Got my claws in you

Chapter 19- opening doors and leaving them

JIN POV:

The last thing I expect is that as everyone settles down around the large table for dinner, knees brushing, elbows touching as everyone talks is that Tae's seat remains unoccupied, alongside the other chair that is yet to be filled even once. That even Yoongi and Hobi look confused as to where their fellow kit has vanished to.

Jiminie and Kookie exchange silent looks, the pack's maknaes trying to figure out where their fellow maknae has vanished to, Joon's head cocks, ears perked as if trying to detect sound within the apartment.

Then the sound of a door slamming shut rings out. Has everyone stiffening in an instant. Casual slouched, relaxed postures stiffening, ears perking up. It has my wings shifting and rustling uneasily, because what on earth has wound Tae up so much that it becomes punctuated with the sound of a door roughly being shut on the far end of the apartment. It has Kookie's nose scrunching and twitching, poor love probably detecting the pheromonal change in Tae's scent already. It has Joon's eyes widening with realisation, Jiminie and Hobi's with frozen expressions that melt and morph into tentative hope. And Yoongi...he straightens up, tail curling and swaying, ears stiff as he detects the sound of our packmate.

And when I turn it's in time to see Tae entering through the doorway, face void of any anger or distress as we'd been expecting, as I'd been expecting. But instead his endearing boxy smile, fangs poking out and pressing into his bottom lip, tail swishing excitedly behind him, fluffy stripey ears ramrod and to attention, twitching slightly. Because when he steps through he isn't alone. Because right behind him is (Y/N), her own ears drooping slightly when her eyes meet mine over his shoulder.

The first instant she makes eye contact with me, the feelings of suppressed guilt and shame rapidly bubbling and rising to the surface as I see her. But before they can spill over and make an ugly mess, my brain and instincts short-circuit when rather than flinching and jerking back behind Tae to hide from me, she offers a sweet shy smile, eyes contrite and wide with apology, eyes meeting mine and staying there; not scared, not petrified and not hiding.

The sight makes me more relieved than I ever thought possible, wings slumping and drooping with sudden relief. But even so I watch as she tentatively moves away from behind Tae, my eyes immediately catching onto the way Tae's large hand is wrapped around her slender wrist, swallowing it whole in his large grip, tugging her along with him.

"Look who I got over for dinner! Beat you all to it~" Tae crows good-naturedly, smile brightening and widening with elation as he gestures to (Y/N) with a flourish, tail curling with satisfaction as the others watch. As Joon's tail thumps against the side of the chair where it had been draped to the side, Jiminie's eyes light up, puffy orange tail brushing against the vacant chair before he's tilting his head with a silent contemplative look.

"I'm glad you did Taehyungie. Take a seat     (Y/N)!" Jiminie pipes up, fluffy tail brushing against the closest seat to him, even as his hand pats it, looking at her with bright excitement in his eyes. I watch as she shoots him a genuine smile, soft and warm and sweet as she ducks out from behind Tae to make her way over.

"This is okay right...?" she asks as she sits, body slightly stiff and eyes darting to look at all of us.

When her eyes meet mine I give a small nod, smiling at her, watching the way Joon's head eagerly nods and Hobi is quick and loud to voice how glad he is that she's finally joined them. Watch as Tae takes the seat beside her and grins at Hobi beside him, who looks longingly towards the seat- wishing to be filling it instead.

"It's more than okay. I'm glad you came over." I say softly as I sit down in the seat beside Yoongi, wing brushing against his side as I lift the lids off, gesturing to them all.