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Jongdae hated it when they had to go to the witch's house.
She wasn’t really a witch as far as he knew, but she did have the power to make everyone around her unhappy. Even Baekhyun didn’t have the nerve to speak to her, And Jongdae’s little brother was always loud and talkative. Instead, he had run off with Baba the moment they arrived since he was allowed to do that.
As much as Jongdae had wanted to run off too, He hadn’t been quick enough to even ask before the witch came into the room. So he was stuck there, having to stand perfectly straight yet somehow keep his eyes on the floor. It was so stupid, how was he supposed to do both. If Jongdae’s Appa hadn’t been there, he would have for sure ran away.
Finger’s brushed over Jongdae’s hair, his Appa making him feel better already. One day Jongdae wanted to be as pretty and amazing as his Appa.
“Let sit.” The Witch said, and soon Jongdae found himself kneeling at the low table on the floor. At home they got chairs or even to use the couches, yet here they had to kneel on the floor. Kneeling wasn’t sitting, but Jongdae knew better than to complain. Appa did it gracefully, not even jostling Jongdae’s baby brother once. Jongin remained peacefully asleep in Appa’s arms. He was lucky, he didn’t have to do anything.
The witch cleared her throat, Jongdae quickly looking at the table before him. She didn’t like it when he looked at her without being asked, she would always complain. Then Appa would get sad, and Jongdae didn’t want that.
“So, another Alpha child. You have done good Junmyeon.” The Witch said. “Though….” she trailed off, and Jongdae froze in place, feeling her cold gaze on him. “You should get a nanny to look after Jongin and Baekhyun and focus on training your omega child properly, he can barely sit correctly.”
“He’s four, mother.”
“More the reason to train him correctly. You must teach them while they’re young. Nobody wants to mate an improper Omega, especially one so... ill-favored.”
Jongdae frowned at the words. He wasn’t sure what most of them meant, but he couldn't help but feel like they were bad. As much as he wished to be like his Appa, Jongdae wasn’t sure he could do the whole ‘Mate’ thing. It seemed like a lot of work for someone to boss him around. Baba didn’t boss around Appa, but the witch was bossed around by her mate all the time. It probably was why she was so grumpy all the time.
Peeking up at his Appa, Jongdae saw his Appa’s eyes. They were no longer the sparkly happy ones he had around their house, they were dull and lifeless. Jongdae hated seeing his Appa sad. He didn’t understand why they would see the witch if she made Appa sad.
---
Jongdae sat still as his Baba brushed his hair, Watching as his Appa looked through the jewelry box for the hairpin he wanted. They had to go to a gathering today, one where the witch was going to be at too, but the good news was Jongdae didn’t have to talk to her. He would be allowed to hang out with the other kids his age that weren’t his brothers.
His Appa found the hairpin he was looking for, bringing it over to Jongdae. It was Jongdae’s favorite, one that was just for him. The pin was pretty gold with a lightning bolt on the end of it. At first, Jongdae had not liked Jewelry that much and thought it was too much work to keep it on you, but after seeing his Baba give his Appa a really beautiful hairpin that looked like a tiny pond, Jongdae had wanted something cool as well and his Baba had gotten him a special lighting one.
Jongdae wasn’t a fan of storms, the thunder was too loud and rain made everything wet, but Lighting was pretty and powerful. Just like his Appa.
His Baba put the pin in his hair and Jongdae excitedly went to look in the mirror. But he quickly remembered he was thirteen now and needed to be more mature. Jongdae ran back to his Baba, bowing down and saying thank you. As much as Jongdae loved his Omega parent, he also loved his Alpha dad. Other Alpha dad’s didn’t even hang out with their kids, let alone help do their hair.
Soon the whole family had made it to the Park estate, the place where the gathering would happen. The Park house was way bigger than Jongdae’s house, but Jongdae’s was still pretty big. It was way bigger than the witches by a lot.
They didn’t reach the entryway before the witch and her mate approached. Jongdae made sure to stand up straight and make sure his clothes looked right, not wanting to deal with her words today. He wanted to have fun with the other kids.
“Yixing, Junmyeon.” She said, nodding to his Baba and then Appa. His Omega dad bowed back, and Jongdae noticed his Baba looking annoyed already. “I see you brought all your children.”
Baekhyun scooted closer to his Appa, while Sehun and Jongin hid behind Baba. The witch didn’t seem to care, her eyes narrowing in on Jongdae. Off course she didn’t care, Alpha’s were allowed to do whatever they wanted in her eyes. It wasn’t fair the Jongdae had to be perfect.
But they were saved by another family wanting to come in, Baba taking the chance to lead the family away.
“You guys be on your best behavior okay? And make sure to come to us if you need anything.” Baba said, getting a chorus of yes’s from the kids. With that, his Baba linked arms with his Appa and disappeared into the crowd of Adults.
“Bye losers, I’m going to find the food.” Sehun said, running off before anyone could say something. Jongin was quick to run after him, leaving the two oldest alone. But Jongdae was happy, Baekhyun was easy to handle and it was nice having a buddy to hang out with. They went around the room, chatting with a few other kids. They even ran into Luhan, and the two brothers laughed as Luhan rejected the food Sehun offered him.
While watching Sehun get rejected for the Third time, Jongdae’s tummy started to feel uncomfortable, so he excused himself to the washroom. Baekhyun had tried to go with him, but his attention had been torn away by a tall red haired boy who looked very uncomfortable with the girls surrounding him. Jongdae gave him the go-ahead to save the poor guy, saying he would be right back.
Going to the washroom didn’t help, and Jongdae started to feel really warm. There was a garden connected to the main area, So he decided to step out and have a fresh breath of air hoping it would cool him down. There were a few other kids outside, most of them looking older than Jongdae and lingering about. They made Jongdae feel even more nervous, so he made sure to stick close to the door.
The cool air didn’t help, and Jongdae's stomach only seemed to hurt more. Suddenly he felt scared like, like he shouldn't be outside, like he should be huddled up somewhere and away from danger. He found himself sinking down on the ground and curling up, tears springing to his eyes. Everything felt overwhelming, the usually muted scents of others suddenly were all too clear and making him feel even more nervous.
The group outside seemed to have noticed something was going on, and a few of them broke off and made their way over to Jongdae. As they made their way close, Jongdae noted they all were the more spicy, blunt scents of Alphas. It scared the poor omega more, he ended up letting out a low whine and trying to squash himself best he could in the corner between the fence and the wall. But it wasn’t enough.
Jondae just wanted his Appa, his Baba.
He let out an even louder whine, tears streaming down his face. One of the group members stepped out, a guy who looked to be the oldest. His eyes were flicking between red and brown, he kept staring down and Jongdae in a way that made him scared. He reached out to touch Jongdae, but the younger swiped at him.
“Leave me alone.” Jongdae tried to sound strong, but he was crying too hard and it only made the Alpha laugh.
The Alpha reached out again, but before Jongdae could swipe at him again, someone else’s hand reached out and grabbed it. The alpha's hand was twisted roughly, causing the stranger to yelp in pain and pull away.
“He said back off.”
The alpha’s all moved backward and away, yet Jongdae couldn’t make himself move away. He was still scared, frozen in place as he sobbed to himself. But slowly a scent took over his space, a calm, cooling mint scent. It took Jondae’s focus away from the Alpha’s, instead drawing him to another teen by his side. His eyes were too blurred with tears to see who it was, but unlike the others, this one didn’t make him scared. Maybe it was due to this one being shorter than the others.
“I want my Appa.” He sniffled. Moments later he felt himself be lifted, and Jongdae attached himself onto the other and buried his face in the other's neck where the scent was most potent. He inhaled the cooling scent, letting it soothe his shaking body as he was carried. For some reason he felt safe and didn’t want to let go of the boy carrying him.
Everything went by in a blurr.
“Jongdae” His Baba’s concerned voice rang out, and Jongdae turned around to see his father. Without even realizing it he was crying again, stumbling out of the person who was carrying him grasp and running towards the familiar person. His Baba picked him up, holding him tightly as the teen cried onto him. Everything hurt, everything was hot, everything was too much. But at least Baba could protect him.
“I want Appa.”
-----
Jongdae, Sehun and Baekhyun laid together on the couch in their parents' study, the two alpha’s being extra clingy ever since Jongdae’s heat had ended. It hadn’t been a full heat, Jongdae wouldn’t get one until he was a real adult around 18. For now, he would only feel pain, being too hot, and overwhelming feelings that were everything but the need to mate. His body was getting ready for later on when his real, full heat would hit.
There Baba was seated at the desk, going through the books of one of the shops they owned by the river, one that sold fishing stuff. Appa and the Witch were seated at the table, drinking tea and not talking. The kid’s omega father seemed particularly on edge today, staring down the witch like she was plotting something.
“Letter for Master Zhang.” A maid said, bringing in an envelope. There Appa was quick to his feet taking the letter and opening it. There was a brief moment of him reading it before he walked over and showed it to their Baba without so much as a word. Baba took an equally short amount of time reading it, before there Appa tore the letter to shreds.
The witch narrowed her eyes at their Appa, frowning at him. “That is a bit of an overreaction.”
“He is only thirteen, having his first heat. How dare a 27 year old ask for his hand? He is still a child.” Appa spat out, trying very hard to keep his tone calm. But he was very much failing.
“You are lucky you even got an offer.”
“Excuse me?” This time it was Baba speaking.
“You two must realize Jongae has little to offer. He has no specialties, and he isn’t much to look at. Baekhyun is much more pleasing to the eye than him.”
The room went dead silent, all the children too nervous to say anything.
“Get out. You are no longer welcome in my home.” Appa’s words were cold, never before had any of the kids heard him speak like that.
“You can’t be serious. This is not-”
Baba stood up, the sound of his chair moving echoing in the room.
“What? Are you going to dare say this isn’t my mate's home?” his voice was just as cold and bitter as his mates, causing the witch to flinch and take a step back. “If Junmyeon says something, then it is the same as if I said it. Do you really wish to question those of the Zhang family?”
The Witch took another step back, bowing low. For the first time the air of arrogance was completely gone, taken over by fear. “Of course, I would never question-”
“You did. Junmyeon is a Zhang, and you brought to question what he told you to do. In his own home. You dare insult him, and our children. How could you not see how lucky you are I haven’t stripped you of everything and had you thrown to the streets.”
The witch fell to the floor, bowing as low as possible. The children looked on in morbid fascination and the once-proud woman sobbed. “I’m so sorry, I should have known better. Please forgive me of my transgressions I have taken against you Lord Zhang.” She apologized over and over, visibly falling apart on the floor.
“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”
She went silent, before shifting slightly to face the teen’s Appa.
“Please forgive me Junmyeon.”
Appa took a deep breath, staring down at the woman before him, before looking and the children on the couch. The teens were still watching, clearly feeling bad for the woman, but none of them felt truly bad. The woman had said such horrid things for years, and seeing her apologize was something they had wanted.
“Leave. You may never set foot on this property again..”
With that, the Witch was gone.
------
Jongdae had let out a sigh the moment the alpha had left the private dining room, resting his head on the table. Things hadn’t gone horrible, the last one had been far worse. But still, options were running thin and Jongdae was growing tired of running through the process over and over only to be met with disappointment.
As usual it didn’t take long for his father to slip into the room, joining Jongdae and the table and petting him in a loving way.
“You know you don’t have to do this Dae. Neither you father nor I care who you choose to mate with, or when. We would be happy if you even chose not to, and would find a way to make things easier.” Jongdae shook his head at his father's words, lifting his head from the table.
It had been six years since the incident with the witch, yet his Appa still looked as youthful and pretty as then. Actually, Jongdae thought his father looked the same as when he was just a child. That was something he wanted, to be a timeless beauty that was refined and well-loved.
“I want to do this.” He reaffirmed, sitting up properly in his seat. Despite all the negativity the witch had planted in his head, as Jongdae aged he had grown to love the idea of having a mate more and more. It was mostly due to watching his parents, seeing how they supported eachother and enjoyed being around each other, that was something Jongdae wanted. Not to mention Jongdae wanted to have a child or two.
The problem was finding someone who acted like a decent person.
His father smiled at his words before he pulled out a paper and set it on the table. He crossed out a name on the list, before looking back to his son. “There is one more for today. Kim Minseok, he requested to see you. There isn’t much about his family, but your father spoke to him and liked him.” The elder man perked up upon reading his notes. “But either way, you should come home after this one and rest. Sehun will come to try to collect you if you don’t.”
Sehun, that brat. Despite the fact Jongdae was older, the alpha liked to boss him around and would try to keep him from the match meetings. Maybe if Jongdae got really lucky, he would find a mate that could throw down with his youngest brother and get him to shut up. Jongdae could only do so much with words, and he wasn’t a fan of fighting himself. The height difference didn’t help.
An hour passed before the door clicked open and the Alpha walked in. But Jongdae was hit with the other’s scent before he even got a chance to look at him. Unlike the other Alpha’s aggressive spicy scent that made Jongdae cringe, this once had a cooling effect and smelt more… fresh and clean. Mint, mixed with something he couldn’t place but was very much finding himself drawn to. His hope was that the person matched his unique scent.
“Greetings, I am Kim Minseok. You are a sight for sore eyes I must say. ” The male greeted with a small bow, then sat down across from Jongdae. The other was shorter than expected, even a little shorter than Jongdae, but height wasn’t an issue with the Omega.
For some reason, Jongdae felt as if he had met the man before, yet nothing about his appearance was familiar. There was no way he could forget the other’s cat-like eyes looking at him so intently. But the gaze didn’t make Jongdae want to hide away like most of the others, the look didn’t feel like the other was looking down at him.
“Zhang Jongdae, But I’m sure you know that.” He made no attempt to avert his gaze, staring right back at the Alpha in challenge. This was typically what upset most Alpha’s, they didn’t want an Omega who would challenge them.
Instead of getting upset, The man before him grinned and relaxed in his spot. “Shall we eat? I for one have been looking forward to eating here.” Minseok picked up the menu from the table and looked it over without missing a beat. Jongdae found himself doing the same, for the first time realizing he was hungry and had not eaten since that morning.
The food came quickly, the time in between filled with light casual conversation. Minseok owned a coffee shop by the river and lived in the space above it. His family was nothing special, he didn’t have much money, but Jongdae found himself listening intently to every word the other said. Time flew by, yet neither of them seemed to notice until there was harsh knocking on the door.
“Dae,” Sehun’s voice whined through the door, “Please tell me you haven’t been kidnapped. We need to go back.”
Jongdae sighed.
“I’m fine Sehun, go away.”
“Nope. I’m staying here until you leave.”
Sometimes, Jongdae really hated his brother. But he understood the concern, and it was better not to go around alone at night. He shot Minseok an apology before standing. His brother was stubborn, and the last thing he wanted was his brother bothering his possible future mate.
“Wait!” Minseok stood up quickly, fumbling in his pockets for something. It took him a moment, but he ended up holding out a small thin box to Jongdae. “Whether you accept my request of being my mate or not, I want you to have this.”
Jongdae took the box, curious as to what it was. Upon opening it, his eyes widened in shock. Inside the box was a small hairpin with a gold lighting bolt on the end, the exact same one he had lost when he was younger at a party. But the pin was not alone, in the box was a matching hair clip, earrings, and a necklace.
“T-thank you.” Jongdae found himself stuttering and flustered. He didn’t know how Minseok had found his clip, but the thought put into making matching jewelry made his heartbeat a little faster. The Alpha had gotten him a gift based on what he liked, not on what the Alpha thought was best. Most of the other courting gifts Jongdae had received were flower-themed or other ‘soft’ things, yet here he had been given a storm-themed set.
There was more knocking on the door, and Jongdae quickly excused himself. The entire way home Sehun drilled into him trying to gather information about Minseok, but Jongdae kept his lips sealed. Despite how late it was, the sky was dark and littered with stars, he made his way to his parent's room and Sehun went to bed immediately.
“Appa, Baba?” Jongdae asked, stepping into the room. His parents both looked up at him from the bed, his Baba with a book and his Appa working on embroidery. It was a skill Jongdae still wasn’t the best at, but he wasn’t ashamed to ask his omega father for things he had made.
“How did it go?” Both his parents asked at the same time, and Jongdae couldn’t help but laugh. He made his way over to the bed, crawling in between them. It had been a long time since he had snuggled his way in between them, but tonight he felt like doing it. Now that they were all older, he didn’t have to fight with his siblings for something simple like that. His Appa stroked his hair and Jongdae simply laid there with them. They were quick to pick up that Jongdae was fine, there was no reason for concern.
There was a lot of unknown with everything, but Jongdae had felt so comfortable and at ease with Minseok. There was just something about him that felt right, and Jongdae wanted that feeling to stick around. It seemed similar to when his Appa would tell stories about how his Baba had just felt right after their first contact, turning out to be true mates.
Jongdae didn’t know if he and Minseok were true mates since they hadn’t made skin contact, but he knew what he wanted. Despite the Witch's cruel words for years, Minseok had made an offer on the spot and not once questioned Jongdae’s challenging actions.
It was Jongdae’s choice in who he got to mate with, and he knew what he wanted.
“I want Kim Minseok to be my mate.”