Chapter 15

It was one kiss. Nothing more. Changmin was a gentleman as always. He didn't try for anything else and didn't push the issue when Xiumin lowered his head guiltily. Changmin rubbed a soothing circle on his lower back as if he knew how he felt and wasn't angry at him for it. That just made things worse.

He knew that he should leave but Changmin made him sit down again and he didn't have the strength to argue. He didn't want to feel guilty. He wanted to be excited that Changmin was finally back and fall into bed with him like he had in the past. Everything had been so perfect back then, so pure and simple and easy. Now Luhan complicated everything.

“I'm sorry,” Changmin whispered. “I didn't mean to push you.”

Xiumin shook his head. Changmin had never pushed him, not even that first night when he had been in heat. Changmin had slept out on the couch like he promised and only the fact that Xiumin had never had before kept him from giving in to his heat and going to beg him for .

The next day it was like all of Xiumin's walls came crashing down. They sat in bed together for most of the day and Changmin coaxed out of him all of his worries and fears about living in a dorm of feral, packless wolves. Changmin had growled deep in his throat when Xiumin had described what he heard them do through the walls and how afraid he was of them catching him in heat. He made Xiumin promise to come to him if anything ever happened. Xiumin didn't understand why but two days later when Changmin finally kissed him it suddenly made sense. They were never apart after that.

“It's just so complicated,” Xiumin admitted. “I didn't go looking for someone else. Really.”

“I believe you. You're a good boy. I should have fought harder to take you with us.”

“It wasn't your fault. That's just how things worked out.”

Changmin wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him up against him where he could hold him in silence and breathe in his scent. Xiumin knew what he was doing but didn't pull away. He felt safe here, with Changmin, and he could pretend for a moment that he had never left. But the guilt was still there like a stone in his belly. He knew Luhan was waiting for him at home.

“I should go,” he said quietly.

Changmin let him slip out of his arms. “Can I see you again?”

No answer.

“Please? I don't want to make things difficult for you but you're my pet and I still love you. We were happy, right?”

Xiumin looked up at him with big, earnest eyes. “Of course we were. But I can't just leave Luhan. He doesn't deserve that.”

Changmin tipped his head sympathetically. “You always were too sweet for your own good, baby.”

“I should go.” Xuimin didn't trust himself to think about Changmin's words or look at him for too long. He stood up shakily and headed for the door. Changmin followed but didn't try to stop him.

“When can I see you again?” he asked while Xiumin pulled his shoes on.

“I don't know.”

“Is your number the same?”

Xiumin nodded.

“I'll call you then, okay?”

“Okay.” What was he supposed to do other than agree? He didn't pull away when Changmin gave him a hug and kissed his cheek before he left.

“Is that a good idea?”

Changmin spun around in surprise as soon as the door shut behind his ex. His leader was at the end of the corridor, watching with a carefully guarded expression.

“You knew I would find him as soon as we got back.”

“But he's moved on, just like we said he would.”

Changmin's jaw tightened. “He was lonely because you wouldn't let him come with us. That doesn't mean he's not still in love with me.”

Yunho shook his head gently. “He couldn't come with us. The exchange programme only had space for five people.”

They had had this argument a million times already but Changmin couldn't help himself from saying, “If you had made him a full member of the pack instead of a pet then they would have let him.”

“Not just anyone can join the pack, Changmin. You two barely knew each other.”

“You were willing to make him a pet, to offer our protection. Why not just let him join the pack?”

“Of course we gave him our protection. That dorm he was in was awful. It's not that I don't like him, Changmin, but letting him join our pack when we're so well balanced and we barely knew anything about him would be stupid. He was safe enough when we left.”

The memories of what Xiumin's ex-roommates had tried to to do him, how much they had scared him, had Changmin's hands clenching into fists. They had been lucky to have been expelled because if they hadn't been he would have ripped them apart himself.

“Look, Changmin, he's moved on. Isn't that proof that we made the right choice? You wouldn't have lasted.”

“He wouldn't have moved on if you hadn't left him behind,” he snapped.

“He was the one that stopped talking to you. Maybe you were more invested in this relationship than he was.”

Changmin growled at his leader, forgetting his place for a moment. “You know that's not true. He still belongs to me. He came here today didn't he? I know he wants me back.”

“Sweetie, don't put too much hope into this.”

“Shut up!” Changmin didn't want to hear it. He hadn't lost Xiumin yet. “Just leave me alone.”

Yunho sighed but said no more and Changmin slammed the bedroom door behind himself in his anger.

Baekhyun couldn't sleep. He was amazed that he hadn't woken his boyfriend with all his tossing and turning but still Chanyeol lay beside him, mumbling and softly in his sleep. He was dreaming about something but Baekhyun didn't know what.

It was a warm night and the blankets felt like the were weighing down on him too heavily but more than that he just couldn't get him mind to shut up. All day he had watched his boyfriend hover around Chen, giving him hugs,asking if he was okay, doing little things for him. The longer it went on the worse Baekhyun felt.

He knew Chen was still upset with Kris and he was trying to make him feel better too but something about Chanyeol's behaviour seemed different. He was so concerned with Chen's wellbeing. Maybe he had always been like that and Baekhyun had just never noticed before. But if that was the case then why was he noticing it now? It wasn't like Chanyeol had been neglecting him. He still treated his boyfriend well.

Sighing heavily Baekhyun gave up and pushed away the covers. Quietly he padded out to the kitchen to get a cold drink. It refreshed him a little, at least enough for him to try sleeping again.

It was only when he passed back through the living room that he noticed a lump on the couch. His eyes had become accustomed to the dark and he recognised the shape of Chen lying under a blanket, fast asleep. Maybe he and Kris had had another argument, although he hadn't heard anything, or maybe he had just been too warm in his bedroom too.

Baekhyun left him where he was and returned to his room. He was greeted with a loud moan as Chanyeol rolled onto his back.

“Baby,” he murmured deeply.

“I'm here,” said Baekhyun.

Chanyeol groaned again and pressed his head back against the pillows. That was when Baekhyun realised he was still asleep.

“Mmm, Chen.”

He froze in the doorway, his stomach feeling like a lead weight. He stared at his boyfriend as he loosed a long sigh, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

“So good,” he mumbled. The covers rustled as his hips moved beneath them once.

Baekhyun backed out of the room. So he had been right. There had been something more. He didn't know why but the shock of it had tears springing to his eyes. He couldn't go back there and lie next to his lover as he moaned someone else's name in his sleep.

Quietly he opened the door to the other bedroom and crept inside. He heard Kris shift in the bed and grunt as he slipped into the bed beside him.

“Chen?” he asked sleepily.

Baekhyun pressed up against him, burying his face against his alpha's chest. He let go of whatever resolve had held him together for the few seconds it had taken him to get there and then broke down. Shaking, he sobbed against Kris's chest and felt strong, safe arms wrap around him instantly.

“Oh, puppy, what's wrong?”

But Baekhyun's throat was too tight to speak and his tears came too strongly. He just pressed himself closer and cried.

Because Baekhyun deserves PAAAAIIINNN!!!

No, I'm kidding. I love Baekhyun but I torture the ones I love most. Don't hate me.