4

	Yoongi’s lips pressed into a thin line as he read over each and every word of the agreement. Once again, he had found himself with papers spread out on a desk in front of him on his day off, his favorite pen in hand as he lay his signature where needed. The seat under him was hard, much less comfortable than the chair in his own office. Of course, what kind of quality could he expect from a government-operated establishment? They weren’t exactly known for splurging on unnecessary expenses.

He’d been settled down in the chair for about an hour, occasionally tapping his foot on the floor in impatience while Hoseok ran a background check on him and fulfilled the other required elements of the adoption. Thanks to the home inspection having been completed the day previous, Yoongi was all set to take his new hybrid home in the next 24 hours. He passed his credit card and the signed paperwork over to Hoseok before sitting back in the seat, picking at his cuticles in boredom.
	‘Alright, Yoongi-ssi! Everything is all set. Please come by tomorrow morning and you’ll be able to take him home with you.” Hoseok smiled sweetly at the elder man, the corners of his eyes crinkling up. The grin seemed genuine enough, but Yoongi could see a hint of displeasure behind the man’s dark eyes.
“Thank you. I’ll be here bright and early.” And with that, he left the building, heading to the store to stock up on groceries before prepping his spare bedroom for the new arrival.




A knock rang out into the empty air before the soft creak of the door opening, stirring Jungkook from the light sleep he had fallen into. Sound flooded into the room only to be stifled by the door closing once more. The mattress shifted and the bunny felt a hand rest on his waist, the warmth radiating from it drawing him in and making him look up at the man above him.
“Kook-ah, wake up... I have news for you.” He grimaced and slowly began to sit up with a groan, holding his head in his hands once upright. The not-quite-foreign hand moved to the small of his back and a pair of lips pressed to the crown of his head. At the intimate action, Jungkook lifted his head and began to pout.
“Hey, Hyung, stop that. You know how I feel about kisses.”
“Alright, alright. I just wanted to give my little Kookie one last kiss.” Hoseok’s smile dropped slightly, his hand on Jungkook’s back lowered as if the words drew his energy away from him. The boy, on the other hand, squinted at his hyung and pursed his lips.
“Hyung… What are you talking about?” He watched as the elder man began awkwardly tugging at the collar of his shirt and muttering something about it suffocating him. “Hyung, tell me.”
“Er… You remember that nice gentleman from earlier, when you were doing the puzzle? He might’ve adopted someone…”
“Well it certainly better not be me. You know I just want to stay here until I can get a job and join you and Taehyung.” Hoseok coughed at the other’s words, biting his lip nervously.
“I’m sorry, Kook-ah… He seemed to like you. But I do think this could be your final home!”

The bunny scoffed at the thought, his eyes rolling. Him staying in one home for more than a year? Unlikely. If anything, this guy would probably send him back to the agency before the boy’s next birthday. Jungkook knew his type. He’s a rich man who just wanted a little plaything to show off to the people around him, but would end up ignoring the hybrid when in private. Either that or a man that was too interested in him and would force him to behave as poorly as he could until he sent him back. Not that the man had been too unattractive, but Jungkook would rather avoid dealing with that kind of situation if at all possible.
“Hyung, why would he want me? There are so many hybrids here that are so much better. I don’t want to leave…” He reached up and wiped at his nose before sniffling, glaring down at the little wet spot on his hand. Of course, his rhinitis would flare up now and make him look like a sad sack. Jungkook was not one to cry over something little, and in his opinion, this was something little. After having been adopted so many times before, it was nothing to pack up his bags and head somewhere else for a couple months.

“Kookie… I know you’re upset, but I think you could make this one work. He’s always at work. You won’t be treated like a servant, and you’ll rarely ever see him. Maybe he’ll even let you get a job and you can still have your plan work out…” Hoseok’s hand continued running over his wrinkled t-shirt, smoothing the fabric over the young bunny’s skin.
“Whatever… We both know I’ll be back here within a year. You won’t be leaving this place before then, right?”
	“Of course not, Kookie. I love this job because of all the sweet hybrids I meet, just like yourself. If you need anything, just call me. I’m confident you’d be able to get to a phone if you really needed one. He’s coming to pick you up early tomorrow. Please make sure to have your things packed up to make it as painless as possible.” The employee stood, pressing one last kiss to the crown of the Jungkook’s head, just between his ears.
And with that, Hoseok exited the room, leaving Jungkook alone with his meager possessions and thoughts of what the next day would bring.




The air was cool and crisp, stinging his nose when he left the safety of the building. Little pink petals and stunning green leaves littered the sidewalk between the doorstep and the sleek black car parked along the street. Spring had sprung, and from the look of the overcast sky and the strong breeze, anyone could tell that it would rain before sunset. Jungkook had always liked rain despite how easily it affected him. He always stayed outside, even when the water would soak his ears until they resembled limp grey noodles. Being wet was never a good thing for rabbits as they could easily become hypothermic, but Jungkook didn’t care. The smell and soft patter of raindrops soothed him, eased him out of the jail cell that was his mind. When in the rain, he felt at peace.

His peace was somewhat ruined, however, thanks to lingering thoughts of a future in a broken home. Clearly his new owner was wealthy; he had carried himself in a . In Jungkook’s experience, rich people either didn’t care for their hybrids at all, or they cared too much.

When he was 8, Jungkook had been housed in a mansion deep in the countryside. He’d lived there with five other hybrids, all of them older than him. Only one was a prey animal like him, a little mouse named Hyungwoo. In that home, he was just there as a doll-like servant. He was only to speak when spoken to, to only be seen when his master called. In the five months that Jungkook was there, he had only sat with the master three times. The old man liked to watch foreign movies and pet his hybrids’ ears and tails. He would always make the strangest sounds, and Jungkook was relieved the day he dropped a plate and he was sent back to the adoption agency.
On the other hand, the Oh family had been completely obsessed with him. They pampered him and showered him with gifts weekly. Generally, he could be found around the house wearing fluffy skirts and blouses, his lips a shimmery pink thanks to the lip gloss the mother wore every day. The soft oversized sweaters he wore in the winter were his favorites, since they made him feel like he was swaddled up in a big blanket. For the first couple of years living with them, Jungkook was happy and could find nothing wrong with what his ‘parents’ were doing. Once puberty hit, however, Mrs. Oh lost interest, claiming that he “wasn’t pretty enough” anymore, and they sent him back. Years later when talking with his friends in the Agency, he realized that kissing your adopted son on the lips and dressing him up like a girl was not the norm.

Jungkook was drawn out of his thoughts at the sound of a car door opening right in front of him. Distracted by his own memories, he hadn’t realized that the green-haired man who had adopted him was no longer behind him with Hoseok, but instead in front of him and gesturing for the bunny to get into the passenger seat.
	The boy settled down into the leather seat, dropping his bag to the floor between his feet and clasping his hands in his lap. As the door slammed shut, Jungkook realized he knew next to nothing about his new owner. The bags under his eyes indicated that he didn’t sleep much, and he was obviously quite rich. But Jungkook didn’t even know the man’s name.


	Yoongi struggled to keep his eyes on the road as he drove the hybrid to his new home. He kept sneaking glances at the beautiful boy in his passenger seat. Of course, he was curious about how Jungkook would take to him and his home, but now was hardly the time to get distracted. He could easily kill the both of them if he had a lapse in concentration long enough to run him off the road. Yoongi blinked a few times to refocus, spending the rest of the ride gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles paled slightly.
	Soon enough, they had arrived and he pulled into the car garage. By the time Jungkook had managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and open his door, Yoongi was there and extending his hand in an offer of assistance. He watched as the younger man stared before climbing out all on his own. Yoongi was shocked, not used to someone brushing off his attention. It was a rare thing for someone to ignore a man in a position of power, let alone someone like the Min Yoongi.

	He stood there for nearly one full minute while he processed this, only snapping out of it when Jungkook cleared his throat. The bunny stood in front of him, having gathered up his bag and closed the car door. He was looking down expectantly at Yoongi, a peculiar expression on his face. His eyebrows were slightly scrunched up and his lips were just barely pursed but behind his eyes, Yoongi could see no emotions. The boy seemed to be a hollow shell that was simply pretending to live, just going through the motions. This worried Yoongi.