A/N: So there's a bit of time skip happening. i need it to make the story move on. Also I did see the comments on ch10 but didn't but have time to respond  I'll get to them tomorrow  

Time passed. Seungcheol and Jeonghan went to school, went to the café to work and learn how to cook. And they always every day tried their best to make Joshua fall in love with them. But nothing seemed to work. The two of them felt like they were getting absolutely nowhere with Joshua.

He had to their sadness and utter frustration, moved them to their own rooms and out of his bed. Granted they went shopping with him to add personal touches to their rooms, they were still ousted out of Joshua’s.

It made them more frustrated then they let out. Seungcheol had taken to sometimes whining more than he should and huddling into Joshua’s space wanting attention. He, purposely made sure to take the whole expanse of the couch, making Jeonghan snarl at him and sullenly take a seat on the floor between Joshua’s legs. Seungcheol had to take every opportunity he could to get closer to Joshua than Jeonghan did, the sneaky bastard.

While the two of them battled it out and tried to inch closer and closer into Joshua’s heart, and his pants, Joshua himself was having a dilemma. They thought they weren’t getting anywhere, which in their heads they weren’t, but it was a giant lie.

Joshua started to give them kisses for each meal or drink now that they started learning how to make those, the ones that were tasty anyhow. He hadn’t the heart to tell them if it wasn’t good. He simply told them it could be a bit better. But Joshua went from soft forehead kisses for job well dones, to soft kisses on the cheeks, and to his growing horror, soft kisses on the lips. Pecks that lasted for a few seconds and that left them seemingly breathless and wanting more. And Joshua, he couldn’t believe it but sometimes he gave them each more than one kiss, even when he put the rule for one kiss each.

But those weren’t the only worrying things. When Seungcheol and Jeonghan got close, he normally allowed them to hug him, put their heads in his lap, or on his shoulder. But lately they were letting their hands roam: down his thighs, under his shirt, tickling him a bit, putting their hands on his waist, touching his neck, rubbing their noses against it, and he let them. Joshua never pushed Jeonghan or Seungcheol away. It was like he was used to them, like they had grown on him. It was almost as if he was he were falling in love. And the prospect of that scared him beyond belief, because deep down Joshua knew that he was already half in love.

The fear of them loving him only because he had freed them still lingered in his mind. The idea of just having that dominance over them and being on unequal footing didn’t sit right with him.  Joshua couldn’t see a healthy relationship starting that way. Joshua would have to keep an eye out on all of the behavior that was crossing the line from now on. He let them get away with too much.

Joshua yawned and shuffled out of his room. He sort of missed Jeonghan and Seungcheol in his bed, but it was for the best. For them and for him. Distance would be better. Walking to Jeonghan’s room, he opened the door.

He started shaking Jeonghan awake. “Up Jeonghan. You and Seungcheol have to wake up for school. Come on.”

Jeonghan whined into his pillow, his ears flattening. “Shua,” he mumbled, “five more minutes. Please.”

Joshua ignored his pleas. Side stepping Jeonghan’s mischievous tail that started to make it way out from under the blankets and towards Joshua’s leg, he rubbed at Jeonghan’s ears. “Come on now. Up. You two promised me breakfast. Otherwise they’ll be no kisses today.”

Shooting up from his bed, Jeonghan nearly launched himself at Joshua, catching himself in time before he toppled him over. Hands on Joshua’s hips, he laid his chin on Joshua’s flat stomach. “No. I’m awake.”

Joshua smiled down at him. “Good. Now get going. I’m expecting something tasty today.” Gently, he took Jeonghan’s hands off him and moved to wake up the sleepy wolf hybrid next door.

Jeonghan nodded, barely keeping a pout off his face.

Going inside Seungcheol’s room, Joshua prepared himself for more pouting and potential whining and being pulled at to cuddle. The two of them had no shame. Seungcheol made it a bit harder as his tail was more fuller and he used it to his advantage. He would sometimes push it into Joshua’s face to shock him with a face full of wolf fur and then pull Joshua down to join him in bed. Seungcheol was just as bad, if not worse than Jeonghan when it came to being woken and trying to get Joshua to cuddle with him instead of wake up and get ready for the day.

“Seungcheol,” Joshua’s honeyed voice rang out, “time to wake up.” He went up to the bed and ruffled his hair. “Come on.”

“Cuddle with me and I’ll wake up,” he moaned, rolling into his blankets.

Smiling, Joshua shook his head. Seungcheol was a blanket hog. Something Joshua found out the hard way when the two of them still slept in his bed with him. Joshua woke up, Jeonghan wrapped around his front, but Joshua’s back was cold as Seungcheol had taken the blanket and wrapped himself into a burrito, leaving Joshua cold. Right now, the wolf hybrid was more like a burrito, clinging to the warmth rather than trying to cling to Joshua.

“Jeonghan’s making breakfast for me right now. If you don’t join him you won’t get your kiss either,” Joshua teased. The two of them were oddly competitive with each other, which Joshua tried to tamp down but it only worked so many times. But this time it did.

Joshua saw wolf ears pop up and the blanket burrito unwrapped itself, and Seungcheol sprang up, thankfully partially covered. Joshua still remembered when he nearly screamed at the two of them for not wearing things to bed. He put his foot down on letting them sleep in his bed with him if they weren’t wearing clothes.

“I’ll go,” he said. “Right now.”

“I can see that,” Joshua laughed. “Put on a shirt and then go brush your teeth before you join him.” He moved and pet him on the back of the head. “I’ll be waiting.”

Seungcheol nodded eagerly.

Downstairs the two of them cooked. They normally did a good job working together because it was a meal they were making for Joshua but today for some reason they snapped at each other more than usual.

“Watch it, you fat ,” Jeonghan snarled. “If you hit me one more time with your huge body the ingredients will spill.”

Seungcheol growled right back, feeling his hackles rise. “You watch yourself. You shouldn’t have gotten in my way.”

The two snarled almost wanting to fight but they stopped as they heard Joshua’s voice filter into the kitchen.

“How are you two doing? Do you need my help?” Joshua peeked his head and gave them that lovely smile.

Jeonghan shook his head. “No, we’re good Shua.”

“Yea. We’re almost done,” Seungcheol added. “It’ll taste great today.”

He looked to the both of them, nodding as they seemed to be ok and not arguing. “Ok. I’ll be upstairs finishing getting ready.”

They waved him off, relaxing as he left and they heard the soft footsteps go upstairs.

Seungcheol felt the urge to snap Jeonghan’s head off, but he suppressed it, merely growling at him.

Jeonghan was in a similar situation, wanting to skin Seungcheol. He had no idea why they were so aggressive with each other today.

“Let’s finish up. Otherwise we’ll be late for school,” the wolf hybrid said.

“Yea,” Jeonghan agreed, even when he felt like hitting him.

They went back to cooking, keeping the snapping to a minimum. Something about today was off.

School was better. They had at this point separated into different levels. Minghao and Seungcheol staying together and Jeonghan joining Jun in some of his courses. Being away from Seungcheol allowed Jeonghan to calm down and the urge to attack dwindled. But he still felt an odd itch. It couldn’t be could it… It wasn’t supposed to happen for another few months.

Jun nudged him hard, knocking him out of his thoughts. “Pay attention,” he hissed, “or else the prof will get angry like last week.”

Jeonghan nodded. “My bad. I just feel funky today.”

“Maybe you got sick,” he murmured, his hands never stopping in his note taking.

“Maybe,” Jeonghan mumbled back, joining Jun in taking notes again. Hopefully, he thought.

One floor down Seungcheol wasn’t doing much better from this morning. His ears were pricked up, on constant alert, like he felt like he was going to be attacked at any moment. His senses were heightened as well. It was starting to wig him out.

Nothing dangerous was going to happen here in school, so why was his blood thrumming like it was. The blood pounded through his head and he shifted his legs, jiggling them trying to get rid of some of the energy.

Minghao turned back to give him a side glance of concern.

Seungcheol shook his head. He was ok. He thought. Unless it was…nah. Couldn’t be. He wasn’t due to have his until after Jeonghan’s and the jaguar hybrid hadn’t had his yet.

Maybe he just needed more exercise to tire himself out. Yea, he thought, that was it. Too much energy and not enough exercise.

Problem was that work didn’t help either of them. It put them back in the same proximity and they nearly shoved one another into the wall for an accidental brush of shoulders. That one incident made Soonyoung separate them. Jeonghan into the wait staff and Seungcheol to the stock room.

Seungcheol himself asked to put there, in hopes of working off this energy.

And Soonyoung wasn’t above using Jeonghan’s good looks to attract customers.

It all became clear to them though when they got back home and Joshua opened the door, greeting them with his sweet smile and that sweet smell that seemed to fill their lungs more so than usual, their friends following him in for their planned dinner.

“,” Jeonghan said, pulling back. “We’re—“

“In heat,” Seungcheol finished. “.” Why hadn’t they felt the symptoms before? Why hadn’t any of the other hybrids smelled it off of them earlier? But it was questions for later.

“Oh ,” Jun said.

Minghao’s tail stood at alert. Mingyu took him by the shoulder, “What’s wrong Hao?”

“Stay back!” The both of them shouted at Joshua, startling him badly.

Minghao started to bare fang on instinct, in defense of himself and of Mingyu.

Joshua jerked back, almost like he was hit. They had never said that to him ever. “What’s wrong?” He tried to take a few steps more into the house, “Are you two all right,” but Jun took him by the shoulder, stopping him.

“Don’t get any closer,” Seungcheol said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t go in any more hyung,” Jun said, voice wary, angling Joshua back out the door.

Wonwoo’s eyes narrowed. “Jun?” He didn’t like being kept in the dark and this situation didn’t feel right in the slightest.

“We’re having our heat too early,” Jeonghan explained. “If you stay here—“

“We’ll want to have you,” Seungcheol added.

“Leave.”

“Oh my god,” Mingyu squeaked out.

“But,” Joshua jerked away from Jun, taking a more step into the house, “I can’t leave you two here. You two can’t possibly take care of yourselves alone.”

“Are you offering yourself Shua?” Jeonghan gave him a salacious grin.

It had Joshua taking a step back. They never talked about this after the doctors. The two of them brushed him off and Joshua hadn’t wanted to think about it.

“If no, then leave now Shua. Please,” Seungcheol said, “before we hurt you.” The blood started to pound again, the animal inside of him wanting to take over and fight Jun to get him off of Joshua.

Jun, at that moment, immediately pushed Joshua to Wonwoo. “We need to leave. Now. Before they fight us for Joshua. We’re standing in their way and they don’t like it.”

Clearly, they weren’t. Jeonghan’s eyes took on that inhuman glow again and the hair on his ears and tail stood up. Seungcheol was nearly the same, the glow of his eyes and the way his tail moved hypnotizingly.

Cautiously, Wonwoo grabbed Joshua by the waist and took a few steps back. Thankfully Joshua was too stunned to protest. Minghao stood in front of Mingyu, protecting him, and Jun in front of them all.

Jun growled at the two of them, making sure to watch Wonwoo and Joshua out of the corner of his eye, before shouting as they were close enough, “Run!”

Wonwoo picked Joshua up and ran. Mingyu following and Minghao right behind. Jun ducked as Seungcheol took a swipe at him and ran towards the door as well. Skidding, he nearly got clawed by Jeonghan before he slammed the door closed.

They all flinched as they heard claws against the door.

“Will they be all right,” Joshua asked in a small voice. He looked so lost. Nearly in pain, as Seungcheol howled into the air and Jeonghan added his own noise.

Jun sighed, letting the adrenaline slowly drain from his body.

Minghao and Mingyu were arguing quietly to the side.

“After tomorrow most likely,” Jun said.

The first day would be rough on them. The animal instincts taking over, wanting the person who wasn’t even in the house but his smell permeating it. After that they’d calm down, Jun and Minghao would visit to see if they were fine.

They wouldn’t have to go through the animal instinct of finding their wanted mate If Joshua had said yes though, and if they’d been prepared for the animal instinct. It wouldn’t be strong enough to take over but none of them were. So Seungcheol and Jeonghan had to tough it out before their senses came back to them.

Joshua stood there, in Wonwoo’s hold, trembling a bit. This was the first time he was truly ever scared of them. The way they had looked at Jun. Like animals trying to get what was theirs and they didn’t care what they had to do to get it.

“They’re strong,” Wonwoo said. “They’ll be fine.”

“But that’s what I’m worried about,” Joshua said softly, “that they’re too strong and they’ll kill each other.”