inside to find Jungkook sitting on the couch, anxiously tapping his leg as he studies his watch. When he hears me enter, he looks up.

"I was beginning to worry," he breathes a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?"

I stumble into the apartment, feeling a bead of sweat drip down my brow as I struggle to catch my breath. I give him a thumbs up. "What time is it?"

"One minute to midnight," he informs me. I give him a shaky smile.

"See? I made it back in time," I wheeze. Triumph has never felt worse.

Jungkook looks at me sympathetically, watching as I collapse onto the couch next to him.

"You said you were going for a walk," he comments. "What happened?"

I decide not to tell Jungkook that I followed a stranger to his home—the poor man would have a heart attack. Instead, I say: "I got a bit caught up walking down the familiar streets. I zoned out, and before I knew it, I was further away than I planned to go."

Jungkook hums, not fully awake as he listens to me. He seems to be on the verge of passing out.

"I'm glad you made it back safe," he yawns.

"Yeah, I'm glad I wasn't made into a delicious rabbit stew," I laugh, but Jungkook—not privy to the inside joke—just looks at me in confusion. He's too tired to ask, though.

I watch as his eyes flutter closed and his head falls back onto the back cushion of the couch. His chest rises and falls slowly, soft snores coming from him. I feel bad for making him wait for me, especially since he was up earlier than me. No wonder he's so tired.

I cautiously stand, careful not to disturb him as I grab the quilt from the armrest, draping it over him.

"You know," I whisper. "This is the first time I've walked the streets and actually felt no fear. Taehyung said you were a keeper, and I'm beginning to think he was right. Thank you for everything," I say candidly, only having the courage to be so honest when I know he can't hear me.

I stare at the wall clock, watching the seconds tick by as the minute hand ticks past midnight as I fiddle with the pen in my pocket. Exhaustion overwhelms me as I begin to breathe normally again. My eyelids seem determined to close, and who am I to deny them? Too tired to move, I pull the large quilt over myself too before allowing myself to fall asleep. 

(This is a short chapter to keep the chapter numbers the same in the re-write. The plot refurbishment cut out chapter 11, so I had to fill in the gap. Sorry about the short length.)