taeyong and yuta were back home after their outing with jaehyun.

ten greeted them, asking the two boys if they had enjoyed their time.

both ten and taeyong's faces fell when the hybrid told them how much he had enjoyed the day. he told them about yua, and all their similitudes as lion hybrids. he voiced out how happy he had been spending a whole day with another hybrid and how much he wanted it to happen again.

"well..." ten coughed after having yuta telling them everything. "i think i need a shower."

"yeah, i need to work on something too." taeyong added.

and so, the two boys left their hybrid alone, in the living room, with a confused pout and flattened ears.

🦁

ten stood right under the showerhead, the water coming out of it burning his pale skin.

so, yuta had had fun.

surely, taeyong did too.

what good news.

taeyong and jaehyun would be able to marry and have their hybrids being together too, just the four of them.

and thinking that ten had gone to sicheng's today...

thinking that the chinese male had told him to try getting closer to yuta.

thinking that he was telling himself that maybe taeyong could end up still having feelings for him.

but all of this seemed so impossible now...

it seemed like everything sicheng had told him were harmful lies.

no, yuta wouldn't reciprocate his feelings.

no, there was no change that taeyong still loved him.

no, they won't end up happy together.

no.

ten wouldn't be happy.

🦁

in the room next to the bathroom, taeyong was in a pretty similar state.

his whole world had collapsed after yuta's words.

but did that mean he felt something towards yuta?

this didn't seem possible...

yuta was a hybrid. not a human.

sure, he had a human form, but still.

the more taeyong thought about it, the more enraged he became.

images of his hybrid and yua being clingy a few hours prior made his mind go crazy.

he hated how much yuta seemed enchanted and happy when he told ten about his day.

he wanted him and ten to be the only ones allowed to make yuta smile like this.

he was theirs after all.

theirs.

this word seemed so beautiful.

well, not beautiful on its own.

only when it referred to something belonging to ten and taeyong.

and especially when it was about yuta.

ten and taeyong.

best friends since forever.

always together.

almost lovers.

but never further...

ten was an amazing person in taeyong's eyes.

this is surely why taeyong had fallen in love with him years ago.

but both ten and tayeong knew that it was best for them not to get together.

both knew they needed to find someone else.

but was this even possible?

taeyong had jaehyun.

well... he seemed to have jaehyun.

why did he keep hoping jaehyun would be like ten?

why did he think about ten when he was with jaehyun?

why did he prefer the way ten acted towards him rather than jaehyun's ways to act?

just why?

did that mean that he still had feelings for ten?

and what was yuta's place in this mess then?

so many questions remaining unanswered...

🦁

the next day, the atmosphere was rather awkward.

ten, taeyong and yuta were all watching the lion king – it was yuta's request – in the living room, but the seating arrangements weren't the same as usual.

taeyong was seated on the couch, his feet resting on the table in front of it, pretty much as usual.

however, ten was sitting at the other end of the sofa, as if he wanted to be the further away from taeyong.

and yuta wasn't even lying between them. he was lying in a cute ball on the armchair, his chin resting on one of the armrests so that he could see the tv.

all in all, a not so usual saturday morning.

one day had passed since yuta and yua's meeting.

two weeks since the talent show.

and way too long since they had all acted properly with each other.

but sadly, that's life.

the awkward atmosphere of the room got saved by someone who rang the doorbell.

"you were expecting someone?" ten asked looking at taeyong.

"no." he replied, standing up and walking to the door.

he was back a minute after with a white envelope.

"what is it?" ten furrowed his brows.

"i don't know." taeyong replied, examining the piece of paper.

he opened the envelope silently, talking out a neatly folded sheet of paper that he unfolded carefully.

his eyes widened when they landed on a particular logo, and he immediately read the content of the letter.

"ten." he said out loud, the piece of paper falling out of his hand when he stood up.

"yeah?"

"it's a letter from sm entertainment. they want us."

and the next thing they knew, the room was filled with happy screams, and ten found his place in taeyong's tight embrace.