Sungmin paused his steps on the staircase landing, bending over to fold up the hems of the pants. It was a pair of loose training pants that was too long for his height. It belonged to Kyuhyun, as identified by the scent, and Sungmin experienced a momentary spark of happiness in the bedroom when he realized that his alpha allowed him to wear his clothes.

As he reached the first floor, it came to his attention that the house was quiet, along with the absence of alpha aura. He caught a soft, dull sound of ceramics knocking against a table, prompting him to wander towards the lighted room where the sound came from.

Sungmin peeped in, spotting Leeteuk transferring food out of a container to the crockery.

“Can I help you, sonsaengnim?” Sungmin asked as he walked in hesitantly, observing the small, yet clean kitchen. 

Leeteuk beamed at him, his left dimple a constant imprint on his face. “Hyung, call me hyung when we are not in school. And sure, can you get me another plate?” Leeteuk pointed at the corner where the plate holder was.

“Yes… hyung.” Sungmin distractedly made his way to the plates and grabbed one for Leeteuk. He threw glances to the door, wondering if Kyuhyun would just walk in the next second. His alpha seemed to have left the house, but he couldn’t be sure.

“They went out to get drinks. There was only wine and water in the house and I wanted some time alone with you.” Leeteuk answered his unspoken question, receiving the plate from him.

Time alone?

Silently, Sungmin followed Leeteuk out of the kitchen to the dining room. The walls were white, with a set of black oak dining table and matching chairs in the middle of the room. The monochrome theme throughout the house seemed to reflect the cold side of Kyuhyun’s personality. 

Sungmin watched as Leeteuk set the final two dishes on the table, gesturing for him to take a seat.

Forgetting about his wounds, Sungmin hissed when he lowered himself too quickly onto the hard surface of the chair. There were soft mutterings coming from Leeteuk, before his teacher started rummaging through a bag. The dimple smile reappeared on Leeteuk’s face when he found what he was looking for.   

“Here, for you,” Leeteuk placed a bottle in front of Sungmin. “Apply twice a day to your wounds. It will help you to heal faster.”

“Thank you…” Sungmin murmured, uneasiness creeping back into him.

“That idiot really went hard on you hur? I wasn’t there to see it, but the rumors sounded quite bad.”

Sungmin concentrated his gaze on the bottle, unsure of how he should respond to his teacher.

“Sungmin, are you alright?” Leeteuk’s voice picked up a concerned tone. “It’s normal for you to feel suppressed at the start after bonding, but you’re overly quiet compared to how you used to be.”

“Isn’t this what I’m expected to be?” Sungmin replied softly, submission washing over him.

“Oh god, Sungmin.” Leeteuk grabbed his hands. “Look at me.”

Sungmin obediently looked up.

“You probably know that Kyuhyun’s father was in the Council. Kyuhyun was brought up in a very strict and demanding environment and believe me, it’s not easy to live up to those expectations of society. He may have been too harsh on you on the first day, but the situation left him no choice. He had to act impartial so that the rest couldn’t use you as a reason to turn against him. If the rest feel that hurting you won’t affect him, they won’t be bothered to do so. He needs to put up that mask in front of others.”

No, he wasn’t acting. I’m only an omega he picked up; he doesn’t care whether I’m hurt.

“You understand what I’m saying, Sungmin?” Sungmin could only stare at Leeteuk, unspoken thoughts swimming wildly in his head. “Give him some time. He may seem cold, but he’s a good and caring person.”

How much time? Would time still matter when he sees my wolf form?

Leeteuk tucked a stray hair behind Sungmin’s ear. “It’s not going to be easy, but I know you are strong, Sungmin. You will do well as his spouse.”

Spouse? I’m only his… 

“And don’t let nature and fear get to you. You are who you define yourself as, and Kyuhyun will love you as you are.”

“He won’t.” Sungmin couldn’t stop himself from voicing this time.

A crease formed between Leeteuk’s eyebrows. “What are you talking about? Of course he will.”

“He doesn’t like me.” Sungmin said. “He wants an omega that submits entirely. I don’t know if I can do that.”

To Sungmin’s surprise, Leeteuk chuckled. “He may seem a little old-fashioned and strict because of his father’s upbringing, but he definitely doesn’t want a fully submissive partner.” Leeteuk smiled, seeming to remember something, or rather, someone.

“How do you know?”

“I saw him grow up, Sungmin. He may appear to be more mature than his peers, but you have to be patient with him. He’s still learning about everything like you.”

Sungmin shook his head, pulling out of Leeteuk’s hold. He understood the difficulty of Kyuhyun’s situation, but he didn’t understand Kyuhyun’s ever-changing attitude towards him. It confused him terribly, while Kyuhyun’s dominant side scared him.

Leeteuk smiled gently at him. “It’s okay, Sungmin. Kangin and I would be here to help you.”

“Sonsaengnim… what is your relationship with Kyu—him?”

“Hyung.” Leeteuk corrected. “Kangin, my alpha, is Kyuhyun’s cousin. My husband works in the Council, once under Kyuhyun’s father. He’s still there, but working in a less demanding position after Kyuhyun’s father passed away.”

Sungmin was slightly jealous that ‘my husband’ came out so smoothly from Leeteuk’s mouth. Before he could ask another question, there were sounds coming from the front door.

Kyuhyun’s aura filled his senses.

~--~

Sungmin gobbled down another mouthful of rice. He didn’t realize he was this hungry until they started eating.

“Eat slowly, Sungmin. Nobody is going to snatch your food.” Leeteuk said in an amused tone as he transferred more meat and vegetables into Sungmin’s bowl.