My Cat Hybrid : kth

Eighteen.

"I heard everything." Jasmine's eyes snapped open as she whirled around to look at him.

"You what?" She asked nervously. she could hear the blood pounding in her ears as she waited for his response. Taehyung swallowed.

"I heard everything," he repeated. "I don't normally eavesdrop because I know you hate it and I don't usually have a reason to, but you and him were in a different room and I just wanted to make sure he didn't try anything." Taehyung rushed to explain. Jasmine twisted in his lap until she straddled him, legs on either side of his thighs so she could look directly into his eyes.

"I'm a grown woman, tiger. I can handle myself. And that's not very nice of you to do. Everyone needs privacy." Taehyung sighed and nodded.

"I know. But he just puts me on edge." Taehyung mumbled, moving forward to rest his head on her shoulder, his arms resting loosely on her hips. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her cheek on the top of his head, eyes closed. They listened to each other's breathing, taking in the moment of silence and the comfort of each other.

"And I was right. He still loves you." His grip on her hips tightened marginally, his voice taking on a lower octave as he spoke under his breath. Jasmine felt a pang of sorrow toward Namjoon at Taehyung's words.

"He does. It's hard to forget your first love. It's the first time you really feel connected to someone on a personal, romantic level. Namjoon and I, we have a lot of memories together. And they're memories we both will cherish forever." She spoke softly, stroking the back of Taehyung's hair at the base of his neck gently.

"And you love him. As a friend?"

"Yeah. As a friend. He's someone special I'll keep close to my heart," Taehyung released a low hiss and nuzzled his face into her neck at her words. "Tiger, Namjoon helped shape me into the person I am today. If it wasn't for him, maybe I wouldn't have moved away from my hometown and maybe I wouldn't have met you." Taehyung sighed heavily, mulling over Jasmine's words.

"You know, when he held you and kissed you, I almost ran over and ripped his hands off of you but I had a feeling you both needed to have that moment of closure. You don't know how hard it was for me to restrain myself." He whispered.

"Thank you tiger, I know it was hard for you but you did so well. Joon and I were saying goodbye to that chapter in our lives so we could be ready to move on." She assured him. She was glad that Taehyung was taking it a lot better than she had anticipated. She thought that he would have been extremely upset when they got home, since Namjoon's scent would have been all over her. Moments passed, both of them quiet and lost in their own thoughts.

"So, are we dating?" Jasmine felt her heart skip a beat at Taehyung's words. Does he know what he is asking? She wasn't even sure if he knew what he meant when he asked.

"Tiger, do you even know what dating is?" She asked as she pulled back to look at him. Taehyung lifted his head off her shoulder at her movement and lazily opened one eye at a time to look at her.

"What is it?" He questioned. She pondered for a moment, trying to figure out the easiest way to explain it.

"It's when two people who have romantic feelings for each other are committed to each other and aren't seeing anyone else." She explained. Taehyung nodded at her words.

"So we're dating." Jasmine's eyes widened. Taehyung didn't seem to understand her explanation.

"No tiger, I mean like people who love each other." She laughed nervously. Taehyung gazed deep into her eyes, causing her to stop laughing at the intensity of his gaze.

"I love you Jasmine." Taehyung said so seriously that she couldn't maintain eye contact as her heart beat a tattoo against her chest and her hands trembled. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat.

"Tae, there's a difference between loving someone romantically in comparison to loving someone because they look after and care for you and treat you well." Her voice quivered as she spoke. Taehyung didn't mean it. He didn't love her like that, it was a platonic type of love, as much as it pained Jasmine to think.

"I love you," Taehyung spoke softly, lifting up her chin to look into her eyes with the most tender expression she had ever seen on him. "In all the ways." Her eyes welled up with tears as she flung her arms tight around his neck. Taehyung smiled and pulled her tight against his chest and leant back on the couch so Jasmine was more comfortable.

"You don't need to say it back, baby. I've known for a long time and I'll wait for you to tell me whenever you're ready." Taehyung said. Jasmine let out a little sob.

"How come you're so good to me?" She whispered. "I don't deserve you Taehyung." His heart skipped a beat at her using his full name.

"Baby, you deserve so much more." Jasmine took a calming breath at his words and willed herself to stop being a baby. She sat up on his legs and placed her palm against his cheek. Taehyung lifted his hand to hold her palm against his face and leant into it, watching her tenderly.

"I'm not going to say it yet because I want to be completely certain when I say it to you, but you mean so, so much to me, Tae. I don't know what I'd do without you." Taehyung slid his other hand to her hip and rubbed his thumb against the bare skin under her shirt back and forth.

"That's more than enough for me." Taehyung gazed at her with such a soft look that her heart melted.

"You're more than enough for me." She replied, curling her other hand to the back of his neck. Her heart felt so full and fuzzy as she watched him. He loved her, in all the ways. She hoped this was a dream she never woke up from. Taehyung cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, causing her to readjust her seating on his lap.

"Can I kiss you?"