Wine and Sleepy Whispers

            Just as Ryeowook was beginning to slip, his arms were firmly grasped and he was suddenly pulled back several steps from the edge.  His eyes flew open as two arms tightened possessively around him.  Ryeowook breathed heavily, startled from his near fall, and inhaled the familiar alpha pheromones lingering in the air, which automatically began to calm him down.  “Kyuhyun,” he sighed in relief.  He would recognize that scent anywhere.  Ryeowook leaned back against his chest, taking deep breaths that misted the dark night air.

            “You little idiot,” Kyuhyun breathlessly cursed, holding Ryeowook firmly against his chest.  “What are you doing all the way up here in the middle of a snow storm?”

            Ryeowook grinned, glancing at him over his shoulder, happy to see his alpha crush, even if he seemed a bit angry over the circumstances.  “I was trying to pick more ginseng before the snow covered it.”

            “You didn’t need to come this far north for ginseng.  There’s some off to the west that’s much closer,” Kyuhyun informed him.  He finally released the omega and grabbed onto his wrist, pulling him away from the cliff’s edge.

            “I’m more familiar with this area,” Ryeowook claimed.  It was a lie, but Kyuhyun wouldn’t know that, being new to the clan.

            “You looked pretty lost to me,” he said, leading the way through the trees.

            “I lost the trail when it began to snow,” Ryeowook admitted.  That, at least, was the truth.  “If you want to show me where it is, I can start heading back to the den.”

            Kyuhyun looked over his shoulder at the omega, as if he were crazy.  “You can’t go back in the middle of a snow storm!  You’ll end up getting lost again and freezing to death!  You’re going to have to stay with me until morning.  Then I’ll bring you back to the den myself, just to make sure you get there and don’t end up at the bottom of a ravine.”

            Ryeowook grinned wide as soon as Kyuhyun faced forward again, pleased with his success.  “Won’t that be an inconvenience?”

            “Not for one night,” Kyuhyun said, directing them back onto a small path. 

            “Is this the main trail?” Ryeowook asked, looking at the narrow path with boot prints in the snow.

            “No, it’s just a smaller path that I take through the woods when I’m doing patrols.  It leads straight to the cabin I stay in,” he informed Ryeowook, slowing down a bit so he could walk alongside his friend.  He still held tightly onto Ryeowook’s wrist, however.  “Did you really come this far north just for some roots?” Kyuhyun asked, peering down at him curiously.

            Ryeowook smiled warmly.  “Perhaps I wandered a little further north than I needed to in the hopes of running into you one last time before winter hit.  Once the snow falls onto the trails, I know you won’t make it back to the den for a stretch.”

            “You should have done that a week ago, when the weather was still a little warmer,” Kyuhyun said, walking carefully over some uneven ground along the path and helping the omega over it as well.  “If the snow falls heavier than expected, you could be stuck up here for the winter along with me.  Your cousin would be worried to death about you.  The whole clan would be!”

            “I told Kangin I was headed this direction, so if I don’t come back, he’ll assume I’m stranded up here with you, I’m sure,” Ryeowook informed him. 

            “And what about your patients?” Kyuhyun asked.

            “Well, I do feel bad for them,” Ryeowook admitted.  “Yesung is an awful cook.  I hope Sungmin brings food over for them all while I’m away or I won’t vouch for them getting any nourishment.  Zhoumi is a little better, but not much.  Thankfully, no one is staying at the clinic at the moment.”

            The snow continued to fall as they headed for the cabin along the border.  Ryeowook never would have stumbled upon it on his own.  The log cabin stood beside a small clearing, looking out over a field that gave Kyuhyun a good view of the surrounding area.  Next to the cabin was a small shed, used to hold firewood and other large tools.  The cabin lacked electricity, being in the middle of nowhere.  Its main source of heat came from a wood burning stove inside and Kyuhyun either used oil lamps or candles for light.  Thankfully, there was running water, however, as the cabin had a well beside it, but any warm water still needed to be heated up first. 

            “I hope you’re used to roughing it,” Kyuhyun said, opening the door to the small cabin and ushering Ryeowook inside before all the cold air got in. 

            Ryeowook rushed in and looked around the small, one room cabin.  Aside from a closet sized bathroom, the rest of the cabin was open.  There was a small kitchenette in one corner with a little counter and sink, a shelf for dry goods, and a wooden table.  On the other end of the room, there was a full size bed, the wood burning stove, an armchair, and a bookshelf heavily laden with a variety of books and a few puzzles.  The floor was covered with heavy rugs to hold in the warmth and Ryeowook took his boots off near the door.  There was also pegs in the wall for coats, which Ryeowook hung his coat up on, but it was far too chilly in the cabin to shed his s