Sunday morning, the very first thing you do is check your email, still rubbing sleep crust out of your eyes.

[ Good day!
This is to notify you that we have reviewed your application papers. All documents have been verified, and your adoption request has been approved.

Please proceed to the orphanage for the final step of the process.

Thanks and kind regards,
Homes for Hybrids. ]

You nearly hurl your phone across the room.

'Is this real??? Am I awake, or am I still dreaming?'

You pinch yourself.

"Owww!!!"

'Okay, that hurt. Which means I'm not dreaming, which means... I need to get ready to pick Taehyung up from the orphanage!'

You take a quick shower, nearly slipping on the bathroom floor in your haste.

As you're about to step out the door, your phone vibrates.

It's a message sent from Hobi's personal number:

Hobi's messages put an extra bounce in your step as you walk down the hallway.

'This is it. This is really it!'

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You arrive at the orphanage quicker than you were able to get your heart ready. Mainly because you wisely decided to get a cab this time around.

'My heart is beating so fast...'

You stand outside the gate for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm yourself down.

You clutch the strap of your bag tightly with one hand, and open the gate with the other.

'Okay, here we go!'

Hobi's bright, cheery face greets you the moment you step into the lobby.

"Welcome to Homes for H--- oh, it's you, [Y/N]! Ready to pick Taehyung up?"

"Yes!!!" you respond a little too enthusiastically. You look around and very quickly realize that Taehyung isn't there. A cold finger of dread trails up your spine.

"W-where is he?" you ask, feeling even more nervous now than you did yesterday, "Did he change his mind after all?"

Hobi shakes his head, smiling kindly.

"He's waiting in the screening room right now. All his belongings are packed up. Here," Hobi retrieves a sheaf of papers, and you glare at it with distrust, "I just need you to sign a few documents then you're good to go."

'The documents are never ending... but necessary. Oh well.'

"Okay. My hand is all fired up," you tell Hobi gamely, "Let's do this."

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After nearly half an hour of signing papers, you finally wrap up.

"That should be everything," Hobi declares, putting the documents away in a filing cabinet.

"Oh thank goodness!"

You're halfway to the hallway, just eager to march right down to where Taehyung is waiting, when Hobi calls out.

"Wait, one more thing..."

You turn back towards him nervously.

'Are there even more papers to sign???'

"Did you manage to read the entire file?"

You immediately know which file he's referring to, even without him having to specify.

"I did," you answer, "This is about 'V', isn't it?"

"Yes. We'd like to continue gathering data on him."

It takes you a moment to understand exactly what it is that Hobi is trying to tell you.

"You... want me to report my observations to you whenever V appears..." you say, slowly.

Hobi nods.

"Only if you're comfortable with it."

"Umm..." you cross your arms, "doesn't that seem a bit like I'm spying on Taehyung?"

"I understand your concern," Hobi says, rubbing a hand on his chin, "and I understand if you wouldn't want to... but do note that this would be helping both you and Taehyung," he shrugs, "We don't think V is dangerous, but we do need to learn more about him."

You stare at Hobi, and he returns your gaze unflinchingly.

You make a decision.

"Yeah, I understand. I'll try to help out as much as I can."

"Thank you!" Hobi beams, "Honestly, I'm relieved to hear you say that!" Shifting gears quickly, he ushers you towards the hallway, "Anyway, now that that's settled, let's go pick Taehyung up. I'm sure he's getting impatient."

'Yes!!! Finally!'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're here! You're finally here."

You enter the screening room to find Taehyung standing in the very middle, impatiently shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"I dreamt last night that you never came back," he pouts, "I felt so sad."

He looks at you with a puppy dog expression on his face, and you try not to melt into a puddle on the orphanage floor.

"Taehyung, it was only a dream," you reassure him, "I'm here now."

"I know, but still..." he whines, still pouting.

"Tae, are you ready to go to your new home?" Hobi asks.

"Yes!" Taehyung cries, mood changing like quicksilver, "Hyung, make sure to visit us a lot, okay? I don't want to miss you too much."

Hobi looks to you for confirmation, and you immediately give a heartfelt response.

"Yes, please visit us often! We would love to have you around."

"Of course, I'll visit you guys as much as I can," Hobi assures you, then turns back to Taehyung, "Tae, be good, okay?"

Taehyung widens his eyes in an expression of mock hurt.

"Eeehhh... Hyung, when am I ever not good? "

Hobi only replies with a mysterious smile before shepherding you both out of the room.

"Well, off you go," he says once you're all back in the lobby, "I'm sure you still have a lot of preparations to make."

'That's right! I've been so focused on taking Taehyung home that I forgot to prepare his things!'

You look at the one small bag he's carrying, containing all of his worldly possessions. You're struck with a pang of guilt. Taehyung has next to nothing, and you didn't even think of getting him anything.

'Right. First order of business is shopping for clothes and other basic necessities!'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After tearful hugs and goodbyes, you and Taehyung head towards the shopping district.

As the two of you walk down Main Street to the shopping center, you notice that Taehyung is getting a lot of stares from the other pedestrians.

You know that all Hybrids exhibit traits of their animal counterparts to varying degrees. Some have animal ears or tails, or both. There are even those who have scales, fur, or feathers.

Taehyung is lucky in that regard. If not for his golden eyes, he could pass for a regular human.

So why are people staring?

'Are his golden eyes too obvious after all?'

You sneak a glance at Taehyung to see if the stares are bothering him, but he's too busy delightedly looking around at the shops and buildings to notice all the eyes on him. His own eyes are sparkling, and there's a huge smile on his face.

He's... shining.

'No wonder people are staring. He looks absolutely breathtaking.'

"Is it your first time out here at the shopping district?" you ask.

"Yes, I spend most of my time at the orphanage. When Hobi-hyung takes me out, it's usually just to nearby parks and cafes," he shares, without any note of bitterness, "It's very different from this place, where everything is modern and shiny!"

"I understand how you feel! When I first arrived here, I was awestruck, too. I came from a small town where the highest building was only three stories high," you confide, "On my first day walking around, my neck hurt from all the looking up I did."

Your statement makes Taehyung laugh out loud, catching the attention of even more passersby.

As you watch his eyes disappear into two crescent moons and his mouth form a rectangle shape, you realize...

'I want to make Taehyung laugh and smile like this everyday we're together.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"We're here."

You look at Taehyung to catch his reaction, and he did not disappoint.

His eyes have gone as round as saucers.

"So many clothes!" he exclaims, "I've never seen so many clothes in one place before!"

He looks around the department store in wonder, then trains his wide, amber eyes on you.

"It will be so fun to try them on! Is that allowed?"

You chuckle at his cuteness.

"Of course, it's allowed! We're here to buy you new clothes after all."

Taehyung's eyes widen even further, so much that you're worried his eyeballs would pop out of their sockets.

"For real???"

"Yep, for real," you assure him, laughing, "Let's go."

You tug at Taehyung's sleeve and pull him towards the nearest rack of clothes.

"Is it my birthday?" Taehyung sighs, "I feel so lucky."

You laugh even louder, very nearly overwhelmed by how adorable Taehyung is.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shopping for clothes doesn't take long at all.

Taehyung seems to know exactly what style he likes and what he doesn't. And to make things even easier, he manages to look good in everything he wears.

"I feel like a fashion model," he squeals, "This is so fun, thank you!"

After paying for the clothes, you both proceed to the supermarket.

As you wander up and down the aisles, you silently thank past you for taking the time to read Taehyung's file.

His eyes sparkle at the strawberries and strawberry jam that you throw into the cart.

"Look at all the stems pointing straight up, those strawberries are the sweetest!" he observes.

You also pick up ingredients for making burgers, japchae, jajangmyeon, and various types of pancakes. With every additional ingredient you throw into the cart, Taehyung's smile grows more delighted.

"Taehyung, feel free to take whatever else you like."

He thinks for a moment, then snaps his fingers.

"Ah, some cola please," Taehyung says, craning his neck to read the different signs hanging above the aisles, "I like drinking cola first thing in the morning."

"Huh? Don't you mean coffee?" you ask, puzzled.

"No, I mean cola. I don't like coffee," Taehyung screws his face into a grimace of distaste, "I don't like how bitter it is."

'Cola in the morning? That's a bit weird...'

As you walk down the soda aisle with Taehyung, you feel extremely happy. You're learning more things about him that weren't in the file.

'I look forward to truly getting to know him outside of just some words printed on paper.'

You wander down more aisles, chatting along the way. Aside from the food, you also pick up fresh toiletries and other essentials. You learn which scents Taehyung likes, the textures he enjoys, and even the colors that he thinks go well together.

As you stand in line at the payment counter, Taehyung shoots you a look of concern.

"Your feet are hurting aren't they?" he asks, brows furrowed.

'He noticed even though I'm trying to hide it?'

"Do you want me to carry you?"

"N-no, I'm fine," you wave a hand in front of your face, flustered at the thought of being in Taehyung's arms, "We're going home soon anyway."

"I don't mind," he insists, "I'm quite strong and I don't get tired easily."

'It's not that at all... I'm just worried about people looking strangely at us.'

You try to use humor to erase the worry lines forming an '11' between Taehyung's brows.

"I'm really fine. I'm not that old, you know?"

You laugh lamely. Of course, it doesn't work. Taehyung doesn't even crack a smile.

"Okay, but please..." Taehyung says with a sweet, earnest expression, "if you change your mind, just jump into my arms. Whenever you feel tired, lean on me. Whenever you need me to, I'll carry you. Please also depend on me, okay?"

A pleasant sort of warmth rushes through you.

'Is this what it feels like? To find your place in the world? And above that... to find it in a person?'

You don't know how to even respond to Taehyung's touching speech. Thankfully, you're saved from having to by the cashier.

"Next in line, please!"

"Ah, y-yes!" you call back.

As you and Taehyung transfer items from the cart onto the conveyor belt, you duck your face to hide the blush furiously staining your cheeks.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You step back out onto the streets after paying for your groceries.

"What a productive day!" you exclaim, "Let's hail a cab so we can finally head home."

You look around, seeing if there are any empty cabs approaching, when suddenly... a big warm hand takes yours.

"Home."

You glance up at Taehyung looking down at you, something unbearably tender in his gaze.

He squeezes your hand gently.

"Let's go... home."

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A/N: I really hope the images are showing up properly for you. A little spoiler for those who don't know yet: You're finally meeting V next chapter!
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