Chapter Text
Soobin had virtually no recollection of how they made it out of the Third Kingdom. He knew that Yeonjun had carried him from the palace, that the force of the emperor’s aura had wounded his inner omega possibly beyond repair. All of his energy had gone, and he let Yeonjun lift him onto his back without protest.
Taehyun had crouched down to lay a fabric doll on the emperor’s open palm. Soobin wondered if he had already been able to join his family in the afterlife. He hoped so– the emperor’s last expression had been one of tranquility. His face haunted Soobin. He couldn’t have possibly been any older than Taehyun and Kai, youthful even in death. The emperor was just a child, driven insane by grief, and drunk on the power of his birthright. His momentary hesitation had cost him his life.
Soobin woke up in bed, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling. He could hear slow, even breaths, and when he finally gathered the strength to turn his head he saw Yeonjun, slumped over in a chair and sleeping peacefully. The alpha was holding his hand.
“Hyung,” he croaked. “Yeonjun hyung.”
Yeonjun sat straight up, gaze coming to meet Soobin’s right away. “Soobin,” he said. There were deep blue circles under his eyes, and he seemed haggard. “Are you alright?”
Truthfully, Soobin didn’t know. He felt more drained than he’d ever felt in his life, winded even just from speaking a few words. Yeonjun scanned his face, looking drawn and worried.
“I’m going to get the doctor, alright, Soobin? Just stay here.”
He didn’t really have much choice, but Yeonjun patted his hand and then turned to leave the room. Soobin’s eyes slipped shut again, exhausted, and he had no idea how much time passed before Yeonjun returned. He had Taehyun and Kai in tow this time, as well as a short, kind-looking beta with long bangs.
“Hello, I’m Doctor Son,” she said pleasantly. “I’m very happy to see you awake. Captain Choi has been absolutely hounding me about your wellbeing for the past couple of days.”
Days? Soobin didn’t think he’d been asleep that long, but evidently he was mistaken. The doctor came to take his pulse and examine the cut at his throat, which she proclaimed was healing nicely. She then took a step back, and sighed.
“Well, the good news is that your body is physically in good shape,” she began. “But your inner omega will take much longer to heal. Forceful submission by an alpha like that is incredibly damaging to the psyche of an omega, and you may experience bouts of fatigue, anxiety, and frequent nightmares over the next few months.” She gestured to Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Kai before continuing. “It’s good to have friends nearby, to reassure your inner omega and create a sense of community. Captain Choi tells me that you have a sister as well, so we’ll be sure to get you home as soon as you’re back on your feet.”
“Okay,” Soobin responded, voice crackly from disuse. “Thank you, Doctor Son.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, smiling. “I’m confident that Captain Choi will be completely overbearing during your recovery, so just call me if he gets too annoying.” Yeonjun’s ears turned red, but he still thanked her before she left.
As soon as the door closed, Kai leaped onto the bed and squished Soobin into a tearful embrace. The beta smelled like himself again, sort of milky and soft, and his eyes were very watery when he pulled back to look at Soobin’s face.
“Kai, be gentle,” Taehyun reprimanded. There was no bite behind his words, though, and he was staring at Soobin with a relieved expression. When Soobin lifted his arms, Taehyun piled into bed as well and pressed his face into Soobin’s neck. His inner omega definitely flinched at that, but within moments of breathing in his familiar tea-like scent he’d settled down again.
“Where’s Beomgyu?” He asked under his breath. If his mouth hadn’t been inches from Taehyun’s ear, he doubted that he would’ve been able to hear Soobin’s question at all. The alpha answered with his lips brushing over Soobin’s collar bone.
“I don’t know. He vanished after you killed the emperor. I haven’t seen him since.”
Soobin’s stomach dropped. Had the ancestors recalled him back to the shrine? He hardly dared to hope that they’d resurrected him, that Beomgyu would have the second chance he’d been promised. The silence where Beomgyu was supposed to be made him feel uneasy.
“Um,” Yeonjun cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’ll just– uh…” He turned to leave, but then Kai reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket. He froze, and then looked back at Soobin very slowly.
“Come here, hyung,” Soobin murmured.
“I– uh, you don’t have to– I mean…”
“Hyung.”
That was all it took for Yeonjun to smush into bed beside Kai, the beta squirming around to accommodate him. Apparently Yeonjun had been forgiven for his slights in the maknae’s eyes.
“Yeonjun hyung, you don’t get enough cuddles,” Kai said flatly. “You’re being weird.”
Yeonjun’s entire face turned red, and he spluttered a lot before Soobin pulled him in closer. It meant that Kai was practically laying on his chest, but he didn’t mind. The beta was like a heated blanket over his body, even if he was a little too lanky for it to be entirely comfortable.
Doctor Son was right. It was soothing, to have them all in the same space like this. He could feel his inner omega calming, the initial tension dissipating entirely.
“Mm, hyung,” Taehyun piped up, after several minutes of pleasant stillness. “They want to give you a medal.”
“What?” Soobin asked, sort of groggy.
“For ending the war,” Taehyun answered.
“It’s over?”
“Yeah. Emperor Park’s older sister Sooyoung ascended the throne last night, and the first thing she did was call it off. Apparently the war was super unpopular with the people, and they were threatening a rebellion if it didn’t end after the emperor passed.”
“His sister…” Soobin murmured. “Is she…?”
“Yeah,” Taehyun said, smiling. “She’s an omega.”
Soobin swore in shock, and it made Yeonjun laugh. It rumbled through his chest, vibrating under Soobin’s arm, and something warm lit up inside Soobin’s ribcage.
“Mmph,” Kai protested. “Sleeping, hyung.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Yeonjun looked up at Soobin, expression soft with an emotion Soobin couldn’t describe. He still wasn’t used to the captain being so open like this, but he supposed it made sense now. He wasn’t Soobin’s superior any more– just his friend. He liked it better like this. He drew Yeonjun closer, so that the alpha was snuggled against his side, before sleep pulled him under.
The medal ceremony honestly made Soobin more nervous than anything else in his life– he’d much rather face the monstrous alpha from the river again than have the royal tailors stuff him into another fancy hanbok and uncomfortable shoes. Apparently Yeonjun had pulled some strings, though, and made it so that the audience would be as minimal as possible. Soobin was grateful for that, seeing as his inner omega was still timid and anxious about strangers.
Taehyun and Kai were being awarded medals as well for the successful completion of the general’s rescue mission, and they looked very put-together in new formal military uniforms. Kai had whined about how tight the belt was, but he did look very proud. Apparently his sisters were being called to the palace to witness the ceremony, and the way his face lit up at the mention of them was incredibly endearing.
Yeonjun met him outside the throne room in the Second Kingdom’s royal palace. Soobin thought that he should probably consider himself lucky to have been able to see the inside of two royal palaces in the span of a week– it was an opportunity that most regular citizens could only dream of. However, he was too jittery and nervous to really think much of it.
“It’s okay, Soobin,” Yeonjun said gently. “I’m going to be here with you the whole time.”
“I know, hyung,” Soobin replied, but his voice trembled a little. “I’m just– I don’t know.”
Yeonjun’s expression was one of understanding, and he put his hand on the small of Soobin’s back. “I’ve got you, okay?”
“I know,” Soobin said again. “I trust you.”
A smile lit up Yeonjun’s face like the morning sunrise, and for a moment Soobin forgot everything– the emperor, the medal ceremony, the room full of strangers on the other side of the wall. All that mattered to him in that one shining moment was that Yeonjun was here, and that he was smiling.
The door cracked open, and Seokjin stuck his head out.
“Oh, hi hyung,” Yeonjun greeted.
“Come on in, guys,” Seokjin said, pushing the door open further to let them in. “We’re ready to go. Namjoon finally got everything prepared without breaking a single thing.”
“Don’t jinx him,” Yeonjun chuckled. He let Soobin go in first, closing the door behind them.
The throne room was enormous, with intricately carved columns and a high ceiling. There was a long rug running down the center, and Seokjin crossed over it to stand beside his mate. The general was positioned at the foot of the throne, where the emperor was sitting in his full regalia.
Soobin swallowed. The emperor was very clearly an alpha, wearing a dark red hanbok embroidered with the gold crest and a black hat hiding his hair. His sleeves covered his hands, and his expression was cold and unreadable as he stared at Soobin from the other end of the room. Soobin could spot the rest of General Kim’s elite unit from here, as well as Taehyun and Kai. Yeonjun put his hand on Soobin’s back again, guiding him forward until they were lined up with their friends. Kai squeezed Soobin’s fingers, and Taehyun fixed him with a warm smile.
Taehyun and Kai received their medals first, from General Kim. The general looked very stiff in his formal uniform, and he nearly dropped Kai’s medal before Seokjin swooped in and caught it. That elicited a laugh from the small audience, who were apparently used to his clumsiness. Soobin felt himself relax just the tiniest bit.
Yeonjun was next. He received his medal from the emperor himself, looking completely unfazed by the recognition from the head of the Second Kingdom.
Soobin was last. Since he was no longer technically part of the army, he was being recognized as a civilian– which meant that he, too, would be honored by the emperor himself. He was so nervous that he thought he might pass out when it was his turn, but he felt Yeonjun’s hand on his back and forced himself to step forwards.
“Choi Soobin,” the emperor said calmly. “On the recommendation of General Kim as well as my son, I present you with the Crest of the Royal Family. The Second Kingdom thanks you for your courage and sacrifice, as well as for bringing about the end of the war. You have brought peace to our land, and restored the righteous leadership of our allies, the Third Kingdom. We owe you a great debt for your service.”
Soobin took the box with the golden crest inside with shaking hands, bowing deeply to the emperor. He felt lost, like Yeonjun’s touch on the small of his back was the only thing anchoring him to earth. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, and the next thing he knew he was standing outside the throne room again.
“You’re the crown prince,” he said numbly. “You’re the heir to the Second Kingdom throne.” It wasn’t a question, but Yeonjun answered anyway.
“Yes,” he replied. His eyes were fixed on Soobin’s own.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Yeonjun’s expression was strangely sad, and his next words sounded regretful.
“I guess we both had things that we wanted to hide, didn’t we?”
It felt like a dream, to be standing outside the gates of his family home. The day that he left, Soobin wasn’t sure that he was ever going to see it again. Taehyun and Kai were at his shoulder, having taken the long way back to their own villages. Soobin was grateful for their company.
“You ready to meet my sister?” He asked.
“Are you ready to see her?” Taehyun responded knowingly.
Soobin chuckled. “Probably not. The war may not have killed me, but I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Come on,” Kai said. “Let’s go. You already got to meet my sisters, I want to meet yours.”
The front door burst open before they could move. A figure came barreling out, making Soobin jump, but the arms around his neck and the mop of dark hair was immediately familiar.
“Beomgyu,” he breathed. “Gyu, are you–“
“Alive,” Beomgyu murmured. “You did it. They brought me back.” There were tears in Beomgyu’s eyes when he pulled away, the scent of tangerines light and sweet in the air.
“You’re an omega,” Soobin realized. “What the fuck?”
Beomgyu laughed, dabbing at his face with his sleeves. “Yeah, I am. What did you think I was?”
“I don’t know, you were bullying me about how I was such a terrible beta, I just assumed that–“
“Beomgyu hyung?” Kai gasped. The maknae goggled at him, jaw practically on the floor.
“Hi, Kai,” Beomgyu said. He ruffled Kai’s hair, and the maknae looked temporarily stunned.
“Whoa,” he whispered. “No wonder Taehyun’s obsessed with you. You’re, like, hot.”
“Hey, stop hitting on my relatives,” Soobin complained. “You’re terrible, all of you.”
“I’m not hitting on him, I promise,” Kai denied quickly. “Just telling the truth.”
Beomgyu laughed again, and turned to look at Taehyun. The alpha, for once, was completely speechless. He stared at Beomgyu with his wide, luminous eyes, his lips parted in awe.
“Hello, Taehyunnie,” Beomgyu greeted shyly. There was a noticeably pink flush to his cheeks.
Taehyun stuttered a couple of times before he was able to speak. “H-h-hi. You, um, you look nice.”
“I look not dead, if that’s what you mean,” Beomgyu replied.
“Um, yeah. And– pretty.” Taehyun blinked suddenly, like he’d been blinded by Beomgyu’s sunshine smile.
“Thanks, Tyun. You’re pretty handsome, too. And cute. And hot, and just– you know. Perfect.” Beomgyu was looking down at the dirt by the end of his sentence, face completely red.
Soobin groaned. It wasn’t that he was opposed to having Taehyun as an in-law, it was just that this amount of sappy behavior on a regular basis was probably going to make him go prematurely grey. For all his big talk back when he was still a ghost, Beomgyu was actually super embarrassing now that he was standing in front of the love of his second life.
“Hey,” Beomgyu retorted. “You can’t be mad, Soobin. How’s that captain of yours? You still pining over him?”
“Wait a second,” Soobin said, as the realization hit him. “You’re younger than me, now. You know what that means, Gyu.”
“No,” Beomgyu answered immediately. “No, I am not calling you hyung.”
“Remember the rules,” Soobin told him, savoring every word. “You’re either nineteen, or you’re too old to be hitting on Taehyun.”
Beomgyu’s expression folded. He looked conflicted for a second, gaze flickering back and forth between Taehyun and Soobin, and then he finally caved.
“Fine,” he growled. “You’re totally whipped for that stupid captain, Soobin hyung. Is that better?”
“Much,” Soobin said, with a satisfied grin.
Then, the door to the house swung open again. The scent of berry hotteok flooded out, sugary with elation. Soobin turned.
Arin was standing outside, holding her arms out.
Soobin launched himself into her embrace. He was squeezing her so tight that it was probably painful, but she didn’t say a word. She just held him, let him bury his face in her silky hair, and smoothed her hand over his back.
“Noona,” he whispered. “Noona, I–“
“Soobin.” Her voice was warm, and when she pulled away she ran her thumb over his cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Binnie.”
Soobin knew that there were tears streaming down his face, but he couldn’t stop them. Arin brushed them away with a touch as light as a butterfly’s wing, and it was like all of the days without her were wiped from his memory. The aching pain of so many months missing his older sister had healed over.
“You want to introduce me to your friends?” She asked, glancing over at them with a smile.
“Yeah,” he answered. He clung to her for just a moment longer, simply enjoying her presence, and then put his hand under her elbow to help her cross the garden.
Soobin helped his sister prepare dinner that night, and the three of them had just sat down to eat when there was a knock at the door. Arin moved to get up, but Soobin shook his head.
“I’ll get it,” he told her. “You guys can start eating, if you want.”
“Nah, we’ll wait,” Beomgyu replied. Soobin nodded, and went to the front door curiously.
It was Yeonjun. He looked a little windswept, the early spring breeze lifting his bangs, but still handsome as ever. He was dressed in clothes that were probably considered casual by crown prince standards, but still by far the nicest clothing that Soobin had seen him wear besides the hanbok back in the Third Kingdom. He looked very out of place in the run-down yard with the dirt path and the chicken coop in the back. Soobin gaped at him for a bit, before remembering his manners.
“Oh, um. Hi, Yeonjun hyung.”
“Soobin,” he greeted shortly. He was shifting around on his feet a bit, looking sort of nervous. “Sorry for showing up unannounced, I just… You forgot this.” He held out a bundle of fabric, which Soobin took from him and unwrapped. It was the scarlet-tasseled dagger. It had been cleaned of blood, and the blade gleamed in the light flooding out from the house.
“I– thanks, hyung,” Soobin said, unsure how to respond. Yeonjun’s gaze was on the ground. His shoulders were curled in a little, and he appeared more uncertain than Soobin had ever seen him.
“Are– are Kai and Taehyun still here?” Yeonjun queried. “Or did they head back already?”
Soobin shook his head. “They left earlier. They should be home by now.”
“Oh.” There was a semi-awkward silence, until Soobin finally worked up the courage to ask.
“Do you… want to come inside? We just made dinner. It’s probably not much, compared to what you’re used to, but–“
“Yes, Soobin. I’d love that,” Yeonjun answered, sounding strangely relieved. Soobin held the door open for him, and Yeonjun took off his shoes. Soobin winced at the mud caked on the bottom of them, thinking that they were probably more expensive than anything he owned, but Yeonjun didn’t mention it. He led the way into the kitchen, where Arin and Beomgyu sat waiting.
Soobin may not have recognized the crown prince on first meeting, but Arin evidently did. She squeaked, nearly knocking over her cup of tea in her hurry to get out of her seat and bow to him. It made Yeonjun look incredibly uncomfortable, and he returned the greeting with a rigid bow of his own. Beomgyu, on the other hand, just raised his eyebrows at Soobin.
“Um,” Soobin began. “Noona, Gyu, this is Yeonjun hyung. Hyung, this is my sister Arin and my… cousin. His name is Beomgyu.” The younger was definitely holding in a laugh, but he stood up to shake Yeonjun’s hand good-naturedly when the alpha offered.
“Hyung?” Arin gasped. “Soobin, you can’t–“
“No, please,” Yeonjun interrupted gently. “Just Yeonjun is fine. I don’t– I’m not a prince here. Just Soobin’s friend.”
“Are you sure, Your Highness?” Arin was wringing her sleeves in front of her, looking self-conscious of her wrinkled dress and the simple meal set out in front of them. “I’ll– hang on, I’ll see what else I have to feed you, and…” She went to leave, but Yeonjun held out his hand. Arin paused.
“It’s okay, noona,” Soobin assured her. “Yeonjun hyung is– he trained me in the army, and he doesn’t mind. He’s really nice, I promise.”
The alpha’s ears were glowing red, but he nodded in concurrence and took a seat beside Soobin. Beomgyu looked at him appraisingly, but said nothing. Soobin went to the cabinet to find another place setting, handing Yeonjun chopsticks and a bowl for rice and then filling his teacup for him. It made Yeonjun blush even more, for some reason.
They had a lovely meal, chatting amicably the whole time. Arin looked utterly flabbergasted when Yeonjun took a piece of meat from his own plate and put it on Soobin’s; Beomgyu’s lips quirked into a smirk, and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Soobin flipped him off when the alpha looked the other way. Arin loosened up considerably, though, when Yeonjun cracked a joke about Soobin’s vehement hatred of running that had them all laughing.
“How’s your family?” Soobin asked. “You been living at the palace?”
“Yeah,” Yeonjun answered, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “They’re– you know. Fine, but boring, mostly. General Kim is supposed to visit, though. He said in his letter that he’s bringing Jungkook hyung with him, so that should be good.”
Soobin chuckled. “What, you don’t spend all your time frolicking around the palace, or something? Kai told me he caught a couple of frogs at the zen pond, and even tried to keep one as a pet until Taehyun told him off.”
Yeonjun smiled at the mention of the maknae. “Sounds like a very Kai thing to do.” There was a short pause, and he looked down at his plate. “Not a lot of frolicking for me, though. I’m an only child, so… I don’t know. Not a lot of people our age, and most of them are annoying. Sorry, I shouldn’t complain.”
“You should stick around here for a bit,” Beomgyu interjected. He flashed Soobin a devilish grin, and then continued. “We’re very fun people, you know. We have chickens.”
“Which you forgot to feed yesterday,” Arin pointed out sternly. “You’re worse than Soobin about that, I swear.”
“Aw, noona,” Beomgyu whined, with an overdramatic hand over his heart. “Worse than Soobinnie? You wound me.”
“Forget about those chickens again and I definitely will,” she replied. There was a tilt to her mouth that told Soobin she was joking, but Beomgyu’s bottom lip poked out in a mock pout until she patted his hair.
“Soobin hyung,” he corrected, but Beomgyu ignored Soobin’s words in favor of cramming another bite of rice in his mouth. Beomgyu ate with enthusiasm, which made sense since he’d been missing out for the last two hundred or so years.
It was nice, Soobin thought, to have them all sitting at the same table. Beomgyu’s loud laughter brought a smile to his face, and it made his heart light when Yeonjun stood up to pour tea for his sister. The alpha’s cinnamon scent made his inner omega feel calm in a way he hadn’t ever since that night on the roof.
Soobin and Yeonjun both tried to help clean up after dinner, but Arin shooed them off. Soobin headed towards his bedroom with the alpha in tow; Beomgyu had opened his mouth probably to say something raunchy, but Arin smacked him with a kitchen towel and dragged him away to do the dishes.
Yeonjun hovered around Soobin’s room looking vaguely apprehensive. Soobin pointed to the rickety chair opposite the bed. “Sit, hyung,” he said. “My sister’s not going to eviscerate you just for coming in here.”
“Ah, um. Right.” Yeonjun perched himself on the chair stiffly, avoiding Soobin’s gaze. His ears were red again. He was a funny sight, in his fancy clothes, surrounded by all of the clutter from Soobin’s childhood bedroom.
“What is it?” Soobin asked. “Spit it out, hyung.”
“I– I came to apologize, Soobin,” he began. Soobin stared from his spot on the end of the bed, perplexed, but let him continue without interrupting.
“I’ve just– I don’t know. I keep messing up, with you. I didn’t mean to keep secrets, but you saw–“ he gestured to the door, where the sound of Arin and Beomgyu’s giggles floated in from the hallway. “You saw how people react when they find out who I am. I didn’t want you to… treat me differently, or something.”
“It’s okay, hyung,” Soobin replied gently. “Like you said, we were both hiding things. I’m not mad.”
“Oh. That’s– that’s good.” Yeonjun swallowed, blinking down at his knees.
“I guess I should say sorry too,” Soobin added. “I lied to you for so long.”
Yeonjun looked up in surprise, and then shook his head. “No. You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said firmly. “I mean, your sister. I get it, I would’ve done the same thing. I had no grounds to be angry at you in the first place, and I’m sorry for the way that I reacted.” He pressed his lips together, and then went on. “I think I was mostly upset that Taehyun and Kai knew, and I didn’t. I– I want to be someone you can trust, Soobin.”
“Ah, hyung,” Soobin murmured. “It wasn’t about that, not at all. I couldn’t tell you because it would’ve put your command in jeopardy. If you knew, and someone else found out that you’d let me stay in spite of it, you could’ve gotten in trouble too. You had to break the law for me, and– you know.”
“Still. I…” Yeonjun folded his hands in his lap, his shoulders curling in again. “I was too hard on you, in training, and I’m sorry for that as well. I feel like I have so many things to apologize for.” He looked so small. Soobin wanted to reach out and touch him, to comfort him. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to.
“You weren’t being too hard on me, hyung. You wanted me to survive, and let’s just be honest– I was terrible,” Soobin said, with a wry smile. “You were just doing your job.”
Yeonjun shook his head. “That’s not…” He sighed heavily. “I was– emotionally constipated, as Changbin put it, or in Wooyoung’s words I was just being a fucking idiot.” He was looking everywhere but at Soobin, and his voice trembled just the slightest bit. “I liked you so much, Soobin, I just… didn’t know how to express it properly.”
Soobin stood up from the bed so fast he felt light-headed. Yeonjun’s head tilted, and he rose to catch him when Soobin’s steps faltered a bit. His brows were knitted together in concern, and Soobin wanted to smooth the creases out with his thumb.
“Hyung,” he whispered. “Hyung, do you mean liked, or…”
Yeonjun’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. He was so close, and Soobin felt like he was intoxicated on the warm scent of cinnamon. “No, Soobin,” he responded, so quietly it was almost inaudible. “I like you right now.”
Soobin knew it wasn’t proper for an omega; hell, it wasn’t proper for someone who wasn’t the literal fucking crown prince, but he kissed Yeonjun right there. The alpha gasped, mouth falling open, and then he was kissing back with a passion that ignited a fire in Soobin’s veins. It felt like he was drowning again, like he might never come up for air, but he pulled Yeonjun in even closer. The alpha’s arms were steady around him, holding him, protecting him from the world.
“Yeonjun hyung,” he said, when they finally broke apart. “Would you have liked me, if I wasn’t an omega?”
There was a moment of silence where Yeonjun looked completely dumbstruck, eyes glazed over and mouth slack. “Soobin,” he rasped. “I wanted you back when I thought you were a beta, and I think I still would’ve wanted you even if you were an alpha. Something about you, I just–“ He broke off, his eyes tracing the cut that was still healing on Soobin’s throat. “When I thought you were going to… I’m not sure I could’ve ever really recovered from that. Maybe I would’ve become like him, and it– it scares me. Maybe I really would’ve started a war for you.”
Soobin squeezed his hand, and Yeonjun looked up at him again. Soobin recognized the undercurrent to his scent this time, the one he’d missed back in Jisung and Minho’s house.
“Hyung, will you…?” He tilted his head, exposing his scent gland, and Yeonjun’s pupils blew wide. He swallowed and nodded, putting his hands on Soobin’s waist before dipping his head to press his cheek against Soobin’s neck.
His inner omega practically purred. The cinnamon scent was rich and spicy layered on Soobin’s own, the touch of Yeonjun’s lips on his collar bone making him shiver. He’d been scented before, of course, but this was different. Yeonjun’s alpha made his inner omega feel safe in a way that no one else did. It settled the undercurrent of anxiety that had been running in his veins for days, allowing him to relax into Yeonjun’s hold with a tiny sigh.
When he was done, Yeonjun lifted his head to allow Soobin to scent him back. He didn’t lick the spot where Yeonjun’s scent gland was, but it was a close call. Everything about the alpha was tempting, and his scent was so mouthwatering it made Soobin sort of dizzy. He wanted to drown in it. He wanted to have Yeonjun so close that honey cookies and toasted cinnamon became one.
“Oh, fuck,” Yeonjun said roughly, when Soobin finally managed to pull himself away. “Your sister’s definitely going to eviscerate me now.”
“Nah, but I do think you should worry about Beomgyu,” Soobin replied with a chuckle.
“I can probably take him.” Despite Yeonjun’s words, he grimaced a little.
“That’s what you’d think,” Soobin retorted, grinning. “But trust me. Beomgyu’s a menace.”
Beomgyu didn’t tackle Yeonjun the second he walked out of Soobin’s bedroom, but only because Arin was holding him by the back of his shirt. He was growling a lot. Soobin honestly thought it was kind of cute, like an angry puppy. He patted Beomgyu’s head on the way by, and the younger made sure to use a lot of creative curse words under his breath before Arin released him.
“I swear, you never would’ve gotten away with this back in my day–“
Yeonjun looked at him curiously. “What do you mean, back in your day?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Soobin interrupted quickly. “Noona, do we have any of that cake left?”
Yeonjun stayed for a few more days, until a letter demanding that he return to the palace that very afternoon came for him. He folded it up and put it in his pocket before turning to Soobin regretfully.
“You’re going back?” The omega asked.
Yeonjun nodded. “Apparently there’s a meeting that my dad wants me to sit in on. Something about preparing me to lead the nation in the future, and a lot of other boring stuff.”
“Well, you’re welcome here any time,” Arin put in. She gazed kindly at the pair over the breakfast that she was preparing. “We’re happy to have you, Yeonjun.”
The alpha’s face lit up in a beaming smile. “Oh, that’s– thank you, that’s so…”
“Speak for yourself, noona,” Beomgyu said grumpily. “He’s a thief here to steal Soobin away from us, and whisk him off to that fancy palace.”
“Soobin hyung,” he corrected again. “And I think I’ve had enough of palaces for a lifetime, to be honest.” He looked up at Yeonjun, who was watching him with a captivated expression. “You’ll come back soon, right?”
“As soon as I can,” Yeonjun assured him. “I might be able to make them let me go again next week.”
“Okay.” Soobin brought Yeonjun’s hand up to brush his lips over the alpha’s knuckles. “Bring Taehyun and Kai next time. I got a scathing note from Kai about how you’re here eating cake and he’s not, and I think Taehyun’s languishing away at his grandmother’s without us.”
“Yeah, right,” Beomgyu said sarcastically. “Taehyun’s perfect, we’re the ones languishing out here without him.”
“Speak for yourself, Beomgyu,” Soobin replied, in a mocking imitation of his earlier words. He ducked the apple that Beomgyu chucked at him from the fruit bowl on the table, and Yeonjun caught it deftly.
“Wait a second,” the alpha cut in with a frown. “How do you know Taehyun?”
“Uh, haha,” Beomgyu stared desperately at Soobin, who shrugged and said nothing. “Oops, I gotta go. Forgot to feed the chickens again!” He zoomed out of the kitchen at top speed, nearly bowling Arin over on his way out.
“He’s just weird,” Soobin told Yeonjun.
The alpha wisely chose not to ask.
Arin knocked her elbow against Soobin’s, her hands covered in flour. It had been several days since Yeonjun’s departure, and Soobin was counting down the days until his return.
“You happy, Soobin?” She asked.
“Yeah, noona,” he answered honestly. “Really, really happy.”
She smiled, kneading the dough in front of her. The bakery was warm from the oven, and the smell of bread and cakes filled the air. Beomgyu was gone for now, out on a delivery, but Soobin knew he’d be back at any moment.
“You know, after you failed the omega evaluations, this was not the sort of mate that I was expecting you to find for yourself,” Arin said lightly.
Soobin cringed, accidentally dropping his wooden spoon and poofing flour all over his apron. “Ack. Noona, we’re not mates, you know.”
“I do know,” she replied. “But I also think Yeonjun would like to change that someday.” Soobin’s face was definitely red, and Arin burst into giggles when she looked at him. “When I said marry up I didn’t mean that far up, but I’m not exactly complaining.”
Soobin groaned, mortified, and it made his sister laugh even harder. “Stop it, noona,” he whined. “You’re embarrassing me.”
She raised her hands placatingly. “As long as you’re happy, Soobin.” She went back to her bread dough, and there was a moment of comfortable silence. Then, she looked up at him again. Her smile was beautiful.
“As long as we’re together, I’ll be happy.”