Sehun stared at the hand on Jongin’s waist. 

The alpha in him wanted to rip Chanyeol arm right out of its socket. It wanted to push the tall beta on the ground and snatch the omega up. It wanted to grab hold of the omega and viscously shake him until he understood that no one else was allowed to touch him. It wanted to tear that damn collar off of the omega’s pretty little neck and sink its teeth into him. It wanted to the omega all over until he tasted every part of his body. 

It wanted the omega. 

It wanted him badly. 

But Sehun couldn’t let his alpha do what it wanted. Not when it involved Jongin. He couldn’t risk losing control. He would never be able to live with himself if he ever hurt Jongin. 

Swallowing his bitterness, Sehun smiled, “Hello, Mr. Kim. It’s nice to see you again.”

He could tell the omega was shocked. That was a good sign. It meant he was successful in masking his scent and fooling the omega to believing everything was normal. 

The reason he chose to stay in Paris wasn’t only because Chanyeol was there. It was also because there was a famous institution there who specialized in helping troubled men and women gain control of their alphas. He had heard about it long before, but it was only when he had lost control with Jongin that night did Sehun decide he should check it out. 

They had taught the 16-year-old a lot of things that would help him become a better alpha to his mate...when the time came. One of the things he learned was to mask his scent whenever he felt negative emotions. Omegas were extremely sensitive to an upset alpha’s scent. If the alpha wasn’t careful, his scent alone could cause harm to an omega. Being a pure alpha, his scent was extremely potent so he had to be extra cautious. 

“Sehun, Hi. Umm...I...it’s nice to see you too. H-How have you been,” Jongin’s eyes looked everywhere but directly at Sehun, but the alpha held his fake smile anyway. 

“Fine.”

“Wait. You two know each other?” Chanyeol asked before bursting into laughter, “Wow! What the odds of that? My old high school buddy and my long lost half brother knowing each other. That’s amazing!”

Sehun bit the inside of his cheek to keep from yelling at Chanyeol for pulling Jongin closer. He had to be strong he could do this. 

Jongin let out an awkward laugh and pushed himself away from the musician, “Yeah, he was a student at the school I work at.”

Before anyone else could say anything, the shuttle to the city pulled up. 

“Bus is here. Let’s go!” Chanyeol grabbed his belongings and then reached out to Jongin, “Hey. Let me help you with those.”

Sehun’s grip tightened around his own suitcase but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t let 8 months of hard effort go to waste just because his brother was being a nice guy. 

He went ahead of the two adults and got in line to the shuttle. He would just ignore them. He would ignore them and pretend like they didn’t exist. 

When he got in the bus and found a seat, he was a little bitter when a stranger took the empty spot next to him. 

 By the time Chanyeol and Jongin got on, there was only one seat left. Sehun expected that his brother would simply allow the omega to have the last spot and he just stand. 

Unfortunately, the beta male was even bolder than Sehun thought. 

Chanyeol flopped down in the remaining seat and pulled Jongin in his lap. The omega squirmed around but seized his actions when the stranger next to them gave him an angry look. 

“We’re sorry,” Chanyeol apologized wholeheartedly before addressing the omega, “Stop moving so much, Jongin. You used to sit on my lap before with no problems.”

Irritated by the innocent statement, Sehun closed his eyes let out a deep breath.

He had to stay calm. Jongin wasn’t his omega. He had no right to be jealous of his brother’s relationship with the smaller male. They were old classmates, of course, they would have a good relationship. 

Chanyeol was such a charismatic guy. He was nice, funny, and he truly cared about others. It wasn’t surprising that Jongin was good friends with him. Chanyeol had the ability to be friends with just about anyone it seemed. 

To be honest, Sehun was envious of his brother. Chanyeol didn’t have to worry about how his mood affected the people around him. He could just be himself and no one judged him for it. 

Sehun wished he could be so carefree. 

But no. Sehun couldn’t get too mad. He couldn't get too sad. He couldn’t be frustrated, or confused, or even too happy without the people around him reacting to his scent. 

So...how was his supposed to feel? 

Still lost in his thoughts, Sehun looked out the window and listen to the music playing through his headphones. 

“Can you control your omega? He is moving too much and either his needs to stand up or you both need to move.”

Sehun turned toward the scene across from him. 

The stranger sitting next to Chanyeol and Jongin was giving Chanyeol a hateful look. He then turned to give the same look to Jongin, causing the omega to slightly flinch. 

Sehun’s alpha spoke up before the teen could stop himself, “Jongin. Come over here.” 

He ignored the surprised look on the stranger’s face. Sehun clearly was a pure alpha and was displeased in his words. The man turned his attention back to the road. 

“Sehun?” 

The alpha wasn’t in the mood for Chanyeol’s surprised look either. All he cared about was getting Jongin away from that stranger. 

The teen reached a hand out to the omega. He could see the hesitation in Jongin’s eyes. He couldn’t take no for an answer. He motioned for the other again. 

He sighed in relief when a soft hand filled his own. He gently pulled the other into his own lap. 

Jongin’s body tensed up and Sehun leaned forward to whisper so his words were only heard by the omega. 

“Please bear with me. This is the only way the people on this bus will be safe from my scent,” his arms tightened around Jongin’s middle, “It's better for everyone if I just keep you here with me, okay?”

~.~.~.~

Jongin simply nodded. 

He didn’t trust himself to speak. He was sitting on Sehun’s lap. He was sitting on Sehun’s lap in front of a bus full of people. What were they thinking about him? Did they think he was disgusting? Were they thinking that he was just another pitiful omega? 

Jongin glanced around the bus and realized that no one was paying them any attention actually. As if what just happened what completely normal. 

Was it? 

Jongin thought for a moment. Sehun was a 16-year-old boy, but one couldn’t tell from his appearance alone. From the outside looking in, he was just another alpha male holding another omega. Nothing was strange about that at all. 

Jongin looked down at the arms wrapped around his stomach. He felt so safe...Sehun always made him feel that way. 

He closed his eyes and savored the moment. It’s been 8 months since he’s been in the boy’s presence. 8 months of loneliness and heartbreak because a certain boy alpha switched schools and moved to another county without any heads up. 8 months of suffering from Yunjae’s constant attention. 

“Your hair has gotten longer,” came Sehun’s low voice. Jongin felt the weight of Sehun’s head resting on his back, “I like the color. It’s pretty.”

The older male didn’t move. His omega was beaming at the compliments from the alpha he missed so much. 

“I’ve missed you, Jongin. So...so much.”

Jongin bit his bottom lip to keep from crying. He missed the boy too! He missed him like crazy! He hated that he left him all alone! How could Sehun just leave him like that? After everything they’ve been through. Just to leave without a word was unforgivable. 

“I’m sorry I left so suddenly,” Sehun pulled him closer to his chest, “I thought about you every day.”

Jongin glanced around again. Still, no one was paying them any attention. If only they knew that Sehun was still a minor and Jongin was well over legal age. They wouldn’t be so calm about how close the two males were then. 

“There were things I needed to do.”

And you couldn’t do them here?! 

That’s what Jongin wanted to yell, but he wouldn’t let Sehun know how much pain him leaving actually caused the omega. He didn’t want to make the other feel bad. 

He promised himself that he wouldn’t hold Sehun back. Sehun deserved so much in life, Jongin wouldn’t be the one who stopped the alpha from pursuing anything and everything he wanted. 

Jongin finally spoke, “And did you...accomplish what you needed to?”

He could feel the warmth from Sehun’s breath on his back as the alpha let out a deep breath. 

“I thought I did. Now I’m not so sure.”

Jongin could hear the uncertainty in the boy’s voice. Giving in to instinct, he covered Sehun’s arms around him with his own attempt to comfort the alpha. 

“I’m sure you did.”

~.~.~.~

Chanyeol was shocked when Sehun had addressed Jongin so casually. He thought they said they were teacher and student, but students didn’t call their teachers by their first name. Students certainly didn’t hold teachers on their laps and hug their backs, and yet that’s exactly what Sehun had done. 

He had to tear his eyes away from the unusual scene next to him. The beta would be sure to ask Jongin more about his relationship with his little brother when he got the chance. 

A little more than an hour later, the shuttle arrived in the city. Chanyeol had fallen asleep from the ride along with a few others on the bus. The musician rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and turned to his brother and old friend. His eyes widened at the position he found them in. 

Sehun’s arms were wrapped tightly around Jongin’s waist, his head resting on the other's shoulder, sound asleep. Jongin was also sleeping from his spot on Sehun’s lap, his head was casually on top of Sehun’s. Chanyeol couldn’t help but think they looked cute like that, but then he remembered that normal teacher-student relationships didn’t involve napping so close together.

When the bus came to a complete stop, Chanyeol quickly got up to wake the others. 

“Hey, we’re here.”

Jongin’s eyes were the first to flutter open. It looked like it took a moment for the omega to recognize his surroundings. He looked down at Sehun still sleeping on his shoulder and then up at Chanyeol. His face quickly grew red and he scrambled his way up and out of Sehun’s arms. 

“Chanyeol...I- umm…we….,” Jongin stuttered and the beta had never known the other to struggle with his words. 

He frowned and looked to Sehun who was now awake. Unlike Jongin who looked embarrassed, his brother looked like he was having the best sleep ever and was irritated about being disturbed. 

“Sehun, we are at the station,” Chanyeol said. 

The alpha simply nodded and grabbed his belongings from the overhead above his seat and exited the bus. The two adults exchanged looks before following the teenager onto the sidewalk outside the bus station.

 Sehun still hadn't said anything and Jongin was looking everywhere but at the teen. Something was definitely going on and Chanyeol wasn't one to keep his thoughts to himself. 

“What's going on between you two,” neither answered immediately so Chanyeol turned to the older of the two, “Jongin?” 

Jongin’s face was still bright red and the beta mentally rolled his eyes at how the omega could be so cute still, even after all these years. 

“Yeollie…” 

Chanyeol ignored the way his hea