Got my claws in you

Chapter 7- the distance closes

TAE POV:

My grandmother had always told me one thing about time.

That it was one of the most complex things in existence, slipping through fingers like sand some moments and clinging onto you like tar- heavy and viscous at others.

And right now, I could tell she was right. Time slipped through my fingers like sand. Not knowing that one day, one eagerly and excitedly put together plan to introduce my friends to my hyungs would snowball like this.

That it would lead to this. Boxes packed up and waiting, the clean smell of air fresheners taking over the mingled scent of our clutter that had marked this as our home, as our territory- tickling my nose and making it scrunch, dipping my head low to take deep grounding sniffs of the scarf Yoongi hyung had wound around my neck, as he'd helped both me and Hobi hyung get ready, tail swaying with a slow intense manner, almost hypnotic in its movement, ears perked up and body buzzing with alertness, unlike his usually sweet sleepy manner that he trudged around our house in.

Time could change everything in an instant. And it had that fateful, blessed day when three different groups of hybrids had banded over filled stomachs and relaxed, comforting pheromones seeping into the air, the ice melting easily between us and conversation and understanding flowing as if it had always existed, as if such a tether, a link had already connected us, was only waiting to snap into place, to flare up and alert us to its presence.

And it had.

I could see it in the small interactions that held so much meaning in them.

Saw it from the first instance when Hobi hyung had jolted to his feet, tail swaying quickly and ears perked up, twisting in excitement as he separated himself from the tables, stepped out free from them to eagerly make a beeline for the majestically beautiful black swan hybrid that Seokjin hyung was, his black wings lightly fluttering and shaking with excitement as he allowed Hobi hyung to gently nuzzle into his embrace, a brief light scenting amongst friends.

I'd never known Hobi hyung had known him, that they'd gone to the same university, the relationship of senior and junior but also of friends made because of some shared modules. And it wasn't hard to spot the ease that settled with their friendliness, with the way Seokjin hyung seemed to take immediate likings to the hyungs, all of which who were younger than him. Even Yoongi hyung had accepted the proffered food that Seokjin hyung gave from his own plate to others- and I knew just how wary he was around new groups, and just how much affection I'd smothered him in to get him to agree.

I had seen new connections form and strengthen, saw how Yoongi hyung had perked up when Jimin had walked in, gaze fixed on the tall imposing wolf hybrid who'd entered, and there had been a soft smile playing at his lips- the wolf hybrid who Jimin had introduced as Namjoon hyung had greeted us with the sweetest dimpled grin, that had turned bashfully shy and endearing when he'd spotted Yoongi hyung and shyly plopped down next to him. There was a story there, I knew it. 

And it seemed like maybe there was some sort of force, invisible and unknown, that pushed us together which had allowed us to grow comfortable, grow closer.

And time had melted away, a cascade of moments, of memories, of bonds being formed, as we'd grown closer- found ourselves connecting on a level beyond anything any of us had dared to dream, dared to envision.

Before we'd met each other, we'd found solace and comfort in others similar to us, figures who soothed and satiated our animal biology as well, and yet it didn't matter that we were all different, that we all had different instinctual needs- because we shared one thing in common.

We shared the desire to form a pack.

So endless spontaneous visits, planned days out and the occasional introduction of visiting each other had led to this.