“…I’m scared.”

Jun glanced over at Jihoon. It was a look that said, me too, kiddo. If this doesn’t work, I could kill you.

Vernon’s wolfy tail wagged to and fro a little, cuddling the small boy from behind. “It’s okay. Big brother’s right here with you.”

“This will give me memories back?”

“Yeah.”

Jun carefully inserted the syringe and injected a little of the fluid into Soonyoung’s body, to make him sleep, first – then he injected him again with a little of the special chemical designed to dissolve the factors that were closing off his memories. The little boy slumped against Vernon, starting to sleep.

“So, now we can tell you what’s up with him,” Seungkwan said casually, snacking on some crackers. “He sees the future.”

Jun and Jihoon turned to him.

“No, seriously. He gets flashes. His eyes roll back into his head. It’s how he knew that you were coming to rescue him. He sees flashes of the future. Whatever those scientists did to him, they sure reaped some nice- benefits.”

“And you didn’t feel like this was important to tell us?”

“Didn’t want to say it in front of the kid. He, uh… he gets really tense. I’m looking forward to the next lottery though.”

Jihoon carried the little tiger hybrid to the car and placed him in the back seat. “I’m still confused. Soonyoung was a fully grown man when he was taken.”

“He was a teenager, so close. Soonyoung was about seventeen when he was taken away, and that was years ago.” Jun nodded at the sleepy eight-year-old in the back seat. “His cells are old. Older than a kid’s. About the same as yours or mine.”

Everybody drove back to Jun’s house together – Seokmin and Wonwoo were waiting on the porch. Jun hustled them inside, in order to give them an orientation on what they were about to witness, and Jihoon simply pulled the small boy from his seat once they were safe.

“…they’re ready. Bring him in.”

Jihoon handed Seungcheol his phone to switch off and carried the sleeping tiger boy into the house. Wonwoo was bolted to his seat, and Seokmin was ready to leap off the cushion, but both of them just stared as Jihoon walked in with Soonyoung in his arms.

Seokmin’s eyes were blown wide, unable to blink, unable to breathe as he sat there and stared at the small boy in Jihoon’s arms.

“It’s like I told you,” Jun said softly. “We had to put him in a chemical sleep. He should wake up in an hour or so.”

Seokmin eventually found it in him to stretch two shaking arms out, eyes in a shocked, traumatized, silent plead for the boy. He couldn’t rip his eyes from the small form.

Jihoon smiled and gently lowered Soonyoung into Seokmin’s arms.

The moment Soonyoung’s full, sleeping face was in view, that was when the tears began to roll. Seokmin breathed in choppy, brief moments, holding the little boy. Jihoon sat on the ground just like everybody else, watching Seokmin’s emotions rise to the surface.

“He’s… back.” Seokmin choked out a sob, sniffling, unable to rip his eyes off Soonyoung. “Look at him. Look at how beautiful he is. Look at his eyes, his little cheeks, his ears, God, look at him. Have you ever seen a boy this beautiful?”

Jihoon automatically searched to grip Seungcheol’s hand with a happy smile.

“My Soonyoungie. You know, he really hated bananas? I couldn’t figure it out. He said he hated them. Couldn’t stand the taste, the texture, the smell… I used to roast them with pieces of chocolate and little marshmallows, but he wouldn’t go near them.” Seokmin couldn’t take his eyes off the little boy. “My precious little banana-hater. Regressed to when we were only children. My boy. I’ll never leave you again, Soonie.” Seokmin wouldn’t let the boy go, not even to wipe his own tears. “I’ll never, ever let them take you again, baby.”

Seungcheol and Jun went off to make lunch together; Joshua, Vernon and Jeonghan went outside to play with butterflies; Minghao went to read a book, and Jihoon simply sat there in awe of the love that Seokmin and now Wonwoo were pouring over the sleeping body.

“I love you,” Seokmin whispered eventually, pressing his lips to Soonyoung’s forehead. “I love you, Soonie. I never told you, back then. I thought it wasn’t masculine. You told me plenty, but I never told you. I love you. I always did. I always will. You’re my one true love, baby. The only one for me.”

It took a while, but eventually the small boy began to wriggle in his sleep; twenty minutes later he began to murmur until he was waking up, hands and feet swinging.

“Seokmin!” His eyes were still shut. “Seokmin! Seokmin! Save me! Seokmin!”

“Baby.” Tears were pouring from his eyes again. “Baby, wake up. You’ve got to wake up now, Soonie.”

The tiger hybrid came to with a start, practically jumping out of Seokmin’s capable hands, trembling in fright. When he finally laid eyes on Seokmin he winced for a bit, then broke out into tears, throwing his arms around Seokmin’s neck. “Minnie!”

Seokmin let out the most outrageous sob, practically screaming it into Soonyoung’s shoulder.

“Minnie, Minnie, I’m back, I’m back.” Soonyoung’s voice seemed changed – it was still the voice of a little boy, but it seemed like it was filled with the wisdom of a thirty-year-old. “Minnie.”

“Soonie.”

“We should give them some privacy.”

Everybody followed Jun out into the garden: the hybrids played with each other while their masters sat together in a patch of sunlight.

“Yup. Sometimes it’s trivial stuff, like that bag is going to fall off the table and at other times he predicts phonecalls, letters, anything.” Seungkwan smiled. “It’s interesting. He hasn’t been wrong yet.”

“…so what are they doing to the hybrids?” Jihoon shuddered. “Soonyoung’s been regressed by more than a decade, Joshua and Seungcheol both grew at a ridiculously accelerated rate, and now Soonyoung can see the future? What possible gain could there be from that?”

Jun thought about it. “…could be making an army.”

“No.” Seungkwan shook his head. “The government is spreading the idea that hybrids are bad and filthy and wrong. If they wanted to create an army, any army, they would be endorsing hybrids, not shaming them.”

The three sat there, staring at each other.

“…no point in guessing.” Jun stood and stretched. “Can’t do anything, for now, but protect our loved ones. Jeonghan, here!” He raced forward and jumped to catch the Frisbee, instantly letting it fly again towards Vernon.

Seungkwan grinned at Jihoon, and the two quickly joined the game.

It was nice, for once, to not be worrying over the state of affairs, the government’s list of rebels he was constantly offing, or the safety of his boyfriend. Jihoon could simply relax, playing in the summer sun for a while.

By the time they were back inside, things seemed to be a little better again between Seokmin and his hybrids: Soonyoung was more or less back to his normal self, but the process of freeing his memories had taken a heavy toll on the poor boy. All the pain, fright and unhappiness he