"I'm sorry, it was a personal request from the patient. He isn't accepting visitors at this time."

"But he knew we were coming," Jin mumbled quietly from behind his owner.

The nurse turned her attention away from Namjoon and softened at the sad look on the hybrid's face. "I know sweetie, but you have to try to understand how much this must be for him. His advising nurse says he's just under quite a lot of stress. He requested that you return tomorrow."

"Of course," Namjoon answered. "Thank you, ma'am."

She bowed in response and got back to work as Namjoon turned around to face the group. "Sorry guys. Maybe tomorrow? Let's just go home now."

He started ushering everyone out of the hospital, but it wasn't until they were all in the parking lot again that Taehyung perked up. "Oh! She said he wasn't feeling good, so we should get him a toy, right? Hoseokkie always gets me new toys when I'm sick."

Hoseok grinned widely and ruffled Taehyung's hair between his floppy ears. His hybrid's generous nature never failed to make him smile. "That's a great idea, TaeTae. We should stop by the store on our way home."

"Why would you get him a toy? Toys are a reward," Jungkook countered. "He made us come all the way out here only to say he doesn't want to meet us? Yoongi-hyung would have taken my toys away."

"Hey, that's a good idea too," Yoongi responded. "Jungkook, your phone please."

"What?!" the youngest cried indignantly. "But I didn't even do anything wrong!"

The others stayed quiet, not wanting to interfere, as Jungkook handed over his cellphone to his owner with a dramatic pout on his face. Yoongi pocketed the device and then gestured for everyone to get into the car, getting into the driver's seat himself. He didn't respond to Jungkook, and the hybrid sulked silently as he climbed into the backseat.

Once they reached the toy store, everyone piled out except Yoongi, who stopped his own hybrid. "Jungkook, join me in the front seat please." The kitten complied with his head hung low, walking around to the passenger's side of the car. Yoongi leaned out the window to address the rest of the group. "We'll stay out here, you guys take your time. There's no rush."

Namjoon led the others away as Jungkook slid back into the car, in the front with his owner this time.

It was quiet for a moment while Yoongi collected his thoughts, and Jungkook didn't want to speak for fear of getting something else taken away.

"Jungkookie, why are you doing this?" he asked, no trace of anger in his tone. 

Jungkook blinked his wide eyes. Why wasn't he getting yelled at? "What do you mean?"

Yoongi sighed, hands still gripping the steering wheel and looking ahead even though the car was parked and turned off. "I mean why are you angry at this kid? You haven't even met him yet, and all you've had to say are mean words."

"... It's a cat thing..." Jungkook mumbled, knowing it wouldn't work but wanting to try it anyway.

Yoongi rolled his eyes and released the steering wheel, turning to face his hybrid. "Jungkook, don't pull that with me. If you can't tell me why you've been so rude lately, I'm going to have to take away another one of your toys."

Jungkook whimpered, lowering his gaze so he didn't have to meet his owner's disappointed eyes. "Hyuuung~" The feeling of Yoongi's glare on him had him shutting up immediately. "You're going to adopt him, aren't you?" he murmured almost under his breath.

In the quiet of the car, Yoongie heard him loud and clear. "We're not sure, Jungkookie. Why would it bother you if we did?"

Jungkook doesn't just want to come out and say 'because then you won't pay as much attention to me' because that's not entirely it. "B-Because it would change things," he pouted, voice cracking as the urge to cry hit him. Why did Yoongi want to change their perfect little family? Was he not good enough?

Yoongi knew how much Jungkook hated when things changed. The hybrid used to be his family pet, a gift to Yoongi as a child. When Yoongi became old enough to move out, Jungkook had a hard time adjusting to a new environment. Instead of the Mins, he was surrounded by new people and new hybrids. He was used to being their only pet, but when Yoongi moved in with Namjoon and Hoseok, there were suddenly two more hybrids that came along with it.

Yoongi knew that it was a struggle for Jungkook all those years ago, and now that he'd become used to his new family, it seemed like it was changing again. "You know we're not doing this because of you, right?" Yoongi asked, hand reaching out to pet the back of his hybrid's head in hopes of stopping his tears.

He shook his head. "If I was a good pet, you wouldn't want a new one..."

Yoongi sighed. "You're the best pet, Jungkook. You know that. It's not just me making this decision, it's Hoseok and Namjoon too. Taehyung and Jin are great hybrids too. But this hybrid has been through a lot of bad things, Kookie. Don't you think it's the right thing to do to let him have some love too?"

Jungkook sniffled and wiped at his nose with his sleeve (normally Yoongi would remind him that doing that is gross and tell him to get a tissue, but he let it slide this time). "Someone else can do that. It didn't have to be you," he grumbled with a wavering voice.

"You're right, it didn't have to be, but maybe we just wanted to be good people and help someone who needs it. Jungkook, you need to realize that he's really seen some tough times, and he really needs a nice supportive family. We're considering it because we really do think that you three would be capable of making him happy and showing him what it's like to have a loving home."

"But... But you'll stop-"

"No, I will never stop paying attention to you, silly," Yoongi chided with a grin, flicking his pet in the forehead.

Jungkook giggled lightly and with one more sniffle, stopped the flow of tears. He put his hand over the spot the Yoongi had flicked him. "Ow hyung!"

"Seriously," the human said, his smile turning into something more fond and sincere. 

"You promise?"

"Yup. And if I'm not paying attention to you, you have permission to lay on top of me no matter what I'm doing and demand to be pet... which you do anyway, but from now on, I won't push you off."

Inside the store, Taehyung was dragging everyone else around as he bounded down each aisle, picking up random things before depositing them right back where they were. None of the others knew exactly what he was searching for, but they followed anyway, spirits raising as they watched the hyper hybrid search without success for over 5 minutes. Taehyung knew this toy store like the back of his hand, it's one of his favourite places to go, and Hoseok knows that well.

"Aha!" Taehyung shouted finally, digging through a huge container filled with big squishy bouncy balls. He pulled one out that was larger than his head. "This thing!"

Hoseok laughed at his hybrid and came over to take the ball from him. "Tae, stop thinking like yourself. He can't play with this with his arm all wrapped up in a sling." 

Taehyung hummed in thought. "Oh! Then he can play fetch with it."

"He can't run right now, TaeTae," Hoseok chided, still laughing. "Try finding something nice that doesn't require lots of movement. Something he can use even while he's still at the hospital.

Taehyung huffed and plopped onto the ground as he thought deeply. Hoseok dropped the giant bouncy ball back in with the others and then joined Namjoon and Jin, who were standing amused a few yards away. They all saw when Taehyung gasped, his eyes growing big and his posture straightening up. "I know!!" he yelled, hopping back up to his feet and running off again.

The three started to follow him, but didn't make it that far out of the aisle before Taehyung was running back towards them, a teddy bear in hand. He held it out proudly to his owner.

Hoseok smiled widely again, grabbing the bear that Taehyung was handing him. "This is great, Tae. I'm sure he'll love it."

The hybrid's sleep schedule was thrown off aft