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“Get away from me.” Jongin flinched at the other childs harsh words, hiding behind his Baba. All he had done was enter the house, looking for his Appa. But of course Kyungsoo was there, already in his Appa’s lap, clinging to him. Tears welt in the smaller child's eyes, not knowing what he had done wrong. Why did the Owl have to be so mean? Jongin had alway wanted to be friends, knowing they should be, but the owl made it so hard.
“Kyungsoo, don’t speak to him like that.” His Appa scolded the older child, removing him from his lap. The owl glared as Jongdae picked up his child and comforted, nuzzling his face over the baby foxes hair.
For some reason, ever since Jongin had been born, Kyungsoo had become hostile towards the younger. None of the other children minded it when the new baby had been born, but the owl had very quickly shown his displeasure. It had become such a problem Kyungsoo had to be moved into the Main house with Yifan and Junmyeon, but it did little to ease the tension, often leaving the younger child in tears and questioning what he did wrong.
Unimpressed, Kyungsoo frowned. “He’s annoying and smells weird.” He said, pointedly sniffing the air and gagging. The action only made the small fox cry harder, burying his face in his Appa’s shoulder.
Enough was enough.
Yixing stepped forward, picking up the agisted owl and carrying him out of the room. Within a week Kyungsoo was gone, leaving Jongin a sobbing mess once again, blaming himself for the other child leaving. Despite his parents explaining to him that Kyungsoo wanted to go and was happy at his new house, Jongin’s young mind only could believe the worst scenarios.
“He’s just living with Junmyeon’s brother, it’s okay Jongin. He can visit whenever he wants.”
The words did little to sooth the young foxes mind. Even when Kyungsoo did visit again only a month or so later, looking happy as could be. He rushed towards Jongins Appa, hugging him tightly with the brightest smile. The expression stayed on his face as all the other children talked to him, that is, until Jongin was brought in by his Baba.
Instantly Kyungsoo’s face fell and he turned away, upset, and Jongin and the Adults were left wondering why Owl hated the young foxes so much. Jealousy seemed to be the best option, but he never reacted to Tao being clingy to Jongdae or Yixing. Only Jongin seemed to ruffle his feathers.
Kyungsoo didn’t come back for a long time. By his own choice, but it still felt weird.
Jongin didn’t want to annoy the older child, so he worked hard to become better. He knew Kyungsoo loved his parents, so he did best to copy them. He watched how his Appa would clean the house, work in the garden, tease Myeon and his Baba. But teasing did seem like a good thing, so Jongin ignored that part. Sometimes his Baba would let him come to the village with him and watch him treat sick or hurt people, always being kind and soft to everyone. Jongin really liked it, the smile his Baba always wore. Often he would find himself practicing his smile, trying to hide his tiny fangs to look less scary.
Sharp teeth were scary according to Tao, which confused Jongin since the panda had a few of his own sharp teeth. Not to mention Sehun had lots of sharp teeth, and Tao clung to him constantly. Maybe Tao wasn’t the best for this type of advice, he was barely older then Jongin anyway.
Another thing Jongin noted was how pretty his Appa was, his hair always soft and clean, his fluffy red ears and tail looking perfect. Each day he would get his Appa to help him brush his own Tail and ears, Trying his best to learn how to do it best. Besides, his Appa’s ear scratches were the best, he knew exactly the best spots. There were times Jongin had wished he had his Baba’s fluffy hair and tiny horns, but being a fox like his Appa truly was the best in the end.
Despite his best efforts, Kyungsoo wouldn’t even look at him the next time he visited, breaking Jogins young heart once again. There were only a handful of years between their ages, and Kyungsoo didn’t ming Sehun who was barely older, so clearly age wasn’t the problem. Maybe Jongin didn’t look like his parents enough and Kyungsoo found him ugly.
Jongin ended up staying in his house the entire time the owl was visiting, not wanting to bother him. He could only watch through the window as the older children hung out in the garden, helping Myeon with the vegetables and weeding them. Something Jongin liked doing as well with his Appa, finding vegetables just as good as meat. But he knew better then to go out and ruin everything.
It hurt, having him hate him for some unknown reason. Jongin really wanted to be friends, but he couldn’t even be in the same room. He felt like a silly child that didn’t know his place. So he stopped trying, keeping his distance whenever the owl was around. His parents worried, but there was little they could do.
Things only got worse when the letter arrived saying Kyungsoo had presented.
“It makes sense, some Alpha children are very territorial. He must have seen Jongin as a threat just by being around.” It was his Baba talking to his Appa, Jongin busy practicing his sewing. His lines were very sloppy and uneven, but when he tugged the fabric, it still stuck together so it wasn’t that bad. Appa always said it took lots of time to get things right, and Jongin had a lot of time to learn. There was plenty of time until he presented, and maybe sewing wasn’t the skill he would need.
Jongin looked up at his parents, catching the worry between the two. Even with how young he was, he understood. Young alpha’s were unpredictable, from what Jongin had learned from his Baba, some would mellow out while others would get far worse for a while. Hopefully Kyungsoo would mellow out, there wasn’t really anywhere else Jongin could hide away from him.
Soon after the Owl visited, Jongin chose to remain indoors as the rest of them gathered outside. Much time had passed since he had last seen the other, Kyungsoo was much taller, although pretty short compared to the adults. Somehow his eyes seemed wider yet more alert, his wings much larger on his back, his body overall looking more adult. And his scent that had always been pleasant and clean now was applied enough that Jongin could smell it all the way where he was watching the affair.
“The food is ready!” Junmyeon called out, singling for everyone to come to the firepit where he had been cooking. Minseok and Luhan came hand in hand, Baekhyun on their heels. Sehun and Tao had sat around and done little to help their Appa, Jongin parents having to step in, meaning everyone was there. Everyone but Jongin.
His Appa looked over to him, waving for him to come out. Jongin really didn’t want to, but he knew better than to question his Appa. Slowly he came out, carefully to avoid the stop where Kyungsoo was sitting and chatting with Yifan and the other two youngest. Despite his effort, he felt eyes on the back on him as he reached out for a roasted corn, causing his anxiety to spike. His hand shook as he tried to put the corn on his plate, but it fell from his hand and onto the ground.
Embarrassment burned under his skin, wasting the food everyone had worked so hard on. He looked over to where the meat was sitting over the fire to keep it warm, wondering if he should risk going so close to Kyungsoo or just skip dinner. His stomach growled, singing that he needed something, so with shaky steps he moved closer, doing everything to look the way that he felt the gaze was coming from.
Unfortunately, with how nervous he was, Jongin missed the uneven ground, tripping and falling fast first into the dirt. His body sprawled out, a pained yelp falling from his lips as he felt his hand burning, realizing to his horror, he palm and ended up on the hot coal out the outer edge of the fire. He quickly pulled his hand away, tears coming to his eyes as the pin continued and he saw the ugly red color come to his skin.
Unable to stop himself, Jongin let out a sob and curled into himself. Instantly the air shifted, heavy with a familiar scent, now thick with anger as it moved closer. The fox looked up to see Kyungsoo stalking his way forward, a dark look in his eyes that stuck terror in the younger. In moment’s Jongin was up, running towards the house in full speed, ignoring the pain on his hands and tears still coming.
There was shouting, but Jongin ignored it, shutting himself in his parents room and crawling under the covers over their bed, curling up into a ball and holding his hand. It hurt so bad, even the soft fabric causing more pain. He sobbed in pain, in fear, as he waited for the Alpha to come punish him. This was supposed to be Kyungsoo’s day, but he had ruined it. He should have never gone out to join them, even if his Appa was mad.
The door slowly opened, soft footsteps approaching the bed. Jongin held his breath while the blanket protecting him was pulled away, revealing his Baba holding a wet rag in his hand. He sat next to his son, gently rubbing his hand with the cold cloth, cleaning it best he could and cooling it down.
“Why did you run Jongin? It would have hurt less if you had waited for me.” His father's words were calm and without blame, but Jongin didn’t understand why he was asking the question. It should have been obvious.
“But Baba, Kyungsoo was angry at me for making a scene.”
“He wasn’t angry at you Jongin.”
“He was! I could smell the anger on him, it was so strong and scary.” Tears once again sprung to his eyes, fearful that his father didn’t believe him. But his Baba went quiet, a thoughtful look forming on his face. He didn’t say anything for a moment, before Jongin Appa came in and handed him some sort of ointment to help with the burn.
“Can you say that again Jongin? You're sure that he was mad?” His Baba pintedly asked, rubbing the ointment on his tender skin while gazing at his Appa. Jongin nodded his head quickly.
“Yes! How could you not smell how angry he was? And he looked so mad!” At his words, his Appa blinked, then his eyes widened, and looked like he was struggling to hold back a smile to Jongin confusion. Nothing about this was funny.
“Well honey, I’m sure he will get over it sooner than later and you two will become friends. I promise you, he will never hurt you.” A soft kiss was planted on Jongins head, his Appa comforting him. “Besides, If he even tried to harm you, I would tear him apart.”
Despite Jongin knowing his Appa truly loved and cared for Kyungsoo, he didn’t doubt his Appa’s threat.
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Presenting had gone down reality how Jongin had expected. His parents had explained both heats and ruts to him, but had been realistic in telling the young fox he would most likely be a Beta. So when he woke up suddenly took in an explosion of scents, emotions, and feeling much more like running around and stalking things like his Appa, he wasn’t shocked.
Being a beta seemed like a fine fit for him. No problem with heats or ruts, he could live a life without having to worry about such things unless he got an Alpha or Omega mate like his Baba. But courting hadn’t even crossed his mind at all, and he wasn’t even sure where to start.
Nobody had caught his eyes yet.
Minseok and Luhan had known eachother since they were kids, Luhan being one of the kids from the nearby village. Both Tao and Sehun had flirted with each other before, but always ended up being dumped for being too close to each other. They were pretty much brothers, so it made sense that Sehun was protective and Tao was clingy. Others just didn’t get it. Jongin did, but he had no interest in either of them like that.
The day went on the same as usual, people giving him congratulations and going on their way. There wasn’t anything outstanding about being a beta, and Jongin liked that. He could be the calming force in the room, and maybe, just maybe, finally have Kyungsoo not look at him with such animosity.
Days went by, same as normal, Jongin helping his Baba in the village but still not finding anyone interesting. Sure there were plenty of pretty people, but their scents were rather bland. Both his parents and Yifan and Junmyeon said you should trust your nose when it came to finding a partner.
As Jongin returned home to help with dinner, he ran into his Appa picking vegetables in the garden, instantly the two smiling upon seeing each other. “We're having dinner and Junmyeon’s house today. Would you like to help?” His appa asked, picking up the basket he had filled. Jongin nodded and followed him to the house just across the garden that he had spent much of his life in.
When it came down to it, Jongin was not good at cooking, but he did like cutting up things and prep work. Junmyeon took the lead in cooking, his Appa excitedly running around the kitchen and talking Junmyeon ear off. For just a normal dinner, he seemed overly excited. After all the years of dealing with his father, Jongin knew something was up, but hadn’t the slightest idea what. Maybe he was carrying a child again? He had heard his parents talking about children recently. Though Jongin was pretty sure he heard one of them say the word Alpha.
Jongin wouldn't mind having a younger sibling, but he was pretty sure Tao, and even Sehun, would get a bit jealous, despite their age.
It was nice to have dinner with everyone, all gathered around the large table, just like they used to do as kids. As the youngest, just reaching adulthood himself, Jongin knew times like this would become few and far between. Even if Jongin wished to stay close to his parents forever, he knew it wasn’t realistic, he would have to leave one day.
The table was filled with loud chatter as everyone ate, yet Jongin couldn’t help but felt like something was off. It started with a scent, weak at first, but it stood out amongst all the ones he knew well. It had a spicy edge to it, yet felt rather pleasant drawing him in like home. It became distracting, forcing him to stop eating his food. It got stronger and stronger, but looking around Jongin couldn’t pinpoint it to anyone in the room.
The source became clear when the front door opened and the scent all but smacked him in the face, forcing Jongin to freeze in place. Now that it was so close, he recognized the undertones. How could he not when it was scent he had known for most of his life, from a person who never really liked him.
Everyone continued to eat, but Jongin felt himself unable to move. Baba had said that now that he was a beta, it shouldn’t upset the Alpha. Appa had promised he wouldn’t let him get hurt. Jongin was safe, the scent wasn’t mad, it was comforting, Kyungsoo wasn’t going to do anything to him.
It was only when the owl stopped right behind Jongin did his Appa look up, grinning at the missing child. “I’m glad to see you made it Kyungsoo, are you going to join us?” There was no response, but the beta heard the Alpha move away, taking the open spot diagonally across from him.
Instantly Jongin felt eyes on him, an intense gaze as he stared down at his plate, too nervous to look up. Nobody else seemed to notice the tension, going on as this wasn’t the first time the two had been around each other in years. Slowly, Jongin took in a breath, inhaling that oh so powerful scent again, before lifting his head.
Kyungsoo was looking at him, eyes slightly narrowed, head slightly tilted to the side as he visibly sniffed the air. His eyes flashed a beautiful crimson, his fingers gripping the fork in his hands tightly. But for the first time, Jongin saw what Kyungsoo was really feeling.
The Alpha wasn’t upset, he was nervous, confused, clearly also picking up something in Jongin’s scent.
No words were exchanged between the two, but Jongin suddenly felt much more relaxed, able to finish off his plate. In just one look, his whole world had changed, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to wake on eggshells around the Alpha.
When Dinner was over Jongin found himself outside, sitting on the small bench outside his parents house. It wasn't yet dark, the sky a beautiful mix of oranges, but it wasn’t long until the night would take over. This was one of the first times in a long time he was outside while Kyungsoo was back. It felt rather jarring when he had first sat down, but now he was enjoying himself.
“Hey.”
It was Kyungsoo, standing a bit off, a large drawstring pouch in his hand. Once again he had that look on his face, and he hesitated to move forward. He was waiting for Jongin to make the first move, a rather odd thing for an Alpha. The fox patted the spot next to him on the bench, the Owl silently sitting next to him.
For a moment, Jongin didn’t think the other would say anything, but he was proven wrong. “These are for you.” Kyungsoo held out the bag in his hand. Not sure what to expect, Jongin took that bag with a cautious hand and opened it, letting out a little gasp at what was inside. The bag was filled with small wooden figures, clearly hand carved. Pulling one out, he could almost coo at how cute the small fox was, unable to hold back a smile. The next one he pulled out was a little bear, equally as sweet looking.
It must have taken ages to make every piece perfect.
“Did you make these?” The beta asked, looking to the Alpha. The older nodded.
“Every single one.”
“They’re so pretty. I can’t believe you are giving them to me.”
“I made them just for you.”
Now that truly shocked Jongin, not yet understanding why. Hadn’t Kyungsoo hated him until he had learned he was a beta? Why would he have been working on figures this whole time. Surely he was lying.
But he wasn’t, Jongin could tell he wasn’t, only making the beta more confused.
“They’re courting gifts.”
Jongin dropped the tiny bear from his hands, Kyungsoo catching it before it could hit the ground.
No way.
This wasn’t real.
He had to be dreaming.
“You hated me.” It felt weird saying it out loud, but he felt compelled to spill his thought. “You have never wanted me around. When you presented, you almost attacked me.”
Kyungsoo looked away, lips pulled thin on his face. “That’s not exactly right.” He explained, but it wasn’t enough. Jongin needed more. What had made the sudden change? All his life he had been scared of the older, and now he was apparently being courted.
“I wasn’t upset at you that day. I was upset because I saw you were hurt. It sent my instincts into a frenzy. You were in such distress, it hurt.”
Jongin thought back to it, how he father had said Kyungsoo wasn’t mad at him. Maybe there was truth to that, his young mind just couldn’t process it. But-
“I thought it was weird that I could pick up your scent and not the other kids, so I would lash out at you since I didn’t want to think something was wrong with me. I was a stupid kid.” Kyungsoo sighed, putting a hand over his face. “It was only when I got older did I realize that it meant something completely different, and I’ve been trying to figure things out since then.”
Once again, it felt like everything changed at once. Kyungsoo had been able to smell him too, they both had been able to before presentation.
“I know things have been weird, but I would like it if you gave me a chance. Jongdae always said to trust scents when it came to finding the right person, and you just… I don’t know… smell like..” Kyungsoo went silent, trying to find the right words.
“Home.” Jongin filled in, leaning closer and pulling Kyungsoo's hand away from his face. “It’s a comforting thing, feels right, but also makes you feel so much at once.”
“Yeah.”
They sat in silence once more, Jongin processing everything in his head. For as long as he could remember, he wanted to get close to Kyungsoo, but couldn’t. It had hurt, he had spent many nights in tears, but it had been a childish mistake. Now Kyungsoo, an Alpha, was asking Jongin to give him a chance, not trying to make him do anything, not trying to challenge him. He was being open, vulnerable, letting Jongin know what he felt for what felt like the first time.
It was something Jongin was open to exploring.
Jongin held out his hand, putting on his brightest smile. He got a confused look in return, but the fox wasn’t fazed. “Let’s try this all again then.” He stated, wiggling his fingers, singling Kyungsoo on what to do. “I’m Jongin, a fox, and a beta.”
Kyungsoo put on a small, reserved smile, taking Jongin’s hand in his own, shaking it with his string grip. “I’m Kyungsoo, an Owl, Alpha, who liked to cook.”
A laugh slipped from Jongin lips, happy to hear the other had added more. Now they could have a fresh start, and Jongin would have someone that could do the cooking for him.
“It’s lovely to meet you Soo, I hope this can turn into something great.”
In a burst of courage, Jongin leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on Kyungsoo lips. It only lasted a moment, but he already could tell this was something that could last a lifetime.
Sometimes, you just know.