Chapter 9 (Final)

It’s been six months since Sehun moved in, and he’s adapted well to the new living situation. He finally seems to be feeling at home—he doesn’t ask permission to cook or eat the food in the pantry, he’s not afraid to ask for things, he no longer fears being scolded if he leaves things lying around, and he’s very appreciative of hugs and cuddles. Kris has enrolled him in one of Minseok’s dance studios and he loves attending classes, so much so that he’s in the studio almost every day.

Kris goes to pick Sehun up from the studio after work, and he always gets to hear about Sehun’s day. Today Sehun is even more excited than usual.

“We had a new student today, he’s a were-fox too!” Sehun says, “His name is Jongin and he’s absolutely amazing, even though he’s had very little formal training. He said he learned before by watching street dancers, and lately from watching TV. He’s really good, Yixing says he might bump both of us up to advanced classes by next month!”

“Congratulations,” Kris says, reaching over to ruffle Sehun’s hair. “That’s wonderful news. You know if you want, you could invite Jongin over for dinner some time. It sounds like you two could be great friends.”

“I hope so,” Sehun says eagerly, “I really do.”

At home, Tao is furiously typing up a paper and Joonmyun is cooking dinner. Sehun says hello to Joonmyun with a hug, and he says hello to Tao with a kiss. Tao gets distracted briefly, but quickly goes back to his paper.

“It’s not due for a week yet,” he tells Kris, “But I want it out of the way so I can be free to just be excited.”

Kris takes a week of vacation time at the start of summer, and this year Joonmyun’s gotten the same time off. They’re all going to Disney World, the first time for any of them. At mention of the vacation, Sehun leaps up off of Tao’s lap and dances away.

“I won’t distract you then,” he says, blowing a kiss at Tao. He goes to the kitchen to help with dinner.

Kris takes the newspaper out of his bag and stares at the headline. A medical research company has announced that the pill they’ve manufactured to help suppress were-people’s forced transformations has passed safety regulations. It will be available for purchase in two weeks’ time. It seems awfully fast, but then Kris supposes that the company has been working on this for so long, they’re eager to see it work. And it does work, it’s been tested on willing participants and there are few, if any at all, side effects. And tonight, Kris is going to ask his boys if they would like to try taking it.

Jongin stares at the article that Jongdae’s just handed him. His hands are shaking, and Jongdae gently takes the piece of paper back.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” Jongin says. “I’m not sure what to think about this.”

“We don’t have to decide anything right now.”

Jongin presses his hands to his eyes. “I just…I like being a fox, now. Now that we don’t have to scavenge for food and we have a warm place to sleep, and…it’s who I am. I don’t think I want to suppress that, but not having to halt my life every month while I go through the change…”

“I know,” Jongdae says. He hasn’t stopped thinking about it, and how it could change his life. Kyungsoo’s helping him with college, he’s majoring in theater. This new drug could be his ticket to the stage. “Jongin…I think I want to take it.”

Jongin gulps and looks away. “I knew you would.”

“You’re not okay with it, are you?”

Jongin shrugs. “I mean, it is your choice, and I know how good this could be for you, but…I would miss you.”

“I wouldn’t change.”

“It’s your choice,” Jongin says again. “I really don’t know what I’ll end up doing.”

But something is off between them for the rest of the night, even Kyungsoo notices. And when he asks, neither of them quite know what to say.

Lu Han is the one who brings it up. He waits until they’re getting ready for bed—he’s just finished taking a shower, and Yixing and Minseok are in the bathroom with him, washing their faces.

Lu Han waits until they’ve turned the water off. “All my were-friends are talking about this new drug that can suppress the change. A lot of them want to take it, but I don’t think I want to.”

Minseok and Yixing both look surprised.

“I don’t need to,” Lu Han says, though he’s not actually sure about that. “I have a home, and a loving Sponsor, and…I like the way I am. I don’t want to stop it.”

Minseok grins and leans over to give Lu Han a kiss. “Damn right, you have a loving Sponsor,” he says. “You can do whatever you want, my love.” Then he turns and kisses Yixing’s cheek. “Same goes for you.”

Yixing looks worried. “I haven’t thought about it much. Whenever I do, my stomach gets a little…sick-feeling. I don’t know what I want to do.”

“You don’t have to decide right now,” Minseok says.

Yixing twists his towel in his hands. “But everyone will ask me. Everyone’s talking about it, some people hate the idea and some people are so happy about it. I don’t know what I am.”

“We can talk about it, if you want,” Lu Han says. “We can talk now or tomorrow morning, or even later this week.”

Yixing shrugs. “I’ll think about it.”

Sehun sees Jongin right away when he gets to the dance studio. He bounds up to Jongin and throws his arms around his new friend. “Hi there!”

Jongin smiles, but it doesn’t look right on him. Sehun notices the circles under his eyes.

“Oh, you look…tired.”

“I am tired,” Jongin says. “My…my boyfriend and I were talking about the new drug. I don’t think I want to take it, but he does, and I’m afraid that if he does…he’ll change.”

“Why would he change?” Sehun asks, feeling his heart stop. When he, Kris, Tao, and Joonmyun talked about this, Joonmyun said he would be interested in taking the drug. Sehun wasn’t worried that he would change, should he have been?

“I’m afraid that he’ll get so used to being able to do whatever he wants each month, and he’ll start to leave me behind. Or forget where we came from.” Jongin wipes a stray tear from his cheek. “Is it so bad to be different? Why do we have to change and be like everyone else? Why can’t they change for us?”

Sehun feels like he just swallowed lead. His stomach feels heavy, and he wonders if he’s about to puke. Could that really happen? Joonmyun is really ambitious, could he get so wrapped up in his own life that he forgets about the rest of them? Sehun may be closest to Tao, but he loves Joonmyun too, and he knows that it would wreck Tao if Joonmyun changed.

Both Sehun and Jongin are distracted during their class, not that many people seem to notice. They dance well, but their hearts just aren’t in it. After the lesson, Yixing and Lu Han both approach them and tell them to go home and talk to their families about whatever is bothering them. But Sehun doesn’t even know how to bring the subject up. What is he supposed to say, and who does he talk to about this? He decides that since he’s most comfortable with Tao, he’ll start by talking to him about the drug in general. When Kris drives Sehun home, he talks vaguely about his day, and when he gets home he whispers to Tao that he needs to talk.

They two of them go to Tao’s room and sit on the bed.

“Have you decided if you’re going to take it?” Sehun asks, not wasting any time. Tao knows what he’s talking about.

Tao shakes his head. “I have no reason to, at the moment. I’m not working, and the transformation doesn’t affect my school attendance because I go to a school that respects this aspect of my life. Maybe someday I’ll have to take it, but for now I’m okay.”

Sehun holds out his hand, and Tao takes it.

“Sehun, are you alright?”

“I don’t know.” Sehun feels like he’s about to cry. “It’s just…something Jongin said earlier. He was worried that his boyfriend would change after he started taking this new pill, he worried that Jongdae would forget what it meant to be a werefox and wouldn’t be the same anymore. Do you think it could happen?”

Sehun can tell that Tao is weighing his words. “It might. But I think that it won’t happen as long as those who do take the pill are surrounded by good people who keep them grounded.”

“Do you think Joonmyun will be okay?”

“I know he will, because he’s got us. Me, Kris, and you, we’re all going to be there for him and we’re going to keep him in check.”

Sehun inhales deeply, and exhales slowly. He’s not completely satisfied, but he’s feeling a lot better. “I’m just still getting to know him, and…I’m afraid that I won’t be able to help. I’m still leaning so much on all of you.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Tao says. “You know, Joonmyun likes feeling needed. Someday you’ll be able to support him, but until then Joonmyun can come home knowing that you’re waiting for him, and you want to talk or play a game with him. We can find ways to make him stay involved, ways that we can all bond with each other. We won’t let Joonmyun become a work-a-holic, I won’t let him do that.”

Sehun begins to relax, and he feels a little silly for being so worried. Of course Tao would have thought of this, of course he would be prepared to help Joonmyun if he had to.

“You’re right,” Sehun says, “I’m sorry that I—”

Tao cuts him off with a kiss. Sehun inhales sharply and closes his eyes, melting against Tao.

After a few seconds Tao pulls back a little. “Don’t be sorry,” he says. “I’m glad to know you’re concerned about Joonmyun, and I’m glad you told me about it. This is what we do, we comfort each other. I’m here for you, no matter what you need.”

Sehun’s still not used to this, having support, people who genuinely want to know what he has to say and will help him if he’s having a hard time. He was always the one who fell through the cracks—not okay, but not bad enough to be a real worry. But he’s working on being more open, and he thinks he’s doing okay.

Tao squeezes Sehun’s hand. “Want to help me make dinner?”

Sehun nods, and the two of them head back to the kitchen. Kris helps them cook—actually he does most of the cooking, and Tao and Sehun spend most of their time whining at Kris for bits of vegetable and other snacks. There’s also a lot of kissing. When Joonmyun comes home dinner is still only half ready, and all three of them pounce on him at once to welcome him home.

“Should I order pizza?” Joonmyun laughs, seeing their half-done mess on the table.

Instead they drag Joonmyun into the kitchen and tell him to help out. Somehow dinner does eventually get made, and they all get away with at least one hickey each. They all sleep in the same bed that night, but all they do is sleep. Sehun’s not quite ready for that yet, but maybe someday he will be.

Minseok pins Lu Han to the bed and a mark onto his neck. Lu Han arches up, wining loudly, and drags his fingers through Minseok’s hair. Yixing sits close by, watching with a faint smile. He pats Lu Han’s head, and kisses Minseok’s shoulder. They both look over at him and ask if he wants to join in. But Yixing shakes his head. He’s content to just watch. Even though he’s not involved, Yixing never feels left out. He’s always right there, and he’s never ignored. Sometimes the two of them ask him for suggestions, like tonight.

“What should I do to our Lu Han?” Minseok purrs, looking up at Yixing.

Yixing considers it briefly. “I think you should flip him over.”

This is, he knows, Lu Han’s favorite position. Doesn’t matter how exactly Minseok arranges him, Lu Han rarely likes on his back. And normally, this is Yixing’s favorite position to watch, but tonight he’s distracted. Minseok and Lu Han don’t exactly notice, which is understandable, but when they’re done and catching their breath and Yixing still looks lost in thought, they call him out on it.

Minseok taps Yixing’s knee, making him jump.

“Yixing, is everything okay?”

Yixing nods. “Yes, everything is fine.”

Lu Han looks worried. “Were you bored? You could have told us.”

“No, that’s not it,” Yixing assures. “It’s just…I think I’ve decided that I want to take the change suppressant.”

Lu Han sits up. “Wait, really?”

Yixing nods. “Yes. I know I haven’t really said anything about it, but I really don’t like being a fox, I never have. I want to try this, if it’s okay with both of you.”

“Of course—it’s your choice,” Lu Han says quickly. “It’s just…a little surprising. But whatever you want, it’s up to you.”

“Exactly,” Minseok agrees. “You can do whatever makes you happy, because as long as you’re happy, we’re happy.”

Yixing feels the tension leave his body and he flops down on the bed, sighing in relief. “Good. Thanks, I really appreciate you telling me that.”

“Anytime,” Minseok says, leaning over Lu Han to give Yixing a kiss. “We love you.”

Lu Han shoves Minseok away and kisses Yixing’s cheek. “Yeah, we love you so much.”

Jongin wakes up at 3 AM when Jongdae climbs into his bed and sticks his ice cold toes up against Jongin’s calves.

“Ice cube,” Jongin whines, burrowing his nose in Jongdae’s hair.

Jongdae squirms closer and sneaks his arms under Jongin’s shirt. “You’re always so warm.”

Jongdae had started off the night in Kyungsoo’s room. Kyungsoo was staying out of their disagreement, insisting that it was something they needed to work out together, because he was going to go with whatever they wanted.

Jongin’s still hurt about the whole thing. It’s been hours, but even now he can’t let it go. “I like you as you are, I wouldn’t change you.”

“And I wouldn’t change you, that’s not what this is about.”

“But it’s part of who we are. Do you hate being a werefox so much that you would really force yourself to stop the shift?”

“Jongin…I want to sing. I gave up on that dream because of what I am.”

“But you don’t have to, and you don’t have to stop the change to do that.”

“People are cruel, Jongin. I don’t want to get hurt any more than I already have.”

Jongin feels like he might cry. “Then where does that leave me? I would be all alone. I would miss you.”

Jongdae pauses. “We could work something out. Maybe Kyungsoo would let us get a cat, or a dog, so you wouldn’t be alone. Maybe you could come with me when I work, or even go with Kyungsoo. Maybe we could take you to your friend’s house, and you could play with him. We would work something out ahead of time. I wouldn’t let you be all alone. I wouldn’t do that to you. But if I could…I lose so much time when I’m a fox. I could stay home, even if I just use that time to study or do homework, it would help me so much.”

When he says it like that, Jongin feels so selfish. “But it’ll never be the same again. Being a werefox is what brought us together in the first place.”

Jongdae leans back and smiles at Jongin. “I know. I wouldn’t forget that, and I won’t ever make the mistake of trying to leave again. I thought I would be helping you, but I know better now. I love you so much, I’ll never be able to go on without you. I’ll always come back to you.”

Jongin sniffles and holds out his pinky finger. “Promise?”

Jongdae links their fingers together. “Promise. And as soon as I can save up enough money, I’ll prove it by marrying you.”

Jongin gasps. “M-marry?” he echoes.

Jongdae starts to cry, but he’s still smiling. “If you’ll have me, of course.”

Jongin sits up and starts bawling. “Of course,” he gasps between sobs, “Of course I will…” and he cries so loudly that Kyungsoo comes in to ask what’s going on.

“I asked Jongin to marry me,” Jongdae says proudly, as Jongin sobs on his shoulder.

Kyungsoo grins in relief. “So I take it you’re not fighting anymore?”

“No, we’re not. We’re okay now.”

Jongin beckons Kyungsoo over. “You’ll be there when we get married, right?”

Kyungsoo sits next to them and hugs them both. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Baekhyun parks the car and looks over at Chanyeol. He’s looking out the window with a mixture of fear and excitement on his face. They’re at the halfway house that Chanyeol grew up in, and Baekhyun can tell that Chanyeol’s having mixed feelings about being back here. Baekhyun puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Chanyeol, are you sure you’re okay?”

Chanyeol nods. “Yes, I am.”

“And this is okay with you?”

Chanyeol smiles widely. “I never thought I’d want another Sponsor. But we all have to eat our words sometimes.” He takes Baekhyun’s hand. “I’m so glad you made me come live with you, and I’m so grateful to you for taking care of me. Are you sure that this is what you want?”

Over the last few months, Chanyeol has blossomed. He’s no longer afraid of himself, or Baekhyun, or the world. He’s gone to therapy, he’s dealing with his depression, and he’s even gotten accepted to college, with a partial scholarship. Turns out, he’s a very good student when he’s given the chance to excel. Now Chanyeol wants to go to medical school and join Baekhyun in were-person medical science. But Baekhyun would have wanted to sponsor him even without all of that. He’s wanted to Sponsor Chanyeol from the very beginning, and now he’s finally getting that chance.

“This is absolutely what I want. Are you ready?”

Chanyeol nods, and they get out of the car.

“It’s so weird,” Chanyeol says. “I feel like a completely different person. I feel like everything has changed, but this place looks exactly the same. It’s surreal, I feel like I shouldn’t recognize it.”

Baekhyun’s not quite sure what to say to that, so he just holds out his hand. Chanyeol takes it, and gives Baekhyun a small smile. They go inside together, and walk up to the old lady sitting at the front desk.

“Hi, Mrs. Choi,” Chanyeol says. “I’ve come to declare my Sponsor.”

And just twenty minutes later, they leave with a piece of paper that gives Baekhyun all the rights and legal powers of Chanyeol’s Sponsor. Chanyeol can’t stop staring at it.

“It’s so…simple. And flimsy. All that fuss for this.”

Baekhyun laughs. “Tell you what, how about we go get a frame for it?”

Chanyeol nods eagerly. “And then can we hang it over our bed?”

Our bed. Baekhyun grins and leans over to kiss Chanyeol’s cheek. “Of course, we can.”

And that’s the end! Wow, this has been a long time coming. But finally, everyone got the happy ending that they deserved. Thanks so much for sticking with me during this, I’m sorry that there wasn’t any OT4 Sehun/Tao/Kris/Joonmyun , maybe someday down the road I’ll write it, but for now the story is complete. Thanks to all of you for reading/subscribing/upvoting/commenting. If you could go vote in this poll I made, I’d really appreciate it.

See you around!