"Thank you so much for telling me all of this," you sniffle, one hand reaching up to wipe hastily at the tears that are threatening to spill down your cheeks. Seokjin is quick to notice your action and tries to reach out to wipe away your tears like he said he would. However, the cheeky cub that has been holding onto you very tightly swats the sugar glider's hand away and uses his thumb gently to do so instead. "It means so much to me knowing that you all feel comfortable enough to share such intimate stories."
"You're a part of the pack now," Seokjin reminds you with a warm smile. "It's only natural to share our pasts now that we're close."
You swear at that moment, your heart swells to a point where you feel as if it's about to burst. You have definitely noticed how quickly you and the pack have gotten close within these past few months. But to know that they also acknowledge your tight bond, just makes the feeling all the better.
"I think we should remind her that she's a part of our pack more often," Yoongi smirks with a teasing tone. "It's cute seeing her blush like that."
"Yoongi!" you gasp, feeling somewhat scandalized and exposed. But at the same time, you can't help but laugh at your body's own response to a simple acknowledging comment from Seokjin.
"Oh? Someone responds well to teasing comments," Namjoon hums with one eyebrow quirked up in amusement. "It definitely beats having some bratty little cub biting you because you teased him out of endearment."
"Why do I get the feeling you're talking about me?" Jungkook huffs sarcastically.
"Probably because he is," Yoongi snorts. "I swear, we're going to have teeth marks engraved into our skin by the time we die judging by how often you like to bite us."
"Sounds kinky," you snicker.
You completely miss the lopsided smirk that appears on Jungkook's face after your comment because when your gaze sweeps around the room and settles on Jimin and Taehyung, the cheerful mood that was beginning to build shatters instantly.
"I want to thank Jimin and Taehyung, especially for sharing your stories," you say, catching the attention of the two gloomy hybrids. "I can only imagine how hard it was to share such vulnerable moments and I can't even begin to fathom the pain you had to go through because of it."
"Thank you," Jimin responds quietly, managing to muster a subtle tug of his lips in a smiling motion.
"I guess it's only fair that I share some of my childhood stories as well, right?" you say, trying to lighten the mood.
"Actually, there's one more thing I want to tell you," Hoseok declares as he loosens himself from his embrace around Jimin slightly.
"Oh, okay. What is it?"
"Your grandfather actually told us all about you during his visits," the red panda hybrid admits, causing the oldest two hybrids to physically facepalm. "He told us so many stories - it honestly feels like we grew up with you."
"Hobi, as much as your honesty is appreciated in most situations-" Namjoon begins to chuckle awkwardly.
"-Now it just seems like we're creeps because we knew a lot about Y/N but she knew nothing about us," Jungkook finishes.
"No, don't feel bad about it," you laugh. "I honestly expected that much. My grandfather was always a very outgoing man and he loved striking up conversations with anyone and everyone. More often than not, his topic of conversation would be family."
"Wait, so everyone knows how...complicated your family is?" Seokjin asks while tilting his head in confusion.
"No, not necessarily," you shake your head. "My grandfather rarely told others about the negative aspects of his family life. He more so talked about the positive things. For instance, when my uncle opened up his own hospital, he talked about that for a few months. Or when my aunt worked as the secretary to a local governor, he also talked about that."
"Well, he talked about you the most when he came to visit us," Hoseok says matter-of-factly.
"Really? I wonder why. I honestly haven't done anything that big of a scale yet," you purse your lips as you think through all of the big accomplishments you've made thus far.
"Perhaps he knew that we would all get along well," Jungkook beams.
"I honestly think your grandfather bragged about you to everyone, more often than you think, Y/N," Namjoon chuckles.
"That's both flattering and scary to hear," you chuckle honestly.
"I don't think there's anything to be scared of. He said all good things, I promise. You can tell he was very proud to have you as a granddaughter," Yoongi assures you.
"What about those stories that he told us of when Y/N was younger-" Jungkook begins to ponder aloud but a sudden hard glare from Jimin has him zipping his lips together within a heartbeat.
"What stories?" you muse.
"Huh? No stories," the fox hybrid mumbles under his breath oh-so convincingly.
"Oh sure," you giggle with a lighthearted eye roll.
"So what's going to happen to us now?" Jimin asks, trying to change the topic.
"What do you mean? You guys will continue to live here until your house is done being built. Hopefully, they finish it sometime within the next three, maybe two months.
"What if people come looking for us?" Jungkook asks in a much quieter tone than before.
Then it clicks in your mind. He's scared that the same men who hunted down Jimin's brother and his parents will come looking for him now that the public is aware of who the pack is. And even in Taehyung's case, his old handler might track him down.
"Right," you nod stiffly. "Well, I'll talk with Soobin to see if there's any way we can get some extra protection around here. If not, we can install a better security system at the very least."
"Don't worry about them, Kook," Namjoon "We have each other's backs."
"We should be safe from Hybrid Services, right? You're all over 18 so they shouldn't be coming to look for you, right?" you ask, trying to recall if there are any loopholes HS could possibly take.
"We should be safe from them," Hoseok nods.
"Although, the people from the sanctuary might come looking for me," Yoongi adds. "They aren't a part of HS but I was their only snow leopard so they might come."
"Honestly, what if I just adopt you guys?" you blurt out suddenly. The room goes quiet and everyone seems to be taking in your abrupt proposal. "Sorry, I know that was sudden. But if I at least adopt Yoongi, Jimin, Taehyung, and maybe Jungkook, that'll keep everyone out of trouble, right?"
"Wait, Y/N has a point," the pack leader perks up in interest. "Jin, Hobi, and I are rather safe compared to the rest of you guys. But if Y/N adopts you all, she'll be your legal owner which means others can't do you any harm. They can certainly try but they'll be faced with punishments if they do so. If they were to try right now, they'd be able to walk away, free from any charges."
"I'm okay with it," Jungkook shrugs nonchalantly. "Maybe that'll mean I get to spend more time with Y/N."
You chuckle silently when the black panther hybrid squeezes his arms around your waist gently and snuggles his cheek into the crook of your neck.
"Are the rest of you okay with it? I won't do it if you're not comfortable with it," you ask sincerely, looking at each of them to try to catch a glimpse at the emotions they're facing internally.
You can tell something is bothering Yoongi but it's not a negative reaction per se. It just seems like the snow leopard hybrid is thinking through some things. Jimin also seems to be pretty at ease. The fox hybrid has a neutral expression but his eyes tell you that he's pretty much on board with your proposal. Taehyung, however, is the hardest for you to read. His face is blank and his eyes are distant. In that instant, you think he's set on rejecting your offer.
"I'm okay with it," Jimin announces with a firm nod. Your eyes light up and you send the older male a wide smile which he returns with a small smile of his own.
"I'm also okay with it," Yoongi shrugs. "I just think there might be some complications because I'm technically still in the sanctuary's system and I'm not really up for adoption."
"That's what I was thinking too," you nod. "I'll talk with Soobin to see if we can work around that."
"Okay, sounds good," Namjoon nods. "Tae? How about you, bub?"
"I-" the tiger hybrid hesitates.
"I know this is a tough decision to make, Tae," you say softly when you notice his conflicted expression. "You don't have to tell me right now. Take all the time you need. I can just give Soobin a call later today and tell him about Yoongi, Jimin, and Jungkook's confirmed decision and I'll also tell him you're still deciding."
Upon hearing your offer, Taehyung gives you a quick nod.
"I think I'll also call Director Sim today as well," you say after a few moments of contemplation.
"Director Sim? What for?" Seokjin asks.
"I want to tell him of my final decision."
"Oh how exciting," the eldest smiles.
Your attention is diverted when Taehyung quietly gets up and excuses himself. Everyone watches as the tiger hybrid walks in the direction of his room with heavy steps. You hesitate for a moment but Jungkook reluctantly lets go of you when you gently tap him on one of his arms so that you can follow after Taehyung.
As your feet pad down the hallway, you question if you should just give the tiger hybrid some time alone. Perhaps he just needs quiet time to think about your offer of adopting him. But something in your gut is telling you that you need to be there for him right now so you continue on your way.
When you approach the door to the master bedroom that he shares with Namjoon, you stop for a second. The door itself is open so you stop at the door frame to peer inside the room. Taehyung is lying on the bed, with his back facing the door, his body curled into a protective fetal position.
As you step into the room, you notice one of his ears flick at the sound of your footsteps. You settle with climbing onto the bed and snuggling up behind the tiger hybrid silently, slinging an arm over his torso in a loose cuddle. His body tenses at first upon initial contact but gradually relaxes into your hold as the minutes pass.
"Tell me what's on your mind, Tae. You've been a little distant ever since you shared your story and I can tell it goes beyond just sharing such a traumatic experience," you whisper after a while of basking in silence.
"I'm scared," he admits, voice barely above a husky whisper.
"Of what?"
"Now that you know about the hideous monster I used to be, I'm scared. I don't want history to repeat itself," Taehyung explains.
"Tae," you warn. "I've already told you this and I will continue telling you this, however many times until you remember that you aren't a monster just because of what you've done in the past. The true monsters were the men that allowed everything to happen."
"But I hurt someone, Y/N," the tiger hybrid cries out gently. "At the time, that person used to be so important to me. And I'm scared that if you adopt me - what if I end up hurting you? I'd never forgive myself if I hurt you. You mean the universe to me."
"You're not going to hurt me, Tae Tae," you reassure him. "I know you won't."
"Don't say something dumb like that," the older male frowns. "You can never predict what I'm going to do. The guys have been helping me and I've definitely gotten better, but when I get into that mindset, it's hard to stop me."
"I'm not saying you won't physically hurt me. I understand that it takes time to overcome something you've been trained to do at such a young age and sometimes there are moments that you can't control. Rather, I'm saying that if it does happen, I won't take it personally. I won't leave you because of it. I'll be here every step of the way."
"I'm still scared," he admits, turning around so that he can face you. Your heart nearly breaks when you notice the tears that have pooled in his eyes by now.
"Oh, Tae," you sigh. "I wish you could see yourself in my point of view. Because when I look at you, I don't see a monster. I see a strong, handsome, goofy tiger hybrid that has overcome so much. I see a survivor. Oh, and did I mention good-looking?"
"No, I don't think you did," he finally chuckles. "Tell me again about how good-looking I am."
"You're the most handsome man I've ever met," you giggle, reaching one hand up to play with his loose dark chocolate curls and to pet his soft ears. "But don't tell Seokjin I said that. I'll be in a lot of trouble if you do."
"Thank you, Y/N," Taehyung hums gratefully with a genuine smile resting on his lips. "Thank you for always being here."
Your heart skips a beat when you notice him cast a quick glance down at your lips, and it takes all the willpower not to lean back out of sheer panic.
"Don't thank me. I want to be here for you guys," you whisper. Your body involuntarily shudders when he cups one side of your jaw with his hand. As he leans in closer, you're certain he can hear how loudly your heart is pounding in your chest. "Tae? What are you doing?"
"I'm going to kiss you," he answers bluntly.
"But-"
"If you can't tell by now, my little fool, we're all really fond of you. And not just platonically. Jungkook's a dead giveaway. But you know we're in deep shit when even Yoongi flirts with you openly. The leopard usually doesn't even bat an eyelash towards anyone that's outside of his 'circle'," Taehyung muses, leaning in impossibly closer.
"Oh, is that so?"
By now your mind is running laps. First and foremost, Taehyung just asked if he can kiss you. Second, the tiger hybrid just confirmed that the entire pack has somehow developed romantic feelings for you - something you thought would only happen in your dreams. And third, you're practically on cloud nine knowing that you're in Yoongi's exclusive flirt circle.
"Is it alright if I kiss you? I won't do it if you don't want me to," Taehyung asks again, his lips close enough so that they're ghosting over yours.
"Kiss me."
♡ ♡ ♡
Happy Monday, my precious Dalgis! Here's this week's update. As promised, we have Tae's special moment with Y/N first. How did you like it? I know it was a rather abrupt ending, especially during such a sweet moment, so we'll be seeing more of their interactions at the beginning of next week's update!
Regarding the order of the rest of the members, Namjoon, Jimin, and Jungkook were tied for second and Seokjin, Yoongi, and Hoseok were tied for third haha. So just like last time, please comment by the member you want to see have a special moment with Y/N next!
Seokjin
Yoongi
Hoseok
Namjoon
Jimin
Jungkook
Question of the Week: Do you like traveling? (Thank you to Coppernose on AO3 for the question suggestion!)
I absolutely love traveling! Before the pandemic, my family and I used to travel practically every summer to a new destination. So far, my favorite vacation spots have been Alaska, Taiwan, Korea, and New York. Although, if I were to choose a destination for the food specifically, I would go back to Georgia because, oh man, everything there was so delicious! I'm really hoping that I can travel again in the near future. I definitely want to visit Japan, Australia, and Europe at least once in my lifetime.
Now that it's November, I'm starting to think of concert outfit ideas for November 27th. Normally, my style is rather simple and comfortable. For instance, I have a lot of neutral-colored clothes that are easily paired with each other. But I feel like everyone always goes to a BTS concert wearing their best clothes. So if any of you would like to help me, I'd really appreciate it if you could send me outfit suggestions! Feel free to email or DM (via Twitter or Discord) me screenshots of outfit ideas! I'm honestly pretty open to anything, although I'm not too confident when it comes to crop tops, lol.
As always, I hope you have a happy, healthy, and safe week! I love you all so much!
Until next Monday,
Dalgi Jungoo 🍓