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Taehyung asked to be taught Lupus behaviours, for the pack to help him understand them better, to educate him.
He wasn’t exactly picturing this.
“I’m a mundane, I can’t howl,” Taehyung states the obvious to the duo before him, still finding that word unfamiliar when he’s so used to saying ‘human’.
But, it’s how Lupus folk refer to people like Taehyung, so he’s going to familiarise himself with the term out of respect.
It’ll be easy, after all. This summer has already changed in a way that he never anticipated for it to change.
He came back to Daegu to grieve, to heal, to return back to Seoul with a decision made about what his grandmother left behind for him.
His grief is still strong, but it no longer feels likes it’ll choke him with its tightness around his throat as it did when he first stepped into the farmhouse that he hadn’t been inside since his early teens.
What fills his chest now is lighter, warmer, than the cold ache of grief.
“It won’t sound like ours, but it’ll mimic the message,” Jungkook reassures him as he gestures towards the warm tones of a fluffball that is Jimin in his natural form, patiently sitting, his brown eyes encouraging even as his tail brushes against the grass with barely held back excitement.
Taehyung glances at the den, feeling self-conscious despite the reassurance that he’s not going to insult the others that are inside assisting Jin with dinner, and also sound like an idiot.
“And you’re sure that this is okay for me to do? Because this still feels like I’m just treating you guys like dogs,” Taehyung frets, nervous, as he searches Jungkook’s and Jimin’s body language for any hint of discomfort they could be hiding.
Jungkook shakes his head, his brown gaze its usual intensity that Taehyung is becoming familiar with and secretly enjoys.
Even though Jungkook is still sometimes tentative around Taehyung - despite Taehyung accepting his courting and reassuring him that he’s not made of glass - Jungkook still reaches out and gently strokes the back of Taehyung’s hand with his fingers in a soothing manner.
Both of them ignore the light sound Jimin makes as he notices, both of them still getting used to sharing touches in front of the pack.
The only time that Taehyung and Jungkook have really to interact is when the Lupi takes him home after a lively afternoon spent with the pack where they spend time with Taehyung encouraging Lily’s and Jungkook’s discomfort towards each other, before spending time with just each other that always feels like it is never enough.
Today, Taehyung’s ass is saved from Hoseok’s self-defence training since he had been sent out to the village to buy more meat for dinner, but Jimin still insisted that he’d continue to learn and try something tonight, so here they are.
“Just try,” Jungkook smiles warmly at him, and Jimin joins in on the encouragement as he lets out a simple howl-like call that is in one, low, pitch.
Taehyung swallows as nerves dry his tongue, but under the encouraging gazes of his best friend, and not-yet-boyfriend, Taehyung mentally screams ‘fuck it’ and tries to copy the sound.
He cringes immediately at the sound that escapes his mouth, his cheeks heating up as a result, but the immediate way Jimin barks at him as he bumps his muzzle straight into Taehyung’s face without any warning must mean that he did okay.
“Okay, okay!” Taehyung laughs as he tries to breathe past the affectionate way Jimin is nuzzling him as he feels Jungkook gently squeeze his hand before helping him to shove Jimin back.
Taehyung knows how to read their nuzzles now, knows the meaning behind them, but he’s not yet fully confident in returning them in case he fucks up.
But, he’s getting there, one confident step at a time.
“The sound you made is a simple, ‘I’m here’,” Jungkook translates for him as Jimin plants his ass back onto the grass, his tail still wagging, as he makes it again for Taehyung to copy.
This time, Taehyung feels a lot more confident in his attempt, not cringing as much, but still feeling pretty shy with making the sound even though it sounds exactly how you’d expect a Mundane to sound if they were to ‘howl’.
But, the two Lupi in front of him are ecstatic with his second, confident, attempt, and Taehyung feels his shyness grow even as he smiles at the returning howl as another fluffball casually walks from around the back of the den.
Taehyung rolls his eyes as Jimin immediately darts for his mate, greeting Yoongi with a fast tackle that makes the other Lupi grunt as they roll onto the grass from the momentum.
“You’d think that he never sees him,” Taehyung comments with a laugh, feeling soft as he watches the couple interact with nuzzles and soft huffs.
“That’s just a tiny example of intense our instincts can be,” Jungkook shares lightly, looking at Taehyung, and Taehyung is reminded of the night of his first hunt with the pack, at how they both stood on the farmhouse’s backdoor step, swearing to each other to not hide themselves as they learn about each other’s worlds.
Taehyung reaches out and gently cards his fingers through the Lupi’s hair, watching the immediate way Jungkook’s body softens as he subtly presses more against his touch as a hint of pink grows over his cheeks.
“It’s going to take a lot more than an affectionate tackle to make me run away,” Taehyung reassures the alpha, starting to learn more and more of just how layered Jungkook is with how much he worries about Taehyung’s reaction to how Lupus folk live and behave.
Jungkook smiles at that. “That’s good, considering how many times that happens to you.”
Taehyung feels a sense of foreboding tickle down his spine, feels the weight of a gaze on him, and launches himself to hide behind Jungkook just as he looks to see a skulking Jimin heading back to them with an amused Yoongi tailing him.
Jungkook’s laughter is addicting to listen to as he spreads his arms wide, helping protect Taehyung from his pack-brother’s attempt of tackling him.
This is what he wasn’t expecting to ever happen this summer.
This warmth.
This happiness.
This chance of reclaiming a connection that he lost in the past.
He just hopes that the next few weeks are just the same, even as the countdown to his return to Seoul beckons in the distance.