(Y/N - 17 years old - two weeks later)

"I can't believe we're finally meeting our three other mates today. Can you believe it? Because I can't".

I smile as I tidy up the counter of the coffee shop where I work while Jungkook is sat at the table nearby, his legs trembling beneath the dark wood, something they always do whenever his heart attempts to flee out of his chest.

He's been so anxious about today's meeting that he almost didn't come, but I told him that I would be right by his side and that everything would be fine, so he eventually found enough courage to meet me here during my shift.

"It does feel strange and... unreal. This shift feels like the same as usual so I haven't really processed yet that they're going to be here soon. They have quite the road to do if they want to reach here, but I don't think it'll take long anymore".

I turn into work mode when someone enters the shop to get some late coffee to go, and I get working on it alone since I was asked to work on my own today, though it doesn't really bother me considering that not many customers come on a Wednesday evening.

I've gotten pretty good at handling multiple tasks at the same time anyway, so I entertain a small and easy conversation with the kind lady as she tells me about her day while I prepare the coffee brew with expertise.

I could do those recipes my eyes closed and still have the drinks be perfect. It's no wonder that they make me do most of the work nowadays.

Still, I am a little disappointed that I can't meet my soulmates outside of a work setting - Jungkook had enough time to get off work and get changed at home before coming here - but at least we'll be able to leave together since my shift is almost over.

I would've liked to have the day off so I could doll up a little bit - though I would've had to be careful so my parents don't see me - but it helps to know that I'll be able to impress them if any of my soulmates want something to drink during the time we're here.

I'll just need to clean the floor and put every chairs over the tables before we can go, which I hope won't bother the others. Then we can go outside to talk somewhere quiet, maybe by the river nearby. It's one of our favourite spots, to Jungkook and I, it would be great if they liked it too.

I wish the customer a good evening, then turn my attention back to Jungkook to see him already staring at me with an adoring smile on his face that makes me blush slightly. It's not often that I'm caught off-guard like this.

"What?" I let out bashfully as he's yet to say anything, and his smile widens as he rests his chin on one hand over the table.

"I just find you so beautiful, even when you're working. It makes me wonder how I could have someone like you for mate. I must have been incredibly lucky" he muses sincerely, words that make me blush a deeper shade of red because... where is that coming from so suddenly?

"W-w-what are you saying, Jungkook? I'm the lucky one, of course" I stutter out with a cringe-worthy voice that makes him grin, his nerves pushed aside because he gets to tease me instead and it's so much better than stressing about people who aren't here yet.

"Oh yeah? You feel lucky to have someone like me for mate?".

I quickly nod my head before turning my back to him so I can clean the few coffee machines that won't be used again for today, all the while he chuckles at my reaction, his instincts preening because it's not often that he gets to see me like this, it feels good to be the one making the other shy for once.

We remain like that for a moment longer, then the shop's door opens again.

I inwardly swear before trying to compose myself so I can greet the new customer, but when I notice three incredibly handsome men walking inside with curiosity, eyes falling on Jungkook and I as we're alone in the shop right now, it somehow feels like I've known them forever already.

There's one hybrid with tiger ears and tail and two humans, all looking older. It's got to be them, right? It would fit the criteria.

I'm lost in my thoughts as I stare at them just like Jungkook does as well, but when a wave of the hand reveals our ring of flowers, it confirms to the both of us that they are indeed our soulmates. There's no way they're not who we've been talking to online for months now.

Jungkook straightens up on his chair before standing up awkwardly while I pat my hands with a towel after washing them at the sink, and the one with the deep dimples smiles at us as he steps forward first, clearly looking more confident than the rest of us.

"You're Y/N and Jungkook, right?".

We nod our head softly, and the other hybrid chuckles playfully as he follows behind the tall one along with the other soft looking human, his every moves fluid and graceful in a way that I've never seen before. He looks like he would pounce on us at any time just for giggles.

"I knew that they would be adorable, but I wasn't expecting this level of adorable. I'm Taehyung, by the way, and this is Namjoon and Jimin. We were looking forward to meeting you two so much that it's all we could talk about today" the tiger hybrid muses with a voice that sends shivers to my brain.

Jimin confirms that fact with his lovely smile, then pats Namjoon's thin shoulder with a sweet chuckle.

"We met sooner this afternoon since we thought it would be easier to travel together, but I'm a bit nervous right now, if I'm honest. I feel like I should impress our younger soulmates somehow, but I'm not sure how".

I quickly wave my hands in front of me to assure him that he doesn't need to do anything - their presence alone is pretty impressive - but Namjoon walks up to the counter with his gaze kept on me and I freeze where I am, eyes in awe as I take him in from so close.

It could be felt even through his messages, but there's really an aura about him that makes one's knees shake. Like he demands to be respected simply by breathing, it's fascinating.

"You're closing shop soon, right? Can we help in any way to make your job easier?" he asks in that deep voice that would make my knees fully drop beneath me if I wasn't holding onto the counter in front of me.

"Oh, uh, no. Thanks, I'll handle it myself. There's barely nothing left to do anyway. I'll just leave one coffee machine running in case a few more people come in to order something, but in the meantime, I'll start cleaning the floor and putting the chairs over the tables. Easy peasy, I've done it a hundred times by now. You can sit with Jungkook, I'll be fine".

He chuckles with those dimples again before motioning for the chairs across the room.

"You mean those? Don't sweat it, I'll get started with that for you" he insists before walking off to start with the farthest table, and I gape at him as Jimin and Taehyung take his place at the counter with smiles of their own.

"We want to help too. If we work together, it'll be done faster, then you won't be so tired by the time we leave. I can do the floor for you, I'm good at that since I do it at my part time job too" Jimin chirps like this is all fun and games for him, and before I can even say anything, he spots the door where are kept the mop and bucket, which he opens and grabs without waiting for my permission.

His perfume as he walks past me is sweet and earthy to my nose, and I can already imagine myself cuddling with him for hours at a time without growing bored of it while he walks around to reach the sink where he fills the bucket with water and soap.

Taehyung remains where he is, and he stares at me with expectation, as if waiting for me to give him his task, as if I would have anything else to give him when Namjoon and Jimin have already taken over the shop under my responsibility.

I glance at Jungkook who's grinning in one hand, apparently finding the sight that I make very funny, which does not help, and I stare back at the hybrid in front of me with an awkward clear of the throat.

"I'm sorry, Taehyung, but... there's nothing else to do, quite honestly. You can... sit with Jungkook in the meantime, I'll make you something to drink, how does that sound?".

He gapes at me, ears tilted in shock and tail still behind him as he glances around us, is there really nothing left to do? Jimin looks proud of that fact since he got to be faster, and Namjoon isn't even aware of what we're saying anymore as he hums in his corner while taking care of every chairs smoothly.

Taehyung would honestly insist, but seeing Jungkook alone at the table quickly changes his mind, and his behaviour turns from disappointed to cheerful in a second as he trots towards the table where he sits swiftly to stare at the blushing panther with a smile.

I sigh softly to myself as my gaze roams the room now filled with my soulmates, something that both feels strange and right at the same time. I would've thought I'd be more uncomfortable with strangers, but it's easier than I expected to be with them, the air lighter than I would've imagined.

"Can I make you something to drink? To thank you for helping" I offer as they all make themselves busy around the shop, except for our two hybrids who take it easy by rising their feet when Jimin cleans under their table with a chuckle.

"Oh, a coffee would be nice, actually. A simple one, please" Namjoon answers easily as he looks over his shoulder, and when Jimin and Jungkook nod their head with a similar order, I turn my gaze to Taehyung who purses his lips lightly.

"I don't really like coffee... could I have a hot chocolate instead?".

I smile, then nod my head. How cute.

"Of course, I'll be done in a minute".

---

"So this is the place where you two like to visit often" Namjoon says gently as we reach the park by the river that we told them about, and Jungkook makes a happy sound as he holds my hand tighter, his tail curling around our wrists in a loving manner.

"Yep. It's nice during the day, but it's even prettier at night when there's no one around. It's also easier for us to meet up then since we have different work schedules and it's not too far from both of our homes".

We find a bench large enough to allow all of us to sit together, and I end up sandwiched between Jungkook and Jimin while Namjoon and Taehyung sit on the other side of our panther. It should be a cold night, but their warmth makes me feel hot instead, it's nice.

I feel myself blush a little when the blond man smiles sweetly at me, and feeling his hand tentatively grab my free one has my heart stuttering until I welcome the loving touch with a smile of my own, fingers intertwining just like I prefer.

"You're both still young and already working so hard... is there a reason why?" Taehyung asks after taking in the sight before us, the light around us allowing for a dreamy sight of the water that meets the shore on the other side. The reflection in the river looks like stars.

Though harmless, I tense up a little at Taehyung's question, something that Jimin and Jungkook both feel with the way I squeeze their hands tighter, and they glance discreetly in my direction before the panther answers first.

"I'm thankful to my adoptive parents for taking care of me so well, they've opened many doors leading to very good opportunities for me, but I really want to try to be independent from them and prove myself to the world. I feel like I'll never learn anything if I stay at home for longer than necessary. Y/N and I would like to move in together once we're ready, but we need to save more money before that can happen".

"I see. Yeah, there's a lot to learn from moving out from your parents' house, but the world is also more expensive than you think. It makes me wonder about why Jimin, Taehyung and I never thought about moving in together before, we all live in different places despite having known each other for two years now" Namjoon lets out with a pensive hum that has the other two humming as well.

"It's true that the subject never came up before, I guess we were too busy with our studies. But you're done this year, aren't you, Namjoon? You too, Tae" Jimin asks while leaning forward to see them better, his fingers still intertwined with my own, and they both nod in confirmation.

"Yep. I have a few interviews this week alone, I'm hoping to get into one of the bigger companies since that would mean a safer job for me, but I'm willing to take what I'm given for now. It's good experience either way" Namjoon answers while my mind begins to spin with the subject of our living conditions.

This is as good a time as any to ask them, right?

"Maybe we could... consider moving in together, all of us?" I suddenly voice out a question of my own, one that I know Jungkook feels the same about, and we observe anxiously our three soulmates with worried expectation, unsure of their answer.

Taehyung grins first as he meets my gaze.

"Would you like that? To have us live with you?".

Jungkook and I both nod our head at the same time, and Namjoon, Jimin and Taehyung all chuckle together, endeared by the sight that we make. It warms their heart to know that despite this being our first real meeting, we already feel comfortable enough to ask them to live together.

"You're still too young to move out of your parents' house just yet, but once you're older... I don't see why not. I would love that, actually. Living alone... it's too quiet to my liking, especially when it's so hard to meet everyone outside of our busy schedules".

I droop slightly where I am at Namjoon's comment, which I know is true since Jungkook and I are still underage, but Jimin squeezes my hand while Jungkook rests his head over my shoulder with a disappointed sigh.

"Life is not a hurry, right? Let's take it slow, we'll have all the time in the world to be together when the time comes, I promise that it will happen sooner than you think, but we have to be careful for now since you're still young".

They're right... but it still sucks to hear it when I feel so pitiful at home with my parents.

They never lose a moment to let me know that I'm not their daughter anymore, as if that's enough to fix everything. They've made me into their maid, and until I move out, there's nothing I can do to flee that fate.

"Look how sad they look, our poor babies. Let's meet as often as we can from now on, alright? Then it won't feel like we live apart so much anymore. It's only until you turn eighteen, that way we won't have the laws to weigh us down".

Jungkook and I sigh and pout, but we make a sound to let them know that we understand, and they all coo with gentle pats to our heads that make us shy and warm, are we really only children in their eyes?

We're not that young...

"Now then, I want to know more about you! Like... what's your favorite colour? And food? What do you like to do in your free time? I want to know everything!".