When Junhwe woke up, it took him a few minutes to remember where he was. The mouldy ceiling and blue bed sheets definitely weren't part of his bedroom and his confusion only grew stronger once he had sat up in his bed and looked down at his clothes to realise that they were Jinhwan's. He was wearing one of the many over sized plain white tee-shirt that Jinhwan owned. It smelt of fresh laundry and even if it was pleasing, Junhwe was almost disappointed that it was not smelling like honey.

When he finally remembered that he was sleeping over at Jinhwan's apartment, Junhwe quickly reached out for his phone, eager to check the time. He had gone to bed pretty early the previous day and he felt like he had wasted time that he could have used to talk with Jinhwan.

Sadly, it was only 5 a.m. and even if Junhwe wanted to speak with the elder more than anything, he was pretty sure that the elder wouldn't be up.

Junhwe lazily rolled out of bed, his mouth too dry to go back to sleep and he slowly made his way towards the bed room door, wanting to pour himself a glass of water. When he pushed the door open, however, he was blinded by the living-room's artificial light, forcing him to squint to distinguish Jinhwan's silhouette sitting on the couch.

"You're already up?" Jinhwan asked, his voice soft.

Junhwe nodded, feeling his cheeks heat up when he took in the man's appearance. Jinhwan's eyes were puffy from the tiredness and his hair a beautiful mess. He was wearing a white tank top and shorts that showcased his white milky thighs perfectly. Junhwe walked into the living-room in silence and sat down on the couch next to the elder.

"Why are you up?" Junhwe asked, glancing sideways at Jinhwan's ethereal figure.

"I couldn't sleep, too worked up," he whispered back as he ran a hand gently through his bright orange locks.

Junhwe raised a brow in puzzlement, not knowing what to say. The elder, feeling Junhwe’s stare on his face, looked up to meet the younger man’s dark eyes. Jinhwan’s lips slightly curled upwards sadly before he glanced away, his cheeks slightly red.

“I was thinking about you…” Jinhwan made a short pause, his breathing uneven. “...About us.”

Junhwe’s mouth fell agape as his heart beat picked up madly. His brain was fuzzing with questions and thoughts and everything was such a mess of complex feelings that he couldn’t really find anything to say.

“We really should talk,” Jinhwan added, his voice only a whisper.

“Yes, we should,” Junhwe agreed, his heart beating so hard that he could hear it resonate in his eardrums.

Jinhwan then took a deep breath as he scooted slightly closer to Junhwe so that their thighs could touch, their shoulders bumping in the process. The elder then put his hand on Junhwe’s, squeezing gently. Jinhwan’s palm was too hot and sweaty but for nothing in the world would Junhwe have shrugged it away. He could feel the man’s faint but rapid heart beat pulsing in his hand, just as fast as his own.

“I really like you Junhwe.” Jinhwan then whispered, his voice incredibly soft and his face red.

Junhwe’s breath hitched and his grip on Jinhwan’s hand unconsciously tightened. He took a deep breath, an attempt at calming his heart down. He could smell Jinhwan’s honey scent and it seemed subtly sweeter to his now sharper nose.

Jinhwan was looking down at the ground, his tongue darting out nervously as he waited for Junhwe’s words. The man had never looked more enticing to Junhwe’s eyes, with his full red lips, flushed face and wild hair.

“Well, uh… I, I kinda like you too.” Junhwe whispered back, feeling his own palms become sweaty and his face heating up.

Jinhwan raised his gaze up to Junhwe’s, his eyes shining and mouth curled upwards. “I guess that’ll do for now,” he said with a grin and mischievous eyes.

“Hey, I just confessed for the first time in my life!” Junhwe blurted out, his whole face flushed in embarrassment.

“Well, you said you ‘kinda’ liked me, so you ‘kinda’ confessed,” Jinhwan argued as he playfully pushed Junhwe’s shoulder with his own.

“Fine, I really like you too, Hyung.” Junhwe shot back, voice loud and heart beating wildly.

At that, Jinhwan’s grin widened furthermore before he scooted even closer to lie his head down on Junhwe’s shoulder. A few orange locks fell in front of the man’s face and Junhwe gathered all the courage he had to brush the strands away. Jinhwan tilted his head to look up at Junhwe, his eyes glinting with affection and his lips pulled up in a soft, thankful smile.

Junhwe’s breath caught in his throat as he looked down at the man’s delicate features. A few sun rays were invading the room through the white curtains, lighting up Jinhwan’s face with a clear pristine glow. His red lips were contrasting with his pale complexion, attracting Junhwe’s eyes upon them.

The last time they had kissed seemed too far away for Junhwe to really remember what it had felt like, but the only thing he was sure of, in that moment, was that he wanted Jinhwan’s lips on his own.

Without thinking twice, he closed the small space that had been separated their faces and gently pressed his lips against Jinhwan’s, feeling his eyelids flutter shut at the soft contact.

The fear of rejection was making Junhwe’s heart beat painfully in his chest as he pressed the elder impossibly closer. Soon enough, Jinhwan responded eagerly and washed all of Junhwe’s worries away as he pushed his lips even more firmly against his.

There had been days of confusion, days of anger and days of fear but now that everything was over and that Junhwe was finally free from all that worry, it seemed as if he was able to breathe evenly again. He had never felt such a warmth spread out throughout his whole body as he held Jinhwan against him, as if it was the only thing grounding him.

Never before had he thought that he would ever be able to feel that way, and he was enjoying every part of his newly found feelings.

“So are we, like, uh, boyfriends, or what…?” Junhwe whispered once they had parted, his breathing uneven.

“Unless you don’t want to...” Jinhwan trailed off, his red and plump lips pulling up into a soft smile.

“I want to.” Junhwe said, trying to appear confident although his could feel his hands shaking.

At that, the elder’s smile widened furthermore, slowing turning into a wide grin that lit up his face beautifully, just the way Junhwe loved the most.

Junhwe knew that he had the worst of lucks, and just as he was about to lean in to kiss Jinhwan again, his phone suddenly rang from the bedroom, the noisy tune making both of them jump in surprise.

With a sigh, Junhwe got up from the couch, giving Jinhwan a small, apologetic smile as he slipped inside the room, his brows furrowed in distaste. He had no idea who could be calling him a 5 a.m. on a Sunday but Junhwe hoped from the bottom of his heart that it was really important or he could end up murdering that person.

When he read Donghyuk’s name on the blinding screen, Junhwe almost hung up. Donghyuk always liked to disturb him for futile things and Junhwe wasn’t feeling like answering any of his friend’s life questions when he could just snuggle Jinhwan on the couch instead.

“What do you want?” Junhwe breathed out, trying to sound as nice as he could manage.

“I was just wondering what you were up to.” Donghyuk’s witty voice said through the phone

This left Junhwe with nothing to say and just stare blankly at the wall in front of him. He couldn’t tell if Donghyuk was playing a prank on him or if he was simply completely drunk.

“It’s 5 a.m., on a Sunday.” Junhwe said, his voice flat.

“Is it? Do you know what Sunday maybe? Because I was staring up at the ceiling, asking myself very psychological questions and stuff when I suddenly remembered that I was attending a Psychology College.”

Junhwe recognized that tone, it was the one Donghyuk used when he was being completely ironical and sarcastic.

“And it happens that Colleges sometimes give homework to their students.”

The gasp that left Junhwe’s lips was so loud that it resonated against the walls of the small bedroom. He had completely forgotten about their project on animal behaviours they should have been working on for the past month. Project that was to be handed out on the 10^th of April, which happened to be the next day. They were not ready at all.

“We’re ed.” Junhwe whispered as he rubbed at his temple, a headache slowly appearing.

“We utterly are. I hope you had nothing planned for today because I’m coming over right now to work on that project.” Donghyuk stated strongly, the sound of a car engine starting echoing in the background.

It took a few seconds for Junhwe to understand what Donghyuk had said.

“Wait no, you can’t! I’m not even home, and don’t use your phone while driving!” Junhwe shouted, rushing madly around the room to gather his stuff.

“Then where in the world are you?” Donghyuk asked, his voice fainter now with the sound of the roaring engine.

Just as Junhwe was about to answer, his bag carelessly thrown over his shoulder, Jinhwan entered the room. The elder looked from Junhwe’s phone against his ear to his packed bag, his smile slowly fading away.

“Are you already leaving?” He asked, his voice small.

“I need to work on the project thing with Donghyuk right now.” Junhwe answered, pulling the phone away from his ear as Donghyuk started shouting for Junhwe to answer his question.

“Well, you can always work here...” Jinhwan trailed off, his cheeks red.

Junhwe thought about it for a second, and decided that, yes, they could in fact work there if Jinhwan was alright with it. Donghyuk lived in the same neighbourhood as Jinhwan and it would be way faster for him to come there instead.

“I’m actually over at Jinhwan’s flat. Come there, it’ll be faster.” Junhwe said as he brought the phone back to his ear.

“Sure, text me the address.” Donghyuk then said, seeming a lot happier now that they were going to work on the project seriously.

Junhwe sighed as he hung up, before sending the text to his friend and throwing his phone onto the bed. He let his bag fall off his shoulder, not worrying one second about the loud sound the crash had made. He then glanced at the elder, still standing in the door frame, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk playing on his lips.

“School boy didn’t do his homework?” He then asked, his smile only widening when Junhwe answered with a tired grunt.

Junhwe had hoped that he could have spent more time with Jinhwan – alone – so that they could talk a bit more, but it seemed like it was going to wait.

“So what are you doing in Jinhwan’s house by the way? Not to mention that you’re obviously wearing his clothes.” Donghyuk said, a witty smile playing on his lips.

Junhwe sighed and chose not to answer, furiously writing down a few ideas in silence instead. They had been working for less than an hour and Donghyuk was already being nosy. Junhwe had known, the second his friend had entered the house and noticed how Junhwe looked like he had just woken up – which he in fact had – that he was going to ask questions.

After all, Junhwe had never talked about Jinhwan to Donghyuk. They knew each other, of course, but Donghyuk didn’t know about Junhwe’s feelings. It would only be normal for him to be surprised when learning that Junhwe had just slept over the older man’s house.

“You slept here right?” Donghyuk added as he picked up a pen and wrote down a few things as well.

“So what?” Junhwe shot back as he sipped down on his hot coffee.

Jinhwan had made them a cup each before going back to sleep. It was very nice of him, and Junhwe liked the attention, but he should tell him, at some point, that he actually didn’t like coffee.

“So are you two a thing?” Donghyuk then asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Junhwe didn’t like the accusing tone in his friend’s voice, as if it was something bad. They now were officially “a thing”, but Junhwe didn’t really know if telling people was a good idea or not. He knew well how close-minded people could be sometimes and he was definitely not feeling like getting into an argument with his friend over homouality.

“Jinhwan must love you a lot if he accepted to go out with you.”

Junhwe felt his cheeks heat up immediately. He dropped his pen and looked up at his friend’s neutral face.

“What the hell does that mean? Am I that terrible?”

Donghyuk’s eyebrows shot up funnily as he stared at his friend, a smile slowly breaking out on his lips.

“That’s not what I meant, idiot.” Donghyuk said as he shook his head with a laugh, a few locks of warm chocolate hair falling in front of his face. Junhwe’s rose a brow questioningly as he stared at his friend’s mellow smile.

“It’s just that… Well, you and I, we’re Hybrids. Jinhwan Hyung is a Lycos. I’m pretty sure you guys can’t mate.”

It took less than a second for Junhwe to realise where the problem was. He, as a Hybrid, could live with more than one partner and would never feel the deep connection that Lycoi had. If he had a human, or even another Hybrid partner, that wouldn’t be a problem, they would just be like any regular human couple.

But for Jinhwan, love was a life-long commitment. Lycoi never fell out of love, but Junhwe could.

“I’m not trying to mess with you guys, I’m just making sure you know what you’re getting into.” Donghyuk quickly added as he noticed Junhwe’s crestfallen face.

Junhwe bitterly nodded, trying as hard as he could to focus on his work. Mating wasn’t something he should be worrying about yet. Jinhwan had seemed just as eager as him to get into a relationship, even if he probably was aware of that issue.

Their couple was not even a day old and Junhwe was already worrying too much.

He took a deep breath, ran a hand through his bleached hair and sighed. For now, he should first finish the project with Donghyuk. He could talk to Jinhwan about that matter some other time, even if Junhwe knew he would be too cowardly to ever start the conversation.

10^th April 2017

The hard work they had both put in their project seemed to have paid off. When Junhwe and Donghyuk had arrived on Monday morning, they had been among the few other students who had been able to hand out their projects in time. The others had requested a bit longer, but they would lose points.

Even if they had had to completely sacrifice their entire Sunday to work, it had all been worth it in the end. The project was complete and they were both very proud of their analysis. They hoped to get a very good grade, especially since Junhwe hadn’t had any time to spend with Jinhwan because of that assignment.

It was 4 p.m. when Junhwe finally left the main building to sit down under a tree in the main yard. Most students had already left the campus, but he knew that Jinhwan was still in the other building. He always stayed behind on Mondays to compose a bit longer.

Junhwe really needed to ask him to play him a few songs, or maybe try to teach him a few things again even if Junhwe was apparently completely untalented.

Junhwe let out a lazy yawn as he looked up at the blue sky. The weather was very mild, and the sun was shining so bright that Junhwe had to squint to look at the too bright clouds.

The smell of flowers was hanging in the air, fitting perfectly the spring atmosphere the campus was basking in. The leaves above his head were all of a vibrant green that reminded him of the Gonjiam forest.

Junhwe hadn’t gone back to the den ever since he had gotten in touch with Jinhwan. It wasn’t that he had no reason to go any more – after all he had come to simply enjoy the soothing atmosphere of the place – he had just not had the time.

Now that the war was over, he could probably end up seeing a few other of his Lycos friends roaming around the forest. Junhwe really missed them, especially the ones he had gotten close to, like Haneul, or even Hoseok and Taehyung. Junhwe even wanted to see Jimin.

He still thought of Yoongi from time to time, and even if the pain had faded away, there was still a feeling of guilt present that would probably never truly fade away. Junhwe knew that apologizing, especially after such a long time, wouldn’t really change anything but he still thought he owed Jimin one.

He also needed to see for himself how things had advanced between Jimin and Dongmin. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that the two of them could end up happy together forever, without anyone to break the bond this time.

They both deserved it.

“What are you thinking of?”

Junhwe’s head shot up to meet Jinhwan’s warm eyes. He was standing only a meter away, looking down at Junhwe with his head slightly tilted to the side questioningly. A small smile was adorning his pink lips as the wind gently blew, ruffling Jinhwan’s bright orange hair.

“I was thinking of the other Lycoi.” Junhwe said as Jinhwan sat down next to him.

The elder hummed in acknowledgement as he tilted his head backwards, staring at the gorgeous skyline in silence. He then closed his eyes, letting his eyelashes gently flutter against his high cheekbones as his nose slightly twitched.

“Spring smells the best.” He whispered, his voice almost drowned out by the sound of the leaves ruffled by the gentle wind.

Junhwe felt a smile blossom on his lips that widened for each second he stared at Jinhwan. The elder looked utterly peaceful and relaxed, and it really warmed Junhwe’s heart. He hadn’t had many occasions to witness Jinhwan seem so at ease.

For a few minutes, none of them said anything. They just remained silent, enjoying each other’s company along with the mild weather, until Jinhwan spoke up.

“Do you want to see them again?” He asked, his voice more gentle than ever before.

At this, Junhwe glanced at the elder, locking eyes for a few seconds.

“Yes, I do.” Junhwe answered simply with a small smile.

Jinhwan nodded, before glancing back up at the cloudless sky, deep in thoughts. His brows were slightly furrowed from his state of focus and Junhwe found it utterly endearing.

“Do you maybe want to go back to the den?”

“No.”

The answer had left Junhwe lips before he even had the time to think about it first. He missed his friends, he missed the gorgeous forest, but the scary and bloodied psychiatric hospital was definitely not something he missed.

Junhwe had more eerie memories linked to that place than beautiful ones. Plus, all the friends he had made were from the Swamp Pack, which meant that they wouldn’t be in the Cloud Pack’s den.

“Do you think we could go to Dongmin’s apartment instead?” Junhwe asked as he followed Jinhwan’s line of sight to catch the moving silhouette of an aircraft slowly floating amongst the blue seas of the sky.

“We can always ask.” Jinhwan said, a smile audible in his voice.

Junhwe hummed, his heart lighter. His short talk with Dongmin had definitely not been enough. They had a lot of catch-up to do and he missed his best friend more than anything.

If luck was usually never on Junhwe’s side, it appeared that that day might have been one of the few on which things didn’t completely for him. Just as Jinhwan and Junhwe were about to the leave the school, Junhwe picked up a smell that seemed vaguely familiar, slightly more slowly than Jinhwan did as the elder had turned around a few seconds earlier, scanning the area.

Shortly after, a tall silhouette appeared, crossing the main yard and making its way towards Jinhwan and Junhwe, near the main entrance. The man had wild jet black hair that spiked out in every direction and as he came closer, Junhwe distinguished familiar honey eyes that were looking at both of them with an obvious surprise.

Junhwe had not seen Haneul in a while, but the other man had not changed at all, which was rather comforting. The man’s long legs crossed the remaining meters quickly, leaving the three of them to stand at the campus entrance in silence.

Junhwe knew that Haneul and Jinhwan never really got along and he was pretty sure that he couldn’t count on Jinhwan to start the conversation this time. So, Junhwe forced a small smile on his lips, trying to sound as casual as possible when he spoke up.

“Long time no see.” He stated, fumbling with his hands awkwardly.

“Yeah, it’s been a while.” Haneul answered with a genuine smile.

The two of them hadn’t exactly parted on good terms, even if it was still way better than Junhwe’s fight with Dongmin, and he had somehow expected things to be very awkward with Haneul, but Junhwe was apparently the only one feeling uneasy.

Haneul seemed merely happy, and nowhere close to angry, which was something that lifted a huge weight over Junhwe’s heart. Besides Dongmin, Haneul was probably the closest Lycos friend he had and he wanted to cherish that bond.

“We were just talking about you.” Jinhwan then said with a small smile.

Haneul raised a curious brow as he looked at Jinhwan sideways. There seemed to be no animosity – yet – but Junhwe couldn’t help but worry.

“What were you saying?” Haneul asked, still staring at Jinhwan strongly.

Jinhwan shrugged, breaking the eye contact to look at Junhwe instead, his smile softening. “Just saying that we should visit you guys over at the apartment someday.”

Haneul seemed surprised at first, his brows shooting up funnily as he looked from Jinhwan to Junhwe in silence. Junhwe couldn’t really blame Haneul for that. After all, their two packs had only been allied for the sake of the war. Now that it was over, they had no reason to see each other any more.

It would make sense for Jinhwan and Dongmin to keep in touch, as they were childhood friends, but Haneul had probably not been expecting Jinhwan to be wanting to the see the rest of the pack as well.

Junhwe wasn’t even sure Jinhwan wanted to see them in the first place, it had been Junhwe’s idea but no matter what Jinwhan’s thoughts were regarding the Swamp Pack, Junhwe was very pleased that the elder had accepted to see them again.

“Well, someday could be today.” Haneul then said, a gummy smile blossoming on his lips.

It was Junhwe’s turn to be surprised, his mouth agape and eyes wide. He could feel his heart beating faster with happiness. He had been missing all of his Lycoi friends much more than what he had thought.

“I was actually on my way to the flat. We have a meeting so everyone will be there.” Haneul added, his smile still as big.

“Is it alright for us to in?” Junhwe asked as he looked at Haneul with worry.

Haneul nodded as he fished his phone out, probably contacting another pack member. Junhwe glanced down to meet Jinhwan’s eyes, which were already staring back at him. As their eyes locked, a small smile broke on Jinhwan’s face. Junhwe smiled back, feeling utterly stupid and dumb, but too happy to care.

Things had never been to great before for him. He had been able to see Jinhwan again, and even more than that, he had been able to get his head out of his and act like a grown-up for once. Facing his feelings was something Junhwe was really terrible at, but for once he had, and he was really happy that he did.

Now he was going to be able to see his friends again and after being on his own without his mother for a few months, that seemed like heaven.

The first thing Junhwe noticed when he entered the flat was the strong smell hanging around in the air. He had not been confronted with territorial Alpha pheromones ever since he had worked on his scent perception and being suddenly thrown into a pack’s den was probably not the best idea he had had that day.

There were so many smells that were all different that Junhwe couldn’t even tell how many people lived here, or how many were present. It was if his nose was suddenly completely useless, the smells too overpowering.

Just as they entered what seemed to be the living-room, Junhwe smelled a very distinct smell that was very different from any other, but also more subtle. It was so vaguely familiar that Junhwe even doubted he knew the person, but when his eyes fell upon the small frame of the youthful looking man sitting on the couch, he immediately recognized him.

Just like Haneul, or Dongmin, Jimin hadn’t changed at all. His black shiny hair was slightly longer and his fringe was now hovering closer above his eyes, almost hiding them away.

“Hi Jiminie.” Haneul cheerfully said as he sat down next to the older man.

“It’s Hyung.” Jimin whispered back, too engrossed in the show playing on the TV in front of him for him to really pay attention to his surroundings.

Haneul sighed before getting up and walking back to Jinhwan and Junhwe’s sides. Junhwe had rarely seen Haneul look so comfortable and confident and it really surprised him. Jinhwan, on the other, looked utterly uneasy and Junhwe almost felt bad. But after all, Jinhwan had been the one to insist on going to their den straight away.

“Who are they?”

Junhwe’s head shot up as he looked around until his eyes fell upon a completely foreign boy. He looked like he could be around Junhwe’s age, but he might as well have been younger, his big doe eyes making him look very youthful.

“Junhwe, Jinhwan, meet the new member, Jungkook.” Haneul announced proudly as he ruffled the boy’s jet black hair.

Junhwe gave out a polite smile to which Jungkook answered with a curt nod. Junhwe didn’t even it was possible to find someone as socially disabled as him.

Haneul looked like he was about to go on and rant about their newest Lycos when Jimin suddenly got up from the couch, turned the TV off and walked up to them. He looked at Junhwe warmly, a soft smile on his lips.

“How have you been Junhwe?” He asked, his voice high and cheerful.

Junhwe didn’t know how genuine Jimin truly was. He knew that the man was probably still hurting and simply putting on a brave front, but Junhwe was very thankful for that. Jimin was kinder than anyone he had met before.

“I’ve been well, thanks.” Junhwe answered, feeling a small smile stretching out on his lips despite him.

“Probably not as well as Haneul though,” Haneul gasped in indignation as Jimin spoke, “now that he isn’t the youngest any more, he thinks he can do whatever he wants.”

A soft giggle escaped Jungkook’s lips as the boy covered his bunny teeth with a shy hand. At that, Haneul playfully pushed his shoulder, making the younger boy gasp in surprise.

“Don’t make fun of your Hyung.” He ordered, his voice mock-strict.

Jungkook’s lips thinned out immediately nonetheless, as if he was trying really hard to hold in another giggle.

“See, exactly what I was telling you.” Jimin said with a shrug before turning towards Jinhwan and engaging into a small conversation.

Junhwe fell silent as he watched the others, feeling more content than ever. Jimin truly looked better, and Junhwe was really happy that they had found another member to help them restructure the pack. Jungkook seemed nice, and that was all they needed at that moment, kindness.

Junhwe then glanced at Jinhwan, his heart immediately becoming lighter when he saw how relaxed he looked. Now that he was happily chatting with Jimin, he didn’t look like he regretted tagging along any more and Junhwe saw that as his personal little win.

The nice cosy atmosphere was suddenly halted when the front door opened without any warning, a strong familiar smell quickly invading the living-room shortly after. A few moments later, Dongmin entered the room, looking completely unfazed by the sight of Jinhwan and Junhwe in his den. He had probably been the one Haneul had texted.

Soon enough, a smile broke on Dongmin’s face as he walked up to Junhwe and hugged him shortly. It only lasted a few seconds, but Junhwe had needed that warmth, even for such a short time. It was alike a promise that certified that they were back to normal.

Dongmin then moved on to greet Jinhwan, leaving Junhwe to watch the two of them with a small smile. He felt really happy to be by his friends’ sides along Jinhwan’s for the first time in months. Before he had met them, Junhwe had never expected to ever have such a large group of friends with people he would love from the bottom of his heart.

“I know y’all came for the meeting but we’ll postpone it until tonight. For now, let’s have fun.” Dongmin then said before leaving the living-room to come back a few seconds later with drinks.

A general cheer arose before everyone went to their own stuff. Jimin plopped back down on the sofa, stretching his body out to comfortably watch the TV. He was quickly joined by Dongmin and even if they weren’t awfully close, Junhwe had noticed the way Dongmin’s ears had reddened when their thighs had brushed. It seemed like things hadn’t advanced any further but Junhwe hoped they eventually would.

Jinhwan, after giving Junhwe a big smile, had left to talk with Haneul, which had greatly surprised him. Jinhwan had added that it was to try to talk things out so that they wouldn’t be so awkward any more.

Junhwe reckoned he should probably do the same with Dongmin, but for now he was happy with the way things were.

A few minutes later, Hoseok and his mate – Nayeon – had arrived, quickly followed by Taehyung. After a few minutes of greetings and small talk, the trio had disappeared into another room to play games.

Junhwe had been left on his own to stand awkwardly in the middle of the living-room. He felt slightly out of place but he was also too happy to really care. Just being able to be around his friends, hearing their laughs and witnessing their joy with his own eyes was enough for him. He had been worried that after going through a war, some of them would have drastically changed, and even if they all did seem more mature and aged by the reality of life, deep down they were still the same innocent children they had always been.

Just as Junhwe was about to go for the couch, a faint and shy touch on his elbow made him stop in his tracks before turning around to find Jungkook, looking up at him quietly.

“I’m sorry, but, what are you? I’m still a Pup so I can’t tell kinds apart sometimes...” Jungkook said, his voice so small that Junhwe had troubles hearing him.

His question, once registered, brought a small smile to Junhwe’s lips. Jungkook was probably so awkward with him because he didn’t know how to act around him. Junhwe had gathered, from his time spent around Lycoi, that Pups’ respect towards Alphas and Betas was great because they were the ones who protected them and trained them. It didn’t mean that they did not respect Omegas, but rather that they felt more at ease with them.

“I’m a Hybrid, it’s no surprise you couldn’t tell.” Junhwe said with a small smile.

Jungkook’s brows shot up high, his big eyes widening further more. Junhwe couldn’t blame him for being surprised, but he was very glad that Jungkook didn’t seem to take it wrongly. Junhwe had never had to actually introduce himself as a Hybrid and even if the words still seemed odd leaving his mouth, he had eventually come to terms with it, but he still didn’t know how other Lycoi would react.

Jinhwan had told him that he had never even heard of Hybrids before meeting Junhwe and that the only other he now knew was Donghyuk.

“I’ve never met a Hybrid before, my apologies for the misunderstanding.” Jungkook quickly said, his ears almost as red as the rest of his face.

Junhwe shrugged the apology away, before quickly explaining that, from what he had seen so far, Hybrids weren’t a common thing.

The two of them spoke a bit longer, Jungkook telling Junhwe a bit more about himself. The boy was actually from Busan and used to be part of the same pack as Jimin. He had joined the Swamp Pack only a few weeks ago, after the end of the war, because he had moved out to Seoul for his studies and had had no one to stay with.

It had brought a smile to Junhwe lips when Jungkook had started saying how great of a Main Alpha Dongmin was, even whispering, with red ears, that he hoped to be a Lycos as great as him someday.

Before he had even realised it, Junhwe had been over Dongmin’s flat for more than an hour already and it was getting late. They still needed to do their meeting and Junhwe was growing hungry. Even if didn’t feel like leaving, he needed to. After biding goodbye to all his friends, Junhwe left along Jinhwan.

The older man had driven him there and Junhwe certainly didn’t feel like walking back home.

Once they were sat inside the car, Junhwe let out a sigh and stretched out, feeling worn out. He hadn’t laughed this much in a while and he felt completely exhausted, but also content.

“You look happy.” Jinhwan remarked as he turned the engine on.

“I am.” Junhwe answered easily with a smile.

Jinhwan grinned back before focusing on the road, taking the path to Junhwe’s neighbourhood.

During the drive home, the two of them talked of their evening over at Dongmin’s flat. Jinhwan told Junhwe that he had somehow worked things out with Haneul, they had both apologized for their behaviours, and Jinhwan also added that Haneul really regretted marking Junhwe they way he had.

Junhwe had then gone on explaining his small talk with Jungkook, also mentioning how close Dongmin and Jimin were growing.

After a few more minutes, the two of them arrived in front of Junhwe’s house. Jinwhan parked the car on the side before turning the engine off. The two of them exited the car and walked up to the house’s front door.

Jinhwan’s smile had disappeared and the elder was almost pouting as he looked at Junhwe fishing his keys out of his pocket. Junhwe didn’t really want to part with the elder either, but he had homework to do, no matter how much he wanted to sleep over at Jinhwan’s apartment again. But driving all the way back would take too long.

Junhwe unlocked the door, opened it and turned towards Jinhwan, feeling suddenly immensely awkward. He didn’t really know what he should do or say to his new boyfriend when parting.

Jinhwan, at that point, was straight out pouting, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at Junhwe, almost as if judging him.

Junhwe cleared his throat, trying to push the embarrassment away as he approached the elder slowly.

“See you tomorrow?” Junhwe said, feeling unsure.

Jinhwan didn’t answer. He broke the eye contact as he took another step forward to hug Junhwe.

Junhwe immediately tensed up and looked around the street, praying for none of his neighbours to be around. Noticing that they were completely alone, Junhwe hugged the elder back, feeling his eyelids flutter shut as he breathed in the familiar scent that always managed to tug at his heart.

“Since you’re not going to ask, can I stay over please?” Jinhwan then said, his voice muffled by Junhwe’s shirt.

Junhwe’s mouth fell open but no sound came out. His heart was beating fast as he thought Jinhwan’s offer over.

After what seemed like an eternity, he took a small step back to look at Jinhwan’s flushed face, before nodding. It was sudden and Junhwe didn’t like taking hasty decisions but the longer he stared at Jinhwan’s elated, the ore he believed that he was making the right choice.

For now, all Junhwe wanted to do was to spend as much time as he could with Jinhwan.

(6284 words)