When Jimin came to, his head was pounding and his vision was spinning. 

He was in a car and his mouth was gagged.

He stared blarily out of the window as the streetlights passed. Jimin was stuck in the backseat with a man, with two others in the drivers seat and passenger seat. 

He couldn’t remember what happened. 

Panic and adrenaline filled him. 

Jimin remember somehow getting the gag off, his teeth sinking into flesh, clawing, biting, arms stretched to take hold of the steering wheel.

The car flipped over. His healing factors kicked in thanks to his hybrid genes and Jimin watched as the men bled out, stuck to the wrecked car as the hybrid dragged his body out through a broken window. 

Jimin wandered for a while. 

He was barefeeted and only had on his pajamas. 

The only thing he had left of his Youngbae-hyungie was the beanie on his head and the collar around his neck. 

After days of wandering, Jimin ended up in someone’s backyard. He didn’t know where he was, or how long he had been walking. He was exhausted, and hungry, and his wounds hadn’t fully healed yet. 

Jimin passed out.

The hybrid woke up to the scent of food and his eyes flew open, sitting quickly up in the bed he was on. The hybrid looked around the little room he was in and froze when he heard footsteps nearing the door. The door opened and a girl peeked in, giving him a soft smile when she noticed that he was awake. 

The girl’s name was Minji, and she was two years older than Jimin. 

Minji helped Jimin take a bath and lent him a big, blue hoodie and a pair of jeans. Minji fed him, she let him rest in the guest room that he had first woken up in. She had even given him a pair of shoes. Jimin had only known the only girl for a few hours, but he liked her a lot. 

Minji’s boyfriend was the one who chased Jimin away. He had pushed Jimin, threatened him, saying that he would report him and get him put down for being a filthy stray. 

Jimin had ran away from there without even getting to say good bye to the kind girl that had taken care of him.

Jimin was sad and lost and hurt and confused. He wandered for days, weeks, searching through garbage dumpsters for food and taking shelters in alleyways and playgrounds.

As he passed city after city, village after village, summer rolled into fall and Jimin was in Seoul. He decided to stay there. The days got longer and the nights got colder.

Three weeks passed by. He watched as familiar faces passed by everyday.

Jimin was sitting on the swing when a boy walked up to him, face vaguely familiar. He sat down beside Jimin on one of the swings and didn’t say anything for a few moments, but when he spoke up, the first thing he said was,

“You smell like wet and dirty dog.”

Jimin was overwhelmed by feelings. 

Happiness. Relief.

He closed his eyes as he let the familiar and soothing voice of his Youngbae-hyungie wash over him.

“Jiminie-? Jiminie where are you?” Jimin came back to his senses and clutched the phone tighter in his hand. “Hyungie- I’m in Seoul! I’m safe, so you don’t have to worry!” 

The other line went quiet for a moment, before a shaky exhale was heard. 

“Seoul? Jiminie- I’m in Seoul too-”

Jimin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

He needed to see Youngbae. He needed to see him now, before he combusted. Jimin’s ears perked up and his tail started to wag. 

“Hyungie- I need to see you now!” A sharp inhale was heard next to him and Jimin suddenly remembered that Jungkook was there, sitting right beside him. 

“Okay- Okay, Jiminie, I’m going to pick you up. Where are you?” Jimin cast a glance at Jungkook, who was staring at him with a defeated look in his eyes. Jimin frowned, feeling conflicted now. But he already knew what he wanted.

He was determined. He needed to see Youngbae.

Jungkook watched numbly as Jimin sat on the swing, playing anxiously with his fingers as they waited. They were waiting for Youngbae. Jungkook was waiting for Jimin to get taken away from him. 

But Jimin wasn’t going to get taken away from Jungkook, because Jimin wasn’t even his.

Jimin looked like he wanted to say something, but kept quiet.

A white SUV pulled up by the curb and Jimin instanly sprang up to his feet, eyes tearing up as he ran to the figure that got out of the car. 

Jungkook lingered back as he looked at the way Jimin smiled brightly, tears streaming down his face as Youngbae held him tightly. He could just walk away and Jimin wouldn’t even notice.

It took a while, but when Youngbae and Jimin finally drew apart, Jimin ran back to Jungkook and took his hand, dragging him over to Youngbae, who looked at them in a little bemusement. 

“This is Jeon Jungkookie! He has been taking care of me for almost two months, but I’ve only lived with him for three weeks though!” Jimin said brightly, smiling proudly as he gazed at the youngest with gentle eyes and Jungkook’s heart ached. 

This would probably be the last time he would get to see Jimin’s sweet smile.

Youngbae gave him a grateful smile, surprising the youngest by pulling him into a hug. “I want to have a talk with you and thank you properly,” Youngbae said, when they drew away. “Do you like coffee?”

Jungkook nodded. If it meant spending more time with Jimin then he’d take it.

They were in an expensive hotel and Jungkook ended up getting lunch instead of coffee. No one said anything for a while, so Jungkook almost jumped when Jimin whispered out, “Youngbae-hyungie, I thought you were dead.”

Jungkook whipped his head around to look at Jimin, before turning to look at Youngbae. The eldest had a gentle smile on his face as he reached over to ruffle Jimin’s hair. “I would have been if it weren’t for Jiyong.”

Jungkook didn’t know what was going on, and Jimin seemed to notice it on the youngest’s expression. So he told everything, to both Youngbae and Jungkook. By the end of the story, Youngbae’s face was grim as his lips pressed together in a thin line and Jungkook- Jungkook had tears in his eyes as he stared at the hybrid in shock.

“I’m just glad that you’re alive,” Jimin murmured out at last.

Jimin didn’t know what to do. He knew what he wanted, but how could he say what was on his mind when Youngbae was so happy to finally see him again? Jimin was happy too, ecstatic even.

“I can’t go back with you, Youngbae-hyungie.” Jimin whispered as he stared sadly into Youngbae’s eyes. The eldest looked puzzled, confused, before he turned to look at Jungkook and realization dawned on him. “Oh,” he murmured out. 

All Jungkook could do was sit and wait for the rejection that he was sure to come, but stared in surprise when Youngbae let out a small, resignated sigh. 

“Jiminie-” Youngbae started, but got cut of by Jimin’s desperate voice.

“I love you, a lot, Youngbae-hyungie! But- I can’t go back.. I don’t want to go back to that huge and endless mansion while constanly waiting for you to come back.” Jimin started to sniffle now, tears running down his face again as he continued on. 

“I love you, and I love Jungkook too. I have friends here- An-And Jungkook is home. He’s my home,” Jimin sobbed now, ears pitifully flattened down to his head and Youngbae stared at him with wide eyes. Jungkook’s chest swelled with love and affection and sadness all at the same time as he watched Jimin.

“I’m-I’m,” Youngbae suttered out, looking sorry as he struggled with his words. 

“You’re right,” he breathed out and Jimin’s eyes widened, biting down on his lip as he waited. 

“You’re right.” Youngbae leaned back against the chair and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He gave Jimin a smile and Jimin knew. 

Jimin understood.

“You’re right. So, you’ll stay with Jungkook?”

Jimin nodded his head quickly, a wide smile spreading on his lips. Youngbae looked at him with amusement and fondness in his eyes and Jungkook couldn’t believe that Jimin wouldn’t get taken away from him. Jimin’s staying with me, he thought before a grin spread across hiw own face.

“Now, don’t think that you’ll get rid of me easily, we’ll still meet up sometimes,” Youngbae joked and Jimin gave him an enthusiastic nod. 

That night, Jungkook stood beside Youngbae as they gazed out at the city from Youngbae’s balcony. Jimin was napping on the couch and Youngbae had dragged the youngest out for some talk.

“Why did you agree so easily?” Jungkook asked softly, feeling the wind ruffle his hair as he looked at Youngbae from the corner of his eyes. Youngbae sighed as he turned to lean his back against the railing.

“He’s right.. I’m never home, and Jimin is the kind of boy that needs lots of loving. I can’t give that to him if I’m barely home, right? Besides, it’s not like I’ll never see him again,” Youngbae chuckled out. “I love him enough to know that it’s time to let go,” he murmured and closed his eyes. 

“I’ll handle the custody papers and all that. You’re just 19, right? All I’m asking is that you take care of Jiminie.”

“Thank you- Thank you so much.” Jungkook whispered.