Suho was sweating. He was just so, so bad at things like this. So very bad that he had no idea how he had persuaded himself that trying to be romantic was a good idea. But somehow he had decided that was exactly what he needed to do – and in no way was that influenced by the fact that Jongdae had been withholding from him for the last week because he was “ignoring the fact they had other things in common besides humping each other”.

Suho had vehemently denied that he had ever thought anything of the kind, even if his actions made it seem like he was a big jerk face. After Jongdae had become his mate they had slept together a bunch of times, so what if Suho liked that the best of all of their activities together. Jongdae seemed to be enjoying himself just fine until last week.

Stupid last week…

***

Jongdae had the day off from the café, he had ran his errands in the morning, and now he had nothing to do. It was beautiful.

He laid belly down on his bed, grabbed a bowl of popcorn, and decided to start watching his long neglected anime collection.

The lazy afternoon went on as his popcorn bowl got lighter, his eyes heavier, and his to-watch list a lot shorter. Drifting off to sleep Jongdae was completely oblivious to the fact that Suho had arrived home. That was until Suho plopped down next to him, spilling the remaining popcorn on the bed.

“Yah!” Jongdae slapped at his mate, annoyed that not only did he have a mess to clean up but he was so rudely taken away from his soon to be nap.

Suho muttered halfhearted apologies as he grabbed the remote control. “Catching up on Full Metal Alchemist?”

“As you can see. Hey, help me clean this up!”

Suho made a lazy attempt to gather the popcorn he had spilt into the bowl. Jongdae shot him an annoyed look.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Yeah, you were born.”

“Hey! That isn’t very nice!”

“Neither is ruining my nap”

“I thought maybe you would want to spend some time with me?” Suho tried to ask cutely, Jongdae made a vomiting noise in response while curling his fingers.

Suho just sighed, leaning back on the pile of pillows that took up a third of the bed. The first night he had slept next to his mate that he had a few things that were a necessity for Jongdae – lots of pillows, his two favorite teddy bears (which Suho wanted to make fun of but bit his tongue because it was kind of cute) and a full glass of water on his nightstand.

Jongdae put the bowl of popcorn on the floor and leaned back next to Suho. After a few minutes Suho reached out and pulled him closer. They cuddled into each other, their attention focused on the anime.

Until Suho ruined it a few minutes later.

“Jongdae” Suho whispered.

“Yeah” Jongdae asked, never taking his eyes from the television. Then he felt something wet on his collar. Looking down he noticed Suho had his finger and put it on his shirt.

“How about you and I get out of these wet clothes?” Suho whispered, throwing his voice into a husky tone.

“You have to be joking.” Jongdae wasn’t sure what to say. He had gotten use to Suho doing some cheesy things- but this? This was too cheesy to comprehend.

“Can I borrow a kiss? I promise I will give it back.”

“Hyung who taught you these things?”

Suho didn’t answer, instead he moved closer until Jongdae was laying on his back with Suho hovering over him.

“Jongdae, do you have a mirror in your pocket?”

“No…I am kind of afraid to ask why?”

“Because I see myself in your pants.”

“Okay, that’s it!” Jongdae pushed Suho off of him. “I don’t know where you learned such stupid pickup lines but they are not going to work!”

Suho pouted. “I was just trying to spice things up!”

“Yeah, well you didn’t! Christ hyung, can’t we just watch television? Do we have to always be humping each other?”

“I thought you liked that best?” Suho looked genuinely perplexed.

“I like it when I want it, but you want it night and day! Maybe I need a break sometimes! Maybe I need to remember why I like it? Why we like each other?” Jongdae regretted most of what he said right after he had yelled the words because Suho looked so dejected. Yet he had to voice how he felt even if he may have amplified his feeling a tad bit for dramatic effect.

“You are my mate. I love you.” Suho said the words like it was the most obvious unarguable truth ever.

“I know. But show me sometimes, in ways other than trying to get in my pants.”

Suho cocked an eyebrow, bit his lower lip and nodded. This would require a lot of skills that Suho did not possess. It was time to visit the expert.

***

“How could that pick up line not work?”

“I don’t know.” Suho was just as confused as the person who had told him to say it, “Wait, did you ever use it on Minseok?”

“Me?! No!” Luhan took a bite of his salad. He hadn’t needed to use such pick up lines with Minseok (he liked to skip over the memory that he spent so much time fighting with Minseok in the beginning he never really had the opportunity to use pickup lines).

“Then how did you know if would work?” Suho was regretting asking for Luhan’s help to come off as a smoother, more romantic mate to Jongdae. It was just that Suho felt a little of what Jongdae did. He wanted their relationship to always be exciting, to be something more than the norm. Unfortunately his desire to spice things up had ended up with Jongdae finding his own fault with their relationship. Now he just had to repair the damage he had done.

 “Seriously Suho, I have seen it done.” Luhan answered even though he had never seen it done. But he was pretty sure that those were the smoothest lines he had ever read online and were 100% effective if delivered in the right manner.

“Well he said I need to show I love him in a way other than trying to get in his pants...I don’t know what he wants…”

“Don’t look so glum, I have an idea.”

Suho’s face lit up. He was glad he had decided to get closer to Minseok’s mate. Luhan was not his favorite person in the beginning but the more he talked to him the more he liked him. He still had a ways to go to say he was a close friend but they had grown a lot more amicable. Lately he even refrained from immediately getting angry at Luhan when Minseok was pissed at him. Not to say his loyalty to his own pack leader was failing….it was just he was making a new friend, slowly.

“If Jongdae is looking for something romantic I think I have just the thing.”

“Okay, spill it.” Suho leaned forward as did Luhan, like they were discussing something of the utmost secrecy. They were in the cafeteria of the university, eating an early lunch together since they were the only two that did not have class at that time.

“Lulu, dear!”

“Crap” Luhan said under his breath as Sohee came skipping up to their table. Suho knew any conversation they had been having was now over.

He would have to wait to hear Luhan’s new plan. He just hoped it was better than asking about a mirror.

***

It had been a few days and Jongdae was still frustrated. He loved Suho, he did, but the man frustrated him sometimes. Most of the time he was a cheesy, dorky, adorable teddy bear that made Jongdae smile like crazy. Then every once in a while he was a greasy maniac that had no respect for naps. And now he was challenged to be romantic and he had done nothing. Zilch. Just come to bed and fall asleep next to Jongdae without any kind of words besides things about their day, about their pack members, and about general subjects like the weather or the latest anime.

“Hey, Jongdae come see me for a moment.”

Luhan had been in the office of the Angel Café for the last twenty minutes and Jongdae was pretty sure the man was hiding there. With a hungry Sohee stalking him via appearing at the café every minute she wasn’t in contact with Luhan, Jongdae understood why the guy was sneaking in the back door lately.

Jongdae followed Luhan into the small office and was surprised that the older man closed the door after him. It must be something important.

“What’s up boss?”

“Hey, I don’t mean to in or anything but are you having trouble with Suho?”

“No. Why?”

“Well, the guy seems to be really depressed lately. I thought maybe things weren’t going well between you two.”

Jongdae wasn’t one to share his burdens with others easily, even others in his pack. He was more one to give comfort to other people’s burden not add his own mess onto their plates. But this was Luhan and he was asking directly. “Maybe we are having a little tiff. The guy is just as hell – doesn’t really ever let me know he wants anything but .”

“I see.” Luhan looked thoughtful. “What do you want him to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know – something romantic.”

“Like?” Luhan looked at him in anticipation. This was certainly a little odd, Jongdae thought.

“I don’t know, show he cares about me as a person.”

“How could he do that?” Luhan asked trying to seem like he wasn’t looking for a specific answer. He failed.

“Did you teach him pickup lines?”

“No! Me?” Luhan panicked “I don’t know what you are talking about. Hey, um, thanks for the talk. Got to go.”

Jongdae watched Luhan retreat out the door. So he was working with Suho. That just annoyed him more, because his mate could not even think of how to tell him he loved him on his own. Now he was in a bad mood.

***

The next morning Jongdae woke up to a bed full of rose petals. Suho was long gone. It was unfortunate that Suho had no recollection that Jongdae had an allergic reaction to roses – even though Jongdae clearly remembered telling him the fact one night. His face was swollen and he was having trouble breathing when So Ra called the doctor.

That night Suho slept on the couch.

***

When Jongdae showed up at the Angel Café the next morning he barely had time to put on his apron before being interrupted by a knock on the glass door, still locked as they had yet to open. There was a delivery man at the door with a certified envelope addressed to Jongdae.

When Jongdae took the envelope to the backroom and opened it he got a surprise. A few seconds later his phone rang, it was Suho.

“Hey babe, did you get my present?”

“What in the hell did you buy me life insurance for?”

“What is more romantic than helping your loved one care for their lives in a financially responsible way?”

“You realize we are wolves and cannot have life insurance, right?!”

“Oh-“

“And are you thinking I am going to die soon?”

“No! I-uh”

Their phone call ends in hurt feelings and annoyance.

***

Later that night Suho buys Jongdae a ring. A promise ring if you will. He hides it in ice cream.

Jongdae eats the ring by mistake, never seeing it.

Suho is heard crying quietly in the bathroom in the middle of the night. Jongdae asks him what is wrong but gets no response. They both want their relationship to get better but are unsure of what to do.

***

“Take a deep breath Suho, you’ve got this.” He tells himself internally, trying to build up his confidence. At this point he wants to hurl himself from the nearest fifty story building. If this doesn’t work he is not sure what he can do to end this relationship stale mate.

A big part of his plan is riding on how well Jongdae takes the bait. He hopes it works. It better, because he is starting to feel mighty itchy in these clothes.

***

When Yixing called and told Jongdae he needed to get to the Angel Café ASAP – there had been a break in – Jongdae focuses on remembering where everything was when he had left the place. He desperately hopes that the thief didn’t take anything too valuable. Even if the eastern Dawn pack was wealthy they still practiced being responsible and not reckless with their spending.

When Jongdae found the café lights on and the door unlocked – but no sign of police officers or anyone else – he thought it was odd. Entering the café he yelled out for Baekhyun but got no response. He pulled out his cell phone, ready to give Baekhyun a call to confirm what had happened, but before he could dial he heard a noise from the kitchen.

“Who is there?” He said cautiously, inching towards the kitchen.

No response. He inched the door open, the kitchen was dark.

“Hey – who is in here?” He reached over and flicked the light on, fully prepared that something nefarious may great him.

“Oh….my….dear….god.” Jongdae was not conscious that he spoke the words, they just kind of…came out.

“Do you like it?” Suho asked shyly, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

“This is so hot…wait…how did you know?” Jongdae knew he had never, ever told Suho about this. Because if he had he was sure that he would remember because it would be a really long conversation.

“I may have asked some people. And…uh, Jongdae I’m sorry. I do love you, I do want to spend time with you. I uh, I really want to get to know you even more than I do now. I want to laze around with you, I want to just spend a day talking.” Suho spoke the words earnestly despite his embarrassment. Jongdae noticed his new haircut, his new hair color to match the character.

“No talking- we can talk later.” Jongdae was across the kitchen in an instant, latching his lips onto Suho he pushed him against the wall into a deep kiss.

Suho wished he had just listened to his own hunches earlier. After trying out Luhan’s pickup lines, Luhan’s rose petal suggestion, and a suggestion from Yixing to give his mate a present he would want himself (life insurance) he had just done it. Went for what he would have wanted. To see his mate cosplaying his favorite character. It was a good thing that Yixing and Baekhyun could spout Jongdae’s favorite character and why by memory since they had heard it so many times.

And that is how Suho had quickly pulled together the best Captain Harlock outfit he could find.

And that is how Jongdae had broken a week long drought, with the realization Suho was hot as as Captain Harlock and deep down had tried his best. Which was love. And more romantic than roses or rings or – damn Suho as Captain Harlock was hot.

And that is how Baekhyun had learned what blindness was – walking in on Suho and Jongdae the next morning with nothing to cover them but a black and red cape, an eye patch lying on the floor near them, a weird fake scar on Suho’s cheek. He swore to Chanyeol he threw up in his mouth at the sight.

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a/n – And here be the Suchen chapter. It was kind of hard for me to write these two as the focus because I have never really sat down and wrote out a Suchen fic before. Hope I did them justice. And the Harlock – yeah, about that. Keke.