Standing in front of the alley once again, Hoseok flicks on the flashlight and heads down between the two buildings. Every step he makes can be heard as his shoes shift the gravel beneath them. His own breathing sounds loud to him and even when he holds his breath to listen, his racing heart drowns out the silence of the night. There's no reason to be scared, he tells himself. If the hybrid attacks him, he can easily fight him off. If he's not here then he's alone and in no danger. But these thoughts don't comfort him as he hopes.
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The beam of the flashlight falls on the pile of rags and Hoseok is happy to see that the food he left earlier is gone, but then he's hit in the stomach by something that knocks him to the ground and subsequently falls on top of him, the flashlight hitting the concrete and flickering out. "Hey!" Hoseok yells at the body that's thrashing against his own in the dark. He can tell it's the hybrid. As the fists and elbows that collide with him are weak. The hybrid likely used most of his strength for the initial blow. "Wait, wait!" He yells as he tries to get some type of hold on the squirming hybrid without hurting him.
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A deep guttural growl and flailing limbs are all he's met with. Until he's able to grab a skinny waist, he then brings it towards him. Pulling the hybrid into a bear hug. Hoseok gets one flailing arm under control and then the other, but can't do much about the hybrid's feet which continue to kick wildly in a vain attempt to escape. "Would you calm down please, I'm not here to hurt you, I'm the one that left the food." Hoseok's voice is strained as he talks, but he tries to stay kind. Not fighting back, but simply holding on. To his surprise the hybrid relaxes, the weak kicking ceasing. Hoseok takes a moment to breathe and lets the hybrid go, not wanting to touch him more than necessary.
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"I don't need your help, leave me alone." The hybrid states matter of fact. His voice deeper than expected. Hoseok gets on his hands and knees before searching along the ground for the flashlight, completely blind in the pitch-black alleyway. "Yeah, no?". "You're too thin, you need some real food otherwise you'll never stay warm. Winter is only a few more weeks away." Hoseok's hand finally finds the cool smooth metal of the flashlight. He gets up as he tries flicking it on a few times, but it doesn't work making Hoseok worry because it's not his. He just borrowed it. "I can get food myself, I don't need you." The hybrid growls out in anger. When Hoseok finally gets the flashlight to turn on by bashing it into his hand, he sighs relieved as he points it at the hybrid.
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The would-be doctor gets his first look at just how bad the hybrid's condition is. Beneath a mop of dusty hair is a pale and haggard-looking face, accentuated by the deep circles that line his eyes. Hoseok doesn't know much about hybrids, but he does know human anatomy. The fact is, he's way too thin for his height. The oversized shirt he's wearing doesn't hide the fact that his collar bones are sticking out beyond what is normal. If anything, it makes him look even smaller, drowning his slight frame. Adding to that, a filthy pair of loose sweatpants and he looks like a kid who was trying to wear his dad's clothes and got them all dirty playing outside in the mud.
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Hoseok begins questioning himself wondering if leaving him alone is really the right thing to do. He should just drag the hybrid to a shelter because while he has some clothes, the fact is that the hybrid can't take care of himself. He's undoubtedly starving and nowhere near dressed for the winter which is coming closer each day. The hybrid squints in the bright light and shrinks in on himself, crossing his arms as Hoseok looks him over, but despite his aversion to the light, he never takes his eyes off Hoseok. Clearly untrusting of his intentions.
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He may have left him food, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want something that the hybrid doesn't want to give, ulterior motives potentially hidden behind good deeds. "I can tell, you don't trust humans. I don't blame you we're not exactly the greatest bunch." The hybrid stares at him not saying anything just watching him intensely. "But I can't bear to see you out here in the cold. You're too young for society to have failed you already." Hoseok glances down, knowing his own past is full of those who failed to keep him safe from the drunk fists of his father.
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"Society can't fail what it never intended to support." The hybrid says bluntly, green-yellow eyes squinting in an icy cold stare, which hits Hoseok harder than the chilling fall wind. Hoseok sighs out a long breath, which can be seen condensing in the air. As he considers his options. Just that small statement makes him feel like the hybrid may be smarter than he may have originally judged him. But that doesn't deny the cold hard fact that he's struggling to survive on his own. He may have been taught like a normal human wherever he comes from, but living on the street isn't as easy as many people think even if they are intelligent.
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Hoseok could force him to go to the shelter or be miserable and homeless or he could let him be and help him along the best he can. He nods when he makes his quick decision. "I won't stop bringing you food and I'd like to give you some clothes as well if you'll let me. I won't be able to sleep thinking of you freezing out here when I could do something, I'd never forgive myself if I found you dead from exposure." This whole time he keeps trying to remember the speech he had been practicing, but he doesn't remember a word of it instead speaking from the heart.
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"Do what you wish" The hybrid says, voice cold and uncaring. He finally takes his eyes off Hoseok and turns toward his little nook. Climbing in under the rags and curling into a ball. Hoseok just stands there dumbstruck by how poorly the plan in his head had gone. Not a single moment of the past few minutes was anywhere close to what he had been thinking. But the hybrid hadn't run away. He hadn't told him no, only that he couldn't stop him from helping, which was good because he didn't intend on stopping anyway no matter what. "I'm Hoseok by the way." The hybrid says nothing, his eyes closed ignoring him. Hoseok nods to himself before taking off down the alleyway, a flashlight guiding him along his path.
YOU ARE READING
Alley Cat
FanfictionStruggling medical student Hoseok is on his way home when a shadowy figure crosses his path into an alleyway. Figuring it's a teen trying not to get caught out late at night he goes home not thinking about it again. But in the morning his curiosity...
