OST: My Everything by Lena Park - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t5bVaStR4w

Happy belated Kyumin day, everyone. 

They said greed was in human’s nature and thus, the werewolf race signed a peace treaty and stayed far away from the humans who coveted their powers. However, Sungmin was pretty sure it was in their race’s nature too. He always recognised himself as one greedy wolf even if the people around him told him otherwise. Compared to others, he might not have been deemed greedy, but to Sungmin, greed was something not to be compared with others; it was simply the opposite of being contented.

Sungmin had never felt contented. When he was young and still living with his parents, he always wanted more toys, more playtime, more snacks. The simple desires transformed into a strong want for feeling needed and important after his parents left him in the forest. Thus, he worked harder than ever to gain acknowledgement from others, to gain the dependence from others, to make himself feel needed and important at the orphanage. And then, when he was claimed, he started to long for the attention and love from Kyuhyun.

Was greed necessarily a bad thing?

Sungmin didn’t know; perhaps without greed, society wouldn’t have been this advanced with technology.

But sometimes, sometimes when the world got too complicated for him, Sungmin wished everything was still simple before greed made them the vile creatures they were. And in this current state of mess, with both the threats from the outside world and the storm inside him, Sungmin longed to feel contented. He just wanted happiness, and in the simplicity of having his alpha’s arms around him in bed, he found contentment.

Even if there was this noise that kept buzzing and the sunlight that was making his eyes uncomfortable, he felt contented. He was filled with a calm sea of happiness, and the comfortable warmth that was accompanied by a soothing scent drove him to snuggle in closer. He drew the warmth closer with his arm, but the action only elicited more noise that had the crease on his forehead deepening further.

To be exact, it sounded like a familiar squeal. Unwilling to leave the warmth, Sungmin tried to ignore it, but the vibrations that were running through the surface—skin—chest he was leaning on chased the remaining sleepiness away.

“Keep quiet and get out, ahjumma! My omega needs more sleep!”

“Oh oh, he’s awake! He’s definitely awake already but he doesn’t want to let go of you!” Sungmin squeezed his eyes tighter at those words, hating the thought of really waking up. “Alright, I’ll leave you two to have breakfast~ Remember to wrap the bedsheets—oh, right, the bedsheets are clean since we only put them on after you all ed on the actual bed yesterday—”

“Ahjumma~” Sungmin barely noticed his alpha’s whine as flashes of the previous afternoon ran past his mind.

“Alright alright, I’m leaving~” Jinhee’s voice toned down before exploding again. “You can stop hiding now, Sungmin dear!” The echo of Jinhee’s laughter faded away behind the door that clicked close.

Despite being told to stop hiding, Sungmin lay motionless in his alpha’s embrace as the horrifying thoughts of his embarrassing actions occupied his mind. He stiffened when his alpha’s face pressed into his neck, sniffing at his scent. At the satisfied sigh his alpha released, contentment spilled over to Sungmin, making him want to sigh in contentment too, especially because he was sure he could smell his alpha’s scent mixed with his very own. And this, this additional share of happiness and contentment was impossible to be just his own. It was from his alpha, and just the thought of being able to feel his alpha’s happiness through the bond made Sungmin want to cry.

He didn’t, because those deep brown irises caught his eyes as his alpha gently pulled away, chasing all other thoughts away from his overwhelmed mind. They didn’t exchange any word, but the intense way his alpha stared into his eyes made it seem as though his alpha knew, knew every little thing about him and his every thought till his very soul. The feeling of being bare to his soul sent shudders down his spine, but Sungmin didn’t hate it at all. He didn’t feel only vulnerable like what he once thought the bond did to him, instead, he felt understood as well. And perhaps this was what it meant to be claimed—no, bonded, he remembered how his alpha had whispered that word into his ear, the other memories slowly piecing back together with the embarrassing moments. This was how it felt to have the bond linking them together, to feel vulnerable yet understood in front of a mate. And despite how he still wanted to hide every single ugly part of him, Sungmin felt relieved that he could finally be honest to the one that mattered the most to him.

At that moment, he had never been as sure of his alpha’s feelings for him, but there was still something nagging at the back of his mind, something that had been important but he couldn’t recall right now. Not with the large hand landing on the side of his face, the thumb caressing distracting across his cheek. His eyelids fluttered close, prompting the halt of those caresses, but there came a nudge against his upper arm.

Sungmin opened his eyes to those beautiful features before him.

“Wake up,” his alpha’s deep velvety voice rung out, “You need breakfast, don’t you?”

He stared back blankly at his alpha, nodding as the hunger pangs tackled his stomach with his brain finally registering the delicious smell of toast and eggs that have long filled the room, aside from his alpha’s scent.

Looking over his alpha's shoulder at the tray of food awaiting them, Sungmin’s eyes darted back when his alpha snapped his fingers. His alpha leaned closer, the heat radiating off his alpha's body pressed against him emphasizing the fact that he was finally, finally claimed by his alpha again. Despite the warmth from his alpha’s body heat, the dominant aura was merciless, his breath in an instant as his alpha leaned closer. Sungmin ducked his head, feeling like he should withdraw his hands – the one laid across his alpha's waist and the one sandwiched between them – but he didn't dare to move as his alpha’s breaths hit his face.

“Look at me,” his alpha ordered.

And to that commanding voice, he could only obey and look, drowning once more in the intensity of those brown eyes.

“Your name is Lee Sungmin, right?”

A sense of déjà vu knocked right into Sungmin, but he knew this wasn’t something new. He had once experienced it, had had this conversation with his alpha two months ago when—

“Wash up, Sungmin.” Get dressed, Sungmin. “You're late for breakfast, and so am I.” You are going to be late for classes, and so am I.

It was as though he could see his alpha getting out of bed, followed by his uniform being thrown at him. His bag was hanging off the chair and his alpha was turning to leave the room and—Sungmin tightened his hold around his alpha's waist when he felt movement under his arm.

“I-I—”

“What?” His alpha asked in an amused tone, giving a lopsided smile that was nevertheless attractive.

He struggled to smile back with all the feelings flooding him simultaneously, and there was a strong urge to shut his eyes to stop the tears from escaping, but he refused to miss any of his alpha’s expressions as he whispered, “What… is your name?”

The smile that widened on his alpha’s face was so bright that happiness exploded in his chest. But he was sure it wasn’t just because of his alpha’s smile, but because it was his alpha’s— “Kyuhyun, but you can call me Kyu.”

—his alpha’s happiness which he felt through the bond. A second burst of happiness erupted in him when his alpha dropped a peck on his nose, resting their foreheads together as his alpha whispered against his lips, “Let’s start anew, Min.”

At the perfect introduction that marked the start of their new life, the only answer that Sungmin managed was a sob that was swallowed as his alpha claimed his lips, flipping them over and pressing him into the bed.

With the comforting warmth blanketing him and the dominating kiss blowing his mind away, the only thoughts Sungmin were left with were Kyuhyun, Master, Cho Kyuhyun, Kyu—home.

~--~

Compared to abstaining from his omega for two weeks, it took even more restraint to pry his lips away from those easily reddened ones when the addictive red wine clouded not only his nose, but his mind. His debauched omega panted heavy under him, the defiled look ironically accompanied by an innocent gaze. He knew how his omega was tracing the contours of his face again, like he often caught his omega doing while pretending having not known. And despite wanting to stop his omega and to reassure his omega that there was no need to memorise his face over and over again because he would never disappear, Kyuhyun kept silent as usual, revelling in the quiet moment that they shared. Wanting to burn this precious moment into his mind, he copied his omega, running his eyes over every single turn and angle of his omega’s face till he was sure he could recognise his mate even in the dark.

Then, his eyes wandered down to the little red marks peppering his omega’s neck and a contradicting mix of pride and heartache filled him, especially when he saw the green bruise spreading over his omega’s collarbone. It was already looking nasty, and Kyuhyun was sure the bruise would develop into a mess of purple and blue soon enough. As though realising that he was looking at those bruises, his omega’s line of sight drooped, hand instinctively reaching out to feel the remnants of teeth marks on those bruises. Kyuhyun’s eyes followed his omega’s fingers that strayed up to the fiercest bite – the claiming mark, and he couldn’t help the smile upon seeing how a smile similarly tugged on the corners of his omega’s lips. Gently, Kyuhyun kissed those fingers, guiding them away with his own hand as he planted another proud kiss on the claiming mark.

Despite wanting to just stay like that for hours, Kyuhyun knew that there were things of greater priority waiting for them, and he could make many more such moments down the years they would spend together. Additionally, his arms were aching from propping himself up—Kyuhyun let out a chuckle at his own ridiculous thought, grinning as his omega’s big eyes widened cutely in response.

“We should really wash up and eat breakfast,” he said, combing his omega’s wild fringe back with his fingers.

Carefully, he pulled back, biting back the groan as his little unsatisfied buddy brushed against his omega. However, the accidental action didn’t go unnoticed by his omega, and Kyuhyun knew exactly from the way his omega’s entire body tensed that the omega in heat had retreated deep into his omega once again.

“Don’t worry,” he cleared his throat awkwardly, not wanting to scare his omega away. He was determined to make it right this time, and that included giving his omega space if Sungmin wanted it. “I will settle the problem…” he eyed himself under the blanket, “on my own later.”

When his omega gave no response and continued to stare at him, Kyuhyun tried for a goofy grin with a joke. “Unless you want to help me take care of it.”

The red that took over his omega’s face was almost instantaneous with those eyes widening to an impossible extent, and regardless of how much he wanted to continue teasing at his omega’s cute response, Kyuhyun laughed it off. “I’m just kidding, little one,” he pinched his omega’s nose, loving how appropriate the impromptu nickname he came up with for his omega was.

“Little one?” His omega repeated.

“Yes,” he grinned, propping himself up on the elbow. “My precious little one.”

The blush that painted his omega’s cheeks again were lovable, resulting in Kyuhyun admiring for seconds more before he decided he should push his omega to go wash up. “The breakfast is really getting cold. You want to take a quick shower first, don’t you?”

“Yes, I…” His omega hesitated, attempting to covertly check his own state underneath the blanket. “But I need…” Those hands tightened around the pristine blanket.

“Need what?” Kyuhyun asked before finally understanding what his omega was thinking. “You mean… the blanket?”

His omega nodded meekly, unable to look at him in the eyes.

“Go ahead and use it,” he agreed easily, uncovering himself and pushing the spare blanket to his omega. At the yelp and sight of his omega fumbling to hide under the blanket, Kyuhyun chortled, mischievously grabbing his pillow to hide his privates as he sat up. Tugging at the blanket, he teased, “You can look, Sungmin. It’s not as if you haven’t seen it before—”

“Master—I—”

His hand froze at the title his omega used. Despite how much it satisfied his alpha side, it now only served to remind Kyuhyun of all the pretense he had to put up in front of others despite wanting to just indulge and give his omega everything. And it disgusted himself to remember that his cruel actions were once not just pretense, as well as how he had failed his omega so terribly when his omega trusted him and his orders absolutely.

“K-Kyu…?” His omega’s hesitant voice pulled him out of his bitter thoughts.

Forcing himself to snap out the self-loathe, Kyuhyun gestured at the pillow that maintained propriety, letting out a chuckle to reassure his omega. “See. Told you you can look.”

His omega blinked at him, as though catching on to his weird pause, but Kyuhyun was sure it was something he didn’t want his omega to worry about yet. And now, all he wanted to was to enjoy these private moments too.

“Kyu…” His omega tucked the blanket tight around himself, sitting up.

“Yes, little one?” His omega looked down shyly, though the light blush was definitely an improvement from before.

“I…”

“Hmm?” He prompted when the silence dragged for a little too long.

Unexpectedly, his omega said, “I should go wash up…”

Sticking to his plan of giving his omega space, Kyuhyun grabbed his mug of coffee from the side table, assuming a relaxed position as he said, “Go ahead, Min. But don’t take too long for the sake of the food.”

“Okay, I will be quick…” His omega murmured while fumbling to wrap the long blanket around himself, heading straight to the attached bathroom of their new bedroom.

“Do you know how to use the shower?” He called out after his omega.

“Yes,” his omega turned back with a light-hearted smile that lifted his spirits. “I tried it yesterday, Kyu.”

“Okay, make sure the water is warm, little one,” he added, unable to stop himself from using the nickname again to pull that beautiful blush onto his omega’s face. And after his omega nodded shyly and disappeared into the bathroom, Kyuhyun pressed his face into his pillow, smothering the squeal that he wanted to let out.

Muffled chuckles escaped his pillow as he thought of how cute his omega would look upon finding out that he had already more or less cleaned for his omega last night. He slapped his own thigh upon realising that his buddy was reacting further at the image of his y omega.

Kyuhyun groaned; it was as though it was his turn to go into heat.

~--~

Sungmin tugged the soft bathrobe closer, checking once more that the knot was secured before looking up at himself in the mirror. Taking in a deep breath, he tried to dispel his nervousness, knowing that there was nothing he should be nervous or even embarrassed about.

Kyuhyun had claimed him; there were bound to be many more times when they would be intimate and his alpha would see his body. Even if he wanted to hide the brand on his chest, his alpha had the right to demand to see it and every inch of his skin. A claim over an omega is absolute, and though Sungmin didn’t know whether he would grant his body that freely if another alpha had claimed him, he regarded his alpha’s claim over him as absolute. Kyuhyun wasn’t just any alpha; Kyuhyun was his mate, his anchor, his lighthouse, his sun… his everything.

And even if his alpha didn’t end up reciprocating in the same way, he would still submit it all to Kyuhyun. Though so, Sungmin was rather sure that the playing field in their relationship wouldn’t be heavily tilted towards one side anymore. His alpha had said bonded, not claimed.

Pulling back the sneaky smile that showed up in the mirror reflection, Sungmin swallowed a giggle at his silly thoughts. Why was he even thinking of having power over his alpha? It must have been the joy and comfort of being bonded that brought his little mischievous side back to light. But he didn’t need power over his alpha, all he needed was love.

Love… Halfway through their conversation earlier, he suddenly remembered the important thing he had forgotten – his alpha had yet to say “I love you”. Anxious to hear it, he had almost lost his cool and blurted out the question.

Why won’t you tell me that you love me?

Sungmin sighed, dismissing the useless thoughts. It was apparent that his alpha did love him, or at the very least treasure him, and he shouldn’t let such a petty thing overshadow the good mood that they were both in now.

Quietly pressing down the door handle, Sungmin peeped out of the bathroom door to secretly check on his alpha. Instead of seeing his alpha occupied in other things, he almost jumped at the pair of brown eyes gazing straight at him. His alpha had apparently been monitoring the sounds he was making in the bathroom and waiting for him to come out.

Seeming to sense his surprise, his alpha let out a smirk at him. “Why are you hiding?”

“I-I-I’m not…” he stuttered, “it’s just-just… I don’t have any clothes to change into…”

“I see you’ve found the bathrobe though,” his alpha pointed out, waving at him to come out. “It will be enough for now. Doojoon will bring some of our clothes over later.”

Making sure again that his robe was still properly in place, Sungmin stepped out of the bathroom, eyeing the outfit his alpha was in. “Why do you have your…” He struggled for a less embarrassing word, only to settle on, “underwear then…” At a sudden realisation, his voice peaked in pitch. “Did you wear back the one from yesterday?!”

His alpha chuckled, lifting the breakfast tray from the table to the bed. “Nah, I borrowed it from Doojoon.”

“You borrowed it?!” Even if wearing a clean borrowed underwear was better than wearing a dirty one (he had learnt in the first month that his alpha had clothes washed after wearing it once and his alpha could change twice to thrice a day), it still didn’t seem hygenic enough for someone like his alpha to accept it.

His alpha laughed even louder while climbing off the bed to grab his wrist and lead him closer. “Why are you so surprised?”

Sungmin got on the bed, carefully avoiding any big movements that could topple the breakfast. “I didn’t think you would like sharing clothes with others.”

“I lent you my sweatpants once, didn’t I?” His alpha said, settling down beside him. “And I wore that pair after it was washed too.”

“But an underwear is…”

His alpha forked a small bite of scrambled egg, pushing it right to his lips. “Alright, don’t worry,” his alpha laughed. “It was a new pair of underwear Doojoon had yet to wear.”

“Oh.” Sungmin parted his lips, and his alpha took the opportunity to stuff the egg in.

“Eat, little one. The breakfast is all cold already.”

And with his alpha feeding him several bites, Sungmin finished his breakfast cheerily.

~--~

After asking for the third time to make sure his omega was indeed full, Kyuhyun gobbled down the remaining piece of toast. Clearing the plates and tray to the side table, he waited patiently till Sungmin finished the glass of orange juice, then clearing the empty glass to the tray as well.

“Do you want to take a shower, Kyu? I can take the tray downstairs to the sink.”

“I already showered while cleaning you up,” he replied absently before turning to see red taking over his omega’s face again. Sungmin had to have realised in the bathroom just now that he had already cleaned his omega as much as possible, including in the private areas so that his omega could sleep and wake up comfortably. Despite wanting to tease his cute omega further, Kyuhyun decided that he needed to break the news first before they ran out of time.

“Come here,” he said, opening up his arms wide for his omega.

Obediently, Sungmin shifted into his embrace, leaning back in his arm as he buried his face into his omega’s neck from the back. “You smell nice,” he said, taking a deep sniff of the uniquely mixed scent.

“You smell nice too,” his omega replied softly, making him chuckle at the cuteness.

“Sungmin,” he pulled back, looking earnestly into his omega’s eyes. “This is our home now.”

His omega nodded hesitantly, waiting for him to say more after the seemingly unnecessary declaration.

“I’ve been rushing the renovation works so that we could move in as soon as possible.” Kyuhyun ran his fingers through the black strands, combing back his omega’s hair. “I wanted us to really start anew in this new home and… I was fortunate to be able to claim you here in our new home.”

His omega looked up at him with gleaming eyes and a reserved smile. “I am the fortunate one… Thank you, Master.”

Knowing that his omega had used the title deliberately and not out of habit, Kyuhyun forwent the correction. “Our furniture are all in already and we could just move our belongings slowly from the old house, so… I called the rest for a housewarming party this evening.”

He carefully watched the emotions play out on his omega’s face, which ended in a frown. “Party?” Sungmin asked in an uncertain voice.

“Yes, to celebrate our new house and our bonding.” Kyuhyun lifted his omega’s face with both hands, meeting the wavering gaze. “I want to present my omega to others.”

There was a hint of happiness that flashed by his omega’s gaze before it was overtaken by uncertainty again. “Who is coming?”

“I left the invitation work to Doojoon and Yoseob, but I told them to invite your friends and your director. Dr. Kwon and Soohyang-ssi would be coming too. And I’m not sure if they will come since the notice is rather last minute, but I have asked Doojoon to send an invite to Siwon-ssi as well.”

“Even Siwon?” His omega’s voice was close to squeaking, prompting him to massage his omega’s neck in an attempt to help his omega relax.

“It’s okay, Min,” he assured. “If you think you’re not up to it, I will cancel it. We can perhaps just have dinner with Ahjumma and family then.”

“I…”

“Do you want some time to think about it?”

“No—I… I want to do it.” Sungmin looked up at him, and he saw the uncertainty switching to determination in an instant. “I want to see them and for them to see… us.”

Pride overwhelmed Kyuhyun as he tucked his omega in his arms, kissing his omega on the head. “I’ll be here with you,” he promised, “You’re not doing this alone.”

“I know,” his omega whispered, fingers clutching his shirt. He could feel the currents of fear from his omega running through the bond channel to him like buzzes of electricity, but his brave omega still said, “And I can do it.”

“So proud of you,” he praised, pressing a hard kiss to his omega’s forehead. Wiping off the tear that had slipped out of his omega’s eye, Kyuhyun grinned at his omega. “My brave little one.”

His omega let out a soft squeal that was swallowed as he claimed his omega’s delectable lips again. He could never get enough of kissing his omega, and it seemed his buddy down there couldn’t get enough as well. Kyuhyun ignored the growing bulge, choosing to indulge simply in the kiss instead.

And as he pulled apart and nuzzled his face in his omega’s neck, he decided that they could definitely spare a bit more time to just stay in bed like this. The party could wait a little; he was sure the rest wouldn’t expect a newly bonded couple to turn up on time.

~--~

Even if they had stayed in bed for an hour more, it still felt insufficient to a greedy wolf like him, especially when he had to separate from his alpha a few hours after as they prepared for the party.

Sungmin had spent two hours in the kitchen preparing the food as his alpha went around settling things and decorating their house. Though his alpha had wanted to call in a buffet caterer, Jinhee had insisted she be the head chef in charge of all the food that evening. Uncomfor