“If you get restless, if you need to get away, don’t go far.” That was what Chanyeol had told Yixing before leaving the night before.

It was a definite improvement on what he’d told him the last time he’d left to hunt. Last time it had been a definitive “Stay put” and that hadn’t ended well. Because while Yixing had understood why he’d wanted him to stay close to home he’d also never really been one for following orders. It was something that could be quite problematic considering the fact he was supposed to be part of a pack and nearly everyone else held rank over him. He’d tried his best over the last year or so that he’d been there to try and get over that but doing what others told him to when they told him to was still a struggle for him, it just wasn’t something he was used to. Add that to his tendency to get easily bored and staying put hadn’t lasted long at all. He hadn’t meant to go far, the plan had been to get back before Chanyeol but it hadn’t worked out that way. He’d lost track of time and by the time he’d made it back to the settlement Chanyeol was already there. And he’d been furious. Yixing had never seen him so angry. He’d grabbed his arm and shaken him, held him in place and demanded to know where he’d been, asked him how he could have been so stupid. Yixing had been so thrown by it that all he’d been able to come up with was a croaked ‘sorry’ as he’d stared at the floor. Chanyeol hadn’t been yelling but there had been a growl underlying the words and he was gripping his arm hard enough to leave marks and it had scared him. And that fear had obviously shown in his face because Chanyeol dropped his arm then pulled him close, held him so tightly that Yixing was surprised he’d been able to breathe. “Just don’t ever do it again” Chanyeol had mumbled in his ear his voice hoarse.

If Chanyeol had scared Yixing it was only because Yixing had scared him first. When he’d returned home and been told Yixing wasn’t there and that no one knew where he was he’d panicked. “I thought you’d gone.” He told him later. “I thought you’d finally had enough. I thought you weren’t coming back.” It wasn’t a worry Chanyeol had ever voiced out loud before, probably because he’d known that if he’d tried to exert too much control over him he might have scared Yixing off. But things were different now. If Yixing decided to go it wouldn’t just be Yixing that Chanyeol would lose. There would be double the loss because Yixing would be taking the pup in his belly with him.  

“I’m yours now.” Yixing had said, cupping Chanyeol’s cheek in his hand. “We’re yours. I’m not going anywhere.” But he could see why that wasn’t much reassurance.

Because Chanyeol knew his history, he knew everything about him. So he knew all about Yixing’s childhood, he knew all about his mother. Yixing’s mother who had had a mate, who had been claimed. Yixing’s mother who had left her pack and ventured out on her own despite that. She’d come back three years later, pregnant and refusing to tell anyone who the pup belonged to. She’d been lucky they’d allowed her back at all, if her previous mate hadn’t tried to escape the humiliation by leaving the pack to join another, if her brother hadn’t fought so hard to keep her there she’d most likely have been turned away. But she hadn’t been, they’d let her stay, she’d birthed her son and not two years later she’d disappeared a second time. She’d never come back.

So Yixing had been raised by his uncle. But because of his parentage he’d never really felt like part of the pack. He’d never been mistreated, his uncle never would have allowed that but he had been ignored, left to do as he wished and look after himself. And he’d been fine with that. He’d been an inquisitive child and had loved exploring and his uncle had been happy to let him because it could keep him out of his hair for as long as two or three days at time. As he’d gotten older the distance he’d travel from home had grown further until two or three days sometimes stretched to up to a week and his uncle hadn’t minded that either. Yixing was no longer his responsibility, he could do as he liked.

And that was how he’d met Chanyeol. He hadn’t realised how far he’d gone and he’d ended up straying into another pack’s territory. He’d stopped to drink from a stream and when he’d looked up he’d frozen because there was a wolf watching him from the opposite bank, bigger than Yixing but not much broader. Long legs, coat silver grey, amber eyes fixed on him. Yixing had backed up expecting hackles to rise. He’d expected confrontation. He didn’t have permission to be there, he didn’t belong. But there’d been no raised hackles, no rumble of a warning growl only a head tilting in curiosity.

Chanyeol had slowly crossed the stream, obviously afraid that Yixing might bolt if he approached him too quickly. They’d skirted around each other, Chanyeol tentative and Yixing wary. And when each of them were as sure as they could be that there was no danger from the other they’d shifted, Chanyeol first, Yixing following his lead. As Yixing had expected the man in front of him was taller than him. All angles. But his face wasn’t harsh, there was a softness to it. He looked kind he’d found himself thinking even though there was no reason to, he hadn’t said a word to him yet, he’d have no idea what kind of a man he was until he did. And then he spoke.

“You’re beautiful.” Were the first words Chanyeol had said to him. His voice was deeper than Yixing had expected it to be. It was warm.

And Yixing had blinked, unsure of how to respond.

Chanyeol’s face had flushed red, he’d smiled an embarrassed smile that had made Yixing’s stomach flip. “Sorry, I mean… your colouring… my mother, his was similar. When I was little I always thought it looked like snow. So pretty.” 

“Oh.” Yixing had mumbled and he was the one flushing red.

And they’d talked, they’d just met but they found themselves exchanging life stories. The stars had faded, the sun had started to come up, and they were still talking. “Come back with me.” Chanyeol had said to him when Yixing had asked if he ought to be leaving. And Yixing had.

That had been over a year ago. He hadn’t left. He hadn’t felt the need to. When he was with Chanyeol he felt wanted. It was something he’d never experienced before. No one had ever asked for his company. No one had ever told him that they didn’t want him to leave. And he liked it, that feeling of security. And it when it became clear to the rest of the pack that Chanyeol was set on keeping him they’d slowly begun to drop their guard. They’d welcomed him too. He’d made friends, friends who cared about him and looked out for him. He felt like he belonged. He’d never belonged anywhere before. Sometimes it could be a little overwhelming, knowing he was part of something bigger, that there were rules to follow and that people held expectations. He’d always been the outsider growing up so that wasn’t something he was used to. But he could live with that, occasionally feeling a little caged in was a small price to pay. He’d finally found a place he could call home, a place that felt like home and there was no way he was giving that up.

Chanyeol had nothing to worry about. And he was going to prove that by not moving an inch until Chanyeol returned from his hunt.

Not moving an inch, or at least staying close to home, had lasted until just after noon the following day. By that time his back had been starting to ache. He was just over halfway through his pregnancy but the pup he was carrying wasn’t small. That or it wasn’t just one pup. Joonmyun thought that might be the case, last time he’d examined Yixing he’d poked and prodded his belly for what felt like an age. “I think there might be two.” He’d said, his face lighting up, clearly excited. Carrying two or three pups wasn’t unheard of but it was far from common. The last time there’d been a multiple birth in their pack had been over thirty years ago so if it was true and there was more than one pup in there then according to Joonmyun that made Yixing something special.  Yixing didn’t feel like something special. He felt ungainly and slow and would have been happy spending his entire time as a wolf to keep the pressure off of his back if he didn’t kind of enjoy talking to the people around him. Talking was hard to do when you were a wolf.

But yes his back ached, he felt stiff and he felt sore. If he wanted it to ease off he needed to move. He needed to take a walk. And the weather was perfect for that. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining and there was enough of a breeze to take the edge off the heat. It would be shame not to take advantage of that. And Chanyeol had told him that he didn’t mind if he left the settlement as long as he didn’t go far. So he wouldn’t go far, not this time. And he would tell Joonmyun where he was going so if for some reason Chanyeol arrived home early he’d know exactly where he was. The last thing he wanted was for him to worry when he didn’t have to.

He’d be back though, before Chanyeol was, he was sure. He really wasn’t going to go far.

He soon found that he couldn’t have gone far even if he’d wanted to, not unless he’d shifted. It had only been a month since Chanyeol had left him last, since Yixing had lost track of time, wandered too far and made him worry but in that that time the pup inside him had grown. He hadn’t realised how much until he noticed how much it was slowing him down. It had taken him twice as long as he’d thought it would to reach the stream he’d been heading for. It was the same stream where he’d met Chanyeol but not the same place. Chanyeol had been patrolling the borders of their territory the day they’d met and he’d promised him he wouldn’t go far. He’d kept that promise.

Even if he had wanted to wander that far and head back to the exact place they’d met he didn’t think he’d have made it, not that day. He was already exhausted and he’d only been walking an hour. But his back wasn’t aching anymore and that had been what he was aiming for so in that sense at least the trip had been a success. And an hour wasn’t bad, not really, not when he was as pregnant as he was and not when he’d travelled on two feet and not four. There were still plenty of time for him to rest if he needed to before heading back. Chanyeol wouldn’t be home until sunset at the earliest if all went well and that was still a ways off. So Yixing knelt by the stream, a task in itself and quenched his thirst Then he shuffled back and settled himself against a tree trunk.

And his hands went to the swell of his stomach.

He was awake. Or she was awake. Or they were awake. His pup, or his pups. How many of them were in there he didn’t know, Joonmyun hadn’t said there were definitely two he’d just been hopeful. But however many of them there were there was a lot of movement going on. It had him thinking Joonmyun might be right.  When Chanyeol had left Yixing had been tired, ready for sleep and so had he or she or they. Chanyeol had held his hand to his belly and waited but he hadn’t been gifted as much as a flutter. He’d been disappointed, Yixing had seen it in his face and he’d found that incredibly adorable. But the walk had obviously woken them. He decided he was sticking with them until someone told him otherwise, the way he was being beat up from the inside, well it had to be at least a two person job.

He wasn’t feeling quite as lively though, not now he was sitting down. His back wasn’t aching now but his feet were. He should probably let them recover before heading back he told himself. If Chanyeol found out he’d been out walking and hadn’t taken a break he’d only get in trouble anyway he reasoned. And it was hours before he needed to be back. Twenty minutes wouldn’t hurt.

~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

The sky was pink Yixing realised, somewhat bemusedly. It was supposed to be blue. It had been blue two minutes ago when he’d closed his eyes.

Wait.

He’d closed his eyes.

Now he was opening his eyes and they felt gritty. His head felt fuzzy. His neck was stiff. He rolled his shoulders and heard a click.

He’d fallen asleep. He’d fallen asleep leaning against a tree. So much for walking off his back pain, when he got up it was going to be killing him.

And then his brain caught up and reminded him what a pink sky meant. A pink sky meant sunset. His back wasn’t the only thing that was going to kill him. Chanyeol was going to be livid. He was expecting him to be there when he got home. Even if he started walking right that second there was no way he’d make it back to the settlement before sunset. The only way he was going to beat Chanyeol home was if the hunt had for some reason dragged on longer than they’d expected it to.

He stretched and groaned as something else clicked. Yeah, falling asleep with his back against a tree trunk really hadn’t been the smartest plan. Cursing himself for being so stupid he made to get up.

But before he could do it himself there was hand on his arm and he was being hauled to his feet. With his belly to contend with Yixing’s balance wasn’t the best to begin with so the added momentum had him stumbling.

“Whoa.” A familiar voice exclaimed, a hand going to his other arm to steady him.

And yes, of course it was. It was Chanyeol. Who else would it be?

“I didn’t go far.” Yixing told him, automatically defensive. That was all Chanyeol had asked of him. Nothing had been said about him staying out as long as he had. Therefore Chanyeol couldn’t be mad him. Or at least that was what Yixing told himself.

But Chanyeol didn’t look mad Yixing realised when he finally looked up at him. In fact he was smiling. “No you didn’t.” He agreed. “You look ridiculously cute when you’re asleep, do you know that?”

“Well I don’t feel cute.” Yixing told him with a frown. “I feel like I’ve been trampled by a herd of deer.”

Chanyeol’s smile only widened.

“It’s not funny.” Yixing protested.

“There’s no point being angry at me about it.” Chanyeol told him, grin not fading. “You’re the one who decided to take a nap outside. It wasn’t my idea.”

“It wasn’t my idea either.” Yixing grumbled. He was still half-asleep, he felt achy and sore and Chanyeol was laughing at him. It was better than him being mad but he still didn’t appreciate it.

“Then whose idea was it?” Chanyeol asked, clearly amused.

“I don’t know, theirs probably.” He said, his hand going to rub at his stomach. They were awake again and kicking. “I just know it wasn’t mine.”

“Theirs? So you believe Joonmyun now?” Chanyeol queried, tilting his head in question. It was a mannerism that was decidedly canine Yixing thought. It reminded him of the day they’d met and the almost innocent curiosity Chanyeol had shown when he’d stumbled across what could have been a hostile wolf in his territory. It was endearing and it immediately had his frown fading to be replaced by a smile.

“He said he wasn’t sure.” He reminded him. “There was nothing to believe or disbelieve.”

“But you think there are two now?” Chanyeol asked him, eyeing his stomach.

“Maybe.” Yixing answered with a shrug. “It would make sense. I am kind of enormous.”

“Yeah kind of.” Chanyeol agreed and Yixing supposed he couldn’t be too offended, not when it was the truth.

“And the last few days it’s felt like I’m being assaulted from all sides.” He added with a wince as one pup gave a well-placed kick. “That’s another point in Joonmyun’s favour.”

“Hmm.” Chanyeol mused, biting his lip. “They’re moving right now?”

Yixing nodded and took one of Chanyeol’s hands. He guided it to his stomach. “There.” He said. Then he took the other and placed it on a different spot. “And there.”

“I see what you mean.” Chanyeol said quietly, his brow furrowing in concentration. Then he lifted his head, his eyes meeting Yixing’s. “They’re strong.” He said, smile back.

He was very rarely not smiling Yixing thought as he nodded in agreement. It was one of the reason’s he’d stayed. If he ever felt down, if things got too much and he started to feel boxed in Chanyeol was that ray of sunshine reminding that things weren’t all bad.

“When we get home you need to tell Joonmyun.” Chanyeol decided, moving his hands from Yixing’s stomach. “It’ll make his day.” He added as they began walking.

Yixing shook his head. “No, when we get home I need to eat.” He told him. Saying the word ‘home’ and knowing it meant something made him feel inexplicably warm. Or maybe the warmth was from Chanyeol being so close to him. Maybe it was both. Either way he was happy he realised. His feet hurt, his back ached and his stomach was making embarrassing gurgling noises as it protested at being empty and it was going to be at least an hour until he’d be able to fill it but he was happy.

“Hungry?” Chanyeol asked, even though the answer must be obvious.

“Starving.” Yixing confirmed. Due to his impromptu nap he hadn’t eaten in what must have been six hours or more.

“It went well today. When we get back you can eat until you can’t anymore.” Chanyeol promised.

“Sounds good to me.” Yixing murmured and it really did. He didn’t think he’d ever been so hungry in his life. “You’re really not mad at me?” He asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

“You didn’t go far.” Chanyeol reasoned and Yixing took his hand.

“I didn’t.” he said as they continued on hand in hand.

Silence fell again. Five minutes later Chanyeol was the one to break it. “And you said you’d stay.” He said quietly.

“I did.” Yixing agreed. It might have taken Chanyeol a while to believe it but he’d meant what he’d said. He wasn’t going anywhere.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

For soft-kitty. I've never written this kind of AU before but I hope you like it.

The list:

Krisbaek for Rosasaur
Baekchen for kitten83
Krisho for suddon
Xiuhun for XxAngieexX
ing for jang-yehheung
Hanho for resurrection
Xiukris for weepywillow
Baektao for parkbyun
Chenyeol for tini1kero
Sesoo for hanadylaila
Lukai for AuthorJ
Kairis for mrmissM
Sutao for kkaebsong
Krischen for cutedi
Chenxing for VIPemma98
Sulay for Haruus
Layhan for damthemboys
Xiubaek for jantih
Xiukai for jantih
Xiulay for minminbaozi
Chantao for virogal
Chentao for virogal
Xiutao for MrMissM
Chanhun for Kaebsong
Lubaek for damethemboys
Taokai for BJ_VIP_Lover27
Taochen for nomundi
Kaibaek for CelestiaTaehyung
Baeksoo for sajoka