[fic] Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi - SJM - The Path Untraveled - Chapter 6/9
Title: The Path Untraveled
Author: fonulyn
Rating: NC17? (overall)
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi
Other characters: side!Han Geng/Heechul, Ryeowook, Sungmin, Siwon, a lot of brief mentions of others (suju and shinee, mainly)
Warnings: (overall) blood and violence, hunting etc.
Wordcount: 5354 words for this part (~37k overall)
Disclaimer: I own no one, only my dirty imagination.
Summary: For as long as Kyuhyun can remember life has been the same in their village. Yet when their monotonous life is disrupted, when another pack settles on their territory, Kyuhyun can’t help but be drawn to them. Drawn to one of them especially. (wolf shapeshifters!au)
Comments: This might be my fave chap, personally :3
Previously; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
In all honesty, Kyuhyun has no idea how Zhou Mi ends up living with him. He doesn’t. It all seems to make sense when Henry points out that the small pack cannot stay in the storage room anymore now that they’re guests more than prisoners. Han Geng and Heechul are given one of the small huts that have been empty for a while, as it is agreed that Han Geng needs as much peace and quiet for his healing as possible. Donghae and Jinki end up staying with Ryeowook, and it only leaves Zhou Mi.
And well, what else is Kyuhyun to do but offer to be hospitable? Really, it’s only polite.
That’s how Zhou Mi ends up not only sleeping in Kyuhyun’s home, but also sharing his meals with him, helping him out with little chores, and in general following him around whenever possible. It should be annoying, Kyuhyun thinks, it really should, but somehow he finds himself enjoying the company and not minding it in the slightest. Especially with how Zhou Mi is so eager to learn about their life in the village, curious and open to every bit of new information thrown his way.
Besides, he thinks it’s good Zhou Mi sticks close to him. Some of the villagers still give the newcomers dirty looks, some of them look even openly hostile. They won’t do anything, not because it’d get them in trouble with Siwon, but it doesn’t mean they can’t show what they think otherwise.
“What are they doing?” Zhou Mi asks curiously, tugging a little on Kyuhyun’s sleeve as they pass by the market square. He points at the cauldron’s set above the several fires lit at steady intervals, each of the pots so tall that Ryeowook seems to have troubles reaching over the edge to stir whatever’s inside. “It’s not time for dinner yet, is it?”
“No,” Kyuhyun snorts, amused. “It’s not food.” He changes directions then, thinking that he could as well ask Ryeowook if any help is needed. Obviously Donghae and Henry have already been hired as helpers, dutifully watching the other cauldrons. “Hey, I thought you’d start this after the next hunt,” he opens, as soon as they’re within easy hearing distance.
Ryeowook turns to smile at the both of them. “We already had plenty to work with. Want to join?”
Not in particular, Kyuhyun thinks, but then again he doesn’t really have much better things to do. And he knows Zhou Mi has been getting a little restless with the lack of things to do, so he figures this is as good a chance as any. “Want us to go get the ashes? You probably have this all covered.”
“Taemin took Jinki to set up the fires,” Ryeowook says. “I think there should be enough to bring here by now. So yeah, go for it.”
Kyuhyun nods and turns on his heels, heading to the edge of the village where they have another place to set up campfires. He makes sure to grab Zhou Mi’s wrist in passing, though, tugging him along. As he suspects, it doesn’t take long for the first question to come. “Were they boiling bones? Where are we going?”
“Yes,” Kyuhyun says. “Next they’ll have to add the ashes, which I hope will be ready for us.” He glances at Zhou Mi over his shoulder, offering him a smile. “They’re making soap.”
Immediately Zhou Mi’s expression lightens up and he looks excited about learning something new. As they step on the small square Taemin is adding what look like either small trees or branches of a tree into one of the campfires, and Jinki is putting out the fire in another one.
In comfortable silence, they gather as much as they can to bring back to Ryeowook, but as soon as they’re back there Ryeowook is forced to share the details of the whole process with his new attentive student. Kyuhyun doesn’t mind, even though this is already familiar to him from doing it so many times before. He sits back, leans against one of the big tree trunks, and closes his eyes to relax. It’s nice to listen to the chatter around him, the way Zhou Mi laughs excitedly every now and then, and if there’s a small smile dancing on Kyuhyun’s lips he does nothing to hide it.
Before long, he drifts off to sleep, only waking up when Sungmin kicks him - quite literally - telling him to get his ass moving to help.
When the sun sets they’re still sitting by the largest cauldron, attending to the remains of their dinner. The crackling fire casts long shadows and paints everything in warm hues, all at once, and they move in a little closer together. There are distant sounds of children playing, and parents yelling at them to come inside for the night, just like any other evening.
“It’s been a nice day,” Zhou Mi says eventually, his smile even widening as he looks straight at Ryeowook. “Thank you for showing me how soap is done! I think I learned more today than I’ve learned in years.” He’s positively vibrating energy, like he’s so content that he’s close to bursting with it. It’s probably not very far from the truth, Kyuhyun thinks, at least judging by everything he knows of the other man by now.
Ryeowook is obviously pleased, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he returns the smile. “It’s no problem, really! It’s always so much work to get any of these kids to help…” he drawls, poking Taemin with his elbow.
The teen only huffs a little, deeming it unworthy of a reply. He doesn’t seem to mind the teasing at all, though, completely at ease. “It’s time for the payment!” he says, shifting into a more comfortable position as if he’s expecting something already. “You promised a new ghost story.”
“Ah, I think I did,” Ryeowook nods, pursing his lips slightly. “I’m not sure if I have anything exciting…”
“I do!” Donghae pipes in instantly, not even waiting for Ryeowook to properly finish his sentence. He sits up straighter, raising his hands up as if it’d make his words more dramatic. “I want to tell you about the frightening monsters, the half-human hybrids, the bloodthirsty legends…”
At that point, Taemin cuts in, obviously not impressed. “We’re half-human hybrids too, though. It’s not like we’re that scary.”
“To some we are.” Henry shrugs. “I’ve seen people run from me screaming if they have a hunch of what I am. And I’m like the least scary wolf in the world.”
“True,” Kyuhyun agrees immediately. He earns a playful kick from his friend for his efforts.
Donghae seems a little disgruntled though, his lips pursed insistently. “No. C’mon, give this a chance. They’re the most frightening creatures I’ve ever heard of! My uncle saw a few of them, when he was just a kid. They came into the town he lived in, and they kidnapped half a dozen people before they just vanished off again and were never heard of since!”
“Are you talking about the shadow people?” Taemin asks, suddenly curious. He leans forward, elbows placed on his knees, as he enthusiastically begins to recount his own version of the tale. “I heard that here, when the village was just founded, there were sacrifices made to them. It might’ve been game, or anything they’d managed to hunt, but sometimes nothing else worked but a human sacrifice.”
“Yes!” Donghae grins, excited that someone is finally as into the topic as he is. “They are at least three times as tall as we are! And they have claws as long as my arm, and a beak that could pierce a grown man easily! I’ve also heard that they have the scariest red glowing eyes ever.”
“Not only that,” Taemin smirks, “they have teeth that are like knives, and they can bite though flesh, bone and tendon like it’s nothing.”
“…so can we, though,” Jinki points out under his breath, and Kyuhyun snorts out a laugh. Taemin and Donghae either don’t hear him or don’t pay any attention to him as they keep recounting the terrifying tales they’ve heard of the appearance of these shadow people. They seem to get more and more exaggerated as they go, and soon include claws as long as a grown man.
It’s ridiculous, Kyuhyun thinks. Even if he has heard the same tales, has had the same nightmares as a child, he’s never seen any evidence of them being true. Eerie whispers in the mountainside and vague sense of movement are tricks that anyone’s mind can play on them. He knows that much. He’s not scared of the stories anymore.
Suddenly his side is nudged softly, and Zhou Mi places his chin on his shoulder. “Is that true?” he whispers so silently it’s almost impossible for Kyuhyun to make out the words. “Do they exist?”
“I don’t know,” Kyuhyun answers. “They’re a myth. But then again, so are we.”
Zhou Mi purses his lips. “I hope they stay as a myth.”
On an impulse, Kyuhyun shifts a little so that Zhou Mi can lean against his side more comfortably. Neither of them move an inch for the rest of the night, as they listen to the stories. Taemin and Donghae seem to have a battle going on about who can come up with the most exaggerated monster, and soon enough they’re all howling with laughter.
Yes, it’s a good day, a good day indeed.
One can only stay holed up inside the village for so long, and when Kyuhyun begins to itch too much from staying in one place, he asks Zhou Mi if he’d want to go somewhere. They’re not supposed to go far, not just the two of them, but he figures that if he’s vibrating out of his skin it must be even worse for Zhou Mi, who was locked up in the storage building for days with his pack. Even if he’s now been allowed to roam the village freely for a couple of weeks, it’s not the same as getting out and deeper into the forest.
Eagerly, Zhou Mi accepts, and thus Kyuhyun decides they can take a short afternoon trip to the closest mountain. It’s the only one they’re allowed to go to, proudly standing alone about halfway between their village and the row of other, larger mountains. No one would ever think to go as far as the steeper rocky hills, but the solitary mountain is an acceptable place to retreat to.
They could as well walk there but they choose to run, allowing the shift to ripple over them until they’re running through the woods together, chasing each other playfully between the trees. It’s liberating, sends an incredible wave of both excitement and a certain kind of calmness through them. This is what they’ve been craving to do for a long while now.
To the point that even when they arrive at the mountain they don’t switch back to their human forms. Kyuhyun circles the mountain until he finds the side that is dotted with caves, some barely big enough to fit a child and some large enough to house several adults. He picks one of the midsized ones, slinking inside and away from the scorching hot sun. Heavily he falls down, rests his head on his paws and closes his eyes.
He’s listening though, how Zhou Mi is padding around and examining his surroundings. He seems to make a few rounds to take it all in, before his soft footsteps are decidedly approaching Kyuhyun. Like it’s normal, like he’s always done it, he simply drops down right next to Kyuhyun and rests his head on Kyuhyun’s back.
It’s sort of comfortable, Kyuhyun has to admit. He could swear that it sounds like Zhou Mi is purring, with the way contentment rumbles out of him on its own.
They stay like that, drifting in and out of consciousness as they take the early afternoon for napping. Only when the sun has sunken lower, its rays shining straight into Kyuhyun’s eyes irritatingly, they break from their peaceful moment.
Zhou Mi is the first to shift back to human, but he doesn’t say anything until Kyuhyun has followed the example. “Is this where you come to be alone?” he asks, leaning back against the wall of the cave. He stretches his long arms a little, obviously comfortable in his skin, and it makes Kyuhyun itch to reach out and touch, an urge he instantly shakes away.
“It’s where almost all of us come when we want to have some peace,” he admits. “Except the kids, they’re only allowed here with an adult. Not that I believe for a second that they obey that command,” he huffs.
“Because you didn’t,” Zhou Mi says with a grin. It’s not a question, it’s a statement. “I bet you sneaked here whenever you possibly could! Young rebel.” He laughs, leaning a little closer to be able to poke Kyuhyun with his pointy elbow.
Kyuhyun doesn’t dignify that with an answer. Of course he did. He used to get in trouble with his parents all the time, when they were still alive, and with every other authority figure he’s ever had in his life. Not that he wanted to. He simply always was too restless to stay in one place and his curiosity drew him further than he probably should have run alone. His mother used to say he’s too clever for his own good, that he simply gets bored without things to explore. Maybe she was right.
“What is that?” Zhou Mi again breaks the silence with his question, pointing at a small bag that’s hitched closer to the ceiling of the cave, bolted on the wall with wooden pegs.
Kyuhyun only needs to glance at it to know it’s Sungmin’s, from the blue yarn holding it closed, twined with dark brown leather strip. No one else uses that exact same combination. “Some of us like to leave stuff here,” he explains. “For when they come back the next time. I used to have a knife under that,” he nods at a flat stone at the entrance of the cave, “but I haven’t needed one in ages so I’m not sure if it’s still there.”
“It makes sense.” Zhou Mi nods. “If you just want to run here, it’s good to have some stuff in handy.” He is quiet for a while, before he clears his throat and speaks up. “I used to have a place like this, too. Before. Where we lived. It was a hideout just for me, and I left things there until it was like a second home.”
Kyuhyun nods. He is curious, more than a little. Yet he doesn’t ask, and Zhou Mi doesn’t tell. Maybe the wounds are still too fresh for him, after all he’s lost his home, he’s obviously lost most of his pack, and it can’t be easy to get over something like that. Not even with the bright and sunny attitude Zhou Mi seems to be practically emitting around him.
The silence stretches on, until Zhou Mi breaks it by humming a low tune. Kyuhyun recognizes it immediately, it’s the same song that Zhou Mi keeps singing under his breath, and it sounds so achingly familiar to Kyuhyun that he is sure he has known it all his life. Yet he cannot place it, he cannot grasp it, and every time he thinks he has it pinned down it somehow slips through his fingers again.
He closes his eyes and allows the song to carry him away, follows the images it paints in his mind with surprising vibrancy.
Eventually, Zhou Mi quiets down. That’s when Kyuhyun can’t hold back the question any longer. “What is that song? I think I know it.”
Zhou Mi laughs. “You can’t know it. It’s something I came up myself. I don’t know, it sort of stayed with me. I always remember it when I’m not even paying attention.”
“Oh.” Kyuhyun doesn’t know what else to say. He wants to insist that he knows the song, that it’s so familiar that he can’t even be mistaking it for anything else. He doesn’t, though. Instead he sits back on his heels and purses his lips in an attempt to bite back the words.
That’s when he spots it. There are remains of a small campfire, not far from the entrance of the cave, and that in itself isn’t anything out of ordinary. Yet he sees a glint of white and it makes him crawl closer, curiously picking up a white feather. It’s big, almost as long as his forearm, and it’s still shining almost blindingly white even through the layer of ashes and coal smudging it.
It is not the feather of a bird. At least not a single one Kyuhyun has ever seen, or heard of. And the mere thought makes him incredibly uneasy.
“What is that?”
Zhou Mi’s voice startles Kyuhyun, coming from so close as the other man has leaned over his shoulder, curiously watching the item. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it as much as Kyuhyun is, but maybe it’s just natural. There are a lot of things around here that aren’t familiar to Zhou Mi, he must be used to always wondering, to always being faced with new discoveries.
“I don’t know,” Kyuhyun admits. Carefully he puts the feather back where he picked it up from, covering it with the cool ashes. “I have to tell Sungmin about it.” If Sungmin won’t recognize what it is, then no one will. And then they can inform Siwon accordingly.
As much as Kyuhyun tries to forget about the uneasy feeling, Donghae’s words run through his mind, echoing back and forth inside his skull. The shadow people. The ones living on the mountains. The ones thought to be only legends, tales of old wives. Maybe there’s more to it than bedtime stories. Maybe those vague glimpses… No. He refuses to think about it.
They’re silent as they let the transformation roll over them again, this time heading back through the straightest possible route instead of taking any detours. When they’re back at the edges of the village they get their clothes from where they hid them before leaving. Kyuhyun is grateful they don’t bump into anyone since he so doesn’t feel like answering stupid questions right now, not with so much on his mind.
He will go straight to Sungmin, and tell him what they found and where, and hopefully that’ll-
Kyuhyun’s thoughts are cut short when there’s a warm palm on his arm, and automatically he turns to look up at Zhou Mi. It’s not like Kyuhyun is short but Zhou Mi still has almost a couple of inches on him, makes him tilt his head ever so slightly to look at him properly.
There’s barely any time for Kyuhyun to register the soft, fond smile on Zhou Mi’s face before he leans in closer. From the moment he goes cross-eyed trying to maintain the eye contact, Kyuhyun knows exactly what’s going on. Yet he doesn’t move. He doesn’t pull back, like his first conscious instinct tells him to. He doesn’t surge forward either, although the animal side of him is howling for it, growling somewhere in the back of his consciousness for him to finally act upon what he knows is there.
The kiss is soft at first, only lips on lips, as if Zhou Mi is asking for permission to go any further. His long fingers are dancing along Kyuhyun’s jaw, to the back of his head, before twining gently into the chocolate brown strands there. And somehow that is all it takes to make Kyuhyun’s self control snap like someone stepped on a dried up twig.
A myriad of feelings floods through him as he surges forward, deepening the kiss almost aggressively at first. That only lasts for a split second though before his conscious mind catches up and he caresses Zhou Mi’s cheek apologetically, making sure to keep it softer, gentler. He has no names for the feelings thundering inside of him but he knows it’s somehow right. He knows the wolf inside of him is practically vibrating with how pleased it is, trying to break free and to the surface in its excitement.
Then, as suddenly as it began, it ends. Zhou Mi pulls back, his lips slightly reddened from the contact and no less tempting as they stretch into a brilliant smile. “Thank you,” he rasps out, swallowing to make his voice steadier. “For taking me out there today.”
He pecks Kyuhyun’s mouth again, in a kiss much more chaste than the previous, and before Kyuhyun even has the time to pick up the traces of his coherency, Zhou Mi has turned and already walked into the village.
Quickly, Kyuhyun follows, and in his haze he completely forgets all about the feather and the feeling of impending doom that had seemed to consume him only moments prior.
Zhou Mi had thought that his new hideout was good, since no one ever disturbed him when he sneaked off and into the small clearing only a few steps away from the village. It’s essentially a bushy part of the forest where large trees have just enough space in between them for vines and shrubs to create pathways and small caverns. It’s like straight from a fairy tale, and Zhou Mi loves wandering around the area and let his imagination flow. Usually it’s where he goes to calm down and enjoy the silence, not quite used to the constant chattering in the village after spending so much time in such a small pack.
This time, he comes there to think. Also, to avoid everyone else and be alone, but the main objective of him sneaking out is to think some things through. He’s always appreciated some time just on his own, and lately it’s been increasingly hard to think in the village. Not that the village has anything to do with it, rather someone he is practically living with, someone who took him in his own home and took care of him after everything that happened.
Zhou Mi is confused. And he doesn’t exactly like the feeling. His instincts are yelling at him to do one thing, while the rational part of his mind tells him to hold back. The wolf inside of him isn’t happy, either. It thinks that the whole problem could be solved if he would just jump at Kyuhyun one of these days. Jump him and take what you want, something inside of him keeps on urging, and he isn’t exactly pleased about that.
“C’mon Seasoning,” he hears a way too familiar voice from behind his back, startling as he’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized someone approached him. “Don’t even think you can hide from me.” Zhou Mi turns and there is Heechul, standing with a hand on his hip and holding a wooden bowl. Even if Zhou Mi is sitting near a large tree, leaning back on its trunk, he isn’t exactly hidden from sight and he’s easy to spot.
“I wasn’t hiding,” Zhou Mi responds but it sounds lame even in his own ears. He’s never been good at making excuses, not to Heechul at least. Not to anyone that matters to him.
Heechul quirks an eyebrow and it’s obvious he doesn’t believe that. He doesn’t comment on it though, but instead sits down right next to the other man and hands the bowl to him. “You haven’t been eating again.” It’s mostly an observation but there’s a hint of disapproval in his tone. The concern makes Zhou Mi smile, and obediently he takes the bowl even if he isn’t feeling particularly hungry.
“Thanks.” He picks on the food a little, poking the biggest chunk of meat in the stew. It’s warm though, and when he tastes a bit his stomach grumbles as if on command, seemingly telling him that he’s hungry even if he ignores it. It has to be Ryeowook’s cooking, it wouldn’t taste this delicious otherwise. Zhou Mi chews on his food for a moment, before turning to look at the other man. “Shouldn’t you be feeding Han Geng?” They both know the alpha is still weak from his wounds and this is Zhou Mi’s way of asking if he’s alright.
“He’ll be fine.” Heechul chuckles low in his throat. “I brought him food and I think he’s napping now.” There’s an affectionate sparkle in his eyes as he looks right back at his friend, his voice softening every time he speaks about his mate.
“Is he getting better finally?” Zhou Mi asks straightforwardly, offering an honest smile.
“Yeah. The bastard’s too stubborn to stay in bed but I’m even more stubborn.” Heechul smirks, obviously proud of that fact. Besides no one can deny it, Heechul is probably the most stubborn person in existence and it’s never a good idea to get into a fight with him. That’s why Zhou Mi’s heart skips a nervous beat when the older man speaks up again. “So. Who are you hiding from?”
“I told you I’m not hiding!” Zhou Mi protests, forgetting that he has his mouth full of food. He’s sputtering and somehow manages to even get a piece of meat into his windpipes, coughing to get rid of that.
Heechul is unaffected by his crisis, though, and he doesn’t let go of his demands. Quite the contrary, he just looks at the other man expectantly, one eyebrow arched. “Yes you did and I am not buying that. C’mon. Out with the truth,” he orders sternly, and although it isn’t exactly an order from a superior to a member of the pack, Zhou Mi can’t find it in himself to refuse anyway.
He swallows, averting his gaze down to look at his feet. “Kyuh- Kyuhyun.”
“Kyuhyun?” If Heechul notices the hesitation he doesn’t show it, only turning more towards his friend to look at him better. “Why are you hiding from him? Did he do something?” Zhou Mi can feel the change in Heechul’s body language, as if he is tensing up a little and ready to run back to the village to tear Kyuhyun into pieces if necessary.
“No! No, he didn’t do anything!” Zhou Mi shakes his head vigorously, speaking fast to get the words out before Heechul will really jump up and do something stupid. He breathes out a sigh of relief when he feels his friend relax. “He’s amazingly nice and sweet and puts up with me so well and shows me places and he has helped me so much!”
“And..?” Heechul is calm now but no less curious, probably even more insistent than before.
Zhou Mi isn’t exactly enthusiastic talking about this, but he knows that Heechul will notice instantly when he tries to avoid it or lie about it. So he sighs, inhales deeply and grows the guts to answer. “…and I think I like him a bit too much.”
Heechul’s reaction isn’t exactly what he expected though. The redhead simply looks at him, blinking. “So?”
Zhou Mi sputters again. “So! I think that’s a problem!” He exclaims. How can Heechul not see it? He can’t go and misuse Kyuhyun’s hospitality by cornering him into a situation he clearly isn’t comfortable with. He can sense that Kyuhyun is interested. He can also sense the arousal and the admiration, more often than not. But it still doesn’t mean that Kyuhyun wants them to do anything about it. They are in different packs, and he’s supposed to leave with his own as soon as they’re able. He can come up with a million reasons why it will not work.
…and he is probably over thinking things. Again.
“No, it’s not.” Heechul huffs. “Seriously, Seasoning, you are a little bit dense at times.” Zhou Mi looks a little wounded at that so Heechul reaches out to pat his shoulder, going on before he manages to cut in. “You just described him with ‘amazingly nice’ and ‘sweet’. If he acts like that towards you, he must like you a lot.”
“I suppose so. I just. I never felt like this. How is it - ” Zhou Mi cuts the question off at first, hesitating for a moment before he decides to go for it after all. “How do you feel about Han Geng? Is it… how is it different?” They are the only actual mates he is close friends with and he knows Heechul would never lie to him, not about anything. He might not tell everything, but he wouldn’t lie. And while he knows that having a mate is a choice you make, more than anything supernatural, and that it’s different for everyone, he wouldn’t mind at least some sort of guidelines to get his head clear.
“Hey!” Heechul snarls in mock-annoyance and places his palm on the younger male’s face to give him a small push. “Don’t compare yourself to us! Me and him, we are fated. There is no way you could ever compare to the most epic love story of the century!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Forgive me?” Zhou Mi laughs. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”
“Good.” Heechul grumbles, a grin tugging his lips. A moment of silence later he speaks up again, obviously having thought about it. “He is a part of me. It’s like I can sense him even when he’s not there. If someone took him away it would be like cutting off my arm, except worse. I don’t know how to explain it.” He admits. They both know he would go die fighting for Han Geng, but then again he would do the same for any of his close friends too. Heechul might be eccentric, but he is unconditionally loyal.
“You’ve been together for a very long time,” Zhou Mi points out with a soft smile. He sounds a bit resigned and truth to be told, he isn’t certain if he’d ever find the answers he is looking for. Maybe he will have to just figure this out by himself. Or do like the voice inside of him tells him to do.
Zhou Mi is getting lost in thought again, going through the various ways things could turn out in his mind. He’s already almost forgotten Heechul is there, so used to his familiar presence, that when Heechul speaks up after a while it surprises him. “How does your wolf feel around him?”
“It…” Zhou Mi has to stop since he has never actually thought about it. He is so used to the constant presence of his wolf that he rarely pays attention to it, its feelings only usually channelled through adding up to his own. So he tries to recall the moments he has spent with Kyuhyun, and how the beast inside of him reacted. “Satisfied,” he concludes finally. “Constantly aware, but sort of curled up to rest.” He doesn’t mention how the wolf inside of him bubbles in excitement when Kyuhyun kisses him, or purrs contently when he listens to Kyuhyun’s breathing in the darkness of the night, how it feels fiercely protective over Kyuhyun even when there is no need. But he figures Heechul guesses that anyway.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Heechul asks instantly, tilting his head as he looks at the other man. There’s a small smirk on his lips but the look in his eyes is surprisingly soft. He has always had a thing for the other man, watching over him like he was his own pup, even if the age difference isn’t quite that big.
“What?” Zhou Mi’s eyes widen.
“Man up and go for it!” Heechul groans. “Look, it’s not the end of the world. You want him, so go get him. If you’re good enough together it’ll last and if not… well at least you tried and had your fun.”
Zhou Mi just looks at Heechul for a good while but finally, he breaks into a smile.
Next Chapter.
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@DW.
Author: fonulyn
Rating: NC17? (overall)
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Zhou Mi
Other characters: side!Han Geng/Heechul, Ryeowook, Sungmin, Siwon, a lot of brief mentions of others (suju and shinee, mainly)
Warnings: (overall) blood and violence, hunting etc.
Wordcount: 5354 words for this part (~37k overall)
Disclaimer: I own no one, only my dirty imagination.
Summary: For as long as Kyuhyun can remember life has been the same in their village. Yet when their monotonous life is disrupted, when another pack settles on their territory, Kyuhyun can’t help but be drawn to them. Drawn to one of them especially. (wolf shapeshifters!au)
Comments: This might be my fave chap, personally :3
Previously; Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
In all honesty, Kyuhyun has no idea how Zhou Mi ends up living with him. He doesn’t. It all seems to make sense when Henry points out that the small pack cannot stay in the storage room anymore now that they’re guests more than prisoners. Han Geng and Heechul are given one of the small huts that have been empty for a while, as it is agreed that Han Geng needs as much peace and quiet for his healing as possible. Donghae and Jinki end up staying with Ryeowook, and it only leaves Zhou Mi.
And well, what else is Kyuhyun to do but offer to be hospitable? Really, it’s only polite.
That’s how Zhou Mi ends up not only sleeping in Kyuhyun’s home, but also sharing his meals with him, helping him out with little chores, and in general following him around whenever possible. It should be annoying, Kyuhyun thinks, it really should, but somehow he finds himself enjoying the company and not minding it in the slightest. Especially with how Zhou Mi is so eager to learn about their life in the village, curious and open to every bit of new information thrown his way.
Besides, he thinks it’s good Zhou Mi sticks close to him. Some of the villagers still give the newcomers dirty looks, some of them look even openly hostile. They won’t do anything, not because it’d get them in trouble with Siwon, but it doesn’t mean they can’t show what they think otherwise.
“What are they doing?” Zhou Mi asks curiously, tugging a little on Kyuhyun’s sleeve as they pass by the market square. He points at the cauldron’s set above the several fires lit at steady intervals, each of the pots so tall that Ryeowook seems to have troubles reaching over the edge to stir whatever’s inside. “It’s not time for dinner yet, is it?”
“No,” Kyuhyun snorts, amused. “It’s not food.” He changes directions then, thinking that he could as well ask Ryeowook if any help is needed. Obviously Donghae and Henry have already been hired as helpers, dutifully watching the other cauldrons. “Hey, I thought you’d start this after the next hunt,” he opens, as soon as they’re within easy hearing distance.
Ryeowook turns to smile at the both of them. “We already had plenty to work with. Want to join?”
Not in particular, Kyuhyun thinks, but then again he doesn’t really have much better things to do. And he knows Zhou Mi has been getting a little restless with the lack of things to do, so he figures this is as good a chance as any. “Want us to go get the ashes? You probably have this all covered.”
“Taemin took Jinki to set up the fires,” Ryeowook says. “I think there should be enough to bring here by now. So yeah, go for it.”
Kyuhyun nods and turns on his heels, heading to the edge of the village where they have another place to set up campfires. He makes sure to grab Zhou Mi’s wrist in passing, though, tugging him along. As he suspects, it doesn’t take long for the first question to come. “Were they boiling bones? Where are we going?”
“Yes,” Kyuhyun says. “Next they’ll have to add the ashes, which I hope will be ready for us.” He glances at Zhou Mi over his shoulder, offering him a smile. “They’re making soap.”
Immediately Zhou Mi’s expression lightens up and he looks excited about learning something new. As they step on the small square Taemin is adding what look like either small trees or branches of a tree into one of the campfires, and Jinki is putting out the fire in another one.
In comfortable silence, they gather as much as they can to bring back to Ryeowook, but as soon as they’re back there Ryeowook is forced to share the details of the whole process with his new attentive student. Kyuhyun doesn’t mind, even though this is already familiar to him from doing it so many times before. He sits back, leans against one of the big tree trunks, and closes his eyes to relax. It’s nice to listen to the chatter around him, the way Zhou Mi laughs excitedly every now and then, and if there’s a small smile dancing on Kyuhyun’s lips he does nothing to hide it.
Before long, he drifts off to sleep, only waking up when Sungmin kicks him - quite literally - telling him to get his ass moving to help.
When the sun sets they’re still sitting by the largest cauldron, attending to the remains of their dinner. The crackling fire casts long shadows and paints everything in warm hues, all at once, and they move in a little closer together. There are distant sounds of children playing, and parents yelling at them to come inside for the night, just like any other evening.
“It’s been a nice day,” Zhou Mi says eventually, his smile even widening as he looks straight at Ryeowook. “Thank you for showing me how soap is done! I think I learned more today than I’ve learned in years.” He’s positively vibrating energy, like he’s so content that he’s close to bursting with it. It’s probably not very far from the truth, Kyuhyun thinks, at least judging by everything he knows of the other man by now.
Ryeowook is obviously pleased, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he returns the smile. “It’s no problem, really! It’s always so much work to get any of these kids to help…” he drawls, poking Taemin with his elbow.
The teen only huffs a little, deeming it unworthy of a reply. He doesn’t seem to mind the teasing at all, though, completely at ease. “It’s time for the payment!” he says, shifting into a more comfortable position as if he’s expecting something already. “You promised a new ghost story.”
“Ah, I think I did,” Ryeowook nods, pursing his lips slightly. “I’m not sure if I have anything exciting…”
“I do!” Donghae pipes in instantly, not even waiting for Ryeowook to properly finish his sentence. He sits up straighter, raising his hands up as if it’d make his words more dramatic. “I want to tell you about the frightening monsters, the half-human hybrids, the bloodthirsty legends…”
At that point, Taemin cuts in, obviously not impressed. “We’re half-human hybrids too, though. It’s not like we’re that scary.”
“To some we are.” Henry shrugs. “I’ve seen people run from me screaming if they have a hunch of what I am. And I’m like the least scary wolf in the world.”
“True,” Kyuhyun agrees immediately. He earns a playful kick from his friend for his efforts.
Donghae seems a little disgruntled though, his lips pursed insistently. “No. C’mon, give this a chance. They’re the most frightening creatures I’ve ever heard of! My uncle saw a few of them, when he was just a kid. They came into the town he lived in, and they kidnapped half a dozen people before they just vanished off again and were never heard of since!”
“Are you talking about the shadow people?” Taemin asks, suddenly curious. He leans forward, elbows placed on his knees, as he enthusiastically begins to recount his own version of the tale. “I heard that here, when the village was just founded, there were sacrifices made to them. It might’ve been game, or anything they’d managed to hunt, but sometimes nothing else worked but a human sacrifice.”
“Yes!” Donghae grins, excited that someone is finally as into the topic as he is. “They are at least three times as tall as we are! And they have claws as long as my arm, and a beak that could pierce a grown man easily! I’ve also heard that they have the scariest red glowing eyes ever.”
“Not only that,” Taemin smirks, “they have teeth that are like knives, and they can bite though flesh, bone and tendon like it’s nothing.”
“…so can we, though,” Jinki points out under his breath, and Kyuhyun snorts out a laugh. Taemin and Donghae either don’t hear him or don’t pay any attention to him as they keep recounting the terrifying tales they’ve heard of the appearance of these shadow people. They seem to get more and more exaggerated as they go, and soon include claws as long as a grown man.
It’s ridiculous, Kyuhyun thinks. Even if he has heard the same tales, has had the same nightmares as a child, he’s never seen any evidence of them being true. Eerie whispers in the mountainside and vague sense of movement are tricks that anyone’s mind can play on them. He knows that much. He’s not scared of the stories anymore.
Suddenly his side is nudged softly, and Zhou Mi places his chin on his shoulder. “Is that true?” he whispers so silently it’s almost impossible for Kyuhyun to make out the words. “Do they exist?”
“I don’t know,” Kyuhyun answers. “They’re a myth. But then again, so are we.”
Zhou Mi purses his lips. “I hope they stay as a myth.”
On an impulse, Kyuhyun shifts a little so that Zhou Mi can lean against his side more comfortably. Neither of them move an inch for the rest of the night, as they listen to the stories. Taemin and Donghae seem to have a battle going on about who can come up with the most exaggerated monster, and soon enough they’re all howling with laughter.
Yes, it’s a good day, a good day indeed.
One can only stay holed up inside the village for so long, and when Kyuhyun begins to itch too much from staying in one place, he asks Zhou Mi if he’d want to go somewhere. They’re not supposed to go far, not just the two of them, but he figures that if he’s vibrating out of his skin it must be even worse for Zhou Mi, who was locked up in the storage building for days with his pack. Even if he’s now been allowed to roam the village freely for a couple of weeks, it’s not the same as getting out and deeper into the forest.
Eagerly, Zhou Mi accepts, and thus Kyuhyun decides they can take a short afternoon trip to the closest mountain. It’s the only one they’re allowed to go to, proudly standing alone about halfway between their village and the row of other, larger mountains. No one would ever think to go as far as the steeper rocky hills, but the solitary mountain is an acceptable place to retreat to.
They could as well walk there but they choose to run, allowing the shift to ripple over them until they’re running through the woods together, chasing each other playfully between the trees. It’s liberating, sends an incredible wave of both excitement and a certain kind of calmness through them. This is what they’ve been craving to do for a long while now.
To the point that even when they arrive at the mountain they don’t switch back to their human forms. Kyuhyun circles the mountain until he finds the side that is dotted with caves, some barely big enough to fit a child and some large enough to house several adults. He picks one of the midsized ones, slinking inside and away from the scorching hot sun. Heavily he falls down, rests his head on his paws and closes his eyes.
He’s listening though, how Zhou Mi is padding around and examining his surroundings. He seems to make a few rounds to take it all in, before his soft footsteps are decidedly approaching Kyuhyun. Like it’s normal, like he’s always done it, he simply drops down right next to Kyuhyun and rests his head on Kyuhyun’s back.
It’s sort of comfortable, Kyuhyun has to admit. He could swear that it sounds like Zhou Mi is purring, with the way contentment rumbles out of him on its own.
They stay like that, drifting in and out of consciousness as they take the early afternoon for napping. Only when the sun has sunken lower, its rays shining straight into Kyuhyun’s eyes irritatingly, they break from their peaceful moment.
Zhou Mi is the first to shift back to human, but he doesn’t say anything until Kyuhyun has followed the example. “Is this where you come to be alone?” he asks, leaning back against the wall of the cave. He stretches his long arms a little, obviously comfortable in his skin, and it makes Kyuhyun itch to reach out and touch, an urge he instantly shakes away.
“It’s where almost all of us come when we want to have some peace,” he admits. “Except the kids, they’re only allowed here with an adult. Not that I believe for a second that they obey that command,” he huffs.
“Because you didn’t,” Zhou Mi says with a grin. It’s not a question, it’s a statement. “I bet you sneaked here whenever you possibly could! Young rebel.” He laughs, leaning a little closer to be able to poke Kyuhyun with his pointy elbow.
Kyuhyun doesn’t dignify that with an answer. Of course he did. He used to get in trouble with his parents all the time, when they were still alive, and with every other authority figure he’s ever had in his life. Not that he wanted to. He simply always was too restless to stay in one place and his curiosity drew him further than he probably should have run alone. His mother used to say he’s too clever for his own good, that he simply gets bored without things to explore. Maybe she was right.
“What is that?” Zhou Mi again breaks the silence with his question, pointing at a small bag that’s hitched closer to the ceiling of the cave, bolted on the wall with wooden pegs.
Kyuhyun only needs to glance at it to know it’s Sungmin’s, from the blue yarn holding it closed, twined with dark brown leather strip. No one else uses that exact same combination. “Some of us like to leave stuff here,” he explains. “For when they come back the next time. I used to have a knife under that,” he nods at a flat stone at the entrance of the cave, “but I haven’t needed one in ages so I’m not sure if it’s still there.”
“It makes sense.” Zhou Mi nods. “If you just want to run here, it’s good to have some stuff in handy.” He is quiet for a while, before he clears his throat and speaks up. “I used to have a place like this, too. Before. Where we lived. It was a hideout just for me, and I left things there until it was like a second home.”
Kyuhyun nods. He is curious, more than a little. Yet he doesn’t ask, and Zhou Mi doesn’t tell. Maybe the wounds are still too fresh for him, after all he’s lost his home, he’s obviously lost most of his pack, and it can’t be easy to get over something like that. Not even with the bright and sunny attitude Zhou Mi seems to be practically emitting around him.
The silence stretches on, until Zhou Mi breaks it by humming a low tune. Kyuhyun recognizes it immediately, it’s the same song that Zhou Mi keeps singing under his breath, and it sounds so achingly familiar to Kyuhyun that he is sure he has known it all his life. Yet he cannot place it, he cannot grasp it, and every time he thinks he has it pinned down it somehow slips through his fingers again.
He closes his eyes and allows the song to carry him away, follows the images it paints in his mind with surprising vibrancy.
Eventually, Zhou Mi quiets down. That’s when Kyuhyun can’t hold back the question any longer. “What is that song? I think I know it.”
Zhou Mi laughs. “You can’t know it. It’s something I came up myself. I don’t know, it sort of stayed with me. I always remember it when I’m not even paying attention.”
“Oh.” Kyuhyun doesn’t know what else to say. He wants to insist that he knows the song, that it’s so familiar that he can’t even be mistaking it for anything else. He doesn’t, though. Instead he sits back on his heels and purses his lips in an attempt to bite back the words.
That’s when he spots it. There are remains of a small campfire, not far from the entrance of the cave, and that in itself isn’t anything out of ordinary. Yet he sees a glint of white and it makes him crawl closer, curiously picking up a white feather. It’s big, almost as long as his forearm, and it’s still shining almost blindingly white even through the layer of ashes and coal smudging it.
It is not the feather of a bird. At least not a single one Kyuhyun has ever seen, or heard of. And the mere thought makes him incredibly uneasy.
“What is that?”
Zhou Mi’s voice startles Kyuhyun, coming from so close as the other man has leaned over his shoulder, curiously watching the item. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it as much as Kyuhyun is, but maybe it’s just natural. There are a lot of things around here that aren’t familiar to Zhou Mi, he must be used to always wondering, to always being faced with new discoveries.
“I don’t know,” Kyuhyun admits. Carefully he puts the feather back where he picked it up from, covering it with the cool ashes. “I have to tell Sungmin about it.” If Sungmin won’t recognize what it is, then no one will. And then they can inform Siwon accordingly.
As much as Kyuhyun tries to forget about the uneasy feeling, Donghae’s words run through his mind, echoing back and forth inside his skull. The shadow people. The ones living on the mountains. The ones thought to be only legends, tales of old wives. Maybe there’s more to it than bedtime stories. Maybe those vague glimpses… No. He refuses to think about it.
They’re silent as they let the transformation roll over them again, this time heading back through the straightest possible route instead of taking any detours. When they’re back at the edges of the village they get their clothes from where they hid them before leaving. Kyuhyun is grateful they don’t bump into anyone since he so doesn’t feel like answering stupid questions right now, not with so much on his mind.
He will go straight to Sungmin, and tell him what they found and where, and hopefully that’ll-
Kyuhyun’s thoughts are cut short when there’s a warm palm on his arm, and automatically he turns to look up at Zhou Mi. It’s not like Kyuhyun is short but Zhou Mi still has almost a couple of inches on him, makes him tilt his head ever so slightly to look at him properly.
There’s barely any time for Kyuhyun to register the soft, fond smile on Zhou Mi’s face before he leans in closer. From the moment he goes cross-eyed trying to maintain the eye contact, Kyuhyun knows exactly what’s going on. Yet he doesn’t move. He doesn’t pull back, like his first conscious instinct tells him to. He doesn’t surge forward either, although the animal side of him is howling for it, growling somewhere in the back of his consciousness for him to finally act upon what he knows is there.
The kiss is soft at first, only lips on lips, as if Zhou Mi is asking for permission to go any further. His long fingers are dancing along Kyuhyun’s jaw, to the back of his head, before twining gently into the chocolate brown strands there. And somehow that is all it takes to make Kyuhyun’s self control snap like someone stepped on a dried up twig.
A myriad of feelings floods through him as he surges forward, deepening the kiss almost aggressively at first. That only lasts for a split second though before his conscious mind catches up and he caresses Zhou Mi’s cheek apologetically, making sure to keep it softer, gentler. He has no names for the feelings thundering inside of him but he knows it’s somehow right. He knows the wolf inside of him is practically vibrating with how pleased it is, trying to break free and to the surface in its excitement.
Then, as suddenly as it began, it ends. Zhou Mi pulls back, his lips slightly reddened from the contact and no less tempting as they stretch into a brilliant smile. “Thank you,” he rasps out, swallowing to make his voice steadier. “For taking me out there today.”
He pecks Kyuhyun’s mouth again, in a kiss much more chaste than the previous, and before Kyuhyun even has the time to pick up the traces of his coherency, Zhou Mi has turned and already walked into the village.
Quickly, Kyuhyun follows, and in his haze he completely forgets all about the feather and the feeling of impending doom that had seemed to consume him only moments prior.
Zhou Mi had thought that his new hideout was good, since no one ever disturbed him when he sneaked off and into the small clearing only a few steps away from the village. It’s essentially a bushy part of the forest where large trees have just enough space in between them for vines and shrubs to create pathways and small caverns. It’s like straight from a fairy tale, and Zhou Mi loves wandering around the area and let his imagination flow. Usually it’s where he goes to calm down and enjoy the silence, not quite used to the constant chattering in the village after spending so much time in such a small pack.
This time, he comes there to think. Also, to avoid everyone else and be alone, but the main objective of him sneaking out is to think some things through. He’s always appreciated some time just on his own, and lately it’s been increasingly hard to think in the village. Not that the village has anything to do with it, rather someone he is practically living with, someone who took him in his own home and took care of him after everything that happened.
Zhou Mi is confused. And he doesn’t exactly like the feeling. His instincts are yelling at him to do one thing, while the rational part of his mind tells him to hold back. The wolf inside of him isn’t happy, either. It thinks that the whole problem could be solved if he would just jump at Kyuhyun one of these days. Jump him and take what you want, something inside of him keeps on urging, and he isn’t exactly pleased about that.
“C’mon Seasoning,” he hears a way too familiar voice from behind his back, startling as he’d been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized someone approached him. “Don’t even think you can hide from me.” Zhou Mi turns and there is Heechul, standing with a hand on his hip and holding a wooden bowl. Even if Zhou Mi is sitting near a large tree, leaning back on its trunk, he isn’t exactly hidden from sight and he’s easy to spot.
“I wasn’t hiding,” Zhou Mi responds but it sounds lame even in his own ears. He’s never been good at making excuses, not to Heechul at least. Not to anyone that matters to him.
Heechul quirks an eyebrow and it’s obvious he doesn’t believe that. He doesn’t comment on it though, but instead sits down right next to the other man and hands the bowl to him. “You haven’t been eating again.” It’s mostly an observation but there’s a hint of disapproval in his tone. The concern makes Zhou Mi smile, and obediently he takes the bowl even if he isn’t feeling particularly hungry.
“Thanks.” He picks on the food a little, poking the biggest chunk of meat in the stew. It’s warm though, and when he tastes a bit his stomach grumbles as if on command, seemingly telling him that he’s hungry even if he ignores it. It has to be Ryeowook’s cooking, it wouldn’t taste this delicious otherwise. Zhou Mi chews on his food for a moment, before turning to look at the other man. “Shouldn’t you be feeding Han Geng?” They both know the alpha is still weak from his wounds and this is Zhou Mi’s way of asking if he’s alright.
“He’ll be fine.” Heechul chuckles low in his throat. “I brought him food and I think he’s napping now.” There’s an affectionate sparkle in his eyes as he looks right back at his friend, his voice softening every time he speaks about his mate.
“Is he getting better finally?” Zhou Mi asks straightforwardly, offering an honest smile.
“Yeah. The bastard’s too stubborn to stay in bed but I’m even more stubborn.” Heechul smirks, obviously proud of that fact. Besides no one can deny it, Heechul is probably the most stubborn person in existence and it’s never a good idea to get into a fight with him. That’s why Zhou Mi’s heart skips a nervous beat when the older man speaks up again. “So. Who are you hiding from?”
“I told you I’m not hiding!” Zhou Mi protests, forgetting that he has his mouth full of food. He’s sputtering and somehow manages to even get a piece of meat into his windpipes, coughing to get rid of that.
Heechul is unaffected by his crisis, though, and he doesn’t let go of his demands. Quite the contrary, he just looks at the other man expectantly, one eyebrow arched. “Yes you did and I am not buying that. C’mon. Out with the truth,” he orders sternly, and although it isn’t exactly an order from a superior to a member of the pack, Zhou Mi can’t find it in himself to refuse anyway.
He swallows, averting his gaze down to look at his feet. “Kyuh- Kyuhyun.”
“Kyuhyun?” If Heechul notices the hesitation he doesn’t show it, only turning more towards his friend to look at him better. “Why are you hiding from him? Did he do something?” Zhou Mi can feel the change in Heechul’s body language, as if he is tensing up a little and ready to run back to the village to tear Kyuhyun into pieces if necessary.
“No! No, he didn’t do anything!” Zhou Mi shakes his head vigorously, speaking fast to get the words out before Heechul will really jump up and do something stupid. He breathes out a sigh of relief when he feels his friend relax. “He’s amazingly nice and sweet and puts up with me so well and shows me places and he has helped me so much!”
“And..?” Heechul is calm now but no less curious, probably even more insistent than before.
Zhou Mi isn’t exactly enthusiastic talking about this, but he knows that Heechul will notice instantly when he tries to avoid it or lie about it. So he sighs, inhales deeply and grows the guts to answer. “…and I think I like him a bit too much.”
Heechul’s reaction isn’t exactly what he expected though. The redhead simply looks at him, blinking. “So?”
Zhou Mi sputters again. “So! I think that’s a problem!” He exclaims. How can Heechul not see it? He can’t go and misuse Kyuhyun’s hospitality by cornering him into a situation he clearly isn’t comfortable with. He can sense that Kyuhyun is interested. He can also sense the arousal and the admiration, more often than not. But it still doesn’t mean that Kyuhyun wants them to do anything about it. They are in different packs, and he’s supposed to leave with his own as soon as they’re able. He can come up with a million reasons why it will not work.
…and he is probably over thinking things. Again.
“No, it’s not.” Heechul huffs. “Seriously, Seasoning, you are a little bit dense at times.” Zhou Mi looks a little wounded at that so Heechul reaches out to pat his shoulder, going on before he manages to cut in. “You just described him with ‘amazingly nice’ and ‘sweet’. If he acts like that towards you, he must like you a lot.”
“I suppose so. I just. I never felt like this. How is it - ” Zhou Mi cuts the question off at first, hesitating for a moment before he decides to go for it after all. “How do you feel about Han Geng? Is it… how is it different?” They are the only actual mates he is close friends with and he knows Heechul would never lie to him, not about anything. He might not tell everything, but he wouldn’t lie. And while he knows that having a mate is a choice you make, more than anything supernatural, and that it’s different for everyone, he wouldn’t mind at least some sort of guidelines to get his head clear.
“Hey!” Heechul snarls in mock-annoyance and places his palm on the younger male’s face to give him a small push. “Don’t compare yourself to us! Me and him, we are fated. There is no way you could ever compare to the most epic love story of the century!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Forgive me?” Zhou Mi laughs. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”
“Good.” Heechul grumbles, a grin tugging his lips. A moment of silence later he speaks up again, obviously having thought about it. “He is a part of me. It’s like I can sense him even when he’s not there. If someone took him away it would be like cutting off my arm, except worse. I don’t know how to explain it.” He admits. They both know he would go die fighting for Han Geng, but then again he would do the same for any of his close friends too. Heechul might be eccentric, but he is unconditionally loyal.
“You’ve been together for a very long time,” Zhou Mi points out with a soft smile. He sounds a bit resigned and truth to be told, he isn’t certain if he’d ever find the answers he is looking for. Maybe he will have to just figure this out by himself. Or do like the voice inside of him tells him to do.
Zhou Mi is getting lost in thought again, going through the various ways things could turn out in his mind. He’s already almost forgotten Heechul is there, so used to his familiar presence, that when Heechul speaks up after a while it surprises him. “How does your wolf feel around him?”
“It…” Zhou Mi has to stop since he has never actually thought about it. He is so used to the constant presence of his wolf that he rarely pays attention to it, its feelings only usually channelled through adding up to his own. So he tries to recall the moments he has spent with Kyuhyun, and how the beast inside of him reacted. “Satisfied,” he concludes finally. “Constantly aware, but sort of curled up to rest.” He doesn’t mention how the wolf inside of him bubbles in excitement when Kyuhyun kisses him, or purrs contently when he listens to Kyuhyun’s breathing in the darkness of the night, how it feels fiercely protective over Kyuhyun even when there is no need. But he figures Heechul guesses that anyway.
“Then what are you waiting for?” Heechul asks instantly, tilting his head as he looks at the other man. There’s a small smirk on his lips but the look in his eyes is surprisingly soft. He has always had a thing for the other man, watching over him like he was his own pup, even if the age difference isn’t quite that big.
“What?” Zhou Mi’s eyes widen.
“Man up and go for it!” Heechul groans. “Look, it’s not the end of the world. You want him, so go get him. If you’re good enough together it’ll last and if not… well at least you tried and had your fun.”
Zhou Mi just looks at Heechul for a good while but finally, he breaks into a smile.
Next Chapter.
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@DW.