Unlike what a sane human would have done - that is, go looking for what happened or, where his really REALLY important belongings were, Luhan went back to the room, plopped on the bed and fell asleep. He figured he could figure things out later. Sleep was in order. It was number one priority. When he woke up a few hours later feeling well rested, his “roommate” Chen was already ready wearing a dinner jacket and was just giving the last touches to his new hairdo. Luhan just groaned on the bed and rolled over. He propped himself on his elbows, watching Chen’s movement.

“Hyung”

“Yea?”

“You need to get ready.”

“Uh huh.” Luhan pursed his lips. Should he bother asking? Chen was being really quite. He had never known Chen to be this quite. On those one-two episodes he had watched on tv where Chen was emceeing, the younger man behaved the way he had always seen him behave- being loud, noisy, trolling the guests and in split second looking concerned for whatever the reason it may have been. Even when Lay mentioned him, it was for some funny incident which included Chen being a noisy, interfering idiotic to-be brother-in-law. “Chen?”

“Hmm?” He was still trying to fix his hair.

“You are so unusually quite.”

Chen slowly turned towards him and gave him a blank look. “Suho-hyung was looking for you. Go meet him before he has to leave. Also, get ready fast.” He patted his clothes, trying to look for any crease and proceeded towards the door. “It’s only been a few hours since we met, hyung.” With that Chen stepped out of the room and Luhan wondered what was that with his not-so cryptic remark.

Sure, he hadn’t really kept in touch with all of them. Yixing was his best friend despite Lay being younger to him and in a different class and living in different country for most part of their friendship. He occasionally talked to Suho because Suho was around when he was Skype-ing with his Chinese friend. They’d tell him about Kai, Chen, Chanyeol and Baekhyun. He was in contact with Kris and had met Baekhyun once in these eight years and Tao a few more times. He had also been in contact with Sehun, initially, after leaving Korea but, that was pretty much given since he and the omega had dated back in the university. But, it was before he misplaced his phone and lost his contacts. He never asked them for it again. If they had shared their numbers with him like Chen and Sehun had, he never made any use of them. Though he and Sehun followed each other on Weibo, but, that was it. The only two people from his SNU friends circle with whom he had absolutely no contact after leaving were D.O and Xiumin. The way things had ended for him and Xiumin, he had already guessed that that’s how things would turn out to be and they had. He got to know stuffs about D.O from the news. He was an author and was a newly turned scriptwriter, lyricist and musician who was getting a lot of attention, awards and accolades these days. So, his name turned up on papers every now and then. Plus, his association with Chanyeol also helped his name circulate in the page3 section. After all, it was his composition “Overdose” that shot the tall, lanky alpha into overnight stardom.

But, Xiumin’s name barely ever turned up in the newspapers. It was as if he knew how to avoid them. Sure, he was the new director of the prestigious KEnt -the only worth while rival of the SM- and wasn’t an idol or, an actor that his name would keep resurfacing. But, still. He barely attended any functions or, parties. He lived a secluded life for someone in the world of glamour. (But, it was totally what, one who knew Xiumin, would expect from him and Luhan knew him.) Xiumin never called him or, contacted him. So, the thought of seeing him again made him a little bit nervous. He wasn’t sure if he should go up to him and talk to him or, wait till the other alpha came forward. Knowing his Baozi, he’d never do that. It basically left Luhan to think and think and over think things that may happen since, it was quite possible for Xiumin to not attend this wedding at all as it was the SM’s Chairman’s son’s wedding and Suho himself was supposed to take over the company after his father and everything about this had rivalry-rivalry written everywhere over it and media was just looking for gossip.

Luhan sighed and got down the bed deciding he’ll do whatever first comes into his mind when they meet - if they meet- and marches towards the bathroom because all of this thinking was just a waste of time and he didn’t really have time to waste. So, he quickly took a shower and then, went looking for Suho. He was glad that the wedding was taking place in the mansion premises itself ( in the garden ) because otherwise, he would have missed it. Though for now all he could do was wait as he was still wearing those embarrassing clothes even after showering since he didn’t have anything else to change into and ever body was just busy elsewhere to ask for help. He didn’t even have his phone on him and was just loitering in the corridors searching for somebody. Anybody.

“Hyung!”

 He heard an unexpected pleasant familiar voice suddenly calling out for him and jumped in surprise. It was D.O! The jet black haired alpha was grinning. “D.O!” Both of them hugged. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be outside? How are you?”

“I could ask you the same.”

 He was still the squishy looking alpha he had known before. “I didn’t really bring anything for the wedding. No clothes, no gifts. Just came like that.” Luhan smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

“What are you saying? The clothes you ordered arrived an hour back. Suho-hyung received the package for you.”

“What package? I ordered nothing.” He gave D.O a quizzical look.

“Oh. You don’t know?” He looked surprise which suddenly morphed into his trademark smile (the one they had dubbed the “SatanSoo” smile) and gave the auburn-haired alpha a knowing look. “It’s in that room. Let’s hurry, we are really late. The ceremony will start any moment now.” Luhan followed D.O who was walking through this and that corridor like he knew them all too well. He took the large package sitting on a coffee table in one of the sitting rooms and gave it to him. Luhan definitely needed to talk to his manager. Had he drunk dialed him last night/morning asking him to order clothes for him? He brushed his hand on the said large box and read the label. It was a designer label, of course. A Kim Kibum’s. The omega designer was quite popular and known in the Korean-Chinese fashion world. He wondered if Kris had mentioned about him to him?

“Hyung?”

“Hmm?” He glanced up. D.O was giving him a very curious look. “I’ll go back, ok. Chanyeol is waiting outside.”

“He came back?”

“Huh? Just get ready quickly. We all are outside. Fast.” The shorter alpha went away so fast that he didn’t have a chance to ask which way his room was. He went in circles till he found the maid from the morning in a corridor who showed him the way back to his room. Luhan went running. He had to hurry because everyone was waiting outside. It was only after he was ready in his crisp new bespoke suit, discarding his old attire on the bed that he noticed his passport, watch, phone and the other assortments that he had brought with him lying neatly on the bedside table. Had he missed seeing them before? He strapped on his watch, picked up his phone (which was fully charged!) and shoved the rest of the things into one of the drawers and then, marched towards the wedding ceremony area, his nervousness barely hindering the spring in his footsteps.

 *****

Kai couldn’t sleep after that. He felt tired, his face was still hurting. But, didn’t want to complain. Others would call him a sissy for fussing over such silly injuries. To him no injury was minor or, silly. Ah well, damn. He’ll try to survive this one day for his hyung. He walked into his closet looking for the suit designed just for the wedding. He wasn’t the best man. MinHo hyung was. But, everybody had to be well presented. Every one was to be in the best of their clothes, with the most charming smiles they could come up with and all that jazz. Kai found it stupid but, it was a drill one had to follow, so he would. He didn’t want anybody or, anything to screw up this wedding. He picked up the ointment bottle kept on the table along with some of the cotton swabs. He dipped one of the swabs into the bottle after unscrewing the cap and dabbed it carefully on his face. Just because he wasn’t going to complain doesn’t mean he wasn’t allowed to do this. This was no way unalphaic. He snorted. As if being an alpha had anything to do with such things. Alphas had come up with such bull stereotyping that sometimes he wanted to punch every beta and omega for helping spread the utter crap throughout the world. Alphas did this, betas did that. Omegas don’t do this, alphas can’t do that. Bollocks.

He took an hour to shower. If the Lees had already come and were waiting for him downstairs to make his dashing appearance, they could wait. If Taemin had presented himself as an omega, it wouldn’t hurt him to be all y and charismatic. He snorted. Omegas were dumb anyway. He had seen how they threw themselves at the feet of the alphas. He had been constantly complimented and showered with praises in school, in university and afterwards even when he didn’t acknowledge their presence. The only omega who hadn’t done that had been Sehun but, he and Sehun had known each other since primary school and had seen each other in their best and the worst of their times. The thing with Sehun was, their mothers were trying to complicate the matter. He had overheard his mother’s conversation with the omega’s mother on the day they were moving into the SNU dorms. Both the omega mothers were promising each other that they weren’t going to just let their friendship end with the friends status. They would take it to another level. Kai hadn’t understood it. Not till he came back home after the two years of compulsory military service that every alpha and every male beta had to do by the age of thirty. He had opted to do so right after his five years course in SNU. It didn’t matter why. None of that mattered why.

After he came back, he started noticing his mother trying to send him to the Oh’s place for random things. She’d invite Sehun for dinners. He would be invited over for lunches. Sehun had to go somewhere, he was the acting chauffeur, or, the bodyguard. Unknown to their mothers, he had always managed to ditch the omega someway. If he didn’t ditch him, he’d go with him half way and then change his mind and leave. This went on till Suho hyung’s relationship with Lay hyung was discovered by their parents. His parents were shocked and disappointed. He was aware of the things that his father had done to keep the alpha and beta apart. When Suho hyung had to finally go for the military thing because he couldn’t delay it anymore, his parents slackened their attention or, interference in the situation thinking his elder brother would lose interest in those two years. But, the disaster had occurred. As soon as his time in the military service had finished, he had gone straight to his boyfriend’s place and they had mated. He would have never called Kim Joonmyun to be a careless man. Everyone had been appalled. His parents had just looked at their elder son in mute horror.

Kai knew his elder brother wanted to take over the company. He had the right and he deserved it. Kai wanted no part in the SM circus. He had not been trained for this and didn’t want to be. He wanted his brother to also live the life he wanted but, he hated the way his parents looked distraught since they found out their Joonmyun’s unchanged stance. He would not leave Zhang Yixing and they would not accept the beta. So, Kai did whatever he could do in his own way. He encouraged his brother and did whatever his mother asked of him. They had not told him openly about the marriage plans but, he knew it was coming given the whole situation with Suho hyung. He didn’t wish to see his mother all so sad and depressed. She looked happy when he accepted or, went along with the plans that included Sehun. So, he continued doing just that. However, his friendship with the blond omega had strained in the process.

Slowly and slowly, he was being introduced to every one important in their business circle just like his brother had been a few years back. He was being shown on how some of the things worked in the company. He tried giving his hyung hints on what was happening. He doubted Suho was oblivious to the whole thing. His brother wasn’t a naive young man. They both knew this whole wedding was a farce to keep up with the public image. If he were a normal person he’d wonder why he was letting himself get involved into all this. Why he was letting his own dreams go and was trying to hold onto his parents’. His brother’s dream was to lead their family company. However, the way things were going, he suspected he’d just end up being a hindrance in his brother’s life. Perhaps, if luck was on his side, then, he wouldn’t become his rival. Kai was scared of that possibility; never mind it being an actual reality.

 *****

Luhan was hurrying towards the garden area. He wasn’t sure which was the entrance. Should he enter this way? Or, that way? It was an alpha-beta wedding after all. Every wedding ceremony was different: alpha-omega, beta-beta, alpha-alpha and omega-omega  though the last two were held only in few countries and the last one was really really rare. Plus, it was a traditional Korean alpha-beta wedding ceremony and there was only so much he would know. He sighed. D.O wasn’t outside like he had said he’d be. He ran his hand carefully trough his chromatic locks and decided to step inside the massive make-shift tent/shamiana that had been put up for the wedding. He just hoped he wouldn’t end up offending anyone.

 *****

Kyungsoo had waited outside, patiently, with Chanyeol for Luhan. Everyone else had already gone inside. It wasn’t exactly a good idea for Chanyeol and Baekhyun to be around each other at this time. The tall omega was giving off some really grim vibes and he didn’t want a fight ensuing over something really stupid with the stranger-alphas around. Park Chanyeol never fought for the things that mattered, he had come to understand. Park Chanyeol fought over everything silly and worth ignoring. He remembered the look he had seen on Baekhyun’s face and he had felt bad. It hurt him. He wished he could tell his friend to make himself strong and display a stronger front in front of the world just like he did. But, the sandy blond alpha only looked more vulnerable and depressed. Sometimes he hated Chanyeol for that. He hated every alpha for that matter. But, he was helpless. He didn’t know how to help the once-best friends; to help them sort things out. Kyungsoo was jolted out of his reverie when he inhaled sharply a long-familiar scent and heard the voice of that source laughing. Kai was walking towards their direction talking to the new SM idol.

“Let’s go.” He hissed at Chanyeol.

“What about Luhan hyung?”

“He’ll manage.” But, Chanyeol wasn’t moving. He was just looking at Kyungsoo frowning.

“But, we waited for so long.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Kyungsoo snapped. He turned and went inside huffing. Chanyeol swiftly turned around and followed him with a “yah yah yah.. Wait for me, Soo.”

 *****

Luhan walked closer to the entrance. The tent was huge. The decoration was brilliant. It was all white and cream. Nice flower arrangement and seating plans. He didn’t know how to describe such things. He didn’t have an eye for such things nor the ability to express. He was bad at expressing. Full stop. He had never attended a wedding before. He had of celebrities and idols but, never one of a friend. And, here, two of his friends were getting married with each other. It was the best thing. The whole decor was so.. Pristine, it suited his Yixing, he mused. The Kims really had a nice huge place. If for nothing else, he was happy his friend was getting married to a non-arsehole alpha and into a prestigious family. He just hoped Yixing didn’t mess things up or, at least Suho cleaned them up after him properly. If his friend got hurt, he thought frowning, he wouldn’t hesitate in hurting Suho either. He walked in casually, going straight. There was another aisle near to where Suho was standing and facing. Ah. So that’s from where his best friend would enter. The Korean groom looked all nice and dandy in his suit. Luhan approved of him wholeheartedly. Though what he didn’t like was the way Suho had turned around and was looking at him with wide saucer like eyes. In fact, the whole crowd had gone silent and was looking at him. Had he done something wrong? He gulped nervously. He looked around trying to search for familiar looking faces. He saw Chanyeol mouthing at him something and D.O shaking his head fervently. He just stood there motionless, his hands limp at his sides. He could hear some old omega grannies hissing at him. His palms were sweating.

Before his eyes wasn’t Suho anymore or, the same. It was a much more smaller place with really lesser amount of people. More betas and omegas in the crowd than the omegas. He was standing in a place similar to Suho. Instead, he was the groom and the bride- a beautiful omega- was supposed to come from the opposite way. He had been waiting for a long time. He was starting to believe that he was stood up and his to-be omega was a runaway bride. Had he really been stood up?

He felt a pull on his arm and his senses snapped back into reality. He inhaled a scent that was quite strong and close and drowned every other scent around. It was sharp and odd and out of place. His heart’s speed decreased and he felt himself getting calmer. But, with it was also this sweet, alluring scent that he had only encountered in snatches. It was confusing Luhan’s senses with it’s contradiction; being a whole new thing. Being a trigger to his memories. He looked at the arm that was gripping his wrist and dragging him back towards the end rows. He knew those white knuckles so well once upon a time, those small hands. Now though they didn’t look that small or, that soft but, they were still soft somehow. He slightly twisted his arm in the grip and brushed his own knuckles on that pale skin where the nerves were standing out against it. He could hear some cat calls and possibly Kai hooting. He grinned. He heard whispers like “did they just.. ?”, “Is that even possible?”, “but, they are both alphas!”. He didn’t pay attention. He could happily follow Xiumin wherever he wanted to go.