A/N: This takes place before “Routine,” and is the first meeting of Jinyoung and Jaebum.

~~

Jinyoung narrowly avoided crashing into a stack of crates as he threw a look over his shoulder to gauge the distance between him and his pursuers. After turning a sharp corner, they were currently out of sight, but if the ruckus was anything to go by, they would soon be on him. Besides, with the gash on his leg leaving a trail of red, they’d be hard-pressed to lose him.

But for now, being out of sight was the chance Jinyoung needed.

Taking a sharp turn, he crouched down behind another mountain of crates, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his thigh.  Checking one last time that he was out of sight, Jinyoung closed his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, the crouching boy was gone, his clothing collapsing in on itself. And what emerged this pile of tattered rags was a scraggly red fox, an oozing, bloody wound on its left hind leg.

Jinyoung was a shifter. Fox shifter, to be exact. No one knew the exact statistics on what percent of the population were shifters, but estimates ranged anywhere from 35% to 60%. Either way, shifters were no rarity. What made it difficult, though, was determining who was a shifter.

Fundamentally, shifters had two forms. Their animal form, and their human form. Both were equally a part of a shifter’s identity, though for practical reasons, many chose to spend most of their time in their human form.

All shifters also had a half-shifted form, which usually consisted of their human form in addition to a few shifted appendages that aided in their senses or strength (for example, ears, eyes, claws, etc.). Today, it was generally believed that this half form was an evolutionary result of shifters spending more and more time in their human form. While there was no time limit or anything of the sort for being in either form, it could become uncomfortable for a Shifter to neglect one for too long. The half-shift was a good compromise.

As for identifying them, there was absolutely no way for a regular human to tell, whether a shifter was in his or her animal or human form. Shifters, on the other hand, seemed to have a built in sense that allowed them to identify each other, and even shifters of different species. Naturally, this only served to exacerbate the already uneasy relations between human and shifter.

These days, things were better than they used to be, at least. More laws had been passed, more treaties signed, more accords agreed to. Still though, relations were stiff at best, and shifters that revealed themselves as such were more often than not shunned by Humans.

The laws also didn’t stop disproportionate number of shifter-trafficking organizations compared to human-trafficking, as well as poachers that specifically targeted shifters in general. All incredibly illegal, of course, but with the amount of money that could be made, the market was very much alive and thriving.

Jinyoung had been captured just days ago after a particularly long chase, finally done in by a particularly well-placed trap that gifted him the nasty wound on his leg. He hadn’t quite been desperate enough to follow through with the whole bite-your-own-leg-off for survival thing, especially while in human form, and thus had been brought back to this dump of a hideout, tossed in a cage, and left helpless.

From the bits of conversation he managed to hear, it seemed these specific hunters were debating whether he’d be worth more alive or dead. Alive, meaning he’d be sold off to the highest bidder, or dead, meaning he’d be skinned and his coat sold. Shifter fox furs were worth quite a bit on the black market, after all.

Jinyoung didn’t wait for his fate to be decided for him. The moment he’d been dropped into that cage he began the game of playing dead. These hunters weren’t stupid, obviously, but after several days of not moving at all and not even touching their disgusting food and water, they couldn’t help but become somewhat concerned. It seemed that they’d come to the conclusion he’d be worth more alive, what with the terrible condition his coat was in at the moment.

The second they opened his cage was when Jinyoung bolted. He was weak and wounded, yes, but he had the element of surprise on his side. Besides, humans always seemed to forget that most shifters could survive for much longer without sustenance than the average human.

Back in his fox form, Jinyoung felt a boost of confidence. This place had turned out to be much bigger than he’d originally thought, making it harder to find an exit, but at least now it’d be much easier for him to hide.

Unfortunately, Jinyoung soon came upon a dead end, forcing him to double back to search for another way, and thus also closing the gap between him and his pursuers.

This happened a few more times, each time bringing him closer and closer to the poachers. Their clamoring behind him was only growing louder, while Jinyoung was only growing more fatigued. His leg still hadn’t stopped bleeding, and to be honest it was probably infected. He wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer.

As he skidded around another corner, Jinyoung’s heart dropped.

It was another dead end, but it wasn’t just any dead end. A large cage occupied the entire wall, and inside, a pacing black panther.

Or to be more accurate, a black panther shifter.

If it had been any other species of shifter, Jinyoung would’ve been relieved. Any other shifter, and he or she would’ve been a valuable ally, a potential friend that could help him escape.

Panthers, though, had long since turned their backs on the Shifters’ Code.

The Code wasn’t any strict set of laws, but rather, more like an unwritten code of conduct for all shifters. Having to watch out for unscrupulous humans was taxing enough, so it hadn’t been hard to come to conclusion that shifters needed to stick together.

The uncontested number one rule for shifters was that they’d never hurt or attack their own. This was mainly to protect the weakest of them, such as rabbits and other primary consumers. It didn’t matter if one was in one’s animal form and another shifter just happened to be the perfect prey. That was forbidden. If a shifter wanted to, they were free to hunt and prey on real animals, or non-shifters, but other shifters were strictly off limits, and no matter in what form such an act would be viewed as murder.

Of course, there were always a few that lost control, a few that blatantly disregarded the rules. They were generally loners, or rogues, for lack of a better name. Panthers, however, were the first species to denounce the Code as a whole, simply because they didn’t care about any of the moral or ethical implications. In their eyes, prey was prey, whether or not they were intelligent and with emotions. Since then, a few other species had broken off as well, including snakes, but panthers were always viewed with the most hostility and known for being the most brutal.

So, given all this, Jinyoung didn’t know what in the world possessed him to retrieve the keys to cage off the keyring hanging by the doorway, shift back into his vulnerable human form, and unlock the cage to what was surely a monster inside.

Maybe it was the desperation he felt in that moment, with the yells of the hunters closing in on him from behind. Maybe it was sheer insanity, or maybe it was out of delusion, since he’d been deprived of food and water for so long. Maybe his wound was worse than he thought and he was already delirious, lost to madness.

Or maybe it was the bright yellow eyes of the panther that seemed to bore right into his soul, the oddly comforting rumble of a growl that had echoed in the room. It was a sound that should’ve been threatening, but instead had somehow sounded imploring.

The second the lock had been undone Jinyoung had leapt back, immediately returning to his more nimble fox form but the panther was even more swift. Within the blink of an eye it was towering over him, swooping down with its jaws wide open and sharp teeth gleaming and Jinyoung could only shrink down, squeezing his eyes shut and thinking how damn stupid he was, what in the world had he been thinking to let a panther out and now he was going to die and–

–and then Jinyoung was being lifted up into the air, his eyes flying back open with shock as he registered no pain. He’d been picked up by the scruff of his neck, held carefully between deadly sharp teeth.

And then he was being tossed up, thrown in a carefully calculated arc onto the back of the panther. Jinyoung scrabbled for a moment before his claws finally found purchase, clinging to the coarse black fur for dear life.

And then the panther was off. He was fast, and Jinyoung found himself mercilessly digging his claws into the flesh of said panther in order to hang on, flattening himself to the broad back in order to get a better hold. At some point, the panther reared up and Jinyoung knew the hunters must’ve found them, and they were now fighting for freedom, but all he could do was dig his claws in deeper and try not to lose his grip. His eyes squeezed shut again, every muscle screaming in protest as he held on desperately to his only lifeline.

After what seemed to be eternity, they finally broke free. All that was left was sprinting, a last desperate dash for the exit.

When they finally broke through it wasn’t to warmth or light, but silvery moonlight and shadows. The panther didn’t break stride however, continuing at a strenuous pace until they were miles away. Even then, the panther had paced continuously around the same area until they’d found a decently sized cave, silently slipping inside.

When they stopped, Jinyoung finally allowed his body to relax, completely spent. As he went limp, his claws dislodged and his body slid down listlessly until he was simply falling.

“Woah, careful there.”

And then the panther was no longer a panther but a boy, and Jinyoung found himself being carefully cradled in two strong but gentle arms. Under the moonlight and the shadow of rocks, he couldn’t see much, but what was still clear was a strong jaw, sharp nose, and glowing eyes that carried a confusing amount of concern.

“Just hold on, I’ll be right back, I’m going to start a fire.”

Well, it wasn’t like he was in any shape to go anywhere anyways, Jinyoung thought wryly as the boy set him down and Jinyoung curled in on himself, his eyes slipping shut once more as he began to drift off.

The next thing he knew he was being shaken, gently, but the action was still jarring enough that Jinyoung let out a whine of protest.

“Hey, can you shift? Come on now, and then you can rest.”

Jinyoung tried to ignore it, curling up even more, but the voice and hand were insistent. Finally, and perhaps more subconsciously than otherwise, the red fox became a boy once more, and everything officially faded to black.

~~

As Jaebum regarded the sleeping form in front of him from the light of the flickering flames, he still couldn't quite believe what had happened.

This boy, this fox shifter, had trusted him. Well, perhaps trusted was a bit of an overstatement, given that the boy had immediately attempted to flee upon setting him free, but he'd chosen to do it nonetheless.

Jaebum couldn't tell if that made this fox unbelievably smart, naive, or stupid. Or perhaps just incredibly desperate, just as he had been when he'd appealed to him to set him free.

Jaebum knew where his allegiances should lie as dictated by his blood. He also knew where he should be if he wished to live morally. For most, following kin had been the only choice from birth without question, but Jaebum had been on the precipice his entire life, teetering hesitantly on the edge of the two rights and two wrongs.

He had killed. Oh, he had definitely killed; rabbits, squirrels, even foxes, all shifters and so many more than he could even recall. Most of them , he couldn't conjure even an inkling of remorse. It hadn't been hard to push sentimentality aside; even if intellectually he knew they were shifters with thoughts and emotions equal to his own, when they were in animal form, they looked the exact same as any other rabbit or squirrel. Like prey, and he was the predator.

The turning point had been when he found that nest of ducklings. He ate the parents first, snapping bones like twigs with two large snaps of his jaw.

But then, one of the ducklings shifted back to human form. How or why, to this day Jaebum didn't know. But that one shifted baby had then caused a chain reaction of shifting, which had resulted in Jaebum suddenly being confronted with a nest full of crying human babies.

Ever since then, he could never look at any shifter as prey, no matter how hungry or tantalizing.

Still, just because Jaebum had chosen to change, it didn't mean anything for his species as a whole, nor did it change what he'd already done in the past.

Panthers were solitary creatures to begin with, but Jaebum had been even more alone than before. No one trusted him, and Jaebum had never been the type to go out of his way to meet others. All his feeble attempts had ended badly anyways, and there was no use flogging a dead horse, in Jaebum's opinion.

He grew accustomed to the feeling of loneliness, becoming more and more jaded over time. Perhaps even bitter, because what had he gained through it all? Less prey to hunt, kin as enemies, and still no new trust.

He grew careless with himself, with no purpose and only resentment fueling his days. When he'd been ambushed by hunters, he'd put up a terrific fight, his anger surfacing in the best way possible, but as soon as he'd been locked down, all of it drained out of him in an instant.

What was the point, anyways?

Jaebum had nothing to live for and no one who depended on him. He had thought, perhaps it would be better that way, to fade away from existence and leave his pelt behind. Somewhat morbid to think about, but at least something "beautiful" would've come from it all.

Even if it was some rug that all stepped on, or one of those gaudy fur coats.

But now...

As soon as Jaebum had set the boy down, he had snuck down to the village a mile away and filched some clothing, blankets, matches, and more importantly, bandages. That wound on the boy's leg hadn't looked so great, and Jaebum himself had a few battle wounds that would need tending too. Nothing terrible, thankfully. Ironically, the worst of his injuries were probably the deep scratches on his back from the fox's claws.

Somehow, Jaebum found himself minding those the least.

~~

When Jinyoung finally began to wake, it was to warmth. Warmth from all sides, wrapping him in a comfortable cocoon of safety.

So when he opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of midnight black fur, he didn't freak out immediately.

It took a few seconds for it all to sink in.

He was in human form, somehow fully clothed again and even covered by a light blanket. He was also currently snuggled up against belly of a very large panther, who had casually laid its tail atop his waist.

Assessment complete, Jinyoung finally deemed it an appropriate time to freak out.

"What the hell?!"

Jinyoung jerked upright from his previously curled up position, limbs flailing as he attempted to push away from said panther. He only had minimal success before the panther opened one eye sleepily, casually baring all its impressive teeth in a slow yawn.

Jinyoung froze.

Now the panther just looked downright smug, slowly stretching its back in an arch before rolling to its feet. It opened its jaws again, reaching towards Jinyoung. Jinyoung immediately shrunk back, but the only thing its sharp teeth closed around was the blanket.

The next moment a smirking boy replaced the panther seated in front of him, the blanket from before wrapped carefully around his waist.

"I'm Im Jaebum," he stated without preamble, followed by an expectant look after.

"Park Jinyoung," Jinyoung returned reluctantly, gaze still fixed on Jaebum cautiously but no longer with fear. "So, you're not going to kill me."

At this Jaebum's expression faltered, but when he caught how Jinyoung's inflection formed a statement instead of a question, his smile turned into a genuine grin.

"Yeah, that would be kind of counterproductive, given how long it took to wrap your leg."

At the reminder of his wound, Jinyoung's eyes widened. His hand reached down to touch it reflexively, only to realize it didn't hurt nearly as much as before, to the point where he'd forgotten about it completely until Jaebum had reminded him.

"Did you..."

Jaebum gave a short nod and Jinyoung flushed, suddenly embarrassed.

"Are you...are you okay?" Jinyoung finally asked, carefully avoiding eye contact and thus now took in the fresh cuts and bruises that decorated Jaebum’s skin, presumably gained during their escape.

"I'm fine," Jaebum said quickly, grin widening even more at Jinyoung's display of concern.

It'd been so long, too long, since anyone had shown him any real concern. And it'd been even longer, if not the first time ever, that someone had looked upon him with so little fear, or even no fear at all.

Jinyoung looked relieved at this reassurance, and perhaps even a little guilty. But then his eyes widened again, suddenly remembering something.

"Wait, how's your back?"

At this Jaebum suddenly looked a bit sheepish.

"I couldn't quite reach, but it's fine," he tried to be dismissive.

But Jinyoung was already moving, scooting around and behind Jaebum to get a look for himself. Jaebum tried to protest, but Jinyoung had already in a breath through his teeth, hissing with a wince.

A moment of silence, then, quietly, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really," Jaebum tried to be as sincere as possible, but Jinyoung was only silent, one hand on Jaebum's shoulder as if to hold him in place.

And then the hand was gone, replaced by a ticklish brush of fur. Jaebum yelped when a rough tongue began to lap over his wounds, hissing slightly at the sting. When he moved, he got a scolding whine from the fox currently working on his back, and so he forced himself to stay still.

Shifter saliva held disinfecting and healing properties, something that was both well-known and used often. Of course, effectiveness varied from species to species, but for the most part, the results were similar for all mammals in general.

Finally done, Jinyoung burrowed into his pile of clothes, shifting back into them.

“Now we’re even,” Jinyoung said briskly, quickly fixing his shirt that had been on backwards.

“If you say so,” Jaebum said, slightly amused. The tips of Jinyoung’s ears were red, but he mercifully chose not to point it out.

They sat there for a few more moments in awkward silence, before Jinyoung spoke up again.

“Well, what now?”

Another silence.

“Well, I think I should probably get some real clothes first, this blanket’s kinda scratchy.”