Here's a Taki & Yuma werewolf AU oneshot—featuring pack dynamics, playful banter, and a hint of protective instincts. Hope you like it! 🐺💙✨

*****
A pack isn't about who's the strongest.
 It's about knowing when to rely on each other
*****

The forest was dark, the moon barely visible behind the thick canopy of trees. The scent of damp earth filled the air, along with something else - blood.

Yuma's breath was steady, but his heartbeat wasn't.

He followed the scent through the undergrowth, moving swiftly, his ears twitching at the faint sound of ragged breathing up ahead. The moment he spotted the figure slumped against a tree, his chest tightened.

"Taki," he muttered, rushing forward.

Taki looked up weakly, his usual mischievous grin replaced by something tired, something defensive. "Yuma?"

"What the hell happened?" Yuma demanded, kneeling beside him. His sharp eyes scanned over Taki's torn sleeve, the deep gash on his upper arm still bleeding.

Taki exhaled. "It's not that bad."

Yuma let out a humorless laugh. "Not that bad? You're bleeding all over the place!" He pressed his hand against the wound, earning a sharp hiss from Taki.

"Ow! Watch it!"

"Then stop being an idiot and tell me how this happened," Yuma snapped.

Taki avoided his gaze, suddenly very interested in the leaves on the ground. "I was out hunting."

Yuma's jaw clenched. "Alone?"

Taki sighed. "...Maybe."

"Maybe?" Yuma repeated, voice rising. "Maybe?" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before he really lost it. "Taki, what were you thinking? You know it's dangerous beyond the pack's borders."

Taki flinched slightly, but his stubbornness flared up just as quickly. "I was thinking that I could handle myself."

Yuma scoffed. "Yeah? And how did that work out for you?"

Taki scowled, looking away. "I almost got it, okay? The deer was right there—"

"You were hunting alone." Yuma cut him off, his voice sharp. "You're the youngest in the pack, Taki. You know you're not supposed to be out here by yourself."

Taki's ears flattened slightly, his usual energy dimming. "I just..." He exhaled slowly, voice quieter now. "...I wanted to prove I could do it."

Yuma paused.

Taki wasn't just reckless. He was determined—too determined sometimes. Always pushing himself, always trying to prove that he was more than just the "youngest."

Yuma sighed, his anger cooling into something softer. "...You don't have to prove anything, you know."

Taki scoffed. "Yeah, easy for you to say."

Yuma raised an eyebrow. "You think I didn't go through the same thing?"

Taki blinked. "What?"

"When I was younger, I was the weakest in my old pack," Yuma admitted. "The slowest. The least experienced. I trained every night just so no one would look at me like I was useless."

Taki stayed quiet, watching him carefully.

"But you know what I learned?" Yuma continued, his tone firm. "A pack isn't about who's the strongest. It's about knowing when to rely on each other."

Taki looked away, clearly frustrated with himself. "...I just hate feeling like I'm always being protected."

Yuma sighed and reached out, ruffling Taki's hair roughly. "Too bad. That's what family does."

Taki swatted his hand away with a grumble, but Yuma caught the way his lips twitched—just barely—a ghost of a smile.

"Can you stand?" Yuma asked, nodding toward Taki's injured arm.

Taki huffed. "Of course I can—"

The moment he tried to push himself up, pain shot through his body, and his legs wobbled beneath him. Before he could fall, Yuma caught him effortlessly.

Taki froze, caught in Yuma's hold.

"...Okay, fine. Maybe I need a little help," Taki admitted.

Yuma smirked. "Oh? What happened to 'I can handle myself'?"

"Shut up," Taki muttered, but his voice lacked any real bite.

With a shake of his head, Yuma pulled Taki's arm over his shoulder and steadied him. "Come on, let's get you home."

Taki sighed dramatically. "Guess I'll just lean on you like a helpless pup, huh?"

Yuma snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't drool on me."

As they started walking, the forest seemed quieter than before—calmer. The tension that had been sitting between them, the weight of unspoken things, slowly faded into something easier, something warmer.

Taki, for all his complaining, leaned into Yuma just a little more.

And Yuma, despite all his grumbling, held on a little tighter