It’d only been four days since their last session and Jeongguk already missed Taehyung. He hadn't meant to. It just kind of happened. He was so used to the young man arriving at his doorstep, his face lit up in a bright smile and slinging his backpack down in the tiled entryway before following Jeongguk to the kitchen where his ‘positive reinforcement behavioural plan’ (let’s face it, it was a glorified star chart) was hung on the fridge.
He missed the way Taehyung’s eyes would practically glow with pride when he saw all the check marks beside the tasks he’d assigned the hybrid. That look in and of itself was almost incentive enough to complete all his chores, despite how stupid and demeaning he often found it. He even missed the slight crease the older boy would get between his brow when Jeongguk had an off day and disappointed him, even if he hated the stab of guilt that expression never failed to elicit.
And he definitely missed Taehyung’s strong fingers delving into his hair and over his sensitive ears, firm but careful, much like the man himself. He missed his warmth at his back and his breath on his neck, the way he tucked Jeongguk against his chest and rested his chin on his head. He missed the clean, musky scent of him and the way it mingled with Jeongguk’s own, lingering on his skin hours after he’d left.
Loneliness swallowed the colour in his world, leaving it grey and listless. But he still went through his tasks, ticking them off one by one, because he knew that’s what Taehyung would want. He understood why Taehyung couldn't come. He was a bit self-involved sometimes, but he wasn’t that selfish. He trusted that Taehyung would be back as soon as he was able. He had earned that faith. With every appearance at his door, with every promise kept, with every time he’d remained steadfast in his corner, he’d proved himself.
So when Mama Kim called him from the kitchen, he apologised to his team mates, put down his controller, taken off his headset and gotten up to pop his head around the doorway.
“Yes, Mama Kim?”
“Oh there you are, Gukkie.” He felt himself relax a little. She only called him Gukkie when she was in a good mood. He wasn’t in trouble. Not that he thought he was, but with grown ups you just never knew. “Can you please help me with lunch? I knew you’ve helped with dinner twice this week already but Namjoon rang me last minute to say he’s coming over...” She kept rambling but Jeongguk stopped listening.
Joon hyung was coming home! He felt his ears and tail lift with excitement and he bounced a little on the spot. “Sure, Mama Kim! I’ll help. What do you want me to do?” He agreed readily. He didn’t mind cooking if it was for Joonie. He didn’t mind doing anything if it was for Joonie.
Namjoon arrive just after one pm. Jeongguk leapt up from the couch when he heard the knock on the door, almost tripping over his feet in his eagerness to get the door.
“Joonie hung!” He practically sang, launching himself at his owner.
“Whoa! Steady on, Gukkie.” Namjoon chuckled, patting his back.
Jeongguk pulled back, wrinkling his nose. His Joonie smelled weird. Wrong.
“Oh my god! He’s adorable!” A feminine voice practically squealed and Jeongguk jerked his head around in surprise.
His eyes narrowed when they fell upon a pretty young woman who looked about Namjoon’s age standing just behind him.
“Who are you?” Jeongguk asked rudely, his arms tightening around his Joonie again, even if he did smell weird.
“Jeongguk, let them in. You can interrogate them once they’re inside the house.” Mama Kim said dryly. “Hi, you must be Yeri. Namjoon’s told me so much about you.”
Namjoon slipped out of Jeongguk’s hold and slung a supportive arm around the girl’s waist. They smiled at each other in a way that made Jeongguk want to flick his feet and smear his scent all over the man. He settled for scowling at the stranger.
When they returned to the lounge room, Jeongguk was relegated to the arm chair while Yeri got to sit snuggled up beside his Joonie hyung. That was his spot! His ears twitched dangerously. He didn’t listen to what Namjoon was saying, too busy glaring at the pair jealously.
“Jeongguk.” Mama Kim called. His ears swivelled in her direction but his eyes stayed fixed on the couple making heart eyes at each other on the sofa. “Could you please help me in the kitchen?”
His jaw clenched and he was about to refuse, but that disappointed crease in Taehyung’s brow came unbidden to his mind and he gave a reluctant nod. “Fine.” He grated. No one said he had to be happy about it.
He stomped after Mama Kim to the warmth of the kitchen and the delicious smells of the upcoming meal.
“Gukkie, I know you’re upset.” She said, surprising him. He turned his full attention to her. “But Yeri is a guest in our home and I’m asking you to treat her with kindness and respect.”
His eyes narrowed and his jaw jut mutinously.
“Please, Jeongguk. This is important to Namjoon. He wants us to like her. Give her a chance. If not for her sake, than for his. Ok?” She reasoned.
He poked his tongue against his cheek in obvious displeasure before giving a tight nod. “Fine. I’ll be nice.” The word left a bad taste in his mouth.
“That’s my boy.” She smiled and he looked away, embarrassed, because she’d never called him her boy before.
Jeongguk tried, he really did. He smiled politely and used his honorifics like Taehyung taught him. He didn’t growl or grunt or stamp his feet. He even let her touch his ears for a brief moment before flicking them irritably and moving out of range of her curious hands.
But Joonie hyung smelled wrong and he was certain this Yeri had something to do with it. It set his teeth on edge, made him jittery and discomforted. First Taehyung was gone and now his Joonie was back but he was wrong!
Jeongguk finally couldn’t contain his turbulent emotions, cornering Joon hyung as he exited the bathroom. One of the few times Yeri had left his side. “You smell bad.” He whined, pinning his surprised senior against the wall and sniffing at him delicately. “What is that?” It was musky and rubbery and chemically and weird and he hated it.
“Guk, let got please.” He wasn’t even looking at him, all his attention focussed down the hall, on her.
“No! Why do you smell like that? What is that? Is it her?”
“Guk!” Namjoon firmly took Jeongguk’s hands from his shirt and walked past him, back to Yeri.
After Namjoon and Yeri had thanked Mama Kim for the meal, even though Jeongguk had helped, they excused themselves and went to lie down. In Jeongguk’s bed! He paced restlessly behind the closed door. Namjoon had locked it. He’d never done that before. Jeongguk whined, scratching at it with his claws before going back to pacing. He heard their low murmured voices and scratched again. Why couldn’t he come in? It was his room!
Then suddenly, that smell was back, the wrongness that coated Joon hyung; fresher, more pungent. He whined again, shaking his head to rid himself of it.
“Hyung...” He called through the door in distress.
The door swung wide under Jeongguk’s scratching claws and Namjoon’s impatient face loomed over him. “What?”
“Can I...” Jeongguk swallowed, suddenly unsure of himself. Joon hyung wasn’t usually snappy with him. “Can I come in?” He asked in a small voice.
“Guk, we’re sleeping.”
“No, you’re not. I heard you talking.”
“Guk we’re busy.” Namjoon stressed and another waft of that wrong smell hit him.
His face flamed crimson as he finally realised what that smell was. They were mating! In his bed!
“Oh my god! That’s so gross! I have to sleep in there!” He whisper shouted at his hyung.
“Not tonight, you don’t.” Namjoon grated. “We’ll be taking the bed. You can sleep on the sofa. I’ll change the sheets before we leave. Now if you’ll excuse me.” And the door swung closed in his face.
Jeongguk pulled up short at his words. He wasn’t sharing the bed with Namjoon? He always shared a bed with Namjoon. It was their bed.
Stupid Yeri, stealing his owner and his bed. He hated her! He hated them! They could have the stupid bed! They could have the whole house for all he cared!
He stormed through the house, pausing only long enough to snag his jacket from the hook in the entryway before slamming out the door.
A/N Guk is not a happy camper.
We all hating on Joon yet? Don't be too hard on him. He's a bit of a selfish dick, but he doesn't mean any harm. Besides if he was the owner he was supposed to be, this would be a Namkook book, not Taegguk. So in a way he's helping? 🤷♀️🙃
Anyways, I wonder where he could possibly be going? 👣🤔👀😂
Don't forget to vote, my dear readers and remember I purple you!💜💜💜💜💜