Chapter Text
Hyun had given up on his dreams. He had accepted that he wasn’t meant to be an idol, never meant to be in a group that might have a chance at having an impact on culture. It had become a waste of time trying over and over to debut out of different companies’ trainee programs.
Realistically he knew he should be on the hunt for a job. He shouldn’t expect his family to support him forever, but that felt like defeat on a level that he wasn’t ready for yet. He wanted to hold onto this limbo for as long as possible.
Walking aimlessly around the city wasn’t productive by any means. All it really did was let Hyun stew on his failure. Stew on his inability to be everything he wanted to be. Stew on the end of this chapter of his life. Which-
Well it wasn’t really the most emotionally healthy thing he could do for himself, was it?
That was okay. Hyun never called himself emotionally stable or claimed to make the best emotionally healthy choices ever. Throwing himself into training to be an idol when the chances at a successful debut were slim to none certainly never aligned with emotionally healthy.
Losing himself in the training after he had presented so late as an alpha didn’t really align with it either. It was easier than thinking too hard about anything, though.
Hyun stopped his even strides when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket with a call. He looked up at the sky, quietly admiring the way that the blue of the sky had faded towards orange and pink as the sun set. It was easier to trace the line of the clouds idling in the sky than it was to reach into his pocket and answer whoever wanted his attention at this point.
It was probably one of his family members trying to check in with him. The time was getting late and this would be, what? The fifth or sixth time in a row he had stayed out past dinner. It didn’t matter.
Not right now.
Not in this state of limbo.
The vibrations in his pocket stopped. With a long breath out through his nose, Hyun closed his eyes trying to lose himself in the sound of the city, the slight smell of the smog, the cool air of early fall settling about him.
He really should go home, pull up the job hunting sights his family had - oh so helpfully - sent him when he had moved back home. He should move on.
A wave of frustrated apathy washed over him. Just because he was willing to admit he wasn’t cut out to be an idol didn’t mean that he was ready to put so many years of his life behind him. He wished his family could understand that.
His phone started vibrating in his pocket again.
Hyun immediately dug into his pocket, fully prepared to - politely - tell his family to leave him alone. Give him a few more days. Just let him breathe for a moment.
Every thought in his head ground to a stop when he saw the name on caller ID.
Wumuti.
It had been, maybe a year, maybe more since he had heard from him. Last he had heard he was busy with a solo debut.
Hyun was mature enough to admit he was jealous even if he was happy for his friend. Old friend? Ex-friend? What did you even call someone you used to be very close to that you hadn’t talked to in forever.
Almost as if he was in a trance, Hyun answered his phone. With only the slightest moment of hesitation he lifted it up to his ear, “Hello?” His voice came out higher pitched than he had heard it since his presentation rut.
“Hyun. Hey.” Wumuti’s voice was soothing like it has always been. It had that easy quality to it that drew everyone in. He had that spark that being an idol needed. A spark that Hyun apparently didn’t have. “How are you, what have you been up to?”
Hyun blinked a little stupidly. A call out of nowhere just to catch up?
“Uhm, I- well, I have moved back home. I guess.” He swallowed heavily. Everything in him screamed to not admit that he had given up on the dream he had shared with the man on the other side of the phone.
Words that Wumuti had whispered to him after one particularly grueling training session swam up through the haze of self hatred that had descended on him when his contract with the last company he had tried with had come to an end without success.
‘Never give up on your passion. No matter how hard it is to fight for it, fight.’
“Back home?” There was a tinge of confusion in Wumuti’s tone, “Is the current training program you’re in near by? Does it not require you to be in a dorm?”
So many questions, none of which had an answer Hyun wanted to give. “Oh well-” He paused trying to figure out exactly how to explain to Wumuti - bright, stubborn, caring, uplifting Wumuti - that he had given up after all.
Silence descended from the other side of the phone as Hyun trailed off, at a loss. Wumuti had always been patient when Hyun didn’t know what to say or how to say something.
“I, uh, I’m not currently part of any training program.” There, that was the truth and Hyun didn’t have to admit that he had given everything up. That he was a failure and all the advice and support Wumuti had given him once upon a time didn’t go to waste.
“Oh? Like you aren’t under any contracts right now?” There seemed to be a tinge of excitement to Wumuti’s voice now, which was unexpected.
“Uh, yeah. No contracts.” Hyun kicked at the pavement under his toe and started walking again, keeping his eyes mostly trained down as he walked. He only glanced up occasionally to ensure he wasn’t going to run into anyone.
“Excellent!” Wumuti cheered followed by some indiscernible noises that definitely conveyed he was excited about Hyun not having a contract currently. Which was a bit confusing and beyond mind boggling.
“Uh-” Hyun started, trying desperately to find the words he needed to respond to that. If there even was a way to respond to that.
“Listen,” Wumuti cut him off with that easy commanding tone he would get when helping other trainees around him, “I just signed a contract with this smaller company. They are giving me so much freedom, I can choose my members and concept and produce the songs we are going to have.” He stopped to take a deep breath before continuing in a rush of excited words, “Anyway, I think you would be a perfect fit for the concept I want to do. I mean, if you are interested in being in a group with me?”
Hyun stopped walking again. It wasn’t necessarily his smartest choice since it was in the middle of a crosswalk and he had cars blaring their horns at him as soon as the light changed. He quickly took the last few steps to get across the road. “You what?”
“I want you to debut in my group.” Wumuti said slower this time, with less words over-explaining everything. “If that is something you would be interested in.”
A feeling of unrealness descended over Hyun. There was no way. He had literally just accepted that he wasn’t cut out for this. He had just walked away, moved into the safety of limbo. And now?
Was he even allowed to have this?
“What’s, uhm, what’s the concept?” His voice sounded far away, like it wasn’t even coming from him. Like he was on the other end of a tunnel.
“Androgyny. I want to push the idea of gender expression and that it doesn’t matter who you are, you can do what makes you feel comfortable.” There was passion in the way Wumuti explained it.
“That sounds amazing, Wumuti, and well-” Hyun paused his eyes glancing around the streets around him without processing any of the details, “Like it’s going to have a lot of pushback.”
That was an excuse he could use to turn it down. He had already decided he wasn’t cut out for this. He couldn’t let himself have this. Surely.
“Yeah, I’m prepared for that.” Wumuti’s excitement was much more muted now, “But I think there is a space for this and it’s needed, you know? There are so many people out there who would feel very seen if a group like this existed.”
Suddenly Hyun was back when he and Wumuti were training together and he was sitting there doing cool down stretches and listening to his unrestrained friend go on about the things he wanted to do one day. About the changes in the industry he wanted to see. About the acceptance he wished was out there for people who didn’t fit the societal expectations of ‘normal.’
“Yeah.” Hyun echoed a version of his past self, nodding along to his fellow trainee’s words, a soft smile spreading across his lips. He always knew Wumuti would go somewhere one day. It had been so easy to see it with how he had shined.
“I really feel like you would be a perfect fit for this. Can you imagine an alpha pushing gender norms? In our industry it would be perfect. And your voice is exactly what I’m imagining, plus you pick up on new movements in dance so well and I know we are going to be doing things out of the normal idols comfort zone with choreo.” There was a small hint of nervous rambling as Wumuti talked, “I would understand if it was something you wouldn’t feel comfortable with. Especially being an alpha in the industry. I know how certain companies love to overly sexualize the masculinity behind male alphas.”
Hyun started to walk blindly back towards his family's house, letting his feet carry him along the familiar lines of the roads. He swallowed back the lump that formed in his throat that had nothing to do with being an idol or Wumuti’s proposal. The idea that anything about his secondary gender would be highlighted had been one of the driving factors behind his decision that he wasn’t cut out to be an idol. And no matter what concept or group he ended up with there would be talk of him being an alpha.
There was always talks around who was and wasn't an alpha in a group.
But-
A genderless concept.
Maybe…
“I think I might be interested in doing something like that, hyung.” The words were out of Hyun’s mouth before he could even fully process that he could let himself have this. Just the smallest sliver of not having to be an alpha’s alpha. Maybe getting to explore the softer side of things he had never allowed himself to look at for longer than a few seconds. Never allowed himself to think about. Ever.
“Yeah?” Wumuti had that excited tone back lacing through his voice, “I can’t wait for you to meet the other guys. Well, I still have to talk to them but I know you are going to get along with them so well. Maybe you saw them on Boys Planet, Rui and Haru?”
Hyun tuned into his surroundings since the call with Wumuti started. He was surprised he had managed to get himself only a few blocks from home without any incident considering he hadn’t been paying any attention to where he was walking.
Of course he had kept up with Boys Planet. Wumuti had been his best friend before he had left to go do that project. It had been his little piece of a friend he could no longer spend day in and day out with. A way to stay connected even as their friendship drifted apart with the distance and their busy schedules.
“Yeah. I remember them. They are really talented. Are you-” Hyun stopped himself, a little annoyed at the slip up. He was better than this. He didn’t need the reassurance from Wumuti he used to crave and seek out all the time. He didn’t need it.
“You’ll fit right in with them, I promise.” The smile in Wumuti’s voice was so prevalent. As was the familiar ease of him soothing away the doubts Hyun buried deep inside.
Hyun couldn’t help but smile to match Wumuti’s tone as a knot that had been twisted up inside his chest eased for the first time in what felt like forever, “I trust you.”
***
Signing contracts was one of Hyun’s least favorite things. He always got anxious there might be things he was missing. Taking the time to make sure to read through every page at least twice before signing everything always left him twitchy by the time he was done. When it was all over and done with it was a huge relief.
Now all he had to be anxious about was meeting Rui and Haru for the first time. And seeing Wumuti again for the first time since they had parted to work on different projects with different companies. Honestly he didn’t know what he was more nervous about.
Of course, because he was nervous, he was the first to show up to the house Wumuti had picked out for them to stay in. Which really only made the anxiety worse because what if that made him look too eager. Too desperate.
Hyun’s shoulders hunched in as the anxiety made his chest feel tight. If he had the keys to the house he could have at least let himself in so he could do something with the nervous energy rattling through his bones. Wumuti was the only one who had the keys, though.
He scuffed the side of his shoe against one of his bags as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time again. Only two minutes had passed since he had last checked. A nervous thrum of energy spiked in the back of his head, worse than the low lying static had been up until then. There was no way he was going to be able to calmly wait until Wumuti showed up.
Before he could second guess himself, Hyun unlocked his phone and sent a text off to Wumuti. ‘I think I’m here. Didn’t predict the time it would take to get here, oops. lol.’
He tapped the corner of his phone and nervously licked his bottom lip as he waited for a reply. Was the ‘lol’ too much? Maybe he should have left it off.
‘Awesome! Rui should be there in a few. I’m running a bit behind, but don’t worry the two of you will get along fantastically. Not sure where Haru is at, he will probably beat me.’ The message popped up surprising Hyun out of his spiraling thoughts.
Of course, the message just sent him down a new spiral.
He had rationalized his anxiety about meeting Rui and Haru away for the most part. Had told himself he would get past seeing Wumuti again and then he would be able to bounce off of Wumuti’s boundless energy. And now he was-
Hyun closed his eyes hard, squeezing them shut until he could feel the tension pull at his nose and eyebrows and colors popped along the blackness of his closed lids. No, no. He wasn’t going to work himself up. Not right now. The contract was signed. He was doing this.
Somehow.
The crunch of concrete under tires snapped his listless, useless, thoughts of trying to keep himself rational to an end. Hyun took a deep breath in before letting it out in a slow, shaky exhale. He could do this.
Slowly he opened his eyes just in time to catch the door of the car sitting at the curb popping open. Hyun’s next breath caught in his throat as Rui elegantly stepped out of the car. He paused in the motion, stopping to drag a bag out behind him.
Once Hyun had managed to catch his breath he almost lost it again in a broken stutter as the soft vanilla-lavender scent of omega wafted through the air. Normally other omega trainees suppressed their scents when they weren’t in their dorms. Normally if Hyun smelt an omega it was muted by other smells that were always wafting through the city.
Normally when he smelt an omega he didn’t immediately like the scent of the omega.
Oh and that realization really messed with everything he had been absolutely not letting himself think about with his secondary gender.
Rui slung the bag over his shoulder as he stood all the way up, his sweat pants riding low enough on his hips that a thin strip of skin showed, “Oh, hello.” A soft smile spread across his lips that Hyun actively had to force himself not to look at. “Hyun, yeah?” Rui stepped forward, holding his free hand out, the other one clutching his bag on his shoulder.
Without processing exactly what he was doing, Hyun stepped forward and took Rui’s hand. “I am, Rui-hyung.” He bowed his head slightly, barely noticing Rui do the same after a slight delay.
“So formal.” There was a slight teasing lilt to Rui’s tone as he dropped Hyun’s hand. “Give me a second.” He dropped his bag next to Hyun’s pile before going to the back of the car that was dropping him off.
Some instinctual respect that had been drilled into him from a young age kicked Hyun into gear. He moved forward automatically, coming up next to Rui to grab a couple of his bags out of the back of the car.
“Thank you.” Rui flashed him a pleased smile, giving him what seemed to be a fond look from the side of his eyes.
Hyun hefted the bags up and carried them over to his pile of bags. He carefully set them down on top of his bags so that they wouldn’t be on the ground while they waited.
“Wumuti told me you were the quiet, nervous type.” Rui let the bags he was carrying drop down onto the ground at their feet, “He didn’t tell me to expect tall and hunky.” He tilted his head to the side in a way that only a very confident omega could pull off. It highlighted the length of his neck purposefully. If he looked very closely Hyun thought he might even be able to see the small bump that would hold an omega’s scent gland and bonding spot.
He wasn’t looking very closely, that would have been beyond rude.
With greater effort than it should have taken, Hyun pulled his eyes away from Rui’s neck to meet his gaze. He couldn’t help the flustered heat that filled his cheeks at the knowing look that was reflected in Rui’s eyes.
“Tall, nervous, quiet, hunk.” Rui reached forward and tapped Hyun’s chest, “We are going to have so much fun with this concept.”
“Oh, uh.” Hyun desperately tried to find words, any words really.
Rui reached for Hyun’s hand again and pulled it up to examine his fingers carefully, “Oh your fingers will look fabulous decorated. Maybe we can pick out some nail polish tonight for you. I have a couple different options and Wumuti is bringing some as well.”
“What have the two of you discussed?” Hyun watched the way Rui’s fingers slowly rubbed over the knuckles of his own fingers. The gentle scent of vanilla filling the space between them helped him relax slightly.
“Oh, just a few things like nails, makeup, the kind of style he’s imagining. I’m really excited and humbled he picked me for this.” Rui looked up at Hyun. His loose zip-up jacket slid to the side slightly exposing the skin of his collarbones. The sight was only disrupted by the tank top he was wearing.
“Right.” Hyun nodded, nervously licking the bottom of his lip. “Me too. I’m very proud of him too.”
Rui nodded in agreement, “His talent really puts the rest of us to shame. And we get to be part of his canvas.” He bounced a little on his toes, not able to contain his excitement any longer. Hyun’s hand fell to his side as Rui did a little spin right there on the side of the road. It wasn’t quite a pirouette but it was close enough that Hyun could see the intention in the movement.
A small surprised laugh bubbled out of Hyun’s throat. He couldn’t imagine being that confident to dance like that in public. Here was this elegant omega that seemed to have every confidence in the world. It made some pit in Hyun’s stomach ache. Jealousy maybe? Or yearning.
The faint sound of tires crunching on the concrete had both of them turning to watch as another car drove down the quiet road. It rolled to a stop next to Rui and Hyun. Haru was popping out of the car before it had even fully come to a stop.
“Rui!” His voice cracked as he threw himself into Rui’s arms, “It’s been too long, hyung!”
Hyun blinked a little stupidly at the easy comfort the two had with one another. Every uneasy thought that had stirred through his head before Rui’s easy demeanor had smothered them came rushing back.
These two already knew one another. They were close to Wumuti already. There was an established dynamic between the three of them and Hyun was going to just be an intruder in it. A stranger. Outcast. Not belonging.
Haru pulled away from Rui after only a couple seconds of clinging on. With almost manic energy he pivoted to Hyun, “it’s so good to meet you finally! Wumuti would never shut up about you. Always said he knew the most devoted trainee he had ever met and none of us could keep up with your dedication.”
Hyun wasn’t fully able to comprehend exactly what Haru had just revealed to him. He was so wrapped up in trying to make that statement make sense compared to his own opinions on his dedication (or lack there of) he wasn’t braced for Haru as he flung himself at Hyun. His arms wrapped around Hyun’s neck and pulled him into a slight stoop as he pressed close in a hug.
“Ya! Haru, he’s just met us. Please,” Rui exclaimed around a breathless laugh. His fingers briefly brushed against Hyun’s neck as he grasped onto Haru’s arm to tug him away. The tiniest feeling of it sent shivers running down Hyun’s spine.
With a sharp mental shake Hyun snapped himself out of the momentary stupor he had fallen into at the more intimate contact. “It’s okay, hyung.” He said in a soft mumble as he hesitantly brought his arms up to return the hug. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate himself somehow and make it even harder to fit in.
“See, it’s okay Rui-hyung.” Haru turned his head, causing his hair to press against Hyun’s cheek where he was pulled against him. It had a soft texture that made Hyun want to nuzzle down into the slighter boy’s embrace even more. He managed to hold himself back by a thin thread.
There was a moment before a sharp laugh came from Rui, “don’t stick your tongue out at me, bratty Maknae.” He reached up and patted Haru’s cheek with one of those elegant hands.
Hyun caught the sight of an amused smirk breaking across Rui’s face as he fondly rolled his eyes. With a look, directed at Hyun specifically, that seemed to say ‘what can you do?,’ Rui pivoted to grab Haru’s bags from the back of the waiting car. Maybe being part of the Maknae line would be really nice if it was already this obvious how Rui babied Haru.
A soft cheek rubbed against his in an intimate gesture used by packs to rub each other’s scents into one another. “We are going to be a pack now.” Haru squeezed the back Hyun’s neck before letting go. “Rui is just being stuffy.”
Just from the short interaction Hyun had with Rui so far he was fairly certain that was the farthest thing from the truth. Stuffy people didn’t pirouette in the middle of a street.
Rui unceremoniously dumped Haru’s bags next to their growing pile of things, “not sure stuffy is the correct term, baby.” He reached over and sharply pinched Haru’s cheek.
Haru squawked and shoved Rui back, “none of that! Knowing Wumuti we are going to be filming things as soon as he’s here and I don’t need my cheeks different colors because of your abuse.” He quickly stepped around Hyun so that he was between Rui and him. He went up on his tip toes and rested his chin on Hyun’s shoulder, grasping onto Hyun’s upper arms for support, “protect me from him, he’s so mean to me” he whispered into Hyun’s ear. A suppressed laugh vibrated against Hyun's back where Haru’s chest was pressed against it.
Goosebumps broke out across Hyun’s arms. Okay, so he hadn’t prepared himself mentally for the prospect that one of the members might be even more touchy than Wumuti. Which was obviously an oversight on his part. And maybe he was a little touch starved, but surely that was beside the point.
“Speaking of,” Rui pulled his phone out of his pocket, ignoring Haru’s antics, “where is our leader?”
“He’s running late.” Hyun answered, bringing up a hand to pat at one of Haru’s. “I texted him earlier since I was early.” He hadn’t meant to admit he had been so early but there was no point in trying to hide that he had been early. Hyun had been already waiting here when Rui arrived.
“I think that means he gets to do dishes for a week.” Rui nodded, adjusting his zip up jacket so that his collar bone was covered again.
Hyun only grieved its loss a little bit.
Haru let go of Hyun’s arms only to slip his own arms under Hyun’s and wrap them around his chest. “I agree.” He nodded, his chin digging into Hyun’s shoulder with the movement.
Maybe he didn’t need to be so worried about fitting in if Haru was already clinging to him like this. The anxious negative voice in the back of his head grumbled that Haru could just be like this and it had nothing to do with Hyun and wanting to be close with him.
Absently Hyun let his hands settle over Haru’s, “I’m sure he’s got a good reason for being late.” He couldn’t help but defend Wumuti, he had been his best friend during one of his least favorite training stints. Wumuti had kept him propped up when nothing else could have.
Rui waved his hand in the air absently, “let us get onto him, he’s certainly going to be all over us the second one of us is late.” Despite the slightly defensive words, Rui’s tone was soft and teasing. Fond.
It became suddenly apparent to Hyun that at some point in the last few minutes of being in Haru and Rui’s presence his anxiety had almost completely melted away. The realization of how easy it had been to fall into their dynamic briefly lifted the weight that had been sitting on Hyun’s shoulders, stressing him out since Wumuti had initially called him.
Maybe making a good impression and not messing this all up for himself didn’t need to be a concern.
Gentle fingers that gripped onto his hands and pulled them away from Haru’s warm grip jerked Hyun back into reality. “No fair, lovies, I want in on the cuddle session.” Rui pulled Hyun’s arms around his shoulders and pressed his head under Hyun’s chin. “There we go. Uhg, there is always something so nice about alpha warmth.”
His sweet vanilla-lavender scent mixed with Haru’s faint fresh baked bread scent in a way that made Hyun relax even more. Enough so that his thoughts didn’t even linger on the comment about his secondary gender. Hyun was definitely not going to have any issue with their scents all mixing together as they settled down into their space together.
Especially once Wumuti’s scent also mixed in.
Hopefully it hadn’t changed much in the time Hyun hadn’t seen Wumuti. The way Wumuti’s scent would shift from a sweet brown sugar to a faint cinnamon to something almost almondy depending on where he felt on the scale of genders day to day.
That was something he had thought about despite his own ban on the topic in reference to himself. What would his scent be if he wasn’t an alpha. If his scent would lose that bitter tang to it that overlayed the more earthy tones. If he would still smell like freshly brewed tea, the way it had before his presentation rut, instead of burnt tea leaves.
Maybe the other three’s scents would just blanket his scent so well that if he just ensured to shower at least twice a day his overbearing alpha scent wouldn’t build up to a place where he could smell himself.
“Is something wrong?” Rui asked, tilting his head back enough that he could meet Hyun’s eyes.
“No.” Hyun answered immediately, maybe almost a little too fast. It was just that nothing ever was wrong. Never could be. Never would be.
If he said it to himself enough it would be true.
“Is the cuddling okay?” A small furrow appeared between Rui’s brows and his eyes darted from focusing on one of Hyun’s pupils to the other.
“Uh,” Hyun blinked a little stupidly before it occurred to him that maybe Rui was picking up on a change to his scent due to his thoughts. Stupid pheromones and the way omegas could so easily pick up on them. Of course the only obvious thing that could be making Hyun upset was being plastered between two people he had technically just met. “No. I mean, yes. This is fine.”
Rui gave him a soft amused smile before patting his chest, “Haru that’s probably enough for now.” He ducked out of the arms he had tucked himself into.
Hyun immediately missed the way his scent had briefly surrounded him and overwhelmed his own scent. The slight undertone of his bitter scent breaking through the cloud of comfort that had blanketed him.
Instead of letting go, Haru clung onto Hyun tighter, shoving his nose firmly against Hyun’s neck. “But he smells good.”
That objectively was not true. He smelt like stinky bitter alpha and had since his presentation. Some alpha’s had the gift of a good scent and that definitely wasn’t him.
Rui narrowed his eyes pointedly at Haru. He didn’t even say anything, just shook his head ever so slightly and it was more than enough to convey his disappointment and annoyance.
“Reminds me of home.” Haru mumbled quietly, taking a deep, long breath before stepping back with very obvious reluctance. He slowly let out his breath, “Makes me want tea.”
Rui snorted inelegantly, which seemed like an antithesis. Nothing about Rui struck Hyun as inelegant. He had seen plenty clips of him dancing and he was very elegant in everything he did. “You would’ve wanted tea anyway.”
Haru stepped to the side, rolling his eyes in such an exaggerated way that his whole head followed the movement, led by his chin. “Do you blame me? Tea is good.” He plucked at his oversized t-shirt that hung past the waistline
For the third time Hyun heard the distinct crunching noise of tires on pavement as a car turned onto the road. Hyun tuned out whatever arguing was now occurring between Rui and Haru as the car rolled to a stop in front of them. The tension from earlier returned to Hyun’s shoulders.
He couldn’t believe he had forgotten his own anxiousness at seeing Wumuti again with Rui and Haru so easily distracting him.
The engine died off and Wumuti stepped out of the drivers’ side door. His unique scent drifted out with him, today a light scent of almond with undertones of cinnamon. A wide smile was spread across his face and he clapped his hands together, “You all made it!”
“Mom!” Haru quickly rounded the front of the car and collided with Wumuti in a fierce hug.
Wumuti tucked his nose against Haru’s neck, leaning down slightly to do so. “Missed you, baby fox.” he mumbled quietly enough that the words were definitely supposed to be just for Haru. “So glad you agreed to do this.”
Rui was exponentially more patient, waiting for Wumuti to gently extract himself from Haru’s embrace before swooping in for a hug with a soft spoken, “My love.”
The exchange between them was silent, a long hug where both of them were taking deep breaths of each other’s scents. The easy familiarity of their intimacy made Hyun wonder if something had happened between the two of them. He firmly ignored the surge of jealousy that reared its head in his chest.
He had plenty of times he could have reached out to Wumuti in the time that had been silent between them. He just hadn’t. For some reason he wasn’t really willing to overthink. Or think about period.
Wumuti stepped back and gently cupped Rui’s face for a moment. He tugged the sleeve of his turtleneck up so that he could rub his scent on his wrist over Rui’s neck. “You smell like you just came out of heat. Poor Hyun’s brain is probably broken.”
“Mm, it was a couple days ago.” Rui laughed lightly, a mischievous smile spreading on his lips. “He hasn’t complained yet, anyway.”
At this Wumuti turned to look at Hyun only to pause as he took in Hyun’s figure.The examination made something in Hyun’s guts squirm. Nerves or something else. “Oh you grew more.” Was the first thing that came out of Wumuti’s mouth followed by a, “It suits you really well, gorgeous gorgeous man.”
And then Hyun was enveloped by familiar warm arms and a comforting scent he hadn’t smelt this close in way too long. He immediately, instinctually, was crushing Wumuti against him in a desperate hug. Too long and too much distance and not enough time to figure himself out pouring out of him in a desperate noise that he just barely managed to choke down.
There still hadn’t been enough time to figure himself out. Realistically. He wasn’t sure there was ever going to be enough time to figure himself out. Especially since he decidedly did not want to think about anything that would force him to admit things about himself that would push him out of the very comfortable box he had closed himself up in.
Wumuti was pulling back far too soon and Hyun let him go, unwilling to come across as one of those alphas that didn’t respect other people’s boundaries. Even if he could have held onto Wumuti for hours and it still wouldn’t have been enough.
Wumuti’s warm palms gently cupped Hyun’s cheeks, making the almond of his scent waft in the air around Hyun’s nose so much stronger than before, “we are going to have so much fun.” A smile spread across his face as he turned his head to look back at the other two. He reached one of his hands out to them.
Rui and Haru were quick to grasp onto the inviting hand and let themselves be pulled a little closer to the pair of them. “I can’t wait.” Rui bounced a little on his toes, “We should start talking about everything tonight. I want to hear all the details you wouldn’t tell me when you called.”
“Let’s get settled in first and maybe see about some dinner before we start talking about work.” Wumuti wrinkled his nose in an amused expression at Rui’s excitement.
“Not sure this counts as work.” Haru muttered slowly, looking off to the side, “But I do love a delicious meal. The faster we get to that the better.” He nodded firmly and let go of his shared grasp on Wumuti.
Hyun could help the deep shaky breath he took as everything crashed over him at once. They were really here. They would be a group and possibly do things other groups had never tried before. Possibly change the industry with their expression of art.
He might finally have a place he could fit in and not have to pretend to be something he wasn’t.