weichei-stubentiger

[weichei-stubentiger]

Silver Moon Ch. 19

Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS      Relationship: Jeon Jungkook/OC

words: 4700

Language: English    

Rating: Explicit    

Warnings: Past trauma, orphaned main character, violence, slow burn but the smut will hit hard, corny hybrid tropes, masturbation, explicit sexual language, mutual pining, messy, crying, descriptions of blood and injury, oral sex, light choking sort of, touch starved, knotting, (I will probably add to this list as I write)    

Category: M/F

taglist: @likeshatteredrainbowglass, @aznstoner, @zae007live, @namecannotbblank, @osakis-gf

Author: Weichei Stubentiger

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37537594/chapters/93691681

Summary: Hybrids are hardly the biggest part of Alina’s life. In fact, she tries her best to ignore anything hybrid-related. She is content to study for her entrance exam to grad school and try to live as innocuously as possible. But the events of her past will come back to haunt her when she becomes indebted to a hybrid named Jungkook. Their lives have become inextricably intertwined, but will they be able to trust each other? Will they be able to stand with each other in order to survive? Will they be able to stand each other at all?

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Materlist

Chapter notes: Our girl is really going through it  : /

Enjoy 💜

Chapter 19

Alina didn’t know for how they’d been driving, but they’d left the city behind. The road had become increasingly rough as they headed deeper and deeper into the forest. Each bump caused the zip-tie around her wrists to bite deeper into her skin. She’d never been this far out, at least not since she was a kid. To make matters worse, it was still dark, and all she could see were dark evergreens and barren deciduous trees lining the side of the road. The disorientation and pain kept her panic high, making it impossible to clear her head and think rationally. She’d already tried pleading with them, asking who they were. It had only earned her a beating. It was all she could do now to try and stay quiet, her face and ribs aching. 

“Stop fucking gasping,” one of the men said. “She’s gonna pass out.”

“Good. Makes our job easier.”

“We’re supposed to keep her alive and awake.”

The other man didn’t seem to have a retort and the car lapsed into silence. Aside from Alina’s labored breathing. A clearing appeared up ahead, and a large industrial building came into view. It looked like it may have been a warehouse at some point, but as they approached, it became clear it had long since been abandoned.

The car came to a stop, and it become too much for her. She fought furiously against her captor’s iron grip as he manhandled her out of the car.  

“Please! Please let me go! I won’t —” she was interrupted with a brutal backhand across her cheek. Stars danced across her vision, and she slumped in the man’s hold.

A loud clank followed by screeching hinges rang out across the clearing. Then a voice. “It took you long enough.” 

Alina kept her head low, staring at the frozen brown grass below her feet. They’d been planning this, a more helpful part of her brain reflected. Of course they had been. The question was - for how long? She knew the man in the peacoat was the same man from the train station. But had they been following her before that? 

Her stomach twisted with new knots. She should have told Jungkook or Yoongi or Namjoon — anyone — about the station right away. Why? Why hadn’t she done that?

Her breath caught as a pair of black combat boots appeared in front of her. Don’t look at them, don’t look up, a voice in her head demanded. But the newcomer didn’t give her much of a choice. 

Cold fingers took her chin in a vicious grip, forcing her face up.

The sight before her nearly caused her heart to stall. 

“Jungkook?” Alina choked, voice hoarse and teary and thick with disbelief.

The man in front of her laughed. It was ugly and mean and dark. “No, I’m afraid not,” he said, lips curled in dark amusement.

That’s when Alina noticed his hair. He was blond. All blond. 

Not Jungkook. Not Jungkook.

But he looked like Jungkook. Perhaps a bit older. The man stepped closer, so close that Alina could feel his breath on her face as he squeezed her jaw painfully. She felt her body begin to shake. “Take another guess, pet.” “I — I don’t know,” Alina heard herself saying. 

“Ah…don’t say you’ve forgotten me,” the man tisked. It made Alina’s stomach roll. “I remember you. Which is more than you can say for Jungkook.” He regarded her with sinister dark eyes. “I suppose you are quite plain. Maybe we shouldn’t fault him for not recognizing you.”

Alina was positive she’d never seen this man before, but there was something in his eyes, something familiar, that terrified her. She shrank back, though her movement was limited by the man holding her, her stomach lurching with nausea. 

“Enough.” It was the man in the peacoat. “Take her inside. Don’t untie her.”

“Fuck off Adrian. I’m not done with her.” The two men stared each other down. The peacoat man, the one who’d grabbed her — Adrian, was slightly broader than the one who looked like Jungkook, older too. Alina didn’t know what their power struggle meant for her survival.

In the end, it didn’t seem to matter, because Adrian skirted around the other men and took Alina’s arm himself. He wasn’t any more or less gentle than the others, but Alina was relieved to be removed from the Jungkook look-alike.

As they walked into the building, she tried her best to memorize their path. One thing was now abundantly clear. This wasn’t about collar removals, and it wasn’t about Jungkook’s new pack. This was his old one. 

This new clarity took over her thoughts. A year ago, Alina would have done her best to make hasten the inevitable. She would have sought solace in her long-held assumption that her death would be quick. But things were different now. If they found her, they must have found Jungkook as well. Would they take him, too? Were they going to hurt him? Her body itched with distress. She needed to get away, and she needed to warn Jungkook.

*****

Jimin stared up at the ceiling of Courtney's room. He’d woken up about an hour ago and watched the first morning light creep across the bedroom walls. He and Tae had decided to stay the night, though Jimin wondered how much that was helping things. Jungkook and Alina needed to talk. There wasn’t much the rest of them could do. 

Even still, he couldn’t stop the events of the last 12 hours from running through his head. This whole thing was crazy, and his brain was still processing things. On top of everything, he couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that Jungkook never told them who he was. He didn’t owe them that information, but why hide it? They wouldn’t see him any differently. Jungkook must have known that…right?

And then there was Alina. She seemed so destroyed, and the more Jimin thought about it, the angrier he became at Jungkook. Forget about his family history, why the hell did he leave her like that? Alina hadn't really lied anymore than Jungkook had. She’d done everything she could for him. She’d given him a place to stay, helped him build a life of his own, and she risked everything trying to get his collar off.

Jimin sighed. Jungkook deserved all those freedoms and more, everyone did. But that fact didn’t negate all the risks and burdens Alina had taken on. 

After a few more minutes of stewing over the situation, Jimin decided he needed a distraction. There was no way he was getting back to sleep, so he climbed out of bed and, walking as quietly as he could, headed toward the kitchen. It didn’t seem like anyone else was awake, but he paused in front of Alina’s door. It was closed, and there was no indication that Jungkook had returned while the rest of them were asleep. Jimin didn’t want to disturb her if she was finally getting some rest, so he continued on. Once he’d fixed a cup of tea, he went outside to sit on the porch. The sky had taken on a dusty grey-purple color, casting the city in dim morning light. 

Jimin looked down at the street below. There was barely any traffic, and no one was out and about yet. Well, almost no one. Jimin leaned forward, peering between the barred railing. Someone had parked a motorcycle in front of the building and was leaning against it. He still had his helmet on, so he was probably waiting for someone.

There was one other person walking on the sidewalk, but they were quite far away. As they neared, their attire caught Jimin’s attention. They were wearing all black, and Jimin could tell they weren’t wearing a coat. He rose up slightly. It was definitely Jungkook. Good. He could explain himself. They would figure things out, and everyone would get some much-needed honesty and support. Everything would be fine. 

Folding the blanket he’d had over his lap, Jimin watched as Jungkook approached. As much as he wanted to go downstairs and confront him about everything, things would probably go smoother if Jungkook wasn’t accosted before he could get in the building. Jimin would make some more tea and offer an ear, but if Jungkook wanted space for a little while longer, Jimin would give that to him. 

Jimin was about to go back inside the apartment, but the faint sound of voices made him pause. He glanced back over the railing and was confused by what he saw. 

Jungkook had stopped around 10 feet away from the entrance to the building. It looked like he was engaged in some sort of conversation with the motorcyclist, who’d taken off their helmet. It wasn’t a man, Jimin realized, though he still didn’t recognize her. She was older, and there was grey mixed in with the black of her hair. Jimin strained his eyes. She had hybrid ears.

They were too far down for Jimin to hear exactly what they were saying, but the woman was talking. Maybe it was a neighbor. Then again, the interaction looked kind of strange. 

Suddenly Jungkook was moving fast toward the biker. He was a good head taller than her, and Jimin gasped as Jungkook got up in her face. But the woman didn’t flinch. In fact, she smiled. Then she said something that had Jungkook stumbling back. 

Enough was enough. Jimin pushed off from the railing. He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but he was going to figure it out. He took the stairs two at a time, finally reaching the lobby, only to see Jungkook getting on the back of the woman’s motorcycle. 

“Hey!” Jimin yelled, running for the doorway. Jungkook turned his head, but they were already pulling out from the curb. Jimin threw open the heavy glass door, choking on the sudden burst of freezing air. He watched, helpless, as the motorcycle sped away, disappearing after it rounded a corner.

“What the fuck just happened?” Jimin muttered, looking around uselessly. The street was still empty, but he spotted something in the gutter. Walking over, he crouched down. It was Jungkook’s phone, and it had been crushed.

More confused than ever, Jimin picked up the broken device. There was nothing else he could do, so he went back inside. Once he got into the apartment, he sat down heavily on the couch. This was going to be a weird thing to explain to the others, and it wasn’t going to help Alina’s hurt and doubt. His eyes traveled to her door. 

Jimin got to his feet. Something in him told him to go check on her. He wouldn’t wake her up, but he wanted to see she was all right. As he approached the door, an odd sort of dread began to fill him. He opened the door quietly, only to be met with an empty bed.

 He needed to call Namjoon and Yoongi. Now.

*****

It had been hours. Or rather, Alina assumed it had been hours. It felt longer. Her exhaustion was posing an increasingly urgent problem. Fear and adrenaline had kept her alert thus far, but that wouldn’t last forever. Her nerves were frayed to their last thread, and keeping herself vigilant was getting harder and harder. There was no way of knowing what they were going to do with her or when, but she was going to crash soon. It could be hours or minutes before anyone came for her, and at some point, she’d need to accept the risk of sleeping. 

But Alina didn’t know if they’d leave her alone again. She needed to take advantage of the time she had. She compulsively pulled on her bound wrists and swept her eyes over the room. She’d scoured every inch of every wall, but the door, which was the only possible exit, was bolted shut. Forcing back a wave of hopelessness, Alina ground her hands into the dirt and grit on the floor. She knew she needed to give up on the idea of slipping away unnoticed. There was simply no escaping this room unless someone else opened the door. She’d need to wait until that happened, and when it did, she’d need access to her hands. 

She’d seen a video about escaping duct tape and zip-tie bonds, but only when they left your hands in front of you. Hers were bound behind her back. She’d tried to bring her hands underneath her legs a few times, and it had only resulted in tearing up her wrists.

One more time. If she didn’t do this, she’d never see her friends again. She’d never see Jungkook again. These monsters would kill her, and surviving these past 13 years would be for nothing. Bracing herself against the wall, she rose up to a crouching position. The ties were tight, and they cut into her raw skin as she tried to get her hands low enough to the ground to hop over them. 

Alina couldn’t muffle the cry of pain as she forced her hands under her torso, then finally under her feet. There was no time to survey the damage. Bringing her hands above her head, Alina allowed herself one breath before bringing them back down with all the force she could muster.

The ties broke, and Alina fell to her knees, hanging her hands gingerly in front of her. After a few moments, she forced herself to her feet. There was nothing else in the room — no furniture, not even garbage, nothing she could use as a weapon. But there was one corner of the room where the cinder-block wall had been damaged. The area wasn’t nearly weak enough to push or dig through, but a few sizable chunks of cement sat amongst the debris. 

Alina picked up the biggest piece, weighing it in her hand. It wasn’t much, but at least it was heavy. Looking over at the door, she committed herself to a plan. As soon as someone opened the door, Alina would move. The cinderblock piece would give her a fighting chance. Positioning herself next to the doorframe, Alina waited, mind numb and racing at the same time. Minutes passed by, but she refused to move. She wouldn’t lose this chance. 

Eventually, her patience paid off. At first, she only heard footsteps echoing down the hallway on the other side of the door. It sounded like one person. Please let it be one person, Alina prayed, fingers digging into her crude weapon.

The door made a clanging noise before it swung open. A man took one step into the room, pausing when he didn’t immediately see Alina.

Alina didn’t think. She lunged and flung her arm forward.

CRACK!

The man Alina now recognized as Adrian groaned, falling against the doorframe.

Alina stood shell-shocked for about half of a second, letting the block fall from her hand. The force of the blow tingled up her arm and her heart jackhammered against her chest.

She took off running, sidestepping Adrian’s slumped form and sprinting blindly into the empty hall. Could she make it out of the building? Was there any chance that one of the rooms had a phone? She took the first turn she could, trying to put distance between herself and Adrian.

She spotted a staircase. Someone had said something about a basement…she was probably in the basement. Going up seemed like the best option, but as soon as she entered the stairwell, she heard the echoes of footsteps.

Fuck. Her heart beat impossibly faster. She pivoted, running in the other direction. 

“HEY!”

All of the hallways looked the same, and nothing indicated the direction of an exit. Her vision was tunneling. Footsteps were gaining on her.

Alina screamed as someone grabbed her from behind, lifting her clean off her feet. The arms crushed her, stealing her breath. She kicked wildly in a last-ditch effort to escape, but she crumpled when someone landed a punch to her stomach. 

Her captor let her sink to her knees, keeping a hand around her neck. Alina nearly vomited, and for a few minutes, she could do nothing but cough. As her vision returned, she realized a number of people had gathered in the hallway. Adrian was standing the closest. He must have been the one to punch her. 

The man holding her was laughing. “What happened, Adrian? If something as weak as a human can beat you —”

“Shut it, Jaxon,” Adrian growled. 

Jaxon continued to laugh. “What a surprising little human, you are,” he said, running his hand against Alina’s neck. Alina’s body shivered in dread and revolution. By now she recognized his voice. Jaxon was the one that looked related to Jungkook. “I’ll take her back to the room,” he said, hand still wrapped around her windpipe. 

“No. I’m taking her to the leader,” Adrian said, taking a step forward.

“Fine. Then I’ll take her to the leader,” Jaxon said.

Adrian was quiet for a moment. “She’s not for you Jaxon.”

More tension-filled silence suffocated the hallway. Adrian’s words sent chills through Alina’s body. She couldn’t bring herself to think about what Jaxon could possibly want with her. 

A new voice cut through the standoff. “Adrian’s right, Jaxon. She’s not for you. And I’ve had enough of these ridiculous, childish squabbles.”

Alina’s eyes were fixed in front of her, and her heart pounded in her ears. That voice…she knew that voice. She’d never forget it, no matter how much she wanted to. 

The woman approached them from behind them, coming to a stop in front of Alina and Jaxon. Her clothing was just as casual as the rest of her captors’, and yet it was jarring to see her in a simple pair of jeans. This was the person, the monster, that had haunted Alina for 13 years. And now she was here, standing before Alina like no time had passed. She was just as beautiful as she’d been all those years ago. The only noticeable change was in her hair, which was now mixed with grey, reducing the harsh contrasting effect of the blond streak running alongside her face. 

“I’ll take her myself.” 

It seemed the woman’s presence was arresting to everyone, not just Alina. There was no more fighting, no more testing. Jaxon handed Alina over to the woman silently, and Alina had no choice but to comply. 

*****

No one bothered to retie her, but the woman kept an iron grip around Alina’s arm, dragging her down a poorly lit corridor. The whole building was in disrepair, but this area looked especially bare. The concrete walls were cracked and dirty, and the fluorescent lighting was spotty.

Alina’s feet dragged along the floor, more from fatigue than protest. The building confused her. This entire situation confused her, especially the inexplicable runaround. Alina had always assumed that if she had the misfortune of meeting this woman again, her death would be fast and brutal. But here she was, being dragged from place to place without so much as a threat or demand.

“Why are you doing this?” Alina said, throat dry. She didn’t receive an answer, not that she expected one. Eventually, they came to an abrupt stop in front of a huge steel door. The woman jolted Alina forward by her arm, causing her to cry out.

Finally, the woman spoke, baring her teeth in a vicious sneer. “You think he’s yours? He’s not. He’s one of us. He always has been. You were his one mistake, a mistake I expect him to correct,” she hissed. It was the most emotion Alina had seen from her, but there was no time to figure out what she meant. Before Alina could utter a word, the woman unlocked the door, opened it, and threw Alina into the room. She landed on her hands and knees, feeling the skin of her hands burn as it scraped against the cold, dirty floor. 

She tried to get her bearings, but as soon as she looked up, she fell back, feeling like the air had been punched out of her lungs. A giant black wolf lay in the far corner of the room. 

Alina’s heart pounded in her ears, and her shock overwhelmed her. She didn’t know for how long she stayed on the ground, frozen in place and gasping for each panicked breath. The wolf, for whatever reason, didn’t move. Its head was facing the corner, but she could see its back moving rhythmically up and down. 

Seemingly without cause, its breath slowly became heavier. As soon as it began to raise its head, Alina was spurred into action. She scrambled back until she hit the wall opposite the wolf. She had maybe fifteen feet between herself and the animal. 

It was staring at her. 

It let out a low, desperate whining sound before shutting its eyes and digging its nose into its paws.

Then the whines turned into growls.

Alina’s terror rose, suffocating her as the horrible creature rose to its feet, pacing and tossing his head furiously. 

Even if it was staying on the other side of the room, the wolf’s erratic behavior terrified her, and when it let out a chilling roar, a shriek tore itself from Alina’s throat and she dissolved into sobs. She hid her face in her hands, curling in on herself, body shaking with her cries. She barely noticed the creature quieting. She was going to die in this room, useless and petrified. Meeting the same fate as her family. Her sobs worsened. Jungkook. She wouldn’t see him again. She hadn’t been able to warn him.

Something wet and cold touched her arm, causing her to jolt to the side with another shriek. The animal had crept up beside her, she realized with abject horror. Its face was inches from her own. 

She didn’t move. Her body wouldn’t let her. There was nowhere to go anyway. She could only peer back at the wolf, tears rolling down her face as it watched her with intense black eyes. 

It grumbled, shaking its body with agitation, but nothing more than that.

Second by second, Alina’s blinding dread lessened. As monstrous as the thing was, it didn’t seem interested in mindlessly tearing her apart. Any answer as to why was still a mystery, but its demonstration of relative nonviolence gave her a moment to think. Why was it behaving so strangely? Why didn’t it just get it over with?

This wasn’t just a wolf, she reminded herself. It was too big, unnaturally big. And it wasn’t behaving like a normal animal. Given where she was, she knew it must be a hybrid. Not like that made things better, but she needed to acknowledge how it changed her chances of survival. Would it understand her if she tried to talk to it?

“Can you…” Her voice shook terribly and her throat felt like a vice, but she forced herself to speak, “can you understand me?”

The hybrid uttered a whiney, short bark. It looked at her for a moment longer before dropping down to its belly, shifting its weight.

Okay. She wasn’t sure if that was a yes or a no, but at least it was a response. 

The hybrid didn’t seem to like her silence, because it let out a growl and inched closer to her. 

Alina squeaked with renewed fright, trying to move back. The creature halted, growls turning into short, yippy whines before stopping completely.

All of its noises were loud, but they didn’t sound vicious. The creature sounded anxious, uncomfortable…unhappy. It looked that way, too. It was rubbing its nose into its arm again.

Was it sick? Is that why it was acting like this? It pushed its snout under its paws, eyes pinched shut. Some laughable, unbelievable voice in her head wondered if she smelled.

She slowly released a breath. As she did, the wolf lay its head on the ground and watched her with expectant eyes. She took a minute to slowly straighten herself into a more comfortable sit-in position, not letting the hybrid out of her sight as she did so. She didn’t dare move farther away, fearing that she would anger the creature or trigger its chase reflex.

Once she was settled, she chanced a question. “Are you going to hurt me?” She didn’t think she’d understand its answer, but it was all she could think to ask. 

Alina quickly regretted the question. The hybrid growled and got up to his feet. She held her breath, but he only huffed air into her face. Then he paced around for a moment before returning to her. 

He sat in front of her. Then he laid down again, resting his muzzle gently on her leg, just beside her hand. 

Finally, he just looked at her, barely breathing. Alina stared back as if seeing the wolf for the first time. His eyes were big and brown and soft, and it looked like they were taking in her every detail. Her mind slowed. Her body relaxed.

Her stomach dropped. 

“Jungkook?” She whispered. 

The wolf whined and pushed his snout hard against her palm, licking her hand, tail wagging lowly behind him. 

“Oh my God.” She was crying again, but it didn’t matter. This was Jungkook. He was ok. Relief crashed through her body and she threw herself at the wolf without a second thought. 

“I’m sorry,” she cried against the thick black fur of his neck. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t realize —” It all made sense. How could she not realize it before? Was she really so weak, so controlled by fear?  

The wolf — Jungkook — whined back at her, letting her cling to him.

It took Alina a while to collect herself, but, eventually, her cries subsided, and she tried to even out her shaky breathing. Jungkook’s fur was wet under her cheek, but she couldn’t move away. She would crumble if she moved away. She was on the edge of crumbling anyway.

But then his whining started up again, drawing Alina’s attention. She pulled back, putting a hand on his velvety cheek. His eyes were pinched shut. Something wasn’t right. 

Of course something wasn’t right! Why was he in this form? How was he in this form? Why couldn’t he shift and talk to her?

“Jungkook?”

He didn’t give her much of an answer. Well, it wasn’t an answer Alina understood. He pulled his head away and pushed his nose against her stomach. 

“Are you hurt?”

Nothing but an insistent push from his snout and some sniffing. It almost felt like he wasn’t listening to her. Alina wanted to ask more questions and insist on getting his full attention, but Jungkook started moving again. 

He got to his feet and stood over her, though the stance no longer felt menacing. He snuffled at her shoulder, then pushed. Eventually, Alina got the message and leaned back on her elbows.

Jungkook moved forward with her before laying down, covering her body with his. Alina huffed, but he managed to keep enough of his body weight off her so as not to crush her. She ran her hands along his sides as he pushed his muzzle into the crook of her neck, cuddling as close as he could get. 

“Okay,” Alina found herself saying. Worry and confusion ate away at her, but waves of exhaustion were threatening to pull her under. She would let them rest for a minute…just a few minutes…then they’d figure out a way to communicate.

[weichei-stubentiger]

Happy Halloween!! I hope everyone got in some quality pumpkin carving 🎃 Also, the next chap of silver moon is going up in 24 hours ❤️

Much love! 

Weichei 

[weichei-stubentiger]

Silver Moon Ch. 18

Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS      Relationship: Jeon Jungkook/OC

words: 5704

Language: English     

Rating: Explicit     

Warnings: Past trauma, orphaned main character, violence, slow burn but the smut will hit hard, corny hybrid tropes, masturbation, explicit sexual language, mutual pining, messy, crying, descriptions of blood and injury, oral sex, light choking sort of, touch starved, knotting, (I will probably add to this list as I write)    

Category: M/F

taglist: @likeshatteredrainbowglass, @aznstoner, @zae007live, @namecannotbblank

Author: Weichei Stubentiger

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37537594/chapters/93691681

Summary: Hybrids are hardly the biggest part of Alina’s life. In fact, she tries her best to ignore anything hybrid-related. She is content to study for her entrance exam to grad school and try to live as innocuously as possible. But the events of her past will come back to haunt her when she becomes indebted to a hybrid named Jungkook. Their lives have become inextricably intertwined, but will they be able to trust each other? Will they be able to stand with each other in order to survive? Will they be able to stand each other at all?

prev / next

Materlist

Chapter Notes: shoutout to @crinwyn​ for encouraging me and giving this a quick beta read! 

Chapter 18

Jimin: Is anyone free for New Year's Eve? Kristi’s having a party at her place. All of you guys are invited 

Tae: Yeah I’m free!

Jin: Me and Yoongi are having some old university friends over, sorry :( wish we could make it 

JK: I don’t have any plans

Jimin: Jungkook, make sure Alina and the girls know they’re invited too.

JK: Will do.

*****

Jungkook made a b-line for the couch as soon as a spot opened up. He was getting tired of talking to people he didn’t know. Music and conversation thrummed throughout the house, creating a constant distracting buzz. He looked around, turning his phone over in his hands. Jimin was busy talking to some of Kristi’s friends, and he wasn’t sure where Tea and Mina went. 

He wished Alina was here. She was supposed to get off work thirty minutes ago, so it probably wouldn’t be much longer before she showed up. 

Maybe he should make sure she got off the train safely. The sun had set hours ago and she wouldn’t be familiar with the neighborhood. Yeah, he should probably call her. Jungkook sat up, looking for a quieter place to make a call. Maybe he should go outside for a second —

“Hey, you know Alina, right?” a girl with brown hair and a bright smile asked from his right.

“Uh yeah,” he said. The mention of Alina’s name took Jungkook by surprise, as did the girl’s sudden appearance, but he recognized her as one of Kristi’s friends. 

“Wow I can’t believe this!” the girl said, her smile widening. “She and I went to the same university. I was talking to Kristi when she mentioned Alina had a hybrid now.”

Jungkook wasn’t sure what to say, so he only nodded passively. 

The girl, unphased, took a seat next to him on the couch. “I’m Mia by the way.”

“Jungkook,” he replied, sitting back. “So you and Alina are friends from college?”

“Yeah we had a few courses together,” Mia said, readjusting her position on the couch. She was sitting too close to him, but the whole room was crowded with people, and there wasn’t much Jungkook could do. He didn’t want to be rude, especially if this was one of Alina’s friends, so he stayed put.

Mia didn’t exactly give him the opportunity to excuse himself, either, as she effortlessly directed the conversation toward other things, mostly her job. Jungkook gathered that it was something about marketing.

“So does Alina let you do anything for work?” Mia asked, recapturing Jungkook’s waning attention. 

Bah. ’Let’ him work. This girl clearly didn’t know Alina very well. “I’m a trainer,” Jungkook said, checking the clock on his phone again. Where was Alina? He needed to get away so he could check on her. “I work at the same place as Jimin.”

“Oh! That’s really cool. You do kind of have a gym rat vibe,” she said, laughing as she put a hand on his arm. 

Jungkook looked at her hand before quickly tugging his arm away. “What are you doing?”

Kristi looked nonplussed, scooting closer to him. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not —“

“Are you afraid of her seeing you or something?” Kristi interrupted. “We can go to one of the rooms upstairs.”

Jungkook was lost for words, suddenly quite worried that Alina would see and get the wrong idea.

Mia sighed impatiently. “God, is she that strict with you?”

“It’s not because I’m her hybrid,” Jungkook spat out in disbelief, getting off the couch.

“Well you don’t have to be fucking rude about it,” Mia said indignantly.

He was being rude? She was the one making a move on her friend’s boyfriend.

Jungkook paused. Maybe she didn’t know he was with Alina. Mia clearly wasn’t used to rejection, but Jungkook hadn’t meant to insult her. His ears warmed with embarrassment. “Sorry I didn’t mean — I’m with Alina. That’s why I’m not interested.”

“Oh.”

“So…I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just not interested.”

“Is that why she registered you? To date you?”

“What? No,” Jungkook replied, irritated and confused by the question.

She must have noticed because her brows rose. “Sorry…I just never imagined Alina would register a hybrid. I don’t get why she did it,” Mia said as if it cleared anything up. 

“She helped me out. It wasn’t like she was looking for a hybrid to register.”

“Well yeah…that’s what I’m surprised about. That she’d help you out.”

Anger flared inside him. “Then you don’t know her.”

Mia scoffed, getting up. “Do you? Maybe now she wants a nice cute hybrid to help her work through her trauma. But when I knew her, she didn’t want anything to do with them.”

Jungkook stopped. He was appalled by how she was talking about Alina, but what she made no sense. Trauma?

“What are you talking about?”

Mia searched his face for a moment. “What do you mean?”

Jungkook didn’t say anything, waiting for an answer.  

“Has she seriously not told you about the whole dead family thing?”

Jungkook stared at her, alarmed and more confused than before. “I know her parents died when she was young.”

Mia let out a disbelieving laugh. “Wow. That’s really fucked up,” she said flippantly. “A bunch of her family members were killed in some sort of hybrid attack like a decade ago.” 

*****

Alina burrowed deeper into her hood and checked her phone for the 10th time. Where was the damn train? Bitter January air seeped into the subway station, chilling the tile walls. It felt like she was standing in an ice box.  She should have told her boss she wasn’t working on New Year’s eve; this wasn’t worth the hassle. 

A few other people stood on the platform, mostly couples and groups of friends, all clearly celebrating the holiday. As impatient and cold as she felt, the sight made Alina smile to herself. She was excited to see Jungkook, which was dumb, given that she’d seen him earlier that morning, but she couldn’t help how she felt. Maybe they could leave Kristi’s New Year’s party a little early.

She brought her hand up to her necklace, playing with the chain and pendant. No, she needed to make an effort to be less antisocial. And besides, Jungkook was probably having fun.

She looked around the station, trying to occupy herself with people-watching instead of mooning over Jungkook. There was another platform on the other side of the tracks, but it wasn’t nearly as busy. An older couple sat on a bench together and a man stood about 10 feet away from them, speaking into his phone.

No one seemed particularly bothered by the late train. Alina pushed her gloved hands further into her coat. How were they not freezing?  

She really needed to buy her own car. There was a used car lot not too far away…maybe they’d have some post-Christmas car deals. 

She pursed her lips. Who was she kidding? She was trying to buy a car, not candy after Halloween. She knew it was going to be hard to find something safe that was also in her price range. 

At least she was lucky enough to live in a city that had public transit. She sighed, letting her attention roam back to the platform opposite her. The couple was standing now, probably anticipating their train. The man stood in the same spot as before, but his hands were in the pockets of his black peacoat. As her eyes drifted over the man, Alina was startled when their gazes met. He was looking at her. 

She blinked, looking away. Something about his eyes unsettled her.

She checked the time again. 23:07. Her train would be here soon, Alina promised herself. She looked at the dingy concrete floor without really seeing it. After a few moments, she gave into temptation and glanced back at the stranger. He was still watching her. 

Alina’s heart began to pound. There were plenty of people around; the guy was probably spaced out. There was no reason to be freaked out.

Her body, however, didn’t seem to be interested in logic, because she could feel her skin break out in a cold sweat. She gripped her phone in her hand.

A gust of wind rustled her hair, and the station rumbled with muted reverberation.

Alina let out a breath. Good, the train was coming. She didn’t have to embarrass herself by calling one of her friends. Even better, the man was on a different platform, so there was no danger of him getting on the same train.

Soon enough, the face of the train engine hurtled into the station, blocking the man from view. 

Alina boarded as soon as the train cars came to a stop, falling into an empty seat. She’d never felt so grateful to be inside a cramped metal box. Twisting in her seat, she peered out of the car window. Her stomach turned as she once again made eye contact with the stranger. The train slowly rolled away from the platform, but Alina remained frozen, watching the man disappear from view. 

Alina’s shoulders sagged as she rested back into her seat. She looked at the hard plastic seats opposite her, allowing her breath to even out. 

She felt silly for getting so frightened, but she still felt uneasy. Maybe she should tell Jungkook or Yoongi about the man. It would probably make her look paranoid, but the more she thought about it, the more worried she became. She had something to protect now, not just Jungkook, but his whole pack. And they had reason to stay on high alert for this kind of thing.

Maybe someone was investigating her early attempts at finding someone to remove Jungkook’s collar. Alina pursed her lips. She should have been more careful, but she’d been desperate. She racked her brain, trying to retrace her movements and interactions during that time.

She was so lost in thought she almost missed her stop. The train had slowed, finally coming to a jolting halt at a well-lit station. Alina exited quickly, flinching at the cold air. Kristi’s house was only a five-minute walk away, and Alina tried to use that time to clear her head. The neighborhood was nice. Trees lined the well-lit street, and most of the houses sported well-maintained Christmas decorations. 

Alina recognized Kristi’s address and ascended the front steps. She could already hear music and voices.

The house was hot and noisy inside, and Alina was quickly stripping off her heavy coat. She didn’t recognize anyone. Jimin, Mina, and Tae were all supposed to be here, as well as Jungkook. She walked through the crowded living room, still feeling a bit on edge, and made her way to the kitchen. 

Nope. She didn’t know anyone in here either. She got out her phone and opened their group chat.

Alina: Just made it to the house. Where is everybody?

She watched her phone for a moment, waiting for a reply. 

“Hey, you want something to drink?”  Alina looked up. A man with light blond hair was looking at her, clearly expecting her to answer. 

“Um,” Alina hesitated. She wasn’t planning on drinking that night, but maybe they had something else. ‘Sure. They have soda or anything.”

“I’m not sure,” the man responded, already handing her a beer.   

“Oh…” Alina decided it wasn’t worth protesting, so she accepted the beer and held it in her hand as she took another look around. 

“I don’t think we’ve ever met. Do you know Kristi?”

“A little,” Alina said, giving a distracted smile. “A friend of a friend I guess.”

“Ah. Who’s your friend then?”

“Jimin. They’ve only known each other for a little while, though.”

“Oh! The hybrid?”

“Yeah —” Alina stopped mid-sentence when she spied Jungkook. He was emerging from what looked to be the basement. Her excitement quickly faded when she realized how dazed he looked. “Hey I’m sorry, I just saw the person I’m here to meet,” Alina said, trying to extract herself from the conversation as quickly and politely as possible. 

“Alight, see you around…” He sounded a bit annoyed by her departure, but Alina wasn’t paying much attention at this point. 

She hurried over to Jungkook, calling out his name. He looked startled when he noticed her, and his ears remained flat against his head.

“Jungkook?” Alina repeated as she neared him, her worry increasing. His face was pale, and he looked at her like he’d seen a ghost. She moved closer, bringing her hand up to his cheek. “Hey, are you okay?”

“We need to leave.” His voice didn’t sound right at all.

“Right now?” 

Jungkook only nodded before taking her arm and leading into the living room towards the front door. Alina scrambled to put her coat on, a difficult task as Jungkook was practically dragging her along behind him. 

The cold night air hit her already tender face, and Alina had to squint her eyes to keep them from tearing up. Once they made it off the porch, Jungkook let go of her arm but continued walking at a brisk pace away from the house. Alina hurried to pull on the rest of her coat, rushing to follow him.

“Jungkook.” Nothing. “Jungkook!” she tried again. Nothing. She grabbed his hand, pulling him to a stop.  “Jungkook you’re scaring me.” 

He still didn’t look at her, staring at the street ahead of him, mouth set in a firm line. He wasn’t wearing his coat, Alina realized. He must have left it at the house. She felt overwhelmed with worry and confusion. “Jungkook, please. What’s wrong.”

“What happened to your family?”

Her body stilled.

When she didn’t immediately answer, Jungkook whipped his head towards her, finally meeting her gaze. 

“I —” she stuttered.

“Some girl said your family was killed in — in an attack.” He stepped toward her, and Alina instinctively took a step back. It wasn’t because she was afraid of him, but a wretched part of her was still trying to escape what he was asking her to reveal. “Please just — please tell me that’s not true.”

She could hear the desperation in his voice, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t lie to him, not like this. She shouldn’t have lied in the first place. She swallowed. “I can’t.”

Jungkook’s face crumbled, and he turned away from her, pacing towards the curb. He looked…horrified. The dread in Alina’s stomach worsened.

“Did you know? Did you know who I was this whole time?” 

Alina’s eyes stung with tears. “Yes…yes, but Jungkook — please,” God she hated how tearful her voice was. She was only going to make him hate her more. “I didn’t - I didn’t mean for things to happen like they did.”

“Were you just never going to tell me?” Jungkook shouted, making Alina flinch. 

“I didn’t know how! And….” Alina swallowed. “And when I realized you didn’t recognize me at the hospital…I told myself that maybe I was wrong. By the time you told me your real name…it only got harder.”

He was disgusted with her, Alina knew that. He was staring into the street’s gutter, shaking his head. 

“Is this why you were trying to get rid of me?”

Get rid of him? Alina’s frown deepened with confusion. “You mean when I was trying to find someone else to register you?” She hated herself for it now, but she’d only been trying to find a better life for him. “I thought you would rather be somewhere, especially if I told you who I was. And then, when you wanted to stay…when I wanted you to stay…I was too afraid to tell you."

He shook his head again. Alina didn’t know if it was because he didn’t believe her or if he simply didn’t like what she was saying. He stepped into the street and sat on the edge of the curb, letting his head fall to his hands. 

“Jungkook,” Alina said, unable to stand uselessly away from him any longer. She dropped down next to him, but she didn’t dare touch him, no matter how much she wanted to. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so so sorry Jungkook.”

He looked up at her incredulously. “You’re sorry?” 

Her heart was already breaking, but his words crushed her. He would never forgive her. “Jungkook — ”

“No. Stop.” He got up, running his hand through his hair. He was looking everywhere but at her. “I need to…I need to think.”

“Okay,” Alina said, getting up as well, wiping furiously at her eyes. “We can go home. I’ll — I can spend the night in Courtney’s room.”

“No.”

She looked at him. “No?”

“You go home. I’m… I need to be on my own.”

Alina stared at him. It was late and well below freezing. “Where are you going?”

“I don’t know,” he said, turning away. 

“Jungkook please —” Alina began, taking his arm. 

Jungkook whirled around. “I can’t do this right now!”

Alina stood, arm going limp at her side. Small puffs of breath escaped Jungkook’s mouth, fogging slightly in the frigid air between them. His eyes were wild, and his cheeks were pink.  She wanted to reach out for him again. 

No. What she wanted was for him to hold her. She wanted him to tell her everything was ok. That he understood. That what she’d done was forgivable. But it wasn’t. And it was nauseatingly selfish of her to imagine him comforting her. 

Finally, he turned away from her once again. Alina watched his back as he walked away from her. Her tears fell freely, and she held her breath so as not to sob. Even as Jungkook rounded a corner and disappeared from sight, Alina stayed where she was. 

After a few agonizing minutes, she walked numbly back to the curb and let herself cry. 

*****

Jimin threw back the rest of his drink, half listening to Kristi’s friend tell a story about his study abroad. There were a lot more people here than he anticipated, but it wasn’t a bad time. He wasn’t sure where all of his own friends went. Jungkook had slipped away to the living room and Mina and Tae had disappeared ages ago.

He smirked. Those two thought they were being so sly. Jimin wasn’t sure if anyone else had figured them out. Probably Yoongi. Either way, Jimin would keep his nose out of it. For now.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Putting down his empty glass on a side table, Jimin dug his phone out of his pocket and checked the caller ID.

Jungkookie 🦕

Why was Jungkook calling him? Did he manage to get lost inside Kristi’s place?

“Jungkook! Where’d you go?”

“Jimin I need you to go make sure Alina gets home okay.”

Jimin sobered quickly at Jungkook’s tone, covering his other ear and walking away from the group of people. “Jungkook? Are you okay? Where are you guys?”

“We were about a block away. Alina won’t have gone far.”

“Are you not with her?” Jimin said, grabbing his coat and heading for the door. 

“I need you to go get her and walk her home.”

“Jungkook. Tell me what happened right now.”

“She —” Jungkook’s voice broke. “Jimin…I can’t talk about it right now. I’m — Please just make sure she gets home.”

“Jungkook —“ the line went dead before Jimin could finish. “Fuck” he muttered, shoving his arms into his coat. Did they have an argument? What could be so bad that Jungkook wouldn’t tell him?

“Jimin!” It was Kristi. How did she always manage to have such bad timing? “Where are you going?”

“Hey sorry, something’s going on with Jungkook and I’ve got to go help him.” As he spoke, he spied Tae over Kristi’s shoulder and gestured for him to come over. 

Kristi pouted. “Are you gonna be back before midnight?” 

“I’m not sure. I’m sorry to leave early, but something’s going on with him and Alina.”

“All right, that’s fine I guess.” 

“I’ll call you,” Jimin said. Ugh, not his best line but it would have to do for now. Tae was close enough to hear him so he called, “hey, grab your coat.”

Tae came up beside them. “What’s going on?”

“Something’s up with Jungkook and Alina. We need to go find them.”

“Are they ok?”

“I'm not sure.”

“I’ll grab Mina.’

The three of them hastily exited the townhouse, Jimin leading the way. Mina had her phone to her ear trying to reach Alina.

“She’s not picking up. What the hell happened?” She asked, redialing.

“I don’t know. Jungkook sounded really distressed on the phone.”

“How are we supposed to find her?” Tae asked

“He said they were on their way home. She shouldn’t be far.” 

Luckily they didn’t have to worry long. They rounded the corner towards the girls’ apartment, and to their collective relief, they saw Alina’s form. She was sitting on the curb, hands around her knees. 

They all rushed forward. She didn’t look good. It must have been a fight. A bad one. Jimin truly couldn’t imagine over what. 

Once they were close enough, Jimin dropped down to Alina's side, Mina on her other. She looked even worse than Jimin thought. Her eyes were red and puffy, but her face was frighteningly blank.

“Alina what happened,” Mina asked, clearly thinking the same thing as Jimin. This had to be bad.

“He knows,” Alina said, voice quiet and strained.

“Knows what?” Tae asked as he crouched down next to Mina.

Alina didn’t answer. A sob tore from her chest, and she collapsed against Mina. Jimin was still at a loss, and he wondered if Mina knew what she was talking about.

“Maybe we should get you home first,” Jimin offered, looking at Tae and Mina.

“I don’t know where he went,” Alina said as she tried to control her crying. “But h-he doesn’t have a coat, and he must be really upset.”

“He’ll be ok Alina. It’s not that cold for us,” Jimin tried to reassure her. “But he asked us to make sure you got home safe without him.” 

Jimin thought she would like to know Jungkook was concerned about her safety, but she only dissolved into more crying. 

By the time they got back to the apartment, Alina had quieted significantly. Jimin let Mina and Tae take her to the couch while he retrieved a glass of water for her.

“Alina,” Mina said gently, “can you tell us what happened? Would it be easier if Jimin and Tae left?”

Alina swallowed and looked like she might explain, but then she stopped. “I can’t,” Alina said as if she was only now realizing it herself.

“Why?” Jimin was really starting to worry. Had Jungkook done something? Jimin hated to mistrust his pack-mate, his friend, but he’d never seen Alina so distraught. He watched her closely as he sat down next to her on the couch.

Tae must have been thinking the same thing because he added, “You can tell us — no matter what it is.”

“I can’t,” Alina repeated. “He won’t forgive me if I tell you.”

Mina drew in a frustrated breath. “Alina, if he wanted you to deal with this on your own he wouldn’t have called us. And if he does expect you to isolate yourself when you clearly need support, then you don’t owe him anything at all.” Her tone wasn’t exactly angry, but she was insistent. Jimin’s first instinct was to take a more gentle approach, but Mina was protective and direct by nature, and maybe that was what Alina needed.  

“Mina’s right,” Tae supplied. 

Alina gazed down into her cup of water. Finally, her resolve seemed to crumble. “I shouldn’t have kept any of it a secret. I lied to him, and to you guys. I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean you lied to us,” Tae asked, drawing away from her slightly. Jimin glanced over at him. Tae was a cautious person, everyone in the pack was, but did he seriously think Alina would be lying about something that would endanger them?

“She didn’t lie,” Mina said staunchly. Ok, Mina definitely knew something he and Tae didn’t. 

“I did,” Alina said. “There’s more to it than that, Mina.”

"More to what?” Jimin asked, wanting to keep the conversion on track.

“Jungkook and I know each other. Well…I knew him.”

Now Mina was wearing a confused look as well. 

“When I was nine, my family was attacked. I was the only survivor.”

“What do you mean attacked,” Tae asked.

“It was a hybrid attack, just outside the city,” Mina filled in. “But Alina, you don’t owe anyone that story.”

Jimin’s eyes widened. He knew about this. Well, he knew of the attack, not Alina’s involvement, but there was only one thing Alina could be talking about. The hybrid attack from 13 years ago. It should have been national news, but the story was largely covered up. Honestly, Jimin only remembered it because the story had scared one of his early owners, causing the man to return Jimin to the shelter.

Still, Mina was right. As shocked as Jimin was to hear about her past, it didn’t change who Alina was. And it was her business.

“No, you don’t understand. Jungkook — ” Alina cut herself off. Her voice was shaking again. “He was there.”

The room went quiet for a moment.

It was Mina who broke the silence. “What the hell are you talking about,” she asked, shock evident on her face.

“He was one of the hybrids.”

“He attacked you,” Tae asked in disbelief.

“No!” Alina’s answer was forceful. “He wasn’t — he didn’t attack me. He’s the reason I survived,” she took a breath to steady herself. “He was only a kid. I don’t know how he was related to the other hybrids, but he was with them. He…he looked like a few of them. When they broke into the house, they killed everyone. My aunt and I hid at first, but when they found us, they took her too. I was the last one left, and that’s when one of the women made Jungkook come out.

“She told him to kill me. He wouldn’t. So they left without him. Abandoned him. I don’t know why they didn’t kill me, but they didn’t. They just left.”

“And…what about Jungkook,” Tae asked hesitantly.

“I don’t know. I ran to hide as soon as the people let me go. I don’t know when he left or where he went.”

“And you saw him again for the first time in the park six months ago?”

“Yes, but I didn’t realize it was him. It had been so long, and with the mugging and the fight — it was a blur. I only recognized him when saw him in the hospital.” Her fingers twitched. “I saw his hair. I knew it was him. I told myself that it wasn’t, but I knew. He looked the same as he did 13 years ago. Same eyes, same face, same hair. But he didn't recognize me. I know I should have told him. But by the time I was able to face the truth — that it was really him, I was too scared to tell him. I didn’t know how. I thought he wouldn’t want to stay with me anyway. But then he did. And after a while, I convinced myself that it didn’t matter — that it was better left in the past.”

Alina lapsed into silence when she was done. Her face was blotchy and she continued to mindless clasp her cup of water.

Jimin turned away from her and leaned against the back of the couch. He didn’t know what to say. 

One thought overwhelmed his mind. “Have you been dealing with all of this on your own?” Her subsequent silence was answer enough.

“Alina,” Jimin said, turning his body towards her, “you’re going to get through this. You and Jungkook are going to get through this. This is…a weird situation, and I know it seems like it’s impossible now — ”

“He can’t even bare to be around me now.”

“He needs time. You both deserve time to process this.” Tae and Mina agreed, but Jimin wasn’t convinced Alina was really hearing their affirmations.

“You guys need to make sure he has a place to stay, all right?” she said.

“For tonight?” Jimin asked. “I’m not sure where he went. I’m sure he just needs to clear his head for a bit.”

“No, I mean if he doesn’t want to stay here anymore.”

“Alina…”Jimin once again found himself looking at Mina and Tae. Alina thought Jungkook was going to abandon her over this, and none of them knew how to help their friends. Jimin hadn’t begun to think about how to help Jungkook through this. Yes, she’d kept this from him, which might not have been the right thing to do…but it was an impossible situation. She deserved sympathy as well.

It was all so complicated, and it didn’t feel like he or Mina or Tae were saying the right things. And frankly, Jungkook needed to be here and tell her he didn’t hate her. He couldn’t possibly hate her for this. 

“Ok. This…this is a lot to go through in one night,” Mina said, thankfully taking over. “I truly don’t believe you’ve done anything unforgivable, Alina, and you need to know that. But we don’t know how Jungkook is feeling right now. Maybe we can take the night to cool down. Tomorrow we’ll sit down and figure out what to do. Hopefully, Jungkook will be back by then.”

Alina didn’t protest, and she and Mina left, heading toward the bedrooms.

Tae let out a breath. “This is messy.”

“Yeah,” Jimin said, rubbing his face.

“Jungkook can’t be that angry with her, right? I mean…he chose not to tell her who he was, too.”

Jimin hummed. That was a good point. Jungkook may not have recognized Alina, but he still chose to keep his past to himself. That was his right, and Jimin didn’t blame him for wanting distance from that event. They’d need to wait until Jungkook came back to straighten things out.

*****

Alina's face felt wet and hot against her pillow. Her eyes were swollen and achy from all her crying. She sniffled, feeling ashamed at her own misery. This was all her fault. She had no right to cry. 

If he never wanted to see her again, she had no choice but to accept that. The clarity of the thought made her curl in on herself, bringing her hands up to her face. A part of her had always hoped that if her secret got out, Jungkook would understand. She’d hoped that who she was now mattered more than the history they had together, that their relationship meant enough to him that he could forgive her lies. But Alina knew that wasn’t fair, and it didn’t matter anyway. He’d left her. He’d looked at her like he didn’t know her, like he was horrified by her. 

He wasn’t hers. He never had been. It was time to calm down and face reality. She owed Jungkook that much. Her mind swirled wither everything that needed to be done. She could only hope Jungkook could fall back on his pack. She would need to sign over his registration to someone else. Jungkook would have to tell her who. Maybe Namjoon? She would need to transfer his bank account to that person as well. All of his stuff…

Fuck. She pressed her hand against her mouth harder. It was pathetic. She didn’t know what she was going to do without him. His things were still here, but already her room felt unbearably lonely. She shifted, looking over at Jungkook’s mattress. He hadn’t been using it at all. Not since he’d started sleeping in her bed. 

She wondered where he was now. Was he still walking around the city? It was nearly four in the morning…

He would be fine, she told herself. He’d been fine without her before and he’d be fine now. He’d lived on the streets for most of his life.

Turning over on her back, Alina stared up at the ceiling. What if Jungkook had no intention of coming back at all? What if he decided to run? She didn’t think he would leave his friends, not when they’d done nothing wrong, but she didn’t know. Perhaps he wanted to forget all of it. 

Suddenly she couldn’t stand laying in bed any longer. She threw off the blanket and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She needed air. 

She made her way out of the apartment, managing to grab a coat on the way out. The biting winter air stole her breath as she exited the building. 

Alina paused on the last step. The city was eerily quiet. Aside from the distant sound of traffic, the street was silent.

In an hour the sun would rise, and she’d have to face what had happened. Everything was going to change again. 

The sound of the footsteps caught Alina’s attention. She looked up, wiping at her face and trying to locate the source of the noise. Someone was walking in her direction, although they were still around 30 feet away.

He was wearing a black peacoat.

A decade’s worth of paranoia consumed her body. She spun towards the door, blood pounding in her ears. 

She didn’t have a chance.

The man was on her before she could reach her keys. She tried to scream, but his hand was already around her mouth. His strength was inhuman, and no amount of kicking or scratching or fighting made a difference. Not that she had much time to fight. Hot tires screeched against the cold pavement of the street. 

A car. They were going to take her. Alina tried to shout around the man’s hand to no avail. An old black sedan came to a stop in front of her building, the back door swung open, and the man shoved Alina inside. 

[weichei-stubentiger]

jk and bam

[weichei-stubentiger]

Hello,

I just found your BTS-JK- Hybrid story and it is really good. Your first foray into the realm of fan fiction I would declare a success.

If you are still taking requests for the tag list I would appreciate it if my name would be added.

Thank you!

Hi there! I didn't see this ask until now, I hope I'm not too late in answering

Thank you very very much for your kind words 🥰. I am of course very happy to add you to the tag list.

Also - the next chapter is just about done and should be up in the next two days!

Much love!

[weichei-stubentiger]

in these rainy days

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[weichei-stubentiger]

WEICHEI MY LOVE! i’m so glad you’re alright! i’d been telling all my friends how much i miss my favorite tumblr user <3 i’m so sorry you were stressed and felt the need to isolate - be encouraged to deal with that any way you need. i hope you don’t feel pressure to log on here (because once you think you owe readers your writing, it becomes more of a chore than a fun past time) but i’m so glad you did. i’m happy to hear you’re alright! and i’m so excited for you to turn in your application! i do hope coming here and writing is an escape and a way to ease some stress <3 i missed you <3

in other news, my summer has been blah, very hot and work work work. i work at an art museum so it isn’t the most boring thing ever and everyday i think “today is the day namjoon walks through those doors” … alas it has not happened. i think i’ll go through my likes and pick out which fics to share with you that i’ve read in your absence, hehe <3

i’m SO excited to hear about the new silver moon chapter! i’ve missed my favorite couple and i’m biting my nails to see what comes next!! good luck with writing and if you need anything or want to just like.. idk.. shoot ideas around i’m always available for messaging :)

💜💜💜💜💜

Thank you for such a kind message 🥰. I feel really lucky with this story's readers. Everyone is quite encouraging and no one has pressured me to write faster. And as someone who still mainly identifies as a reader (rather than a writer), I know it is really easy to feel a bit impatient/anxious for the next installment of a story you like. So at the end of the day, I'm just very grateful for everyone's support/interest in the story.

ALSO it is so cool you work at art museum!!! I would love to know what it's like/how you like it.

As for silver moon, it is so nice of you to offer an ear, and honestly I might take you up on it for the next chapter. There's a plot line that I'm excited about, but I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to approach it.

And just a quick note on book/fic recs - have you checked out any of the stuff on kindle unlimited? Total game changer for me haha

[weichei-stubentiger]

Silver Moon Ch. 17

Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS      Relationship: Jeon Jungkook/OC

Language: English      Rating: Explicit     Warnings: Past trauma, orphaned main character, violence, slow burn but the smut will hit hard, corny hybrid tropes, masturbation, explicit sexual language, mutual pining, messy, crying, descriptions of blood and injury, oral sex, light choking sort of, touch starved, knotting, (I will probably add to this list as I write)    

Category: M/F

taglist: @likeshatteredrainbowglass, @aznstoner, @zae007live

Author: Weichei Stubentiger

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37537594/chapters/93691681

Summary: Hybrids are hardly the biggest part of Alina’s life. In fact, she tries her best to ignore anything hybrid-related. She is content to study for her entrance exam to grad school and try to live as innocuously as possible. But the events of her past will come back to haunt her when she becomes indebted to a hybrid named Jungkook. Their lives have become inextricably intertwined, but will they be able to trust each other? Will they be able to stand with each other in order to survive? Will they be able to stand each other at all? 

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Materlist

Chapter Notes: Hey guys! I’m sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoy ❤️❤️

Chapter 17

Yoongi pressed a rolling pin into the sugar cookie dough, feeling it flatten against the floured kitchen counter. Usually it was an activity he savored, but today his mind was pre-occupied. 

The ‘animal’ attack seemed to be blowing over fairly quickly, but it was hard to tell what was going on behind the scenes. The victim had fallen into a coma, and doctors still didn’t know if he was going to survive his injuries. 

At first Yoongi was concerned the attacker could have been a hybrid they’d helped in the past. Given the authorities’ reaction, it would make sense that the hybrid was uncollared. But aside from pack members, none of the hybrids they’d helped stayed in the area. Typically they left for New Zealand as soon as possible. Still, Yoongi wasn’t the only person who could remove the collars. 

To be on the safe side, he and Hobi had patrolled the entire southern border of the forest and hadn’t been able to catch an out-of-place scent, not even in shifted form. Jin and Hobi were content to believe this meant the attacker was long gone. Yoongi and Namjoon weren’t so sure. Scents were easily missed if you didn’t know what you were looking for. But Yoongi’s unease ran much deeper than that. The attack, its placement, its randomness, its brutality…it felt like a message. That strip of highway marked the border of their pack’s semi-official territory. 

Boundaries and territory weren’t things he and Namjoon liked discussing with the younger members of the pack. It wasn’t the point of their pack. Nevertheless, that highway was the natural end of their pack’s immediate reach, and anyone aware of their presence would know that. Hobi had disagreed, saying the location of the attack had to be a coincidence. He argued an outsider wouldn’t be able to identify those types of borders without scent marking, which their pack didn’t do.

In the end, the four eldest members had chosen to continue their patrols of the forest border, just to be safe, and to do so without the help or involvement of the younger members. Jimin, Tae, and Jungkook had joined the pack under the express promise that no territory disputes would occur and that they would never be asked to defend a pack border. 

If the worst case scenario happened, which even Yoongi thought was unlikely, and another pack challenged their territory, the four eldest members would need to get the younger members to safety. They would want to stay and fight. Yoongi knew that. But he and Namjoon couldn’t let that happen. Not in the name of a pack they created for refuge and safety. Territory itself didn’t matter. All he cared about was the safety and happiness of his family.

“Hey,” Jin’s voice broke Yoongi out of his thoughts.

“Hey,’ he called back.

Jin paused in the hallway, taking a second look at Yoongi before coming over. Yoongi sighed. As much as he loved Jin, it could be annoying how observant he was. 

…No, that wasn’t true. It wasn’t annoying. But sometimes it was hard to adjust to Jin’s support, even after all their years together. Yoongi���s first instinct was to hide and handle things alone; Jin simply wouldn’t let him descend into that familiar isolation. 

Yoongi tried to relax as Jin slipped behind him and wrapped an arm loosely around his waist. That was one of the things Jin did. He started with small, casual contact, something that Yoongi could choose to reject if he wanted. 

“What can I do?” Jin asked, leaning down to kiss Yoongi’s shoulder. The gesture tugged at Yoongi’s heart. 

“Nothing. I’m just a little distracted.” 

Jin didn’t say anything, staying where he was. Yoongi let out another sigh. A part of him desperately wanted to shove these worries under the rug, just for the day, just so he didn’t burden Jin any more than he already did. But he knew that was the wrong mentality. It would make both of them feel better if he was honest. 

“I’m thinking about the pack.” Yoongi fairly said, closing his eyes. “I’m worried about who this encroaching hybrid was. I’m worried about keeping everybody safe. The authorities are one thing. We know how they operate; on some level they are predictable. A rogue hybrid? Maybe even one that can shift? That’s not good.”

Jin pulled Yoongi closer, causing him to give into temptation and rest his head on Jin’s shoulder. “We’ve done all that we can do. We don’t have any reason to believe that whoever or whatever was responsible is even still in the area.”

Yoongi nodded, breathing in Jin’s sent for comfort. After a few minutes or so, Jin nuzzled Yoongi’s neck to playfully annoy him. The tactic work, earning Jin a shove and a small smile from Yoongi. 

“Namjoon and Hobi will probably show up soon. The other guys might take little longer. Maybe we can put on Elf or something in the meantime,” Jin said. “Do you want any help with the cookies?”

“No. I just have to cut them and put them in the oven after your turkey is finished. Maybe I’ll leave a few plain so the guys can decorate them if they want.”

“Aw Yoongi, I love seeing you so domestic.” He planted a soft, teasing kiss on Yoongi’s lips before heading over to the TV. Yoongi turned his attention back to the dough in front of him. He would have time to worry about doing right by the pack and keeping his family safe later. Right now, he would let himself enjoy his morning with Jin, and he would get the house ready for their guests. 

*****

Alina stuffed her hands deeper into Jungkook’s sweatshirt as she waited for the kettle to heat up. She’d turned the radiator up a few notches, but a chill persisted in the air. Still, the apartment felt infinitely cozy compared to the view outside. 

A layer of knee-high snow rested on the sidewalk and rooftops outside. Everything was the same color: the air, the sky, the snow-buried cars. It was so cold that the snow remaining in the street stayed frozen, getting packed densely under foot and tire instead of turning into slush. 

It felt…calm. Not quite peaceful, but certainly not panic-inducing either. Honestly, that was more than Alina would ever hope to ask for. Snow had been one of her biggest triggers. Every winter, the first snow was always the worst. Her stomach would be in knots for days, no matter how many coping strategies she employed. Her feet would tingle with the ghost of sharp, icy snow biting into her heels as she ran. Guilt, burning panic, the feeling of being chased - they would sweep through her body at seemingly random intervals.

She’d woken up that morning cocooned in blankets and under Jungkook’s arm. The snow was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes. The frozen city had peered at her from the other side of her bedroom window, and she’d waited for those old feelings to return. She’d sat there, waiting, yet they didn’t come, at least not with the typical intensity. A part of Alina’s brain wanted to test herself, see how far she could push her memories before she descended into her usual panic. Another part of her wanted to stay exactly where she was, preserving this strange equilibrium for as long as she could. 

But then she’d felt Jungkook shift in the bed next to her, and she’d dissolved back into the moment. They deserved a happy, peaceful day. She didn’t want to waste it pushing herself into a panic attack. She could be gentle with herself, but she wouldn’t allow herself to be paralyzed by fear either. 

So Alina got up, careful not to disturb Jungkook, and snuck out of the room. She decided she wanted to wake him up with tea. That was Christmas-y right? 

She’d wavered when she got to the living room, faced with larger windows and the absence of Jungkook at her side. When she felt ready, she continued with her mission, taking the morning one step at a time, which led her to the present moment, watching the kettle as the water heated.

Once the tea was prepared, Alina crept back into their room. Jungkook was still asleep on his stomach, cheek pressed against her pillow. The covers had slipped down to his waist, allowing her to see the muscled planes of his back. She set the mugs down on the floor, pushing them slightly under the bed so they wouldn’t get kicked over, and sat down on the edge of the mattress. 

“Jungkook,” she whispered. He mumbled something incoherent, turning his face further into the pillow. She placed her hand on the heated skin of his back. “You don’t have to get up, but you said you wanted to be awake for Christmas morning.”

Jungkook’s eyes cracked open, watching her groggily for a moment. Then he lifted his arm, reaching out to her. Alina didn’t hesitate to crawl in with him. He pulled her close, shifting so that he was laying on his side facing her. Alina thought he’d go right back to sleep, but he continued to look at her with half-lidded eyes. 

“I brought us tea,” she said, still whispering.

Jungkook hummed, smiling at her. He took one of her hands and brought it up between them, kissing her knuckles. Warmth thrummed through her. 

“Merry Christmas,” he said, smile growing wider like they were sharing something secret. Alina couldn’t help but smile back, breathing out a laugh. 

“Merry Christmas,” she said.

They lay like that for a while, cocooned together. Again, Alina waited to see if Jungkook wanted to go back to sleep. When he didn’t, she leaned forward and gave him a soft lingering kiss. 

“Do you want to do presents, or do you want to sleep in some more,” she asked when they parted.

Jungkook slowly sat up, resting against the headboard. Alina rose as well, turning to sit criss cross facing him. 

“Can we stay in here for a little longer?”

Alina smiled, “of course.”

He looked so content sitting there. His hair was messy, and his eyes were slightly puffy from sleep. Her eyes were drawn to his half blond eyebrow. She felt that familiar urge to touch it. The impulse may have started out of morbid curiosity, out of a disbelief that the man before her was the same little boy from her childhood, but she now felt an overwhelming tenderness for that small bit of hair. 

She knew she shouldn’t call attention to it, for both their sakes. But she couldn’t resist. 

She lifted her hand and placed it lightly against his face and traced the edge of his eyebrow with her thumb. The hair was so soft, nearly as soft as the fur on his ears. For some reason she hadn’t expected it to be that soft. 

Jungkook put his hand over hers and leaned into her touch, letting out a shuddering breath. Alina’s skin tingled from her neck down to her arms. Then Jungkook pulled her forward by the arm, close enough that he could bend forward and kiss her. 

*****

Jungkook’s head spun and emotion swelled up inside of him.

In this moment, he had everything he needed - everything he wanted. The room was quiet, the house was safe, Alina was with him, kissing him, touching him. He loved the way she touched him. She touched him like she noticed every little thing about him, like there wasn’t a single detail worth ignoring. How could he be this lucky? It almost felt unfair. It certainly felt unreal.

But Alina felt real. Her lips felt real. And hot. And soft.

He deepened the kiss, needing to feel more of her. Alina followed his lead, parting her lips and allowing him easy access. She’d rested her hand on his thigh. She didn’t even seem to notice she’d put it there, but the simple touch was sending Jungkook’s senses into over drive. 

She pulled away too quickly, but before Jungkook could lament the distance, Alina’s hands went to the hem of her sweatshirt. His heart sped up. He could only watch as she stripped off the first layer, then her camisole, leaving her in a simple, pretty bra. He swallowed as he looked at the pale purple lace. Her nipples poked through the thin fabric. He knew the material must be warm from her skin; she’d probably slept in it by accident.

Maybe it was silly to be so affected by seeing her like this. Hell, she’d gotten on her knees for him not more than a week ago. Not to mention the fact that they’d been sharing a room for months, which meant he’d seen her change a few times now. He’d tried to avoid looking, he really had. But sometimes it happened by accident! And anyhow, it was always fleeting, and he always felt bad afterwards.

The thought caused shame to course swiftly through his body as he realized how much he was staring now. His eyes shot back up to hers, feeling like he’d done something wrong. And yet, Alina wasn’t looking at him like he’d done something wrong.

No, she wasn’t looking at him like that at all. Her eyes were half-lidded and trained on his lips. Her own lips were swollen, cheeks flushed. Her breasts rose and fell in front of him, the plump flesh exposed and begging for his attention.

She was laying herself bare for him, giving him permission to look. Jungkook’s stomach tightened further, this time from emotion. He knew Alina had been through a lot, probably much more than he knew about. Vulnerability was hard for her, just like it was hard for him, and all he could feel in that moment was gratitude for her trust, her body, her care, and everything else he loved about her. 

Love. The word had slipped into his mind so easily, he didn’t even have the wherewithal to be frightened by the realization. 

Was it too early to tell her how much she meant to him? Jungkook didn’t know, and he wouldn’t be able to figure out how to say it right now anyway, not when Alina was looking at him the way she was. Like she wanted him as much as he wanted her. 

“You’re beautiful,” he said instead, hoping the statement conveyed even a fraction of what he was feeling for her.

Alina smiled, letting out a jittery, shy breath. “You are too."

They shared that moment together for a second longer. A part of Jungkook knew he was probably supposed to take the lead now, but he wasn’t sure what Alina was comfortable with. Before he could come to a decision on his next move, Alina rose up on her knees, slowly getting into his lap. Jungkook’s head tipped back against the headboard. How had he ever been able to survive a time without Alina in his lap? 

He kept his hands on her lower thighs as she reached up to explore his exposed skin. She pressed her hands against his chest, splaying her fingers. She moved them up to his shoulders, paying close attention to his tattooed arm. His skin prickled with sensitivity as she traced one of the designs with her thumb. 

“Jungkook?”

Jungkook opened his eyes, unsure of when he’d closed them. His chest and ears and face felt flushed and hot.

“Yeah,” his voice sounded strained. 

“You can touch me, if you want to. You don’t have to keep your hands there.”

He did want to. And Alina told him he could. So he did. 

First, he put his hands on the curve of her hips, pressing his fingers into her warm, soft skin. He wanted to kiss every inch of her. Her belly, her ribs, her breasts. His eyes followed his train of thought, and he moved his hands up to her ribs, his thumbs grazing the base of her bra. His eyes found hers, wanting to make sure everything was still ok. When he sensed no objection, he cupped her breasts, kneading them gently. They were perfect, and they in fit his hands perfectly. He had to resist the urge to nuzzle into them. 

Alina shuddered and arched into his touch, baring herself to him further. He needed her closer. He moved to grip her waist and tugged her flush up against him, so close that he could feel the softness of her breasts pressed against his chest. She followed, wrapping her arms around his neck and grinding her hips against his.

White hot pleasure spiked through his body, and he pulled her into a searing kiss. His cock, which had been aching in the confines of his underwear, twitched and throbbed with lack of attention. 

As if sensing his need, Alina pulled away and glanced down at his tented boxers, his bulge pushed snugly against her crotch. Her gaze set him on fire and made him want to squirm at the same time. Even with all the cuddling they’d been doing for the past couple of days, Jungkook had tried his best to keep any physical evidence of his desire discreet. Alina needed to know that he was telling the truth when he’d said they could go at her pace, that he wanted to go at her pace. Having his erection poke at her leg every time they kissed was bound to make her feel rushed. 

Now that she was so openly acknowledging his arousal, Jungkook felt overwhelmed with heat and desire. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. His head spun as he watched her pull down his boxers. His erection sprung out eagerly, slapping against his stomach, the tip already wet with pre-cum. 

Alina licked her lips, taking him in her hand. She gently worked her thumb over the tip, pumping him at a lazy pace.

Jungkook gritted his teeth, barely stopping a whine from escaping his throat. His brain was practically scrambled. 

They should…they should slow down. But why? Did he really want to slow down? Did she? 

He was dragged from his thoughts when he felt Alina moving off his lap. He sat dumbly for a moment until he realized she was adjusting herself so she could move down and lay between his legs.

“Wait,” he blurted out, touching her arm. She froze, looking at him, still kneeling between his thighs. 

She seemed a little confused, which made sense. Honestly he’d surprised himself with the little outburst. Jungkook wracked his brain for the right words. He needed to do a better job of explaining himself than he did last time. And this time he wouldn’t let himself succumb to selfishness. “I — um…I don’t want this to only be for me,” he said, not knowing a better way to say it.

“Oh,” Alina said, a bit hesitant. “Do you…do you want to try something else?”

Jungkook floundered. Could he offer to eat her out? Would saying it out loud ruin the mood?

It might be too late for that, anyway. He could tell her mood had already changed. She was nervous, and it wasn’t the good kind nerves. Blow jobs or kissing. That was her comfort zone, he realized. The last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable, but he also didn’t want to move forward at what he felt was an uneven pace. 

“You’ve already gone down on me,” he said as elaboration, tucking himself back into his boxers. 

“So…you want to have sex?”

“No!” Jungkook exclaimed, horrified at what she thought he meant. So much for not making her feel rushed. “No…Well not no. I would like that, at some point. When we both feel ready. I only meant that I’d like to do something to make you feel good, too. It doesn’t have to be sex.” 

Alina didn’t say anything, seemingly torn. Never in his life did he think he’d protest a blowjob this ardently, but it was more important that he and Alina were on the same page. “Alina,” he ventured, "I don’t want it to be normal between us, where you’re going down on me and never expect anything back. If you don’t like it when a guy goes down on you, that’s fine. But I’d rather wait until you feel ready to experience things together. Whether that means sex or anything else. ”

Alina, who had kept up a relatively calm pokerface, now covered her face with her hands and let out a watery laugh. Jungkook scooted forward and put his hands lightly on her knees, his concern growing. 

“Alina?”

Alina just shook her head. “What did I do to deserve someone like you?”

Jungkook didn’t know what to say. Alina deserved more than he could ever give her. 

“You deserve not to feel rushed,” he said instead.  

Alina dropped her hands, but her expression was still unreadable.

He needed to try a different approach. 

“Do you remember when we first kissed? How we slept in your bed after?” Jungkook asked. 

Alina’s lips lifted into a tentative smile. “Yeah.”

“I got hard, and you didn’t make me feel bad about it. You made me feel like it was safe to be vulnerable with you. And when you’re ready to give me the chance, I want to make you feel like that too. But only when you’re ready.”

As embarrassing as the story was, Jungkook meant what he said, and he was glad he’d chosen to remind Alina of it. He could see the tension leave her body as she considered the memory fondly. Then she pursed her lips, finally looking up at him. “I want to be ready. Maybe I am ready. I’m just letting my nerves get in the way. I feel like…every time we move forward, or our relationship changes, I get this feeling that I’ll mess things up.”

Jungkook almost laughed. He never imagined Alina would feel like that too. “I feel like that, all the time. And then you always somehow remind me that it’s okay, and I don’t have to be so afraid.” 

Alina held his eyes for a moment, seeming to soften more at his words. Finally, she breathed in. “There’s something else. It’s not — it isn’t always easy for me to…‘finish.’ It never has been,” she said, hands clasped in her lap. “I guess that’s something that makes me anxious about sex. I know how frustrating it is when your partner can’t keep up, and it can feel like it says something about you, or their attraction to you, when it really doesn’t —”

“Alina.” 

“Yes.”

“Thank you for telling me this — for telling me about something that’s been bothering you,” Jungkook said seriously, taking her hands. He was genuinely honored that she was willing to be this vulnerable with him. “But…” he searched for the right words. “Do you really think I’d be frustrated with you?��

“I…” Alina flushed. “I don’t know. Guys usually are. And it’s not like I don’t understand. I just…don’t want to fake it with you. But I also don’t want to make you feel weird, or like it’s your fault that it’s not happening for me,” Alina said. 

Jungkook had to quickly and brutally force down the rage he felt at whatever assholes had made her feel like this. Now was not the time, nor was it the time to become overcome by possessiveness.

 “Alina. Your pleasure isn’t some kind of chore. We can explore what works for both of us. If that takes time, or trial and error, or extra honesty, that’s ok. I want those things with you.”

“I want those things with you, too,” Alina said, eyes glassy. 

Jungkook smiled. “None of this means we have to move faster, though, okay?” he said. It felt important to remind her. “If you're anxious about the idea of me eating you out, then we work up to that. We earn each other’s confidence. That’s part of the fun.”

“I guess I don’t really know how to do that,” Alina admitted. “Things are either comfortable for me or not. I don’t know how to ‘work up to things.’”

All of this was clearly new territory for her. He’d been trying to let her take the lead because that was what he assumed would make her most comfortable. He’d been so nervous about scaring her off. Not to mention the fact that Jungkook had very much enjoyed the times Alina steered their intimacy. But now he wondered if it would help her if he tried taking charge for a while. “I mean….there are other things we can do — things other than sex and oral,” he offered as a start.

Luckily Alina didn’t appear offended by the proposition. “Like what?”

“You could show me what you like?” Jungkook offered.

The baffled look Alina sent him would have made him laugh had they been in any other situation. “Don’t feel like you have to. I just figure it might be a good step. Who better to show me what you like than you.” 

“You want me to — touch myself?”  

Jungkook nodded. He could hear her pulse speeding up, and a flush began to crawl up her neck, but she seemed equally interested as she was nervous, which Jungkook figured was a good direction. 

“Would it be easier if we weren’t facing each other?” he asked.

Alina pursed her lips for a moment before nodding. 

“Ok, let’s try that,” Jungkook said, trying to keep his voice even while his heart sped up in anticipation. He needed to stay cool while Alina got comfortable. He guided her to sit with her back against his chest, bringing his arms around her middle. “Are you ok with taking off your pants?”

She consented, and Jungkook hooked his fingers under the waistband of her sweats, pulling them down and off with Alina’s help. Her head fell against his shoulder, exposing her neck as she sat between his legs in just her bra and underwear. 

Her hand went to the waistband of her panties. “Should I take them off?”

Jungkook’s mouth watered at the idea of Alina’s exposed core, but he knew the extra layer of security might be good for her, at least during their first try at this.  “Leave them on for now. Only take them off when you’re sure you want to,” he instructed. 

“Ok,” Alina whispered as she sunk back against him. 

“How do you usually start?”

Instead of answering, Alina slid her hand under the simple blue panties. His erection, which had barely flagged as they’d talked, throbbed and twitched with interest. 

She bent and parted her legs, letting one of her knees rest against his thigh. He ached to kiss the swell of her calf, to bite and lick her skin until she begged for more. Most of all he ached to press his nose against the fabric covering her cunt.

But this was about her pleasure, her exploration, so Jungkook held strong.

He focused on watching her movements. He could see her hand beginning to move under the panties, making small, delicate circular motions. Honestly, it would be more instructive if the underwear came off, but that would just have to wait.

“What do you usually think about?” He asked softly, lips brushing against her neck. 

“You,” Alina breathed out. The simple answer made his body thrum with pride and heat.

“What do you think about me doing?”

“Touching me. I think about…your hands and how careful you are with me.”

“You like it when I’m careful?” Jungkook hummed, grazing his teeth against her neck, lost to the moment. 

Alina nodded, biting her lip. “Yes — ” She swallowed.

She was holding back. “Tell me,” Jungkook insisted softly.

She pushed fingers further, probably touching her entrance. It would be slick by now.  “Sometimes — sometimes I think about other things. Like what it would feel like if you held me down.” 

Jungkook’s stomach dropped, looking at her with surprise. “How do I hold you down,” he asked, voice hoarse.

“Y-you,” she groaned, “take my wrists in one of your hands and hold them above my head. And you grind against me, and use me to get off.”

Maybe it was a relatively simple fantasy, but Jungkook squeezed Alina’s hips in what was surely a bruising grip as the imagery invaded his mind. It went without saying that the idea was hot, but he felt overwhelmed by her openness. To think of Alina curled up in their room, or in the privacy of the shower, fantasizing about him, thinking about him while she masturbated, thinking about giving him that kind of control, thinking about his pleasure. It was enough to drive him crazy. He just barely restrained himself from pushing her hand aside so he could pleasure her himself.

No. He couldn’t do that yet. 

Her motions were starting to speed up. She wasn’t penetrating herself, at least not as far as he could tell. Her strokes, which had started slow and tentative, were faster and more languid now.

“Sometimes we’re in bed. Other times,” Alina panted as she continued, “you push me against a wall in the kitchen. I know that you would let go if I asked, but I never ask, because I like it. I like feeling you against me, feeling you want me,” Alina went on.

“Fuck Alina,” Jungkook swore, trying to crush her closer to him with his arm around her midsection. He used his other hand to drag her bra up over her tits, squeezing one harshly. 

Alina cried out - literally cried, throwing her free hand up to grip Jungkook’s hair as her back arched against him. He felt the orgasm wrack her body. It was easily the most erotic thing he’d ever experienced. Jungkook growled through clenched teeth, just barely holding himself back from his own orgasm. 

‘Slow to finish my foot,’ the competitive part of his brain noted gleefully through the haze. Alina just needed the right person, and he was more committed than ever at proving that person was him. 

He let her ride out her high, watching as she bucked her hips. He could smell the heady scent of her arousal flooding her hand. Finally, she slowed, eventually melting into his embrace, hot and pink and sated. Jungkook reached down and place his hand over hers, cupping her sex protectively. 

After a few long minutes, Alina sluggishly twisted in his lap so that she was once again straddling him. Now that she was facing him again, Jungkook noticed tear tracks running down her cheeks. 

He used his thumbs to swipe away the moisture. “Was that ok?” he asked, trying to sound far more composed than he felt.  

To his relief, Alina nodded and leaned back in for more kisses. It was messy and heated, and Jungkook wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. When they broke for air, Alina panted, “will you touch yourself for me now?”

She asked the question so innocently, it broke the last of Jungkook’s restraint. He planted his hands firmly on Alina’s back and rolled over, bringing her with him so that she landed underneath him. 

Her bra was still shoved up above her breasts, causing the strained material to cut into the supple flesh. 

Fuck she looked positively ruined. He probably looked even more far gone. He’d practically been edged for the past half hour.

He ground his hips against hers before pushing down his boxers and taking out his cock, which was angry and red and weeping pre-cum. 

“Please,” Alina begged, as if the pleasure she was pleading for was her own.

He worked himself over, pumping and squeezing, ignoring the burn of oversensitivity. It didn’t take long for his release to overwhelm him. His body jerked tightly as pearly, viscous cum shot out in pulsing spurts, landing on Alina’s belly. 

All he could hear was his own breath. All he could see was his cum painting Alina’s skin, marking her as his. 

His his his. 

His cock gave one final spasming jerk before Jungkook dropped down next to Alina, unable to hold up his own body weight, growling into her neck. 

Rub it in. 

Before he could think to ask for permission, Jungkook’s fingers found their way to her belly, spreading his spend around her abdomen. 

After an undeterminable amount of time, Jungkook blinked against Alina’s neck. Her fingers were in his hair, cradling his head gently. His hand was still on her stomach. 

He raised himself up, looking down at her. She looked happy and sated and unbothered by the mess he’d made. 

“I’m gonna clean you up, okay?” She nodded, and Jungkook got up from the bed, heading for the bathroom. They were home alone, so he didn’t bother with clothes. He retrieved a washcloth, wet it with warm water, and returned to Alina in bed. 

She was laying in the same position he’d left her in, probably trying to keep the bedding clean, though her bra was back in place. He swept the cloth along her midsection, making sure to cleanse every inch of skin. When he was done, he threw the dirty cloth in the hamper and leaned down to kiss her navel. Her skin was warm and damp, and a part of him wished he could just spend the rest of the day with his cheek pressed against her belly.

“Thank you,” Alina said quietly, her hands returning to his hair and making their way to the back of his wolf ears. She cupped them, scratching softly at the fur. The sensation nearly had him purring.

He slowly moved so his body was covering hers, resting much of his weight against her, and kissed her deeply. “How are you feeling?” He asked after they parted.

“Really good,” was her contented response. 

Jungkook chuckled breathlessly, wrapping his arms around her and keeping Alina trapped beneath him. 

After around ten minutes of rest, Alina spoke. “Hey, do you want to do presents before we leave?” she asked, still playing with his ears.

It was a good question. A part of Jungkook wanted to keep her to himself, in bed, all day. But he didn’t want to miss new experiences with her. 

“Okay,” he said, raising himself up and off of her. “I’ll get us some clean clothes.”

*****

Alina plopped down on the edge of the rug, sitting close to their tree. She looked like she was feeling the same giddiness he was.

“You first,” she insisted, pushing his present towards him. It was thin enough to be an envelope, but Alina had wrapped it carefully in patterned paper and gold ribbon. 

He had no idea what she could have bought him. He truly didn’t need anything. In addition to all the things she’d bought him when he first moved in, now that he was making money as a trainer, he could buy clothes or music or anything else he needed himself. Not that it mattered. He would cherish whatever Alina got him. 

He took the present in his hands, pulling the ribbon and tearing through the paper. Underneath the paper was indeed an envelope, which he opened next, taking out a slip of paper. 

Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t what he saw. He was holding a $200 coupon to a local tattoo parlor, one he was quite familiar with.

All of his current tattoos came from people he met while he was homeless. He hadn’t really vetted those artists much, which meant some of the art was really cool, and some of it was really janky. Fixing some of the designs and finishing his sleeve had been on his mind for a while, but he didn’t feel like he could justify the purchase. And on top of that, if he was honest, he was worried about what Alina would think. She never really mentioned his tattoos, but she didn’t have any, and most of the people she hung out with didn’t either. Maybe she thought they were a waste of money. Maybe they made her nervous. Whatever the case, if Alina didn’t like them, Jungkook wasn’t in a hurry to add more to his collection.

“Jimin told me you liked one of the artists at this studio,” she explained, sounding a bit anxious. “You can get it refunded if you would rather go somewhere else.”

He raised his head in surprise. “Refund it? This is - I mean this is perfect Alina.”

A grin broke out on Alina’s face, and she seemed to relax knowing he was happy with the gift. Jungkook didn’t know how to convey just how much it meant to him, so he just reiterated his thanks. 

“I honestly don’t know how much $200 will get you,” Alina said. 

“It’s perfect.”

She smiled, “So are you gonna get my name tattooed or something? 

Jungkook’s ears perked. He knew she wasn’t serious, but the idea was more attractive than it should be.

Alina frowned at his interest. “Hey — you know I’m joking, right? Do not do that.”  

“Why not?” Jungkook replied teasingly.

“Ahg Jungkook,” Alina complained. “Forget I said anything. Come on, let me open mine,” she said reaching for the remaining present under the tree.

He snorted but handed Alina her gift. She unwrapped the small box, opening the lid to reveal a delicate gold necklace. 

“Oh my God, Jungkook, this beautiful,” she gasped, holding up the chain to examine the small pendant. Graceful metal work and mother of pearl formed the petals of a simple four-leaf clover. 

“The chain is gold, so it won’t irritate your skin or anything.”

“How much did this cost?” 

“I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to ask that,” he replied, though he couldn’t hide the satisfaction he felt at her reaction. “But Yoongi helped me make the pendant,” he added.

“You made this?” 

Jungkook nodded. He should probably give most of the credit to Yoongi’s tinkering skills, but he’d been a quick learner.

“I don’t know what to say,” Alina said, still staring at the necklace. “I love it, Jungkook. Thank you.’

“Can I put it on you?” He asked, eager to see it against her skin. 

“Of course,” she said, turning around and moving her hair out of the way.  

Jungkook rose up on his knees, placing the thin chain around her throat. His fingertips brushed against the back of her neck as he fastened the clasp, and he watched as goosebumps pricked up along her skin. He brushed his lips against the spot just below her ear, and Alina let out a shaky breath.

“Let me see,” he said, resting his hands on her waist and turning her to face him. The pendant sat just beneath the dip of her collarbones, shining dimly in the light of the room.

Jungkook loved the way the piece looked on her, and he was admittedly proud of his handiwork. But what made his heart squeeze in his chest was Alina’s happiness with his gift. 

He tugged her closer, and Alina quickly caught on, taking his face between her hands and kissing him warmly. 

“Thank you,” she said again in between kisses. “Not just for the necklace. For the whole morning.”

Jungkook nearly scoffed. “You don’t have to thank me for that kind of thing.” Actually, she shouldn’t be thanking him, not when she was the one who had given him his first, and best, boxing day experience of his life. If anything, he should be thanking her.

“I know…but you make me feel safe. And that’s kind of new for me. So I want to say it anyway.”

Alina didn’t have any way of knowing how deeply her words pierced him, how much they meant to him. But that was ok. Jungkook would find other ways of telling her how much she meant to him. For now, he gathered Alina into a bruising hug, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he let himself relax - truly relax. Even if it was just for a moment, he’d let himself trust that this was life now. 

*****

Taehyung had had a little too much to drink when he stepped out onto the deck of Yoongi and Jin’s place, phone ringing persistently in his hand. He’d stolen a pair of slides to protect his socked feet from the snow. Someone, probably Yoongi, had shoveled a little path so people could exit the house from the back of the house, allowing Tae a narrow place to stand.

“Hey,” he said, smiling as he answered. 

“Hey, I had a minute so I thought I’d give you a call. Merry Christmas,” Tae heard Mina’s voice say.

“How’s the family get-together?”

“Ah, same old drama. You ended up at Jin and Yoongi’s right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m jealous. The food here is good but not that good.”

Tae wanted to say that maybe she could join them next year, but he knew that would be moving too fast. They’d only hooked up the one time so far, and no one knew. She said she wanted to keep it between the two of them for now, which Tae was fine with. 

“How’s Alina doing?” Mina continued.

“Oh,” Tae looked back through the window. Warm light spilled out onto the deck through the windows next to the door. Alina and JK were sitting next to each other on the couch, but they were both engaged in conversations with other people. Jimin had already gone into a food coma and was currently sleeping by Alina’s feet with his head against her leg.

“Pretty well, I think. I’m really glad she and Jungkook could make it.” He paused. “I hope you’re not asking because of Yoongi. I know Alina must not have felt very welcomed by him, but he really doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s just…he’s slow to accept new people.”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I worry about her over the holidays is all. She tends to isolate herself, so I wanted to make sure she didn’t worm out of celebrating with you guys tonight. I knew once she got there she’d really enjoy herself.”

“Yeah, she seems to be having a good time.” Teahyung smiled, “it’s funny; I don’t think Jungkook’s had a real Christmas holiday for a long time, either. It’s nice that he and Alina get to share this one.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing,” Mina replied.

“You know, I think they’re kind of an item now,” Tae said, feeling a funny kind of pride in his friend. Truthfully he’d been worried Jungkook would never make a move. 

“Actually I think I was one of the first to find out. I guess they kissed that night at the party we had for Jungkook’s job.” Her voice grew slightly more serious. “I haven’t wanted to push her about it. I guess it’s just another reason I wanted to check up on her. Things must feel kind of complicated.” 

Taehyung frowned. What was so complicated for Alina? “I mean, they have time to figure stuff out. They seem pretty happy right now,” he said.

“Yeah, of course,” Mina said, suddenly sounding a bit more guarded and like she was done talking about it. 

Taehyung still felt a little confused. Honestly he expected Mina to be more excited about this. But he supposed it was also normal to worry about possible complications. As far as Mina knew, Jungkook’s collar was still in working order, and it was reasonable for her to be concerned about the unequal power dynamics that came along with that. It did make him wonder how she would react if she knew none of the guys in their pack, including Jungkook, had functioning collars. A part of him was anxious to tell her, just so he could see what she would do. But it wasn’t his secret to tell. For now, he’d just have to be happy with assuming the best. 

“Well…either way, we’ll all be here to support them. Hey,” he said, changing the subject, “when you get back, I was wondering if you’d like to check out that new shawarma place downtown."

“Yeah, I’d be down to try that. Who else is coming?”

Before Tae could clarify that he was proposing a date, not a group activity, he heard the glass door slide open. 

“Tae we’re voting on which movie to put on,” Hobi said.

“Ok I’ll be in a minute.”

“Who’re you talking to.” Hobi was a nosey drunk, which was usually endearing but not what Tae needed right now. 

“Nobody, I’ll come inside in a second —”

“Hey you sound busy,” Tae heard Mina’s voice over the line. “I’ll let you go. We can talk later.”

Tae hesitated before relenting. “Alright. We’ll talk soon. Have fun with your family.”

“You too.”

The call ended and Tae sighed. It’s not like there was any reason to rush things. The pack was in a good place. He had confidence in Alina and Jungkook’s budding relationship, so it’s not like he expected a rift to occur between their two groups. He had time to work things out with Mina. 

[weichei-stubentiger]

Miss you and Silver Moon :((

Hi hi  💜

I've missed you all too! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. Hoping to have it done by the end of the weekend <3

[weichei-stubentiger]

o m g we are in the exact same boat, i never had time for reading in college and i was once someone who ate books up like no one’s business, so i’m trying desperately to find the attention span and get back into it. BUT I ALSO AM READING ACOTAR FOR THE FIRST TIME?! what a fun coincidence hehe i’m on the third book! but the first and second (especially the second, which is so rare) are sooooo good. please keep reading them, i’d love to discuss those too sometime!!

escapism is 100% my thing. i’d rather die than pick up a nonfiction or self help type book 😭 nooo i need faeries and royalty and hot dark or morally grey characters STAT!

also i know it’s been a while since you updated silver moon but i hope it’s coming along okay for you! and that you’re no overwhelmed with the general state of the world (as i always am). hope you’re doing okay weichei 💜💜

Ah I just realized I never responded to this message either!

That is so exciting that you're reading that series too! I LOVED the second ACOTAR book and am about to start the third. 💙 Rhysand

I need to say that I am so so with you when it comes to escapism. That's honestly why I love fanfiction so much - in many cases, it is unapologetically written for the readers' comfort, satisfaction, etc - whatever those things may mean to different readers/authors.

Also I would argue morally grey characters are my form of self help 😂

[weichei-stubentiger]

Hi! Just wanted to pop up in here to say I'm loving "Silver Moon" and can't wait for the next chapter. I really don't mean this as a rush, but can you give us any info as to how the progress of the next chapter is going? Just curious, please don't feel pressured. Just curious. :D

Hi there ❤️

I know this response is crazy late, so you might not see it, but I'm so glad you've enjoyed the story so far! For what it's worth, I never mind people kindly messaging for updates, I just regret not always keeping up with my responses.

I'm working on the next chapter now and hope to have it finished by the end of the weekend 💕

[weichei-stubentiger]

Ok Weichei, where are yoooouuuuuu! This is the longest wait. I hope you're doing well mentally and physically. Did you get into the graduate program? I'm missing Silver Moon, and hope creativity will flood your mind and you'll have time to update soon. Take care!

Hi!

I'm sorry for disappearing! I haven't gotten my applications out quite yet, but I took my lsat this past weekend and get my results on the 31st 😬. I let the stress take over my life a little, which is part of the reason I stopped writing. But the good news is with that out of the way, I should have more time to write. Plus I want to start prioritizing my mental health, which includes making time for the stuff I like. I'm currently working on the next chapter, which has been sitting half finished for a long time. It should be ready to go in the next couple of days.

Much love and I'm sorry for the wait! ❤️❤️

[weichei-stubentiger]

i know i’ve left so many asks and mainly i’m just worried for your health and safety but i’m thinking of you my friend! read a couple of fics today i think you’d enjoy and i hope one day you come back so we can discuss :( hope you’re alright <3

Hi my friend ❤️ ❤️ 

I am so sorry for going MIA for so long -- I'm trying to catch up on asks and wanted to make sure I got to yours first. Your messages have really meant a lot. When I get stressed/busy I tend to isolate myself quite a bit, which is very unfair to the people around me. I'm doing better now, but I hope I didn't cause too much worry.

Honestly writing and sharing Silver Moon was a really helpful crutch for my mental health, so I'd really like to get back to it. I'm actually working on a new chapter right now and it has felt really nice. I'm a little nervous to post after such a long break, but at the same time, if people want to keep reading, I don't want to hold them up any longer.

All that said, I would really love to know how you're doing/how your summer is going. I have a few book/fic recs for you as well, although some might be a bit niche haha.

Much much love 💕💕

Weichei

[weichei-stubentiger]

hi again bestie, thank you for responding so sweetly to my last ask 🥺 it’s been a week and i’m really feeling better with all the content we’ve gotten and am looking forward to their solo albums! i hope you’re feeling better too!

just bc i want to talk about something else for a change, do you have a favorite book genre? i looove high fantasy, i am basic and am a sucker for faerie porn i can’t even lie. i think that’s why i also love fan fic so much bc it’s just such an easy escape from this world 🥹 do you have favorite authors? any books that inspire you?

Hi again lovely 💜💜

I'm glad you're feeling better! It was quite a rollercoaster. Change is hard, at least it usually is for me, but like you said, I'm very excited to see their solo work, and I feel like we have steadier ground.

This is such a wonderful question! Honestly escapism is where it's at. Unfortunately I didn't make much time for reading in college, so I've been trying to re-find my footing in terms of what I like. (if you have any recommendations I would absolutely love to hear them!)

High fantasy is definitely a favorite of mine. I just finished ACOTAR and have started the second book. I didn't even know faerie porn was an option until I read Sarah J Mass and I am HERE for it. I had only known classical/YA fantasy, so ACOTAR was quite an introduction to a new side of the genre.

I also like contemporary romance WAY more than I thought I would. Ali Hazelwood and Helen Hoang are def my favorite authors for that right now. I'm finding that I'm not so into the history themed romance (sorry outlander and brigderton ☹️), which has kind of surprised me.

I love psychological thrillers/mystery, too, but I haven't explored that genre so much yet. Plus I'm kind of picky when it comes to atmosphere/character likability/mystery type, which doesn't help.

[weichei-stubentiger]

hi weichei, i hope you’re doing okay after the roller coaster festa and the dinner was. i don’t know how to feel, mostly i’m anxious about the future. i’m trying to be excited but i’ve always been a negative person so coping with the news of a “hiatus” is hard. how are you feeling? what are your thoughts? i hope everything is going well with schooling. i miss you!

Hey crinwyn💕

I hope you’re doing ok too. Honestly it kind of feels like things are all up in the air right now, so it’s a little hard for me to pin down how I’m feeling about it (especially considering some of the translations from the dinner might have been a bit inaccurate). Certainly I feel anxious, so I’m right there with you on that. I got a lot of comfort by enjoying their music/them as a group, so it will be hard to adjust. I also just love the feeling of general cohesiveness this fandom can have, which (I think) grew from the cohesiveness we fans sensed/saw in their group. This makes the hiatus feel even more destabilizing.

All that said, I’m usually quite cynical/negative about change, which is something I’d like to work on, but in this case, I do feel excited to see the solo projects the boys are working on! And at the end of the day, if they need some time to create and grow more independently from each other, I will be happy to support them. But I also think it’s really ok if you don’t feel like being positive right now. Sometimes you have to let yourself feel down/upset about something before you can start feeling ok about it.

**(For the record, I just saw a clip of Jungkook’s vlive from today, and he was very clear they were not disbanding, which definitely softens the blow for me.)

I’ve been missing you too! I’m always interested in your thoughts, so don’t hesitate to message if you have any more to say on this topic or anything else!

[weichei-stubentiger]

where we goin mamá

[weichei-stubentiger]

in which the leader and second leader of bangtan know their members pretty well