Archive of Our Own

Jungkook doesn’t mean to be the type of spider hybrid that spies on innocent humans. It just sort of…happens. 

He’s been looking for an apartment for ages, but so many rentals don’t want hybrid tenants. There’s always an upcharge, almost like they’re adding on pet rent. Which is ridiculous, especially for a spider hybrid like Jungkook. He’s not a pet , he’s a human! Not to mention, the whole thing is insulting to the entire hybrid rights movement. 

At this point, he can’t even count the number of applications he’s put in. Sometimes he even tours a place and gets a little spark of hope, starts to feel excited about this step towards his real adult life…before the inevitable rejection.

Due to newly disclosed information…

We do require an additional monthly fee for hybrids…

Application denied…

So, Jungkook is getting desperate. He doesn’t want to live with his family forever. He recently graduated and has saved up plenty of money by working throughout college. He was lucky to receive several scholarships and grants (funnily enough, the government offers a number of financial assistance programs for hybrid students, yet there are no legal protections for them post-graduation…), and he was able to put away most of the money he earned. So he could afford his own place, as long as he doesn’t get price gouged for his genetics. 

He doesn’t get it. Spiders are clean creatures. They keep out all sorts of pests, don’t shed or have sharp claws or break window blinds. They’re actually pretty good, quiet neighbors too. But no one wants to hear that. It’s always “additional liability” this and “no offense, spiders just give me the creeps” that. Jungkook doesn’t think he’s creepy. He thinks he’s pretty cute, truth be told. 

So, after he gets yet another email denying his application, he decides to take matters into his own hands. 

He scopes out one of the complexes he’d been most interested in, one with plenty of open units and a leasing team that seemed eager to get them rented. Units that were suddenly filled once Jungkook submitted his application. 

With the influx of students and university staff in the area, we have unexpectedly filled all our available apartments. We apologize for the sudden change…

He doesn’t believe that for a second. 

So one night Jungkook drives to the complex and shifts when nobody’s around. And sure enough…plenty of empty units. Just like he thought. 

After a bit of further investigation, Jungkook selects the best unit for himself. It has plenty of greenery near the little patio, perfect for attracting tasty bugs. And lots of west-facing windows. Most people think that spiders prefer nighttime, but Koo is diurnal. He loves to be in the sun and keep warm, especially when he’s hunting in spider form or when he’s napping. 

Since he has to keep his presence secret, Jungkook mostly stays in spider form while he’s in the apartment. He stakes out the patio for food, pouncing on any intruding bugs before they can even consider coming inside. It’s probably just luck, but the vegetation the complex planted is perfect for Koo’s diet.

In the afternoons, he curls up in the corner below the window to apply for jobs on his phone. He’s certain that he’s been through every page at least three times, probably even submitted multiple applications for some of the listings, but he doesn’t know what else to do. He needs to find something , or else he really will have to go back to his parents’ home. This apartment, perfect as it is, can only be a temporary solution.

After a few hours of that monotony, he retires to the bathroom to rest. He found the most perfect little corner above the shower to build his sleeping web. If he runs the water a bit, it’s nice and humid and warm for him to snooze. 

That’s exactly what he’s doing one evening a few weeks later when he’s startled awake by a shift in the air, and then sounds from across the apartment. Luckily, his web keeps him secure until he gets his bearings and is able to scoot back into the far corner of his ledge, keeping all his eyes wide open. 

Someone else is in the apartment. 

Koo isn’t sure what to do. Has someone noticed him hanging around? It seems highly unlikely; his hybrid form is very small, and he’s always careful not to be seen, so it’s probably not staff. Then it must be…a new tenant?

He supposes that it would be easy enough to find another empty apartment to sneakily reside in. But…he likes this one. It has nice corners and good light and his web is so perfectly constructed. He may not have furniture or a TV or a stocked kitchen, but it still feels like a piece of home. So…maybe…maybe he can stay just a little longer, until he figures out a better plan. He’s sure that no one will notice him in the commotion of moving in, so he should have at least a few days, perhaps a week.

Feeling a bit sad and defeated, Koo tries to get comfortable in his web again amidst his swirling thoughts. He’s just starting to drift off when…

WHOOSH! 

The shower door is pulled open, and there is a man climbing in. A very naked man. 

And Koo really doesn’t mean to look, doesn’t mean to see, but he had no warning! How was he to know the man was going to take a shower right away? Who does that? Don’t people usually like to settle a bit, maybe have a snack or turn on some music while they move in? 

He really doesn’t see much. A flash of smooth skin, a long arm reaching for the spigot, and…blue hair? 

Hair that almost perfectly matches Koo’s iridescent fangs.

He’s never seen a human with hair like that. He wants to look more closely, to see if the man is as pretty as his hair. For spiders, colors like that are important mainly for mating purposes. The flashiest, prettiest colors can be the deciding factor in who captures the attention of a mate. 

Koo has very shiny fangs. 

And while it’s very tempting to perform his most acrobatic leap into the shower to show the man his impressive coloring and athletic prowess…Koo’s human side tells him that is not the best idea. 

So he stays hidden in his little shower corner, all of his eyes closed politely, keeping out of sight and not even briefly thinking about spying on the human with pretty blue hair. 

The human has officially moved in, and Jungkook…has not moved out. 

It’s only been a week or two, and given how much time Jungkook has spent submitting applications already, it’s not so unreasonable that he hasn’t found other accommodations yet. It’s not his fault the rental industry is biased against hybrids!

But, it could also be argued that he hasn’t put in that much (any) effort to move out since the human arrived. 

It’s just kind of nice, sticking to his little routine. Koo makes his way outside in the mornings, spends a few hours plotting the deaths of a handful of bugs, then shifts back to curl up on the carpet and submit job applications on his phone (which he strategically hides in a corner of the hall closet during the day). Sometimes he’ll venture out to inquire about jobs in person, or to eat a quick meal. Sometimes he’ll go for a run or sneak into the campus gym. 

After that, he usually makes his way back to the sleeping web for a well-deserved nap. 

The human goes off each morning to do whatever human things he attends to in the daytime, and he often comes home just as Koo is waking up again. It seems the man goes to the gym a lot, since he often arrives home sweaty and in workout clothes. 

(Not that Jungkook has been watching. He hasn’t, not really. He just can’t help that they occupy the same apartment.) 

Jungkook actually thinks that he’d get along well with this man. He likes to work out too, making sure that he’s in top condition both in his human and spider form. He wonders what kind of workouts the human likes to do. He must be working hard, because he always goes straight to the shower when he comes home. Straight to Koo, though the man doesn’t know that. 

Since Jungkook has been spending much of his time in spider form, he is starting to feel a little lonely. Jumping spiders are fairly solitary creatures, but Jungkook’s human side makes him more social. He misses talking about his day, even if nothing too exciting has happened. Even if he’s living in an endless cycle of job applications and stolen gym sessions and hunched posture to make sure no one ever notices him in the apartment. Even if he feels a bit like a loser, just a loner hybrid that no one wants to hire or rent to or talk to. 

So it really makes sense when he starts to get more curious about the human. Why does he have blue hair? What does he do during the day? Does he ever feel lonely? Does he like spiders? 

That might be the most important question. There are lots of people who don’t like spiders at all and simply will not hear reason on the topic. Even when Jungkook explains all their good qualities and shows people photos of how soft and fluffy and round-eyed his species is, they don’t come around. Jungkook doesn’t have many obvious spider traits in his human form, just a hint of turquoise in his hair and a heightened sense of agility and long limbs. It isn’t as though he’s a monster . 

And yet. It’s been a sticking point with a lot of people. Not just apartments, but jobs, classmates, partners. Restaurants don’t want to hire him; there’s always an excuse, but he knows the real reason. When he applies to other entry level openings, he’s often met with radio silence. He had a work-study job at the library during college, but he knows the school was required to offer positions to students with those grants. In classes, he was often the last person to find a group for projects, someone always having to make room for him begrudgingly. 

And partners…well, that’s a whole issue on its own. Plenty of people approach Jungkook; he’d like to think that he’s a nice looking human. Strong build, gentle eyes, fluffy hair. Athletic and outdoorsy. He’s a little shy sometimes, but he does like to make friends. He’s optimistic about people, even when they give him reason after reason not to be. And he tries to be upfront about his hybrid status, even when it usually ends in heartbreak. 

Some people are nicer than others, willing to continue a date or be friends. They’ll ask a few questions, try not to cringe if he shows them pictures, maybe even act like they think it’s cute. 

But a lot will make an excuse to leave as soon as they hear ‘spider’. 

It hurts. 

Koo, as a spider, could spend most of his time alone. But Jungkook, as a hybrid, longs to connect with someone. He isn’t asking for much. Just someone that will embrace all aspects of him. Someone who likes the outdoors and appreciates the important role spiders play in nature. Someone that won’t act like he’s gross or awful or horrifying. Someone that will gently put him on his web when he’s tired and doesn’t want to climb up, but still wants the comfort of sleeping there. Someone that will like his extra eyes and long legs. Someone that will appreciate his pretty turquoise fangs. 

So. Koo has maybe been taking a look at the human here and there. Maybe peeking out from his corner to see if he’s been working out, if he’s sweaty or just showering off the stress of a long day. Maybe glancing at his (very toned) ass. Maybe peeking at his pretty blue hair and his strong arms and his broad shoulders. Maybe getting closer and closer to the edge of his little corner ledge. 

And it’s inevitable, really, that the human eventually notices him. 

The first time, Koo thinks that might be it for him. He’s been peeking at the top of the human’s head, watching him get his hair all sudsy, trying to determine if maybe he’s actually just naturally a blue-haired human, since he never notices any dye coming out. He’s trying to see the water as it slides down the human’s back, but he forgets how close he is to the edge, and that the human will tilt his head back to rinse out all the shampoo, and then the human opens his eyes and freezes, looking right at Koo. 

Immediately, Koo scuttles backwards into the safety of his web, his heart skittering. Shit shit shit what if he freaks out and tries to squish me? I could shift but that might be even worse. I don’t want to be squished though, that would be very bad…

As his mind races through the possible options, he realizes…he hasn’t been squished yet. He’s still safely tucked in the corner, both out of sight of the human and unable to see what he’s doing. It feels like years pass, but it’s probably only a couple more seconds. Koo cautiously creeps forward, just enough to see what’s going on, to assess why his impending death has been delayed. The human is still gazing towards him, but he doesn’t look scared or upset. Just curious, his brown eyes soft and searching. 

“Hi, little guy. Did I scare you? I bet the shower is pretty loud for you. Or…I think spiders don’t really hear, they feel sound. Anyway, I won’t be long, and you can go back to whatever you were doing in peace,” the human says softly. 

Is he…talking to me? Koo wonders, astonished. That is…not how people normally react to spiders. Even if Jungkook shifts around someone he knows, and they’re fully prepared, he still notices the looks of trepidation and anxiety a lot of them wear. He supposes he can’t fault people for their fears, but really? What is an itsy bitsy spider going to do to anyone? Especially when it’s Koo, who still has some semblance of human thought and reason in his spider form, albeit less complex. 

But this man…he seems fine with a spider in his shower. Totally unbothered by Koo being only a few feet away from his entirely naked body. Not at all worried about his presence. And, beyond that…talking to Koo like he’s a sentient being. A being worthy of care and gentle words and concern for his comfort. 

Still, Koo stays where he is, barely visible but able to keep at least one of his eyes on the man. He could be doing that thing people do when they’re trying to convince a wary stray onto a leash. Acting nice and speaking softly until they make their move to snatch them up. And Koo will not be fooled. Sure, the man has a nice body and pretty hair and he seems quite strong and he has a nice voice and he’d probably be a very good mate…

No! Focus on not being squished! Koo reminds himself. 

But the attack never comes. He stays safely nestled in his corner for the remainder of the human’s shower. No spray of water hits the corner, no incoming tupperware to capture Koo and flush him down the toilet. He sees the human reach to turn off the water, stepping out of the shower and toweling himself off. He makes no move to come back towards Koo, only calls out softly, “Shower’s all yours, little spider.” 

I’m not that little, Koo thinks (he is, daring jumping spiders are some of the smallest of their species, but he has a big personality! ). 

After that, the human checks to see if Koo is in the corner each time he gets in the shower. Some days, he seems more tired than others, only offering a quiet smile as he washes himself. Other days, he’s more talkative, telling Koo about his day, small things, maybe just details he doesn’t feel other people in his life will care much about. 

“There was a really cool plant out by the river today. I’m not sure what it was, but I took a picture of it and I’m going to try and figure it out. Maybe I could plant one on the patio here. I bet you would like it.”

“I wanted to try making this recipe tonight, but I’m not very good at cooking. And I always forget ingredients when I’m at the store. Ugh, if I were rich, the first thing I’d do is hire a chef.” 

“I wonder what kind of bugs you eat? I keep getting mosquitoes in my office, it’s the worst. But there are never any here. I bet that’s because of you, huh?” (That one makes Koo feel very proud. See? Spider hybrids would be the best tenants!) 

Koo wonders if the man is lonely. 

While he likes listening to him a lot, it makes him a bit worried that a human would be so conversational with (for all the human knows) a literal insect. 

Koo wonders if he could find a way to tell the man that he understands everything he says, that he’s actually not just a spider. That he would love to go look at the plants by the river and learn new recipes and tell him about jumping spider hybrid diets. 

But he has no idea how to do that without seeming…weird? He doesn’t think of himself as weird usually, even though he’s heard it plenty of times from other people. He gets it, it’s a societal thing, people don’t like spiders. They think that they’re scary and have weird eyes and bite people and creep around their homes when no one is looking. But Koo isn’t really any of those things. Except…well, he does kind of creep around Namjoon’s apartment when he’s not looking. But he stays in one predictable location when he is looking, so that must count for something!

So now, Jungkook is confronted by an entirely new obstacle. He likes this human, and he doesn’t know what to do about it. He still doesn’t have a place to live, so he can’t just move out and then find a way to cross paths with the man. He knows some vague details about him, that he works in some sort of office, that he goes to a gym, that he sometimes walks by the river, but that won’t help him with the finer details, like a name. 

Even if he knew the man’s name, or where he worked out, or what line of work he was in, Jungkook also doesn’t like the idea of beginning a friendship with a lie. He’d always feel guilty, like he was doing something wrong. So he’s stuck, with no idea how to proceed. 

It’s serendipitous, then, when the man comes home early one day and finds Jungkook fast asleep in the apartment. In his human form. 

It’s hard to say why this happens. It could be the fact that Jungkook has been struggling to find a job, or his own apartment, resulting in a cycle of dashed hopes and exhaustion. It could be that he hasn’t really been meeting his social quotas, or that he’s mostly only been sleeping and eating in his spider form. 

It could be some sort of fate. 

Jungkook remembers scrolling endlessly on job listing sites, looking for anything he hasn’t yet applied for. He remembers reading over his resume, searching for ways to spruce it up and make himself more appealing to employers. He remembers looking for any new apartments available to rent. He remembers his eyes starting to get achy and heavy from staring at his screen for so long. He remembers promising himself just a quick rest, and then he’d shift and move to his sleeping web before the man got home. 

What he did not remember…was to set an alarm. 

So imagine his surprise when he wakes up to the man standing over him. He doesn’t look as big as he usually does (being a spider will really warp one’s sense of dimensions) but he definitely looks…intimidating. 

“What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?” the man asks, sounding both irritated and a little…nervous? Jungkook can’t imagine what he has to be nervous about, because he is definitely a large man. With large muscles. And he would have every right to kick Jungkook’s ass for invading his apartment. 

“I…” Jungkook struggles to form words, both because he’s a little terrified and also because his brain is only partially online. He wants to explain himself, wants to come up with something that would make the man understand, but all that comes out of his mouth is…

“I’m your spider.” 

“…What?” The man looks even more confused and perhaps a bit concerned that not only is there a stranger in his apartment, but he might be…delusional? Jungkook sees his fists clench subtly at his sides, his body stiff and defensive.

“Your spider! You know, the one that lives by the shower? Fuzzy legs, big adorable eyes, pretty turquoise fangs? We’re a really cute species, really good at catching bugs…” Jungkook starts to list nervously, almost as though he’s trying to sell Namjoon on the merits of jumping spiders.

The man scowls at him. “You are decidedly not a spider. You’re clearly human. How did you get in here? Did you break in? I swear if there’s damage, you’re paying for it.” 

Jungkook frowns; he doesn’t know how better to explain himself, since there really isn’t a great explanation for his current living situation. So instead, he does the only thing he can think of: he looks directly at the man, and then he shifts. 

The man’s eyes trail down from where Jungkook’s face was moments ago to the small spider now scuttling along the carpet. Koo waves a foreleg at him. The man freezes, his expression morphing from angry to baffled. His eyes soften a bit, but his gaze remains firmly locked on Koo.  Once he’s sure the man has registered his existence, he shifts back to avoid any extended possibility of being stepped on. 

The man and Jungkook stare at each other for at least a full minute, neither of them saying anything. But finally, the man sighs and motions for Jungkook to follow him out of the bedroom. Jungkook somehow manages to get his limbs working and stumble after him. 

“Okay…so you really are a spider?” he asks once they’ve made their way to the couch. 

Jungkook can only nod. He’s still a little worried that the man might be angry and hurt him, but it’s a good sign that he didn’t try to squish him in spider form, at least. 

“Sorry…I guess I’m just used to hybrids with more noticeable features in their human forms. I never considered that…that such a tiny creature could be a hybrid….” The man trails off. He doesn’t look so angry anymore, just a bit bewildered.

“What’s your name? In my head, I’ve just been calling you little guy, but I’m guessing you have something else you’d prefer to be called?” the man asks. 

When Jungkook just stares at him silently, the man continues. “Okay, I can start. My name is Namjoon. I work for a hybrid rights non-profit, so you’re not in any danger. Would you be comfortable telling me your name?” 

Jungkook swallows and nods. “My name is Jungkook. I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to stay once you moved in, but…but I also didn’t have anywhere else to go. No one wants to rent to a spider hybrid…” 

The man—Namjoon—studies him carefully. He seems a little less upset than when he found Jungkook on his bedroom floor (honestly, thank god Jungkook hasn’t been using the bed, how much worse would that have been?). Maybe more…frustrated? Or resigned? And what kind of luck must Jungkook have, to end up in an apartment rented by a hybrid rights worker? 

“I believe you. Unfortunately, that is all too common. There aren’t really many laws to protect hybrids, and plenty of places continue to discriminate against hybrid tenants or workers. We are working hard to find ways around that, but it’s a slow process. I just…I do wish I’d known about you sooner,” Namjoon says. 

Jungkook keeps his gaze low. He’s ashamed of himself, for a lot of reasons. He’s ashamed that he can’t find an apartment or a job. He’s ashamed that he continued to stay in the apartment long after Namjoon moved in instead of being a responsible adult and leaving. He’s ashamed that he’s looked at Namjoon naked so many times and imagined him naked even more times than that.  

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I’ll find somewhere else to go, I won’t be in your way, and I can clean up my web—”

“No!” Namjoon nearly shouts. Jungkook jerks his head up, frightened by the shift in tone. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Namjoon is still angry but has been concealing it. And Jungkook knows that suppressed anger is the most dangerous kind. 

“I…no, what?” he asks. 

“You don’t have to get rid of your web. I mean…it takes a lot of work to make, right? I’m sure you worked hard to get it right.  And…you don’t have to just go. You can stay until you find somewhere, there’s an extra room,” Namjoon says.

Jungkook stares at him. This man must be crazy, right? He can’t possibly just be offering Jungkook a space in his apartment. Not after Jungkook revealed that he was literally living in Namjoon’s shower for the last month. What kind of person would just let a stranger live with them, especially after that? Especially…Jungkook hates to think it, but…especially a spider hybrid. 

It’s just not plausible. People don’t even really tolerate spider hybrids in most contexts, let alone allow them to live in the same space. Unless…unless they have some ulterior motive. Like squishing unsuspecting spiders when they get too comfortable. Or…or some sort of weird favors. 

“Um…I’m not sure,” Jungkook says, not wanting to offend Namjoon by accusing him of having bad intentions. But he also doesn’t want to get smashed. 

At least…not in his spider form. 

Jungkook scowls at his stupid brain. Now is not the time to think about your crush on Namjoon!! he scolds himself. But…it’s difficult, because Namjoon is only becoming more attractive, what with his kindness and his care for hybrids and his offer to help Jungkook even though he really doesn’t know him. 

“Why not?” Namjoon asks him, sounding genuinely curious. 

And Jungkook…well, Jungkook really doesn’t have a good reason, at least not one that he can articulate. He’s nervous to stay with a human he doesn’t know all that well. He’s not sure what sort of obligations there will be in this context, since he’s technically not on the lease. That puts him in a vulnerable position. Not only because he’s a hybrid, but also because it would be so easy for Namjoon to change his mind and kick him out at a moment’s notice. 

But Jungkook also doesn’t have many options. He could return to his family’s home…but there isn’t much space there. And although his parents would never say it, would never even consider making Jungkook feel unwelcome…he knows that there isn’t much money to go around. And having an extra mouth to feed is a bit of a hurdle. He wants to be self-sufficient, wants to have his own space and a job and to take care of himself. 

It’s just hard. He’s always stressed, and he can’t find work or housing, and most of his friends have moved on or aren’t hybrids and just don’t understand. 

“Well…we are strangers. And I don’t want to be a burden,” Jungkook says softly. 

“You wouldn’t be a burden! And I’m sure we could figure something out in terms of rent. Plus, I’m very qualified to help you either find another place, or if it goes well…maybe we could add you to the lease? And I can help you with job hunting too, if you need it!” 

Jungkook doesn’t know what to make of this. Why is Namjoon so…nice? Humans usually aren’t this nice to him, especially when they know he’s a spider hybrid. Some are tolerant, some are polite, but never genuinely nice . 

“Why would you want to do that?” Jungkook asks. He has to know before he can accept any of Namjoon’s offers. He doesn’t want to get trapped by some sort of unspoken agreement. If Namjoon is looking for Jungkook to offer him something…well, Jungkook really doesn’t have much to give him in return for the help. He needs to set up the expectations ahead of time. 

You have SOME things you could offer, his traitorous brain singsongs. 

Jungkook shakes his head to dislodge that annoying voice. 

“It might sound odd…but it does feel kind of like I know you, at least a little bit,” Namjoon says. Jungkook could be imagining it, but Namjoon seems to be…blushing?  “I do give you a regular rundown of my day, after all.” 

Yep, he’s definitely blushing. Jungkook is glad that he’s not the only one thinking about the fact that he’s seen Namjoon naked, at least. 

“Still…that doesn’t really explain why you’d be so willing to open your home to a stranger that’s basically been freeloading for the entire time you’ve lived here. Is there something you’re looking for… in exchange?” Jungkook asks bluntly. 

They both seem to realize how that sounds at the same moment. Namjoon gets even more pink, and Jungkook finds that he absolutely cannot hold eye contact. 

“What? No! Absolutely nothing like that. If you want, we can come up with some sort of rent agreement, but I’m not…I’m not looking to use you, of course not. I just…I know how it can be for hybrids. My best friend is a hybrid, so I’ve seen a lot of the discrimination he encounters. I want to help, that’s all,” Namjoon bumbles his way through the explanation, which honestly makes Jungkook feel a little better. If Namjoon were super smooth, he’d be more suspicious. But he seems to just be…nice. 

“Okay…I just have to be careful. Not many people are fond of spider hybrids, in particular. And being so small makes me…vulnerable, when I’m shifted,” Jungkook says cautiously. 

“I like small things, they’re cute,” Namjoon mumbles, so quietly that Jungkook almost asks him to repeat himself. But…he just hopes that he heard correctly. Because…that’s pretty endearing. 

They discuss an agreement, just like Namjoon suggested. Jungkook is happy to split the rent; it’s honestly a pretty good deal, and he would have been able to afford it all on his own with his savings. But paying half will be even better, so he doesn’t have to spend as much while he searches for a job. Of course, they will both keep the space tidy, and Namjoon emphasizes that he won’t bother Jungkook’s web. 

“Um, you mentioned having trouble with some recipes. I don’t mind cooking, if you want me to help with that?” Jungkook suggests shyly. He’s actually a decent cook, and he’s been missing having more meals in his human form. Particularly home-cooked meals. Of course, he loves to catch his food in spider form as well, finds it thrilling to fly through the air and then swing to safety on his web. But he also likes eating pork and noodles and pizza…the list of human foods he enjoys has much more variety. He gets a little bored just eating insects. 

“Really? That would be amazing. I am…not the best in the kitchen. I didn’t really think about that when I got my own place. My roommate before, the hybrid friend I mentioned, he did most of the cooking for us,” Namjoon says. 

“What kind of hybrid is your friend?” Jungkook asks. Maybe he could make a new friend. It’s always nice to have other hybrid friends, because they get how difficult some things can be. He had a few in college, but they grew distant after graduation. 

“He’s a cat hybrid, his name is Yoongi,” Namjoon says. 

Jungkook nods thoughtfully. Cat hybrids are one of the more common types in this area. He’s known quite a few, though sometimes they were at odds about being shifted in the same space. Cat instincts tend to veer towards smacking spiders, and Jungkook doesn’t really like being smacked. 

“I’d be happy to introduce you! He moved in with his partner, which is why I moved here,” Namjoon explains. “And I bet he might have some ideas about finding a job too. He works for a music company, if that’s something you’re at all interested in.” 

Jungkook’s eyes go wide at that. He loves music. He got his degree in business, since that seemed like a safe and smart way to go, but he’d like to do something more artistic or fun for a job if he could. Although, at the rate things are going, he’ll take whatever job comes along first. 

“I do like music, but…I’m not sure I’m qualified for anything like that,” he admits hesitantly. 

“Oh, they have all sorts of different jobs! Teaching classes for kids, producing, album design, there’s a bit of everything. But I’m getting ahead of myself,” Namjoon chuckles. “I’ll text him and see if they have anything available tomorrow. Do you want to have dinner tonight?” 

Jungkook realizes that he is pretty hungry. And he wouldn’t mind sharing a meal with Namjoon, continuing to get to know him.

“Sure. I can cook, if you have ingredients for anything?” he offers, but Namjoon shakes his head abashedly. 

“I, uh, don’t keep much on hand besides instant stuff and snacks. We could order a pizza, that would probably be fast?” Namjoon says. 

They decide on a supreme pizza, since Jungkook can’t decide between all the delicious toppings, and Namjoon isn’t picky. 

“I’m going to take a quick shower while we wait for it to get here,” Namjoon says. Jungkook immediately flushes at the mention of the shower. It’s clear that both of them are remembering just how many times Jungkook has been in that shower while Namjoon is entirely naked. How many conversations Namjoon held with Jungkook before he even knew he could understand what he was saying. How many times Jungkook’s eyes were all (every last one of them) trained on Namjoon’s wet, naked, glorious body…

Jungkook snaps himself out of that thought spiral. Calm down! He is a nice man, and he’s doing so much to help you for absolutely no reason other than being a good person. Stop thinking about his muscular ass!! 

But it is…distinctly difficult to follow his own instructions. Namjoon seems to be equally embarrassed, as he hurries out of the room to grab some clothes and head into the bathroom. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t accuse Jungkook of being creepy or gross for doing what he’s done. But Jungkook certainly feels that way. He doesn’t know how to make up for it either. 

However…there’s a small part of him (or maybe not even that small) that really can’t be brought to regret his actions. Because Namjoon is just so…he’s so gorgeous. Who could blame Jungkook for looking when he was presented with such a perfect opportunity? And it’s not like it’s going to continue, not like Jungkook will be able to go into the shower while Namjoon is using it now that he knows the truth. So…so no one will sue him if he keeps those memories stored away for safekeeping, or for a rainy day. 

Or for every day before he goes to sleep. 

No one needs to know. Especially not Namjoon. 

They manage to have a not-terribly-awkward dinner despite everything. Namjoon tells Jungkook a little more about his job, about how he spends his days researching grants and legal advice for hybrids that are facing discrimination. He’s done work in all sorts of different sectors of his non-profit, from the legal side to the more marketing-based roles. He has compiled lists of hybrid-friendly housing, worked alongside lawyers to develop proposals for laws regarding the treatment of hybrids, and even contributed to various resources for hybrids experiencing abuse or other difficulties. 

Jungkook becomes more and more endeared by the moment. 

In turn, Jungkook tells Namjoon a little more about himself. How he was so proud to be able to go to college with his scholarships, how he was eager to be able to take care of himself in the real world and take the burden off his parents’ shoulders. He tells him how he dreamed of a creative or adventurous career, maybe doing something in the arts or digital space, or maybe taking time to do something like…like zip line tours. He thinks he would be good at something like that, where he could really engage with his adrenaline junkie side. 

But then the reality of being an adult hybrid hit. He wasn’t able to find anywhere to work, or to live, after college. He’d been living in this bubble during university, one where he could pretend that he wasn’t so different from most other people, that his life could get easier and better from this point onward. A bubble that has most definitely popped. 

“And that…that’s how I ended up in your shower,” he awkwardly summarizes. Damn it, Jungkook, why did you have to bring that up? Everything was going so normally, totally fine, and then you had to remind him that you were just HANGING OUT in his shower!! 

Namjoon stares at him for a second, and then…then he bursts out laughing. 

Jungkook is surprised for a few seconds, but then he joins in. It’s honestly so ridiculous, it is kind of hilarious. Imagine one day they tell people how they met? No one is ever going to believe it! They probably won’t ever convince anyone of the truth. But it’s a great story. And Jungkook hopes that it can be the beginning of a real friendship. 

He hasn’t had one of those in a while. But with Namjoon…he has a good feeling. 

Surprisingly enough, Namjoon does have an extra bed and bedding for the second bedroom. Or, well, it’s a futon and the blanket he normally keeps on the couch, but it’s better than nothing. Better than sleeping in spider form every single night. While it doesn't bother Jungkook to do this sometimes, his body does start to feel a little cramped and achy if he stays in his spider form for too long or sleeps that way too often. It’s like his body knows that it can be larger, that it needs to stretch out and use its muscles more. So he is very grateful for a soft place to rest his head and extend his limbs. 

“Let me know if there’s anything else you need, okay? And we can move in some more of your stuff if you have anything that you want to bring. I don’t think you really have anything here yet, unless you did a really great job of hiding it?” Namjoon says as he heads out the door to his own bedroom. 

“Um, yeah, I kept most of my stuff in my car. Just my phone is here, and I have been hiding that. Thanks, Namjoon,” Jungkook says sleepily, already soothed by the cozy blanket. 

He hasn’t slept so well in weeks. 

It’s still a little weird the next day, but as they start to adjust to the new way of things, it gets less so. Jungkook keeps looking for work, and with Namjoon’s resources and assistance, he’s actually able to get a couple of responses to his applications. It’s a slow process, but he’s feeling a bit more hopeful. 

He’s also finally able to move his few boxes of belongings out of his trunk and into the apartment. Namjoon offers to help, but it’s hardly a two person job. Still, Jungkook appreciates the thought. He carefully hangs his clothes in the closet, wanting to be sure they aren’t wrinkled for his interviews. His lucky cactus figurine goes on the windowsill, and he wonders if Namjoon will notice it. He plugs in his LED lights so he can set the mood of the room to his liking and fluffs his fancy cooling pillow. As a final touch, he folds the blanket Namjoon gave him over his soft sheets on the futon. He has his own comforter but…he likes the blanket too much to give it back right away. 

Every night that first week, Jungkook cooks dinner for both of them. They talk about their days, and Jungkook is happy to be able to actually reply to all of Namjoon’s wandering thoughts and observations about the world. He’s even happier to feel like he’s contributing to the household with his meals, watching with satisfaction every time Namjoon eats a second portion. 

When the weekend arrives, Jungkook expects to stay cooped up in his room, not wanting to bother Namjoon or encroach on his space. 

Instead, he’s surprised by a knock on his door mid-morning on Saturday.

He peeks out, hair ruffled from laying sideways on his pillow. Namjoon looks a little startled, even though he’s the one that knocked on Jungkook’s door. 

“Morning,” Jungkook says sleepily. 

“Good morning,” Namjoon says. 

They stand there in silence for a moment, until Jungkook tilts his head questioningly. 

“Ah, right, I was going to see if you wanted to walk down to the river with me? There are a lot of cool plants in bloom, and sometimes there are food trucks or a little market on the weekend,” Namjoon says. 

“Oh,” Jungkook says, surprised. He doesn’t really have any plans today, maybe just going for a jog. But a walk with Namjoon also sounds nice. His stomach growls at the thought of food and he instinctively puts a hand over it. “That sounds nice!” he says quickly, trying to cover up the sound. 

Namjoon smiles softly. “Will you be ready in a half hour?”

Jungkook nods and hurries to get a change of clothes and wash his face. There’s not much to be done about the fluffy hair with so little notice, so he just leaves it. 

Namjoon is waiting for him in the common area, lounging across the couch with his legs crossed. Jungkook does not stare at his thighs. For long. 

“Ready?” he asks, and Namjoon nods. 

The river walkway is only about fifteen minutes away, and it turns out there is a farmer’s market happening in the courtyard nearby. Jungkook bounces happily when he spots a booth with candied pecans; the sweet smell alone makes him ravenous. Namjoon buys them breakfast sandwiches from a local bakery table. They’ve both devoured the food before they make it to the water. 

“That was so good. Why don’t I ever make breakfast?” Jungkook mumbles around his last bite. 

“I never wake up early enough for it,” Namjoon says. “But maybe I should.”

Jungkook nods. “Summer resolution: become breakfast people.” 

Namjoon chuckles. “I like that idea. Maybe if resolutions were quarterly, instead of annual, there would be less of a crowd at the gym in January.” 

“Yes! We need to make this happen. Put your marketing skills to work.”

The conversation with Namjoon is easy. It’s hard to believe that they haven’t known each other for more than a week. They have so much in common, and Jungkook only feels more at ease the longer they spend together. 

“Oh! Look! That tree only blooms for a short time in the summer, and it’s starting!” Namjoon says excitedly, motioning to a stout tree with flowering branches that dip towards the river. Even though it’s only begun to bloom, Jungkook can already see a few petals falling to the water’s surface. 

He kneels at the edge of the river, stretching until he can reach one of the fallen petals. He gently puts it in his pocket, catching Namjoon’s curious gaze as he does. 

“We can press the flower, and then you’ll be able to enjoy it for longer,” he explains. 

Jungkook misses the blush on Namjoon’s cheeks as he continues to walk along the path. 

The next weekend, Jungkook takes the lead and invites Namjoon to come play games at a local arcade bar downtown. 

“I’m not so good at games, but I’m happy to come with you!” Namjoon assures him when Jungkook’s face falls. 

“Are you sure? We can do something else, or…if you’re busy, you don’t have to come! I just thought…since we did something last weekend, you might want to…” Jungkook feels a little embarrassed; why did he assume Namjoon would be free? Or that he would want to spend time with Jungkook every weekend? He probably has tons of friends and things he’d rather be doing…

“Of course! Maybe you can teach me a thing or two. Plus, I love trying new beers,” Namjoon says. Jungkook brightens a bit. Maybe he wasn’t so off base, then. 

Since it’s still afternoon, the bar isn’t terribly crowded. They have their choice of the games, and Jungkook goes straight for his favorite: Pacman. 

“This one is pretty simple, but it’s just so satisfying to watch all the dots disappear,” he explains. Namjoon nods, hovering behind Jungkook to watch him play the first round. 

It makes Jungkook feel a little…well, a little like he needs to impress. He’s always been a bit competitive, but Namjoon isn’t even playing against him. He’s just watching. His warm body is close to Jungkook’s, probably just because he doesn’t want to block the walkway. But it feels so safe, so cozy, tucked away in their own little corner. 

Jungkook gets the third top score on the machine. 

“How did you do that?!” Namjoon asks. “Do you come here often?”

Jungkook looks at him sideways, grinning. Namjoon tries to backtrack. “That’s not how I meant it! I just meant, do you play this a lot?”

“Not really. I haven’t played in a long time, but it just sort of…comes back to me?” Jungkook shrugs. “Do you want to try?”

“Sure, but keep in mind, I’ve already had one drink more than you, and I’ve never played this before.”

Namjoon doesn’t even pass the first level. Jungkook can’t contain his giggles. 

 “I told you I’m not good at games!” Namjoon says, looking entirely embarrassed by his performance.

“We can try something else, maybe this just isn’t your game,” Jungkook offers. 

They try a lot of other machines. Namjoon is abysmally bad at all of them. 

Jungkook finally takes pity on him and offers to play giant Jenga on the patio. Surely he can’t be as bad at that as he is at arcade games. Except…Namjoon immediately stumbles and knocks the tower over on his third turn. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sure this isn’t what you were picturing when you asked me to come here,” Namjoon says, bending down to start rebuilding the Jenga tower. 

Jungkook giggles. “It’s not, but…I think it’s even better.” 

They decide to order a couple of appetizers to split before heading back home. Jungkook insists on paying for his half, even though Namjoon tries to cover the whole check “to make up for ruining his game day”. 

“You didn’t ruin anything! Honestly, I’m just glad to have someone that wants to come here with me,” Jungkook says, dipping his pretzel bite into the cheese sauce. 

“Maybe I’ll be better next time,” Namjoon sighs. 

“I bet you will.” Jungkook tries not to think too much about the happy warmth in his chest at the promise of a next time. 

The weeks continue like this, with Jungkook job hunting and interviewing while Namjoon is at work, warm dinners together when he comes home, and weekends spent alternating between each of their favorite activities. It feels…safe. That’s the best word Jungkook can find for this; a routine, a person he can rely on, a blossom of hope for his future. 

When Jungkook finally gets a job, Namjoon surprises him with a fancy meal of Italian takeout. 

“You shouldn’t have to cook your own celebration dinner!” Namjoon insists. Jungkook blushes. He doesn’t know why Namjoon is so nice to him, but…it makes him feel very soft and small. 

“I know, but I don’t mind cooking for us. It makes me feel less…less like a burden,” he says softly. 

Namjoon frowns at him. “You were never a burden. You just needed a little bit of help. A lot of hybrids have no idea that there are any resources for them at all. I’m happy we met, even if it was a little…unconventional.” 

That does not help with Jungkook’s reddening cheeks. 

They talk about their days, Jungkook happily explaining his new job to Namjoon. He’s going to be teaching kids at a hybrid daycare center, one that has plenty of little corners and spaces for arts and dance and music. Who knew that there was such a thing? Certainly not Jungkook. He never thought to look for hybrid-focused job listings, never even imagined that there would be anything like that. He just assumed that his hybrid status would always be something he needed to offset with other attributes; that he would always be the odd one out in any workplace. 

His parents certainly hadn’t been able to afford daycare for him or his siblings. They were of the mindset that once the kids could walk themselves home from school, they were old enough to be home alone. That was the way of things for hybrid families, at least the ones Jungkook knew. Poverty was common, hope was a limited resource, and there was rarely room for luxuries like daycare. 

Jungkook knows that his parents did their best, and that the system likely failed them in the same ways it has failed him. They were at work more often than they were at home, and they never saw a reason for him (or other hybrids) to pursue higher education. Why bother, when they’d still face discrimination in the workforce? He thinks they probably couldn’t even imagine the possibility of a better life for him. So Jungkook is eager to have an influence on hybrid kids, to show them that there are places meant just for them in the world, places they can be artistic and creative and equal. He hopes that those places are only more numerous once the kids get older, rather than few and far between as they are now. 

In turn, Namjoon tells Jungkook about his day, how he started a new style of workout at the gym. Jungkook pays rapt attention to this, only daydreaming a little as Namjoon speaks. He’s apparently been starting with something called an assault bike, which Jungkook is both fascinated by and terrified of. It’s like a combination of an elliptical and a stationary bike, and the faster you go, the harder the resistance gets. 

Namjoon probably looks so serious doing that, pushing himself to go faster, getting all sweaty… Jungkook frowns, refocusing on Namjoon’s words. 

After getting his heart rate up, Namjoon does a weights circuit, switching between muscle groups each day. He proudly shows Jungkook his quad muscles, flexing and twisting his leg dramatically like a bodybuilder. 

Jungkook gulps. 

“You know, if you want to come work out with me, you’re more than welcome. I have a ton of guest passes that I never use as part of the membership,” Namjoon tells him. “You said you like working out, right?”

“Yeah, I haven’t been in a while though. There was a student gym at my college, and that was free to use, so I went all the time. But now…I haven’t really had a place to go, and I wanted to save all my money to go towards finding a place,” Jungkook admits. He does not admit to sneaking into the gym a few times in spider form. 

He definitely has missed working out in a gym though; the few stolen sessions he’s managed are always weighed down with worry about getting caught. He still gets his exercise in other ways, either during his hunts in spider form or his runs in the neighborhood. He actually stumbled upon one of those outdoor fitness centers, and he uses that if no one else is around. He’s very tempted to test it out in spider form, to swing around on the pull-up bars and climb on each apparatus to dive from the top. But…it would be risky to do that. He’d have to shift in a pretty public area, and he doesn’t want to chance being smashed by someone getting startled by a spider on the workout equipment. 

“Well, you definitely have to come then! I always feel more motivated if someone is watching me,” Namjoon says, and then glances away suddenly. 

That’s…interesting, Jungkook thinks. He thinks that Namjoon’s cheeks look a little flushed, though they aren’t eating anything spicy, and the apartment is a pleasant 68 degrees. No warmer than they usually keep it. 

“Okay, just let me know a day and I’ll see if it works with my new schedule,” Jungkook tells him, choosing to file the likes being watched information away for a later time. Like when he’s alone in his bed. 

They do end up figuring out a workout schedule. Jungkook works pretty similar hours to Namjoon, though some days he gets out a bit later when there’s a kid whose parent is running late, or if there was any sort of big mess that needs deep cleaning at the end of the day. But twice a week, they find time to go to the gym together. It’s a little easier to work in a circuit with two people, since they can use the machines and alternate back and forth. 

Jungkook tries his very best to focus during their gym sessions. He feels a bit competitive when it comes to working out, wants to be impressive and cool, wants to look strong and fit. He likes showing off a little too, lifting heavy and pushing hard while still maintaining his pristine form. 

But…it can be a bit challenging to stay focused when Namjoon captures his attention. Or, should he say, Namjoon’s legs. Thighs, to be exact. 

Sometimes, he spends his entire rest period looking at Namjoon’s thighs. Watching them flex through a pyramid set of barbell squats. Watching them tremble yet maintain balance and form. Watching them spread when he sits to rest on the bench.  

Jungkook gets the strangest urge to see if perhaps those thighs could crush—

He presses his palms to his eyes, trying to remain sane.

When Namjoon completes his final set, he carefully re-racks the barbell and catches his breath. Jungkook flushes as he locks eyes with Namjoon’s reflection, quickly starting his next set of lunges. 

“N-nice set,” Jungkook mumbles, gripping his dumbbells tightly. 

“Oh, thanks! Wasn’t sure if I was gonna hit that top weight,” Namjoon smiles serenely, oblivious to Jungkook’s inner turmoil. 

Their next workout is possibly worse. Jungkook’s eyes wander without reserve, completely without his permission. When Namjoon starts doing preacher curls, Jungkook is locked in on his biceps. When Namjoon bends over to do rows, Jungkook nearly goes cross-eyed trying to look at both his ass and his delts. Luckily, his body is on autopilot, finishing the workout with ease, but when he’s resting, his mind…his mind wanders. 

He can’t help but admire the way Namjoon’s back has started to look so defined, the way he has such a strong mind-muscle connection. He can’t help but notice when Namjoon’s shorts ride up over his quads or when his neckline droops to reveal his pecs. He definitely can’t help watching the way sweat drips along said pecs and quads, imagining how he could just lick up the droplets…

And, well, there are no rules about how one spends their rest time in the gym, are there? 

He likes to think that he’s subtle about it; he can just pretend that he’s staring into space or zoning out after a hard set. Every now and then, though, Namjoon catches him looking. But maybe that’s because Namjoon is looking at Jungkook just as much. 

When they do compound movements, Namjoon insists on spotting one another. He seems especially intent on this rule for bench press. Jungkook has noticed Namjoon’s gaze lingering on his neck, trailing down his chest as he pushes through the movement. It’s possible that he’s started wearing looser tank tops, maybe even had a nip slip or two, but who’s to say if that’s really what Namjoon is looking at? 

And sometimes, when Jungkook is checking his form in the mirror, he sees Namjoon out of the corner of his eye, staring at him. He pretends not to notice, keeping his gaze locked on himself. But he can’t control the flush in his cheeks, on the back of his neck. 

It happens outside of the gym too. Jungkook will be flopped across the couch, scrolling on his phone or watching TV, when he feels the heat of Namjoon looking . Usually, by the time he glances around, Namjoon is already busying himself with a book, or fiddling with the dishes in the kitchen, or some other task that suddenly requires all of his focus. 

Or they’ll be out to peruse the farmer’s market and Jungkook will moan at the first delicious bite of breakfast sandwich, only to open his eyes and see Namjoon looking back with singular, heated focus.

Or Jungkook will be sitting with his toes in the river after one of their weekend walks, enjoying the breeze against his skin, when he gets that tingly sensation of being watched. 

The likelihood of Namjoon actually being interested in him, though…Jungkook doubts that it’s too high. It’s very rare for anyone to be interested in Jungkook after they find out he’s a spider hybrid. And while Namjoon is very kind and seems totally fine with it…Jungkook doubts that he’s harboring some sort of secret attraction to him. 

Jungkook has to admit…he sometimes misses the simplicity of being in the shower corner, just watching the pretty human whose name he didn’t know. It felt easier then. It was easy to just look, to not have the complications of knowing that Namjoon is gentle with every living thing that crosses his path, that he spends his days thinking up new ways to help the hybrid community, that he’s really fucking strong, that he’s always trying to find ways to better himself…

And also, he’s just hot. 

So Jungkook suffers quietly, seeing Namjoon flex his muscles and drip sweat and grunt at the gym. He suffers quietly when Namjoon sometimes walks around shirtless in the apartment. He suffers quietly when he sees just a flash of Namjoon’s naked ass when he forgets to grab a change of clothes before getting in the shower. He suffers quietly when he hears Namjoon’s raspy voice in the morning, sees the way he looks so sexy with his glasses on before he switches to contacts for the day. 

He also suffers when Namjoon tells him about how he helped a hybrid mother find a job, or how he connected a hybrid worker with their legal team when he was facing discrimination in the workplace. He suffers when he’s out on a jog with Namjoon, and suddenly Namjoon is thirty steps behind him because he saw a bird in the grass and wanted to make sure it was okay (although, Jungkook’s spider instincts despise birds). He suffers when Namjoon remembers small things, like the days that Jungkook is going to be out late, and accounts for it by ordering dinner for them. 

He doesn’t know what to do. Namjoon has quickly become important, vital , even, to his life. He’s given Jungkook so much hope and stability in the last few weeks, more than he could have asked for. But…but Jungkook doesn’t know if there could be something there. Of course, he’s attracted to Namjoon, but he just doesn’t know if it would be worth the (monumental) risk to do anything about it. The thought alone makes his brain twist with stress. 

He starts longing to spend more time in his hybrid form, to access that relaxed state of mind. It’s not that he doesn’t still think as a spider, but there’s less…emotion? complexity? He can disconnect a bit from the anxieties of being a human with a lot less mental effort. But he’s not sure how to approach that. Should he just…shift? Is Namjoon okay with that? Jungkook isn’t too worried about him getting scared or finding a newspaper to smack spider Koo with, but…it’s tricky, being such a small hybrid species. It would be easy for him to get hurt. So he needs to discuss it with Namjoon, for safety’s sake. 

He brings it up a few nights later, while they’re eating dinner. 

“I was wondering…would it be okay if I spent some time in my spider form around the apartment? I know not everyone likes spiders, but…you didn’t seem to mind? I just miss being in that form a bit, since I haven’t had as much time with work and all,” Jungkook says, feeling shy and awkward. He doesn’t know why. He literally met Namjoon as a spider. It shouldn't feel so weird. 

Namjoon nearly chokes on his food, trying to swallow quickly and give an answer, which makes Jungkook giggle a bit. “Of course you can! Anytime you want. It…it might be best to let me know, though? Just so I don’t accidentally step on you or something, not because I mind it otherwise!” Namjoon is quick to tell him. 

“Okay…I might shift after dinner, then?” Jungkook says questioningly. 

Namjoon nods furiously. “You can use your web in the bathroom if you want. I noticed…you haven’t really been using it anymore. It’s a pretty web, you shouldn’t neglect it,” 

Jungkook smiles gently. It was a pretty web, though he’s sure that with the humidity from the shower and the breeze from the ventilation fan it hasn’t fared too well over these last few weeks of disuse. 

“You still need to shower tonight though, right? I can—”

“I don’t mind!” 

Jungkook stares at him. Namjoon doesn’t look at him, gazes down at his (empty) dinner plate. 

“You don’t mind…what, exactly?” Jungkook asks carefully. He can’t possibly be saying…that he wants me to be there when he showers? He probably just meant he doesn’t mind waiting for me to use the web, or that he doesn’t mind taking a shorter shower…

“I don’t mind…you watching,” Namjoon mumbles. 

Oh.  

Jungkook knows that Namjoon said something similar to this a while back, but it certainly could have been taken in about a hundred other, more innocent ways. But apparently…that is not the way he meant it after all. 

“Um…” Jungkook stumbles over his response, not sure how to reply. Namjoon wants him to…to what, exactly? Watch him shower? Will there be more to it than that? Does he just want Jungkook to be there, like how some people just don’t want to be alone in the bathroom? Or…or is it sexual? 

“You don’t have to! Obviously. I can just shower and then you can have the bathroom to yourself. Or I can wait. Or I don’t even really need to shower, we didn’t work out tonight so I’m not all sweaty or anything…” Namjoon keeps rambling on, and somehow, it gives Jungkook the confidence he needs to respond. 

“I’ll watch.” 

They look at each other for a moment, and it’s probably the most tension Jungkook has felt between them since the very first day Namjoon stumbled upon Jungkook in his human form. But this time, the tension feels…good. And Jungkook wouldn’t mind letting it continue to build. 

“Okay. Okay, you’ll…do you want to go now?” Namjoon asks, cheeks pink but his face slightly more composed. 

Jungkook nods. He’s been waiting for weeks to see more of Namjoon; why put it off for another twenty minutes? 

“I’ll go first, so I can get up to the web before it’s all wet,” Jungkook says. 

“Yeah…that makes sense,” Namjoon says distantly. 

So Jungkook heads into the bathroom and shifts. He races up to his corner, investigating his web to see if it’s still structurally sound. He thinks it will be okay for now, but he’ll definitely need to put some work into making it pretty again. 

Pretty, like Namjoon said, Koo thinks. Luckily, he also has the ledge of the shower wall to settle into, so he doesn’t need to worry about tumbling out of the web when he inevitably gets…distracted from matters of personal safety. 

He waits and waits, ready for Namjoon to come into the shower and turn on the water, to make it nice and warm and cozy and wet. 

But Namjoon doesn’t come. Maybe Koo’s brain is just impatient, but it seems like it takes an hour before Namjoon finally appears. 

Koo hears him come into the bathroom, and even then, it’s as though Namjoon is waiting for something. Koo wonders if maybe he’s nervous. He never used to be nervous about showering with Koo. Maybe…maybe things are different, now that he knows Koo is a hybrid and not just a spider. 

Finally, finally Namjoon steps into the shower. Koo is certain that even in the span of a few weeks, Namjoon has gotten buffer. His pecs have the most glorious definition, and Koo could probably write poems about the pretty brown color of his nipples. He wants to bite them, suckle them until they’re tinged with red. His skin is so glowy and soft even in the poor lighting of the shower.  And Namjoon’s ass…they hardly ever even do squats, and yet somehow, the cuts of muscle become more and more prominent each time he looks. And he looks…often. 

But what Koo never really allowed himself to look at…was Namjoon’s cock. Even before he knew him, it felt just a bit too invasive. And when Namjoon started to tell Koo about his day, about all these soft moments, Koo couldn’t bring himself to break the human’s trust by admiring that part of him, even though he so desperately wanted to. 

Today, though…Koo has permission to finally look at everything. 

And so, he does. 

He looks at Namjoon’s pretty blue hair, the hair that first sparked Koo’s most base mating instincts. Pretty, pretty color, pretty pretty human, Koo’s brain screamed then, and still screams now. 

He looks at his soft brown eyes, his gaze that is so pointedly averted from Koo’s many staring eyes. Koo loves Namjoon’s eyes. They always look so gentle, even when he’s frustrated or tired, even when he’s in the midst of a difficult lifting session or stressed over a work issue. 

He looks at Namjoon’s broad shoulders, the waves of muscle along his neck and back, the tension that Koo can see even from a few feet away. His arms are so strong, his biceps rivaling Koo’s when he’s in his human form. 

He looks at the slight curve of Namjoon’s waist, the way his abs are starting to peek through. He watches his obliques flex as Namjoon leans down to turn on the water. 

He looks at the way the water rushes to cover Namjoon’s skin, the way he tilts his head back to let it cover his chest, his stomach, his hips and his ass. Namjoon takes a few moments to breathe in the steam of the shower, his eyes closed, the tension in his shoulders slowly filtering down the drain. 

He looks at Namjoon’s hands, calloused and large and perfect, as they reach blindly for his body wash. He looks at the way Namjoon gently touches his shoulders, his chest (Koo thinks he detects a soft sigh as Namjoon brushes his nipples), his stomach, before those gorgeous hands pause on his abdomen, hesitating for just moments before continuing downwards, before Namjoon grasps the base of his cock with firm, soapy fingers. 

If Koo didn’t know better, he might imagine that Namjoon is just cleaning himself thoroughly. But he sees, with all of his eyes trained intently on Namjoon’s hand, the way those fingers tighten around his cock. He sees the way Namjoon grows harder from only his light touch. 

Or…or maybe from more than that. Maybe also from knowing that, just out of sight, Koo is watching. 

Namjoon’s hands continue down his body, covering his skin in iridescent suds. He is so wet, so slick with soap, Koo hardly knows where to look anymore. He watches Namjoon touch all over his body, now avoiding his (big, beautiful) cock with such impressive self-restraint. Koo knows he’s holding himself back, because he sees how pink Namjoon’s cock is getting, how it twitches here and there when his hands brush other parts of his body. He seems particularly sensitive on his neck and his inner thighs, even more so on his nipples. 

Koo wishes he could make some sort of sound, anything to encourage Namjoon to open his eyes, to look at Koo, to let go and make himself feel good, better than good. 

And it’s like Namjoon knows just what Koo is thinking, because he finally looks up, as though…as though asking permission. 

Koo does the only thing he can think of, eagerly raising two of his forelegs over the ledge of the shower so that Namjoon can see. Please, please touch your cock again. Get it all slick and slippery, let me see your hand around it, let me see the way you make yourself come. 

Namjoon seems to understand, at least to some degree, and he slips his hand around just the tip of his cock, almost caressing himself. He takes it so slow, so gentle, and when he finally picks up the pace just a little, allowing himself to press down on his length, a whimper tumbles from his lips. 

Koo’s eyes snap up to Namjoon’s face, and he can’t decide where he should look. He wants to see the way that Namjoon’s expression shifts as he pleasures himself, wants to watch the way his mouth doesn’t quite close, the way he can’t keep himself entirely quiet, the way he licks his lips and bites down. But he also wants to watch the way Namjoon grips himself, wants to see the places that cause these reactions, wants to know where Namjoon prefers to twist his hand and how exactly he plays with the head of his cock. 

If I were using my mouth on him, it would be a lot easier to tell all of these things at once. I’d make him so messy, lick him so gentle but suck him so hard, keep going even after he came, Koo thinks to himself. 

Namjoon is showing less and less self-restraint, only able to tease himself for so long. His hand moves more quickly, not pausing anymore at the tip, not looking for more permission from Koo. But Koo doesn’t mind. He wants Namjoon to take what he needs, wishes that he could give him more than just his attentive, wanting gaze. 

Maybe…maybe he’ll let you clean him up, Koo’s brain supplies hazily. And he certainly wouldn’t mind doing that, wouldn’t mind licking up Namjoon’s cum, pressing it into his skin only to wash him carefully afterwards. Now, if it were Koo’s cum, he would be less willing to remove the mark from Namjoon’s body. Mine, my mate…

Still torn between watching Namjoon’s face and his poor, desperate cock, Koo wishes his eyes could go in multiple directions. What good is it to have an extra set when it can’t help him see both the blissful expression on Namjoon’s face and the minute tightening in his cock as he comes? 

In the end, Koo is entirely pleased to watch Namjoon’s cum drip down his chest, one hand still softly stroking his cock, the other tracing the line of cum as it trails along his stomach. Koo’s gaze slides up to Namjoon’s face, so relaxed, so beautiful, and…and looking right at Koo. 

Koo doesn’t know how to communicate all of his thoughts, not in this form, and probably not even in his human form. All that his brain can form is pretty pretty pretty human pretty for Koo, the human came just because Koo was watching. 

Too soon, far, far too soon, Namjoon has actually showered and dried himself off, leaving the bathroom more quickly than he normally would. And Koo is frozen, unsure of whether he’s supposed to shift and follow, if Namjoon would want him to do that, or if this was just a one time thing, or if it even really happened…

He refuses to be a victim of miscommunication, though. He doesn’t want Namjoon to feel like he didn’t want to watch, or like he was disappointed. He’s determined to communicate. He needs to tell Namjoon exactly how much he liked watching him, how much he wants to do it again, how much he wants to do it again in human form . How much he wants to touch Namjoon, to learn the exact pressure he likes on his cock, to please him. 

Koo shifts and rushes to find Namjoon. He’s not in any of the common areas, so he heads to Namjoon’s bedroom. Sure enough, he sees him standing, half-dressed in front of his closet. He seems to be frozen, just like Jungkook was moments ago. 

“...Namjoon?” Jungkook says, standing awkwardly outside the half-open door. 

Namjoon jumps a bit, seeming startled out of his reverie. He doesn’t say anything though, only glances at Jungkook before looking back at his closet. 

Jungkook slowly enters the room, walking towards Namjoon. Gently, he places a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to look at Jungkook. 

“What’s wrong?” he asks softly. Namjoon looks so conflicted, so…sad? Jungkook doesn’t understand. He thought that this was a good thing, especially considering the… energy that has been steadily building between them these last few weeks. He thought they both enjoyed themselves. Why would Namjoon be sad? 

“I…I’m so sorry, Jungkook, I shouldn’t have asked you to do that,” Namjoon says quietly. 

“What? But…why not?” Jungkook says, becoming even more confused. 

“You asked me at the very beginning, if there were expectations of you living here. And I said no, I promised you that you’d never have to do anything for me, and now…now I’ve made you feel like you have to do something you didn’t want to, it was so wrong to even ask…” Namjoon babbles on, but Jungkook doesn’t understand. Does Namjoon think that he somehow…coerced Jungkook into watching him? Does he think anyone in their right mind wouldn't absolutely beg for the privilege of seeing Namjoon come? 

“Namjoon. Stop that,” Jungkook demands, and Namjoon immediately stops his self-abasing tirade. “You didn’t make me do anything, I didn’t see it that way at all. We…we’re friends, there isn’t that sort of…power dynamic between us. If I didn’t want to watch, I would have just said no. Okay?”

“But…I just know that so many hybrids feel pressured in these sorts of situations, and I don’t want you to ever think that…”

“Namjoon. Please listen to me. I wanted to be there. I’ve wanted you…well, ever since I saw your pretty blue hair. So please don’t act like you forced me to do anything. I liked it,” Jungkook says firmly. 

Namjoon looks at him with wide eyes, still a bit of trepidation there. “You…liked it?” 

Jungkook nods, reaching out for Namjoon. And Namjoon comes to him easily, wraps his arms around Jungkook and nestles his face into Jungkook’s neck like they’ve done this a thousand times. Even though…even though this is actually the first. 

“I liked it. Liked watching you slick yourself up, liked watching you pretend you didn’t know I was right there watching you, liked seeing you ask me for permission to come. So good, Namjoonie. How could you ever doubt that?” Jungkook murmurs against his ear. 

And maybe he’s imagining it, but he’s sure that Namjoon adjusts his hips a bit. Almost like he’s embarrassed, almost like he’s trying to create just a tiny bit of space between them. Almost as though…

“Namjoonie. Are you hard again?” Jungkook asks him, just as softly, in just as sweet a tone as before. Namjoon whines quietly against his neck, refusing to lift his face up even when Jungkook wiggles his arms out of the embrace and tries to look at him. So instead, Jungkook does the only thing he can think to do. 

He lets his weight fall backwards, trusting that he’s judged the space to the bed accurately enough. And he must be lucky, because Namjoon is just startled enough to fall with him, landing right on top of Jungkook on the mattress.

Jungkook smiles sweetly up at him, lifting his hips just slightly to see…yes, there it is. Namjoon almost drops his entire weight onto Jungkook at the pressure on his cock. 

“You are hard again, huh baby?” Jungkook says. Namjoon’s cheeks are furiously red, and he doesn’t seem to want to meet Jungkook’s gaze, but he also doesn’t seem able to separate their hips.

Jungkook takes him in, admiring how pretty Namjoon is. Loving how his body is broad enough to cage Jungkook, yet Namjoon also seems to want guidance, permission, instruction. He doesn’t seem willing to just take what he wants. 

So, Jungkook takes instead.

He pulls Namjoon down by the neck to press their lips together. He realizes they may have done things in a bit of an odd order; he’s seen Namjoon naked (more than once) before they ever kissed. But now…now, he wants to take his time in rectifying that. 

Namjoon’s mouth is so soft and gentle, just like his hands. Jungkook loves his big gentle giant, loves that Namjoon would certainly take care of him in any instance, that he would never be harsh or cruel with Jungkook.  

But it also makes Jungkook want to be a bit feisty. 

He bites Namjoon. 

Namjoon yelps into Jungkook’s mouth but doesn’t pull away. Jungkook sucks the slightly swollen lip into his mouth, soothing it with his tongue. He licks his way past Namjoon’s lips, finding no resistance at all. He wants to bite again, wants to nibble on Namjoon’s tongue, his lips, his neck. 

He resists (for now), continuing to kiss Namjoon, to draw out small sighs and whimpers from his throat, to enjoy the heavy warm weight of Namjoon’s body on top of him, to feel the press of Namjoon’s hips rutting against him…

“Namjoon, Joonie, what do you want?” he asks when he can finally bring himself to separate their mouths. 

All he receives in response is a whine and the continuation of Namjoon humping against him. 

“Would you like to take off your pants?” Jungkook asks. “Or would you like me to take off mine?” 

Frantic nodding, wild eyes, hard cock shoved against Jungkook’s thigh so aggressively he would be shocked if Namjoon wasn’t chafed by now. 

“Okay, we’re gonna have to move to do those things,” he says, trying not to giggle at how adorable Namjoon is when he’s desperate and cock-dumb. 

When they manage to get their clothes off, Jungkook isn’t sure where to start. 

He got to look at all of Namjoon’s beauty only twenty minutes ago, but he wasn’t quite this close. Wasn’t able to touch, to feel, to worship . 

“Would you like me to watch you again, or do you want me to touch you?” Jungkook asks him. He’s quickly getting the impression that Namjoon does better when given options, rather than open-ended questions. That’s just fine with Jungkook, because he has plenty of ideas about what he wants to do with Namjoon, and he wants to know which one will make him feel best. 

Namjoon looks at him briefly, trying to hold eye contact but unable to do it. He wants to be bold, he wants to ask for what he needs, but Jungkook can tell that he still feels shy. 

“How about we start with me watching, and you can tell me when you’d like to be touched?” Jungkook offers. A compromise, one that he thinks will suit both of them well. He wants to see where Namjoon will touch himself, if he’ll be gentle and soft at first, like he was in the shower, or if he’ll be more aggressive, grabbing his cock and fucking his hand fast. 

Namjoon’s eyes look glossy, but he nods and scoots back against the pillows, arranging himself comfortably. Jungkook reaches up to get a pillow for Namjoon’s hips, wanting to see all of him. He hasn’t had nearly enough chances to look at Namjoon’s ass, and he’s not going to pass on the opportunity to see how his hole responds while Namjoon touches his nipples, his tummy, his cock. 

Namjoon looks a little abashed, like he wants to hide himself, cover up, but Jungkook is having none of that. He places himself right between Namjoon’s calves, not allowing him to close his legs any further and giving himself a perfect view of everything. 

“Go on, angel. Touch wherever feels good, I’m watching,” Jungkook encourages him. Where will he touch first? If it were me… when it’s me, I think the nipples have to be first, they’re just perfect for sucking, biting, marking up so pretty…

And like he knows, like he hears Jungkook’s thoughts once again, Namjoon goes straight for his nipples. But he surprises Jungkook when he puts his fingers in his mouth first, coating them in his own spit before rubbing against one nipple, then the other. Namjoon’s hips twitch, wanting to thrust up, his cock bobbing uselessly against his stomach, his hole so tight and on display. 

“I bet that feels good, doesn’t it? Rubbing your pretty nipples, getting them all slippery, pretending it’s my mouth on you instead?” Jungkook teases him, and he’s sure that his words make Namjoon’s cock drip precum. He wants to lick him clean so badly, but he has to wait for Namjoon to ask for it, has to wait for his own version of permission. 

Namjoon whines, his hips starting to actually buck. 

“Poor angel, want something to fuck, don’t you? Your cock is all red and dripping, why don’t you give it some attention, too?” 

Namjoon seems like he’s trying to resist, like he has something to prove by restraining himself from touching his cock for as long as possible. That could be fun to explore , Jungkook thinks to himself. See how long he can go without touching his cock, see how long I can tease him before he breaks. 

Tonight, it seems, Namjoon can’t resist for long. His hands brush along his sides, fingertips so gentle and feather-light, making himself shiver. He lets them run along the small pool of precum on his stomach, getting the tips wet and sticky. And then… oh , he really wants to ruin Jungkook. 

Because then, Namjoon lets his fingers trace along his ass, just rubbing against his hole. He’s not wet enough to really finger himself, but he can press just hard enough to get it loosened up a bit, to tease himself, to give the illusion that he might slide a finger inside. 

Jungkook is almost ready to beg to be allowed to touch. He doesn’t know how much longer he can just watch, but he wants to respect Namjoon’s wishes, wants to follow his lead until Namjoon asks for Jungkook to take charge. He doesn’t want to spook him, not when he finally got comfortable enough to trust Jungkook to see him like this, to watch him.

“Does that feel good, baby? Touching your hole, even though you don’t have any lube? Making yourself think about how I could fill you up? How I could lick you so slow and make you come just from my fingers in your ass?” 

Namjoon whines. Jungkook smirks. 

“It’s too bad I’m just watching. I could make you feel so good, do whatever you want me to. All you have to do is ask.” 

Namjoon tries to hold out, tries to be stubborn, but Jungkook can tell he’s going to break. He’s getting desperate, his cock all red and angry and dripping, his hands not satisfying enough. Not when Jungkook is right there, offering his fingers and his tongue. 

“Jungkook…please,” Namjoon whispers, giving up on trying to touch himself. 

“Please?”

“Please…lick me.”

Oh. Jungkook wasn’t expecting a specific request, but who is he to turn Namjoon down? However, Jungkook loves to tease, so he doesn’t go straight for what he knows Namjoon was requesting. He leans forward, licking Namjoon’s mouth, nipping on his lower lip again. He makes his way down Namjoon’s neck, running his teeth along the tendons, wondering if he could really mark him up someday. Maybe next time. 

He moved to his nipples, one of his favorite parts of Namjoon’s body. God, his pecs are so firm, Jungkook can’t help but imagine suckling on them. Perfect little milk jugs, just think of them being all full.. . He bites down on the muscle, Namjoon convulsing beneath him, but not complaining. Jungkook licks over the mark, making sure he’s not hurt, just a little bruised. 

He can feel the stickiness of precum between their bodies, wants to lick that up too, but strategically avoids touching Namjoon’s cock, aside from moving it out of his way. 

“Jungkookieeee,” Namjoon whines. 

“What is it, Joonie? I’m doing what you asked,” Jungkook says, licking his lips to clean up any remaining mess. 

“Said…said you would lick here ,” Namjoon says, lifting his hips up to present his ass. 

“Did I? I’m not sure I was so specific, just said I would lick you, make you feel good. Don’t you feel good, baby? It sure seems like it, getting all messy again right after you showered,” Jungkook muses. Namjoon harrumphs in exasperation. Jungkook can’t help but laugh at him. 

“You are very pretty here, nice and clean too, I bet. Does your pretty ass need some attention?” Jungkook asks him, spreading his cheeks open to look more closely. Namjoon wiggles, but it’s not as though he can deny it, not when moments ago he was whining about where exactly he wanted Jungkook’s tongue. 

“Don’t get shy, baby, not if you want me to eat you out,” Jungkook instructs him, gentle but firm. Namjoon stops squirming. “Good boy.” 

Namjoon really is pretty all over, the muscles of his ass firm but with enough fat that Jungkook has plenty to grip. He’s all pink and still slightly wet from getting his precum all over. 

“Baby? Do you have lube? You look so nice when you’re all wet and slippery, wanna make sure you feel good,” Jungkook says. Namjoon turns his head towards the nightstand, and Jungkook takes the hint, hurriedly opening the drawer and grabbing the bottle of lube. 

“Maybe I should get a towel, since you like to be so messy,” Jungkook says. 

“Mmm ‘m not messy, ‘m clean,” Namjoon mutters. He looks so hazy, lost in his own body, lost to the way it feels to be touched after denying himself for so long. 

“I don’t know baby, you look pretty messy here—” he touches Namjoon’s stomach, where the traces of Jungkook’s spit and more precum glimmer against his skin— “and here—” he traces his fingers along Namjoon’s poor cock, absolutely begging for attention. “And here, too,” he says as he pours lube directly onto Namjoon’s exposed hole. 

Jungkook rubs the lube against Namjoon’s hole, warming him up, wanting him to be perfectly prepped for everything Jungkook has to give him. He doesn’t wait too long though, sliding his finger inside Namjoon, just halfway, feeling him clench immediately. 

“Baby, relax. I’ll make you feel good, just trust me,” Jungkook says. He adjusts himself to lay on his stomach between Namjoon’s legs, his mouth just inches away from Namjoon. He is tempted to lick every drop of lube from his body, tempted to lick him all over, honestly. He thinks he could spend hours doing exactly that, learning how every part of Namjoon tastes, learning the way he changes when he’s fresh from the shower or after the gym or right when he wakes up. He wants to know every flavor of his body, wants to be able to know every detail from a single, blind taste. 

He keeps fingering Namjoon, just his index finger, slow and gentle. He distracts him with kisses, licks, a few bites to his thighs, his hips, the meat of his ass. God, Jungkook really wants to bite him all over too. He doesn’t know why, doesn’t understand this sudden need to use his teeth, to mark every available inch, to create bruises and some sort of obvious signs of ownership, claim, his . He has never felt so…possessive? demanding? needy? for another person before. But something about Namjoon makes him a little bit feral. 

Namjoon starts to tilt his hips, pressing against Jungkook’s hand, so he finally gives him another finger. He wants him stretched perfectly, wants to be able to slide his cock inside without a hint of pain. He scissors his fingers, then moves to give Namjoon what he asked for in the first place. 

He licks his hole, right where his fingers slide in, letting Namjoon get all sloppy and wet with lube and spit. When he’s satisfied that he’s licked every inch of his entrance, he slips the tip of his tongue in with his fingers, and Namjoon loses it. 

Immediately, his hips are bucking against Jungkook’s face, trying to press his ass harder against Jungkook’s tongue. His hands come out of nowhere, gripping the back of Jungkook’s hair and holding him in place. Jungkook is a little surprised at the sudden movement, but he loves that Namjoon is taking what he wants. 

He manages to pull back for long enough to say, “Go ahead baby, you can hump my face just like that,” before Namjoon pulls him right back down. 

I could live here, Jungkook thinks, right here, in Namjoon’s bed, between his thighs, letting him use my tongue, my mouth. Honestly, probably would have considered it if he had asked for this in exchange for staying in the apartment... 

“Fuck, Kook, ‘m gonna, want to…” Namjoon is babbling again, his grip so tight in Jungkook’s hair, rutting against his fingers and his tongue as fast as he can. Jungkook does his best to curl his fingers, searching, wanting to give Namjoon that last bit he needs to…

“Ah! There, please, please, please, right there,” Namjoon cries out, absolutely desperate to come as Jungkook hits his prostate and doesn’t back off, rubbing against it without mercy. 

Go on Namjoonie, come on my fucking face, Jungkook thinks. He hasn’t even fucked Namjoon yet and he’s already about to come for the second time. It makes Jungkook even more curious about how many times, exactly, he could make Namjoon come. 

With just a few more seconds of pressure on his prostate, Namjoon comes, his cock spilling against his stomach and chest, his hole gripping Jungkook’s fingers and tongue so tightly. Jungkook looks up at him as his hips slow, watching the cum drip in smaller and smaller bursts from his tip. Thinking about how he’s going to lick up every drop, savor every taste, and then he’s going to make Namjoon do it all again. 

Namjoon’s head flops back onto the pillows, his eyes closed, not a thought to spare about the mess he’s made, the mess that is quickly threatening to get all over the sheets. Jungkook moves swiftly, lapping up the drops of cum closest to the edge of Namjoon’s stomach. When he’s sure that he’s prevented the bedding disaster, he slows, licking up the remaining pool of cum with leisure. 

Jungkook is entirely in his own world, making sure that he doesn’t waste a drop, so when he finally glances at Namjoon’s face again, he’s surprised to see that Namjoon is watching him. 

“Thought you were going to pass out, didn’t want you to wake up messy,” he grins up at Namjoon, sucking his lower lip into his mouth and letting it back out with a teasing pop . 

“Not messy,” Namjoon pouts, although he most certainly is. His cheeks are flushed, hairline a bit sweaty, covered in spit and cum and lube. And he hasn’t even been fucked. 

“Not anymore, now that I cleaned you up,” Jungkook says cheekily. 

Namjoon snorts. Jungkook tilts his head, assessing whether he thinks Namjoon can go again or if he really does need to rest. 

“Want me to keep going?” he asks, wanting to be sure that his intuition is right. Namjoon gazes at him, eyes trailing from the patches of lube on Jungkook’s chin and neck, his swollen lips, his mussed hair, his wild eyes. And then…down, down to his hard cock. 

Jungkook has hardly thought about his own cock, so preoccupied with Namjoon and his beautiful body. But now…now that Namjoon is looking right at it, he does feel that it’s become a bit neglected and aching. He has the strong urge to pull Namjoon’s hand down to cup him, to ask to use one of Namjoon’s thighs for a bit of friction, to push his cock down Namjoon’s throat or into his wet, messy hole…

“Yes.”

Namjoon’s answer shakes him out of that particular reverie. Yes…he wants more? Jungkook realizes, registering that he could actually have some of those imaginings. 

“...Yes?” he asks, making sure he heard right, making sure he didn’t just imagine the answer he wanted to hear. Namjoon nods, watching Jungkook with his soft eyes, glazed from pleasure. 

“Oh. Oh, okay, I’ll keep going then,” Jungkook says, nearly fumbling the bottle of lube off the bed in his haste to get more on his fingers. Namjoon chuckles at him, seemingly too loose and comfortable to be embarrassed about Jungkook seeing the mess between his legs anymore. 

And he shouldn’t be, because Jungkook thinks he looks stunning. He’s more than eager to slide his fingers back in, starting with two again, pressing against his slightly swollen prostate. Namjoon nearly yelps, still sensitive, but Jungkook holds him in place, making him take it. 

Namjoon relaxes after a few moments, softening into all loose muscles and limbs, whimpering as Jungkook stretches him on three, then four fingers, his hips starting to press up against Jungkook’s hand again. Jungkook keeps him all wet and messy with lube and spit, licking alongside his fingers now and then for good measure. 

When he’s satisfied with just how stretched Namjoon is, and when he thinks Namjoon might actually cry if he doesn’t do something more, Jungkook finally rubs his cock against Namjoon’s hole, getting himself just as messy, just as wet. 

“Pretty,” he whispers to himself, gazing at the way they look together. His cock, pink and slippery, a perfect complement to Namjoon’s honey skin and smooth hole. 

“Pretty?” Namjoon asks, his voice almost slurring. 

Jungkook’s eyes slide up to his face, the way Namjoon’s hair is all over the place, his eyes only half open, his lips swollen and slick. 

“Yeah,” he breathes, not just looking at Namjoon’s hole and his cock and the beautiful mess they make anymore. “So fucking pretty.” 

And then he slides his cock all the way in. 

If Jungkook thought that Namjoon was pretty while he was waiting to be fucked, well. He’s a supernova when he’s actually being fucked. 

He whines and drools, lets out the most beautiful sounds. He tilts his hips and gasps when Jungkook hits his prostate, his big useless cock just bouncing around on his stomach, dripping and making him look even messier. 

“Does that feel good, baby?” Jungkook asks, grinding his cock against Namjoon’s prostate, making it impossible for him to form words to answer. 

“Mmm…feels…feels…Kook, ah!” Namjoon babbles, absolutely no sign of the eloquent man that waxes poetic about plants and wildlife. Not an intelligent sentence left in that head. 

“Feels what, Namjoonie? How am I supposed to know if I’m doing a good job fucking you if you can’t tell me?” Jungkook chides, sliding all but the tip of his cock out. 

“Good! Feels good! Don’t…don’t take it away,” Namjoon pouts, eyes wide and sad at the potential loss of Jungkook’s cock. 

“Don’t worry baby, I won’t take it away from you. I’m just getting started,” Jungkook reassures him. 

And it’s not a lie, because Jungkook finds that he loves to tease Namjoon. Since he’s already come twice, it’s easier to draw this next orgasm out, to bring Namjoon close to the edge and then slow his thrusts, grip the base of Namjoon’s cock, kiss him until he forgets to whine about having his orgasm withheld. 

When Jungkook finally does let Namjoon come, he’s not far behind, the tightness of Namjoon around his cock too good for Jungkook to hold back anymore. 

“Want me to come inside you, angel?” he asks, knowing the answer is likely yes, given how much Namjoon enjoys being a mess (despite his denials). 

“Please, wan’ be full of…” the rest is lost to Jungkook, all that he can feel is the heat of Namjoon around him and the slick feeling of lube and come on his cock as he finally lets go. He watches the wet mess as he slides his cock out of Namjoon, who immediately whines about losing the cum and tries to pull Jungkook back to him. 

And who is Jungkook to refuse him, really? He isn’t entirely sold on getting so messy, but the way Namjoon moans as he slowly fucks the come back into him is definitely a great selling point. He could listen to that sound all day. He manages to shift them onto their sides, pressing his chest against Namjoon’s back, letting his cock angle just a bit deeper inside his slick hole. 

They lay together for what seems like no time at all, but also an eternity. Jungkook dozes off with his arms around Namjoon’s waist and his cock softening inside him. We are definitely going to need to change the sheets , he thinks to himself absently. Or…or we could just move to my bed and worry about that later…

When they wake up a short while later, they are both sticky and a little delirious. Jungkook doesn’t regret falling asleep, exactly, but he has experienced more pleasant feelings than that of dried cum all over his cock and thighs. 

“Joonie…we need to shower,” he mumbles into Namjoon’s neck. Namjoon huffs and presses his hips back against Jungkook in what seems to be an act of defiance. 

“Joonie…as hot as it is to see you all messy during sex, the aftermath is not as sexy. Let me clean us up, okay?” Jungkook tries to persuade him. But Namjoon is dead weight, apparently not bothered by being sticky or messy at any and all stages of sex, only interested in going to sleep wrapped up in Jungkook. 

Jungkook sighs. He didn’t want it to come to this, but he is not above using his muscles if he has to. 

“Namjoon. If you don’t get up in the next ten seconds, I will lift you out of this bed,” he warns. Namjoon seems unaffected, not moving an inch and even going so far as to feign sleep. So Jungkook wraps an arm and a leg around him and rolls them both upright. 

“Oh…you were serious…” Namjoon says, looking surprised that Jungkook actually followed through. He also seems to be getting a little shy again, turning his gaze away from Jungkook’s when they finally make eye contact. 

“We can compromise and sleep in my bed, if we shower first,” Jungkook offers. 

“You…you want to sleep together?” Namjoon asks. “Even after…” he mumbles something that Jungkook doesn’t hear. 

“After what?” he asks, genuinely curious as to what Namjoon thinks Jungkook didn’t like about what they just did. 

“After…after I said I wanted you to breed me,” Namjoon finally mutters quietly, staring at the floor. 

“You…you didn’t say that? Or…I didn’t hear you say it. But, it’s okay if you did!” Jungkook rushes to reassure him. Did he really say that? Maybe I was just in my own world and didn’t hear him…but that’s kind of hot. Namjoon full of cum, or full of spider eggs…  

Damn his mating instincts. 

Namjoon looks at him sadly. “I’m sorry I’m so weird. This probably isn’t what you were expecting tonight…or at all. I usually try to discuss this stuff with people before we sleep together, but…it all just sort of slipped out with you.” 

“It’s not weird! Lots of people have breeding kinks, baby. I think you would be beautiful all full and round,” Jungkook tells him. 

Namjoon gazes at him hopefully. “You really don’t mind? Or…or, it doesn’t feel like I’m sexualizing hybrids, with the breeding thing?” 

Jungkook tilts his head. “No, I don’t think so. I mean, spiders do have eggs, so it makes sense, contextually. But it sounds like you’ve been into this before we met, so I definitely don’t feel that way.” 

Namjoon nods, looking reassured. “Okay, good. We can…we can talk about it more, but maybe when we actually are cleaned up. Now that I think about it, I do feel pretty gross.” 

Jungkook helps him up and they go back to the bathroom. 

“I know we’ve technically showered together before a bunch of times, but…this is nice. I like having you here, with me,” Namjoon says as Jungkook runs a washcloth along his back. 

“I like being here,” Jungkook murmurs against his damp skin. He cleans Namjoon thoroughly between his legs, gently making sure that all the cum is gone, despite Namjoon’s slight whining. He can’t help but admire the few marks he left behind on Namjoon’s skin, tracing his fingers along the blooming bruises. 

“It’s funny how I thought that being a spider hybrid was always going to be my biggest obstacle, especially with dating. But then…if I had been any different, I never would have ended up in your shower,” Jungkook says as Namjoon takes his turn to clean Jungkook. 

“But now you know it shouldn’t matter to someone who wants you. And I want you,” Namjoon tells him. 

“For more than just my breeding capabilities?” 

Namjoon glowers at him from the shower floor. “Be careful with your jokes when my teeth are so near your breeding appendages.” 

Jungkook grins. “Then who would fill you up with spider eggs?”