The EXO pack, as it turned out, wasn’t as intimidating or frightening as other packs made them out to be. In fact, if Jongdae could be honest, they were kinda just a bunch of massive dorks.

            Their little maknae-line, Jongin, Sehun, and Zitao, were just what you’d expect from them: a rag-tag group of prankster brats. If it wasn’t Jongin recording Kris and Zitao ing, it was Sehun replacing Chanyeol’s stashes with Bibles. If it wasn’t Sehun putting chocolate into Jongdae’s rice when he wasn’t looking, it was Zitao replacing all of Luhan’s pants with thin, flimsy tutus. If it wasn’t Zitao intentionally starting a water fight in Kyungsoo’s kitchen, it was Jongin replacing all of Yixing’s classical music with heavy metal. And that wasn’t even the half of it; the three didn’t seem to care what they did, or who got hit, even if it was themselves or their mates. Everyone was fair game in the pranks, and well— “All’s fair in love and war, hyung.”

            Jongdae may or may not have teamed up with them once or twice before.

            Next in the age line was Kyungoo—oh, poor, poor Kyungsoo. Being one of the few actually serious and responsible people in the pack, the wide-eyed boy far too often found himself scolding others or whacking the maknae-line with a spatula. Jongdae felt a bit bad for the boy, because, since he and Baekhyun had arrived, things had been no easier on him. Rather than getting two possible allies in his battle against the pranksters, he got Baekhyun, the new partner-in-crime for Chanyeol, who was hyperactive enough on his own, and Jongdae, a part-time ally, part-time enemy, and full-time laughing spectator. They caused so much ruckus, the four of them, that the rest of the pack started calling them the ‘beagle line,’ much to Kyungsoo’s dismay— “But I’m not the one doing any of it!” “You’re still just as loud, Kyungsoo-yah.”

            Then there were Joonmyeon and Yixing, the quiet couple watching their antics with hidden smirks and slight eyerolls. Joonmyeon was who they really considered to be the ‘mother’ of the group. At first, Jongdae had thought it to be Kyungsoo, but though the owl-eyed boy was quite the responsible (read: nagging) and authoritative figure in the pack, Joonmyeon seemed to fit the role better, and not just because he was a lesser Alpha and the leader’s right-hand man, making him higher ranking in the pack. More than anything, he was the one everyone turned to for comfort, for explanations, for wisdom. Yixing, on the other hand, was there to cover, to protect, to heal. He wouldn’t step in the middle of confrontations or try to give his advice, but instead, he would sit back and wait, watching what would happen and supporting everyone and anyone, no matter what.

            Though he was only the third oldest, Kris, also known as Yifan, was the pack leader, a bold Alpha with a cold outer shell, but soft and squishy insides. If there was any one person who left a first impression completely different from their true personality, it was Kris. Sure, the man would constantly glare at other packs and be intimidating and all that, but as soon as they were behind closed doors, it was a whole new ballgame. Gone was the looming tower of scariness and ‘oh my god that guy’s gonna kill me,’ and in its stead, stood the wonky streetlamp of ‘he’ll never wake up before noon’ and ‘you’d think he’d get some resistance against Tao’s cuteness but no’ and, of course, ‘I swear to God if he eats all my chicken one more time I’m gonna—”

            Ahem.

            Moving on.

            Last in the line, at the very top of the age list, were the two best friends who still somehow looked like they were teenagers: Luhan and Minseok (no, Jongdae did not still shiver when he thought of his soul mate's name what are you talking about that would be ridiculous). But, older as they are, those two really didn’t seem to be any better than their little baby prankster trio. They were a fun duo, if not a bit silly themselves. Though, their little practical jokes never really escalated to the prankster-trio-level, and it was often with just the little things, like hiding someone’s wallet and then asking them to pay for something (no, Jongdae had not been on the receiving end of that prank obviously). But more than anything, they were close— best friends that played football together and understood each other without having to talk that much and were practically joined at the hip (no, Jongdae was not jealous, for ’s sake—).

            “Jongdae? Is everything alright?” a voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked up from where he was sitting on one of the the living room couches to see Joonmyeon, fresh pajamas on and towel around the neck, staring down at him in concern.

            “I’m fine, hyung,” he reassured with a smile, though the other didn’t seem convinced at all.

            “Why don’t you go out and join them? It’s a wonderful time to swim, right now,” the older boy pressed, but Jongdae just shook his head.

            In all honesty, he did want to join them. He wanted to take part in the things they did and really bond with them more. But more than anything, even if he’s somewhat gotten used to being here, after the first week or so of shock and adjustment, he still just didn’t feel… right. Sure, he’d talk with them and hang out with them and played pranks with them and everything, but within the pack, it was just like there was no place that he belonged.

            Baekhyun transitioned in easily, but somehow, Jongdae still felt like he was just an outsider, watching in on the happenings of the pack in a detached, clinical way, rather than as friends, as family. Perhaps it was because he was a half-breed and Baekhyun wasn’t? Or maybe he just wasn’t as outgoing as his best friend was?

            Either way, Jongdae knew it wasn’t a good mindset to have, what with the next full moon coming up in a few weeks. He wasn’t sure if the pack would make him go with them during that time (he most certainly didn’t want to, after their last experience), but even if he didn’t go, he’d still be at a time of vulnerability. To let the others see that, when he didn’t even feel that close with anything of them personally, just felt… wrong. The full moon would awaken his inner beast more and more, constantly urging to let loose, yet more than anything, it took away from who he was as a person. The urges, though somewhat weak compared to full-breeds, gnawed away at his reasoning, at his emotions, at his compassion, and tried only to fulfill the most carnal and base of desires. He wouldn’t be able ignore or forget about everything that happened either, like many wolves did, seeing as his human half (or well, his human three-quarters, he supposed) would constantly be aware throughout the whole thing. And on top of all that, who knew what this whole ‘soul mates’ thing could’ve done to his wolf’s desires?

            Minseok.

            He frowned as the name came to mind (ignoring the little shivers—not shivers totally not shivers why would he be shivering that’d be dumb duh obviously uhm well ahem— he felt). Minseok was quite amiable, definitely funny, and all-round just a nice guy. There really shouldn’t have been anything to complain about, but Jongdae couldn’t help but wonder… if they were soul mates and all, shouldn’t they be… closer? Sure they talked and hung out and everything, but in all honesty, Jongdae found himself more often messing with Kyungsoo or reading with Yixing than he ever did having a single conversation with Minseok. Since that first day, when they met and all, they hadn’t once brought up the topic of their… bond, almost to the point where it felt like they were both ignoring it, consciously or not.

            “No thanks, hyung; not really in the mood for it,” Jongdae replied back quietly, and Joonmyeon sighed. But, rather than leaving, like the half-breed boy expected to him, the pack mom plopped down besides Jongdae, putting one of his hands on the boy’s knee supportively.

            “Alright, tell Joonmama what’s wrong,” the older boy said with a smirk, and Jongdae rolled his eyes, playfully shoving at the other.

            “Nothing,” he replied with a slight laugh, but even to him, it sounded a bit forced.

            “Oh?” Joonmyeon prompted, one eyebrow raised. “So is that why you’ve been silently sulking to yourself lately?” Jongdae couldn’t help the little whine he made at those words, and he could practically feel the older boy’s smugness. “Even though, when you first came here, you seemed to be best friends with everyone? Hm?” When Jongdae didn’t respond after a minute, Joonmyeon continued, his voice becoming more serious and his tone softening more and more with each word. “You’ve been putting off officially becoming a member of the pack too, even though Baekhyun’s already gone through the rituals and everything. Trust me when I say that everyone’s worried, even if they won’t say it. Are you not happy here? Is something wrong?”

            Jongdae sighed, ruffling his hair in frustration as Joonmyeon spoke. This was exactly what he wanted not to happen. He didn’t want the rest of the pack to feel responsible for him, to focus on him, to question him like this. He knew it was their way of trying to support him, but he didn’t need it; he survived on his own for long enough, and even when he was with Baekhyun, he was pretty independent. With a pack, it felt like he had to rely solely on others, to detail all of his troubles and grievances to them, or else he’d just seem like a burden to everyone else.

            Really, that was one of the center issues to all this. Besides the fact that he just didn’t speak to the primary reason for him being here, he just wasn’t cut-out for pack life. He’d spent so much of his life constantly worried that his ‘pack’ would kill him in his sleep, and once he was out on his own as a rogue, there was no one he could trust. Even with Baekhyun, who had literally saved his life, it took over a year for him to really open up to him properly. To a whole group of strangers who, although they did save him, already had their own dynamic and bonds? It just didn’t feel right, and if anything, it just felt like he was taking advantage of their kindness, using it without doing anything in return.

            “Hyung, it’s really nothing, alright?” he said, his voice losing more and more conviction as he spoke. “Give me time; it hasn’t even been two weeks yet. I’m just a little… tired, I guess.” Joonmyeon was obviously not convinced, but the man knew when to put a stop in things, and with a shrug, he stood up, walking over to a shelf by the TV.

            “Let’s watch a DVD, then,” he said as he picked out a movie. Jongdae noticed that the man’s hands were, unsurprisingly, quite wrinkly. Joonmyeon already swam every single morning, and the half-breed boy had no doubt that the older male gleefully accepted the offer to go swimming earlier this afternoon when Jongin brought it up, mentioning that it wouldn’t be long before it was too cold to even dip their toes into the pool. Jongdae was more surprised that the older boy hadn’t stayed in longer, and that he hadn’t just turned into a massive prune by now.

            But well, he couldn’t complain, because he assumed a prune wouldn’t be that comfortable to cuddle with, like he and Joonmyeon were doing now. The older boy had put on some random little rom-com, nothing too serious, sad, or philosophical. Just something nice and decent to pass the time before dinner. Once the older boy had sat down, they situated themselves so that the two were practically leaning on each other, with Jongdae practically lying on half of Joonmyeon’s chest as he slid down from where he had been leaning his head on the man’s shoulder. The older boy had an arm slung around him, supporting him while also just resting. It was comfy enough for a movie, and Jongdae found himself relaxing into the position as he allowed himself to be drawn into the world of cheesy pop soundtracks and overdone dating tropes.

            Vaguely, he wondered why the mark on his wrist burned and why he felt like someone was staring at him.

----

            Even after around five years of living in the Seoul area, he couldn’t say he understood city weather that much. It was far more… unpredictable, than weather in the countryside. One day, the climate could be quite moderate, if not a little cool from wind breezes, but the next day, they’d suddenly be hit by bursts of rain and an unusually chilly night.

            That was the situation Jongdae was facing now. It was around mid-October by now, and the fall weather had been absolutely beautiful up until then. But just that morning, as Joonmyeon and a few others planned to go on yet another swim in the backyard pool, they were greeted only with cloudy skies and constant showers—light enough to be reasonable, but heavy enough to take swimming out of the agenda for the day. The rain came in segments, with the clouds sometimes swamping over them overbearingly, but other times, entirely gone from sight.

            By night time, however, most of the rain had passed, besides the light drizzles that hit them occasionally. In its wake however, it had left them with dropping temperatures, and god dammit it was too early in the year to turn on heating, wasn’t it?

            Sighing, Jongdae hauled himself up out of bed, shuffling out of his room and downstairs to make himself a hot drink after he’d been woken up by the chilliness in his room, all the while keeping a thin blanket around him protectively. He’d never been the best with the cold, always preferring the light, moderate temperatures of spring, or even the excessive heat of summer, to the biting chill of autumn or winter. Luckily, they weren’t at winter yet, so while the house was relatively cold, it was nothing a little bit of internal and external warmth couldn’t fix.

            Just as he finished making his hot cocoa and started trudging his way back over to the staircase so he could go back to his room, finish his drink, and sleep, something caught his eye. He looked over to the glass door by the living room, which led to their porch—though it acted more like a balcony, since the house itself was on a ledge more than anything—as he saw some slight movement. To his surprise, someone was sitting out there, out one of the little lounging porch chairs they had set up. Jongdae shuffled over to the door, opening it and stepping out slowly, cautious even in his half-dazed state. He blinked, however, when the moonlight shone on a very familiar face, one that had been on Jongdae’s mind for ages now, whether he admitted it or not.

            “Minseok hyung?” he questioning softly, so as to not startle the older man. His voice was a bit hoarse from sleep, but it didn’t crack, somehow, and the mentioned man looked over at him, first in surprise and confusion, then in understanding and welcoming.

            “Jongdae? Shouldn’t you be asleep?” Minseok asked, though he gestured for Jongdae to sit down on the seat next to him. The half-breed boy complied, albeit with a small frown marring his face.

            “I could ask the same to you,” he shot back, but Minseok just chuckled, ruffling his hair slightly—Jongdae would later deny to himself how the little action ran shocks through his spine.

            “Couldn’t sleep, so I decided to spend it outside,” the older man replied easily, but Jongdae was still pouting, gripping his mug tightly to retain its warmth.

            “It’s cold out here, hyung; you should go inside,” he pressed, taking a little sip out of his hot cocoa as he spoke.

            “’S fine,” Minseok hummed, looking out into the space in front of him. Jongdae followed his gaze, staring at the scenery the night had given them. It was beautiful, really; because of how high up they were in this house, even in the first story, they had a wonderful, slightly overhead view of the forest around them, with just a little bit of the bright city lights peeking over teasingly. The sight was magnificent, and Jongdae probably would’ve lost himself in it, had Minseok not continued talking. “I like the cold anyway, and besides—it’s not too bad out right now.”

            The younger boy scoffed. Not too bad his . He was basically shivering at this point, through his cotton pajamas, wool socks, and thin blanket. Still, Minseok really didn’t seem to be that affected right now, especially considering he didn’t even have a blanket or anything besides his regular night clothes with him.

            “It’s cold enough,” Jongdae mumbled as he took another sip at his hot drink, but as soon as he did, Minseok was grinning at him and suddenly, the mug was gone from his grasp. He stared blankly into the air for a second before he realized that not only had the older boy taken it, but also that he was now taking a swig of the drink for himself. Yet it was only a short one, and seconds later, the mug was being passed back into Jongdae’s hands.

            “There,” Minseok said in a mock-triumphant voice, “that’ll keep me warm for now.” Jongdae blushed—though later he knew he’d blame the cold, crisp air—immediately standing up, ignoring the squeaking noise the chair made as it scrapped against the floor. He turned and walked over to the door, keeping his head down in embarrassment—though he could practically feel the worry and surprise on Minseok’s face. He slid the glass door open, just about the step inside before he sighed and looked ever-so-slightly over his shoulder, just to catch his eyes on Minseok’s chin.

            “…Don’t stay out too long, or you’ll catch a cold,” he muttered quickly, before throwing the door behind him closed, bolting up to his room as he tried to forget the satisfied, goofy grin that was on the older man’s face as he left.

            It was only once he reached his room did he allow himself to calm him down, taking deep breaths as he stepped over to his bed. His little relaxation method didn’t last long, however, as he quickly realized something.

            Not only had Minseok just smoothly took a sip of his drink, he also somehow managed to purposefully turn the mug and drink right out of the same side Jongdae drank from.

            The half-breed boy groaned, setting his drink on his nightstand and falling back onto his bed exasperatedly. The mark on his arm tingled a little, but he ignored it, instead focusing all his attention on not thinking about what just happened (surprise, surprise— he failed). Well, one thing was certain:

                    He most certainly felt warm now.

yeeeee i finally updated! sorry for taking a little longer than usual guys; this past week's been hectic for me ;a; i added in a little fluffy xiuchen moment at the end tho, so hopefully that makes up for it!!

but yeah, now we're getting into some more of the complications of the xiuchen relationship (or well, lack thereof) so that's interesting. there are only a couple-- maybe three-- chapters left though, so prepare yourself for a little bit of a wild ride in the upcoming chapters!! As always, if you enjoyed this, have any questions, or just want to say something, let me know in the comments below! Happy reading~ <3