Tomorrow│YM

[03] Ears

The house was quiet, but not particularly ominous. It looked like it was professionally decorated, since Jimin seriously doubted Steve had a creative bone in his body.

True to his word, Steve did not touch Jimin as they walked through the home.

Steve lead him to the cavernous living room, which was as wide as it was tall. He gestured for his guest to sit on the sectional. Jimin always wondered why the tallest spaces had the shortest furniture. He often wondered about these sorts of things, usually chalking it up to "rich people".

As he took a seat on the stiff cushions, he noted a rip in the fabric of the arm of the sofa. It was a clean cut, like it was sliced with a knife, and felt extremely out of place in the otherwise immaculate home.

Jimin gulped.

"You can't keep me here forever, so please just say what you need to say," Jimin prompted, slapping his thighs impatiently. He was aware that pushing Steve too hard could be risky, but he was unable to completely tamp down his discomfort.

Steve nodded in understanding and took a seat in an emerald green velvet chair. It was the type of loud furniture that some would call a conversation piece, and yet there was a thick silence that hung in the air. How ironic.

"God, I don't know where to start," he groaned, holding his head in his hands.

"Don't waste my time, Steve." It was getting increasingly difficult for Jimin to conceal his contempt. "You said you knew you fucked up, so start there."

"Okay. Yeah." Steve lifted his head and furrowed his brow in thought. "I lost my temper. I'm sorry for that. It probably embarrassed you-"

"I'm the last person you need to worry about in that restaurant," Jimin corrected. "That poor girl did nothing wrong."

"Well I wouldn't say nothing, but I definitely overreacted-"

"Are you fucking kidding me? You threw a temper tantrum over a dish!" Jimin growled, losing his last shred of control. The look on his face betrayed all the resentment and disgust he felt towards the other, no holds barred.

"I know!" Steve shouted, and then cringed when he saw Jimin flinch. "I have anger issues, I admit it. I always have. It's in my blood."

"Oh don't give me that 'my mother doesn't love me' bullshit, it's getting tired," Jimin scoffed.

Steve opened his mouth and then shut it. A look of realization spread across his face and he deflated. "We aren't going to get passed this, are we."

Jimin gave Steve a hard look, considering his next move. He decided that honesty was what would get him home faster. "Nope."

What words Steve intended to respond with, Jimin would never know. Because the moment his lips began to move, a loud metallic crash rang through the house.

"Shit," Steve muttered. "Wait here. I just need to quickly deal with something and then I'll take you home."

Jimin watched him disappear down a staircase in the far corner of the room. He attempted to curb his curiosity. What was that? Were they not alone? And what was the surprise that Steve kept referring to in the car?

A new silhouette appeared at the top of the stair, with slighter build than his now-ex-boyfriend. Jimin's mouth popped open in surprise. When he returned to his senses a few moments later, he began to process the image in front of him.

The figure was clad in a schoolgirl uniform, complete with a blazer, plaid skirt and knee-high socks. Despite the mid length raven hair, Jimin quickly realized it was male - not that he was one to judge. The most unexpected point of interest sat atop its head. Ears. Black, silky, furry cat ears that lay flat in caution as it regarded Jimin with similar intensity. A long, slender tail whipped back and forth behind it.

The figure before him was a person, but definitely not a human. Jimin's eyes widened when it hit him. "A hybrid! Steve, you have a hybrid?!"

The hybrid's jaw tensed.

Jimin knew very little about hybrids - only that they were incredibly rare and exorbitantly expensive. A cat would have costed more than the Mercedes sitting in the driveway. Hell, it could have costed more than the house.

He usually saw them draped on the arms of celebrities as they walked the red carpet at award ceremonies. He had never seen one in person, and up until that moment, he had had no expectation that he ever would.

"Yoongi, move." Steve's impatient voice rang out from behind the cat. It quickly stepped aside, dodging Steve's arm as he reached to push it out of the way. Emerging from the stairwell, Steve slapped his hand down on the hybrid's shoulder, causing it to flinch. "I'm sorry Jimin, Yoongi asked me to open her crate to relieve herself but then she ran up here instead. Bad kitty." He squeezed the cat's shoulder. Hard.

Jimin scowled, put off by many details at once. First, crating a cat hybrid didn't sound right. His understanding was that hybrid care was supposed to be similar to their animal counterparts. Then, there was the way Yoongi's face twitched every time it was referred to as female. That resonated with Jimin on a deep level, based on a lifetime of experience as a gay man with style and features that were traditionally considered feminine. Finally, and most importantly, he really didn't like the way the cat was being manhandled.

In that moment, Jimin made a rash decision.

He smiled.

"Oh my god she's so cute!" he gushed, raising the pitch of his voice. He scrambled to his feet and rushed towards the hybrid, not failing to notice the defensive position the cat took at his advance. Its ears pushed farther back, its tail started to puff and Jimin could have sworn he heard a growl emanating from its chest - but Jimin didn't falter. "Can I pet her? Her ears look so soft!"

"Of course!" Steve assured, looking relieved at the blond's reaction. "Yoongi, behave. Let Jimin touch your ears," he commanded in a harsh tone that made Jimin's skin crawl. He pushed the hybrid towards the other, letting go of its shoulder.

Jimin got close to Yoongi, but stopped just short of touching the hybrid. This was all he wanted; to get a good look. Up close, the picture wasn't pretty. The hybrid had dark bags under its eyes, a stark contrast from its pale skin. They were similar in height, but its body looked emaciated. What was most troubling were the bruises. They peeked through the edges of its clothing, which led Jimin to believe the real damage remained hidden.

"What are you waiting for?" Steve's mirthful voice grated Jimin's nerves. "Pet her, she feels fucking amazing."

Jimin tried to make eye contact with the hybrid, which was no easy task. The cat avoided it at first, but eventually it seemed to sense Jimin's peaceful intentions. When they finally locked eyes, the everything around them faded away.

Electricity thrummed in Jimin's veins. He absorbed all the hybrid's pain, all the betrayal, and it ignited a fire deep within. His breath caught in his throat as he felt the blaze spread across his whole body. Jimin suddenly had one and only one focus.

Save him.