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Chapter Text

It was getting dark when Jun opened his eyes, bewildered by the surroundings. He didn't know what had happened or how he had fallen into a dark alley with the smell of rotting food and a silence that occasionally awoke with a strange alarm. As his body, already damp from what seemed to be rain, began to awaken, he looked around; he had no idea where he was.

He got up with more help than he'd thought he needed. He was going to lose his mind if he couldn't remember his life. Who was he? Why was he here? Little by little, panic crept through his body until he lost his balance from the questions and the pain in his chest that gripped him. It was as if his most precious treasure had been taken away. A salty taste coursed through him until he discovered it was the taste of his tears. The recognition of his unease made him dissolve into sobs.

"I didn't know coffee could have such a bitter aftertaste. Funny," Jun heard over the din of the crowd, his head jerking up in fear at the sight of others like him wherever this place was called.

"Who are you?" Jun asked, starting to shiver from the cold, completely forgetting the first sentence that would define everything. "Oh, but what's the point if you don't even know?" He smiled mockingly, seeing the confused face of the strange man standing about two meters away smoking, made Jun wonder why he had just noticed this man? Of course, the strong smell should have alerted him.

-My name is Jeonghan, and you, kid? Are you lost? Do you need help? He asked kindly, bordering on pity.

-I... I don't know where I am.

"Well, of course you can guess that we're in a city. Look, I don't want to be rude, but I have to feed my parrot, and he's probably yelling in every language possible. How about you stay with me today and we continue the conversation at my apartment?" The verbal vomit from this man supposedly named Jeonghan threw him off a bit. "He didn't seem that dangerous, did he?"

"Uh... okay, I'll walk you," Jun said, standing up from the floor and following the guy. They were almost the same height, although he seemed thinner than him. They entered the building next door and saw Jeonghan staring at the elevator buttons as if he wanted to uncover all its mysteries. "Is this your house?" He asked, looking at the elevator with uncertainty. He didn't know how long the strange smoker was waiting.

"My house? The elevator?" He burst out laughing. "No, I was looking for the right button... yes, it's 15." He pressed it firmly as the elevator started up. Jun wondered why it had taken him so long to press it when the number 15 had always been right in front of him.

They entered the apartment, and the smell of dust made them stop in their tracks. Jeonghan sneezed before smiling apologetically. "I've been so busy with work that I barely have time to sleep, let alone clean." He walked through a living room that was almost empty. If it weren't for an old red armchair and an equally old television, it wouldn't seem like his new friend had many belongings.

"Sit down," Jeonghan said casually as he searched the house for something. "Where are you, little animal? Come here," he hummed until more unexpected sneezes began to emerge from his body. "By the moon, where is this blessed parrot?"

Jun was sitting on the uncomfortable armchair when a small creature landed on his lap unexpectedly and lay down on top of it while meowing. -But what..? Jun was almost screaming in fright until another sneeze made him raise his head and see Jeonghan with a flushed face and his eyes wide open in disbelief at the sight of the animal. -A cat? Really? What's next, should it be called cinnamon? He said through his teeth, already frowning, >>I've always been allergic to cats, how hard was it to have a parrot?<< Seeing that Jun was paying attention to him, he forced a smile and said, -Ah, there you are, little one. Grabbing the cat as if it were going to attack at any moment, come, I'll give you your food, you must be starving.

Seeing the whole process of Jeonghan trying to move the boxes in the house and looking for where a cat food was supposed to be, made Jun wonder why someone with allergies would have something that they are allergic to.

And what's your name, kid? You didn't answer my question down below.

-I… don't remember.

"Don't you remember your name or who you are? Why did you come to this place? Not to be an existentialist, but it's important to know when you're lost," Jeonghan says softly. At this point, Jun couldn't tell if he was being pulled a fast one or if it was just this strange guy's personality.

“I don’t really remember anything. I just woke up and was here with a headache,” he says heavily. “Hey, it’s okay. Take your time. You’re probably one of those drunks who crash these days after a long day without knowing how they got there. What I was saying is more of a precaution. When I’m not here, don’t go out alone, especially without any kind of protection. It’s getting late, but I’ll explain tomorrow after I get home from work. Look, I’ll be honest with you because you don’t look like you’re going to rob my house. As you can see, I don’t have a lot of money, and I certainly don’t have an extra bed. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you won’t like us sharing a bed. I tend to kick around at night. So if you don’t mind, you can sleep on the couch. I haven’t had anyone to test its effectiveness with, but I don’t think you’d find it that uncomfortable.” He finished with a smile as he disappeared from the living room and came back out with a blanket and pillows. “I really hope you find it comfortable, kid.” -Jeonghan said.

-Thanks for everything…

Jeonghan stopped halfway to turn back and squeeze his shoulder. "Everything will be okay, don't worry and just rest, tomorrow will be a day full of new discoveries."
Watching him walk away to close the door to his room, Jun felt suddenly tired and fell exhausted on the couch. The last thing he remembered was how in the middle of the night a weight landed on his legs never to disappear. Amid the silence and the darkness of the night, Jun dreamed of hugs that had once brought him absolute happiness and now he couldn't even find who the person was.

Chapter Text

The next day Jun woke up scared when he heard hurried footsteps laden with curses coming from Jeonghan, when he looked up he saw him wearing a dark uniform and a gun on his waist, eh... Was he an officer?

-Oh, good thing you're awake, it'll be easier to give you a few recommendations - said Jeonghan as if he forgot that he was the one who woke up with his heart racing.

As Jeonghan stopped with two steaming cups of coffee, he handed one to him. Seeing that Jun was receiving it like a strange specimen, Jeonghan became more attentive to his reaction. "Try it, it's delicious. Normally, almost 80% of the population consumes it." "Uh... okay..."
When his taste buds connected with the sweet flavor of the coffee, Jun immediately drank with determination; he loved the taste of coffee. Paying his attention to the present again, he looked up and saw Jeonghan looking at him with fascinated eyes and a smile on his face. "I'm glad you liked it, otherwise it would be very ironic of life and Mother Moon."

"Why ironic?" "Hmm? Oh, for no reason, honey, just because coffee is so delicious it's a shame to see people who hate it. I'm running late, but I'll leave everything ready for you. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to understand it when I wrote it down for you. Why... Can you read?"

-Yes, I can read, I don't remember much who I am but I don't find some things strange or new.

"Oh, great, this solves everything. Look, life here is... a little complicated. You don't want to get lost, so don't go out alone.
You have all day until I get back to explore the house, feed the parrot, and eat whatever you want. If you have any questions, you can think about them and tell me when I get back in the afternoon and take you for a walk. If they knock on the door, don't open it. If they shout and say it's important, don't. And if they say they think they know you, much less, they're lying. Understood?"

-Understood.

Seeing that everything was said and clarified, Jeonghan left his empty coffee cup in the sink and said goodbye, he gave one last curious look at the cat that had been on Jun's lap the whole time and finally, he let out a sigh to leave the apartment.

He doesn't know if minutes or maybe hours passed, but Jun considered getting up and taking a tour of the house, now more comfortable that he was alone. The apartment was small, at most it had one room with a single bed and little furniture. Looking more closely at Jeonghan's closet, he realized how little clothing he had. If not two more police uniforms, then a few shirts and a few pants. He ended up deciding on a pair of each since he hadn't had time to freshen up the night before, and as he continued with his tour, he realized more and more that Jeonghan had no photos, no sign of any friends or family. Everything seemed lonely and lifeless if it weren't for the cat that lived with its owner.
He must have felt very devastated and alone all this time, he thought.

After finishing his tour and taking a quick shower, he ended up exploring the few books in the living room; they looked old. One said "Survival Manual." As he flipped through the first few pages, he realized it was a tutorial on how to turn on the heater, cook different types of dishes, and even how and when to take out the trash. How come Jeonghan didn't know these things?
Setting it aside, he looked up again and took in the small panorama of the house; he was undoubtedly going to die of boredom in this square meter. All he could do was play with the cat that followed him everywhere and break out that recipe book to make the time fly by.

Without realizing it, hours passed, which were again interrupted by the same alarm sound he had heard the night before. He didn't know where it came from or what it meant, but what he was sure of was that it couldn't be anything good. A shiver ran through him every time he heard it.

 

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Jun was surrounded by flour, and the kitchen was a mess of unwashed dishes. But his initially "boring" afternoon ended up turning into a successful one. He'd left the dining room table covered in various dishes, a roasted chicken with vegetables was shining, while a flour-based dessert was finishing browning in the oven.
He wasn't going to say he hadn't thought about what Jeonghan had said last time, about asking him if he had any questions when they saw each other again. This entire afternoon had served him well to keep a mental record of several things.
First: his alarm repeated every five hours. Being a weak sleeper, he could vaguely detect it during the night.
And second: Jeonghan was a liar.

Jun wasn't stupid, he may not remember some things and may not have much of a survival instinct and maybe it was his fault as to why he found himself without memories but it was impossible for a man to live in this house before, there were no footprints, soul or even an essence, maybe Jun didn't know how to give him a solid answer to his doubt but he felt that there was a cat locked up, and he wasn't literally talking about the poor kitten that had been locked up with Jun throughout this process, he was afraid to approach and open a window, although Jeonghan had never forbade him, he didn't say he could do it either and among so many doubts he had decided to follow his instincts and they didn't tell him anything good, he had to gather courage for when he saw Jeonghan again and be able to say the right words so that she would spill the beans and not think he was suspicious, he could do it.

"I'm here," Jeonghan entered, singing. Despite looking exhausted, he had a smile on his face when he saw all the dishes on the table. "You made them all? I'm surprised. You didn't say you were some kind of chef."

-I'm not, but I saw this book and decided to pay it forward for not leaving me stranded last night.

"A book? What book?" And when Jun pointed it out, his eyes widened in surprise and mild recognition. "Oh, yes! I remember now. A friend gave it to me five winters ago with the note that it would help me make anyone I loved fall in love with me, but I never put it into practice."

Jun laughed delightedly at what he'd said. If he thought about his life, even though he doesn't remember it well, he'd do exactly the same thing he'd suggested and would have cooked to conquer, but now every time he thinks about it, he ends up with knots in his chest. What was happening? A second ago, he was happy.

-Well, sit down and serve yourself whatever you want. In the meantime, I'll take something out of the oven and we can eat it later if you like.

It was the first time the two of them had formally eaten together. Yesterday, he felt like everything had been so rushed, clouded by tiredness and fear of the unknown, but now he was able to pay more attention and gather his courage.

-Why do you work as a police officer?

Seeing that dinner wasn't going to be as silent as Jeonghan had expected, he finished cutting the chicken and took the biggest bite Jun had ever seen in his entire life. His mouth was so full that it took a few minutes for him to finally decide to speak. "If you're saying that because I'm not that muscular, it's offensive," but seeing that Jun wasn't happy with that answer, he gave a tired sigh. "Don't look at me like that, kid. If you're thinking it comes from some deep and heartbreaking story about how my entire generation was a police officer and felt like I loved humanity so much that I had to have my own desire to save it from evil, you're wrong. The truth is, that was the only job I was accepted for; these days, it's not that... easy to get one, and I had to feed my parrot." He finished with a smile that disappeared the instant Jun uttered these words. "It's a cat, not a parrot. You've been confusing it since yesterday. How did it get to you? How old is it?"

A cat? Oh yeah, haha! You'll have to excuse me, did it come with the house? When I saw it, I thought I'd take it somewhere else where it could grow more love than I could give it. You see, I'm allergic, but I don't know, something always happened, and it ended up living here. I guess you were meant to be meeting it. It's never been as close to someone as it has been since it saw you!

Does it has a name?

-No, I always called the cat, cat. But if you want, you can name it yourself.

"I'd really like that, although I don't have anything in mind yet." He stood up, then carried the plates to the kitchen and brought out the dessert, which looked promising. He'd never tried it, or not that he could remember, but as he was choosing the dishes to prepare, he was enthralled by this one. It had to be delicious
, or he was going to be very depressed. Serving himself a larger portion and taking another to Jeonghan, he sat down on the couch where Jeonghan was already waiting.

The moment Jeonghan received his plate, he stood still, staring at it in surprise and a mixture of fear. "What is this? Why did you make it?" he asked cautiously.

"It's dessert, I saw it in the book. Why?" Jun looked up cautiously. Was it going to taste bad, or did she not like it? Maybe she should have asked him about his tastes beforehand, but since they hadn't had much time to talk, she omitted it.

"Mmm, you're welcome, honey. Don't worry." Relaxing her shoulders even more, she decided to take a small bite of dessert, smiling ruefully. "It's delicious, try it."

It was Jun's turn but he didn't understand why he was nervous, it was just a dessert but he had to admit that he had spent more time reading the recipe, calculating and imagining the moment he was going to try it than he was afraid of having it in front of him, it's silly and leaving that last thought aside, he took a bite. He
closed his eyes, allowing his imagination to take him to heaven, his taste buds exploded with excitement with how soft it was, how warm it was, how safe he felt, it was the perfect sweetness because it wasn't too cloying and at the end of the bite mini fireworks exploded with the spice of the cinnamon. It was impossible not to compare it with a rainy night with a bonfire next to it, it gave him so much warmth that he felt his heart content, this was his home.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when he opened his eyes again, Jeonghan was looking at him with fascination; that always seemed to be the way he looked at him. "Did you like it?" he said sweetly.

-I loved it! It feels like a hug, I... need to eat this every day of my life and I- -he felt like he couldn't stop his babble, the taste still lingering in his mouth and his body was begging to eat more. He stopped when he heard the kitten's meow looking at him curiously, because all the previous noise had woken him up and now he was demanding an explanation with his meows, not to be left out, the cat was asking to be part of whatever they were talking about. A little crazy, right? It was impossible and laughing at his crazy thoughts he carried him tenderly, although he didn't know what life had in store for him, the only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to protect this kitten. -I know what I'm going to call you, your name will be cinnamon- and saying this last thing he pretended to bite the cat in his arms who did nothing but meow and snuggle up to his body providing more warmth. Yes, what Jeonghan had said was true, maybe the two of them were destined to be a family.

Cinnamon, huh? I like it, said Jeonghan, who had been watching the whole scene.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, it was already close to five in the afternoon and although they were two strangers, for Jun he was his new first friend, maybe Jeonghan was lying to him, he was sure of that but he didn't seem to want to kill him, he could have done this a thousand times or simply let him die outside.

 

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They left the building bundled up. The night before, Jun hadn't been able to fully analyze its exterior. He really wanted to take Cinnamon with him, but he was afraid he might get lost, and because of Jeonghan's restlessness, he decided against it.
It looked like it was autumn, judging by the fallen leaves. Jun hadn't imagined the streets would be so deserted. There must be others like them, right? So he asked his friend.

-Things have changed -the trees surrounded the houses, Jun tried to look in case he found a face but it was an impossible mission. Why was he so afraid? -Most have left this city, wanting to search for happiness and hope and... those who have stayed here... well, they wait for death in silence. -And stopping talking I could understand what he meant, everything seemed old, worn, as if a tornado had devastated the city and its inhabitants.
Suddenly he saw a guy come out of a distant street covered from head to toe who walked quickly and looking everywhere until he entered a house, it seemed like he was being chased but why?

"Is this happening in every city?" Jun asked hesitantly, afraid to know the truth.

Jeonghan sighed, more tired than he had been. “Yes.”

An alarm started to sound, making him jump. It was that alarm again!
Now that he was outside, he could see what was happening, but there didn't seem to be much change. Only the few lights that were on in the houses abruptly went out. Jun felt a chill run through him. He saw white smoke coming out from the distance. "What's going on? What did that smoke mean?"

"I have no idea, no one knows," he avoided Jun's gaze.

They continued walking until they got closer to a large, old-looking building.
Was it a church? There was a sign on the door that read, "We fight for our truth." The building didn't seem to have many staff inside until he suddenly smelled a freshly baked orange cake. Jun was full, but if they gave him a slice, he wouldn't get mad.

-Haniee, I missed you so much! - a cute young boy came running up, with the tenderest cheeks Jun had ever seen in his life, he looked only a little younger than him. -Oh, this must be the boy you told me about. - He stopped in his tracks when he saw that he wasn't alone. -Nice to meet you, I'm Seungkwan but you can call me Kwanie - the latter said extending his hand very delicately but his smile was what captivated him the most. Could Jun take him and also adopt him like his kitten Cinnamon?

"I... don't remember my name very well," he said, embarrassed. "But you can call me whatever you like."

-Don't worry, you don't have to explain, besides we can find you a name and I'm sure you'll feel comfortable, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable and-

"I've been telling you, honey," interrupted a smiling Jeonghan.

"Honey? Is this okay with you, honey?" Kwanie had a blush on her cheeks.

-That seems fine to me.

"Okay, then you'll be honey until further notice! Jeonghan told me everything, and if you want, I can give you a tour of here. We're not that important, but we do a lot."

They walked around the entire building, which seemed just as quiet as the building itself. Occasionally, they heard a door close and another open, but nothing that could have alerted anyone. They were reaching a hallway lined with books from floor to ceiling until Jun remembered the sweet smell he'd smelled at the beginning. "Do you like cooking too?" Jun asked with a grin from ear to ear.

"Cooking? Why do you ask?" A small frown of confusion appeared on Seungkwan's face. "Isn't it obvious? Because of the orange cake!"

"What?" He stopped dead in her tracks, now looking at Jeonghan with concern. Jeonghan stopped walking to watch the exchange and smiled. "Ah, Kwanie, he's talking about the perfume I bought you. Delicious, right? But it's a fragrance."

Jun was very confused. Why would they sell orange cake fragrances? He doesn't deny that the flavor is provocative, but it's very specific.

Already recovering, Seungkwan said, "That was my favorite perfume, when I saw it, I felt it was mine. Has this never happened to you?"

Jun could only remember the coffee and dessert he had had that day, it was the only thing he had ever connected over.

"Well, Kwanie, it's getting late, and you know better than to stay out late.
Did you want to say something to Honey?"

"Oh, yes! I'd be delighted if you came to work with us. The pay isn't much, but it'll help you distract yourself and, who knows, maybe remember. We also have a kitchen in the basement if you'd like. Jeonghan texted me that you like to cook, and we have lots of books here. You won't be bored, and Jeonghan will pick you up in the afternoons to take you back. Please say yes," she said with a burst of emotion and hope.

-Uh… I would love to, I would be very grateful, really.

-Fantastic! No more words, Kwanie, take care, sweetheart.

Jeonghan gave him a hug, as if he were also reconsidering taking him home. "You know, if anything happens, just call me and I'll be here," he said in a whisper.

Without further ado they left the church, Jun feeling happy that little by little he was leading a life in order even if he didn't remember much.

 

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That night he dreamed of that face again. They seemed to be in a forest. He was running, but he wasn't afraid; he felt adrenaline and happiness. Were they hunting him?

"Junnie, I'll catch up with you," the wolf growled behind him. A wolf?

Returning to the dream, he allowed himself to feel the emotion of the moment. He didn't see that it was getting closer and closer to being hunted, and due to his little self's carelessness, he ended up tripping and falling with his ferocious wolf. They rolled for several seconds until they finally landed on flat ground. They were in shock of the moment.

-Jun, are you okay? I fell on you! - His friend was just as worried. He was wearing glasses that had been knocked off their feet by the fall, leaving him disheveled and looking adorable. Junnie wanted to give him a kiss on the cheek. The scene was so funny that Jun couldn't help but laugh his head off. This was happiness.

-It's okay, wonwoo, I'm fine.

-Junnie, don't laugh, promise me that if I ever hurt you you'll tell me, promise? -he raised his pinky

-Promised, Jun repeated the action and they smiled at each other. Because if they were together, nothing else mattered.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Jun woke up with a pain that increased with each passing day. His body and soul screamed at him to bring back the blocked memories. He felt with all his being how he had to remember something important and he couldn't stop thinking about the dream he had. Junnie? Was that his name? Who was Wonwoo and why was there a wolf? That couldn't be possible. Wolves don't exist, but what scared him the most was not feeling fear at that idea. It didn't seem far-fetched.
He was afraid of telling Jeonghan about his dreams and that he wouldn't believe him, or worse, that Junnie wasn't his name. He had to keep this information to himself a little longer until he had proof that they were real.

As he was getting ready for Jeonghan to take him to the church so he could start working and help Seungkwan, Jun felt even more devastated about leaving Cinnamon alone, especially if they were only going to see each other again at night. He doesn't know if it's because that mysterious dream was still lingering in his mind, but he didn't want to leave the thing that was giving him the most comfort, his cat.
So he decided to make puppy eyes at Jeonghan so he'd let him take him.

"It's okay, but you have to be careful, it's your responsibility," Jeonghan said with a tired sigh.

They left the building with much more enthusiasm than the day before. Things had to get better, or Jeonghan and Jun would force their way out. The streets were just as deserted; it seemed like no one had the spirit to live these days, and they'd only be sheltered in their homes for the final blow.
Pushing that fateful thought aside, Jun jerked his head up when he noticed the alarm sounding again, but this time the smoke was blue. What did the color of the smoke mean?

"They're getting closer," he replied stiffly.

-Getting closer to what?

-In the end.

 

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Jun didn't think the church would still be empty today, but he'd forgotten to consider the fact that the people here didn't have faith for whatever was going on.
He carried Cinnamon in one arm and in the other a cup of coffee Jeonghan had made him this morning, almost begging him to get another if he ran out, but also to keep one at his side. It seemed kind of him to care about Jun's energy.

 

The scent of oranges alerted him that Seungkwan was coming. This time, he was talking to a boy who seemed to be the youngest of the three. He stood with his head down, timidly listening to what Seungkwan was saying. It wasn't until Seungkwan told him that a strange man was watching them that Kwanie realized Jun's arrival.

-Hey, I'm glad you're here! Look, meet Dino. He's my second-in-command.

"Nice to meet you," they both said.

-And you're bringing a kitten with you!! How cute, isn't it, Dino?

-He is, he reminds me of Officer Jeon. Don't you?

Seungkwan burst out laughing. "I can't believe you're comparing a kitten to a person. Officer Jeon is human!"

And what does he have? You're not going to tell me they look alike, although if we're talking about resemblance, this guy resembles Officer Jeon's partner.

-What are you saying, Dino? Officer Jeon and Officer Moon aren't a couple.

-Just because they haven't told you they are doesn't mean they aren't.

-They are not.

-Yes they are.

Jun was increasingly perplexed to see the direction the conversation had taken, he didn't know who Officer Jeon was, much less who Officer Moon was, in fact he had no idea who he was, to now be asking about others, what was going to start with a headache ended up leaving him with a sigh, he had to wait for them to leave that subject aside, again, a subject he didn't understand.

When he came back to his senses, Seungkwan and Dino were laughing, their cheeks flushed.

-I swear, Kwanie, every time they look at each other, sparks fly, it's as if the universe only works for and to achieve their happiness.

-I won't deny that I don't dislike the idea. Both of them have worked hard trying to fix this world. They've been so busy thinking about it that they've forgotten the most important thing: having each other by their side.

And as if Dino agreed, the two let out a dramatic sigh.

Returning to his duties and coming down from his romantic reverie, Seungkwan said goodbye to Dino and took Jun by the arm to go up to the library on the second floor. The church had three floors. The first was open to the public, the second was where the former theology students used to spend their hours, and the third was dominated by the prayer room. Jun hadn't had the opportunity to visit them in depth, but the one that caught his attention the most was the basement, where Seungkwan had told him he could cook if the other tasks bored him.

They were on the second floor, reorganizing the books in section A and cleaning them for their respective shelves. It was an arduous task if you considered that they wouldn't reach section D until nightfall, but since Jun didn't have to do anything, her role in distracting him was gaining success.

When noon arrived, he decided to go downstairs to prepare a quick lunch because Dino and Seungkwan forgot that the hours passed here and they always skipped meals, that couldn't continue happening with him there.

The basement was dark, perhaps normal for a basement, but he hadn't thought it would cause such a chill. He had to admit everything was clean. What he wondered was, why would anyone put a kitchen in the basement? Maybe it was to keep the smells from rising and bothering everyone else?

He opened the fridge and saw that the only thing he could prepare was a meat paste, he took out the food and prepared to cook it, how lucky that cinnamon was keeping him company because otherwise Jun would have died of fear from being down there for so long.

As the hour passed, he was almost finished with the pasta. He jumped when he heard some moans coming from the basement where he was, and his insides leaped even more in fear as he began to hear the moans becoming more and more frequent.

"Who's there?" Jun leaned closer, his skin crawling, and he gave a small yelp when he saw a door at the end of the hallway, a door guarded by a man. He looked no more than 60 years old, but upon closer inspection, he looked older and older. The man was guarding the door and was the one making the moaning noises; he seemed to be sick.

-Uh... -he didn't have time to finish the sentence when the alarm sounded again, what now made him more scared (as if he wasn't already) was that there in the basement, the alarm sounded clearer and louder, the alarm came from the church.

He let out another scream that didn't even serve to alert the sick man when he felt someone touch his arm.

-Hey, calm down, it's Seungkwan. Are you okay? - He seemed to want to apologize for the scare, but it certainly wasn't intentional.

"I'm fine. You didn't tell me there were others in the church." Seeing her focus on the man at the gate, Seungkwan slumped his shoulders wearily. "Oh yeah, you never asked. He's always there. He doesn't do much more than guard that gate."

-Should we give him lunch?

"You shouldn't, he doesn't talk. I've tried countless times to start a conversation, but he just turns a deaf ear, or he's deaf. Honestly, just pretend he's not there, period. Come on, let's go eat and take him to Dino, who's on the third floor."

They did this and although Jun will never admit it, he felt relieved to see that they were finally leaving that horrible room, if it were up to him, he would never go down there again.

They were on the third floor and visually it seemed the cleanest and most spacious, he couldn't say that it gave him peace, he didn't follow the religion and he didn't know if that was a reason why his interior felt dread when entering this facility.

Dino, on the other hand, was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed and whispering. It was not clear what he was saying, but he did it with such delicacy and devotion that Jun sensed that the reason he felt rejection was because he did not believe, that was definitely it.

 

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-Over that door… -he began, feeling his way, hoping to get answers.

"Which door?" Dino asked, food in his mouth. His cheeks were stuffed, and if it weren't for the quietness of the place, which made his words louder, he would have had to ask him to repeat himself.

-He's talking about the door in the basement.

-Mmm, we don't talk about that.

-Yes, but I was wondering what could be in a guarded door - Jun said delicately, the best way to get answers was to be subtle. Was he being subtle?

"We don't talk about it because we don't have the answers. What you just saw is the same thing we know," Seungkwan interrupted.

-I understand, but how do you manage to live knowing something's happening downstairs? The alarm. Do you know about the alarm? From here, they send it to the entire city.

Seeing their tense faces and how they avoided his gaze, Jun didn't need more words to confirm that they knew about that and maybe many other things, but they didn't talk. Jun could feel himself starting to lose his composure; he felt quite affected by seeing that they knew something they didn't want to tell; it was impossible not to sow the seed of distrust between them.
And Jeonghan? Did he know the same thing? Where had he gotten himself into?
Since Seungkwan and Dino weren't planning on continuing the conversation, in a fit of tantrum, Jun got up and returned to the library to continue his homework in silence. He just needed to wait for the hours to pass quickly so he could return to Jeonghan's house.

 

***********************

 

"You've been quiet and you haven't even had a good taste of your dinner, honey, you're worrying me. Did something happen at the church? You know that if you really don't like being there you don't have to do it, it was just an outing for you to clear your mind." Jeonghan didn't know how to get him to talk anymore, he had taken off his shoes but he was still wearing his police uniform, they were sitting in the living room. Neither of them were talking and Jeonghan was starting to worry. Did he discover something? He thought.

 

Maybe it was time to test how honest Jeonghan was being with him.

"There's a door in the basement that's being watched. The guard doesn't speak, he doesn't listen. The alarms we're seeing are coming from there," he concluded, secretly hoping and hoping he'd show me a sign of ignorance, but seeing that he wasn't surprised, her anger reignited.

-Ah, that.

That? You knew it! What are they hiding?

"I don't know what they're hiding," Jeonghan didn't have time to finish when he saw Jun get up angrily.

-Fuck, you know what's going on! You know what was going on, and yet you still decided to send me there.

"Who says you're in danger?" He raised his eyebrows in intrigue.

"Let's not play dumb. It's common knowledge that something's happening. People aren't leaving their houses, the few people who are left. And if that weren't enough, there's a crazy old man in the basement watching something as if he were going to save the earth. The smoke? What the hell does smoke mean? You know it!" And before I could stop it, a smell of bitter, rotten coffee began to appear in the house. Was it coming from a neighbor? They had their windows open.

"Calm down, kid," Jeonghan wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It's okay. I may have had my suspicions in that basement, but I don't have the answers for you about what's going on down there. You know I'm a cop... I have an investigation group for that. We're doing our best to figure out what's going on, okay? I'm not the bad guy in this story, honey." And as if trying to calm the winds, he gave Jun a smile.

"I'd like to be part of it, your little group at the police station. To be around and, you know, find the answers."

"With me? At the station?" He asked incredulously, but Jun could see a thin layer of pure terror hiding beneath her eyes. "You're crazy! You wouldn't survive a day, it's dangerous, you don't know self-defense, and... My group is full, sorry!"

-I'm sure you can make spice for me, I can bring you the coffee.

"Coffee? No, I refuse, and that's it! Look, you can also help out at the church. Reconsider that. You're talking about protecting. Fine, I can teach you self-defense, but you won't be working at the police station. Your job gonna be protect Dino and Seungkwan."

Jun wanted to refute, feeling that more and more of the secrets Jeonghan was keeping from him could leak out if he just looked at him more closely; he had to find a crack in him. But seeing that he was closing himself off on the subject, he needed to regain ground; for one day, he could make him believe he'd won.

-Alright.

 

*****************

 

-Wonwoo, I'm afraid I might end up cutting myself by mistake - Jun was in a dream again, he needed to pay close attention, this could be important.

-Kitten, nothing will happen to you, on the contrary. I'd be more worried if you didn't take him. - The one who supposedly should be Wonwoo, in an adult version, was sitting in front of a desk with thousands of papers, Jun was on top of the papers. He was wearing a suit that, judging by how wrinkled it was, I could tell he'd been wearing it for several hours. Or had Jun himself messed it up?

-Look, the knife is safe, Junnie. Nothing will happen to you if the knife is safe. - He slowly touched his thigh to make him feel the knife that Jun was hiding and was so afraid of causing harm. Wonwoo's touch was strong and slow. His body was tingling with desire, and he began to notice how Wonwoo's pheromones were getting stronger. His scent was spicy and intoxicating.

-There won't be any need for a weapon if I'm always by your side, won. -and instinctively moving closer to wonwoo's neck to inhale his scent.

-I know, Junnie, but anything can happen, and I'd like to be prepared. I don't want anything to happen to you, and if you're in potential danger, I want and demand that, as your alpha, you defend yourself from whoever it may be. Kill if necessary; don't worry about getting your pretty hands dirty, love. -Make me proud. He used his alpha voice.

I'll do it, Jun thought, anything for my alpha.

Chapter Text

This time Jun was working at the church again. He was in the library rearranging the books. Now he was in section “H” when he found a book that didn’t belong there. To be honest, it looked like a hidden book. When he grabbed it, he noticed the spine was almost peeling off and the pages were yellowed. The title was “A Short Story About Wolves.” Jun felt a tingling sensation in his arms, especially since the name had brought him back to his dreams. He still didn’t want to tell Jeonghan, and now that he was building a friendship with Seungkwan and Dino, he didn’t want to either. But seeing that there was a story about wolves in the library… It couldn’t be a lie, right? Hearing footsteps approaching, Jun hurried to put the book in his backpack. When he had time, he would read it. He needed to find answers, but for now, all he could do was pretend.

"It's so nice to see you, honey. We got the afternoon off today because it's my birthday, and well, we're going over to our house for some dinner they're making for me. I was wondering if you wanted to come with us," Seungkwan finishes.

A few days had passed since Jun's little tantrum. He still remembers his attitude with shame. It's okay to feel frustrated, but it's not okay to take out your frustration on others, especially when they were offering you friendship. He was afraid to show his face the other day and see Seungkwan and Dino ignoring him, but fortunately for his luck and heart, it wasn't like that. They were waiting for him at the door with a smile as if nothing had happened.
They had had the opportunity to get closer, and now their three hearts danced in tune. The church was empty, and no one was interested in times of faith, but the three of them made it shine and have soul while they were there.

-I'd love to go, will Jeonghan be there?

-Yes! Everyone will be there. I'm so excited for you to meet the others. We've already told them about you. - Seungkwan finished with a smile from ear to ear, hugging Dino, who had just returned with a change of clothes. They were ready to leave.

 

-Well, let's say no more, let's go.

 

**********************

 

When they entered the house where Seungkwan, Dino and their friends lived, Jun was surprised by how small it looked on the outside but how large it was on the inside.
The house had three floors in which they were divided into groups, according to Dino's words, "we are classified by age and by how much we tolerate each other sleeping in the same bed" so when he showed him his room he was not surprised to see that he shared it with Seungkwan and another guy who was not there, Dino told him that he would meet him later. His name was Hansol.
The room was full of flowers and guitars, it was divided by a huge bed and a smaller one, which led to the reflection that two had to sleep together no matter what.

-Come, I'll show you the other rooms. I don't think they'll get mad if they find out. We don't keep secrets from each other, and you're already one of us. - Dino held out his hand.

They went up to the second floor, this time the floor did have several rooms, they entered the one that was closest, again, the room was alone, what Jun was able to capture was how private, intimate and warm this room looked, it also had a single bed and a lot of cat stuffed animals, different types of cats, next to it had a desk with a video game console but for the rest, the bed was the protagonist in the room, it seemed like it could fit 5 people.

-How many sleep here?

-Only two, Officer Jeon and Officer Moon.

-I thought you said they weren't a couple.

Dino burst out laughing. “Hey, I didn’t say that, Seungkwan did! If you ask me, I’m on the team that they’re together, but let me tell you, they’ve been sleeping in the same bed for as long as I can remember, it’s always been that way, and the connection they have… is something I would really like to have. You made me remember when I was little and had nightmares, I always went to Moon’s after Jeonghan went on a journey. I hated their journeys because we wouldn’t have him for months.” He had a pout on his lips.

-Where was Jeonghan going?

-Hmm? You know... to different parts... Look! Let's go into this one -And he ran off until he opened the next room. Apparently all the other rooms he was going to find were going to be for couples because he kept finding only one bed. -This one belongs to Seokmin and Joshua. By instinct, Jun approached the room that was most decorated with photos and memories, he wanted to find the faces of those he was going to have to start a conversation with later, he was already giving it a go when Dino roughly pushed him to the exit with the lame excuse that he had to see the others. They're the best!
When he passed the others, Dino kept telling him that this room belonged to "Jihoon and Hoshi" oh, and this one belongs to Captain Cheol with Jeonghan" they're the ones who spend the least amount of time here, accompanied by another pitiful pout.

-The good thing is that I always have Mingyu and Minghao, their room is on the third floor but I'm sorry I can't show it to you, Mingyu can be a little... Possessive? And Minghao hates strangers but I'm sure he'll adore you!

 

*************

Jun was already tired and hadn't even met them yet. Dinner started 45 minutes later when they started arriving.
Joshua, Seokmin, Jihoon, and the one who appeared to be Hoshi arrived first. What Jun noticed was that they were all wearing police uniforms, so this was the little group Jeonghan had told him he was in charge of and that he didn't have room for him. The latter fact continued to depress him. At first, he didn't think much of it, but seeing how his friends at church couldn't stop talking about them and their anecdotes, he still felt alone even if he tried to put on a mask of indifference.

Everyone gave him a warm and friendly welcome, some more friendly than others, like Seokmin and Joshua, and they kept asking him questions about his life.
What did throw him off a bit was Hoshi's scream when he saw him.

-But they are exactly the same!

"Hoshi, not another word. Serve yourself, the food's ready!" Officer Cheol, who was entering with a tired air, interrupted him.

-But- you can't deny it Cheol.

Jun stopped listening when his food was called to him. Everything looked delicious. It was a meat that seemed to come in different cuts, accompanied by mashed potatoes.
He was busy with his task when he heard whispers coming from the dining room.

-Jeonghan was furious when Seungkwan called him telling him that he had invited Jun to come, Seungkwan knew that he couldn't do it, it was forbidden and now he will stay finishing a job with Jeon and Moon.

Jun's heart broke when he heard this. Didn't Jeonghan want him to meet his friends? Didn't he consider him an equal? He was starting to feel worse and worse when the one who introduced himself as Hansol walked in. "Oh my god, it smells like rotten milk, what is that smell? I'm sure I didn't cook anything with milk." When he saw that he wasn't alone in the kitchen, he said, "Ah, moon, how lucky you came. I imagine it's been a long time because you've even changed, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Jun was trying to behave and hide how sad he was.

-Sun! This is sweetheart, I told you about it. He helps us at church with Dino - Seungkwan rushed in.

Jun and Hansol had a some seconds in which they were silent, one trying to assimilate that he had screwed up by calling him by another name and the other who was not a believer but was starting to pray to all the gods that he could escape from that place and cry in peace.

-Uh.. sorry, I'm tired, I had a hard day, I'm Hansol.

Jun nodded and ran off to the dining room where the others were already talking and eating, but Jun wasn't stupid. He knew everyone was looking at them discreetly, that they weren't speaking freely, and that even the closest one, Hansol, seemed to be holding his nose. Did it smell that bad? He had showered that day.

 

"And Jeonghan? I'm waiting to go with him," Jun said casually, pretending he hadn't heard Officer Cheol's previous words.

 

"Something came up last minute, and he stayed working. Don't worry about your return home. He told me to drive you. He might even arrive at dawn, so don't wait for him." The officer finished tersely. It was clear he hated him. It was clear everyone hated him. Jun couldn't stand another minute of misery, and when he looked up, he saw the level of comfort and happiness moving between them. Jun wanted something like that.

He spent the night feeling deeply sad and longing as he watched the couples smile and whisper to each other. Seungkwan had never told him he had a boyfriend, Hansol. He’d never heard that name before, and seeing them cuddled on the couch, Hansol caressing his hair and Dino telling them stories, giving them their full attention as if nothing else was important. Dino had mentioned dreaming of a relationship like Officer Jeon and Moon’s, and well... he couldn’t say much because he’d never met them, but Dino was a Lucky person. It is nothing wrong with having two people who loved him. It made him feel another emptiness. Why did he feel excluded?

 

With no more energy left to live, he stood up and told everyone he was ready to leave. He didn't want Seungkwan to get up from the couch and go to the trouble of saying goodbye to him. It was clear what Jun had already seen. He also didn't want to show how depressed he felt, so he tried to give the others a curt goodbye.

 

-Wait, kid. Don't go yet! - Hoshi, who had been looking at him throughout dinner, between anxious and curious, as if he wanted to say something but found the moment inopportune, didn't do it. Apparently, he finally got the courage. -Here. - He handed him a stuffed animal, it was so small that it fit in the palm of his hand. When Jun saw it, he was surprised because it was a tiger. He didn't understand if it was an inside joke or why Hoshi was giving him a tiger.

-Will you give me… a tiger?

-A tiger!

-A… tiger?

-My tiger!

-Well….

-So you never forget me boy, maybe we will never see each other again but I want you to take it, I love tigers and I want it to be a sign for when you feel alone and helpless, not all is lost moon- I mean, sweetheart- I mean nameless boy. -Hoshi's eyes were shining, he couldn't tell if it was from excitement or sadness but he was a second away from crying and he couldn't be imagining things when he saw out of the corner of his eye how his boyfriend approached and stood by his side. Jun felt an inexplicable desire to hug him and so he did, he didn't expect Hoshi to respond with such enthusiasm, from some moans he realized that Hoshi was really crying and was staining him with tears.

-Okay, that's enough. I don't know what's wrong with me, excuse me, Moon-boy.

Jun nodded, seeing that there was no point in correcting him with the name, turned towards the door to see that Officer Cheol was waiting for him and taking slow steps he approached without stopping to look again at the boys who were looking at him with different smiles of tenderness, affection and melancholy. He felt a knot in his chest; he was so focused on remembering what he had lost that he had imagined being rejected and unloved? He had been able to enjoy that night in another way and now that he was leaving and didn't know when he would see them again, it was inevitable to have a regret.
He raised his hand in farewell, which they all responded to.

 

****************************

 

Already at Jeonghan's house, Jun was lying with the blankets and cinnamon on his lap. It had become routine to talk to Jeonghan beforehand, chatting about the days, and now that it was going to take a while to get home, he missed him. It was ridiculous. Tomorrow he would see him like the other days following, but now he wanted a hug and one of his characteristic warm smiles, but for that he would have to wait until the next day. Without much more, he fell deeply asleep.

 

They were in a cemetery, Jun saw Wonwoo who was standing in front of a coffin crying. He had told him to go to the house that it was going to rain but Jun didn't want to leave, not without him. Not with all the pain Wonwoo was carrying. His father had died, an enemy gang had sent the message that they were the ones who carried out his murder, it had been bloody, the entire pack of Wonwoo's father had died with their leader and now Wonwoo, his father who had been everything to him, was gone. Jun wondered if he was thinking about the things that were coming now and what that death meant, a possible war and Wonwoo in command, but that couldn't happen. Wonwoo was barely 14 years old, he was a child to deal with war.

It was already raining hard and Jun kept looking at him, Wonwoo was covered in water, soaked and the thunder did nothing but shine from time to time to give Jun a shine of luminosity.
Everyone else had left after the burial, they wanted to cover the coffin with earth but Wonwoo wasn't ready, he had gotten so angry that his wolf came out and transformed. His human form hadn't reappeared since then. Jun couldn't stand it anymore, he was bleeding from pain and each thorn was embedded deeper with Wonwoo's rejection. He understood him and wanted to give him his space like he did all that afternoon while he watched him from afar but his time of mercy was over and Wonwoo had to listen to him.

Walking over to where the wolf was howling at the coffin, Jun knelt down and began tentatively petting Wonwoo, which brought more loud cries from the wolf.

"Everything will be okay, Alpha. Let it all out. But don't let this consume you. I know it's tough and no one feels that pain like you do. But don't push us away, don't push me away, Alpha. I'll always be here by your side."

Jun received no response other than the continuous sobs, the sound of the rain, the thunder and the scent of wet earth but looking in front of the wooden coffin he could recognize that Wonwoo's father, who was also like a father to him, had truly left and it was there that between the pain and sadness, Jun also let his tears escape.

Chapter Text

The days turned into weeks, Jun had created a routine. He would get up, greet Cinnamon, try to write down what he had dreamed about his "apparent" alpha, an alpha who seemed very handsome to him. He was aware of his physique, but Jun would be transported to his dreams and end up amazed by his appearance, charisma, and how he also returned his gaze. If they were memories, he hoped with all his heart to see him again. Why hadn't he shown any signs of life yet? If they were such a couple as they seemed to be, what was taking him so long? And if it was all a product of his imagination, he hoped to get to the psychiatric hospital soon.
Then he would prepare a light snack for Jeonghan and himself (sometimes Jun would make extra so Jeonghan could give it to his friends), and according to the comments he received at night when they were about to say goodnight, Hoshi and Mingyu were delighted with the delicacies Jun prepared. He had also written down a couple of recipes to Officer Moon that Jeonghan had asked for. In his words, “Officer Moon and you share the similarity of loving to cook.”

After Jun arrived at church and completed his daily chores, he would occasionally bake a cake for Dino and Seungkwan. They'll never know, but Jun always left a slice for the man guarding the door.

His friendship with Dino and Seungkwan had grown increasingly stronger. These two had told him that they were indeed in a relationship with Hansol and that they had all known each other since childhood, and that it was never a question of loving one more than the other. When it came to these three, the love was equal.
Jun felt happy that they were sharing things with him; he felt more comfortable with his present and the direction his life was taking. He believed the only thing missing to be completely happy was to be able to find his wonwoo.

In his free time, Jun still searched for useful information about wolves and hierarchies.
He never had the chance to read the book he had brought home because the next day when he woke up, it had vanished and turned into a collection of fictional stories about royalty in "moonwild." When Jun asked Jeonghan if he had seen a new book in the house, he simply shook his head and said he didn't know what he was talking about. Yeah, pure bullshit. But since Jun had no way to refute, he ended up leaving that topic aside and reading the collection of stories as leisure. With a blush, he has to admit that the love the main couple declared for each other was beautiful. They had their differences in thought and age. King Won was much older than his husband. He and Prince Junhui had to overcome many obstacles to be together. In the end, love won; that was what he wanted to happen to him.

 

Returning to the present, Jun was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the prayer room, spending his lunch break. Sadly, he couldn't spend it with his two friends because they had left an hour ago for the house due to an emergency call they had received.
Jun had managed to hear the call and the echo of the voices due to his hearing; it was too easy for him. And he had heard Joshua telling them to take him to the house and not leave him alone, but with a sharp voice like Officer Cheol's, who flatly refused to accept the idea, they decided to change their minds.

Dino had taught him the art of meditation, which he had also learned from Minghao. “When I was younger, I used to have too many nightmares. I would wake up screaming, and during the day, I wouldn’t stop replaying what I had dreamed. I was always in a bad mood. That’s when Hao taught me to meditate, to practice strong, guided breathing. This will help you when you think you’re having a panic attack, when you want to calm down, or when you’re just bored.” He concluded with a smile.

And that's how Jun found himself meditating, even though he didn't believe in anything. He'd already completed his chores, and that day he'd dropped Cinnamon off at Jeonghan's house, so not even if they paid him a million dollars was he going to go down to the basement. To kill time, he found himself meditating in silence. The only thing that interrupted him was the sound of the clock's hands. He'd never been so aware of how loud they sounded until he rang the alarm and said it was five in the afternoon. Jun felt like he was losing everything.

A flashback came to his mind, it wasn't a dream, he was awake and he was having one right now, he was in a forest running as if his life depended on it while in the background a torrent of gunshots and screams came, they were killing his people, the one he had fought to protect. Wonwoo had been on the other side of the city since that morning, the last words that had been said were part of a strong fight.

"Let me go with you! You have to let me go, as your fiancé demands," Jun shouted furiously.

-And as your fiancé and alpha, I tell you that you will not go anywhere, where I go anything can happen to you, you will stay by the side of beta Lee Chan and Vernon and promise me that you will not cause problems.

-I'm not a damn kid, wonwoo! If I tell you I want to go with you it's because it's the truth, I've spent my whole life training for a situation like this and you always want to push me aside and overprotect me or is it because I'm Omega? You're not taking me into account!

"If I don't grant you this, it's for your own good. Watch your vocabulary with me. I remind you that I'm your fiancé!" He said this last bit forcefully, but with even more frustration. He had to get ready quickly and go to the weapons room where General Choi was waiting for him with Jisoo. Thank goodness Wonwoo was already wearing his uniform ready for war, or else it would have taken longer with the tantrum his fiancé was throwing.

 

-Then you'll have to go find another fiancé to whom you forbid his way of speaking and acting because I resign from this task -And as a last act of anger Jun threw at him the engagement ring that he hadn't taken off since Wonwoo had declared his love for Jun's 18th birthday, now he was 22 and he was never going to say what that scene would cost.

 

He was lying, Jun would never have wanted to do that but it was the rage of the moment, he wasn't being heard and Wonwoo was going to face a battle in which nothing was won, for the last few years he had to let him go and Jun always stayed with his heart in his hand waiting for him to come back, he didn't want history to repeat itself but what now? They hadn't had time to finish the conversation, Wonwoo just stared at him in silence as if he didn't understand what his fiancé, his Junnie, the blessed love of his life had just said but he didn't have time for that when outside a lot of innocent people were being murdered, his people. So he just shook his head and picked up the ring to put it in his pocket, they could continue this conversation later.

Only that later never happened, right?
When Wownoo and his patrol had left, the enemy gang attacked the mansion where Jun was with bombs and Lee Chan, who was by his side, ended up hurt.

-Run boss, don't let them catch you, look for Vernon, he must be looking for you.

And with panic and his heart about to explode, Jun ran to leave the mansion. On the way, he ran into Vernon, the sniper. He had some blood stains on him, but nothing seemed too serious.

-We're going to protect you, follow me!

Jun was lost on the path they were taking, the mansion had been forgotten and now everything was covered by trees and bushes, wownoo had never told him about this part of the land. Where was Vernon taking him?

The path ended at a cliff when the sounds of gunfire returned. They were getting closer! Vernon could tell from the stumbles he was making that he was running out of energy. He was an alpha, but when you're in wartime, energy will never be enough.

"Backup! I need backup! I'm running out of bullets and they're surrounding us!" Vernon shouted into his microphone.

 

The reinforcements were not going to arrive in time.

 

When they were a few steps away from the precipice they looked into each other's eyes, Jun had known him since he could remember, since Vernon was crawling and said he had to protect him even though they were only three years apart in age and now, facing what could be the end of their lives, they were going to die together and separated from their life partners. He knew he couldn't blame himself for the deaths, but if Vernon died and Jun was still alive... he'd rather die too than have to see Lee-chan and Boo's disconsolate faces.

 

"Listen, you're wearing your collar, right?" Vernon asked. It was the collar all the wolves received at their presentation. It told them if they were omegas, alphas, or betas. They came with a special intelligence that Woozi had been studying and working on for years. Now their collars allowed him to know their names, pheromones, date of birth, and an emergency contact.
In these times of violence and death, it was important that no one take it off; it was strictly prohibited since it could hinder the body identification process.

 

Jun nodded vigorously, never taking it off.

-Good - He didn't have time to finish speaking when he received two shots in the back.

"Vernon!" Jun cried desperately. His friend couldn't die in his arms, not without proposing to Lee Chan and Boo.

"There's no time. This isn't how things were supposed to happen, Jun." He allowed himself to use her name. "If you don't jump, it'll be your end, and Wonwoo will visit me in Hell for not making you jump."

 

-What are you talking about? Vernon, if I jump, I'm literally going to die.

Vernon was getting paler and losing consciousness, Jun's hands were shaking as he sobbed.

-Boss, when you see my boys... Please tell them I wanted to keep our promise, I really wanted to do it after the war was over.

-Nononooooo -And with a last burst of strength Vernon pushed Jun towards the cliff. The last thing Jun saw was how the enemies arrived and tried to shoot him from his fall, but very soon they would all give him up for dead. Closing his eyes and entering a deep darkness, Jun allowed himself to remember his fiancé.

Sorry wownoo.

 

**********************************

 

Returning to reality, Jun was sweating, his body trembling. He hadn't died from the fall off the cliff, but he didn't know what had happened to Vernon. Now he remembered some things, but that wasn't his land; wolves didn't exist here. He was still reflecting on that fact when he saw the alarm sent to the city sound; this time it was different. The sound had changed for the first time, and his inner wolf, now being recognized for the first time, came out in all its splendor. His skin was covered in goosebumps; that sound didn't alert him to anything good. And what about the necklace he had in his memory?
When Jun woke up, he didn't have a necklace.

A noise alerted him. What could it be if no one was coming in this way? He looked out the windows on the third floor when his body froze. Two trucks bearing government logos were parked on the street, hurrying in with weapons.

"Where's the boy?" Jun heard. If he hadn't died before, this was the moment.
All he had to do was go through the window, where he could also die because of the height.

Taking a deep breath and gathering all his courage, he had to do it. If his memory served him right, he'd been trained for future attacks. He could resist. He had to do it. While he didn't know how much stamina a wolf had, he didn't have time to elaborate on his theories now, and he had to go by trial and error. If he failed, he would die, and if he won... he would most likely die later.

 

The footsteps grew closer. Jun distanced himself and started running straight for the window until the sound of breaking glass made him scrunch his eyes shut. Many pieces of glass had embedded themselves in his body, and he was starting to bleed. The impact of falling to the floor left him in shock for a few seconds. He had to get up, but he couldn't do it quickly; his body ached.

Jeonghan didn't really show him the city, so he only knew the church, his house, and his friends' houses. He recalls in a conversation that when he asked him for the address of the police station, Jeonghan tried to avoid the subject at all costs.

-What if there's an emergency? How will I let you know, Jeonghan?

-If an emergency happens you have to go to church.

Yeah, that hadn't worked out much. Luckily, in one of the conversations he'd had with Dino, he'd asked him for directions, and Dino, quite carelessly, ended up giving it to him, making him swear he'd never set foot in that station again. Another thing Jun would have to apologize for if he survived.

He continued running through the empty streets, grateful that the only ones who loved him had stayed at the church.
The day grew darker and darker, and soon it was getting dark when, on a corner, he managed to spot the station, thank the gods.

 

He didn't think much longer until he crossed the doors and, breathing heavily, shouted for Jeonghan.

-Jeonghan, they're- he didn't finish the sentence when he felt the weight of a gun on his back.

 

"Who are you and what are you looking for?" a cold voice snapped at him.

 

"What? I... I don't remember my name," he ended up lying. He wasn't sure he wanted to say his name, and he could blame tiredness for his stupidity.

 

"Try again." He raised the gun to his temple. "God, this is how he was going to die. Without being able to look who was killing him."

 

"Put the gun down, Jeon. There's no need." Jeonghan's distant voice was heard, growing closer.

-No.

-He's not an enemy Jeon, I know him.

"I didn't ask if you knew him or not. He's a strange guy who refuses to give me his name. That makes him a real suspect. Let's try this a third time." "Who are you, and why are you using that body and face? Are you an experiment? You knew I was going to be here, and your stupid government was trying to play a trick on me? Nice try."

"I don't understand what he is talking about, Jeonghan" He was starting to lose patience.

-Jeon. Have you seen him? The boy you're pointing a gun at.

-Yeah.

Did you notice the resemblance?

 

"If you're implying he looks like Moon, it's because you've lost your mind too. No amount of experimentation is going to confuse me with this one," he said, pointing the gun more firmly. "He's not my Moon, especially since I left him sleeping in the office 15 minutes ago. If you don't confess now, my hand won't even flinch when I shoot you."

 

-All right, all right, it's time for us all to calm down a bit, Jeon. As your boss, I order you to put down your gun and release the boy. If this turns out to be a government ploy, I give you permission to kill him. Now. Let him go. Now.

With a resigned sigh, he let go, but not before giving him a firm shove.
And when Jun turned around to look at who the grumpy idiot who had pointed a gun at him was, he tensed.
The resemblance was so close to Wonwoo, his Wonwoo, only this time the differences were very few. Officer Jeon had much shorter hair than his Wonwoo, they were equally muscular, but this one had his more sullen look, and he didn't smell like his favorite dessert! The characteristic spicy scent of his fiancé was nowhere to be seen.

-Wonwoo….? -Jun asked hesitantly and almost in a whisper.

 

-My name is Jeon.

 

-I'm Jun, do you remember that name?

 

-I've never heard your name in my life, unless I count the papers Jeonghan keeps hidden in his safe.

"You looked for the papers! I hid them for a reason. It's my job. You know how dangerous it is to interfere with my work." Jeonghan was irritated.

Officer Jeon raised his arms in a sign of peace. “Forgive me for worrying, but to help you, I needed more than a vague explanation.”

 

Yes... this wasn't his Wonwoo. He looked just like him. They had the same voice, but that wasn't yous. It had been switched at the gift shop.
So all this time, Officer Jeon had his fiancé's face, and he assumed Officer Moon had his face... He understood now why everyone was being so mysterious. As far as Jun could remember, he'd never had a brother, much less a twin.
He looked up when Jeonghan asked him.

"Why are you here? Did something happen?" He noticed he didn't ask him how he'd found the location; he'd probably already suspected it and seen the scolding he was going to give his friends coming.

 

-Jeonghan, I... I was in the church when I had a memory, I know my name! I remember my partner and my friends, I don't remember anything from Earth because this was never my place. Do you realize that? When the memory came to me, they were going to kill me. In my city and I fell into a cliff, I don't understand how I'm still alive but, The church! Vans had arrived and were looking for me Jeonghan. But, you always knew, didn't you? -Jun's scent soured a little with resentment.
-What papers was he talking about? You always knew he was a wolf.

Jeinghan just stared at him and with a sigh nodded. "There isn't much time to tell but, Jun, yes. I had a vague idea about you, well. Maybe I have more than a vague idea of who you are, I... my job is complicated and dangerous, I'm not telling you to understand it because I don't even know how to explain it. I can communicate with other people who are not like Jeon and the other guys."

"A few months ago, I received a note that you were going to arrive on Earth. Everything was supposed to go well. You were going to be accompanied by your people who knew what this was, but things went wrong. I don't know what went wrong specifically. The cliff you jumped off? I deduce it was a portal. Otherwise, there's no explanation for why you're still alive. Your Wonwoo hoped this place would be safer for your well-being, but he didn't consider that we ourselves are dying, and worse? There isn't a war here. People are dying from an unknown disease."

>> I've been trying to contact someone from your world again, but no messages are going through. I don't receive or can report that you're here and in danger. My worst nightmare is that it's too late for them, just like it is for us. I'm so sorry, Jun. <<

 

The room fell into a deep silence, Jun had neither the mood nor the questions to ask until he suddenly remembered the church.

-The church. What explanation do you have for why they were looking for me here?

"Hoshi's been investigating, and the boys and I have a theory that there's a sliver of hope in that place. The government forbade us from setting foot there, so we can't investigate. Seungkwan and Dino offered to help, but they haven't found any answers other than an old man guarding a door.
We... we didn't see that place as dangerous for you. If the government was looking for you there, it's precisely because you were about to find something, a cure. Maybe they're hiding a weapon, a gem, or a key! Something that could help us reactivate communication with the other realities and save this one."

-And now we can't do anything because they're there.

 

Jeonghan and Officer Jeon exchanged glances, as if they could communicate with their eyes.

-Not all is lost.

-But Jeonghan, you said there's no hope.

"Don't put words in my mouth, honey. I said we couldn't step foot in the church, but you can. Besides, circling the outside wasn't something they didn't prohibit us from doing, right, Jeon?"

 

-TRUE.

 

-Jeon, tell the boys.

 

**************************

 

It was almost midnight when Jun returned to the church, having been brought in Captain Cheol's truck. Seungkwan and Dino were sitting in the backseat with him, the three of them holding hands. The latter two had been so worried when Jeonghan told them what had happened.
Jun realized something very important, the two of them didn't know much about Jun's fate, apparently Jeonghan was the only one who knew the details of everything and Officer Jeon too, only he found out through some nosy person.
Jun felt a relief in his body, he had been feeling excluded and used even though he knew Jeonghan hadn't done it with malicious intent and had offered him hospitality. Things would have perhaps been resolved faster if Jun already had a basis to start with like in this case, that he is a wolf living on earth full of humans who were unaware of his species.

 

Upon arriving at the church, he noticed that the cars that had once been parked were gone.
The truck door abruptly opened, and Hoshi appeared, grinning from ear to ear.

-sweetheart!

-Hoshi, you know my name, you can call me Jun.

"I refuse! What's the point of calling you by your name when I can call you a sweet nickname? I knew you as sweetheart, and you're going to stay as sweetheart.
Are you wearing the tiger I gave you?"

 

"Yes," he carried it in his pocket all the time, even while sleeping. He doesn't know if it's because he lost his necklace or because he needed to have something nearby, but he quickly grew fond of the stuffed tiger.

 

-Well, never forget it, and who knows? If you're in danger, don't hesitate to throw it at an opponent.

-But it's a stuffed animal, what harm is it going to do?

-Mmm maybe they remember having a traumatic childhood and when they see the stuffed animal they realize they are on the wrong path?

 

Jun believed that was unlikely to happen but didn't have the heart to contradict him either.

-Now come, give me a hug -And without letting Jun assimilate the words, he pulled him into a strong hug where he could hear Hoshi's heartbeat.

As he separated he saw how all the other remaining members were waiting for him outside, he decided to get out of the car and observe them more closely, things had changed in a short time and seeing a side of them never ceased to surprise him.
Vernon…. This was Hansol and he didn't know him, Hansol wasn't his Vernon and Hansol didn't love Jun, he loved Moon.
And speaking of Officer Moon… wow, they were the same Hoshi had said, his version as an officer had light brown hair and a sleepy look, it could probably be because he was asleep before.

"Hey," Officer Moon greeted uncomfortably.

-Hey, Jun replied. So alike, yet so different.

Jeonghan stepped forward so he could see him. "Don't worry about being in danger inside. Jihoon has been monitoring you, and no shadows or voices have been activated. Plus, Seungkwan and Dino will keep you company, so if you're ever in danger, they'll be there."

And as he finished those words, he had nothing more to say, but from the look he gave him, he felt a warmth. "I want a hug too, Jun."
In the middle of their hug, Jeonghan whispered,
"Jihoon told me something else... you may not find a cure for this reality, but all is not lost in yours. There's a good chance it's a portal, the only one left in this world if we pay attention to recent events. I'm just saying... you'll always have a place with us here, but if you want to find your fiancé and return to your world, you can do that too."

-But, Hannie, that would mean this reality is coming to an end, that you're all going to die! I can't be so selfish as to leave.

"I'm telling you to be selfish. Take that chance. It belongs to you. And who knows? Maybe you can find the answers there. Just think about it. You don't have to make the decision now. I'll always want your well-being." And letting go, Jeonghan raised his eyes to the sky, his eyes moist.

In order not to drag it out another minute, he decided to enter what had been his unpaid job all this time. The building seemed to be empty, and now that he was being accompanied by his two friends, he wasn't so afraid of going down to the basement.

It was darker although that could be because Jun had never stayed up so late in the basement, when Dino turned on the light it blinded them all for the first few seconds, the basement seemed to be empty except for the man guarding the door only this time, he was lying on the floor, with blood on his body.

Well, just open the door and see what's hidden. What Jeonghan had told him was just a theory.
Taking tentative steps towards the door, he stepped over the corpse and when he went to try to open it, he stopped because of the scream he let out. It wasn't until seconds later that he realized that the scream was coming from him and it was because the guy on the floor had touched his ankle! He wasn't so dead! Or that lasted a few seconds because Dino shot him.

Okay, he could do it. When he opened the door for the second time, a draft reached them all. It seemed like there was a ocean on the other side. Could Jun just leave? The pain ate away at him. He wanted to have all the versions of his friends and put them in a little box.

He gave one last look at Seungkwan and Dino who were looking at him with a sad smile.

"So that's what Jeonghan whispered," they laughed to hide their tears. "Go on, go through the door. It's your world."

-But what about you? -Jun was crying again.

"We're in your world, right?" Seungkwan asked fearfully.

Jun didn't want to tell them that he wasn't exactly the right person to talk about how his world had ended. The last thing he'd seen was Vernon die, but it wasn't the time for those final words.
So he said yes, everyone was in his world because if he counted from the morning before what happened, everyone had shared a laugh-filled breakfast.

-Yes, you are.

"And we're together? With Hansol?" Dino asked longingly this time.

Yes, Jun couldn't tell them that.

-Yes, you are together and Vernon-hansol is going to propose to you in a few months but shhh, don't say anything - he signaled with his lips.

They shared a happy giggle and looked more determinedly at Jun.

-If that's the case, you can go, Junnie, we'll be there.

Jun, in the midst of his tears, said his final goodbyes and crossed the door, only to be filled with a wave of darkness. Once again. Before losing consciousness, he turned to look at his friends. They were still in the same position as before, only they were hugging each other, supporting each other because sadness and pain were tearing them apart.

 

END OF THE FIRST PART

Chapter Text

When Jun turned 18, the town held a party in response. Junnie felt embarrassed that they would go to such trouble. It really wasn't necessary, but no matter how hard he tried to get them to stop doing it, they always ignored him and squeezed his cheeks.

 

-Junnie, you have to let yourself be pampered. Understand that for all of us, you are our ray of sunshine, we do not celebrate a party for obligation, we do it because it is our way of honoring you and honoring Mother Moon for having brought you into the world, I am so proud to be your best friend. -Soonyoung had him in a hug or what he believed could also be considered as sailor torture. (According to the words that had escaped Woozi when he was giving him weapons technology classes, it was quite funny how Woozi had ended up talking about how Soonyoung came from a generation of pirates and that was why he had inherited an athletic body but secretly Jun thinks that only Woozi had stayed up late reading stories where a pirate saved his life and they ended up swearing eternal love) Besides, he didn't know why he had associated that it was Soony, for Jun, of all his friends, the one who could most be a pirate was Wonwoo, with that wild look and his broad shoulders, he could be the best pirate of all.

 

-I understand that you do it for a good reason but it is not necessary, I wanted a simple dinner with my friends and... if Wonwoo could come it would be perfect. -He said this last part with a pout on his lips, Wonwoo was a little older than him, but the difference was not abysmal, he was only 4 years older than Jun. It bothered him a lot that his stupid alpha (because he was his alpha) he knew that the moon mother had linked them and if not, he was going to hunt her down to rectify that they are indeed destined to be together. But as he said, it bothered him that his stupid alpha ran away from him since he turned 18. Well, Jun was 14 at the time but it wasn't like anything weird was going to happen. Jun just wanted to feel Wonwoo's protection by his side and all he had done was run away, he knew that Wonwoo was stressed by all the obligations he had to fulfill but, they were friends! He hadn't sent him a single miserable letter since then. He still bitterly remembers the last words he'd said to him before leaving for his war travels. "Try to pass all your subjects and don't let any stupid alphas get near you," and Jun would have felt a lurch in his stomach if he hadn't added later, "I'll try to get you a good prospect for you to marry." "For you to marry him?" Had Wonwoo lost his mind? Jun didn't want to marry anyone, he just wanted to marry with him. The only response Jun had given to those horrible words had been a frown and a fake gag.

"That's disgusting, Wonwoo. I don't want to marry any alpha you bring. The ones here are already making me dizzy with their pheromones so you can bring the cherry on the cake."

-Junnie, don't be childish, you're going to have to get married someday, you'd better get used to the idea.

-And I will be the one who makes the decision of who will be my life partner, not you, not my friends, Nobody!

-Okay, don't be mad at me, baby. I just want the best for you. I care about you.

And with those words, he'd left for three years. Jun missed him every day. At Christmas, he'd come back for two days and give him a gift, but the rest of the time, he kept working hard. Judging by the tired bags under Wonwoo's eyes, peace wouldn't come anytime soon.

 

-Hello! Universe calling Junnie - Sonnyoung slapped him

 

-What the fuck? Why did you do that?

 

"Dude, you were staring off into space. I was telling you Wonwoo didn't RSVP for the party, but hey, don't give me that look. You can't blame him, he's been really busy."

Jun wanted to say that he understood, but understanding was not the same as accepting it.

 

**************************

 

That afternoon, before the party, Jisoo and Hannie had brought him an expensive designer suit to wear. When Jun was a kid, Wonwoo's father had taught him about theater and Shakespeare. It was the beginning of a new world for him. By pack rules and hierarchy, it was "ridiculous" for Jun to dedicate himself as a theater actor; it was more appropriate for him to be given the show than to make it.
He hated it tremendously, and that's why, when he gonna be older and can be taken his decisions he was going to change the stigmas that came from the old wolfpack
For now, he could only focus on his fascination with Venetian masks, and if he was going to have a party in his honor... so much the better for everyone to wear one. Even his group of bodyguards!

 

"Young Jun, reconsider. It's dangerous for us, who are charged with ensuring your safety, to be blinded by masks. What if something were to happen?" General Choi pleaded.

 

"Nothing bad is going to happen unless it's Vernon stealing the snacks or Woozi jumping on Soonyoung. Otherwise, you can rest assured that with the mask, you'll be able to save Soonyoung from my friend's charms."

 

There was a burst of laughter from Jisoo and Hannie who were with them in the room and a cry of indignation from Woozi who was there because the other rooms were occupied.

 

"Jun! It's supposed to be a secret!" he shouted hysterically, his cheeks flushed.

 

"A secret for whom?" "If the only one who doesn't notice anything is Soonyoung himself, I can't believe he still thinks you're bullying him because you hate him when you secretly want to share his saliva."

 

"Jun!" This time it was all four of them who scolded him for his language.

 

-Relax, it's not like Soonyoung is behind the door eavesdropping, besides Mingyu is the one in charge of the guard today.

And having finished his sentence with a reassuring smile at Woozi, there was a knock on the door. There wouldn't have been anything to worry about if it weren't for the fact that everyone in the world knew the distinctive sound of Soonyoung announcing his arrival. This... This can't be.

 

A very shy and blushing Soony walked, so embarrassed he was that he couldn't connect glances with anyone, much less with Woozi, entered the room. "Um... I, I mean him, I mean Hao! Hao is asking for confirmation of the time to order the serving of the dishes for dinner. You know how perfectionist he is, he threatened me with a knife that if he saw someone drunk before dinner he would end everything, he has been trying different recipes for months.

-Ah… tell him that nine is fine.

-Mmm yes, I mean no, I mean understood. -He said, not without first glancing at Woozi. The latter had thrown himself to the floor and run to hide behind the curtains, imploring Mother Moon that he not be noticed. But Sonny was so sweet that he could pretend he hadn't seen or heard anything. He headed for the door when a loud sound made him alert and turn his gaze. Enemies? He immediately dismissed the idea when he realized that the curtains where Woozi had been hiding had fallen on top of him, and now a small figure was standing with a pile of curtains on his body, screaming in embarrassment.

 

-Uh... A ghost! - Soonyoung ran off, it hadn't been his best joke but young Woozi had made him nervous, he had never found out about his crush, a part of him even considered it illegal, Woozi was 18 yes. but Soonyoung was 28. They weren't the same.

 

The day was already full of surprises and secrets uncovered, and the other half of the day was barely over. Nothing bad could happen, right?

 

*********************************

 

Alpha Wonwoo was sipping a glass of vodka in the mansion's office. He'd asked everyone not to disturb him; he'd just returned from a long journey, and the last thing he wanted to do was attend a party.

Jisoo had sent him a message threatening to kill him if he didn't set foot on Jun's birthday. There wasn't necessary. For the past month, his wolf had been tormenting him, and when he tried to sleep? Yes, it was worse when Jun appeared in his dreams wearing ridiculous short clothes.
Wonwoo was aware that Jun was no longer a child, but he wasn't going to accept so easily what the oracle had told him at the war camp.

 

"You are the bearer of war but your companion is the bearer of peace, don't reject him or not only your wolf will suffer"

What was that man talking about? Had Junnie paid to have that said to him?

 

-I don't know what you mean.

 

"Stupid boy! Don't take me for a fool. You may be an alpha and have influence, but Mother Moon has blessed the Omega. He's the only one currently destined."

-I thought those were just myths, we haven't had destinies for over a century, it's impossible...

-Nothing is impossible for Mother Moon, all the betas and omegas in the pack can confirm that the birth of the Omega brought and will continue to bring miracles.

"If you're implying that I might be with him, you're wrong. I'm much older than him. It's weird."

 

-No one is saying that you should mark yourselves right now, it's just a fact that will pass with time. It wasn't in Mother Moon's plans for you to meet so young, that delayed it but it won't be the end.

 

"I... he doesn't love me." And as he said that, he felt his wolf get angry with him. That was blasphemy. Seeing the irritated look the oracle gave him, he believed the same thing.

 

-Say that again and I'll make Mother Moon strike your crops with thunder.

 

-Okay, but maybe it's me who doesn't want it that way. Have you thought about that?

 

-Oh, boy, lie to the Omega, lie to yourself if you want, but don't do it to the powerful mother moon who is omnipresent, she knows everything, avoiding reality won't make him not exist, he'll turn 18 soon and will have his first heat, you know what that means.

 

Yes, I knew it very well. Omegas and alphas had their hierarchy/Introductions, if they are alphas, omegas or betas but nothing significant happened until they had their first heat at 18. It was a natural arrangement that kept everyone happy. It didn't fit with the idea that many years ago, their ancestors had their heats as minors; that was catastrophic.

 

-I went through my heat alone.

 

"Those are minor details, stupid alpha. You're not the important one here; you could have spent it with someone else, and yet you didn't."

 

-How... How do you know that? -Were they watching him?

 

-I told you, Mother Moon knows everything, anyway. Don't change the conversation.

 

-None of what you're saying makes any sense. Yes, it's true that at 18 he'll get his heat, but it's not like it literally happened to him on the first day. Whether I go or stay is irrelevant.

 

"That's why you need to stop running away from the signs of nature and your own wolf and return to the pack. If you're so sure nothing's going to happen and our goddess is wrong, you have nothing to fear." The oracle stood up, chuckling and leaving with a mocking smile. "What was so funny? He hated being made fun of."

 

And now, he didn't know how to explain why a few hours later he had gotten his entire group up to go back.

It was embarrassing that he hadn't even been able to fall asleep and had to start the return trip at three in the morning. His colleagues were angry at the chosen time. Alpha Captain Seokmin's frown didn't last long when he remembered that he could finally see his boyfriend Jisoo again. That made Wonwoo feel regret for a second. He had been so busy avoiding Jun and ending the war that he hadn't thought about the fact that his colleagues did have someone waiting for them.

 

And now he kept drinking vodka, because getting drunk and avoiding the birthday boy was his best plan. He glanced at the moon. It shone, giving off all its light and illuminating the darkness. His wolf began to sweat, and his hands tingle to touch something: his mate. It wasn't possible that he was in heat; he was due in three weeks, and even as he sat there, he had come to the realization that the moon goddess was making fun of him.

Wonwoo in heat, in the mansion, with his wolf howling to get out and, worst of all, in the same house as him. This night was going to be eternal. Before his wolf took control, he ran to the door and locked it. He was going to stay there all night. He wasn't going to please either the foolish oracle or his foolish wolf.
Growling in discomfort and frustration, he took one last look at the mask Jisoo had brought him.

 

************************

 

The noise was deafening to her sensitive ears. Jun stood in the center of the room, admiring the decor. Hannie had done an exceptional job. He was also happy that everyone had followed the dress code. It was going to be a little difficult to distinguish his friends, especially since the room was filled with pheromones from different wolves: alphas, omegas, and betas.

 

From a distance, he saw Captain Seokmin passionately kiss Jisoo while the latter laughed and grabbed his hair. Since the troops had arrived two hours ago, they had decided to attend the party despite their tiredness. One of the few who didn't waste any time was Captain Seokmin.

 

A little bored, Jun decided to walk over to the corner where some of his friends were drinking. Vernon was sitting in the middle with his arms around Boo and Lee-chan, whispering to each other while laughter burst from their lips. Soonyoung, Minghao, and Mingyu were at the other end of the table talking. Where was Woozi?

"Hey, birthday boy, are you having a good time?" Mingyu asked, his arm around Minghao's waist.

 

At first, Jun thought he'd shake his head sadly. Everything was fine, but something—someone—was missing. But he didn't want everyone to notice his feelings for the Alpha, so he ended up making a strange face somewhere between gratitude and sadness, which only provoked laughter from everyone at the table.

 

-Jun is sad because Wonwoo arrived and the first thing he did was turn his back on Jun and run as if his life was in danger, it was very funny. Wonwoo literally ran into a room.

"It was probably an emergency. Maybe he didn't see me and acted that way. Because he would have said hello."

"Yeah, sure," they all said in unison.

Why didn't everyone just focus on their partners and let him be dramatic in the corner?

"Sweetheart, you shouldn't scrunch up your face over some dumb alpha who doesn't pay attention to you. Don't let them ruin your night, I told Woozi that too," Hao commented, emphasizing the last point and directing an irritated glance at Soonyoung, who in response lowered his gaze thoughtfully. The apartment was so interesting, he thought.

 

"Do you remember Mingi? The handsome alpha who always smiled at you at pack meetings."

Of course he remembered Mingi, he was the leader of the northern pack, he wasn't blind enough to deny that he wasn't a little bit handsome (No one was going to beat Wonwoo's attractiveness) but he also remembered him for his age. (The same as Wonwoo's) The latter didn't know it but ever since Won had left for the war, Mingi hadn't stopped sending him some flowers that Jun thought were out of kindness.

 

-Yes, I remember.

"Fantastic that you remember, love! Because I invited him to the party and he's already arrived. He gave me a fine cut of steak to set aside for your first dance. He wants it with you."

-Uh… but, I didn't want to dance.

-He gave you what?

Jun and Mingyu snapped at the same time, the funny thing was that they both had a frown, for different reasons but the cause was their friend.

 

Hao chuckled. “Don’t be jealous, he’s interested in Jun, not me.” He kissed Mingyu on the cheek, still frowning.

 

-If he comes closer to ask you for something again, he'll be the one who finds a piece of meat, and it will come from his body.

 

-Disgusting Mingyu! And hello? Are you forgetting the part where I said I didn't want to dance?

Minghao leaned close to him and whispered, "It'll just be a dance, it's not the end of the world. Please say yes. I've already used the meat for dinner."

But... Jun was more than angry, he was confused. They had plenty of meat and Hao had sold him for a piece of meat??? He expected it to taste great.

-Fine, but it will be after we all eat.

 

After dinner, Jun began to feel slightly dizzy, he was distracted, his mouth felt dry, his wolf was desperate and howling for attention, more specifically, calling for Wonwoo.

Alpha, alpha, alpha

He was startled when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Mingi, who was watching him intently. "Are you okay?"

-I… no, not really. I'm sorry, but I don't think that I want to dance with someone.

-Oh, but you promised me.

He wanted to say that he had actually promised Minghao, but he didn't have time to say it when Mingi grabbed his hand and led him against his will to the dance floor. What was wrong with this guy? His pheromones were intentionally getting stronger, calling out to his alpha.

 

-I'm so glad you're finally 18.

 

Ugh, that sounded so disgusting, Jun thought. Could Won have felt like he was calling him or was he already asleep? In those moments, Jun tried to think of everything to distract himself from the fact that he was dancing with Mingi. His body tingled for attention even more, but Mingi's indecent touch made his eyes fill with tears. He wanted to throw up.

A loud sound broke the room and gave way to chaos. Wonwoo was walking briskly, emitting angry pheromones. I'd never seen him that way before. It seemed like he was ready to kill. When their gazes connected and their wolves called to each other, Jun could rest. He had answered their call. Everything was going to be okay, and letting go of his weight, he knelt on the floor, baring his neck.

Jun was having his first heat, forced by the enchanted food or by Wonwoo or both but he was having it and the only one he wanted was him.

-Alfa…

Wonwoo closed his eyes tightly and glared at the stupid guy who had the audacity to share oxygen with Jun, the entire room was now overshadowed by the heat of the two and what was even worse, Wonwoo's dark and stormy fury.

He looked up, searching for his friends and saw how they became serious and stood up, testing the waters. With a glance, he could tell them to take that idiot to the basement and not stain the party with blood, but no, he had to make it clear that no one could touch any of his pack without consent, much less Jun.
Mingi's thing hadn't been just attraction, it was manipulation and a game as dirty as anticipating a heat, he was going to pay, and dearly.

Jun looked intently at Wonwoo with his eyes shining with emotion and love, as he approached, his cheeks blushed, his body trembled with excitement and he couldn't believe how hot his alpha was, he became more and more handsome.

He jumped when he saw him walk past him and punched Mingi in the face, knocking him to the ground.

The guests gasped in incomprehension; they had never seen young Wonwoo behave like that.

Grabbing Mingi's shirt in disgust, he said to them "He drugged Jun, forced himself on him, and forced him to dance with him. I heard everything. Take it." He threw it at General Choi, who was running in, his clothes in disarray.

 

When Wonwoo and Jun locked eyes again, the Alpha knelt down to the Omega's eye level and asked softly, "How are you feeling? Dizziness, headache?"

Jun giggled, it wasn't the time for laughter with the tense atmosphere but seeing how his alpha tried not to breathe his pheromones made him look funny, he signaled him to come closer to him and whispering in his ear he said - I want you alpha

"Thank you very much, now answer what I asked you." He blushed; this dumb alpha was playing dumb.

-You're not understanding, I need you, take me, I- -He was abruptly interrupted by Wonwoo's hand on his mouth trying to shut him up, he took him in his arms bridal style and gave a few instructions to the guests and his friends. without further ado, he left the room with Jun thirstily inhaling Wonwoo's neck.

 

🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸🔸

 

His body felt wet, the sounds around him were intelligible, only a sweet singing surrounded him. It was an unknown language, but his body was begging him to wake up. He couldn't remain unconscious any longer. When he tried to open his eyes, they closed involuntarily due to force majeure. He was in a body of water. He had fallen into the ocean.

 

With great effort, he tried to return to the surface, and what he found alarmed him: he was in the middle of the ocean, unprotected, and receiving the angry ballad of the rain, thunder dancing every now and then. Jun was a wolf, but he wasn't immortal; there were no surroundings to indicate that land was near.

Why had they built a portal in the middle of the ocean? It was a bad joke.

Every time Jun tried to return to the surface and swim, the waves hit him and pulled him under again. He remembered his fear of marine animals. What if a whale swallowed him alive?

He was beginning to panic; his body ached with fatigue, a muscle cramp was starting to form, and he was already losing hope. Perhaps his fate was always doomed to death. Losing strength, he closed his eyes and leaned toward the sweet singing that sounded so appealing at the bottom of the ocean when he heard a trumpet in the distance. Was he already in heaven? He raised his gaze with a final effort and realized that a ship was sailing ahead of him. He had to warn them, to shout, but he didn't have the energy. With a deep breath, he stood up again and shouted cries of help and desperation.

 

In the distance on the boat, a series of sounds and questions began to be heard. It was impossible for a human to have survived to that part of the water. Curiosity grew stronger and the captain shouted at them to get to this boy as quickly as possible. There shouldn't be much time left before the ocean swallows him up.

Had they left him to die alone? the captain thought.

 

Hours passed and the only thing Jun had was the recovery of his memories, he wanted to know what happened next at that party that triggered his and his alpha's heat but when he abruptly got up he noticed that he was in a room he had never known, full of blankets and dry clothes.

Looking beyond where he was lying, he found himself staring at several boys who were looking at him with a mixture of fascination and fear. They were wearing ancient clothing; this was not his world or his time.

"He's alive!" they shouted in celebration.

Jun was amazed to see those faces, he hadn't recovered from his emotional pain yet and he wasn't ready but when he looked closely at the only one who stood out for not celebrating, he noticed his broad shoulders and his genuine smile.

-Nice to meet you, let me introduce myself. I'm the ship's captain, Jeon Wonwoo.

 

Not again.

Chapter Text

Moans came from the room. If a spirit were wandering around, they wouldn't know which of the two was making the moans of pleasure. It seemed as if time had stopped for them. Whether it was night or dawn, they wouldn't know for sure. All they knew was that they wanted more; they couldn't stop.

They had been kissing for a while, and Jun found it incredibly unfair that he had only been able to rip off Wonwoo's shirt when he was naked in bed with him on top of him.

 

-More, more alpha… harder.

 

He begged with increasingly loud moans, what had once begun as a sweet, power play had escalated into a fountain of eternal passion, as if the cup had runneth over and they could no longer keep their hands still. Wonwoo thrust and penetrated him hard and fast, neither of them able to formulate a single thought or phrase, amidst moans and bites all they could do was release their pheromones and Wonwoo's spiciness was taking him to heaven.

"You're soaking everything, you're a fucking mess, aren't you?" the Alpha growled at him while giving him a light hickey on his neck.

-But your fucking mess -And he started to sob with pleasure, what a fucking good feeling, being fucked by his alpha, each penetration was stronger than the last, the wait had been worth it.

 

Too fucking good.

 

🍃

 

-What's too fucking good?

Jun jumped in fright. He'd been so entranced, remembering what had happened at his party that he'd lost track of time. He wasn't prepared to recapture that moment when the effects of his body wanted to replay what he'd experienced, and now he was... he didn't know how many kilometers away he was from his alpha, and what was a total nightmare was that he was with the marine version of his alpha, who kept looking at him with curiosity and longing. This couldn't be happening.

After the scare he had when he got up, the ship's captain, Jeon Wonwoo, let him rest and spend the night alone, he would have the next day to talk and make the respective introductions.

Now he stood at the bow, watching the ocean. The warmth of the water seemed calm, but Jun didn't feel that way; that calm hid a storm. He almost fell over in fright when he looked back and saw Captain Jeon Wonwoo.

-Sorry?

-You said too fucking good, I was wondering what you meant, especially with the tone in which you phrased that sentence.

Jeon Wonwoo's eyes were shining, his not-yet-pirate wonwoo had much longer hair, it reached almost below his chin, he didn't wear glasses but judging by his continuously wrinkled brow it was most likely that he needed them.

-Oh, yeah... I meant the ocean. It must be really interesting to have your job. By the way, can you remember me what you do?

He burst out laughing, they had already explained it to him (countless times if you count that the 7 sailors, upon seeing a new face in months, wanted to tell their profession with pride) but Jun always forgot.

 

"We hunt fish, and every now and then when Hao has an intuition, Hoshi swims down to the depths to look for whale carcasses. We don't kill them. But if they're already dead, we extract their oil since it sells very well around here; royalty adores it.
Seungkwan and Dino are quite pained when we see them dead, so to have a clear conscience, we all say a final goodbye so that wherever they are, in whale heaven, they can find peace and keep swimming. We're not that bad. And hey, if we find any lost treasure along the way, we'll take it with us too." And saying this,
He looked at Jun with a flirtatious smile.

It just can't be.

An awkward cough made them turn their heads to where Hoshi was, leaning in the corner and eating a piece of fruit.

-Hao says you look familiar.

Huh?

"What do you mean?" Jun got nervous. Did he know something like Jeonghan knew about him?

-He told me that you had already appeared in his dream, the only thing that changed is your appearance, he says that you didn't have that haircut or look so depressed but yes, it's you.

-It doesn't have to be real, Hao sometimes dreams things that don't happen -Wonwoo gives him a soft smile.

"I thought you were the one who told Hao he had a supernatural ability to see the future, Captain," Hoshi said mockingly.

-Why are you even here, Hoshi? Shouldn't you be at the helm?

"I asked Cheol for a replacement. I remembered I've been at sea for eight months, and I got sad. Eight months without action! At least you got a beautiful mermaid, which is unfair. I never get the love of my life."

Jun couldn't understand anything; Hoshi's accent was thick and tangled. Mermaid? What mermaid was he talking about? When he came back to reality, Hoshi and Wonwoo were deep in an argument about how he should stop crying over a partner who would never reach him.

 

Being here with a group of sailors who wouldn't know anything about a portal and a flirtatious captain wasn't going to get him anything good.

 

💫

 

A week passed after Jun and Wonwoo had sex for the first time.
The Alpha had been avoiding him ever since that fantastic night, again.

Jun heard Wonwoo's office door saying goodbye. The meeting was over, and they were leaving. The first person he saw was Captain Seokmin, who was distracted, and they almost collided.

-Junnie! It's nice to see you. Jisoo told me you were recovering, but I didn't know from what. You look normal.

What had Jisoo done? He was going to kill him.

"Nothing major, just a fall," he said, stuttering.

Thank goodness they didn't have more time to talk because the others left the office, giving him their respective greetings and farewells.

 

When he saw the last one leaving, he entered stealthily and locked the door, the Alpha was not going to ignore him any longer.

"I'm busy, so please open the door again. You don't need to lock the door." He said this while staring at his papers. He hadn't even looked up when Jun came in. Was it that obvious?

-But alpha -He was interrupted.

-I'm wonwoo for you.

-And my alpha since I was little, have you lost your memory? Or do I have to find someone to call alpha?

He didn't say anything to this last point; he was tense. His body was tense. There were no pheromones; he was holding them in. He hated it when he did that.

-Come on… al- wonuu, you don't pretend to forget what happened a week ago, do you?

-That's exactly what I intended to do, I'm busy right now.

Jun approached slowly, as if he were before a wild beast, which he almost was. When he reached the desk, he slowly pushed Wonwoo so he could sit on his chair and sat on top of him. Easy.
His alpha was all bark and little bite. The second he sat on top of him, he put his hands on his ass where they belonged.

"I don't have time for this, Junnie." And as he said this, he pulled him closer; it was an attraction that couldn't be controlled.

-Look how tense your shoulders are, you can't go through life like that alpha, let me relax you.

Jun left wet kisses on his neck and arms until he reached his hands, it was so mesmerizing, he wanted to devour him and be devoured, for them to be one.

-And how do you intend to do that?

Wonwoo didn't get an answer nor did he need one because a second later Jun stood up from his seat to kneel on the floor and give him a charming smile in return.

Damn, Jun was going to be the death of him.

 

🌪️

 

"And that's why when they recognize the work we sailors do and the applause rains down on us, a sweet prince will fall in love with me and tell me that we are soulmates and that I have to take him with me on my next journey and we'll have many children, Junnie, you'll see, I'll make you an uncle." Hoshi smiled with emotion and love. He had spent an hour telling him everything he was capable of; from cooking to swimming with sharks, and for these reasons, he deserved to have his love story.

Jun found all this endearing. The soonyoung from his reality had the chance to have his love story for a long time and he refused to do it. I wonder if this Hoshi would believe me when I told him that he has been rejecting a sweet omega in another story.

 

"And that's when you wake up?" Minghao asked tiredly. This wasn't the first time Hoshi had shared his lifelong dream.

 

"You always make fun of me, but you'll see when a rich, handsome prince asks me to marry him!" He sounded convinced.

"So... then you wake up?" Jun said tentatively, earning hysterical laughter from everyone else. They were having breakfast.

-Jun, you too! I can't believe it! I refuse!
Everyone will see when I get married!

 

On that comfortable and peaceful afternoon, everyone introduced themselves. At first, when they saw Jun wake up, they asked him what he remembered. But Jun didn't want to interfere with nature. He couldn't tell them everything, especially when he couldn't find his way home. So, he only gave a vague idea, and they assumed he had amnesia.
He found it strange that they weren't whole this time; it was just Wonwoo, Hoshi, Hao, Seungkwan, Dino, Seungcheol, and Joshua.
What had happened to the others? And even more disturbing, where was his other version? Those questions kept him awake at night.

Jun, having little knowledge of marine work, much less whale oil extraction, only helped prepare food and keep the ship clean, which was incredibly impossible when you realize you're not living with humans, but with beasts. One second of Jun's carelessness, and the next minute everything would be dirty again.

 

That night when everyone had said goodbye to Jun and he had escaped Captain Wonwoo's not-so-subtle attempts to get them a minute alone, he heard an argument coming from the wheel room.

-The accounts aren't adding up Wonwoo, we're far from land and the worst thing is that very soon we'll run out of food.

-That's not the worst part, the worst part is the season of bad luck we've had. We haven't achieved almost anything since we left and it's been 8 months now, we're going crazy.

There was a deep silence that must have come from Captain Wonwoo. Jun wasn't sure what he was thinking, but hearing the others' negative tone made his heart ache. They thought Jun was asleep. During the day, everyone smiled and joked with Jun. But here, in the privacy of the night, they were revealing their souls, souls tired of waiting for a new day.

"Did you try fixing the locator map?" Wonwoo asked hopefully.

-It doesn't work, I've been looking at it for hours and it doesn't have any technical issues, it just stopped since... since we found that guy, you know...

Were they referring to him?

The room was silent.

"In my dreams, I was thinking he was going to bring us good things, but he looks different. There are slight physical changes with this boy," Minghao said in confusion.

 

"That's not all, boss. The only thing that's been working has been the radios. There's been talk of a royal ship, loaded with jewels and food. The pilot was said to have disappeared. They can't locate the ship. You know what that means? What if..."

-We're not going to steal any ships, we're not criminals Hoshi.

-But you didn't let me finish. The last time we sent the oil, they treated us with ridicule. We didn't even get to see the king, and they didn't even pay us.

 

"And that's why you want to take revenge, is that? To be what you swore to destroy."

-We're going to starve to death if we don't find a solution, and a boatload of surprises crosses our path...

An abrupt knock broke Hoshi's babble. "I said we're not criminals! We're not going to steal any ships, and we're certainly not going to be what we always criticize. We say we're better than this. Well, prove it."

Hearing that the argument was over and footsteps were coming from where he was hiding, he decided to run to his room without anyone noticing that he had been listening to the conversation the whole time.

 

So many questions came to his mind and he cried with frustration at being unable to solve them, he wanted to save everyone, for all his friends to be happy in their colored capes and the only thing he had achieved was to owe favors, he knew that Jeonghan had preferred him to open that door believing it would take him to the arms of his alpha but he genuinely wanted to find salvation for his world and now, in the middle of the ocean his friends were in danger again due to lack of food and opportunities. Jun felt like his hands were tied, there was nothing he could do to help.

Crying, he approached his window that overlooked the water, closed his eyes, begging for everything to get better; they deserved a better situation where their work would be recognized and they could find the fullness of happiness.

 

-Luna please do something.

 

🌬️

 

The next day he woke up with all the energy in the world. He had to lift everyone's spirits no matter what. That day he didn't dream of his alpha, but he did dream of the song of a lonely whale. A few days ago, Hoshi had told him with tears in his eyes that many of them sing to find their soulmate, and others die without ever finding it.
He was truly sobbing as he rested his head on Jun's chest.

"That's not the saddest part, Junnie. Some of them are born at different frequencies, so no whale can detect their song!" He cried louder, soaking Jun's shirt all over. "Do you understand what I'm saying? They'll wonder why none of their kind reach them, and why they don't hear it. They'll die alone and lost, thinking they're not loved. What if no one finds me? What if my song isn't enough for this mundane noise?"

In the few days he'd known this version of Soonyoung/Hoshi Jun, he'd analyzed his personality and how this strong-armed, burly man (Woozi had guessed right) liked to compare himself to animals, and even more so when it came to love.
When he arrived in his world, Jun had to tell Soonyoung to wake up and bite Woozi; his sailor version was worse. It could always be worse.

 

When he went up on deck he found that everyone was already gathered together looking at some papers and looking worried.

-Hey, what's up?

-According to my calculations, a storm is coming in the next three days and it doesn't promise anything good, it's winter, plus we lost some of the luggage and- Dino was strongly interrupted by Wonwoo's hand slamming against the wooden deck giving the signal for silence, they didn't want to worry Jun, again.

Okay, this was tiring him out.

 

-Go on, I want to hear what you were about to say.

-Uh… -Dino looked between Wonwoo and him, -I said that the storm is coming and we should be ready for anything.

Well, it was the beginning of something.

 

The following days passed between arduous loading tasks and sailor songs, Jun had learned the basic tasks and had even been taught how to drive the ship, that last thing had him so excited, he counted the hours to be able to tell Hannie and Jisoo who had seen him grow, that he could do great things like that, on the other hand, when he remembered his cat Cinnamon it saddened him. Will he cry when he doesn't see him?

Besides that, Hoshi had told him more stories about whales. You'd always see him with the same book in his hand when they finished their tasks. At first, Jun found it strange to see from a distance that it was a worn edition. When he approached and asked him what book it was, he answered with a big smile, his eyes shining with excitement, so happy that when he smiled, they disappeared.

-It's Moby Dick!

-Moby what? - He had never seen that book, in his wolf upbringing, they never spoke of Moby Dick, he remembers that he had even read Dracula (the latter at Boo's request) but, Moby Dick?

"You've never read Moby-Dick?" Hoshi was surprised. "Okay, I won't make fun of it because maybe you had a deep, heartbreaking story where books weren't easy to get for you."

Uh…. Why was this Hoshi so dramatic and sensitive?

"My grandfather read to my father, and my father read this book to me—the same edition! It's about sailors and whales, and it's quite gay. It's my lifelong dream. I'm going to read it to my prince when we meet! The only thing I plan to change is our ending. We'll live happily ever after, with tons of children," Hoshi burst out laughing.

Throughout all this, Jun just looked at him between laughter and disbelief that in all his conversations he ended up talking about the said prince he was going to meet, at this point Jun began to believe that it was really going to happen.

 

When Jun wasn't cleaning, he was talking to Dino and Seungkwan and when they weren't asleep hugging each other, he tried to avoid Captain Wonwoo's approaches. It saddened him to have to avoid him but this Wonwoo wasn't his Wonwoo, every time he looked at him it made him remember that his fiancé wasn't with him.

"I'm starting to think you're avoiding me," the captain announced, one day before the big storm.

Although Jun wanted to play dumb, he failed miserably when he saw Wonwoo's sad smile.

-I… I’m sorry, I admit I was doing that.

They stood beside the mainsail, Jun with his legs crossed on the floor, hugging his shoulders. The captain stood a few steps away from him, his hands in his pockets, both of them staring out at the ocean.

-May I know the reason?

 

-You feel an attraction towards me.

 

"Is that so bad?" He smiled sadly.

 

"No, not necessarily, but I'm not what you're looking for. I mean, yes, but not me specifically." "Mother Moon, this was going to be a hard to explain."

 

-It's not you, it's me, you mean?

 

-No! You see... I don't know how much I can tell you, but I'm not from here. Okay?

 

-Don't tell me you're one of those aliens that Hoshi secretly reads that also finds their life partner and mate?

 

What?

 

"No...?" "Although wolves can have mini wolves," he thought, shaking his head to refocus on the conversation. "It's not quite like that, it's just that I'm not from this country. I don't know how I got here, but I don't plan on staying here forever. You know? I... I have a feeling you won't be alone for long. This can't work out between us because I already have someone, and you'll have someone very soon. Don't be scared if they look a bit like me. It's hard to explain, but only when you have them in your arms and they feel right, that's when it will be, and you'll remember me when I told you."

"And will I be happy?" Maybe I joke half the time, but Hoshi is right about his loneliness. A sailor's heart is empty and waiting to be filled.

Jun didn't have the answer to that, but he didn't want to discourage him either. If he avoided Wonwoo, Minghao avoided Jun. He'd told him on several occasions that this wasn't the man the angels had presented to him in his visions, and even without proof, he always looked at him with distrust. Thanks to this, Jun allowed himself to think that if there was a Wonwoo, Jun would have to appear.
Could it be that he arrived too early on the scene?

 

-Yes, things will come that will always be a challenge, but don't close yourself off to it. If you do it together, you will prosper.

 

Wonwoo nodded further with determination and a bit of faith, all he needed was to not lose hope. At this point, he'd become a bit like Hoshi.

 

🌊

 

While Jun was dozing, he was napping with a guy with long hair and a blue robe, who had long nails and was whispering in front of a temple of the mother moon.

-You've finally arrived.

Is this a memory or a lie? He thought.

-It was quite difficult to find your bearings; you couldn't reach a closer reality, no, you went back hundreds of years.

-Reality? You know what's happening to me! Where are my friends?

The man just stared at him.

"Patience, kid. You're better than that other stupid alpha who tried to act like a blind of reality. Okay, Moon Mother and I had to do a little intervention because of... the things that are happening with the wolves and the humans. Your friend Jeonghan is days away from dying if they don't find a cure, and the wolves... I can't tell you, you have to see it with your own eyes. You have to come back as soon as possible and stop interrupting alternate realities, kid. You're going to drive everyone crazy if you keep changing the page! That's not how the rules of the universe work!"

In all that verbal vomit, Jun had paid attention to everything and had a million questions, but he sensed that not all of them would be answered, so he asked the most important one.

 

"How do I get back to my world? I'm in the middle of the ocean, months away from landing."

"I'd say in about three years, if they keep going around in circles, won't your little group know they're lost? Well, that's not important. Everything will be fine when you leave them. There's a storm coming in..." He closed his eyes, calculating while moving his fingers. "In about five hours."

 

How did he know about the storm? I was starting to get scared.

 

-I want you to jump when the storm comes.

 

- Jump? Are you crazy? I'll die!

 

"You'll die if you don't jump. From water you came, from water you go. You just have to have faith. You don't want to explain why there are two Juns in the next few hours. You, child, are disrupting this world, and you must go with the storm, or else there will be no salvation for either of you."

Jun had his doubts, but with what was happening lately…

 

"Okay. I'll jump, but first, is Vernon alive?" I feared the worst.

 

The man just looked at him with a serious expression and disappeared.

 

There were 15 minutes left until the storm started, he had mentally noted the things he wanted to do like looking for Hoshi's favorite book and telling his alpha that he wanted a boat as a wedding gift.

Without them knowing much, he'd been saying goodbye, with light handshakes, smiles, and two hugs he'd given Hoshi, even though he was ready to leave and find his people. It was inevitable that he felt sorry for having to say goodbye to them. Goodbyes always hurt.
He'd left little signs that if anything happened to him, they should let him be; it was just part of nature.

When the tide began to rise and he saw his companions soaked with water, trying not to be swallowed up, Jun stealthily crept along the back of the boat and climbed to the tip. All he needed was a spring in his step and a jump. But how could he know when the perfect moment was? He could barely see from the uncomfortable feeling of getting rained on in his eyes.

Seeing a strong wave approaching, his wolf growled in fear, "Good. If he drowned, he was going to blame that damn man. We can do it, for our wolf." And taking his last breath, he threw himself into the ocean.

The water greeted him like receiving millions of blades in the body, it was so cold that it burned, his wolf was howling, the first thought he had was to scream for help but that wouldn't work, the ship had to leave him, he wasn't destined to pass.

Just have faith, he repeated to himself as he relaxed his body and let himself sink into the depths of the ocean. His eyes were closed and his fists clenched.
When he concentrated enough and forgot the cold, he heard a song. It was the same sweet, mesmerizing song that had greeted him at the beginning of his journey. This was a sign of something, and letting himself be carried away by the darkness, he felt his body resist the cold, the temperature of the water changing. He doesn't know for sure how long the episode lasted. What he does know is that when he opened his eyes and began to move, he was somewhere else. He was still in the water, but it felt like a small lake.

 

Wait, he knew that lake.
It was the lake where he and Woozi spent time after training!
It was his lake! When he surfaced, he was so happy he wanted to scream with euphoria.

After so long he finally returned to his world.

He had barely risen when the sound of cannon fire rang out, giving way to the cry of wolves.
Jun froze in place. This process was only performed with the highest hierarchies, and it was a farewell. A farewell because it meant someone had died.

Did I arrive too late?

Chapter Text

"A month before Wonwoo's father was cruelly murdered, the Jeon family lived in eternal happiness. Things were getting complicated in the packs with the rebels, but at first, everything seemed controllable, perfectly manageable.
No one expected what would happen in the coming years.
Wonwoo's father had raised Jun and other little ones in the pack as his own children. It didn't matter that he was the leader and didn't have time for such things. He always made space for his children, especially if they were abandoned, like the small, disheveled Junnie.

He was four years younger than his wonwoo, he had been born on an eclipse night when the pack was going through hardships, the crops did not flourish, the water showed no sign of wanting to dance before them and it had been 4 years without bringing anyone new to the pack. It seemed like a cosmic error that despite the wolves mated, they could not get pregnant, for many months it was heard in whispers that the leader's firstborn had cursed everyone, after him another wolf did not flourish, they performed rituals and prayers to the mother moon, crying out for blessings but everything seemed to pass without pain or glory. It was not until a four-year-old boy escaped from his nanny and walked to the old lake that was located at the entrance to his territory, the little one, no matter how small he was, was too smart for his age and had detected that something bad was happening, many adults were unable to hold his gaze because they thought the child brought bad luck. A bit harsh to say to a child, right?
But little Wonwoo, who had already learned to walk and watched everything with attention and exhaustion, was already feeling prematurely tired. He didn't stay behind and wanted to offer his own prayer to Mother Moon.

His father read him all kinds of stories about her and how powerful she could be, if they asked wisely.

Moving closer to the lake, he knelt down, careful not to fall into the water, not wanting to alert anyone of his absence.

"Dear Mother Moon, even though we've never met, my father says you're in the beauty of things. I like the chocolate Nanny gives me. Are you there too? I don't know what's going on, but I'm asking you, please, to bring me happiness. I don't want my father to suffer because of my bad luck."

And closing his eyes to chase away the tears that were coming, he breathed deeply, swaying, he was such a small being but the burden he already carried in his arms was infinite.

A week later they found a baby in his crib lying near the lake, he had no belongings but the crib and a letter that said, “for little wonwoo, take care of him until the time is right, two souls lost in the world do not have to be destined for tragedy, may the union be blissful for you.”

No one knew where the baby had come from or who his parents were. The pack leader had ordered a daily guard, but the wolves' testimonies said they never saw the child being abandoned.
Although they eagerly sought answers, Wonwoo's father took the baby as his own. The first time he presented him to his son, he was diligently doing his job.

-Jeon, son, look what I brought.

When his son looked up, he was surprised. He hadn't known his father was expecting more children. He hadn't been aware of the commotion outside, especially with the letter addressed to a 4-year-old boy. What if it was a joke?

-Is it yours?

His father laughed a little, it was actually more like wonwoo's but it wasn't that easy to explain.

-No, they found him in the lake and he was leaving. What do you think?

-Does he have a name?

-No.

The boy Jeon Wonwoo raised his eyes in curiosity, he had so many questions that he asked the most important one with a hopeful smile.

"If a baby arrived, that means my bad luck is over, right? The pack now has a new member, and they'll stop blaming me."

That affected his father a lot. He had tried to silence those words and looks so that his son wouldn't grow up thinking about that, but it was inevitable, especially when he went on a trip and left him alone here.

-You never brought bad luck, son. Don't think like that.

-Why doesn't the cute baby have a name?

-Cute? Do you think the baby is cute?

Wonwoo thought he was cute; his face was like a doll's, and he didn't cry. When he touched his hand, the baby held it tightly, anchoring him, which made both father and son laugh.

-Look how he won't let go of my finger! He'll never let me go!

More laughter came from the room, it was a very strong baby.

-I already have a name for him.

-Yes? What is it?

-Moon Junhui, as the prince in the story.

His father had to remain silent for a second while he assimilated who he was talking about. Yes, Moon Junhui had been a prince who had brought happiness to everyone, according to legend. He was blessed by the moon and the stars. With his charm, he had charmed not only the king but all the villagers as well.
Little Wonwoo had asked countless times for the tale to be repeated; deep down, he longed to meet someone as magical as Prince Moon Junhui.

At first, they called the baby Junhui while the research process took its course. The baby, no longer a baby, grew and adapted to the name Wonwoo had given him. Seeing that no searches were fruitful, he stuck with that name.

And Jeon Wonwoo, the son of the pack leader, and Junhui, the pack leader's favorite (after his son), grew up as two friends who had waited forever to be reunited. They played, laughed, and got into mischief, living like the children they were.

The arrival of little Junhui not only brought happiness to the Jeon family, after his arrival, the crops began to grow, the flowers bloomed and the animals danced, there was never a better time than that.

Whether the name little Wonwoo gave the baby brought good luck or the moon granted the child's wish, only the moon and Jeon will know.”

 

🌓

 

His world now seemed more... sad?
The war had withered them all; there was not a shred of hope left, and now that he saw his people, they were still killing.
Jun stayed hidden, withholding his pheromones so they wouldn't recognize him. He wanted to be sure of what he was seeing, so he climbed a tree.

Many passed by with their farewell funeral chants, but none were recognizable to Jun. When, at the end of the road, he saw the coffin with the sign of their respective pack, Jun would never admit that he took a deep breath. It wasn't his pack, and therefore, it wasn't Wonwoo or any of his friends. He could live a little longer. What did make him think was that that pack was Mingi's. Had something happened?

He jumped out of the tree praying that no one would notice him. His clothes were still wet, and he didn't want to explain anything about a portal to anyone other than his friends. Jun wasn't even aware of the portal's existence.
He set off for his pack's territory. The further he walked, the more he realized how much his world had changed.
Before life had played tricks on Jun, taking away some of his memories. His days at war, despite being at war, Jun's presence had brought peace to his pack, and now that he'd been missing for a while, how long had he been gone? According to the guy at the altar, he'd told him he'd traveled hundreds of years back, so time wasn't the same in all realities. He was afraid that in his world it was too late, like Wonwoo had married someone else. He was going to throw a tantrum if that were the case.

He jumped when he heard a voice dictating the tasks of the other guards, he would recognize that voice anywhere.

The only one who wasn't scared when he was furious was Hannie. General Choi Seungcheol. Jun crept closer again, not wanting to detect his scent. The general had his back to him, and the astonished expressions on the guard's faces, who could actually see Jun, made him feel a warmth in his chest, almost like family.
Seeing something was happening, the general turned around, and his reaction… was something worth recording.

-What… Jun… Our Jun?

He nodded with a shy smile that only served to baffle him. All this time, his friendship with Seungcheol had been very close, almost as close as the one he had with Jisoo and Hannie. For Junnie, the three of them were like older brothers who were always there to comfort him.
That's why it had hurt him so much to hear Officer Choi's version of events; he had never treated him with such contempt.

-I can't believe it. Are you really here? This can't be happening.

"Is it so bad that I'm here? I think I've been through so much that I'm not sure I want to jump off a cliff or swim across the ocean again."

-Uh... What? Where have you been, kid? Wait, don't tell me. I'm going to gather everyone together. - And, looking more to himself, he called someone.
- Love? I need you to use your tactics to make an emergency meeting. Yes, I want all the guys, it's important. No, love, I can't tell you what it's about over the phone. I need you to see it and touch it. No, it's not a ring. Yes, do whatever you have to do to get that idiot Wonwoo to let you into the house. I don't care if he's mired in misery. Destroy the door if necessary. This will be more important. We'll be in the weapons room. Goodbye, and I love you too.

Ugh, how cheesy that was, (I wanted the same)

"I'm so happy to see you, kid. You have no idea how much we've been through since you left. This has been a mess, and dealing with Wonwoo... a nightmare."

They walked until they entered the mansion. Passersby looked at him as if Jun had suddenly gained a new limb. Others sighed in relief and smiled at him from a distance.
Seungcheol didn't hesitate twice before opening the weapons door when what they saw made them freeze.

Sounds of wet, passionate kisses filled the room. There was one lying on the conference table, but from that distance he was unrecognizable, especially when the one holding him was on top of him, giving him hickeys on his neck.

That scene made Jun blush, he had already had that... kind of thing with his alpha but seeing it made him feel ashamed.

"You're a special little thing, aren't you, baby," the one who was supposed to be an alpha growled.

Wait… Jun knew that voice very well. It was Soonyoung! He had to stop this before Woozi saw him, he was going to break his heart.

-If I'm so special, you should bite me now.

Soonyoung gave a deep laugh as he stroked his partner's hair. "You're so impatient, baby. I'm still afraid the boys will want to kill me when they know it You're so young."

"And you can be sure that Han and Jisoo are going to castrate you when I tell them." Seungcheol, who had been by his side the whole time, interrupted.

Upon hearing the voice, the couple eager to mate looked at the door in fear. The impact it caused on everyone in the room was of another magnitude. Each one had a different reaction, one of shock and terror. The person Soonyoung was hiding was none other than Woozi. And a Woozi with disheveled hair, flushed cheeks, and swollen lips.

-Woozi?

-¿Jun?

They both said at the same time. Woozi regained his composure and gently pushed Soonyoung away. When he stood up, he stood there staring at Jun for a few seconds, doubtful and amazed. He looked back at Jun, his eyes wide open, growing moist as the seconds passed.
They had been friends since they were babies, and Woozi could braid Junnie's hair. Now, Jun was more likely to braid his.
They had grown up, and although his friend had become his weapons intelligence teacher, he was still his friend, almost a brother, almost an Omega who shared a crush on a dumb alpha.

 

Woozi snapped out of it and started running to jump on top of Jun, who would have almost fallen if it weren't for Seungcheol's support on his back.

-I can't believe you're here! You scared me, Junnie. We thought... We thought you were dead!

Jun found it hard to imagine that possibility; he hadn't had much time to think about it other than escaping from alternate realities.

-I know, I'm sorry.

"Don't apologize! You have to see Hannie. he's been crying every day even though he tries to hide it with makeup. he always comes out with puffy eyes!"

Seeing Seungcheol's heavy and sad look, he had no doubts about what his friend was saying.

 

-Don't think I haven't forgotten what I just saw. You and Soonyoung? Since when?

 

The aforementioned blushed; they had to break the news very soon.

 

-When we have time I'll tell you everything, but promise me no one will tell you before.

Jun nodded and stood up, but not before glancing at Soonyoung, who was still blushing in the corner, staring at the walls as if they were a wonder of the world. He heard hurried footsteps; it was almost all the boys.

"I can't believe you woke me up on my day off, Han. It's my only day off." That was Seokmin, who came in disheveled.

 

-Cheollie said it was important and I believe him.

 

"The last time he said it was important was to get a spider out of the bathroom, and I was 40 minutes away handling beginner training." "That was Mingyu."

 

-Or like that time he said it was important and we all ended up watching Won and Junnie's wolves flirt. They didn't even realize it.

 

What were they doing...? He remembered that scene. It was shortly after their first night together, but he never realized they'd seen that flirting. It's embarrassing.

A scream alerted everyone. Jun looked up and saw the boys had already entered the weapons room and were staring at him. The scream came from Han.
His scream soon turned into a heart-rending sob.

"Junnie?" They all ran to hug him, none of them able to look down. They wanted to see if that was their real Jun. They touched his hair, his cheeks, they impregnated everyone with their pheromones of calm and welcome that made Jun cry. He had never felt so at home as he did at that moment.

-We miss you so much.

Jun still hadn't allowed himself to fully relax, he hadn't seen two people; Vernon and Wonwoo.

"Where's Vernon?" He asked, looking at Boo and Lee-chan. "Last time... we were on the cliff, I... didn't want to jump and-"

-Shh, calm down, honey, it must have been very hard for you.

"Vernon... it's okay. He's been blaming himself. Things didn't go well, and we couldn't find you. Some of us thought you were dead. No one was brave enough to give you a burial. I think we all held on to a sliver of hope in the end."

"How did Wonwoo take it?" he said this last bit delicately, vividly remembering the fight they'd had, how he'd thrown the engagement ring at him in his tantrum.

"Wonwoo..." Everyone stared at each other, suddenly no one wanted to talk. "He's changed a lot in that time. He's never left your side since you were little. And that doesn't even count when he went to the war camp. He was always just a phone call away, a few hours away from you."

-But during those times he never sent me messages or updates.

-Oh? But he always knew about you, darling. Every day he received a message from Jisoo and Mingyu telling you about your progress in your training. He even knew when you accidentally cut your cheek. He was always informed. Even that time Mingi started sending you flowers when you were underage. Did you know that Wonwoo left the war camp for a few days and went to his pack to threaten him?

What had he done? How come Jun never noticed all of this? he didn't know whether to be angry or happy, but that didn't matter now. he needed to see him.

-And where is it? I want to see it.

-As I told you before, he'd never been apart from you, when he was… it wasn't very nice to see. Have you noticed we're almost out of staff at the mansion? Jisso moved them to different houses because we didn't want word to get around about what Wonwoo had become as pack leader. We wanted to maintain his reputation, but it didn't go well at all when Mingi hinted at a pack meeting that he'd already chosen a new Omega to bite. You know leaders need a mate.

If Han told him he had mated with another Omega he was going to castrate him, he swore he would commit it as his final act of evil.

"Well? You're making me anxious with all the pauses, Hannie. Did he get another Omega? Is that it?" he snapped harshly.

They all looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Get another Omega? You think Wonwoo would do that? Of course not! What he did do was kill Mingi."

Wait, what.

-That?

-Mingi already had his head cut off since he was sending you flowers and drugging you, but Wonwoo wouldn't have lost control if it weren't for the fact that after you disappeared, he started sending him mocking messages about how we had lost you, calling us losers for not wanting to declare you dead. The cherry on the cake was last week... when we woke up we saw that there were 30 Omega guys at our door, all wearing clothes similar to the ones you had on when you disappeared. I don't know how Mingi did it but he duplicated your scent in fragrance and they all smelled similar to you. It was just too sickening to see. -Han finished.

-Some of us threw up, it was insensitive. A joke in bad taste.

-What happened in the end?

"Wonwoo lost his mind and went to Mingi's pack, without weapons, without protection, without any of us. He went to kill him in front of all his people. From what I could investigate, it was bloody, no one was able to wage war against Wonwoo's fury and since that day, he has been locked in the little house in the woods. I told Vernon to go look for him while I called the others.

Jun knew things could be complicated here, but he never imagined Wonwoo would end up killing someone so violently. He wasn't like that. They were at war, yes, but it couldn't be to Wonwoo's liking. He'd had to take command since he was 14. He'd trained himself to end the war in the least bloody way, not to continue it even knowing they were the ones who murdered his father.
He'd asked Jisso to focus on politics so that when the time came, he could give up the portion of territory the rebels had been demanding.

None of his friends were murderers because if Jisso, Hannie, Jun and Boo were part of a foundation for children who were harmed in the fields, they already had 50 rebellious children and 65 from their territory who were being vulnerable, what they did was be able to give them housing and an opportunity for education in their territory, not all of them were part of the problem and none of them were going to kill an innocent, that was not what Wonwoo's father had taught them.

That's why seeing what his alpha had done made Jun think more and more, how was Wonwoo's condition really? That he had to hide in the house in the woods because he didn't want to see anyone... it was very tiny for an alpha as big as him, he came back to reality when he saw Vernon come through the door.

-Sorry Hannie, when I tried to destroy the door he growled at me so loudly that I almost burst an eardrum... uh- Junnie?

The scene brought a smile to Jun's face as he ran to hug his friend. He had been feeling so guilty about his possible death. Taking a deep breath and trying to hold back his tears, he pulled the others closer to join him.

"But where have you been, Junnie? We need to know before Wonwoo makes another mistake."

-What do you mean by another recklessness?

-Well... we looked for you in the cliff area and you were nowhere to be seen. You were supposed to go to another dimension, but the moment you fell, we lost communication with everyone. Woozi has been working hard to get back in. All we knew was that there was a world at war there, too. Well... Wonwoo was losing his mind and may have threatened those people.

What? Jun wondered for the thousandth time that day.
Well, he had to add one more task to his list: pulling his alpha's hair for being an impulsive alpha fool.

-Before we talk about what I saw or what I experienced, I need to look it up.

-But Junnie, you heard what Vernon said. He's in a dangerous state.

-I don't care, I'm still his fiancé and I'm not afraid of him Boo, I'll make him listen to me.

We can handle it.

 

🐺

 

Jun returned to the house in the woods, it brought back bad memories, not because of the house in particular since Wonwoo had built it for him when Jun turned 9, it was more because of the territory he was in, the woods where Jun now remembers how he ran for his life alongside Vernon, it was not going to be easy to heal those memories.

When he stood in front of the door he saw that the flowers he had grown continued to shine in his absence, he was grateful that even when he was gone, someone had not forgotten to give them their food.

Jun and Wonwoo spent a lot of time at the forest house these past few days. It was very small and only had a bed and a kitchen, but it gave them privacy for whatever they wanted.
Yes, they had the mansion where they could sleep, but it was also the house they shared with all their friends, and lately, they'd all become noisy. He still remembers how Mingyu Hao would stay awake even in the early hours of the morning—yes, uncomfortable for everyone.

He rang the doorbell next to him, eliciting a ferocious growl, as they were almost mates. Jun was weaker to the effects of his alpha, so when he growled at him, it was inevitable that a shiver ran through him and he wrinkled his nose at the strong scent. His wolf had lowered his ears as if the scolding was aimed only at him.
He had to calm down, Jun and his wolf. Wonwoo's fury isn't directed at them.

So seeing that he couldn't get in by good means, he was going to make the wolf leave his cave.

Inhaling deeply, he let his pheromones take control, spreading charm, his scent growing sweeter and sweeter like a cup of coffee on a winter day. Mentally calling him and luring him like prey.
His sounds were alert and sensitive, so he noticed the change and the sound of the alpha's footsteps walking toward the door. His heart raced. After so long, he was going to be reunited with his alpha.

When he opened the door and looked around in confusion, he almost growled in warning if this was another prank on Mingi's part. Even though Wonwoo had already killed him, he wouldn't be surprised if one of his henchmen wanted to continue the mockery. When he noticed Jun's presence, he froze in place.
Technology and medicine were advancing at the speed of light these days. Was it possible they had duplicated Jun?
It couldn't be. He didn't trust them.

"I'm sorry for throwing the ring at you that day. It was a joke. Can I have it back?" Jun announced with a lump in his throat, his eyes shining and his lips in an inertial pout.

The characteristic pout he always made at everyone, especially at Wonwoo, when he wanted the Alpha to do something for him.
That was his Junnie.

And there, at the woods and in the intimacy of two broken souls who had endured the most harrowing pain, and although the world tried to separate them, their broken hearts cried out in the light that only the moon could provide for one last reunion.
The leader of a pack, with an immense burden in his arms and no family, allowed himself to lower his shoulders and escape the pain that was consuming him so much because there, in front of his childhood best friend, now the love of his life, he could heal and leave behind the shadows that tormented him as the darkness fell.

The warm, strong feeling of his arms was faster than the sight of him running towards him. Wonwoo hid his face in the neck of his lover, the man he wanted to spend his life with, and if life itself took him away from him, then he would accompany him because a life without him wasn't worth it.
The sobs grew louder, wetting Jun's shirt, which made him realize his action. The tears of the two eternal lovers mingled. Since the death of Wonwoo's father, Jun had never seen him as broken as he was now.
He tried to calm his alpha by doing the same thing he did that time and stroked his hair with his trembling hands.
I'm here, nothing bad will happen. his wolves cooed like a mantra they also told each other.
Because nothing else mattered if they were whole, and the plants that had also smelled their owner's scent flourished more than they could do, throwing their beauty at the loving couple.

 

💫

 

After all the friends had gotten over the initial shock and their spirits had calmed down since the family was finally reunited, it was time for the conversation and the decisions they were going to make.
They met again in the weapons room, this time everyone had their clothes on and were sitting around the table, not on it.
The only one who was actually on top of his partner was Junnie himself, who, since he had reunited with Wonu, couldn't be without touching each other.

 

"Their world is suffering a catastrophe. He told me his days were numbered. We have to find a solution here. I promised him that," Jun said, while Wonu stroked his arms in a reassuring gesture.

Jun had told them everything he had experienced, how he felt he lived several lives but none of them were his own, how he felt like a stranger, how he had a cat that ended up naming him after the essence of wonu when he didn't even remember it. (This last bit brought laughter from his love for Wonwoo although the fact that he had amnesia made them ask more questions)
They didn't have much data on people who transported themselves to other realities since there is currently a large gap in the consequences that this can entail.
So having temporary or permanent amnesia can be a side effect.

In the calm of the afternoon, his friends hadn't dared to ask him much about what they were like in these realities. Jun believed that they were secretly afraid of not liking themselves.

"I can't believe you were out in the ocean, living on a boat with cavemen! Crazy!"

-They weren't cavemen, and remember you were there Soonyoung, you were very... curious.

"Don't tell me, don't tell me!" he said, covering his eyes. Seeing Jun's silence, he opened them to say, "Tell me, tell me! Don't stay silent. What was he like? Was he cool?"

Jun looked around the room and everyone was looking at them with great curiosity.

-You were… a bit like you but more intense, you were obsessed with finding your soulmate.

They burst out laughing but what many didn't notice at first glance was how Jun, when saying that last thing, Soonyoung and Woozi had connected glances.

Yes, Woozi had to tell Jun the details as soon as they had time.

He turned his face when he felt Wonwoo looking at him. He hadn't taken his eyes off him since he'd returned, and that made him blush more. From his alpha's gaze, he noticed that he also had many questions about himself in other realities, but that wasn't the time to have the conversation. Jun understood, and that's why he just leaned closer to kiss him on the cheek.

"We have to find a solution for them," he said, more concerned. "Their days were numbered."

-Don't worry Junnie, we'll do it together. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to search the library. Maybe we'll find something and Woozi will try again to reestablish communication. As a way of thanking them, it would be ideal if we managed to communicate with them.

"Will I be able to see Jeonghan again?" I was excited.

It was a little strange to ask that question considering he asked Hannie, but Hannie just smiled tenderly as he nodded.

-Yes, I would also like to see that Jeonghan.

And so the afternoon fell for them. The world wasn't over, but with small steps they could make a big change. Looking back, Jun felt comfortable in Wonu's arms and with his friends. He could completely relax. He felt safe. At home.