2.

When Minho reunites with his friends for a brunch at Jinki and Kibum’s house, he goes over without much enthusiasm, thinking about how much of an empty space Taemin’s absence always leaves in their reunions. In all honesty, what pushes him to go this time around, is the fact that the younger is back and that, maybe, just maybe, he’ll get to see him there.

Of course, he’s conscious that’s more of wishful thinking, but somehow it gets him going.

Needless to say that he’s sorely disappointed when he notes that the omega is nowhere to be seen. It renders his mood rather terse and distant, which doesn’t go unnoticed by his friends.

“What’s on your mind?” Jinki asks him as they sit on the couches in the veranda.

The elder is holding his one-year-old daughter by the waist as she bounces excitedly on his lap, unstable tiny, chubby legs relying completely on her father’s ability to keep her from falling to the floor.

Minho doesn’t know why he had even expected his friends to be aware of Taemin’s return. Given how the omega had simply vanished four years ago after he had stopped calling Minho, the alpha muses he should have known better.

He lets out a deep sigh and indulges Eunji as she leans toward him, tiny arms reaching out to him. He smiles softly at the baby and takes her from her father’s arms. As she settles to bouncing on his lap like she’d been doing with Jinki, he’s content with just letting her be, focusing on her for several seconds as he collects his thoughts.

Jinki waits patiently, knowing Minho will talk eventually.

“Taemin’s back,” the younger alpha states after a moment, voice rough.

Jinki isn’t sure he heard him right. He doesn’t say anything and just stares at the younger.

“What did you say?” Kibum suddenly asks, voice rising an octave in surprise, as he steps out of the kitchen onto the veranda, holding a tray with snacks.

Behind him, Joohyun also stares wide-eyed at them as she follows the other omega into the veranda, another tray of food in her hands.

Jonghyun, who was busy making faces at his four months old son, lying on his lap, looks up in surprise as well.

Minho sighs again and repeats himself, “Taemin is back.” He marks a pause and then adds, “I saw him a few days ago.”

“Where?!” Kibum inquires abruptly, frowning as he sets the tray on the coffee table.

“At my apartment building. He– he lives there... I think.”

“You think?” Jonghyun repeats with incredulity.

Minho shrugs.

“I didn’t talk to him,” he informs and helps Eunji as she tires and starts sitting down on his lap.

“Why?” Joohyun asks, going to sit by Jonghyun.

“I tried,” Minho says, almost defensively and then recomposes himself. “He– he just... he glared at me and didn’t say a word.”

“That doesn’t sound like him,” Jinki comments, setting a hand on Kibum’s knee as the omega sits by his side.

Minho presses his lips in a tight line as he recalls that evening.

“It’s been four years,” Kibum states as a matter-of-fact, saving Minho from trying to conjure an explanation. “Whoever knows how much he changed. It’s not like any of us stayed the same.”

As he says that, he stares at Minho meaningfully and the alpha avoids his gaze, knowing that the statement is being mainly directed at him.

“He has a kid,” he informs, feeling his chest constrict as he recalls the fact.

“What?!”

This time, it’s a chorus of voices that exclaim the question.

“I think he was sick, the boy was complaining about a headache or something.”

“Wait!” Joohyun speaks up, being the first to recover from the shock. “Does that mean he’s... you know, mated to someone?”

Minho feels like he was just punched on the gut and he grits his teeth. The conclusion is the same he’d come to and yet, to hear it stated makes it all the more painfully real.

His Taemin isn’t his anymore.

He blinks back into reality as Jinki sets a hand on his shoulder.

“Minho... how are you doing?” He asks slowly.

They all know why he and Taemin broke up. They were all against it and lost as to why the two would even end their relationship because of their careers. They also know that, after things had settled and the reality of things had caught up to him, Minho had taken a blow bigger than he had expected. A blow that had completely crushed him after Taemin had completely vanished from their lives.

The fact the omega is back, with a child and a new mate makes them all worry for the alpha. They don’t want a repeat of these two first years following Taemin's departure.

“I’m good,” Minho says. Lies.

He lies because he can’t admit to it hurting so much. He lies because he knows whatever he says won’t change things. He lies because his friends know the truth without him having to outright say it.

“I gotta talk to him,” Kibum states.

He’s wearing that expression that says he’s ready to give one of those lectures he’s infamous for.

“Kibum, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jinki tells his mate evenly. “If he’s back, for however long he’s been back, and hasn’t contacted us, maybe he doesn’t want to see us. And think about his mate, whoever they are, may not like you going over and chiding Taemin for something that happened over four years ago.”

“You think I care?” Kibum shoots back with a scowl. “Lee Taemin is going to hear me. He needs to know he screwed up.”

“I care,” Jinki retorts, his face a wall of seriousness. “I don’t want anyone mistreating my mate, even if you’re the one who went after it.”

“You think Taemin would mate with someone like that?” Jonghyun inquires, clearly unconvinced by the thought.

Minho sets his jaw, feeling the anger boiling in him at the simple thought of his Taemin being in a relationship that could be abusive in any way.

“I also think it’s better to let him come to us in his own time,” Joohyun speaks up as she picks up Minhyung from his father’s lap when he starts fussing.

“What if he never does?” Kibum asks, his frown never faltering. “He’s been gone for years and never showed a sign of life. He’s been back for who-knows-how-long and still didn’t come to us.”

“So your idea is to force our presence on him?” Jonghyun inquires skeptically before adding in a wry tone, “good way of rebuilding a friendship. It’ll totally work.”

Minho closes his eyes tightly and sighs. He doesn’t want to hear any of that anymore. Slowly, he lifts Eunji from his lap and sets her in Jinki’s arms.

“I’ll just go back home,” he declares as he rises from the couch.

His friends look at him in surprise, sadness slowly filling their gazes.

Minho hates that so much. That pity.

“Minho...” Jinki calls softly.

“I just– I need to be alone right now,” the alpha confesses, allowing himself only for that moment to show just how much that topic is affecting him.

The others don’t say anything, merely nod in understanding.

Kibum doesn’t let him leave without packing some of the food he prepared and ing the plastic containers into his arms.

“You better eat,” he tells him sternly.

Minho nods, refraining from telling the omega he isn’t all that hungry anymore. He thanks him instead and bids goodbye to his friends.

When he gets home, he stores the containers in the fridge and locks himself in his office, pulling out some files and opening his e-mails.

Maybe, if he can drown himself in work, he’ll manage to get his mind off his omega.

His omega, who he fears isn’t his anymore.

A/N: Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming response, I'm so touched by all your comments and it really does make me happy to know you guys are so excited for this. I can never thank you enough for the love and support!!

As always, I hope you enjoyed this. As you can see, the chapters are much shorter than I usually make them, but it has a lot to do with the pacing of the story, so I'll try to update as often as I can, but this fic will most likely be short anyways. Do tell me what you guys think though! ^^

With Love,

Joorin <3