Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Junmyeon isn't supposed to be here. The only other time he was summoned to the personnel department was when he had to come in for peer evaluation. It has been 4 years since. His record has been clean. He is willing to keep it that way but things...happened.

Usually, he would send the intern to check the inventory. But that day he had felt bad for the poor kid so he just went down to basement 14 to see if they have enough stock for their semi-annual sale. 

At first, there was nothing out of ordinary, and in a flash, a pair of red eyes stared back at him from the aisle 3. He knew the scent thus immediately recognizing the alpha. Nam something from logistics, a gentle fellow who rarely talked about anything other than his work. He remembered hearing the alpha's ragged breathing as he hauled himself to Junmyeon. 

There has never been a need for Junmyeon to wear a collar, it is for the omegas, and that doesn't even necessarily mean all omega wear them. Many of them have stopped wearing them since the 1990 Equal Rights Movement. But Junmyeon's clan has requested that a high standing clan member like him should wear it in public. 

One of the reasons why he is often mistaken for an omega. No wonder the poor alpha thought he was an omega. The pheromones that the alpha emitted had no lasting effect on him, though Junmyeon knew that the alpha could overpower him in a sec. 

So he did what he knew was the best for them both. He knocked the alpha out with the file binder 12 right from the aisle 2. 

"Junmyeon, you know it's an assault right?" Joohyun tells him solemnly. He feels like a child being put in the time-out corner. 

He tugs at the silk collar tightly wrapped around the base of his neck. He needs to change the outer lace sometime this week. He hopes the Chantilly lace is back in stock. 

"Are you listening? Jun?" Joohyun nudges his other hand perched on top of his knee. Junmyeon levels his eyes with her. He has known Joohyun since they were toddlers.

They belong to the same clan. Her alpha status outranking him thus she has become the personnel manager as soon as she graduated while Junmyeon is slowly moving up the corperate ladder. He doesn't mind. Joohyun has been nothing but supportive and gentle with him. Despite their proximity in age and difference in status, she has always acted like an elder sister, the one he wishes he had. 

"I will resign," Junmyeon complies, he has already known the consequences. He also has been scold by the clan leader for acting so recklessly. 

He hands her the pearly white envelope to her. She looks down at the envelope once, then she gestures him to take it away. A little baffled, Junmyeon just stares back her. 

"Are you planning to go back to Andong?" She questions instead. Honestly, Junmyeon hasn't thought about it yet. He guesses he has to. If he doesn't, he will face more scolding. But he shrugs at her. He feels comfortable with her enough that he has stopped minding her pointed looks. 

She snatches the resignation letter from his hand and throws it into one of her metal drawers. When Junmyeon is about to take his leave, she hisses at him to take his seat back down. 

Joohyun types away on her Mac and the notification in his phone chimes out loud. He fishes out the phone from his pocket and quirks an eyebrow at her. 

"Going back to Andong is entirely up to you but check that file first. See if it will worth your while," she answers without looking at him, still tapping swiftly on her keyboard. 

She smiles at him sweetly. "Hey, I know what you did was right. Call me when you decide, alright?" 

Junmyeon smiles back at him. He would probably do that. 

Unfortunately, the Chantilly lace isn't available so Junmyeon has to make do with the old lace front. He pats down his silk shirt and fixes his cream blazer so that the old lace will stay hidden.

He peers up at the majestic five-story brick beauty in front of him. It looks like a Victorian Manor but Junmyeon isn't an expert in architecture so he doesn't try to dissect what kind i is. Though from plain sight, it seemed like they have elevated two new levels to the original brick mansion since the two top floors look eerily modern. 

Either way, it has marveled him to no end.

He clutches at his brown briefcase a little harder. He is not quite used to this kind of setting. This building has unnerved him more than the many sky-high concrete towers surrounding it. Every person moving in and out of that office building carries the air of familiarity like they are all synonymous with each other. 

Junmyeon wonders if all the employees working for this company belong to the same clan. It would be remarkable because even for a clan as big as Junmyeon's couldn't manage to do that. Like his grandfather used to say family business is great only when the family is small and manageable. 

Another thing that puts him on edge is that he couldn't scent anything other than the gentle smell of lavender air freshener when he enters the lobby. He immediately spots the receptionist smiling at him warmly. He walks up to her, informing her that he is here for the interview. She directs him to take the elevator number 2 which will directly send him to the CEO's office. 

The polished hardwood floor gleams beautifully as he walks down the hallway leading to the lift. The walls are painted in a deep blue with gold accented vines lining drawn on the bottom part adjacent to the floor. The interior has awe-struck him, it seems like they have renovated the old manor under its original aesthetics. Junmyeon fancies it very much. 

When he reaches the floor, there are already two other people waiting on their corresponding seats. Junmyeon couldn't scent their secondary gender assignment either. But judging from the way none of them are wearing the collars, he just safely assumes that they are either alphas or betas. Though he doubts that any alpha would be interested in a position for being someone's personal assistant.

He sits down on the remaining chair primly and properly with his back straight and his legs closed. The other interviewees pay him no mind. 

Within a few minutes, the fogged glass door silently swings open, if not for the swift chilled air passing the hallway, no one would have noticed it. 

A voice beckons one of the interviewees' name, Junmyeon can't see the person's face from his seat. So he restrains himself to not peer over to look. 

A small interviewee in the navy blue suit announces his presence and enters the office. There are only Junmyeon and the blonde interviewee left. 

"What graduating class are you from?" The blonde asks him suddenly. Because it is rude to talk without making eye contact so he turns his body to face the blonde. 

The blonde has asked him the question while looking down at his own fingernails. Junmyeon sighs. 

"I beg your pardon. I am not from any recent graduating class if that is what you were asking," he answers honestly. The blonde switches his attention to Junmyeon. 

"I see," the blonde says, "so where did you work for?" 

"K-netic Life Science," Junmyeon replies, he sees no point in hiding where he used to work for. 

The blonde whistles in admiration. "I used to be an intern there, well, a long time ago," the blonde muses, "what did you do?" 

"I worked for the administration. I was a registrar there," Junmyeon explains. The blonde nods in acknowledgment. 

"Why did you quit..." the blonde inquires but he grins and says, "or did you get fired?" 

Junmyeon accesses the other man, he sees no malice in the other man's eyes. "Interpersonal conflict and I resigned with my own will," he answers easily. 

A breathy high pitch laugh coming out from the blonde's mouth startles him. Junmyeon stares at the man wide-eyed, he looks around the surrounding; highly worried that the interviewer would hear it. 

"Don't tell me you punch an alpha or something?" The blonde guesses between his gasps. The color reaching to Junmyeon's cheeks must have been the perfect indication of the speculation. 

"No way!" The blonde says exasperated. Just then the office door opens, a head pops out from the doorframe to look at them. The man's feline-like eyes land on Junmyeon's first as he gives him an accessing look then the man's eyes switch over to the blonde, he frowns immediately. The man shakes his head and goes back into the office. 

Usually, Junmyeon tries to not regret the decisions that he made since there is little chance to change them once the deed is done. However, in the back of his mind, the irking feeling of uneasiness hangs on to him. 

In a few minutes, before the blonde could utter another word, the feline eyed man leads the small interviewee out as they exchange pleasantry. 

When the small interviewee goes away, the feline eyed man flicks the blonde's nose and gives him a scolding look. The one that looks all too similar like how Joohyun gives to Junmyeon. 

The blonde grins at the feline-eyed man then he stands to his full height. Junmyeon couldn't help but peers up at him. 

"Minseok, what do you say?" The blonde asks the feline-eyed man. The other man gives him an unpleased look as he huffs, "Don't call me Minseok, you brat."

The blonde shrugs it off. Junmyeon is so confused now as he looks back and forth between the two. The feline-eyed man named Minseok smiles at Junmyeon apologetically. 

"Kim Junmyeon-ssi, I apologize. I am Kim Minseok, I will be interviewing you today. Shall we start?" 

"Ah yes...Yes!" Junmyeon replies in a rush. The blonde snickers quietly at him. He feels warm all over so he clutches his brown bag a little tighter. 

Being unemployed seems to have its perks, Junmyeon supposes. He hasn't cleaned his apartment for a while. He feels like he finally has time for himself now. Joohyun has dropped by yesterday to nag at him for making her lie to the clan. She also nagged him to get a job soon or at least go back to Andong for a while.

Junmyeon doesn't know what will he do without Joohyun. He sure as hell wouldn't have survived college with the way he only inhaled instant noodles like oxygen so without Joohyun's weekly grocery bag, he would have died. Whenever he jokes about that, Joohyun would at nag at him again.

She is like one of those ballerina-music boxes instead of the music, she scolds Junmyeon. He adores her just as much as she does. 

During the afternoon, the atelier has called him about the arrival of the Chantilly laces as well as some others if Junmyeon would like to come to see them sometimes. 

So he decides a little shopping spree in the evening could be lovely. The weather has been sunny so he forgoes his usual silk shirts for the linen ones his mom gifted him in the summer. 

The atelier is only 10 minutes away from where he lives, making it convenient enough for him to just walk there. He feels relief in being able to scent his surroundings again. Still quite baffled that he couldn't do the most basic thing about his second nature at that building, remembering the interesting blonde he met. 

When he reaches the atelier, Miss Cho greets him enthusiastically as she hops to him away from the pile of fabric on the floor. The place is so out of order that it strangely comforts him. 

"Welcome back, Junnie!" Miss Cho fusses, "Brother is tending another customer. You ordered the Chantilly, right?" 

"Oh, I don't mind. It's a shop after all," Junmyeon laughs good-naturedly, "I heard you guys have other stuff for me, please show me those."

"Of course, come come!" She replies enthusiastically. He follows after her while skipping over the colorful textile rolls lying haphazardly on the floor. 

As they walk down the narrow hallway, he feels around the square-shaped fabric samples pinned along the wall with his fingertips. His mother would have chid him for touching things around. 

A loud thud of fabric roll falling from the other room startles them both to halt in the hallway. Miss Cho rushes to where the sound came from, making Junmyeon run after her as well. 

Then it comes, his knees buckle forward once he inhales a whiff of it. A strange mix of vanilla with something else, as if someone has spilled vanilla onto a cool surface; the scent of an alpha. 

Junmyeon yelps when a strong forearm wraps around his waist, preventing him from falling face flat.

It belongs to the blonde. Though he is no longer blonde, soft strands of indigo blue have replaced it. "Hey! We meet again," the blonde, no, the indigo-boy announces happily. 

"Ah sorry about that Junmyeon-ssi," Mister Cho says worriedly as he runs up to their side. Junmyeon scrambles to remove the indigo-boy's hand. He shakes his head to let Ajussi know that he doesn't mind. 

"I was helping this fellow with a gift," Mister Cho explains, the old man always rumbles when he feels nervous. Junmyeon scans around the area they are in, there are so many types of laces lying around. 

"What's the occasion?" Junmyeon asks the indigo-boy curiously. "Wedding. My old secretary is getting married," the indigo-boy replies. 

Junmyeon stares at the other man, making him let out that god-awful laugh again. 

"You look like a bunny. You just need those ears to complete the look," the indigo-boy adds, pointing at the bunny-ear headband conveniently lying on the dresser top. 

"So?" The indigo-boy nudges Junmyeon as he holds up a lace on either of his hands. "The Lyron lace. They will work well with tulle," Junmyeon advises, his voice coming out calmer than the insistent thumping in his chest. 

When Junmyeon prepares to leave, the indigo-boy turns to him, "When are you coming in? The office needs a lot of hands these days so I hope you can come in sooner." 

"I-what?"

"You should check your e-mail, Kim Junmyeon-ssi. And ought to know your own boss's name," the indigo-boy says with a wink. 

Junmyeon quickly checkd the email like he was told to, and there it was, an email about the job offer sent two days ago. He swiftly scans the mail. 

"What do you say?" his soon-to-be boss asks him cheekily. 

"Is Wednesday okay?" Junmyeon doesn't know why he said that but he did. 

"Oh Sehun, please take good care of me," the indigo-boy offers his hand for Junmyeon to shake. 

The firm grip he has on Junmyeon's palm makes the later blush.

But the alpha smiles at him sweetly. Junmyeon finds it oddly comforting. 

Chapter Text

Junmyeon has been summoned. The clan leader wants to meet him to have a private meeting since he left Andong to come to work in Seoul. It is not that uncommon for the clans to summon their members once in a while but for the better part of his adult life, Junmyeon has made a point to not get involved with them. Voluntarily.

He should call Joohyun, maybe going down to Andong with her would be a better idea.

He still hasn't told her about his new job at Andante Life Science. Not to mention the peculiar boss that he will now be working under. He traces the Chantilly lace he purchased the other day, remembering the compliment he received from his boss named Sehun.  For someone who is the head of the up and coming biotech firm, his boss sure acts...carefree.

Today he is scheduled to meet the rest of the managerial team at a BBQ place in Itaewon. 

Wolves, especially the ones with clans, don't do unnecessary social outings. Their noses are akin to changes in smell and heat, makes it difficult for non-clan members to communicate freely in an enclosed space with a drastically changing environment. 

Betas are normal. Although they are still in tune with their wolves, they don't emit an overwhelming amount of pheromones unlike how alphas and omega do. But this doesn't mean they aren't affected by them.

Betas still go through heat or rut cycles, much less painful and excruciating than omegas do and their headspace is clearer compared to alphas. 

Being on suppressants is a must to all three types of wolves. His clan is surprisingly progressive considering that it has been around for 3 centuries and like to keep the hierarchy in check.

Junmyeon finds it funny that every month he would regularly receive a package of suppressants shipped to him but not so much news from his family. 

Speaking of the suppressants, he might need to go see Doctor Kang. He prides himself. His scent of smell is oddly becoming irregular, since that first visit inside the building owned by Andante. 

He perks up when he hears a chime from his phone on the nightstand. Peering over to look at it since he is too comfortable on his bed to actually move an inch more. Kim Minseok, the HR executive has texted him about the location of the BBQ place. He stretches out his limbs to shake off all the leftover sleepiness. 

Being unemployed for only 3 weeks has spoiled him with too much freedom and sleep. 

Junmyeon thinks he arrives a little early and the BBQ place is fancier than he expected. He looks down at his outfit, a pair of soft black slacks, and a matching black long sleeve silk shirt. He shrugs and walks over to the host who is holding a tablet. 

Odd. He can't smell anything again. Whiplashed by his inability to even perform the basic nature of his wolf. 

"Here for the reserved room," someone walks past him and announces at the host. Junmyeon gets annoyed at the behavior and to reprimand the line skipper, he turns his body towards the other. 

No one other than his boss to be is looking, no, gawking at his reaction. Oh Sehun keeps his eye contact with Junmyeon and finishes his sentence, "for Oh Sehun."

The alpha is standing close to him, so close that his sturdy chest is almost brushing against Junmyeon's back. 

Junmyeon clears his throat. He feels like being toyed with, it is not a good feeling. The beta swallows his words and just steps away from his alpha boss. He couldn't fight down the blush rising up from his neck to his face. He tries his best to duck away but the contrast between his soft pink-hued nape and the milk-white lace collar is like a dead giveaway. 

"Certainly Mr. Oh," the host chuckles, entertained by how skittish Junmyeon is acting before the alpha.

"Oh Sehun please stop harassing your employees." Junmyeon hears an exasperated voice. Kim Minseok saunters pass Junmyeon to smack the alpha in the neck. The alpha yelps, whining at how hard the other alpha has hit him. 

"You must be Kim Junmyeon," another person almost whispers into his ears. Junmyeon visibly jumps to look at this newcomer. 

He cannot place the other wolf's status again, frustrated and confused. Beginning to wonder if this job worths the amount of heart attack he's getting in a single day. 

"Hello, I am Kim Jongin," the newcomer gently introduces himself. His eyes look like they are a pool of honey, sweet and warm. Junmyeon couldn't help but smiles back. 

"Come on, let's get inside first. We can wait for them in the room," Sehun announces. 

Junmyeon ends up sitting right next to his alpha boss. The grill is adorned quite low to the floor so his thighs occasionally brush with the alpha. 

Thankfully he can still smell the sizzling and delicious smell of the cooked meat. Kim Minseok, the HR manager who takes it upon himself to grilling all the meat for them. He also told Junmyeon that there is only one person left and he is running late because of work. 

"So, shall we start introducing ourselves," Kim Minseok announces cheerily right after he puts down the steel thongs. Junmyeon nods politely. 

And he returns he receives an expectant look from all three of them. 

"Um. Me?" Junmyeon asks just to be sure.

"Ah... My name is Kim Junmyeon. I will be 29 this year. I like dogs and I will be working as Mr. Oh's secretary from this Wednesday. Nice to meet you all and please take care of me."

He feels like he is sitting in a group dating table during college. Out of place and almost suffocating if not for the encouraging smiles thrown his way. 

"Guess I will give it ago," the one who already introduced himself as Kim Jongin speaks. He is sitting across from Junmyeon and next to Kim Minseok. Junmyeon wonders if they are related. 

"I'm Jongin. Co-head of R&D. 26. Nice to meet you, Hyung," Kim Jongin finishes quickly. Junmyeon nods again. He is becoming a bobble-head at this point. 

"You already know and Sehun so I guess we are done," Minseok chirps. The other alpha looking more like a squirrel than a wolf. 

Then the sliding door to their VIP room slid open with a loud tad when its end hits the wall. 

"Sorry for being late guys! Traffic was a bitch," a deep rumbling voice echoes into space. The latecomer sits at the head of the low table with a satisfied groan. 

"Park Chanyeol. Co-head of R&D." Kim Minseok introduces the newcomer in his stead and adding, "Yeolie is younger than you so feel free to address them however you like." 

"We betas gotta stick close to each other with these alpha punks around," Park Chanyeol jokes good naturally, bringing a smile to Junmyeon's face. 

Just when he thinks this is over, he feels someone tapping his shoulder so he turns to find, his alpha boss staring at him again. 

The slight furrow of his intense eyebrows is somehow giving away the soft features of the alpha's face. 

"Oh Sehun. 27. CEO," a ghost of smirk passes over the alpha's small lips, "Let's get along~ hmm Hyung," he finishes with a drawl. 

Junmyeon's wolf shivers and awakens.