Running with the wolves [j.jk ff.]

f o u r

Jungkook had fallen asleep next to Jisoo that night, curled by her feet and his face close to her thigh where the bite had been. It was still quite early when he rose, he normally wouldn't have woken up yet, but the girl next to him on the bed had started to move in her sleep and Jungkook figured she would wake up soon. It would be relatively hard to explain their position, so he quickly rose and went to the living room, where Namjoon-hyung was drinking coffee next to Hwayoung.

"You are up early today!" Namjoon stated, a brow rose in surprise and Jungkook scratched his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah well... She is going to wake up soon and it would be hard to explain why I stayed the night" he muttered and sat down next to the two. "Do we still have cereal?" he suddenly asked the girl next to him and Hwayoung pointed to the shelf in the kitchen, not even looking up from her manga. Jungkook muttered a quick thanks and went to grab the cereal. Though he was one of the taller ones in his pack, even he had to stand on his tiptoes to reach the cardboard box.

"Good morning... Thank you for yesterday" could be heard from the living area and Jungkook smiled to himself, pouring a bowl of milk before adding the cereal he so adored. "No problem" Hwayoung answered the shy girl and motioned her to sit with a smile. "We're just glad that you're okay" Namjoon added to the conversation and Jisoo chuckled, making Jungkook's heart melt and resulted in him spilling some of his cereal.

He hurried to clean the spill up before Yoona would tear him some extra ear piercings and made his way to the three. "Hey! If that isn't Jungkook's mate! Already up, I see?" Hoseok's energized voice sounded into the living room, as he was looking down from his position on the stairs. Jungkook froze, the bowl slipping from his normally skilled fingertips. "Hyung!" he screamed in panic and embarrassment. "Yah! Jungkook did you spill your cereal again?!" Yoona screeched from down the hall. This was all a mess. The only one that was not tense or angry was Jisoo, who was laughing at the absurdity of it all.

"Don't be so embarrassed, Jungkook," she laughed and his eyes instantly came to rest on her, his lips curving into a smile. "I guess after yesterday you could consider us friends. Or mates as your family says." Hwayoung broke into a fit of laughter at her innocent words. "He just got friend zoned by his own mate!" she giggled to Namjoon and he too had to stifle his laughter.

Jungkook glared at them and then stalked back into the kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat, before I take you home?" he asked Jisoo over his shoulder and the latter went to accompany him. "It's okay, could I just have a glass of water?" she asked him silently and Jungkook was quick to deliver. "Your family is very lively" she commented, "not at all how the hunters in my village behave." Because they are scared of us. "Oh is that so?" Jungkook asked, masking his uneasiness behind an equally uneasy chuckle.

"Should we go then?" he then quickly redirected their small conversation and Jisoo nodded. "My mother is probably already mourning my possible death" she joked, but her comment hurt Jungkook deeply. It could've easily been the truth because of my mistakes... "We're heading out!" Jungkook told his family, before opening Jisoo the front door.

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, everyone lost in their own thoughts. Jisoo's about her mother and Jungkook's about her. The forest was quiet and it was still a little bit chilly from the night air. The sun broke through the leaves and danced in the autumn air, creating a beautiful pattern for both of them to enjoy. Occasionally a few squirrels or birds crossed their paths and fled as soon as they saw them approaching. Jisoo loved the quiet forest that she never even knew until yesterday. She enjoyed the silence and the colors and the animals, she loved the sound of the leaves crunching beneath her feet and the sounds of the wildlife hiding from her view. She knew she should be scared, especially after what happened yesterday, but she could barely remember the attack and Jungkook made her feel protected. The way he always held out a hand, when they stepped over a root of a tree that was sticking out, made her feel safe.

When she stumbled once, he was quick to catch her in his arms, pulling her flush against his chest. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, as he looked down at her, not even noticing the close proximity to her face. He felt her heartbeat against his chest and his hands itched to rub the small of her back in reassurance. Jisoo, however, could only smell his foresty perfume. A mix of pine trees, a fresh mint and something very earthly that she has never smelled on anyone before, but really loved for some reason. "I'm fine" she gulped, wetting her suddenly dry throat and then her lips.

They stared into each other's eyes for a short eternity. Each looking for something in the other's stare but unsure what it even was. "Can you promise me something?" Jungkook broke the silence first, his voice barely above a whisper as if he feared she would startle like a deer and slip from his reach again. "What?" she asked him just as quietly. "Don't ever go back into the woods again, okay?" he pleaded almost, looking really pained all of a sudden.

Jisoo frowned, pushing herself away from Jungkook's chest and his arms fell lifelessly to his sides again. "Why would you ask me this?" she demanded and the boy looked at the ground, counting ants or something, she figured by the long stretch of silence. "I don't want to see you hurt ever again" he whispered to the ground as if it was a secret between the two. Jisoo didn't say anything to that, hell, she didn't even think she was supposed to hear that.

"Would you accompany me, if I wanted to go again?" she asked him then, her voice stern, although she felt small next to him. Jungkook's gaze lifted from the mud to her face that was desperately trying to look tough but looked so unsure of its courage. "In a heartbeat" he answered truthfully. "Okay," she simply said, not expecting that determination from a guy she just met.

The rest of the trip was spent once again in silence, each of them lost in their thoughts until they reached the outskirts of the town. "I live close to here," Jisoo told Jungkook and then took the lead, weaving through small alleys until they reached the cozy house, that Jisoo called her home. She happily accelerated he steps, wanting to see her mother desperately, but stopped as she noticed, that her company hadn't followed her. "Aren't you coming?" she asked him and Jungkook shook his head sadly. "I can't," he told her, regret laced in his voice.

Jisoo didn't know why that hurt her as much as it did. "I will see you though? Promise?" she asked in a fragile voice and Jungkook nodded. "You will see a lot more from me now, Jisoo. If you'd like..." She smiled warmly. "I'd like that."

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