Our Mate (SKZ X Reader)

Two

The meeting with Mr. Athens took all of your physical and mental energy. In the end, you decided to just keep everything left to you, including the eight hybrids. The idea of giving them up and forcing them out of their home didn't seem right to you. You also didn't really like the idea of 'owning' them but it was the only way to keep them from being sent to a shelter. 

They're all likely in a pack as well, and if you had given them up they probably would've been split up to make it easier for them to be adopted or they'd be stuck bouncing between shelters until someone finally took all of them.

You feel a bit bad that the group will have to remain alone even longer until you get your things packed and shipped to your new home which is halfway across the country. Despite being exhausted, you decide to get a head start on packing your minimal belongings.

You were never really one to splurge money on things you didn't really need though you did treat yourself every once in a while. Most of your money was spent on living expenses or put into a savings account for emergencies. Thanks to your aunt, you no longer really need to worry about that though things probably won't change much.

Surprisingly, you manage to pack up most of your clothes and other miscellaneous items leaving only a few outfits to take with you when you fly over there, your bathing supplies, and your bedding which you will pack away when you wake up. 

You've already arranged for a moving company to come pick up your belongings first thing in the morning so the only thing you really need to worry about is the flight over there. It shouldn't be a long flight and for that you're thankful. You'd hate to be cooped up on a plane surrounded by strangers for countless hours right before going to your new home filled with even more strangers.

You're quite thankful that at least quitting your job was easy. Your boss was very understanding when you explained the situation and she wished you luck. She even told you that if you find yourself needing a job again to just call her and she'll hook you up at one of the sister companies near where you're moving. Her nonchalant attitude towards the entire thing made you feel a lot better about leaving without much notice.

Glancing around your room, you nod to yourself once you see that everything is packed away minus the few exceptions. Now that you're not actively focusing on something you can feel the exhaustion settling in your bones. With one last quick glance, you change out of your work clothes and crawl into bed to sleep in your apartment for the last time.

*****

Waking the next morning was a bit confusing when you couldn't see your art hanging on the walls. It wasn't until you sat up and saw the multitude of boxes that you remembered exactly what was going on. In just a few short hours you'll be boarding a flight to your aunts home- your home. It's still a bit surreal.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you go through your usual routine before packing away the bathroom items into their own little box and labeling it. After changing into a clean outfit, you stuff your pajamas into your suitcase before the remaining outfits you had set aside just in case it takes a while for everything to arrive. Now all that's left is to wait for the movers and turn in your keys to your landlord, then it's off to the airport.

The wait is rather long and boring but soon enough a group of men is loading your boxes into a moving truck and your landlord is thanking you for being such a good tenant for all these years. You feel kind of bad leaving the little old man but he's quick to assure you that he'll have your apartment filled before you know it.

After the unnecessarily long farewells, you hop into a cab to head to the airport. Your car will remain at the apartment complex until the car company you called comes to collect it, the keys being entrusted to your old landlord until then. 

You figured there was no point in keeping the vehicle if you're going to be keeping whatever vehicles your aunt left behind. They're surely much better and newer than your twenty year old car that looks like it'll break down at any second. Plus it's not nearly large enough to fit you and the eight hybrids you've adopted.

With the way your aunt was, you highly doubt the hybrids got out very much. If they did, it probably wasn't away from the property. If you're going to be the one taking care of them now then you want to give them a happy life. You want to take them out to hybrid friendly places and let them explore.

That's if they decide they do want to stay with you, at least. If they want to leave then you won't stop them. The world may consider them below humans and have given them less rights because of this but to you they should be able to live how they want. They might be part animal, but they're still human. They should be allowed to live outside of shelters on their own if they have no desire of being adopted.

The eight hybrids may technically belong to you legally, but you'll never see them as pets or objects you own. For now, they'll simply be your roommates if they stay and maybe that will evolve into friendship. Either way, you refuse to consider yourself their owner. Hopefully they accept you moving into their home.