Feral - Hybrid!Taehyung x Reader

Chapter Twenty-One - Owner

You choked on your drink, having taken a sip right before he had made his proposal.

"A cat? You want... you want a cat? Like one of these cats?"

He nodded, reaching out to scratch the kitten in your jacket behind the ear.

"That one!" He scooped the little cat out of your pocket, able to hold the kitten entirely in one hand. He brought his up to his chest, hugging the tiny animal and smiling when little purrs trickled out of it's chest.

You were certain that he didn't know how much he would actually have to take care of the cat. Hybrids are 'trained', more like beaten into submission and beaten so that they never talked back or asked for what they needed. And you were sure that the kitten wasn't just going to let himself starve, you knew that he was going to alert you if one of his basic needs wasn't met. And you knew this and were ready to handle it, but was Taehyung?

But honestly, you didn't mind the occasional feeding or cleaning, because you knew that Taehyung would learn along the way.

"Okay, we can get the kitten. But I'm gonna show you how to take care of it along the way and you're gonna do a lot of the work okay?"

He nodded, snuggling his face into the orange fur of the kitten.

You got up, walking over to the counter and smiling sheepishly at the man behind the counter who greeted you with a knowing smirk.

"Fell for one of them?"

"The little orange one?"

"Yeah, he doesn't have a name yet, we've left that up to potential owners. Hopefully, he goes home with you tonight though! You just have to sign some basic papers showing ownership, and then we'll ask for a payment, but that's really it. We sell collars here if you want one."

You nodded, taking the pen and paper that he passed to you. You listed yourself as an owner, noticing that there was a second spot. You excused yourself, walking back to the table where Taehyung sat still cradling the ginger cat in his arms.

"Hey baby? You should sign here, here's a pen."

He put the kitten down, looking up at you inquisitively before looking down at the paper.

"You should sign if you want to be his owner, that's where the owner's sign."

His smile was blinding, the responsibility of finally having something to actually call his own was overwhelming him with joy.

"I owner?"

"Yes, just write your name there." You gestured to the line and he wrote his name shakily, pulling you down clumsily to sit on the seat next to him. He laid his head on your shoulder, passing you the cat who's eyes fluttered open. He yawned, little fangs showing and then looked at you, nudging his head into your head. You scratched his little ears that twitched under your touch, reaching for Taehyung's hand under the table as you pet the cat.

You got up, reluctantly letting go of the kitten and brought your purse, ready for the payment that needed to be made. You walked up to the counter again, presenting the employee with the paperwork.

"I'd normally charge a lot more for cats here, but since he's a kitten he's not really developed enough to charge a lot for. Three hundred is all I'm asking." If you hadn't known that pets cost way more, you'd have choked. And 'all I'm asking' made it sound like he was offering you some great bargain. You snorted, either way, you had the cash on you. You were glad that you had been planning on grocery shopping or else you wouldn't have had any cash. He took the bills, sliding them into an envelope labeled with a number. He explained that the cat had been given a number, and that this was his envelope that his adoption money was to be put into. You nodded, thanking him for the drinks and your new cat, and made your way back to the table.

He was bent over, head resting on the cool surface of the table as the little kitten swatted at his ears. He giggled, reaching up to push the cat away when it nibbled at his left ear. He stood, grabbing the cat and holding him in his arms as he followed you back out to the car. You both still had your drinks, occasionally sipping them on your drive home. You hadn't purchased a collar, knowing full well that you were an inside family, but stopping by the pet store to get food and toys.

You let Taehyung stay with the kitten in the car, rushing inside to grab food, a bed, and several different toys designed for cats. You ran out back to the car to find the both of them asleep, the cat curled up on Taehyung's chest. You couldn't have been gone for more than five minutes. You shook your head, smiling and getting the car started and driving the rest of the way home.

You coaxed Taehyung awake, taking in the bags of food and toys that you had purchased for the cat and setting them on the table. Taehyung set the little kitten down, stroking him awake first and laughing as it tried to climb up his leg.

You grabbed one of the toys, a feathered ball on a string on a stick, and began waving it through the air. You hadn't really thought about it, but before you knew it, both Taehyung and the kitten were knocking you to the floor, eager to get the fluffy thing. You laughed, handing Taehyung the stick and gesturing for him to play with the kitten. 

It was only when you had fallen to the floor, only when the loud noise had been made that he decided to make himself known. He tiptoed out of your bedroom, peeking over the ledge to see you and Taehyung on the floor playing with a... cat?  He shook his head, making his way down the stairs undetected until Taehyung smelled him. His tail began wagging and he spun around, smiling at the sight of his friend.

"Jimin?! When did you get here? Have you been here the whole time?" Your heart was racing, the unexpected presence in the room quite alarming. 

"I actually just got here, but had to climb through the window 'cause I couldn't find the spare key."

"Jimin, did you bury it again? I keep telling you, it costs money to get those copied and one day the gardeners are going to find twenty keys scattered around my yard."

'Y/N, under the mat isn't safe! You gotta protect yourself! I'm doing you a favor!"

You rolled your eyes, smiling nonetheless.

"Well whatcha doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you, alone at first. Then with Taehyung."

Said hybrid whimpered at the idea of being excluded but you shushed him, smoothing down his ears before getting up and following Jimin into your room.

"Jiminie? What's wrong, what is it?"

"Y/N, I think Taehyung is a shifter. He just doesn't know it."