Set Me Free

Chapter 2

Once you'd pulled yourself together a bit you joined the boys in the cafe. Jungkook already had drinks made for everyone, and Jimin brought you your favorite coffee as you entered. His brows furrowed and his lips settled into their signature pout when he noticed your tear-stained cheeks. Once you settled into one of the loveseats he immediately snuggled up to you, trying his best to curl into your lap. Taehyung quickly joined, sitting on the floor and resting his head on your lap. To your surprise, Jungkook even joined the pile of hybrids surrounding you. He hadn't been much for cuddles since he became a teenager. Nonetheless, he squished himself into the space on the other side of you and Jimin, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his chest.

The sudden warmth and comfort brought tears streaming down your face again. Jungkook gently petted your hair, sniffing at it lightly to gauge your level of distress.

"It'll be okay, noona. Hoseokie-hyung said he'll get better," Taehyung's deep voice rumbled from where his cheek rested on your leg.

Jungkook lifted his head from your hair to look at you, then at Hoseok.

"Hyung, that hybrid smells weird. What's wrong with him?" he said. The other two boys sniffed at your clothes, catching the injured man's scent and frowning.

You turned to look at him. "What do you mean weird?" you asked, sniffling.

"Hybrid-y. But not? I don't know how to describe it since you can't smell it," he tried to explain. "It seems familiar somehow."

"It's like, we can tell he's a hybrid, the details aren't there. Sort of? His scent is there, but it's really light and... blurry?" Taehyung added, brow furrowed as he tried to find the right words.

Jimin sniffed at the curve of your neck where Yoongi had been crying. He looked up at you with wide eyes.

"You didn't say he's a kitty like me!" he said.

"I didn't know for sure. I didn't really have a chance to ask," you said, petting his hair mindlessly.

"It sounds like he's using some kind of scent-supressing product?" Jin said.

"Woah, aren't those like, expensive?" Jimin asked.

"Yeah, and they're bad for you. Since they're marketed toward... "stray" hybrids, they aren't regulated very well. Some of them cause really bad skin irritation," Jin said. "I've seen people come into the shelter who've used them."

"They can make your hair fall out too," Jungkook said. You all looked at him, surprised. "I've never used them, but some hybrids that looked after me before I met you guys got ahold of some. They said it was worth it if it kept you out of the shelters."

No one said anything to that. Jungkook didn't mention the time before he came to live with you and Joon very often. Being alone on the streets as a child was traumatic to say the least. You grabbed his hand and twiddled his fingers.

"Well, he doesn't need to worry about that now. He doesn't have to hide here," you said.

"Is he staying?" Taehyung asked hopefully. Namjoon raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"He isn't going to be your new favorite kitty, is he?" Jimin asked, nuzzling further into your t-shirt. You laughed, smoothing over his ears with your free hand.

"Don't worry Jimin, you'll always be special to me. And I'll always have room for more sweet kitties in my life." You squished his cheeks, making him giggle.

"Did you convince him to stay here?" Namjoon asked.

"I don't know," you sighed. "I barely stopped him from running out into the snow right now. He was about to go pick up a set of clothes from the alley and leave."