There is a divide in society.
Protectors and humans.
Protectors are those who are able to shift between their human and animal form. At the ceremony they become bound together till death takes them both.
The world I know and the world you know are l...
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"Normal" - Speaking "Italics" - Sign language
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Author POV
Jimin had not been feeling well, he was practically at the point of passing out before they even left the Choi estate. Both the heads of the houses had exchanged personal details so they could keep in contact. They seemed sincere in their declaration to help Jimin find his shifters, but Jimin was no longer naïve to the world. He saw the looks they exchanged, the near manic grins on their faces which were enough to send chills up one's spine.
Since Han-gyeol had tested Jin and Jimin's bond, confirming it to be like a normal bond, Jin had to go with Jimin as they could no longer be separated. So Jimin and Jin had curled up against each other on the car journey home.
"Carry him to his room" had been the first command out of Sung Park's mouth the moment the car stopped at the Park estate.
Jimin barely felt it as he was lifted into a bridal carry by one of the servants of the house, Jin had a little more energy so he walked alongside them, plus no one wanted to go near the snow leopard shifter anyway.
With Jimin being left in his room to rest, Jin had jumped onto the bed to curl up by the human's side.
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When Jimin next awoke, his body feeling lethargic, it was the next day around lunch time. He had slept for several hours and yet he still felt tired. Despite this he forced his eyes to open and take in his surroundings, he could feel a large warm presence beside him. When he turned his head it was to see the white fur of a snow leopard shifter.
So it hadn't been a dream, Jimin reached out to brush his hands along the slightly matted fur. Clearly the Choi heir, Beom-gyul, had not cared for the shifter lying beside Jimin. Jimin forced himself up into a seating position so that he could have a better look at the damage Jin had faced under the Choi family's care.
Unfortunately the jostling of the bed when Jimin lifted himself awoke the sleeping shifter. A green eye opened to focus on the human, the other misty white one looked in his direction with an unseeing gaze.
"Hi" Jimin's voice sounded croaky and sore from not speaking for so long. But this was one of the few people who deserved and was permitted to hear Jimin's voice, so he made the effort.
Jin raised up onto his paws so he could butt his head against Jimin's. Jimin allowed it, his eyes closing in a small serene moment.
"I'm so sorry" Jimin held onto the shifter's face, his eyes looking straight into the shifter's green one, the other a misty white that made Jimin's heart clench in his chest.
Jin made a noise in the back of his throat, before lifting a paw up to pull Jimin close in the best resemblance of a hug he could give. Jimin melted into the affectionate touch, after being starved of it for so long, it was an almost overwhelming feeling.
"Your fur must hurt" Jimin spoke to himself more than anything, reaching out to brush his hands over the matted fur.
Jin's head brushed against his shoulder as the shifter nodded in response to the statement. So he messaged the servants of the house to buy some detangling shampoo for animals so he could tackle the issue.
In the time waiting for the shampoo to arrive Jimin and Jin cuddled, generally basking in each other's presence, Jin for the first time in years felt like he was truly safe. It was like he had been living for 8 years on the edge of a breakdown, the stress this put on his body was unbelievable.
~*~
When Jimin heard the knock on the door, he got up to go and collect the shampoo. He signed a quick 'thank you' to the servant and closed the door behind him.
"Come on, lets get the matts out of your fur" Jimin smiled, heading towards the bathroom, Jin could feel the pull on the bond, so immediately he jumped from the bed to follow the human, in order to relieve the aching feeling in his chest from their momentary separation.
Jin had to admit the warm water on his fur, with the gentle hands of Jimin running the shampoo through the matted fur was comforting. Especially as Jimin took extra care not to aggravate his already irritated fur.
A kind hand felt to unnatural now to the shifter who had faced too much trauma in a short amount of years. So to suddenly feel this safe was an overwhelming contrast. But he breathed through it as each matt was removed from his fur with gentle hands.
The moment he stepped out the bath he felt like a new shifter, Jimin took him back into the bedroom where he used the hair dryer to dry Jin's fur so he wouldn't drip water all over the floor.
Jin noticed that Jimin was careful around the collar, he had been wearing it ever since he got back to the camps, it was exactly like the one he wore before Jimin's father, Jaymin, had removed it almost 8 years ago. It prevented him from shifting between his animal and human form, they wanted shifters to only be seen as animals, almost like they were pets than humans in their own right.
So when Jimin's hands came to unclasp the collar that had been bound around his throat for too long, did Jin's breath get a little shaky in anticipation. He heard the resounding click and then the weight of the collar fell away.
It only took one moment of hesitation before Jimin was embraced in the arms of another. Tears falling onto his shoulder as years of stress and fear spilled from the shifter who now stood as a free human once more.
~*~
So a bit of fluff after all the angst.
We are shifter hunting in the next chapter.
So who do you think it will be, or who do you hope is found first?
