Professor Kim - er, Junmyeon that is - didn’t leave your mind for the rest of the weekend. In fact, you wanted to drive out to his farmhouse to see him again. While you learned a bit about the existence of werewolves and what they were like, you didn’t really learn much about him. You wanted to know about the farmhouse. Did he always live there? Did they all build that place together? Did he want to find someone to be his mate?

You pursed your lips at that last thought. The mate business to you seemed a little unfair. Neither party got to choose to be in that situation. What if they hated each other?

Then again, the girls you’d seen around the other wolf boys looked like they were happy. They were always smiling and laughing and there was no shortage of affection on either side. So, maybe it just sounded bad on paper, but actually worked in real life?

What kind of girl would make Junmyeon smile like that?

She obviously had to be intelligent. He was the youngest professor on campus, afterall, and by a good margin. Probably someone bookish, sweet, who would listen to him when he needed to get whatever was bothering him off his chest. Someone who would comfort him when he was sad and remind him to have fun every once in a while. Someone with a big heart.

Yes, you hoped he could find someone like that someday.

A strange surge of jealous flashed through your chest. She would be the luckiest girl in the world and, for a moment, you wanted to be in her shoes. But that wasn’t your place. Sure, you had a small crush on Junmyeon and you were aware that you would probably be a little special to him, too, since he’d let you into his secret world, but that was as far as your relationship with him would go. In approximately nine months, you’d be long gone, anyway.

To your surprise, Junmyeon was fairly normal when you got to class on Monday morning. Dressed in cute purple and brown sweater, he simply smiled and nodded at you, which was nothing unusual since he did the same thing with a few other students. So much for being special.

For the rest of the period, he hardly acknowledged you, staying focused on the lesson he was giving and calling on other students for their opinions. Did Saturday even happen?

It wasn’t until later in your private corner of the library it was confirmed that, yes, in fact it did.

“Hey, (y/n).”

You nearly jumped out of your seat as you fumbled to pull out your headphones. Junmyeon just smiled down at you, his hands in his pockets and his glasses resting on the end of his nose.

“H-hi, Professor,” you stammered. You could just melt into a puddle right then and there. Searching around for any possible witnesses to this encounter, you didn’t relax until you saw that the two of you were alone.

Junmyeon frowned. “Why - oh, right. We’re at school. Probably safer to stick with ‘professor’ here.” He motioned to the empty seat across from you. “May I?”

You nodded frantically, shuffling your things around so they were no longer taking over the entire table. It was the universal sign to every other student not to even try to ask for the empty seat, but an exception could be made for the wolf across from you.

“How’s your homework going?” he asked like he did that all the time.

“Fine, I guess,” you shrugged. Was he really just wanting to have a normal conversation with you?

“Good, good,” he smiled. Then he scratched the top of his head, his demeanor changing drastically. “Hey, (y/n)?”

You closed your laptop, curious at his nervous tone. “Yeah?”

“Do you have any free time tomorrow?” His gaze on you was almost… hopeful?

“Um.” You ran through your Tuesday schedule in your head. “My last class ends around three. Then I usually just work on stuff here. Why?”

“Can I take you somewhere?” Junmyeon asked eagerly. “I want to show you something.”

“S-sure.” Did you really just agree to go somewhere with him? Alone?

Technically, it wasn’t that much of an extreme decision. You’d already followed his directions to his house in the middle of the woods.

“Great!” He was practically beaming as he jumped up from his seat. “I’ll meet you out in front of the courtyard around three-thirty.”

Just before he could disappear behind the shelves, you called out after him. “Wait!”

He leaned back, poking his head around the rows of books. It was actually a bit of a comical sight. “Yeah?”

“Where are we going?”

He smiled. “It’s a surprise.”

When he was gone, you slumped back in your seat. He’d already shown you what the wolf inside him looked like, what else could there be for you to see?

Your heart was already racing in anticipation for tomorrow.

**

Junmyeon was grinning from ear to ear as he packed up his change of clothes. The best thing about being the professor was that he could end the class as soon as he wanted to and he would make sure he ended his last one for the day to give himself enough time to change before meeting up with you.

So far, every interaction with you had gone smoothly. And he’d even formulated a good plan. He just needed to spend enough time with you, be with you as much as possible without overstepping boundaries. That would give the bond a chance to grow and then he could confess to you that you were his mate and you’d be in love enough to accept him and stay.

Foolproof.

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, he headed down the stairs with a spring in his step. Several of his brothers were already milling about the kitchen, eating breakfast and waking up to be able enjoy this beautiful day.

Kris came stomping in from the living room, that rare look of authority on his face. “Alright, which idiot bought the death trap parked out front?”

Junmyeon sipped calmly on his freshly made cup of coffee. “Me.”

Kris’ eyes widened at the confession. “What?”

Everyone else had stopped what they were doing and were now staring at Junmyeon as if he’d simply taken his head off his shoulders and tucked it under his arm.

“What death trap is Kris talking about?” Luhan asked.

“I bought a motorcycle yesterday,” Junmyeon simply answered.

Sehun did an actual spit take. “You. Bought a motorcycle. You.”

Junmyeon was actually offended by that statement. Although, he should hardly be surprised. Sehun was the one who implied that Junmyeon couldn’t be cool.

“Yes,” he replied sharply. “I did.”

“Why?” Chanyeol asked. There wasn’t any malice behind his question, just pure confusion.

Junmyeon shrugged. “I felt like it.”

“Uh, hyung,” Jongdae piped up. “Isn’t it a few decades early to be having a midlife crisis?”

“Why is it so wrong for me to have a bike?” Junmyeon snapped. “Kris races all the time and you guys encourage that. I don’t have to be straightlaced all the time.” No one seemed surprised that he knew about the races, even if they all thought they were being sneaky. None of them ever went with Kris, but that didn’t stop them from talking about it. And he was a werewolf with enhanced hearing after all.

“But that’s to be expected of Kris,” Baekhyun commented.

“Yeah,” Tao laughed. “Kris has never been a rule follower. He’s always been the kind of person to do stuff like that. You’re… not the kind of person who would hop on a motorcycle.”

“I got my license back when I was in college,” Junmyeon reminded them. He’d done it on a whim after seeing some movie and thinking it’d be cool. But he never got around to buying one for himself. When he’d taken his new bike out for a spin last night, he’d miraculously remembered everything and drove it around just fine. “I wasn’t always the goody-two-shoes that you guys have pegged me as.”

“Hyung, if this is about what Sehun and I said yesterday morning, we’re sorry.” Jongin did genuinely look apologetic.

Lanie rolled her eyes. “Would you guys stop?” She turned to Junmyeon. “I say good for you, Jun. You do what makes you happy. I just ask that you take me for a ride some day.”

“No way!” Chanyeol yelled.

Lanie raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

The look on Chanyeol’s face made him back down. Just a little bit. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Junmyeon chuckled. “I assure all of you that I will be just fine. I know what I’m doing.”

“Does this have anything to do with your mate?” Yixing asked.

That stopped Junmyeon before he could escape the living room. “I won’t go to extremes, guys. I just have a plan and I’m going to follow through on it. Just trust me. Please.”

“We do, Junmyeon,” Kris sighed. “You were always the smart one. There’s no reason that would change now.”

Junmyeon grinned. “Thanks, Kris.” A thought popped into his head just as he hit the living room. Poking his head back into the kitchen, he added, “By the way, Kris. You can’t call my bike a death trap when I know you’ve got your car hooked up with NOS.”

“You do?!” Tao yelled.

Junmyeon was very satisfied as he heard the chaotic eruption that drowned out Kris’ yells after him. He knew the one thing about Kris’ racing that the others didn’t and it was a little satisfying to reveal Kris’ secret ingredient to the rest of them.

Too late for anyone to stop him, Junmyeon hopped on his bike, threw on his helmet and was down the dirt road towards the city, dust and rocks flying in every direction behind him.

**

“Why are you so antsy?” Cam asked.

You were constantly checking your phone for the time. When you’d woken up this morning and logged into your school email, you discovered a note from your professor of your last class of the day stating that he’d caught a cold and that class had been canceled. You weren’t sure if you were thankful or frustrated.

On one hand, you would have to sit through a class, not absorbing anything and risk your professor going over time, making you late for you meeting with Junmyeon. On the other, you were now currently doing nothing as you waited for the allotted time.

Meeting? Is that what it was?

It wasn’t a date. He just wanted to show you something. What, you had no idea, but “meeting” felt a little formal. Maybe… meet-up? Did that work?

Whatever it could be called, you were currently waiting for the appointed time in the student union with Cam. The two of you had met up for a late lunch and now you were just sitting around, watching the minutes change at slow pace, frustrating you. Why couldn’t you be a wizard who could control time? Life would be so much easier.

Imagine if you could jump to the next day that you were actually excited for. Or even be able to slow down the clock to give you more time to study for a test. Or better yet: more time to sleep. Yes, if only you could slow down time so you could sleep ten hours every night and be the most well rested student on campus. Now that was the ultimate fantasy.

“You act like you have a date,” Cam chuckled as she flipped through her business statistics textbook.

“Ha ha,” you laughed dryly. “I just don’t like sitting around.”

“So, go do something,” Cam suggested. “You don’t have to sit here with me. I’ll be fine.”

Chewing on your bottom lip, you grumbled, “I know. I just have something else I need to do in a little bit and I don’t want to get distracted and miss it.”

Closing her book, Cam narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. “What exactly do you have to do?”

Crap.

“Nothing important,” you lied. “Just… something.”

“Okay, what is going on with you?” Cam demanded.

You tried to act nonchalant. And most likely failed. “What do you mean?”

Cam rolled her eyes so hard you were surprised they didn’t get stuck in the back of her head. “Oh, come on. You think that Gemma and I didn’t notice? You’ve recently been gone a lot to some mysterious ‘coffee shop’. You’re always tripping over your words like you’re coming up with a lie on a spot and now you’re trying to avoid telling me where you’re going to do after this. You’re terrible at hiding things, (y/n).”

“No, I’m not,” you pathetically argued.

Cam just raised an eyebrow at you.

Groaning, you said, “Gemma needs to stop psychoanalyzing me. Just because she’s studying human behavior doesn’t mean she gets to use me as a test subject.”

“Puh-lease,”  Cam chuckled. “A computer engineering student could see that something is up with you.” Leaning forward, she grinned. “Are you seeing someone?”

“Pft.” You were completely taken off guard. That’s the conclusion she came up with? Did she not know you? “No, Cam. I am not seeing someone. Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?”

She shook her head. “No, I haven’t. But everyone is allowed to change their minds. Especially when you find the right person.”

“Trust me,” you snorted. “You are way off.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “What’s up with you then?”

“It’s noth- crap!” You’d just checked your phone and realized that it was just five minutes before you were supposed to be meeting Junmyeon. “I’ve got to go!” You packed up your things at lightning speed and headed for the exit. “See ya, Cam!”

You made it out front where the courtyard met the parking lot. In all honesty, you didn’t understand why Junmyeon asked to meet you here. It was a huge risk. Everyone would see you two leave together and rumors could be all over campus before the end of the day. The last thing you needed was to accidentally get Junmyeon in trouble. Or, even worse… fired.

A roaring engine pulled you out of your worried thoughts.

Some idiot on a shiny, black sports bike was flying through the parking lot. You couldn’t see who it was since they were wearing a full face helmet, but you were sure that person wasn’t too bright. Motorcycles were dangerous and drivers in this parking lot were just as dumb, hardly ever looking around them before backing out of a space or turning in the driving lanes.

Looking down to check the time, you jumped when the engine revved again, right in front of you. The driver flipped up the visor and your jaw dropped.

“J-Junmyeon?” you gasped. You were so surprised you forgot to call him “Professor”.

He motioned to the empty back seat of the bike. “Get on.”

You shook your head. “No. Honestly, this was kind of a dumb place to meet. Everyone is staring at us.”

“No one knows it me,” he promised. He even had the audacity to pat the leather cushion behind him. “Get on.”

“Are you crazy?” you asked, genuinely wanting an answer. This scene of your professor on a motorcycle in front of you clashed greatly with the person you thought you knew, even after discovering the wolf secret. It just went to show that you might not really ever know someone.

Something sparkle in Junmyeon’s eyes as he answered, “A little.”

You were still hesitating. Was this really the smartest thing to do?

Taking one hand off of the handles, he reached out and took your own fingers in his. “(y/n), you can trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

That did it. His sincerity was too clear.

With shaky legs, you steadied yourself, using Junmyeon’s shoulders as a stable surface as you threw a leg over the bike. Once seated, you wrapped your arms around Junmyeon’s waist. Perhaps your grip was a little too tight; he said nothing, but he patted your hands before taking the handle again and flying out of the parking lot. The last thing you saw before he reached the street was Cam staring after you with her jaw almost touching the floor.

Junmyeon said nothing about your destination as he zoomed through the streets. Not that you’d be able to hear him over the engine anyway. You stayed glued to his back, your cheek resting against his leather jacket. He kept his promise the whole ride, taking his time whenever he to a different street and never going over the posted speed limit. He was a cautious driver and you were thankful for that. You didn’t think you could survive if he had acted like a daredevil, showing off skills that could put someone in the hospital.

The ride finally came to an end in the historic district, right outside the museum that was housed in what used to be an old monastery. The aging limestone brick had dulled over the years and the foundation had to be replaced, but for the most part the entire building was intact.

When Junmyeon killed the engine, you jumped off the bike, a little thankful to be back on stable ground.

“Um, Junmyeon,” you giggled. “I’ve kind of been here before.” As an archeology student, you’d probably spent one third of your college life here.

He chuckled at your confused expression after taking his helmet off. “I know. But I bet there’s a section you haven’t seen before.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah? Try me.”

Junmyeon whistled, taking the gauntlet you’d thrown down. “Come on.”

Up the steps of the museum you followed him, intrigued by what he could possibly show you that you hadn’t already seen a hundred times.

The museum wasn’t particularly large so they didn’t have the most awe inspiring artifacts, but they had plenty to still draw people in. All the dinosaur skeletons were just plastic recreations, but at least the sarcophagus of a high priest from Egypt was real. There was a whole section dedicated to the history of monetary evolution and, of course, there was a floor that depicted the old wars. Very typical museum stuff.

But Junmyeon didn’t take you to any of these exhibits. He went straight up to the front desk, flashing his ID as he whispered to the woman behind the welcome sign. She handed Junmyeon a plastic card before he turned back around to you.

“Let’s go,” he said softly.

Anticipation was rising as he led you to the back of the first floor. At a door marked “authorized personnel only”, he swiped the card, turning the little red light to green and opening the door.

“Ladies first,” he motioned.

There were no arguments from you. You scurried through the door before letting Junmyeon take the lead again. He stopped at the last door on the far end of the library, typing in a code on the keypad before pushing the heavy door open.

“Go on in.”

You were a little unsure as you stepped into the room. Then you gasped.

Lining the walls on either side of you were shelves of artifacts that you were certain had never been displayed before. And the theme of the room was more than apparent.

Drawings and sculptures of wolves and wolf-men decorated the shelves between leather bound books and encased scrolls. All the artifacts were protected behind glass in individual cubbies. Most looked to be hundreds of years old.

“All of this belongs to my family,” Junmyeon explained. “Passed down from generation to generation, going back so far no one knows when it started. Before wolves had to go completely into the shadows, my family would sometimes run into villages that were kind and accepting. They made these gifts for them as thank yous.”

“Thank yous?” you questioned, turning to look at him.

“Yes,” Junmyeon nodded. “With the pack around, they were able to keep away other predators, saving their livestock and, on occasion, their children. The villages tended to prosper when the packs were around.”

That was… interesting. “Why?”

He shrugged. “No idea. Perhaps because the pack was the true top of the food chain.” He pointed to a thick book whose binding was beginning to peel away from usage and old age. The cover was made of faded brown leather, blank with no title or description. “This book was written by a monk. It holds all our secrets. How we came to be, our abilities, how to heal us… and what could harm us.”

“Why would you keep that around?” If it were you, you would have destroyed something so dangerous a long time ago.

“It’s our history,” he explained. “The good and the bad. Why destroy that?”

Okay, he had a point. “But what if someone were to get ahold of it? Couldn’t they hurt you?”

Junmyeon cleared his throat. “Very, very few people know of our existence. Even fewer know about this book. Plus, it’s safe here behind several layers of security. That’s part of the reason my grandparents donated the items to the museum.”

“And what was the other reason?”

“The experts here are much better at preserving them than we are,” he admitted.

That much was certainly true. You may not be on the same level as those experts yet, but even you could see some of the wear and tear that came along with the items constantly being handled and moved without the proper care.

“Thank you,” you said, turning away from the artifacts to face him fully. “For showing me this.”

“I figured with your field you would enjoy seeing them. Besides,” he sighed, “none of the other boys are even remotely interested in anything in this room and I haven’t been able to share this with anyone in a long time.”

Well, you felt honored. Your cheeks were getting warm and part of you just didn’t want to leave this moment. Where was that time manipulating power when you really needed it.

“Can we come back sometime?” you asked hesitantly.

He was practically glowing as he replied, “Anytime you want.”

You followed Junmyeon back out of the storage area and through the museum. After stopping by the front desk to return the card, it was time to get back onto the bike. At your hesitation, Junmyeon laughed.

“Was it really bad on the way here?” he teased.

“No,” you mumbled. When he’d put on his helmet and turned the key to start up the loud, obnoxious engine, you simply sighed and hopped onto the back seat.

You still held on tightly as he drove you back to the university. This time, though, you noticed how warm his back was since you weren’t entirely focused on your life flashing before your eyes. It was comfortable and you could almost fall asleep against it - if you weren’t currently riding on the back of a motorcycle at a high speed with hard asphalt underneath you.

The motorcycle came to a very sudden stop, the momentum throwing you into Junmyeon’s back. Looking around you found that you were on the edge of the parking lot, nowhere near the courtyard. The place was deserted for the most part since only a couple of night classes were in session and a majority of the students had gone home for the evening.

However, there was one person standing on the sidewalk, staring at the two of you with wide eyes. She was a pretty woman, fairy like in both her soft facial features and the way she dressed.

Junmyeon turned off the engine and took off his helmet. He was staring at the woman in shock. “Soomi?”

The woman smiled broadly when recognition hit her eyes. “Junmyeon. There you are.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked in a breathy voice.

She shrugged. “I just wanted to see you.”

Your eyes flickered back and forth between the two of them and your stomach dropped. The fact that there was something between these two was obvious and you had never felt so invisible.