Chapter 1
Rylan's POV
He's a hybrid, I immediately noticed, and really f*****g tall.
I couldn't help but steal a rather long look at him. He stood out sitting by himself at the bar like that, large hands cupped around a drink that was mostly left untouched while he looked around aimlessly.
It's a little cute, I thought as my eyes shifted away. Every time he took a sip, his nose would scrunch and his large ears twitched distastefully. Why is he forcing himself to drink it?
"Want another drink?"
"I didn't even want the first one."
Despite this, Lucas slid another glass towards me. I really shouldn't. The glass cooled my hand as I lifted it to my lips and took a sip, only to please him. "See? Good, right?"
My lips pulled into a teasing smirk. "It's a little lacking on the actual alcohol."
"Bullshit." He snatched the drink back, spilling some of the blue liquid over the rim, and eyed me distastefully. "You can leave now."
I couldn't help but laugh softly, he's so easy to rile up. "I thought you were gonna serve me till my heart's content~"
"I changed my mind, go back home. I just saw you this morning, you don't need to come in on your days off."
"Don't be like that~ I only came to get my check, you're the one who coaxed me into a drink."
"You work tomorrow, you couldn't have waited?"
"How nice it must be to not be broke~" Living from check to check was simply part of my daily life now, but I'm sure he knew this since we were roommates.
"Shut the f**k up, you're wearing Chanel right now." He eyed my earrings.
"Why do you think I'm broke?" I toyed with the expensive piece of jewelry dangling from my ear and felt the tips of my hair brush my fingers. The permed, black strands caught on my rings for a moment before falling back against my neck.
"Bartending doesn't exactly pay all the bills."
"Speak for yourself. I make plenty."
Lucas rolled his eyes while wiping up the few splatters on the bar. "Not all of us get fifty dollar tips from just showing some skin."
"Well you haven't tried." My head dropped into my palm as I stared at him. "Old men like when you show a little skin~ Flirt with them a bit, y'know?" I reached over the bar and poked his button up shirt. "Unbutton it a little."
He seemed to actually give it some thought before eventually deciding against it. "Some other time. Lucy's too good, she's taking all my customers. It wouldn't matter how much skin I showed."
I refrained from telling him it was because he was leaning against the counter while talking to me, even as a few people tried to wave him over.
When a small group of college kids started to get more demanding, clearly already wasted and surely new to this bar, Lucas sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." He parted with me with a small tap against the counter and dragged himself over to the group.
No wonder he doesn't get as many tips, I watched him for a moment as my lips twitched up. He's not even pretending to not hate his job.
It's not like I particularly liked bartending either, I had to pretend to be interested with countless amounts of people all night while keeping a playful smile plastered on my lips. But, depending on who I was serving, it was pretty easy to squeeze some tips out of them.
Flash them a pretty smile they think is specially reserved for them with some sweet words and my hourly pay easily doubled.
It's a talent really, changing my personality so rapidly depending on who I was serving. It took a few seconds to decide which personality I was gonna use when I got one look at them but when I had, I used it well.
I should leave. I looked around to say goodbye to Lucy but she was busy with a group of girls I faintly heard screaming about their friends birthday. Ah, I'll see her tomorrow, it's fine.
With my check in hand, I was ready to get up from the cushioned stool I wasn't used to sitting in, usually on the other side of the counter, but stopped when my head turned.
My eyes immediately met the hybrid's I noticed earlier. He was watching me, green eyes staring at me intensely as if trying to figure something out. It was a little startling considering he was only one seat away but I tried not to show it.
Unlike others would, he didn't turn away when our eyes met. His head unconsciously tilted and his eyebrows came together in confusion. I almost wanted to look behind me to see if there was something else that he was so interested in but I knew it was pointless, he's staring right at me.
I couldn't tell you why, but I relaxed back into my seat, no longer feeling the urge to leave. Why is he staring at me? I was the first to look away, curious to see if he'd continue to stare at me even without my attention.
He did, and for far longer than what was appropriate. Is he some creep? He didn't seem like one, I was pretty used to coming across weird guys and felt like I could point one out if I saw them.
The ridiculously tall hybrid frowned and finally looked away, seeming to not find his answer. Even sitting down, I could see how tall he was. He looked extremely out of place, and not even because of his height.
His drink was still left mostly untouched and he kept looking around at nothing, seemingly lost about what to do. Has he never gone to a bar before? He looks young, I wouldn't be too surprised.
He's cute, I couldn't help but think. His blonde, wispy hair frame his face messily and tickled the nap of his neck. He has a baby face, looking completely innocent and void of any impure thoughts but as soon as my eyes trailed down, it was another story.
He's built well, surely from extensive weight training. Strangely, his face matched his body well despite the drastic difference.
My head dropped back into my palm and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He's definitely my type. With the way he was looking around, as if waiting for someone to tell him what to do, and the innocent aura he gave off, I definitely thought he was my type.
Oh, he's staring again.
I eyed him myself and mentally prayed he wasn't a creep. "Do you want me to buy you a drink or something?"
He startled, quite adorable if I'm honest, and blinked at me, as if just realizing I was a real person and not some mannequin put on display for him to watch. "Um," his blonde, fluffy ears twitched while he looked around, "are you talking to me?"
Is he serious? "Yeah, I am."
"Oh." He blinked at me with his tail still perked up from when I startled him. "A drink? Why?"
I stared at him for a moment, a little unsure of how to respond. I was just starting to think he was interested in me but now that we were actually talking, he looked even more confused.
"You were staring at me." For a while, I didn't add.
"Oh, um.." He quietly trailed off while he watched me. "Your drink is blue."
Huh? "What?"
"Your drink," he looked at the glass in front of me, "it's blue."
I stared at my own drink, not understanding what he meant. It's definitely blue but what's that mean? "Yeah, it is."
"How?"
Is he serious?
I couldn't help but let out a small puff of amusement while I looked back at him. He was staring at me for that long over some f*****g drink? "It's blue curaçao."
I'm sure he didn't understand but his lips parted in understanding while he let out a soft noise. "Ah," he nodded like it made perfect sense, "I see."
"Do you want one?" I wasn't sure why I asked, I was just planning to leave and I never intended to sit down in the first place, but something had me lingering in my seat.
He looked down at his own untouched drink for a moment before looking back to mine. "Yes please."
After I forced Lucas to come over and make another drink, the hybrid watched him with pure amazement as he shook the drink and strained it into a new glass of ice. "Wow," the drink was pushed towards him, "it's really blue."
Yeah, it's definitely his first time at a bar.
"Thanks." I held out some money to Lucas, though it wasn't that necessary since I worked here, and he greedily pocketed it before waltzing away, happily humming from the small tip.
The hybrid's reaction was a little expected, if he didn't like the watered down beer in front of him, I doubted he was gonna like this heavier one. His nose scrunched up again and sucked in a harsh breath.
"It's that good~?" I teased.
He swallowed and nodded. "It's- it's good." It was a little cute to see him force another sip down his throat while trying to keep a straight face. "Thank you."
My body was moving before I even realized it, setting itself down in the empty seat that had been between us so we were closer. He didn't seem to mind or even notice the change, staring down at me in innocent curiosity while trying to subtly nudge the drink away.
It was painfully obvious but he was cute so I didn't say anything.
"Do you not drink often?"
He shook his head, making his large, folded ears flop for a moment. "I don't like alcohol that much."
"No? How come you're at a bar by yourself?"
"I'm not by myself~" He denied. "Well- I guess I am now, but my brother came with me earlier. He had to leave though."
"And you decided to stay?"
"It's my birthday." He nodded to himself while his tail started wagging behind him. "So I had to have a drink legally for once." So he's 21, huh? I knew he looked young but I didn't expect him to be that young.
"It's your birthday and you're all by yourself? Did your friends ditch you or something?" It happens a lot, I see it all the time, people leaving with other people they didn't come in with. After it left my mouth, I realized it might've come off a little insensitive.
Before I could backtrack, he shook his head. "I'm the oldest in my friend group so they couldn't come." His ears perked. "But it's okay! We still had a party~ My brother just wanted to take me out since they couldn't but he had something come up." His ears drooped again.
He's really honest, I noticed, especially with his body.
"That's too bad." My head leaned into my palm while I stared at him. "I can keep you company if you want~"
"Really?" His ears perked again, making my lips twitch up. "I wasn't sure when it was okay to leave since I just got here so I've just been sitting and waiting. It's a little boring."
Why didn't he just leave?
"Well we can't have that." I leaned over to grab his drink and heard his breath hitch for a moment. My eyes lifted to his while I grabbed his drink and pulled it towards me. I can't tell if he's interested or not. "It's your 21st, I'd feel bad if I just left you here to stare random people's drinks all night."
I took both of our drinks and set them behind the counter for Lucas or Lucy to clean when they got the time. "Someone might come and talk you up~" I don't think he'd notice if they even tried. Though, I noticed the large group of girls Lucy had been serving peeking over now and then while giggling to each other.
I didn't blame them, he's definitely worth giving an extra glance or two.
It was a little bad how quick he was to happily agree to spend some of our night together and follow me out of the nightclub. If he was my little brother, I would've scolded him for trusting a stranger so easily, especially without even asking any questions.
He didn't ask my name, where we were going, or how long we'd be out. He just blindly followed me past the exit and waited off to the side while I talked to some of the security.
"You're still here?"
"I'm obviously leaving."
Lawrence rolled his eyes and tried to shoo me off. "Get home safe."
Benny looked away from checking some guy's ID and glanced at me. "Is that guy with you or should I tell him to leave? He keeps staring at you."
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the hybrid staring directly at me, eyes unmoving while he waited patiently. He's so f*****g tall, now that I saw him standing up, he stood at least three heads taller than me.
I wasn't short by any means but I wasn't tall either. 5'9 put me in the middle, average area when I was around other guys while being taller than most girls. Standing next to him, he made me look incredibly short.
His tail started wagging when I looked back at him. How cute. I noticed I kept thinking that but I couldn't help it, he's exactly my type.
"It's okay, he's with me." I turned back to look at them.
"Came for your check and left with a guy? That's some s**t you'd do."
"I'm enjoying my day off, sue me."
Lawerence stared at the guy standing a little ways away. "Is he a hybrid?" It was dark out so I'm sure it was hard for him to make out his features.
"Mhm, I was a little surprised when I saw him too."
I haven't met a lot of hybrids in my life. They weren't as rare as they used to be but they still weren't common. Thinking about it now, I don't think I've ever even been friends with a hybrid before.
The few that I met back in school passed by without either one of us giving each other a second glance. Ever since I started working as a bartender, I've met more but they were a lot more cautious than I remember them being in school.
I quickly realized why after a few months of working here. Hybrids weren't seen as humans were, they were pretty uncommon so they were treated as so. Whenever a hybrid came and sat the bar, it didn't take long for people to wander over and try to talk them up.
Sometimes it wasn't always for the purpose of s*x or just being a little flirty, it was pure interest or curiosity sometimes from just seeing a hybrid.
Unfortunately, I had to stand behind the bar and listen to all their conversations, there wasn't anywhere else I could go unless I walked down a few feet to just overhear a different conversation.
A lot of people fetishized hybrids, I was more than aware of this before I started bartending but I didn't realize how much until I did. I've heard people beg to f**k a hybrids, bet with their friends on how long it would take to get a hybrid in bed because they apparently couldn't live with s*x, and try any means necessary to get a hybrid into their bed.
It was common knowledge that hybrids had heats monthly and when they were aroused, leaked slicked. I wasn't that educated about hybrids myself but I knew they could handle heats themselves and didn't crave s*x like some people made it out to be.
It was hard to watch sometimes, seeing how timid hybrids became when they weren't around people they trusted. There's been plenty of times where Lucas and I had to step in when they started to get aggressive or too demanding, and if we didn't work, that's when Lawrence and Benny came in.
It was a lot worse with women, the men at the bar could be very persistent even when they ignored their intense advances.
So I was gradually starting to find it more odd that this hybrid had stared at me so openly, as if begging me to talk to him, and agreed so easily to follow me outside. Considering how long he was sitting at the bar while looking around aimlessly, I was surprised nobody came up to him.
Maybe because he's so big. Though, he didn't look intimidating in the slightest. Sure, he had a lot of muscle but he reminded me a lot of a golden retriever, harmless and just looking for someone to play with.
"See you tomorrow~" I threw a wave over my shoulder and walked back over to the hybrid who was patiently waiting.
As I grew closer, his tail started wagging faster. There's not a lot I knew about this guy, I didn't even know the bare minimum. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Chet." He fell in step with me while we walked down the sidewalk. "Yours?"
"Rylan."
"Rylan?" His head c****d unconsciously. "I've never heard that name before."
I wanted to say the same for him but I've met a few Chet's. They were all strangley blonde, green or blue eyed, and white just like him, so I held my tongue.
"I picked it when I was younger. It's my American name." I remember when I was younger, my mom told me to pick an American name that people could pronounce easier when we moved here. I didn't think it was all that hard to pronounce Junsu but she insisted so I picked Ryan.
She refused, telling me how basic of a name that was. I remember feeling angry and picked Rylan just to spite her, how is she going to tell me to pick a name and then say no? I'm glad she said no now, I've met too many Ryan's in my life and didn't want to be one of them.
"Really? What's your real name?"
"Junsu. Nobody calls me that, though, so just call me Rylan." Besides my parents, nobody's called me Junsu since we moved from South Korea when I was still in kindergarten.
"Rylan." He repeated again. "Okay, I like it. I like Junsu too though. Both are nice."
I let out a small puff of amusement. "Thanks." I still barely knew the bare minimum about him. His name is Chet, he just turned 21, he's a hybrid, and he's just my type. "Do you have anything you want to do?"
"Huh?" He looked down at me, making me feel short again. I guess I'll have to get used to it around him. "You don't know where we're going?"
"Not really." I admitted. "I thought I'd come up with something when we came outside but it's fine." I easily waved off. "You don't have any ideas, birthday boy?"
He gave a small, thoughtful hum. "Let's go to the park."
"The park?" I raised an eyebrow while we continued down the sidewalk.
"Yeah." He nodded, tail starting to wag faster. "I take my puppy there every morning, it's close by I promise."
"Alright, lead the way."
On the way there, he told me about the most random things, things I would never even ask or wonder about my friends that I've had since college.
His name is Chet, he's 21, a hybrid, he has a dog he'd die for, he talks really fondly of his roommate, he doesn't like alcohol, he has a best friend he facetimes daily, he really likes spicy food, he loves to exercise, and he's just my type.
"Wait-" I stopped him when we were walking by a gas station, "let's stop there."
"'Kay." He followed me inside with no questions, which again was a little worrying, but I didn't plan to kidnap him or anything so he was fine. I wouldn't mind taking him back to my place but only voluntarily, of course.
"You're not allergic to anything, right?" I asked while walking through their limited aisles.
"Nope~ I'll eat anything." He promised with a deep nod. "I love food. I'd eat all the time but my trainer says no." His ears drooped for a moment. "So I have to listen."
God, what I'd give to take him back to my place and spoil him.