Joshua rolled over in the field of flowers hearing his name being whispered into his ear.

“Joshua,” the voice whispered. The person’s hair tickled the side of his face, “Shua. Shua darling, wake up. It isn’t safe here.” The person ran their knuckles against his jaw. “Come on now. Wake up. You don’t want to spend time with me now that I’m here?”

He turned into the person’s hand, eyes still closed. “Mmm. Give me a minute Jeonghan.” Joshua snuggled into his warm body.

Chuckling Jeonghan said, “Oh? You knew it was me? Even without opening your eyes?”

“You’re the only person to come out here this far,” Joshua mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.

Jeonghan smirked at the word person. “Hmm. Yea well everyone knows to be cautious of the wolf roaming the woods. So why aren’t you being cautious? Didn’t your mother tell you to watch for the wolf? Especially since you wear such a flashy hood around.” Jeonghan played with the loose ends of the tie around Joshua’s neck.

Joshua opened his eyes, sitting up, letting the red hood fall off his head, the cape rustling as he moved. “Of course, she did. But why be cautious when,” he shuffled close, wrapping his arms around Jeonghan, leaning close he whispered with a laugh, “I caught the wolf.” Moving in the rest of the way, he kissed Jeonghan lightly on the lips, smiling into the kiss.

“Your parents won’t be happy to know that their son tamed a wild wolf,” Jeonghan mumbled against Joshua’s lips. He pouted a bit as Joshua pulled away to laugh.

“You let me. You enticed me first but then you fell,” he smiled, eyes crinkling in that way Jeonghan loved. “The wolf who wanted to hunt his prey but then his prey became his master.”

At that Jeonghan leaned forward, bringing the both of them down. He made sure to cradle Joshua’s head; soft grass or not he’d rather not have him hurt by Jeonghan’s inattentiveness. “I didn’t let you,” he said hovering over Joshua’s laughing form. “You cast a spell over me. You seduced me so well and so quickly I didn’t even have time to process it.”

“Do you regret?” Joshua asked, cupping Jeonghan on the right side of his face.

Jeonghan snuggled into the hand. “No. How can I regret it when I have you?” He moved his face away, kissing Joshua’s palm as he went. How could he regret falling when Joshua was the only one to look past everything that was said about him? How could he?

Joshua came into town with a sweet smile. He followed his parents who moved back into the town from the capital to take care of his dad’s ailing mother. Joshua had taken one look at him and said hello, ignoring the hissing of others telling him to stay away from that Yoon boy. The boy whose family ran too close with the animals, wolves especially, as they trained hounds.

There were no regrets on his part. None at all.

Leaning down he kissed Joshua deeply, initiating their daily routine of love making in the field surrounded by nature. Joshua returned the kiss, giving as good as Jeonghan gave. He let his hands wander and untied and ed things, shedding the layers of clothes that protected Joshua from his gaze and touch.

“I love you,” Joshua said, breathless as he arched into Jeonghan’s hands trailing down his skin.

Jeonghan breathed Joshua’s scent in, biting down on his shoulder, pleasure shooting down his spine as Joshua’s groaned into the air. Pulling away he stared down at Joshua and said, “And I love you.” His fingers moved and off Joshua’s pants came. Jeonghan undid his own trousers, coating his fingers in oil, inching them into Joshua’s hole.

Joshua lay down on his red hooded cape, body as the day he was born, legs splayed wide, Jeonghan’s fingers opening him. What a sight it was. Jeonghan moved, slowly pushing in as he deemed Joshua soft enough.

In the open air, they made love as normal, gasping and groaning, with only the animals and trees to watch and hear them.

They cleaned up carefully. Jeonghan stuffing the bottle of oil into his pockets; Joshua grabbing his basket of herbs he picked.

“You’re ok? Back not in pain?” Jeonghan asked as he brushed off his pants a tad.

“M’fine. Like normal,” he said, turning his head to look at Jeonghan with a small glare. “You never go hard,” he said with a small pout.

“You want me to?” Jeonghan smirked.

Blushing Joshua looked away as he straightened his cape.

“You have hidden depths darling,” he drawled. “On your day off. I’ll go harder. Wilder. Will that make you happy? Does it get you hot?”

“You always get me hot and bothered,” he muttered walking away coolly, like he hadn’t just admitted that Jeonghan made his blood boil.

“Aww, don’t do that. I have my horse. Let me take you back.” He smirked, catching Joshua by the arm, pulling him into his body. “I can’t let you go after you told me that.”

Joshua stayed silent but let Jeonghan take him to his horse, a black stallion named Star for the odd star shaped white mark on his head. The stallion nosed Joshua’s clothing in open affection, ignoring the glare Jeonghan sent his way.

Jeonghan took Joshua’s basket, watching as Joshua swung his legs over the saddle. Once safely on, Jeonghan handed him his basket before swinging on himself, right behind Joshua. “Hang on darling. We’re going to go fast. I heard you got scolded last time for spending too much time out here. I shouldn’t let that happen again. Not when I ride out here half the time.”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Joshua said, tucking his hair behind his ears. “She just got worried about the wild animals.”

Snorting, Jeonghan took the reins, wrapping his arms around Joshua. “They’d kill me if they knew you were spending your time with me rather than all of it picking the herbs for the apothecary. Since I’m the one of the wild animals everyone tells their daughters and sons to stay away from. If they only knew that you weren’t staying away.”

“I won’t. And I can’t anymore.” Joshua patted Star on the neck as they galloped towards the village. “Not seeing you at least once a day is hard. Especially since you can’t come to the store every day.” Not seeing Jeonghan was like missing a limb. The closer they had got the more Joshua seemed to crave his attention. It was unsettling at first, just how much in love he was, how much he wanted to be near Jeonghan, but he pushed away the anxiety to bask in their happiness.

Jeonghan smiled. “You always say such lovely things to me.” He pulled a face. “But then you say mean things too. Telling me shut my mouth. Or when you tell me no.”

Laughing into the air, Joshua leaned back into him. “It’s all for your own good. If I always said nice things it’d inflate your already large ego. The bad boy of the village. The stay away from the Yoon boy.” Joshua snorted. “Yet I still see so many girls and guys look at you longingly.” He tsked. He couldn’t believe he was feeling the tiniest of bit jealous from the way the others would look at Jeonghan. All Jeonghan would do is raise a brow, or throw them a smirk and it sent them blushing and looking away. Joshua knew he had his affections. But still. “Anyhow. If I always did the things you wanted, then you’d be spoiled.”

Jeonghan whined into Joshua’s ear. “But I like it when you spoil me.”

Joshua ignored him, rifling through his basket, making sure he collected all he needed and extras as well.

“Shuaaa!” Jeonghan would throw a mini tantrum but they were on a horse.

Turning his head, Joshua lightly pecked him on the cheek. “Don’t whine. You know I love you a lot.” He whipped his head around to the front, a shy smile on his face.

“Yea,” Jeonghan whispered, “I do know.” He placed his chin on Joshua’s shoulder, slowing Star down to a trot, trying to savor the few minutes they had left.

They neared the gate edges. “You should get off here,” Jeonghan said. “If the guards whispered about who they saw you with your parents would go ballistic.”

Joshua lips thinned, jaw going stubborn.

“Don’t. You know why,” Jeonghan argued, seeing how Joshua looked like he wanted to fight him on this.

“It’s stupid,” Joshua growled. “A stupid thing because they can’t look past your father.”

“Be grateful they don’t know what I truly am. If they knew I wouldn’t be around here at all and we’d be separated.”

He deflated, body hunching in on itself. “Right,” Joshua said softly. “You’re not dangerous though.”

Jeonghan said nothing. He was dangerous. He just couldn’t be dangerous to Joshua. Jeonghan stumbled on Joshua in the woods two weeks after he had moved here. The other young man had been cornered by boar and the tree branch Joshua had climbed was breaking. Jeonghan had taken the boar down quickly. Catching Joshua on the other hand was an issue as Jeonghan was in his wolf form but it was let the other man fall or shift and catch him. Jeonghan shifted, catching Joshua as he yelped.

He prepared himself for screams and the whole news to get out in the village. But all Joshua did was hug him and thank him. Then Joshua started getting close. No matter how many times Jeonghan rebuffed his attempts, acting like an , snapping his jaws at Joshua, chasing Joshua away. But Joshua kept coming back.

That day Jeonghan happened upon him in the field surrounded by flowers, sleeping of all things. Stupid. It was wildly stupid of him. But Joshua looked so peaceful that he fell asleep right next to him, only to wake up to Joshua petting him. He snarled; Joshua sat there holding out his hand quietly in a nonthreatening manner until Jeonghan caved under that gentle smile.

From there he started coming to Joshua, first in wolf form, then in human form. No matter how Jeonghan went to Joshua, all the other man did was offer him a gentle smile and soft words. It didn’t matter where they were: in the village or in the woods, Joshua never changed.

Not until they became close and the both of them let down their walls did the dynamic change. They teased, poked fun, sassed each other, loved each other. Stupidly they had fallen in love. But Jeonghan didn’t want to give it up and neither did Joshua. They just had to sneak around. It was fine. It was working well.

“Come on now. Off my horse and on your way little red riding hood.” Jeonghan dismounted first, taking Joshua’s basket for him, carefully watching Joshua dismount.

Once on the ground, Joshua asked, eyes twinkling, “Does that make you the big bad wolf then? You didn’t eat me though.”

Jeonghan smiled wolfishly. “Didn’t I? I ate you so well in that field.”

Joshua laughed out loud, pressing his hand against Jeonghan’s cheek. “Hmm. You did. The wolf ate little red riding hood. Was I tasty?”

Pressing a kiss into Joshua’s palm he answered, “You always are.” He patted Joshua on the , “Time to go back to grandma, little red.”

“Tomorrow?” Joshua asked, as he took the basket away from Jeonghan.

“I’ll be waiting,” he responded. “There’s nothing to do tomorrow. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Joshua sent him a wide grin, walking towards the village. “I’ll see you tomorrow then Mr. Wolf.” Halfway to the gates, Joshua sent him a flying kiss and a wink, knowing Jeonghan’s sharp eyesight would see it.

Jeonghan shook his head. “Let’s go home then Star. We have things to do.”

Star snorted and plodded forward.

The bell above the door rang.

“Oh Joshua, you’re back. How was the haul today,” his mom asked.

“It was good. Lots of things seemed to grow in the last few weeks.”

“Hmm,” she said absentmindedly, rifling through the shelves. “Did you see anything out there?”

“No,” Joshua answered. A lie. But no one had to know except him and Jeonghan.

“Good. Something has the village up in arms. Hopefully nothing bad happened.”

Joshua had started to put away the herbs. “I guess we’ll see tonight. They’ll probably announce things then.” He looked around, “Where’s dad?”

“He went to talk to the village head about something.”

If Joshua had been paying attention he would’ve noticed something amiss in his mom’s body language. But he was too wrapped up thinking about tomorrow, a smile on his face as he hummed.

“Something good happen today?” She asked, interrupting his haze.

Joshua looked down at the herbs he laid out to dry. “I saw a family of rabbits and some baby deer.”

She shook her head. “You and your love of animals.”

“They’re cute mom.” Although he had the cutest animal in his arms on a daily basis. But if Jeonghan heard him say that out loud he’d throw a small tantrum. He could hear Jeonghan now, “Wolves aren’t cute Shua! We’re dangerous and mean.” Joshua laughed softly. He knew Jeonghan so well that he could even predict what he would say.

“Only some of them. You know the rumors of about the—“

“The wolf,” Joshua said, cutting her off. “I know. You don’t need to tell a million times. I’m being careful. I promise.”

Sighing she went over to him, taking him in a hug. “I worry. Your father when he lived here. People disappeared for a while. A wolf they said. Considering the mountains are full of them here.”

He stayed in her arms, patting her on the back. “I’m practically an adult now. I can take care of myself. I did a good job of it when we lived in the capital.”

“I know. But it’s a mother’s prerogative to care and worry.” She pulled away, looking at him. “The capital is a different type of danger. Here the animals pose more of a danger than the people.”

“I’ll watch out for them. Promise.”

She stared into his eyes, nodding after several seconds. “It’s good that you have friends your age here. That you all gather in a group. Much more safe. Especially since you made friends with the village head’s son.”

“Seungcheol is a good friend,” Joshua let out a small laugh, “he likes to lead the rest of us at times. I think he’s practicing. Probably to help out his brother.”

His mom nodded. “He’ll grow up into a fine man. A nice husband for someone,” she mentioned offhandedly.

Joshua was already lost in his thoughts to care about his mom’s thoughts about Seungcheol.

“Hey, Joshua hyung,” Seungkwan said, coming into the apothecary.

“Back for your sister’s medicine?” Joshua asked from the counter.

“Yup.” He nodded. “And my mom wanted me to pick something up for a cough.”

“Got it,” he replied, pushing away from the counter and going into the back. “How’s school?”

“Good. One more year and I can start working towards being a teacher myself.”

“You could always try private tutoring first,” Joshua said, emerging with two bottles.

Seungkwan shook his head. “I don’t want to go too far from my family. Private tutoring means going to other villages. Perhaps a nobleman’s territory. I’m the only son after all.”

Joshua nodded in understanding. “I see. That’ll be six coins.”

Taking some money from his pouch, Seungkwan asked, “Did you hear the latest gossip?”

Joshua shook his head. “No. Remember to tell your mom no more than two spoonfuls of the cough medicine during the whole day.”

“Got it,” he chirped. “And word has it that the village head has arranged a marriage for his youngest son.”

“For Seungcheol?” Joshua wrapped the bottles. “Kind of young isn’t he?”

“You two are the same age,” Seungkwan pointed out.

“Yea, but in the capital people married older. After they made a name or a livelihood for themselves,” Joshua explained.

“Well you’re in a backwater village now hyung. Seungcheol hyung is supposed to be his brother’s right hand man when he takes over the village,” he said, taking the bag Joshua handed him.

“Any word on who?”

“Nope. The elders shut their mouth when they saw us younger kids walk by. But I heard enough to know that they’re announcing it tonight.”

“Ah. Maybe that’s what mom was talking about.”

Seungkwan perked up, looking at with questioning eyes.

“She mentioned something about the village being up in arms. I guess it’s about Seungcheol’s soon to be fiancé then.”

“I don’t know if I pity them or envy them,” Seungkwan said, tapping at his lips. “On one hand, it’s Choi Seungcheol and he is the village heads son, second one or not. But on the other he’s just…” he trailed off.

“He’s too much sometimes,” Joshua added. “He’s my friend and all, but Seungcheol…” he shook his head, “Seungcheol has a bit of growing up to do. Since he’s the youngest.”

Seungkwan blushed. He knew what it was like being the youngest, pampered and beloved. “Well he’s pretty decent now.”

“Yea. But he isn’t ready for marriage. Hopefully the engagement is a long period of time.” Joshua shrugged. “Although marriage might make him more mature.”

Seungkwan laughed. “You really like to talk about your friends don’t you hyung?”

Joshua smirked. “I only tell it as it is. Seungcheol is a good guy. He just needs some more time. But I guess this is something your village is used too. I, for one, wouldn’t want to get engaged so early. I’m barely twenty.”

“Better hope it’s not you then,” Seungkwan pointed out.

Laughing Joshua held onto the counter. “Oh. I don’t think they’d choose me. I’m a capital boy. I plan to go back to the capital one day. Not learn how to help run a village.”

“You never know hyung.”

“My parents would never,” Joshua said, shaking his head.

The whole village shuffled into the hall, finding seats or taking spots by the wall. Joshua sat next to his parents. His eyes wandered seeing the other village boys before he spotted Jeonghan leaning on one of the pillars. Jeonghan’s eyes were cold, looking at everything silently, judging, glaring at people who glared and whispered about him.

Joshua smiled. Typical Jeonghan poker face. He would probably zone out as the weekly review went on.

“Order!” A gavel was banged. “Order!”

The hall quieted down.

“Good. As per usual watch out for the wild animals. It’s around this time of year we hear of news from nearby villages of disappearances. Understand?”

The hall echoed with acknowledgement allowing the village head to move on.

“Now to harvest news.”

And the hour went on, Joshua stifling yawns discreetly on occasion. Honestly these weekly talks were unnecessary at times.

“And the biggest news of the night. My youngest son, Seungcheol, is to be engaged.”

A round of applause and some gasps were heard.

Seungcheol, who sat in the front, blushed a deep red to his ears.

The loud sounds jerked Joshua out of his sleepy haze. His dad gave him a look, prompting him to sit up straight. But honestly, why did he have to look good. He was only Seungcheol’s friend. He would congratulate him later.

“I’m very happy with the choice I made.” The village head turned to Seungcheol, motioning at him to get up and join him.

Seungcheol got up off his seat and walked to the wood dais to join his father, who handed him a box. No doubt a ring.

“Seungcheol’s fiancé is a young man of great reputation, a good head on his shoulders, wise, gentle, and a compatible match.” The village head turned to the general vicinity where Joshua and his family sat.

Joshua didn’t like the looks of this. He glanced around, noting that there were a few other people his age around thankfully. He relaxed once more.

The village head raised his hand, “Joshua.”

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