VI

Panting, Chanyeol sat on his hind legs and watched as Baekhyun happily ran up the hill in front of them, got to the top and rolled down again. He smiled mentally, it was adorable. It was a very sunny Saturday, and they had decided to go to the park, since Chanyeol had found out that Baekhyun loved to be outdoors. Besides, he hadn’t seen him in his wolf form until now. Baekhyun’s fur was a clearer brown than his own, mixed with cream at the bottom, and it looked so soft that Chanyeol had spent a good few minutes rubbing his muzzle against his side.

That had been before the omega had started running around and trying to get him to play with him. Baekhyun was energetic and playful as omegas usually were, and although the alpha was delighted about it, after a couple of hours he just wanted to rest under tree for a while, and appreciate the nature around him.

Soon enough the heat made Baekhyun look for shelter, and they both went back to the lockers to shift and get their clothes back.

"What are you laughing at?" Chanyeol asked him a while later. He had suggested they went to the park’s outdoor restaurant to get an ice cream, to which Baekhyun had enthusiastically agreed. He was now laughing at his phone’s screen.

"At Kyungsoo being ridiculous," he answered. "He keeps sending me pictures of 'the beautiful scenery' but it's basically Kai being shirtless around," he turned the phone around to show him the screen. Indeed, there was a picture of a sunny beach, but the main subject seemed to be Kai sitting on a chair gazing distractedly at the sea with a drink in his hand. 

Chanyeol smiled. "He's so sweet." 

"It's disgusting," Baekhyun declared, taking his phone back presumably to inform Kyungsoo of how disgusting he was. Kai's anniversary gift had turned out to be a holiday of four weeks. Kai hadn't taken any holidays in two years, to Kyungsoo's worry and dismay, and now he was making it up to him.

"Baek, I have to tell you something, but you have to promise you won't freak out," Chanyeol said after he had finished his ice cream. Baekhyun left his phone on the table and glanced towards him. 

"What is it?" 

"Promise first." 

"Okay, I promise," he conceded with a distrustful expression. 

"I was talking to my lawyer, and it turns out we have to make the transfer of property of your apartment to me-" 

"What?! But!" 

"Don't freak o-" 

"Chanyeol, what does that mean?! That's my apartment! If it's in your name then I won't be able to receive the bills! And many of them are automatically charged to my bank account. That apartment was a gift from my dad when I graduated from college!" 

Chanyeol breathed in deeply. "I know that. But there's no way around it. A mated omega can't own real estate by law. You should know that!" 

"I know, but I thought that the alpha had the choice-" 

"Me too, but my lawyer says that no, it isn't interpreted like that, and I'm breaking the law. I'll pay your bills, Baek. It's just something temporary anyway..." he was saying, but the omega was hastily standing up and walking away from him.

"Baekhyun, come back here!" Chanyeol exclaimed, using his authoritative voice.

The omega stopped on his tracks and reluctantly headed back to him. His expression was devastated.

Everyone sitting at the restaurant was