Summer break had finally come after two grueling semesters of your first year attending university and you were enjoying the hot, sunny, stress free days immensely. Most of your time was being spent with your boyfriend Chen. The two of you have been friends since middle school, sharing a few mutual connections, and around Christmas of your sophomore year of high school he had plucked up the courage to tell you how he really felt. His confession had come as a complete shock to you, at first you had harbored a deep crush for him long before then and were convinced he had seen you as nothing more than a good friend.

Needless to say you started dating and had been nearly inseparable ever since.

You always knew there was something…different about Chen, but you tried to push that to the back of your mind and just enjoy your boyfriend for exactly who he was. You were able to ignore the sometimes unsettling gut feeling the haunted you every so often, until that fall evening of your senior year when you were at Chen’s house with all his friends. You all were settled in the living room for the evening, sprawled over the couch, loveseat and the floor as you marathoned the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy while stuffing your faces with candy and popcorn.

Everything had been running smoothly until Chen and Chanyeol started roughhousing. There was nothing new with the two play fighting with each other, and the majority of the time they knew their boundaries, but when they were crossed things could get ugly fast.

This time around Chanyeol had Chen pinned face down to the ground, holding both of Chen’s wrists in one if his own giant hands. Chanyeol’s knee pressed hard into the small of Chen’s back, rendering the smaller completely immobile.

“Alright, alright I give! Now get your fat off me, I can’t breathe,” Chen huffed out, turning his face to the side so he wouldn’t inhale a mouthful of carpet. When Chanyeol didn’t budge, Chen began to really struggle, shifting his fully body weight from side to side and trying his hardest to rock Chanyeol off his back. But Chanyeol wasn’t budging, his long and lanky limbs giving him serious leverage over Chen.

“Come on Chanyeol, get the off me,” Chen snapped harshly at his friend, but the latter still refused to move, instead pressing his knee even further into Chen’s spine causing the smaller to let out a pained yelp. Tao made a move to get off the couch and try to end the scuffle, but with a slight raise of Joonmyeon’s hand he fell back against the couch, body rigid and eyes trained on the pair on the ground.

Suddenly a loud rip tore through the room, followed by a low growling sound. You distinctly heard Jongin breathe out an oh before the scene in front of you actually processed in your head.

The place Chen was previously shoved into the ground found Chanyeol flat on his back, and crouching over him a rusty colored wolf with sharp canines bared with a growl grumbling low in its throat. A large paw firmly held an extremely pissed looking Chanyeol down. The wolf warningly snapped its jaws at Chanyeol’s throat as the male tried to wiggle free. You peeked over the couch you had quickly taken refuge behind when the wolf, beast, thing had pinned Chanyeol.

“God damn it, get her out the out of here…NOW,” Kris’ rough voice boomed from across the room, and before you knew it a strong set of hands grasped your biceps and pulled you from the room. The last thing you saw was Chanyeol, finally out from under the wolf, backing slowly towards the opposite door and snarling at the wolf following him with calculated footsteps. It wasn’t until you were seated in the kitchen that you realized Chen was nowhere to be found.

Before you could even open your mouth to call out for your boyfriend, Suho cut you off. He had reluctantly explained everything to you then and there, the EXO pack and its long lineage, the chain of command in the pack, how the moon cycles affected them, and how imperative it was you kept their secret safe.

At first you laughed, because it was clearly obvious that they were just messing with you like always, or maybe you were just dreaming. Giggling almost hysterically, you figured it was the latter, and that at any second your alarm would wake you. But when you finally noticed the serious, and frankly out of place, look donning everyone’s face, your laughter stopped, leaving the room silent.

“Well , you weren’t kidding.”

This had been a little while ago and you had adjusted rather nicely. When Jongdae had finally calmed down, the two of you had a long, private discussion and were able to clear everything up, and your relationship had resumed as if nothing had happened. Suho and the rest of the pack were very thankful for your open mind.

Unfortunately the summer was nearing its end, which meant soon you would be starting back at the university, your time being consumed by books, lectures and late night study sessions in the campus library.

As always, you were spending time with Chen and the rest of the Exo pack. It had been decided earlier in the week that a day trip to the late was absolutely necessary to have before everyone became busy again. You were picked to bring a fresh watermelon, which actually went along perfectly with Chen’s cooler full of ice he was responsible for. You were so excited to get out with all of your friends, to be in the hot sun and play volleyball and not get in the water whatsoever. It wasn’t that you didn’t like it, you drank it all the time and obviously bathed in it, but after you nearly drowned in a public pool when you were nine the swimming experience had been ruined for you.

Finally the day had come, and after the lovely morning with Chen at the local farmers market you knew it was going to be an amazing day. You could just feel it. Once your beach bag was all packed, you helped your boyfriend load the cooler packed with ice, drinks and a huge watermelon into the back of your car before you set off to the lake. It was a beautiful day, the sky was a vivid blue, and puffy white clouds would occasionally shade the bright sun before blowing on. In the passenger seat was Chen belting out every song on the radio in his striped tank top and shades. He looked so carefree and adorable, you couldn’t help the smile spreading across your face.

After about half an hours worth of driving, the two of you had finally made it to Fall Creek, a secluded little lake in the national park, and looking at the few vehicles, it looked like you were one of the last ones to make it, the rest of the boys already splashing around in the water. Luckily it looked as though you all had the lake to yourselves for the day, and it was pretty unlikely anyone else would be coming out this way. As soon as you and Chen had dragged all the stuff you brought over to the shaded picnic area, he gave you a chaste peck and ran off to join his packmates out in the sun. You giggled to yourself as you watched him dive into the water and resurface next to Baekhyun, who immediately dunked his face back under again. Boys.

While your boyfriend played around in the lake, you decided you would spend your time relaxing, laying down a towel next to Minseok and Luhan and pulling out the book you had been working on getting through for the past week. You could use some sun and good company.

Just as you had gotten engulfed in your book, you were pulled back to reality in the form of a hand on your wrist pulling you towards the lake. As soon as you realized what Chen was about to do, you felt anxiety creep up your chest and into your throat and you started to resist him. His natural reaction was to just laugh and pull you a bit harder, he didn’t get that you were actually trying to really get away.

“Chen, stop, stop please just stop right now!” You raised the volume of your voice as it started to tremble and tears sprang to your eyes. Your whole body flushed with fear and embarrassment, not meaning to create a scene in the process of getting away. Chen dropped your wrist and pulled you an arms length away instead, looking at you with concern.

“Baby, what’s wrong? You know I was only kidding… did I hurt you?” His eyes fell to the wrist he was previously dragging you by, but you shook your head, unable to speak as the hot tears trailing down your cheek made you mute. You looked down at the ground and wiped your cheeks and heard him call out your name to look at him.

“Please talk to me...I’m so sorry for whatever I did wrong, but I need you to tell me what I did so I can fix this.” Chen held your hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the back of your hand, one of the buttons he knew to press that would calm you down in a heartbeat, and it was working. You had found your voice again, and were able to explain that you didn’t really care for swimming after the whole pool incident.

“I know it sounds totally stupid, please don’t laugh at me…but I just tend to freak out a little near bodies of water that are any bigger than my bathtub.”

Chen stood there for a moment just looking at you before a bright smile broke across his lips.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I can help you get over this fear you have, I helped my nephew last summer, I’m sure I can help you too.” You looked at him with mild disbelief, but at the same time it really warmed your heart to know he was so willing to help and not judge you.

“Alright, I’m listening.”

~~

The sun was just about to set, and you and the rest of the boys were sprawled out on your towels with full bellies. Sehun had already fallen asleep curled up next to Tao, and your head was nestled on Chen’s thigh as he his fingers through your damp hair.

After a bit more coaxing Chen had finally gotten you into the water. You had clung to his back the entire time as he swam the both of you around the shallow section of the lake. You weren’t ready to venture out into the deeper parts just yet. But he had eased you into to water with him and calmed you down by just talking about nonsensical things, pulling your mind from your fears and onto him and the beautiful day instead.

“Hey, don’t zone out on me now water bug. Did you have a good time today?” Chen’s voice spoke quietly to you. You smiled and nodded in confirmation.

“It was amazing,” You said as you tried to suppress a yawn with your hand. “But you’re driving us home tonight.”

Chen chuckled at you and continued playing with your hair.

“Anything for you.”