Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Soobin!” he heard his sister call. “Soobin, it’s evaluation day. You were supposed to be awake hours ago.”

Shit. Soobin sat straight up, sunlight streaming in through the open window. He stumbled out of bed and accidentally slammed into his bedside table. A candle, thankfully unlit, toppled over. He swore, and then noticed his sister standing in the doorway of his bedroom with a very disapproving expression.

“Arin noona,” he said. “Sorry, I–”

“It’s fine, but you need to get ready now,” she said sharply. Her pretty face was stern, almond eyes narrowed and heart-shaped mouth downturned. “Evaluation starts in twenty minutes, and I doubt that being late will make a very good impression.”

“Yes, right,” he mumbled, snapping his closet door open. He rustled through his clothes, and heard his sister turn and leave the room. He quickly found his hanbok pants and undershirt, throwing them on haphazardly, but he swore again when he couldn’t find his jeogori. Of all the days–

“Language,” he heard his sister’s voice float back up the hall. “Well-bred omegas that marry into good families don’t swear.” Soobin’s face wrinkled up at her words, and then she said, “I already pressed your jeogori. It’s out here.”

“You’re a blessing, noona,” he replied sincerely as he grabbed his jeogori from where it was hanging, crisp and wrinkle-free, on his door. He couldn’t say the same for his pants, but… The jeogori covered it up well enough, he supposed, once he’d thrown it on over his shirt. He dug his nice shoes out from under his bed, and gave himself a quick once-over in the mirror. His black hair was sticking up all over everywhere from where it had been mashed against his pillow, and he groaned. He tried his best to smooth it down, but despite his best efforts it still looked like a bird had decided to make a nest on top of his head overnight.

“Here,” Arin said. She’d brought a comb and a bowl of water, and manhandled him down until he was sitting on the floor. She proceeded to attack him with the comb, being none too gentle as she got his unruly bedhead in order. Once she deemed him pretty enough, she stood him back up to examine his outfit.

“Ugh, your pants are too short again,” she complained. “How is this possible? I just bought you these a few months ago.”

Soobin knew that he was unusually tall for an omega; it had been a source of great insecurity for him growing up. Though his sister liked to mock-scold him for growing out of every single item of clothing she bought him faster than she could scrounge up the money to replace them, she was secretly happy that he was growing so well. Their dad had been very tall, too.

“Okay,” she exhaled. “I guess that’ll have to do. Just don’t be late, okay?”

“Got it, noona,” he said. “I’m leaving right now.”

“Good.” Arin looked up at him, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. He knew that she was anxious, but trying not to show it. She didn’t like to put pressure on him, but Soobin understood just how big of a deal omega matchmaking was. It was his only chance to move up, to get out of their small countryside town and have the possibility of a better life. As an omega, marriage was the one real opportunity that he’d been dealt. He found the whole concept demeaning, but of course there was virtually nothing he could do about it. If he screwed this up, he and his sister might be stuck here forever.

“Here,” she said, right before he walked out of the house. There was something shiny in her hand. It was a norigae, he realized. It was skillfully knotted, with jade beads and a glossy ivory tassel.

“What is this?” He asked, shocked.

“It was supposed to be mine, before– well, you know,” she said ruefully. “I didn’t end up going to the evaluations, so you should take it. For good luck.”

“Thank you, noona,” he said sincerely. He tucked it into the inside of his jacket. Normally boys didn’t wear a norigae with their hanbok, but if it was Arin’s then he would carry it with pride.

“Shi–” Soobin slapped a hand over his mouth, trapping the curse word before it got all the way out. “I’m so sorry, Miss Nayeon.” The woman scowled at him, her frown twisting her otherwise sweet features. Soobin had slammed into her in his frantic rush through town, spilling her basket of strawberries all over the ground. He bent down to pick them up, noticing that he’d gotten red juice all over the front of his white undershirt.

“Choi Soobin,” she sighed. “Evaluation day?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said quickly.

“Go, then,” she huffed, waving him off. “I know just how much of a nightmare the matchmaking evaluations are, and Bae Irene does not take well to latecomers.”

Soobin gulped, and bowed several times. “Thank you ma’am,” he said. “I’ll come back later to–” Well, he wasn’t sure what he was planning to do, but it didn’t matter because she pointed in the direction he was heading with a stern “go.”

He was only two minutes late to the building where the matchmaking evaluation was held, and he had the terrible luck of arriving right as his name was called. That was better than missing it entirely, he supposed, but it still meant that all of the other omegas turned to stare at him when he was huffing and puffing from sprinting the whole way here. He was sweating from the heat and all of the layers he was wearing, and he pulled his jeogori tighter to try to hide the strawberry stain.

“Choi Soobin?” Bae Irene called out again. She was almost cold-looking, so flawless in her beauty that she was extremely intimidating.

“Here,” he gasped, trying not to collapse. He cursed his lack of athletic ability, and inclination to stay indoors rather than get any sort of physical exercise. She raised one perfect eyebrow, but moved on to the next name without comment. All of the other omegas were lined up in an orderly fashion, and Soobin had no idea where he was supposed to go.

“Over here,” he heard someone hiss. He recognized Choi Lia, the omega from the grocery store, waving at him. He went to stand beside her gratefully, and also ducked his head in greeting to Huang Renjun on his other side. He was the omega son of the town pharmacist. There were only a handful of eligible omegas in town, and Soobin more or less knew all of them. Bae Sumin, the daughter of the tailor, was the first to follow Irene into the building for her evaluation. She looked very pale.

Soobin could still feel sweat dripping down his back by the time he went in. He was the third to go after Sumin and Lia, and the latter had sent him an encouraging smile as he passed her. Irene set a brisk pace into the evaluation room, which was much cooler than standing outside under the blazing sun. There was a tea set at a low table in the middle of the room, and several musical instruments lined up against the walls. There was also a calligraphy brush and paper, and Soobin nearly gasped at the neat, beautiful poem that either Sumin or Lia must’ve penned onto one of the sheets. It was far more artful than his own chicken-scratch handwriting, and the only musical “instrument” that he was passable with was his singing voice. 

“Name and family?” Irene asked, once they’d both sat at the low table. Soobin was careful to arrange his hanbok in an orderly manner, praying that Irene wouldn’t be able to spot the blotch of pink on his white shirt. She was even more beautiful up close, with pale skin and doll-like features that gave the impression of a goddess. Soobin could understand why she was the most desired omega in town, though she remained unmated.

“Um, uh–” he stuttered, and then mentally smacked himself. “Choi Soobin, son of Choi Minho and Choi Sooyoung.”

A flash of recognition went over Irene’s face, and something that looked like pity. Soobin’s eyes went to the table. 

“Very well,” she said calmly. “Pour the tea, please.”

Soobin’s hands were shaking when he went to pick up the tea pot. He lifted it and poured for Irene first, and then himself. He cringed when his jeogori sleeve dragged through her cup, though once again she was kind enough not to say anything. His hands were trembling so badly that he accidentally overfilled his own cup, tea overflowing onto the table. He checked to make sure she wasn’t looking, and then mopped it up with his jacket. His evaluation was already off to a very poor start.

“Your schooling?” Irene asked, once she’d had a sip and placed her tea back on the table.

“Ah, yes,” Soobin said, hesitant. The truth was that he hadn’t had the chance to finish his education, instead electing to help his sister at their family’s business. He could bake a mean loaf of bread and decorate cakes with style, although a glance around the room told him that there was no oven here.

“I went to school here in town, and then… My sister taught me for two years.”

“Your sister?”

“Choi Arin,” he answered. “From the bakery.”

“Right, right,” Irene said lightly. “Very lovely, your sister.”

“Oh, yes,” Soobin agreed quickly.

Irene took another sip, cat-like eyes staring him down over the rim of her cup. He dared not move while he knew that she was watching. “The five Confucian principles, please,” she said next. “If you’ll write them down on the paper there, so that I may examine your calligraphy.”

Soobin’s knee knocked into the underside of the table when he stood, spilling more tea. His hands came up to catch the teapot in case it overbalanced, but it thankfully remained upright. He bowed quickly to Irene in apology before fetching the ink, pen, and paper from the corner of the room. He sat at the table again, forcing his hands to stay steady as he picked up the pen.

仁, benevolence, he wrote first. This hanja was easy, and he congratulated himself on the smoothness of the lines.

義, righteousness, was next. This one was much more difficult, and there were several ink blots and places where the lines started to blur together. It was still legible, he thought, and he quickly moved to the next one.

禮, propriety. He could feel Irene hovering over his shoulder, watching his stroke order. It only made him more nervous, and his grip was in a chokehold on the pen. That definitely didn’t help his technique.

When it came to wisdom, he drew a blank. He’d practiced his Confucian values with his sister countless times, but still his brain was coming up empty. He started to panic; he was going to end up married to some gross, old alpha just because he couldn’t remember his stupid hanja. He dipped his pen in the ink a few more times, trying to buy himself time to think, when Irene suddenly shrieked.

Soobin’s head whipped up. There was a spider, large and black, legs scuttling as it crossed the tabletop with speed. This he could handle. His sister, despite being older, always made him kill any bugs she found in the house because she was deathly afraid of them. He looked around, trying to find something to kill it with, and spotted a traditional sogo hand drum on the wall.

He hit the spider dead on, a loud percussive sound emitting from the drum. The spider was dead, he was sure, but force caused the bottle of ink to upend. It spilled across the table, flowing over his paper and down the side onto the floor. Irene stood up, managing to avoid getting ink on her skirt, but Soobin’s trousers were not so lucky. Once a light shade of lilac, they were now splotched with a huge patch of pitch-black. Arin was going to kill him.

Soobin swore. Irene’s eyebrows shot up near her hairline, and his mouth dropped open in horror. It had gotten all over his hands, too, and smeared on his yellow jeogori when he lifted it up away from his trousers. He wasn’t sure he’d have to worry about marriage at all, at this point, considering that he’d likely be dead the second he walked into his house.

“Choi Soobin,” Irene sighed, shaking her head. She didn’t look angry, just disappointed. It was an expression that he saw his sister wearing a lot. “Thank you for killing the spider, but this…” She gestured widely to the room, which looked to be in an incredible state of disarray. He’d somehow scattered the calligraphy papers in his lunge for the sogo drum, and there was ink staining the low table and wood floor. The teapot, too, had been knocked over, and one of the cups had shattered. Irene herself was looking much less composed than she had been when Soobin walked in, with her hair pin sliding out and her hanbok jacket slightly askew.

“Ah…” Soobin trailed off, unsure where to even begin. There was no salvaging this now. He’d have to resign himself to a miserable life as a pig farmer’s mate, or something.

“Yes, well,” Irene said. It seemed that she, too, was lost for words as she stared at the disaster. “I still have several more evaluations to do today, so I must see you out before I clean this up.”

“Can… Would you like me to help you, Miss Irene?” He asked uncertainly. She must’ve been very aware of his innate clumsiness at this point, because she immediately shook her head.

“No need,” she said flatly. “I will show you out.”

He followed her back out into the hall and out the front door, passing by the row of omegas waiting for their own matchmaking evaluations. Soobin kept his head down, but Huang Renjun still managed to catch his eye with a shocked expression. Soobin knew that he looked a total mess, and that before long word of Soobin’s failures would be spreading all over town. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

Arin was not home when he got back, which he was secretly grateful for. He knew that she was likely at the bakery; just because it was his matchmaking day didn’t mean that the townspeople no longer needed their bread. Soobin washed his hands of the residual ink at the spigot outside their house, then peeled off his ruined hanbok. He threw it straight in the wastebin, knowing that it was completely unsalvageable. He put a loose linen shirt and trousers on, and then went out to do his chores.

It started to rain while he was feeding the chickens. It came down heavy, all at once, soaking him. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, but still he refused to go back inside until all of his work was done. It was the least he could do, he thought, considering that he’d failed Arin once already that day.

Soobin went to the small, humble shrine of their ancestors to pray when he’d finished. The storm howled on, but he lit incense and bowed. He’d failed them, too, and his heart ached for his parents. They’d wanted the best for him and Arin, too, and he knew that they’d be disappointed in him. He prayed that Arin, at least, would have a good life. She deserved that much, after everything she’d done for him.

She came home a few hours later, once the rain had gone and the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds in a watery-gray sky. She must’ve heard what had happened at the matchmaking evaluation already, because her lips pressed together in a sad smile when she saw him in the yard. His face crumpled, and she opened her arms. Soobin was still wet from the rain, but she hugged him anyway. Her scent, sweet and warm like berry hotteok, was comforting to him.

“Noona,” he choked out, tears dampening her hair. She squeezed him.

“It’s okay,” Arin said gently. “I know you tried your best. We’ll be alright.”

“It’s my fault,” he whispered.

She pulled back to look at him, her hand reaching up to stroke his dark hair softly. “It’s okay,” she said. “As long as we’re together, I’ll be happy. We have the bakery, and I know it’s not much– but we’ll be fine.”

He nodded, unable to speak through his tears. His sister was so much kinder to him than he thought she should be.

There was a big commotion in the village center the next day. Soobin had been just about to deliver three fresh loaves of bread to the Jang family when two horses trotted into the square, hooves clattering on the stone. Soobin frowned. The horses were wearing the crest of the royal family on their saddle blankets, and both riders were clad in armor. One blew a large horn, and the townspeople in the square quickly gathered while the other slid open a large roll of bamboo paper. Soobin heard the bakery door open, and Arin appeared at his shoulder. She’d evidently been summoned by all of the noise, too. 

“By decree of the emperor of the Second Kingdom,” the soldier read. “Each household is required to send one alpha or one beta of age to the imperial army by tomorrow night. Our nation is at war.”

There was a wave of murmurs that went through the crowd, and Soobin heard a woman’s wail. He couldn’t feel his body anymore, and he couldn’t hear the rest of the soldier’s speech over the buzzing in his ears. 

His sister’s hand found his, and she held it tightly. He looked at her. Arin, who was the only alpha left in their family. Arin, who had a painful limp from when she’d been injured in the same merchant’s accident that had killed their parents. 

Arin, for whom the draft would be a death sentence.

She pulled him inside the bakery, and he stumbled on the threshold. The basket of bread dropped from his arms, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Noona,” he breathed. “Noona.”

“Soobin,” she said. Her face was white, but her expression was determined. “It’s okay. I’ll be alright.”

“No,” he whispered, numb with terror. She drew him into her arms, so small and frail compared to him. “Noona, you can’t go. You can’t–” His sentence was cut off by a terrible, wheezing sob that tore out of his lungs. His hands engulfed her bony wrists when he grabbed them so that he could see her. “You can’t go, noona. I won’t let you.” His head was spinning, the thought of losing her too much to process. His parents, and now his sister. It felt like the world was being ripped out from under him.

“I have to,” she said softly. “You heard them. By decree of the emperor.”

“I don’t care,” he cried. “If you go, then–” he couldn’t bring himself to say it, and swallowed back another sob so that he could speak. “If you go, then I’ll be alone.”

Her expression folded, and tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her hands shook in his grip. “You’re not alone, Binnie,” she said, voice wobbling. “I’m always here. Mom and Dad, too. Your family is always with you.”

He shook his head, breath rattling with sobs. Words were failing him. There was nothing he could say that would accurately describe the depth of the pain in his chest.

Soobin spent all night in front of the shrine to his ancestors. He prayed to his parents, his grandparents, aunts and uncles, to anyone that might possibly be listening. He begged for leniency, that the emperor might change his mind. He begged that Arin would be saved. The cold, faceless stones were silent. There was no indication that his prayers were heard at all.

The sunrise was just starting to bleed into the purple sky when Soobin made up his mind. He couldn’t let his sister, who’d already given up so much for him, make this sacrifice too. He packed a day’s worth of things into a small bag, knowing that the military had their own assigned uniforms and rations. He then snuck into Arin’s room, as quiet as he could possibly be, and lifted the conscription notice that had been delivered to their house from her bedside table. He laid the norigae she’d given him in its place, hoping that it would offer her some consolation while he was gone. He took one last glance at her sleeping face, not knowing when he might see her again– if he saw her at all.

The last thing Soobin did before he left was empty the box of money and jewelry that was meant to be his dowry. Scent blockers were expensive, but they would be essential if he wanted to survive. He mentally apologized to his sister for what he was about to do, but he knew he had to for her sake. His hands trembled as he closed the door behind him.

Chapter Text

Soobin bought the scent blockers in the next town over, arriving just as the sun was nearing its highest point in the sky. He’d set a brisk pace the whole way here, but knew that he was far enough away from his house at this point that his sister wouldn’t dare risk coming after him; if she exposed him, he would almost certainly be executed for conspiring to help her dodge the draft and for committing treason against the emperor. His heart squeezed as he imagined the grief that he was probably causing her right now, but he was still steady in his conviction that this had been the right thing to do.

The scent blocker had an odd, herbal tinge to it, and he had no way to tell whether or not it had worked since he couldn’t smell himself. He’d have to trust the seller, who was a tiny old woman with completely white hair. She’d been very kind to him, and had thankfully refrained from asking why he was spending a small fortune on scent blockers.

He paced around in the woods outside the army camp for a long while, debating how he should enter. The only alpha that he had regular contact with was his sister, and he rarely spoke to betas aside from the ones that frequented the bakery. Soobin rolled back his shoulders, trying to imagine what it would be like to be a beta. That was his safest bet, he thought, considering that his now watered-down scent was nowhere near strong enough to pass for an alpha’s.

“Sup,” a voice behind him said. Soobin let out a rather undignified scream, and then clapped his hand over his mouth. He turned around; the speaker was a guy around his age, with dark hair that was jaggedly cut and fell into his eyes. He had sweet, youthful features, with inky black lashes lining his eyes and a handsome nose. His mouth was sort of pouty looking, but right now it was curved up in a mischievous grin.

“You’ll never pass for a beta acting like that,” he chuckled. “I’ve seen little girls with better constitution.”

“W-what?” Soobin stuttered. He had no idea how this boy knew what he was trying to do, but if he had been found out this easily then he would be caught before he even made it into the army camp.

The boy stuck his hand out for Soobin to shake. “Choi Beomgyu,” he said by way of greeting. “Your great-great-great grand uncle, technically, but whatever. You can just call me Beomgyu.”

Soobin was stunned. “What the hell are you talking about?” He blurted.

“Oof,” Beomgyu said, wincing. “No wonder you failed the matchmaking evaluation. Not your best introduction, I must say.” He lowered his hand, evidently sensing that Soobin was in too much shock to do much of anything. “Your ancestors sent me,” he explained cheerfully. “I am the answer to all your prayers.” He gave a theatrical bow, and Soobin gaped at him.

“My ancestors sent you?”

“Yep,” he chirped. “I mean, I volunteered myself for the job, but yes. Courtesy of the Choi ancestors, Beomgyu at your service.” He bowed again, looking very pleased with himself.

“Hang on,” Soobin realized with a frown. If you’re my great-great-great…” He trailed off.

“Oh, yeah. I’m totally dead,” Beomgyu reassured him. “Like, dead as a doornail.” He seemed a lot less put-off by it than Soobin was. “I’m on a special assignment from the old folks, which is why I got to leave the shrine.”

“Uh, um– sorry, but why did they send you, exactly?” Soobin asked, still perplexed at the appearance of someone who claimed to be one of his long-dead relatives. Soobin had never even met any of his grandparents, much less someone from that far back.

Beomgyu frowned, looking mildly affronted, but answered anyway. “You’re going to need help if you want to make it in the imperial army. No offense, but you’re a disaster.”

Soobin couldn't really argue with that, he supposed, even if his pride smarted a little. “Oookayyy,” he said slowly. “And you’re going to help me… how, exactly?”

“Easy,” Beomgyu replied cheerfully. “I’m here to make you into the most believable beta to ever walk the Earth. Then, you’ll get into the imperial army, win the war, go back home to your sister, and I’ll–” Beomgyu cut himself off suddenly, but continued as if it had never happened. “And everything will be great! Easy peasy.”

“Uh, right,” Soobin said skeptically. “So what should I do?”

“Well first of all, you gotta stop standing like you think I’m about to bite you,” Beomgyu told him decisively. “Everything about this,” he waved his hand at Soobin’s general vicinity, “screams omega. You look like you’ve never even heard of the word ‘intimidating’.”

Soobin thought about it. He was tall, he supposed, which did work to his advantage for once. Pretty much everything else about him, though, was about as far from intimidating as he could get. He had round eyes and puffy cheeks, and a tendency to stand curled in on himself. The most common comparison he got in his everyday life was that he looked like a bunny, which he didn’t think would serve him all that well in the imperial army.

“Shape up!” Beomgyu barked, in a loud and hearty imitation of a drill sergeant. “This is the army, boy! Shoulders back, eyes up, lead with your chest. You’re a beta now– you don’t have to bow to anyone!”

Soobin did as he said, and his back ached a little at the forced posture. He raised his eyebrows at Beomgyu in a silent question, and the other boy tapped his chin with his finger. “It’s, uh– well, it’s a little awkward, but I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. Try walking around.” 

Soobin did, his chest puffed out as much as he could. He felt off-balance, and his neck was definitely going to be sore if he had to keep this up all day. He looked at Beomgyu again, whose lips were pressed together. His face had gone very red, and there was a vein popping near his eyebrow.

“What?!” Soobin cried. Beomgyu burst into laughter, his cackles ringing out over the woods. He was bent in half, slapping his leg, and he was laughing so hard that Soobin was afraid he might pass out from lack of air. “Stop making fun of me and tell me how to fix it,” Soobin whined. “You’re supposed to be helping me here.”

“You look–” Beomgyu gasped. There were tears of mirth at the corners of his eyes. “You look like a drunk rooster.” He dissolved into laughter again, and Soobin pouted.

“So what do I do instead?” Soobin wailed. “I did everything you asked.”

Once Beomgyu was coherent again, he dabbed at his eyes with his long black sleeves. Soobin was momentarily concerned for him in the stifling heat, but then remembered that he was, in fact, very much dead.

“Just– stop looking like you’re so uncomfortable in your body,” Beomgyu told him. “You’re tall, so own it. You don’t have to be insecure about it here, because you’re not an omega anymore.”

“Right, right,” Soobin said to himself. “Not– right.” He took a deep breath and straightened out his body, loosening his knees and allowing his arms to fall naturally at his sides. It was a strange feeling, to allow himself to take up all of his natural height, when he’d spent so much of his life shrinking away from himself.

“Better!” Beomgyu exclaimed, his face lighting up. “That’s so much better. You won’t get laughed out of camp like this, at least.” He walked in a circle around Soobin, examining him, and clapped his hands together. “Perfect,” he said. “Let’s go.”

Soobin gave him a confused look. “But you can’t– you’re dead. They won’t let you in there, you don’t have papers.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Beomgyu waved his hand lazily. “They can’t see me. Only you can.”

Great, Soobin thought. He was definitely going to have to watch himself when talking to Beomgyu. He didn’t want anyone else to overhear him and think he was crazy.

“Chop chop,” Beomgyu said, with unwarranted enthusiasm. “The war isn’t going to win itself.”

Despite Beomgyu’s reassurance that he’d be fine, Soobin felt very jittery when he joined the line to be admitted into the camp. He had his conscription notice clutched in his grip, and Beomgyu was flitting about pointing out different things he noticed. Soobin looked down at his shoes, then remembered what Beomgyu had told him earlier and straightened up immediately.

“Nervous?” A voice said. Soobin turned around. A black-haired boy with large, luminous eyes had spoken to him. He was pleasant to look at, with a narrow jawline and a strong nose. He was gazing up at Soobin earnestly, and Soobin blinked. This boy was clearly an alpha.

“O-oh,” Soobin stuttered, and Beomgyu groaned. Soobin did his best to ignore him. “A little,” he said honestly, forcing his voice to stay confident and steady. He usually tried not to hold eye contact with alphas, since it made his inner omega sort of shaky, but he figured that he was going to have to get used to it. “This is the first time I’ve gone much further than the next village over.”

“Ah, that’s understandable,” the boy replied. “I’ve only traveled a little, myself. I just turned eighteen at the beginning of the year, you see.”

Soobin’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow, you’re so young.” No wonder his alpha aura was still mild by comparison– he had only just recently presented.

He shrugged. “I’m the only alpha in my family, so I didn’t have much of a choice. What about you?”

“I have a sister,” Soobin responded. “She’s an alpha, but… She was injured when I was young, so she couldn’t come.”

The boy’s face flashed with sympathy. “Sorry to hear that. It’s good of you to volunteer to go instead.” There was a short pause, and then he spoke again. “I didn’t even give you my name,” he said. “I’m Kang Taehyun.”

“Choi Soobin.” He held out his hand. The alpha had a firm handshake, but he didn’t try to take Soobin’s fingers off or anything, which he appreciated. 

The pair chatted until they made it to the front of the line, when there was a small commotion. The kid standing in front of Soobin, who didn’t look any older than Taehyun, had passed out from fear. He collapsed right onto Soobin’s shoes when the sergeant shouted at him to speak louder, and Soobin jumped backwards.

“Oh dear,” Beomgyu said, looking down at the boy with pity. After a glare from the sergeant, Soobin quickly scooped him up off the ground. He was nearly as tall as Soobin himself, but barely weighed more than a sack of flour thanks to his long, skinny limbs. Once Soobin had him upright, the boy’s eyes fluttered open.

“Sorry!” He apologized, but it was so quiet that Soobin barely heard it. This kid was a beta, judging by his weak scent, but he was more fearful than any omega Soobin had ever met. Beomgyu’s jaw was on the ground.

“Name?” The sergeant growled. Soobin strengthened his grip on the boy’s arm in case he blacked out again.

“Huening Kai,” the boy squeaked. His face was still as white as a sheet.

The sergeant raised his bushy eyebrows. “Unusual surname,” he said gruffly. “Conscription notice?”

Taehyun picked the roll of paper up off the ground from where it had dropped, and handed it to the sergeant. He examined it for a moment, and then tossed it to his assistant who added it to the steadily growing pile.

“Rations and supplies are on your left,” the sergeant said, pointing to a large tent where other soldiers were going in and out. Some were already wearing their new uniforms, and others were carrying large bags and bundles. “Next!”

The boy looked up at Soobin, eyes wide, and Soobin smiled comfortingly. “Stay here, and I’ll go with you as soon as I’m done.” That seemed to provide the boy some solace, because he stepped off to the side with no small amount of quivering.

Soobin handed his own conscription notice to the sergeant, who unrolled it. “Name?” He barked.

“Choi Soobin.”

The sergeant cleared his throat. “Says here we have a ‘Choi Arin’ listed.”

“Yes, sir,” Soobin said. “That’s my sister. She was injured, so I came in her stead.”

The sergeant grunted, tossing the roll of paper aside, and gave another sharp “Next!” Soobin went to stand beside Huening Kai, waiting for Taehyun to finish his registration.

“Are you okay?” He asked the beta.

 The boy started a little when he was addressed, but very quickly nodded. “Thank you,” he said. “I didn’t mean– well, I just… He scares me.”

Soobin chuckled. “I can tell. Huening Kai, right?” The boy nodded. “I’m Soobin. It’s nice to meet you, Kai.” Kai bowed several times, and Soobin smiled. He was really very adorable, with fair skin and angular brown eyes. His nose was slightly pointed, and he had thin pink lips.

“How old are you, Kai?” Soobin asked next. “You look pretty young to be joining the military.”

“I just turned eighteen last month,” Kai answered, wringing his hands nervously.

Soobin gaped at him. “What the fuck? They’re sending children off to war these days?” He pointed at Taehyun, who was headed their direction. “I just met Taehyun, and he’s also eighteen.”

“Well– I mean, how old are you?” Kai asked curiously, head tilting.

“Twenty, but still,” Soobin said. “I’ve at least had a couple years since prese–“ Beomgyu then caught his eye, mouthing furiously at him, and Soobin stopped. Betas didn’t technically have presentations, he remembered, not the way that alphas and omegas did. Thankfully, Kai was too distracted by Taehyun’s approach to notice his slip-up.

“Hello,” Taehyun greeted politely. “Are you alright?”

Kai nodded some more, and Soobin knew that Taehyun could sense the anxiety rolling off of him in waves. He seemed particularly afraid of alphas, for some reason, although he was just pretty terrified in general.

“This is Taehyun,” Soobin told Kai. “Taehyun, Kai is the same age as you.”

Taehyun’s face split into a bright smile, and Soobin noticed Kai loosen up a little beside him. “That’s great,” Taehyun said. His smile made his huge eyes crinkle up at the sides. “I was afraid I might be the youngest here.” He had the good sense not to try to shake Kai’s hand, and instead offered a cheerful wave. That made Kai’s lips turn up a little, too.

“Shall we go?” Soobin asked, pointing in the direction of the supplies tent. The three of them turned, and got in line again. Kai stood on the other side of Soobin, away from Taehyun, but he definitely opened up as the three of them discussed their families and their hometowns. Beomgyu had taken to stepping in front of other people and making stupid faces, knowing that they couldn’t see him, and giggling with glee. Soobin was starting to feel a little skeptical about just what kind of “help” the ancestors had sent him.

Kai had two sisters, one older and one younger, whereas Taehyun had no siblings at all and had been raised by his grandmother. His grandmother had been a doctor, and Taehyun had been studying been studying with her all his life and taken over most of the work in the last few years.

“You’re a baker?” Kai said. His expression was envious. “I love sweets, my family are all traders. Pottery and fabrics, and stupid stuff like that.”

Soobin chuckled. “Well, if we get anything other than plain rice and meat then I’ll bake you something sometime. I have a feeling it’ll be a while, though.” Soldiers carrying massive sacks of uncooked rice had passed by multiple times, and Soobin did not have high hopes for the quality of the cuisine while he was here.

The woman handing out uniforms gazed at Soobin appraisingly for a long while before sliding a bundle to him. “These’ll probably be a little short on you, but it’s better than being too baggy,” she said. 

Her prediction had been correct; the trousers showed his ankles at the bottom, which made Beomgyu laugh boisterously. Soobin yelped, covering his bare chest.

“What the fuck, I’m changing!” He cried. “Stop looking, it’s weird.”

Beomgyu snorted. “I’m literally dead, and also your ancestor. We’re related.”

Soobin quickly shoved the shirt on over his head, and glared at Beomgyu. “Cool,” he said sarcastically. “That makes it even weirder.”

The camp’s cooks handed out a rudimentary meal, and Soobin, Taehyun, and Kai stood in yet another line to get their rations. It was more food than Soobin thought it would be, but it was very bland. Kai finished his portion in about thirty seconds flat, and then proceeded to stare longingly into the bottom of his bowl like more rice might magically appear there. Soobin had experienced his fair share of lean times in the years since his parents had passed, and Taehyun had no complaints either as he ate his serving with gusto. Kai, however, had grown up being spoiled by two sisters. Soobin picked up his chopsticks and dropped a piece of meat into his bowl, and the younger boy positively beamed at him.

“You’re my favorite, you know that?” Kai said reverently. “We met two hours ago, but I would die for you.”

“We’re about to go to war, don’t say that just yet,” Soobin chuckled. Beomgyu, on the other hand, had his arms crossed.

“You’re never going to make it on the battlefield if you can’t even survive some kid’s puppy dog eyes,” he said disapprovingly. Soobin looked him right in the face as he put another piece of meat into Kai’s bowl, and Beomgyu threw his arms into the air in frustration.

“I can’t believe this” he groaned. “The ancestors sent me here to look after a weakling.”

Everyone was called for a headcount before sundown. They lined up neatly in the field just outside of the camp’s borders. The general and his captains surveyed them, walking down the rows with judging eyes. Soobin gulped when one of them passed him, making a concerted effort not to shrink away from him. His alpha aura was almost overwhelming, as was that of the other two captains and the general himself. Beomgyu sighed with relief when the captain continued by Soobin without stopping; he’d gone undetected.

“Welcome, new recruits,” the general said. His voice boomed over them, roughly five hundred alphas and betas in varying states of nervousness. Soobin was ready to catch Kai in case he passed out again, the younger boy shivering in fear beside him. Taehyun stared ahead, expression blank.

“It is an honor to serve as your general under the imperial army,” the man continued. “My name is Kim Namjoon.” He was quite tall, with a well-fitted jacket of embroidered silk and a number of shining badges on his chest. There was a hat shading his eyes, but Soobin could make out plump lips and caramel skin. “It is my duty to the emperor to ensure that you are fit for battle. The Third Kingdom has invaded our lands, and we are tasked with the protection of our people. The omegas, the children, and the elderly of our great nation are all looking to us.”

A breeze whispered through the tents. The general’s words seemed to strengthen the resolve of many of the recruits around Soobin, and Beomgyu grimaced. Apparently they’d had the same thought– no one had yet noticed that there was, in fact, one of those very omegas standing among them. Soobin swallowed.

“Captain Choi Yeonjun will be in charge of your training,” General Kim announced. One of the three stepped forwards, and removed his hat. Soobin stared. Choi Yeonjun couldn’t be much older than he was, and he had clever, fox-like eyes set above a straight nose and lush lips. He was tall, with broad shoulders, and the silk of his formal uniform clung to his narrow waist. Captain Choi was all in all a very good-looking alpha, which Soobin tried very hard not to think about.

“You will answer to Captain Choi while you are here,” the general explained, “before being assigned to your commands once you have passed your training evaluations. Is everything clear?”

“Yes sir!” The chorus rang out in unison, and the general nodded at the collective salute. 

“Dismissed,” the general said calmly. “Report to Captain Choi at dawn.”

“You have got to work on that,” was the first thing that Beomgyu told Soobin as soon as they were back in his tent. Soobin wrinkled his eyebrows, nonplussed. “Your thirsty face,” he clarified. 

Soobin began to splutter, heat rising in his cheeks. “I didn’t– I’m not– what are you implying? He’s just–“

“See,” Beomgyu interrupted, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “You knew exactly who I was talking about before I even said anything. You can’t make googly eyes at him everywhere you go, you’ll be outed in seconds.”

“I was not making googly eyes,” Soobin retorted. “I was just surprised that he’s so young, that’s all.”

“Yeah, and that he’s hot,” Beomgyu said. “You were practically drooling.”

“I was not,” Soobin protested.

“You were,” he said sagely. “and I noticed that you didn’t deny the hot allegation just now.”

“Well, I mean he is good-looking,” Soobin conceded. Beomgyu snatched Soobin’s pillow from his bedroll to hit him with, and Soobin covered his head with his arms. “That’s just a fact! I’m not thirsting over him, I swear!”

Beomgyu lowered the pillow suspiciously, and then rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re goggling over the fucking captain when Kang Taehyun is right there, but whatever.”

Soobin’s mouth dropped open. “What the fuck? Aren’t you, like, two hundred years old?”

Beomgyu turned to look at him, affronted. “I’m nineteen.”

“What!?” Soobin exclaimed. “But you’re– uh…”

Beomgyu’s expression morphed into something like rage, and he lifted the pillow again. “Choi Soobin, you better think about exactly what you’re going to say right now–“

“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Soobin cried. “You don’t, like, look old or anything, I was just surprised because… You know. You’re younger than me.”

Beomgyu huffed, and chucked the pillow back onto the bedroll. “Yeah, well,” he muttered. “Not all of us get to live long, happy lives, no matter what the ancestors want you to believe.”

“Oh,” Soobin exhaled. “Beomgyu, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he replied flatly. “Like you said, it was two hundred years ago.”

Chapter Text

Soobin woke up the next morning to Beomgyu’s blurry face hovering over his. “Get up,” he ordered. “You’re supposed to be reporting to Captain Cutie at dawn, remember?”

Soobin sat up, eyes so puffy that it was hard to see. Beomgyu let out a snort at his dull expression, tossing his uniform onto Soobin’s lap. “Rise and shine. You might want to try to put some cold water on your face, you look like a dumpling.”

Soobin stumbled up, and changed clothes in a daze. He wasn’t a morning person by any means, and Beomgyu’s voice was so loud in his ears. The sun was just barely up, his tent still mostly dark, and he barely had time to wonder where Beomgyu had gone when the door flapped open again and his familiar face peeked in.

“I stole you a couple of breakfast buns,” he said. “You better not give them away to that kid again.” They were still warm when Soobin tore into one, putting the other two in his pocket. Beomgyu definitely had to know that one of them was going to Kai, or else he wouldn’t have brought so many.

Once Soobin had washed up and found the two younger boys, they trooped back to the field where the recruits had gathered the previous evening. Taehyun and Kai were both surprisingly chipper for such an early hour, and Soobin silently envied the energy of youth. Kai had squealed and thrown his arms around him when Soobin pulled the last breakfast bun out of his pocket. Omega instincts be damned; he was so adorable that anyone would be willing to sacrifice their rations, Soobin thought, if it made Kai happy. He seemed to have warmed up to Taehyun just fine, because the two of them chattered away while Soobin attempted to get his brain started with only mediocre success.

Silence fell over them when Captain Choi arrived. He looked every bit as crisp as he had the day before, albeit in his regular uniform rather than his formal one. The standard-issue belt at his waist just made it look smaller, and Soobin gulped. His hair was straight and black, falling to the tops of his cheekbones without the hat to cover it, and his gaze was calculating.

“Stop staring,” Beomgyu hissed. “You look like you’re trying to undress him with your eyes.” Soobin thought for a second that he heard Taehyun snicker, but when he looked over the alpha was expressionless. Kai was trembling again, and Soobin reached out to put a hand on his back without breaking the line. The captain opened his mouth to speak.

“I expect to see you all at this time every day,” he said evenly. His voice was smooth and pleasant to listen to, and carried over the recruits without sounding like shouting at all. “Physical strength is important, but mental strength is of the utmost value while you are here.” Soobin shivered just the tiniest bit, unsure if the thought of early mornings or the captain’s piercing gaze was more intimidating.

Then, Captain Choi pulled a dagger from inside his belt. He lifted his arm, pulling back, and threw it. It soared impossibly far, spinning through the air, finally embedding itself at the very top of the camp’s wooden flagpole. Murmurs and shocked whispers passed through the ranks, quickly silenced with a single look from the captain. Soobin had never seen anyone with such strength or accuracy in his life, and he thought that he was going to be here for a very, very long time if he was expected to be that capable in order to move on.

“Get the dagger,” the captain said. There was a long pause, and nobody moved. He raised one eyebrow, and then suddenly the lines broke as soldiers swarmed around the base of the flagpole. Soobin, Taehyun, and Kai stayed towards the back of the crowd, and Soobin craned his neck. The knife looked incredibly small from here, a scarlet tassel at the end of the handle lifted by a breeze they couldn’t even feel on the ground.

“He’s insane,” Beomgyu blurted. “There’s no way anyone will be able to climb that thing. It’s tiny.”

He was right. The flagpole was a foot in diameter at most, and shook terribly when the first soldier tried to climb it. The man only just barely got his feet above the eye-line of the crowd before sliding back to the ground. Soobin hated to think what would’ve happened if he’d fallen from higher up; the top was so far in the air that one mistake could end in death. A woman tried next, her smaller figure making the flagpole wobble much less, but her strength failed. She, too, slid back to the bottom before even getting close.

“No one will leave this camp until that dagger is returned to me,” Captain Choi said. “Until then, I will see you every day at dawn.”

The sun rose hot and bright, and by lunchtime Soobin had completely sweat through his uniform. No one else looked much better, Kai’s cheeks red and Taehyun’s bangs soaked. Only Beomgyu, being dead, was completely unbothered by the heat.

“This is insane,” Kai gasped, flat on his back in the grass. “I’m going to die before I even get out into the field, and my family will live in disgrace forever.” Captain Choi had them running laps until Soobin couldn’t even feel his legs anymore, which admittedly hadn’t taken very long. The only exercise he regularly got at home was lifting bags of flour, and his cardio was what Beomgyu described as “pitiful”. Taehyun was still standing, at least, but he too looked exhausted. It was only noon.

They broke for lunch, and Soobin overheard a lot of grumbling about Captain Choi’s methods while they were waiting in line. He was so exhausted that he didn’t feel hungry at all, but he forced down as much food as he could bear before allowing Taehyun and Kai to split the rest. Beomgyu had frogmarched Soobin away at one point to douse him in scent blockers, claiming that the sweat was washing them away and his omega smell was becoming noticeable again. That would be a problem. He would have to keep making up excuses to vanish for a few minutes, and he only had so much scent blocker stashed away.

They spent the afternoon working on martial arts forms, repeating the same basic movements endlessly under the blazing sun. His arms were starting to get sore from holding them up for so long, and his legs felt like jelly. Martial arts was something Soobin had absolutely zero experience in. It clearly showed, because when Captain Choi came around he frowned disapprovingly. Soobin felt his inner omega shrink, and Beomgyu prodded his back to fix his posture.

“Again,” the captain commanded. Soobin executed the sequence of movements he’d been taught, confidence dropping even further when Captain Choi’s expression didn’t change. He could feel his face getting red, but it could’ve also just been the heat. “Again.” 

Soobin was halfway through the second repetition when his calf cramped up, and a yelp escaped him involuntarily. He stiffened, leg giving up on him, and staggered. Taehyun caught him, which he was very grateful for, but Captain Choi looked even more disappointed when he walked away without another word. Beomgyu smacked his forehead with his palm.

“It’s okay, it happens,” Taehyun said consolingly. “He did just make us run like, twelve miles this morning.”

“Yeah,” Kai agreed fervently. “I’m just glad he wasn’t looking at me the whole time we were doing this. I probably look like a limp noodle.”

That didn’t make Soobin feel much better, but he was too busy kneading his calf and wincing to really pay attention.

Soobin was barely conscious by the time he fell into bed that night, too exhausted to move. He was already dreading the next morning, when he’d have to get up and do it all over again, but this time with sore muscles. The concept sounded torturous.

“Hmm. We’re going to have to practice this stuff, or you’re gonna get kicked out,” Beomgyu said. “Death by execution is one thing, but to dishonor your entire family like that… The ancestors would kill me,”

“Beomgyu,” Soobin groaned. “Please, shut up. If I have to practice any more I’m going to puke on you.”

Beomgyu’s eyebrows rose. “Well that’s not very respectful of your elders.”

“I’m literally older than you,” Soobin pointed out.

“Not really. I was born over two hundred years ago.”

“You’re either nineteen or you’re too old to be hitting on Taehyun, pick one.”

Beomgyu grumbled a bit, and then crossed his arms in resignation. “Fine, but I’m not calling you hyung.”

Soobin’s whole body was screaming when he picked up a bow on the training field the next day. Captain Choi had made them do several sprint drills that made Soobin regret eating breakfast that morning. His only saving grace was that Kai was also a pretty slow runner, since Taehyun had zoomed right past them. The alpha was annoyingly good at everything, but Soobin couldn’t even be mad since he was so nice and humble about it.

“This is the correct posture for shooting,” Captain Choi said as he demonstrated. He had taken off his long uniform jacket so that the new recruits could see his form properly, and his muscles rippled as he drew the string on the bow. Beomgyu reached over to push Soobin’s jaw closed with his hand, and Soobin felt himself blush.

“Arms should be in a straight line. Draw your shoulders back evenly, not too high or too low. If you do it correctly, your shots should be consistent every time,” the captain instructed. He fired five arrows in quick succession, all of which struck the center of the target. The last arrow split the first one straight down the middle.

Beomgyu swore, and a whisper ran through the recruits. Soobin was stunned, yet again, by the captain’s prowess. They grouped up to practice shooting, and Kai shrieked when Taehyun’s first arrow just barely missed the bullseye.

“Can you believe this?” He said to Soobin. “This is why alphas are the worst. Some of us actually suck at stuff, you know,” Kai told Taehyun indignantly.

Taehyun ducked his head modestly. “It’s nothing to do with being an alpha. I’ve just had practice with this stuff before.”

Soobin stared. “I thought you were a doctor.”

“I am,” Taehyun answered lightly.

Beomgyu, too, was staring at Taehyun. His eyes ran over the veins in Taehyun’s arms, pressing against his skin where he gripped the bow. “Fuck, that’s hot,” he said rather loudly. Soobin smashed his lips together in an attempt not to laugh as Kai stepped up to shoot.

Kai’s arrow hit the target at least, even if it was on the edge. He whined about how sore his arms were when he shot, which Soobin related to strongly. He nocked an arrow and lined himself up with the target after Kai had moved away, hands shaking like a leaf in the wind with the effort of drawing the string.

Suddenly, he heard someone clear their throat behind him. Surprised, Soobin let go of the arrow. It soared across the field, missing the target by several dozen yards. When he turned, Captain Choi was standing there. Soobin cringed, and tried for a casual wave. The captain did not look amused.

“You’re going to get someone hurt if you hold the arrow so loosely like that,” he said. “And your shoulders are way too stiff. They’re supposed to be relaxed, not up near your ears. Weren’t you paying attention to the demonstration?”

Soobin couldn’t help it; he ducked his head, inner omega whining at the scolding. Beomgyu stuck his tongue out at the captain’s back after he turned away, and Kai had his hands on his hips, looking upset.

“Why’s he being so mean to you? It’s your first time shooting a bow,” he complained.

“Yeah, he’s right,” Beomgyu said strongly. “We can’t all be living gods like Kang Taehyun.”

Soobin scrubbed his hand over his face. “How is it that every time he walks by I’m doing something stupid?”

“Because you’re always doing something stupid,” Beomgyu said, right at the same time as Taehyun answered with “It’s natural to be nervous when he comes around. He’s intimidating.”

“I guess,” Soobin muttered, electing to ignore Beomgyu. “I’m just glad he didn’t make me run laps again.”

Kai looked grim. “Don’t give him any ideas.”

They moved on to swordsmanship after lunch, and Soobin was very grateful that they were working with wooden practice swords before they moved on to real ones. However, if he’d thought that his arms were sore before, it was nothing compared to the pain of trying to swing a sword around, too. He knew that his form was terrible, but he literally couldn’t force his body to do any better. It was like his limbs had completely given up in protest.

“Choi Soobin,” he heard, right as he dropped his sword onto his toe. Soobin froze up, and when he turned he was met with Captain Choi’s glare. He didn’t know when the captain had learned his name, but he figured that it probably wasn’t for complimentary reasons. “I didn’t expect much from you, and yet somehow you still manage to disappoint,” he said sharply.

Beomgyu lunged for his throat, but Taehyun somehow managed to step forward right before he reached the captain. Beomgyu tripped over his foot, spluttering and swearing when he hit the grass. Taehyun showed no signs of knowing what he’d done, and instead fixed the back of Captain Choi’s head with a fiery stare.

“That wasn’t very nice,” Kai said, frowning. “It’s not your fault, hyung. He’s been torturing you all day.”

“That I agree with,” Taehyun piped up. “He’s been unfairly hard on you ever since you got here. I don’t know what his problem is.”

“The problem is me,” Soobin said glumly. “I just can’t get anything right.”

“You just started,” Taehyun replied, eyes earnest as he looked up at Soobin. “He can’t expect you to be perfect in one day.”

“Yeah, and I’m just as terrible,” Kai pointed out. “And you don’t see him out here bullying me about it.”

“That’s because it would be an actual crime to bully you, Kai.” Soobin said firmly. “He’s harsh, but I don’t think he’s a criminal.”

Beomgyu snorted, brushing grass from the front of his black shirt. 

The days wore on like that, the new recruits training from sunrise to sunset under the watchful eye of Captain Choi. Eventually Soobin stopped being so physically exhausted that he thought he was going to pass out at the end of every training session, but the captain still found things to scold him about. From the position of his torso in a martial arts form to his grip on a sword during sparring matches, there was always something wrong. It drove Beomgyu insane, and Kai actually cried on his behalf after a particularly harsh critique. Taehyun stayed silent, but his eyes burned holes into Captain Choi’s uniform every time he walked by.

Soobin just kept his head down and continued to practice. More than anything, he was just glad that the captain hadn’t kicked him out yet and sent him back to Arin in disgrace. He hadn’t been found out yet as an omega either, but he was keen to get the captain off of his back to minimize his chances of being discovered.

He dragged Beomgyu back out into the field one night, after everyone else had gone to sleep. Beomgyu looked flabbergasted when he picked up one of the wooden swords, and started to run through the drill under the moonlight.

“Soobin,” he said. “You just did this all day, and now you want to do more?” 

“I have to, I can’t have Captain Choi coming after me all the time. One of these days I’m going to slip up with the scent blockers, or something. I need his attention on someone else, so I have to stop giving him reasons to come over and yell at me,” Soobin replied.

“I’m telling you,” Beomgyu grumbled as he started on his sword forms. “That guy has it out for you. Kai is arguably worse than you, at this point, and that stupid captain doesn’t say a word to him.”

“I would rather him yell at me than Kai,” Soobin said. “Kai’s only just gotten to the point where he doesn’t pass out when Captain Choi looks at him anymore.”

“You’re too nice to that kid,” Beomgyu accused, pointing his finger. “It’s like your inner omega thinks he’s your little cutie angel pie.” He said the last part in a mocking baby voice, but Soobin just shrugged in between exercises. 

“He is. Have you ever seen his face? He’s adorable.”

Beomgyu groaned. “You are never going to make it out there! What if one of the Third Kingdom’s soldiers is adorable, too? Are you just going to let them kill you?”

“Maybe,” Soobin said, just to annoy him. Beomgyu flung his hands in the air, and threw out some choice swear words. “You’d let Taehyun kill you,” Soobin continued lightly, jabbing the sword.

“Yeah, but that’s ‘cause Taehyun’s a hottie,” Beomgyu said fervently. “I’d happily die again knowing that face was the last thing I was ever going to see.”

After several repetitions, Soobin stopped for a break. He looked up at the flagpole, where Captain Choi’s dagger was still embedded. He’d seen countless attempts to reach it at this point, all failures. Several of the recruits who’d tried said that it was simply impossible. The scarlet tassel flapped in the wind like the emperor’s imperial crest beneath it. If the captain wasn’t bluffing, then they really might never see battle at all.

There was a large crowd of soldiers gathered in front of the tent functioning as the cafeteria the next morning, all speaking in low, hushed tones. Soobin and Beomgyu, who’d arrived a little later than usual to breakfast that morning, made a beeline straight to the spot where Taehyun and Kai stood with their heads together.

“What’s happening?” Soobin asked breathlessly.

“Hyung,” Taehyun said, turning to him with his huge eyes blown wide. “The general is leaving. Apparently the front has moved forward, towards the western border, and he’s going to assist the commander there.”

Kai looked very pale, and his voice was much higher than usual when he spoke. “Do you think that means they’re going to ship us out?”

“I don’t know,” Soobin answered, chewing his lip. “If they’re desperate enough to send soldiers who haven’t finished their training off to battle, then that’s a really bad sign.”

“I hope not,” Taehyun added quietly. Kai nodded quickly, wobbling a little where he stood. Soobin moved to catch him, but he didn’t faint. When he looked over at Beomgyu, his expression was grave.

Beomgyu wasn’t around when Soobin went out to the field to practice the next night. He had a tendency to vanish on occasion, but Soobin just shrugged it off. Beomgyu was weird like that, and also dead. Maybe he had to go commune with the ancestors, or something.

Soobin was working on his martial arts exercises when he smelled the distinctive scent of an alpha. He turned, and came face-to-face with Captain Choi. What happened next was a very embarrassing sequence of events in which Soobin swore, clapped his hand over his mouth, remembered that he was a “beta” and didn’t need to shy away from curse words, swore again, and then remembered that Captain Choi was definitely his superior and he shouldn’t swear in front of him regardless of his sub-gender. It was a good thing that Beomgyu wasn’t around to witness it.

“May I ask what you are doing out here at this hour?” The captain asked with his eyebrows raised up near his hairline. “I don’t think I need to remind you that you have training again in the morning, at this point.”

“No, sir,” Soobin replied, bowing hurriedly. “I was just practicing my forms. I– well, you know,” he answered. “I have a lot of stuff I need to work on.”

Captain Choi sighed. “Do it again. Let me see.”

Soobin repeated his drill, very conscious of the captain’s critical eyes on him. When he finished, he quickly put his legs together and bowed again. He expected another scolding, but Captain Choi was silent. Was he so bad that the captain had given up on him entirely?

“Take the first stance again,” he said evenly. Soobin did as he said, trying not to tremble when the captain moved closer. “Your balance is off,” he murmured. He put his hands on Soobin’s waist, and Soobin inadvertently stiffened under Captain Choi’s touch. “Relax. You’re tall, but your build is closer to that of an omega. Your center of gravity is lower than you think it is.”

Horror washed like a bucket of ice water over Soobin, but the captain said nothing else as he stepped back again and gestured for him to repeat the sequence once more. Soobin was nearly light-headed with relief at the fact that the captain didn’t seem to realize just how accurate his words had been. The scent blockers must be really effective, he thought, if the alpha had been able to get so close without being able to smell him.

“Again,” Captain Choi commanded. “You’re distracted.”

Soobin mentally shook himself and forced himself to focus. He took a deep breath before running through the drill yet again, looking over at Captain Choi once he’d finished. His gaze was unreadable.

“Better,” he finally said. Soobin was shocked, and he couldn’t stop his mouth from dropping open. He slammed it shut and bowed profusely.

“Thank you, sir,” he breathed, bowing again. “I– thank you.”

There was a funny expression on the captain’s face when Soobin finally straightened up again. Soobin was reminded yet again of how handsome he was, and he firmly shut that thought down.

“You should get some sleep, Soobin,” he said softly. “Your body needs rest, and your mind does, too.”

Soobin stared after him, speechless, as the captain walked back in the direction of the camp.

Chapter Text

“He what?” Beomgyu gasped. Soobin was putting his uniform on in a rush that next morning, having tossed and turned in his bed all night. He couldn’t sleep, the alpha scent of Captain Choi still lingering on his skin even through the fabric of his uniform.

“I know,” Soobin replied, pulling on his socks. “He didn’t even yell at me once.”

“Well you’re not going to believe what I found out,” Beomgyu said grimly. “I was in the general’s tent last night.”

Soobin dropped his shoe, gaping at him. “What the hell, Beomgyu?! That’s like, treason on the next level.”

“Who cares, I’m dead,” Beomgyu sniffed. “The important part is that they’re sending the general on a reconnaissance mission. Apparently him and a really small team of elite soldiers are heading into the Third Kingdom’s capital, not the western front.”

“Holy shit,” Soobin said. “That’s really serious.” 

“I know,” Beomgyu replied, leveling him with a significant look. “Honestly, it sounds like a suicide mission to me. They’re leaving Captain Choi and the other two at the head of command. Supposedly Captain Seo’s unit is headed to the western front tomorrow, instead.”

Soobin winced. “That’s really bad. We’re not ready.”

“We’re not,” Beomgyu agreed. “But Captain Seo’s unit have been training for a lot longer, so they’ll be okay. The problem will be if they send you off next.”

“We won’t have a choice, will we?” Soobin said quietly.

“No,” Beomgyu stated. “But I suspect that training is about to get a lot more grueling from here on out.”

Beomgyu was right. Captain Choi’s training got even more intense, to the point where Soobin was sure that he was going to puke from the amount of laps that they’d run. He didn’t, thankfully, although he did have the stellar luck of retching right onto the captain’s shoes at one point. He didn’t say anything, just gave Soobin a look and moved on.

“I’d rather be dead than move another muscle,” Kai wheezed from his spot on the grass. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“It’s not as fun as you might think,” Beomgyu responded, even though Kai couldn’t hear him. “Two hundred years in a shrine with just a bunch of geezers for company gets old really fast.”

Kai didn’t react, of course, but Soobin thought he heard Taehyun snort. The alpha was busy re-tying his belt when he looked, though, so he suspected that maybe it was just a weird cough or something. 

Soobin was bruised and battered from sparring with the practice swords by the time the sun set. He went back to his tent for a quick nap after dinner, but then got up to go back to the field under the cover of darkness.

“Soobin,” Beomgyu said sternly. “You have to give yourself a break. I’m pretty sure Captain Choi is trying to kill you from exhaustion at this point, and you need to preserve your strength.”

Soobin shook his head stubbornly, lifting a bow and nocking an arrow. “What I need is to get Captain Choi to stop coming over to me. I’m telling you, when he said the word ‘omega’ I thought I was going to shit myself.”

“Real subtle,” Beomgyu said sarcastically. “Seriously, Soobin, you’re going to wear yourself out. Just tell him to fuck off.”

“Oh, and you think swearing at him is subtle?”

“It’s better than landing yourself in the hospital!” Beomgyu yelled, sounding absolutely exasperated.

“What do you want me to say?” Soobin cried. “With all due respect sir, as my commanding officer, I kindly request that you fuck off?!”

“Message received, loud and clear,” a voice said. The blood drained from Soobin’s face, and Beomgyu looked absolutely petrified. When Soobin turned around, painfully slowly, Captain Choi was standing behind him with a peculiar expression. “Though, I suppose it could’ve been worded more politely,” he added. If Soobin didn’t know better, he would’ve said that it looked like the captain was trying not to laugh.

“Sir!” He squeaked. “I didn’t– I, um..”

“No, it’s fine,” Captain Choi said, waving his hand. “I have been a little hard on you all recently, though I’m sure you know that they sent Captain Seo’s unit out this evening. I want you all to be prepared when our time comes.”

Soobin was caught in a weird in-between of bowing and backing away, arrow still clutched in his grip. “Y-yes, of course. I, um, I’ll get going now, sir–“

Captain Choi shook his head. “You came here to practice, right? Let me see.”

Soobin’s hands were shaking so badly when he lifted the bow that he was sure that he was going to miss spectacularly, but the arrow landed inside the first ring on the target.

“Not bad,” the captain admitted. “But your shoulders are still too high. It’s affecting your aim, and it’ll make you tired a lot more quickly.” He stepped behind Soobin, lifting his arms, and drew the bow with his hands over Soobin’s own. Beomgyu’s mouth was open in shock.

“Try now.” Captain Choi stepped away. His alpha scent was making Soobin dizzy, but he blinked a few times to steady himself and then loosed the arrow. It embedded itself just shy of the bullseye.

The captain’s lips curved up into what could be interpreted as a smile, and Soobin felt as stunned as Beomgyu looked. “Again,” the captain said. “Archery is all about consistency.” 

Soobin swallowed, and nocked another arrow. When he shot it, it landed in the red circle. Beomgyu cheered, but then cut himself off with a nervous glance at Captain Choi. He didn’t react at all, aside from another tiny smile.

“Okay, you can do it slowly,” he began. “Try it faster, now. More fluid, from the time you draw the arrow to the time it leaves your bow.” 

Soobin did, but fumbled with the string. He flinched slightly, expecting a scolding that never came. Instead, when he looked, Captain Choi’s expression was calm.

“It’s alright,” he said gently. “You don’t need to look to me for approval on every little thing. If you get it wrong, just try again.”

“What the fuck,” Beomgyu blurted. “What the fuck. Is he out of his mind? Did someone hit him over the head?” 

Soobin desperately tried to tune him out as he tried again, and again, and again. His movements gradually got faster and more natural, and eventually Captain Choi stopped him.

“That’s good, Soobin. That’s enough for tonight.”

Soobin walked back to his tent in a daze.

“I sincerely hope that none of you find yourselves in a situation where you are forced to use hand-to-hand combat,” Captain Choi said to the recruits the next day. The weather was finally starting to cool off, and the breeze smelled like autumn as it lifted Soobin’s bangs. “However, if it comes down to it, I want you all to be ready.”

He called one of the soldiers from the front row forward, a small woman with dark hair tied back in a bun and narrow eyes. “The most important thing to do before you get into a fight is to assess your opponent,” the captain explained. “I can tell that Seulgi here is an alpha right away. I also know that I’m a lot bigger than she is, which is a plus in terms of weight and strength. However, she’s likely going to have an advantage in terms of speed. Additionally, she’s got a lower center of gravity. She’s going to regain her balance much more quickly than me,” he continued. 

He then assumed one of the stances that Soobin recognized from their martial arts drills. “Okay, Seulgi, try to hit me,” he said. Soobin secretly thought that she was very brave for even trying; she, too, assumed the martial arts stance. It looked as though she’d had some experience in hand-to-hand combat, since she didn’t get flipped immediately, but she eventually did end up on her back. Captain Choi gave her a hand, and pulled her up.

“Seulgi’s style just now was a tad too aggressive,” he said. “She’s stronger than I was expecting, but she wasn’t using her blocks effectively. Knowing how to defend yourself is key, since one hit can mean the difference between life and death when you’re up close like this. Again, if you will,” the captain requested. They sparred for a bit longer this time, Seulgi holding out for almost twenty seconds by Soobin’s count. Beomgyu gave a low whistle, impressed.

“Within the first ten seconds, I can guess what her fighting style is like,” Captain Choi said. “But changing it up like that has the potential to throw your opponent off. When it comes to a real-life fight like this, there are no rules. If you have to play dirty, play dirty,” he finished with a rather grim expression. “Now, break up into pairs and practice.”

Soobin ended up opposite a beta named Seungmin. He was the same age as Soobin, with a puppy-like face and a bright smile. Soobin tried to remember what Captain Choi had said about analyzing his opponent, but he had the feeling that this was going to be a much more even match. Seungmin was only a scant few inches shorter than him, with a similar build.

“Shall we try?” Seungmin asked, with a beaming smile.

“Sure,” Soobin said uncertainly. As soon as the word left his mouth, Seungmin lunged. Soobin barely avoided the strike, and brought his own hand down. The beta caught it with his forearm, and Soobin gritted his teeth as pain flashed through his fingers. Seungmin’s eyes were calculating, and his pupils darted to Soobin’s left side. He sidestepped, but Seungmin had bluffed. He caught Soobin’s legs, throwing him.

He gasped, winded for a moment, and Seungmin’s smiling face appeared in his vision. “Sorry about that!” He chirped, bending down and hauling Soobin to his feet. He overshot a little, and Seungmin looked surprised. “You know, you’re tall, but you’re much lighter than I was expecting,” he said conversationally. 

That smile was very misleading, Soobin thought. Seungmin was deceptively cute, and managed to knock Soobin over three more times before he finally caught the beta off guard. Just then, Captain Choi made the call to switch partners.

“That was fun!” Seungmin grinned. He reached out for a high-five, but when Soobin went to reciprocate he flipped him onto his back again. Soobin sighed, and promptly yanked Seungmin’s ankle so that he was on the ground as well. Their giggles rang out over the field, and Captain Choi came over with a frown.

“I thought I told you to switch,” he remarked coolly. His expression was smooth, but there was a slight change in his scent that Soobin couldn’t quite pinpoint. It was a strange, sour edge that bit at his nostrils as he scrambled to his feet and bowed.

“Yes, sir,” he replied breathlessly, and traded places with Kai. He felt Captain Choi’s eyes on him as he introduced the maknae to Seungmin. Kai was less fearful than he had been when he’d first arrived, though it still took him time to warm up to new people in general.
“Kai, this is Seungmin,” he said quickly. “He’s my age, and he’s really very lovely. You’ll like him, I promise.” Seungmin smiled at Kai encouragingly, and the younger introduced himself in a voice that trembled only slightly. Soobin patted him proudly, and then went back to Taehyun.

“Alright, Hyunnie,” he said, apprehensive. “Don’t kill me, please.” 

Taehyun smirked, and suddenly Soobin was staring up at the sky. Taehyun stood over him with a satisfied expression. Soobin heard Beomgyu whimper something about “getting railed six ways to Sunday” as he was getting up gingerly, and he had to resist the urge to knock Beomgyu to the ground, too.

Captain Choi was still watching the pair of them, eyes narrowed slightly. The odd, sour scent persisted. Soobin barely had time to wonder what that was all about before Taehyun came at him again, and he congratulated himself for actually getting a single strike in this time before the alpha flattened him. This time, though, Taehyun leaned down very close to pull him up, and held his hand for a lot longer than necessary. “Stay like this for a second,” he whispered, right into Soobin’s ear. Soobin stopped, confused and half-wrapped in Taehyun’s arms, before the younger released him. 

“That’s enough,” Captain Choi snapped. “Break for lunch, everyone.”

Soobin was nonplussed, but there was a knowing glint in Taehyun’s eye as the captain walked away. Beomgyu, too, stared after him looking incredibly suspicious.

“Guys! Look what Seungmin hyung taught me!” Kai screeched, before Soobin found himself flat on the grass for what felt like the fortieth time that morning. He groaned, back aching, as Kai cackled gleefully.

Captain Choi was already waiting when Soobin got to the field that night. Beomgyu had disappeared again, probably snooping where he shouldn’t be, and Soobin felt nervous as he approached the captain.

“Sir?” He asked, voice tentative.

“Let’s practice,” the captain said shortly. “Try to hit me.”

Great, Soobin thought. The last thing he needed, both for his physical and emotional health, was prolonged bodily contact with the alpha. At least he’d had the good sense to top up on scent blockers before he left his tent. He assumed the martial arts stance from earlier, and after a few moments of standoff he darted forwards. Captain Choi blocked, movements faster than Soobin could even track, and caught him in the chest with a flat palm. The hit was mild, barely painful, like he was holding back. 

Soobin frowned, but tried again. He let the captain approach him first this time, sidestepping and bringing his foot down within the alpha’s leg trajectory in an attempt to trip him.  Captain Choi spun back around, catching Soobin in the ribs with his knee. This strike, too, barely hurt at all.

“I don’t understand,” he said, eyebrows knitted together. “Why aren’t you hitting me?”

“What? Because–“ the captain spluttered for a second, and Soobin’s eyebrows rose. He’d never seen the captain this discomposed. “Because I don’t want to hurt you, of course,” he finally said.

Soobin chuckled. “You’ve never had a problem hurting me before, sir. Why stop now?”

He winced. “Soobin, I–“ he stopped, and swallowed. When Captain Choi opened his mouth again, he looked strangely shy. Perhaps it was just the darkness fooling Soobin’s eyes.

“You can call me hyung, if you want,” he murmured. “You know– when it’s just the two of us.”

Soobin was utterly befuddled. “Sir?” He asked, unable to hide the sound of his shock. “Are– are you sure?”

The captain nodded. “Just Yeonjun hyung is fine.” His lips were pressed together and he was looking at his shoes, like he couldn’t meet Soobin’s eyes. The younger’s head was spinning, but he quickly brought his brain back to earth before it got too out of hand.

“Okay, hyung,” Soobin said softly. Yeonjun looked up at him suddenly, eyes bright under the moonlight. He really was handsome, Soobin thought, before he could stop himself. “Can we practice some more?”

Soobin was bathing in the river the next evening, after sundown, when Beomgyu shouted for him to hide. Finding time to bathe turned out to be one of the more difficult challenges Soobin had run into since he’d come to the camp, since he always had to do so completely alone for risk of being discovered. The water washed away the scent blockers, and Soobin’s omega smell came back with a vengeance. He could even detect it on himself, which was unusual. Perhaps his nose had just adjusted to the clean, medicinal scent, and now found his normal smell to be much stronger than before.

Regardless, Beomgyu was waving his arms aggressively and calling for him. Soobin could hear voices, and recognized Kai’s excited chattering. Taehyun was with him, his alpha scent floating towards Soobin on the breeze. He swam towards a large rock in the stream, as covertly as he could, and submerged himself up to his chin. He thought that maybe if he kept the glands on his neck underwater, it might dampen the smell. His hopes were dashed, though, when he heard Kai pipe up.

“Can you smell that, Taehyunnie? I thought I smelled an omega, for a second there.” Kai lifted his head and sniffed again. Dread washed over Soobin; betas had weaker senses than alphas and omegas, so if Kai could smell him then Taehyun definitely could. To his surprise and immense relief, though, Taehyun shook his head.

“I’m not getting anything,” he said lightly. “Maybe you just imagined it.”

“Maybe,” Kai replied slowly. He then changed the subject, and Soobin’s stomach dropped when he heard his name. “I swear I thought I saw Soobinnie hyung come this way. Where do you think he went?”

“Probably that way,” Taehyun answered, pointing upstream. It was the opposite direction of where Soobin was hiding, and he silently thanked the ancestors for Taehyun’s inadvertent decision that had probably just saved his life. “Come on, let’s go find him.”

Soobin heard their voices fade away under the burbling of the river, and he saw Beomgyu shake the towel at him. He got out as quietly as he could, and Beomgyu immediately doused him with what felt like half a bottle of scent blocker. He was already wet, so the scent blocker clung to his skin and made it so that Soobin could hardly smell anything at all.

“Let’s go,” Beomgyu hissed. “You owe Taehyun your breakfast tomorrow.”

“Don’t you think he’s going to be suspicious if I give it to him instead of Kai?” Soobin whispered.

“Who cares,” Beomgyu retorted. “He just saved your ass without knowing it. If I could, I’d kiss him right on his handsome face.”

“You’d do that anyways.”

“Yeah, I would.” Beomgyu sighed dreamily.

Soobin continued to go back out to the field after the usual daytime training was over, and Yeonjun was almost always there. They worked on everything Soobin could possibly think of, keen to keep improving his skills. As much as he hated to admit it, omegas weren’t as innately suited to combat as alphas and betas were. Seungmin had been right; he was lighter than he looked, meaning that Yeonjun could easily toss him around like a rag doll in hand-to-hand combat. He was still much gentler with Soobin than he could’ve been, which perplexed the omega greatly.

“You’re forgetting your center of gravity,” Yeonjun told him one night. “It’s lower than you think, remember? Anchor yourself, and you’ll be a lot harder to throw.” Soobin bent his knees, trying to find his set point, and this time when Yeonjun’s leg came out to trip him he stayed upright. The captain’s arm quickly came up to his neck, though, elbow pressed against Soobin’s throat. He groaned, and Yeonjun chuckled and stepped back.

“You’ve got your center of gravity now, but it’s slowing you down. You need to find the balance between staying centered and being light on your feet.”

“Okay,” Soobin said quickly. He raised his fists. “Again, hyung.”

Yeonjun shook his head. “That’s enough for tonight. You’re going to exhaust yourself.”

“One more time,” Soobin wheedled. “I’ve almost got it, I swear.”

“I know you do,” Yeonjun said steadily. “But it’s late, and I can see that you’re tired.”

“Pleeeeease,” he whined, not caring that it was definitely un-beta like of him to do so. Kai had plenty of natural aegyo, so Soobin figured that he could do it, too. Yeonjun huffed with a sort of funny expression, ran a hand through his hair, and then flipped Soobin so fast that he didn’t have time to react. He blinked; he was on his back, looking at the stars.

“Rest,” the captain said. “Five minutes, and then we’ll try again.” He flopped down beside Soobin, sitting with his legs bent. 

Soobin stared up at him, unable to help himself. It had been so easy to force down his attraction to the alpha back when Yeonjun had hated him, but now it was becoming more and more difficult. He knew under no uncertain terms that it was an impossible idea, a far-off fantasy that he only let himself indulge in for the most fleeting of moments. His inner omega didn’t seem to understand that, though, and purred with satisfaction at every glance and every brush of Yeonjun’s skin against Soobin’s own.

The captain turned to look at him. Soobin flushed, and blinked several times after having been caught staring. He brought his head back up quickly so that his eyes were on the sky again, but he could still feel Yeonjun’s gaze on him. It made the back of his neck prickle, and he was grateful for the cover of darkness to hide the warmth in his cheeks.

“What are you doing all this for, Soobin?”

Yeonjun’s question caught him off-guard. The answer seemed obvious, of course– there was a draft from the emperor. None of them had a choice. Soobin didn’t think that was what he was asking, though.

“Um, my sister, mostly,” he said. “She’s– well, she was injured in an accident when I was a child, the same one that killed my parents. I came here because I didn’t want her to– you know.” He swallowed, still avoiding Yeonjun’s eyes. The alpha didn’t say anything, though, just exhaled softly. “What about you, hyung?”

There was a long pause before Yeonjun answered. “It’s what I’m expected to do,” he murmured. “General Kim, my friends, all of the people that sacrificed so much for me to get here. I owe them everything.”

It sounded sort of like a non-answer to Soobin, like there was more to it than what Yeonjun was saying out loud. Soobin didn’t pry, though. If the captain didn’t want to tell him, then he wasn’t going to force him to.

“Alright,” Yeonjun finally said. “One more, and then you need to rest for real.” 

He stood, and pulled Soobin up off the ground. Soobin was flustered by the proximity when Yeonjun overestimated his strength and he found himself face-to-face with the alpha, which was stupid considering that they’d just been sparring this closely not even ten minutes ago. Yeonjun had to put a hand on Soobin’s waist to steady him, though, which definitely didn’t help. He was sure that his face was so red now that it would be visible if Yeonjun looked too closely, and he backed away and readied himself with a deep breath.

Soobin lunged first, feinting when he knew that Yeonjun’s arm would come up to block the hit. He brought his other fist up to try to get to his torso, but the alpha dodged fluidly. Soobin kept pressing forwards, trying to keep him on the defensive while remembering everything that the captain had told him. He could see his path to victory; he was gradually pushing Yeonjun backwards, to where there was a large oak tree at the edge of the field. He was almost there, almost had him backed against it, when Yeonjun sidestepped him. He felt a sudden, sharp pull, and landed with his back against the alpha’s broad chest. He froze, stunned, as Yeonjun spoke right into his ear.

“Use anything you can to your advantage.” 

He’d untied Soobin’s belt from around his waist, and twisted it to pin his arms to his sides. Soobin felt like his skin was on fire where Yeonjun’s jaw had brushed the side of his neck, and he was too slow to stop what came out of his mouth next.

“If you wanted to undress me, usually it’s polite to ask first.”

Soobin felt the fabric loosen around him and fall to the ground, and he slammed his hand over his mouth. When he turned around, Yeonjun’s eyes were wide and his jaw was slack. Soobin went to bow, absolutely mortified, but then something happened that he’d never seen before. Yeonjun laughed.

It was a squeaky, hiccuping laugh that made his face split into a beaming smile, and Soobin could feel something warm light up in his chest at the sound of it. He was too shocked to do anything besides stare, entranced. He rarely saw Yeonjun smile at all, but this– Soobin was greedy for it, wanted more, more, more. 

“I– sorry, hyung,” he said, once Yeonjun had stood up straight again. “Too much time with Taehyun and Kai, I think.” In reality he knew that it was definitely Beomgyu’s fault, but he couldn’t exactly tell the captain that.

“It’s okay, Soobin,” Yeonjun replied, grin still crinkling the corners of his eyes. “I thought it was funny.”

Soobin’s cheeks lifted in a smile of his own.

Chapter Text

Yeonjun was sent away on a top-secret assignment three days later. Soobin found out before he’d even left, of course, because Beomgyu was insufferably nosy. He was being sent to meet with the elite soldiers that had gone with General Kim, to collect whatever information they’d gathered. It wasn’t supposed to be a long assignment, but still Soobin felt weirdly empty whenever he looked up and saw Captain Jung at the front of the training field instead of his friend. He felt safe calling Yeonjun a friend, at this point, considering that he’d been training with him after dark for more than two months. The weather was bordering on cold at this point, and it rained frequently. Autumn was upon them, and Soobin suspected that it was going to be a long, nasty winter with only canvas tents to shelter in. 

Soobin wrapped his hands in strips of an old shirt that he’d deemed no longer wearable, and stood at the base of the flagpole after the sun had set. The days were much shorter now.

“What are you doing?” Beomgyu asked skeptically. “No offense, but not even the strongest soldiers here could get that dagger… and I don’t think that you’re exactly one of them.”

Soobin threw him a dirty look, determined to try again. He’d attempted it several times already to no avail, but since Yeonjun was gone for the next few days he was planning to dedicate his evenings to attempting to reach that knife at the very top of the flagpole. They were ready now, he thought. There had been a new batch of recruits brought in after Captain Seo’s unit had moved out, so they were no longer even considered the “fresh meat” anymore. Soobin had seen some frighteningly young faces among the newbies.

He got almost halfway up the flagpole before sliding back to the bottom. It shook terribly in the wind, but Soobin’s weight was finally coming out as an advantage in terms of stability. As long as the breeze wasn’t too strong, he could hold on. He tightened the wraps around his hands and tried again, making it just past the halfway point this time.

“Are you going to make me watch you do this all night?” Beomgyu complained.

“No,” Soobin replied casually. “You’re welcome to go off and do whatever it is you do at night– stare at Taehyun’s face, or steal breakfast buns, or something.”

Beomgyu crossed his arms with a huff. “I’ll have you know that I’ve been doing very important work in the last few weeks. I topped up the scent blocker stash, and we now have a copy of every map in the camp’s possession.”

Soobin stopped dead, mouth dropping open. “Did you steal the scent blockers?! Beomgyu, that old lady was so ni–“

“Of course I didn’t steal them!” Beomgyu cried, sounding indignant at the accusation. “I left money in the counter. I’m hoping she’ll just think she miscounted the previous night, or something.”

“Ooookayyyy,” Soobin said suspiciously. “And the maps? That’s definitely treason. Punishable by execution,” he emphasized.

Beomgyu snorted. “If you get caught you’ll be executed regardless, and I’m already dead. They can try, but I’m pretty immune to swords.”

Soobin sighed. “Fair enough, I guess. Will you at least tell me why you felt the urge to commit multiple acts of high treason over the last few weeks?”

“In case they catch you, and we have to make a run for it,” Beomgyu said flatly. “I’d rather you alive than dead, even if it means dishonoring the family.” There was an expression on his face that Soobin couldn’t quite read, his eyes darting around. Soobin walked up and put a hand on his shoulder.

“What is it, Gyu? Something’s up.”

Beomgyu blinked, looking at his shoes. Soobin waited patiently as he shifted around, uncomfortable, before he was ready to speak. Beomgyu finally brought his eyes up to meet Soobin’s.

“You just– you can’t fail, okay? You can’t get caught, you have to make it back home to your sister.”

“I know,” Soobin said slowly. There was still clearly something bothering him. There was a strange fire in his gaze, and he let the silence stretch until Beomgyu continued.

“It’s my only chance to try again,” he explained quietly. “They’re going to give me another chance.”

Soobin stared. “What do you mean– the ancestors are going to resurrect you?”

Beomgyu nodded, swallowing. “If we’re successful, if you return as an honorable soldier, then they said that I could come back because–“ He cut himself off, looking insecure, but pushed through it. “Because I died without love.”

“You died without love?” Soobin repeated, head tilted in confusion. “Beomgyu, I find it hard to believe that no one loved you in your life. You’re pretty loveable.”

He shook his head. “No, I mean… I mean true love. It was my dying wish.”

“Oh.”

“But–“ Beomgyu stood up straight again, shoulders pressed back, and looked Soobin right in the face with a determined expression. “I already had my life, and if I don’t get another one I can make peace with it. The most important thing is that you make it out of this. Those geezers can throw as big of a tantrum as they want about dishonor and that bullshit, I don’t care. The only thing I really care about is that you live, and I know that your sister would say the same thing.”

Soobin pulled him into a hug, pushing his cheek into Beomgyu’s mop of black hair. “We’re going to be fine,” he said firmly. “Both of us.”

Beomgyu’s eyes were so round and trusting when he looked up at Soobin, and the elder sincerely hoped that what he’d said was true. For Beomgyu, at least, he wanted it to be true. Beomgyu and Arin, his only family left in the world.

“Hyung,” Kai said cutely. It was one of their days off, courtesy of the fact that Captain Jung was busy running the entire camp on his own now and was frequently away with other duties. “Hyung, will you make me a cake today?”

Soobin laughed. “Depends on if you can find me the ingredients,” he replied. Kai’s face brightened, and Soobin quickly added “no stealing them, though.”

“It’s not stealing if people give to me for free, right?” Kai asked, eyes sparkling. 

Soobin made eye contact with Taehyun, who shrugged. “No, I guess not,” he answered hesitantly. Kai cheered, and zoomed off in between the tents to charm some flour and sugar off of the kitchen workers. Soobin pitied them already; Kai’s puppy face was killer.

Not only did Kai manage to procure everything Soobin needed to bake a cake, but he also convinced an entire unit’s worth of kitchen staff to take a break so that Soobin could have the oven to himself. He was scarily efficient when he wanted to be, which earned him a lot of respect in Beomgyu’s eyes. The maknae disappeared again to find things to decorate the cake with, and Taehyun sat in the kitchen to keep Soobin company.

“They’re making preparations to send us out,” Taehyun mentioned casually. Soobin nodded, having seen supplies arrive by the cartload over the last few days. “I think we’re heading into the mountains, because there’s a lot of winter gear.”

Soobin made a face. “That’s going to be terrible,” he replied. “It’s almost November.” He shook a bag of flour into a large bowl, the white powder poofing out in a cloud. Beomgyu, who was standing beside it, sneezed.

“Bless you,” Taehyun said, without looking up.

Soobin dropped an egg, yolk splattering all over the counter. Beomgyu went white, which had nothing to do with the flour that had settled in his hair.

“W-what did you say?” He stuttered. Taehyun looked right at him, this time, making eye contact.

“I said ‘bless you’.”

Beomgyu shrieked, backing away from Taehyun, as he looked at Soobin with panic in his eyes. Soobin was frozen in place, egg dripping onto his shoes.

“Sorry, I probably should’ve told you sooner,” Taehyun said apologetically. “I didn’t mean to scare you, which is kind of ironic considering that you’re the ghost.”

“You… you’ve been able to see me this whole time?” Beomgyu asked, dread coloring his words.

Taehyun grinned. “And hear you, actually. I’m very flattered that you think I’m attractive.”

Beomgyu’s face went from white to very, very red, and he turned to Soobin once more. “It has been nice knowing you,” he said with a formal bow, “but I must return to the Choi family shrine now. After some consideration, I have decided that staying dead is the much better option.”

The alpha laughed. “It’s okay, you know. I don’t mind, you’re pretty cute yourself.”

Beomgyu looked like he might explode, and he’d been struck completely dumb. Soobin decided to intervene before he had a heart attack, or something, if that was even possible for dead people. “I thought you were a doctor!” He exclaimed.

Taehyun nodded several times. “I am,” he confirmed. “But sometimes the patient calls for an exorcism.”

Soobin blinked several times before deciding that it was probably better if he didn’t ask. There was still fear running like ice through his veins. “So… you’ve known this whole time? About…” He gestured to himself, unable to say it out loud, and Taehyun nodded again.

“Doctor, remember?” He said gently. “I know a scent blocker when I smell one.”

“Holy shit,” Soobin whispered under his breath, light-headed. He was still terrified, but if Taehyun had kept his secret for this long…

The alpha seemed to read his thoughts, because he smiled comfortingly. “I’m not going to out you, don’t worry. I just wanted to talk to you about what you’re going to do if it actually comes down to battle. We’re going to have to work together, I think, if you want to avoid being forced to submit out there,” he said, face suddenly serious. “It’s probably going to be best if we get Kai in on this too, but I didn’t want to tell him until I checked with you first.”

“I– yeah, you’re probably right,” Soobin conceded, though the thought of anyone else besides Beomgyu and now Taehyun knowing his secret made him slightly nauseous. “I trust Kai,” he added, and Taehyun smiled in agreement.

“We should get together tonight and discuss it, then,” he said. “We need a solid plan, because if some alpha forces you down it’s going to get really bad, really fast.”

Kai was absolutely thrilled by Soobin’s cake, which he felt glad for. While he didn’t think that Kai was going to rat him out or anything, he did think that cake might soften the blow of learning that Soobin had been lying to him since the day they’d met. He’d let the maknae decorate it with a colorful icing he’d dyed with berries that Kai had pilfered from who-knows-where. In the end it had come out rather lopsided from the amount of fruit that had been piled on top, but looking like it had been made with love. Kai had raved about it to anyone that would listen during dinner, and Taehyun had also showered Soobin in very sincere compliments that made his cheeks red.

They met in the field that night, under the oak tree. Beomgyu had already done a very thorough perimeter patrol, on the lookout for any listening ears, but they all kept their voices down just in case. Soobin didn’t know exactly how he’d been expecting Kai to react, but thought the maknae took the news quite well. His expression of shock melted away into understanding immediately once Soobin told him about Arin’s injury. 

“Oh, so it was you, at the river that day?” He asked, eyes wide.

Soobin nodded. “Not gonna lie, you guys scared the shit out of me. I guess, Taehyun, did you…?”

“Yeah. I knew that it must’ve been you, so I just tried to get as far away as possible. Sorry, Kai,” the alpha said as an aside. “Not that I didn’t trust or anything, I just didn’t want to talk until I knew Soobinnie hyung was okay with it.”

Kai shook his head. “No, I totally get it. Thanks for telling me at all, hyung,” he said to Soobin. “I know it must be scary.”

Soobin patted his hair. “I’m just glad that you guys know, now. I don’t have to worry so much about hiding it all the time, at least when it’s just you guys.”

The conversation then shifted to their unit’s imminent transfer out of the camp and into the warfront. Kai’s expression was grave, and looked out-of-place on his sweet, boyish features.

“The problem is going to be if you go up against an alpha with a really strong aura,” Taehyun began. “It’ll weaken you a lot, and it might force your inner omega to submit entirely. You’d be a sitting duck, at that point.”

“We’ll have to work together,” Kai said. “As long as the alpha is focused on one of us and not you, you’ll be fine.”

Taehyun nodded in agreement. “I think if you and Kai stay together at all times, you’ll at least be able to hold out long enough for me to get to you in case of an emergency. That’ll give me a bit more range so that I can head them off early. I trust your skills, of course, but if you end up in the path of a particularly nasty alpha…” He trailed off, and Soobin knew there was no need to explain how that would end. He shivered involuntarily, and Kai put a hand on his knee.

“Will you be okay standing up to an alpha like that, though?” Soobin asked the maknae quietly. “It’s going to be really, really scary.”

“I know,” Kai said. His voice wobbled just the tiniest bit, but his expression was determined. “If it’s for you, hyung, I’ll do it.” 

Soobin felt a rush of affection for his dongsaengs, both of them, and even Beomgyu looked touched. There was a pause, and then Kai spoke up again. 

“I have a question. You can say no, of course, but,” he chewed his lip, and Soobin was a little confused by his nervousness. “Um… Can I smell you?”

Soobin blinked, surprised, but he quickly nodded. “Yeah, of course,” he replied. “I have the scent blocker on, but…” He rubbed his sleeve aggressively against his scent gland. “If you put your nose right here you might be able to smell it.” He tilted his head so that the maknae could slot his head in the juncture between Soobin’s neck and shoulder. He felt Kai’s breath on his skin, and when the youngest pulled away he looked positively delighted.

“Honey cookies!” He exclaimed, smiling. “Oh my gosh, you smell amazing. Just like yakgwa.”

Soobin chuckled. “One day, when this is all over, you can smell me without all this stuff on. It’s a good thing I work at a bakery.”

Kai was gazing at him with round, shiny eyes. “Actually I should probably be happy I can’t smell you, or I’d be hungry all the time,” he sighed.

Just then, Beomgyu cleared his throat. Soobin looked up at him, and then back at Kai. “Oh, yeah… Um, Kai, there’s one more person I want to introduce you to.”

“Person?” Kai asked, looking around.

“Well, uh,” Soobin began. “He’s kind of… or, well, he’s definitely dead. He’s one of my ancestors, actually, that’s supposed to be here protecting me. His name is Beomgyu. I know you can’t see him, or hear him, but he’s standing right there.” He pointed, and Kai stared off into the distance. Beomgyu pulled a bunch of dry leaves out of his pocket and threw them into the air like confetti, and Kai gasped.

“A ghost!” He squeaked, diving behind Soobin and then peeking out over his shoulder at the spot where Beomgyu stood. Soobin could feel the maknae’s body shivering.

“It’s okay, Kai,” Taehyun said gently. “He’s really cute, and really funny. I think you would like him a lot, actually.”

Beomgyu looked embarrassed at the alpha’s words, but Kai just turned suspiciously to  look at Taehyun. “Wait, how come you can see him?”

“I’m a doctor,” Taehyun answered.

“He’s a baksu shaman,” Soobin whispered into Kai’s ear.

“No, I’m a doctor,” Taehyun said again, unperturbed. “I wish you could hear the stuff that Beomgyu says though, Kai. He’s hilarious.”

“Actually,” Soobin cut in, frowning. “I’m really glad you can’t hear him, because all he does is say bad words and roast me within an inch of my life when he’s not hitting on Taehyun.”

Kai looked completely spooked as his eyes went back to Taehyun. “You’re getting hit on by a ghost?”

“I’ve had weirder,” Taehyun replied nonchalantly. Beomgyu groaned, and put his face in his hands. Soobin chuckled.

“Okay, um, well… Nice to meet you, Mister Ghost?” Kai said uncertainly. Beomgyu didn’t respond, still too caught up in his embarrassment to react.

“He’s already met you, you just didn’t know it” Soobin added. “He’s been here the whole time.”

“Oh, actually,” Taehyun piped up after a second. “Kai, put your hand out for a high-five.” Kai did, and Beomgyu lifted his arm to lay a crisp one on the maknae’s palm. Kai threw his other hand over his mouth to squash down a shriek at first, but then he slowly started to relax. There was an expression of awe building on his features, and he tentatively put his hand out again. Beomgyu reciprocated his high-five once more, and Kai gasped.

“That’s so crazy,” he breathed. “It’s like being high-fived by air! Wait, I want to try. Hyung, where’s his hand?”

“Right there,” Soobin said, pointing. Kai brought his arm back for the windup, and there was a loud clap as their palms met. Taehyun and Soobin cringed a bit at the noise, but Kai looked ecstatic.

“How old are you, Mister Ghost?” he asked next, eyes darting around as if he might be able to see Beomgyu if he tried hard enough.

“Nineteen,” Soobin replied. “But he’s been dead for about two hundred years.”

“Two hundred?” The maknae gasped. 

Beomgyu looked mildly put-out, his arms crossing and lips pushed out in a pout. “I’m nineteen,” he emphasized. “I’m his hyung.”

“He says you can call him Beomgyu hyung.”

“That’s so cool,” Kai said reverently. “I’ve never had a hyung that’s a ghost before. Beomgyu hyung, you’re the coolest.”

Beomgyu whooped, an elated laugh leaving his lips. “Did you hear that, hyung?” He crowed, pointing at Soobin. “Your little cutie angel pie just said that I’m the coolest.”

“Kai, please don’t encourage him,” Soobin begged. Beomgyu pulled more leaf confetti out of his pocket, which he tossed into the air. Kai looked like he was completely enamored with him despite not even being able to see or hear Beomgyu at all.

The next sunrise found Soobin back at the bottom of the flagpole, with Taehyun and Kai at his side. Beomgyu was watching from a distance, tossing a breakfast bun up and down. He’d originally been juggling three of them, but two had been sacrificed to Kai’s stomach earlier that morning. It seemed that Beomgyu had finally fallen for the maknae’s charms.

The wind had gone, which improved Soobin’s odds, but he still found that the pole shook too much to hold on to when he got higher than halfway up. It didn’t help for Kai and Taehyun to try to steady it from the bottom, either, so Soobin spent more time thinking about how he might be able to solve that issue rather than wasting his energy trying to climb. He’d learned from countless daytime training sessions and nights practicing with Yeonjun that his strength was in his legs, so he was also mulling over a way to balance out the weakness in his upper body.

He looked down after his third attempt, thinking, and noticed that his belt had come loose around his waist. He put his hands on the ends of the fabric to tighten it, and then stopped.

Use anything you can to your advantage.

He pulled, and the fabric fluttered loose. Soobin wrapped it around the base of the flagpole, twisting the ends around his hands. He used the tension to balance himself and shimmy his way up.

“That’s genius,” he heard Taehyun say. Kai cheered as he climbed, all the way up to the halfway point. Soobin exhaled, blowing his bangs out of his face. This is where it started to get really difficult, with the flagpole shuddering under him like a tree in a storm. The fabric held fast, and Soobin continued to climb. He slid a few feet back down at one point, feet scrabbling for purchase, and Beomgyu swore so loudly he could hear it even thirty feet from the ground. Soobin caught himself, though, sweat dripping down his neck, and stubbornly kept going.

The flag with the emperor’s crest was just above his head, now, flapping in the wind. He climbed up a few more feet before twisting the belt tightly enough with one hand that he could use the other to pull himself up. The flagpole swayed, but Soobin sat himself on the very top of it with his legs dangling in the breeze.

He pulled the dagger from the wood, holding it triumphantly and running his fingers through the tassel for a moment before tucking it safely into his jacket. His friends were like miniature dolls down below, but Soobin could see them jumping up and down and cheering. The sun was just over the horizon now, and the other soldiers were emerging from their tents. When Soobin looked down again, he saw Taehyun and Kai pointing at something. He followed their gazes, and spotted someone riding in on a horse through the camp gates. Even from here, he recognized his posture and the shape of his shoulders. It was Yeonjun.

Kai sprinted towards the captain, waving his arms and hollering, and Yeonjun’s face lifted to look up at him. Soobin could see his smile all the way from the top of the flagpole.

“Hyung,” Soobin said breathlessly, once they were reunited. Yeonjun looked tired, but otherwise unharmed. Soobin held out the dagger flat in his palm, but Yeonjun shook his head.

“It’s for you, Soobinnie,” he said, voice warm. The captain reached out and folded his fingers over the handle of the dagger, and Soobin’s heart started to beat unreasonably fast at the alpha’s touch. “Keep it.”

Chapter Text

They got their official assignments two weeks later. Soobin was extremely relieved when he got put on the same unit as Taehyun and Kai; while he thought it unlikely that they would be separated, it was always a possibility. The three of them would be heading north, towards the Third Kingdom, under Captain Choi’s command. Apparently there had been several skirmishes in the area, and the colonel in charge had made the call for reinforcements. He’d bowed a lot to Yeonjun once he’d read his papers. The older just gave him a tiny, secretive smile.

“That’ll be cold,” were Beomgyu’s first words once he learned of their assignment.

Taehyun chuckled. “You’re dead, a little cold won’t hurt you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about. You’ll have so much more gear to carry, and the snow will slow you down,” Beomgyu pointed out. 

Soobin grimaced. “I hadn’t thought about that. Trekking with a fifty-pound bag of gear through snow sounds terrible.”

Kai, who had gotten used to the three of them holding conversations that he could only hear parts of, wrinkled his nose. “There’ll be all those mountains, too. They said the colonel’s unit is all the way on the far side.”

“At least we’ll be defending from the high ground,” Taehyun added on. “We won’t be fighting uphill. I’d hate to be those Third Kingdom troops right now.”

Before the mountains, it turned out, was miles and miles and miles of almost nothing. Once their unit finally departed the camp, winter had truly set in. There was no snow yet, at the lower altitudes, but they trooped past endless fields of brown and empty rice paddies that had grown over with weeds.

“Be glad it’s boring,” Yeonjun said flatly. “The alternative is a lot worse.” Though the captain was still fairly closed off, he’d warmed up to Taehyun and Kai a little simply because they didn’t stop pestering him. Anyone who was a friend of Soobin’s was a friend of Kai’s, the younger had announced cheerfully, and Taehyun was so naturally outgoing and sweet that Yeonjun apparently hadn’t been able to resist him either. Beomgyu, on the other hand, was suspicious of the captain for reasons that Soobin didn’t understand.

“I know I’m going to miss this later when we’re freezing our asses off,” Kai groaned. “But if I see another rice paddy I’m going to die.”

“I guess you’ll die, then,” Taehyun deadpanned. Beomgyu snorted, and Soobin stifled a laugh at the maknae’s indignant cry.

They stopped in a small hamlet, which of course did not have nearly the resources required to house them all for the night. They set up camp in an empty field an hour before sundown, and Soobin was assigned along with several others to split up and search for firewood nearby. They’d passed a copse of trees earlier, so Soobin doubled back on their previous trail. Once he’d chopped as much as he could possibly carry in his now-empty tent bag, he returned to their temporary campsite.

“Oof,” Soobin heard, just before all of the firewood he’d been carrying in his arms clattered to the ground. Admittedly, he’d stacked it too high for him to see properly, and he’d run straight into Yeonjun.

“Oh! Sorry, hyung,” he exclaimed, bending over to pick it up. Yeonjun bent down as well, scooping up neatly-chopped chunks. Soobin saw a flash near his foot, and realized in horror that a tiny bottle of scent blocker that he’d stashed in his jacket had fallen out and rolled towards the alpha. Beomgyu, instead of being helpful, spun on his heels and sprinted away.

He started to panic. Yeonjun would surely spot it, and there was no way for Soobin to get the bottle without him noticing. He was wracking his brain for a plausible explanation when he heard more footsteps, approaching very quickly. Soobin turned his head to look right as Taehyun collided with him. The firewood went flying for a second time, and he yelped. He squeezed his eyes shut, expecting to hit the ground, but never did. Yeonjun had put his arms out to catch him, and Soobin was now pressed very close to chest.

Soobin looked up at the alpha, too stunned to speak. Yeonjun’s eyebrows were crinkled in an expression of concern, pillowy lips parted ever so slightly. There was a long pause while Soobin just stared, until Taehyun cleared his throat.

The pair jumped apart, and Soobin could feel his cheeks heating up. Yeonjun looked surprisingly pink as well, but focused his attention on Taehyun, who quickly bowed.

“Sorry Captain Choi, sorry Soobin hyung!” He said innocently. “I heard that Kai found a bunny rabbit, so I was going to see if I could pet it before it ran away.”

“O-oh,” Soobin stuttered. “That’s alright, Taehyunnie.” He looked down; the bottle of scent blocker was gone.

“Just– watch where you’re going next time, okay Taehyun?” Yeonjun said. His hand had come up to touch the back of his neck.

Taehyun nodded. “Got it. Bye!” With that, he took off. Soobin bent down again to pick up the firewood, trying to hide the redness in his cheeks. Yeonjun grabbed some as well, shaking his head when Soobin offered to take it.

“I’ll go with you, Soobinnie,” he said softly.

“Okay. Thanks, hyung,” Soobin murmured. Yeonjun’s cheeks were still slightly rosy.

Taehyun found him after dark, and pressed the bottle of scent blocker into his hand.

“Thank you, Taehyunnie,” Soobin said fervently. “You saved my ass.”

“Don’t thank me, thank Beomgyu hyung,” Taehyun replied. Beomgyu was standing at Soobin’s shoulder with his arms crossed, looking expectant.

“Thank you, Beomgyu,” Soobin sighed, begrudgingly. He took back all of the unflattering names he’d called Beomgyu in his head when he saw him go running off. As annoying as he was, Beomgyu was actually kind of a genius sometimes.

Their unit made it to the edge of the mountain range in three days. Yeonjun had purposefully taken a smaller unit so that they’d make good time, and he planned on being at the colonel’s base within the week. The pace he’d set was brutal considering the amount that they were all carrying, and Soobin felt kind of bad for the horses that were dragging massive cartloads of supplies. He’d seen Kai sneaking them apples during their rest stops.

It started to get really cold as soon as they ascended the winding road through the mountains. They had to go much more slowly now, and were forced to stop more than once to dig the carts out of foot-high snow. The wind howled down the corridor that had been cut through the rock, fiercer than a pack of wolves, and Soobin could see ice condensing on his eyelashes. 

Soobin was okay while they were still moving, warmed by the exertion of hiking with a massive bag on his back, but as soon as they stopped he could feel the chill setting in. His teeth chattered even by the fire, and shivers wracked his body. Beomgyu was looking at him with worry in his eyes.

“I’m going to get a blanket, or something,” he said. “You’re going to freeze to death like this.”

“I’m f-f-fine,” Soobin rebutted. Beomgyu was clearly not going to believe that, and rolled his eyes before disappearing. The sun had fallen behind one of the peaks, and it was getting dark quickly. Soobin knew that once the fire was out it would be pitch-black.

Before Beomgyu returned, Yeonjun stopped in front of him. There was a look of worry on his face, and he crouched down so that they were at eye-level.

“Oh, h-h-hello, hyung,” Soobin greeted through his clacking teeth. Yeonjun didn’t say anything, just pulled three rice balls wrapped in paper from inside his jacket.

“They won’t be hot anymore, but eat,” he urged. “You’re too skinny, that’s why you’re so cold.”

“That’s– no, th-thank you, hyung,” Soobin said. “Those are y-y-yours.”

Yeonjun shook his head. “I ate earlier. Take them.”

Soobin reached out a gloved hand, joints creaking after having been curled up in a ball by the fire for so long. He went to put them inside his own jacket, but Yeonjun stopped him.

“No, eat those now,” he reprimanded. His face softened a little at Soobin’s expression, and he added “I already gave one to Taehyun and Kai.”

Soobin wasn’t sure exactly how the captain knew that he’d been planning on sharing them, but he relented after a moment and unwrapped one. Yeonjun stood up once more.

“You have to be careful,” he said. “They’re very… calculated around here, with rations. If you don’t eat your share you’ll be tired and weak, especially considering the amount of exercise you’re getting.”

Soobin swallowed his bite before speaking. “I’m okay, hyung,” he managed. “Taehyun and K-Kai are s-s-still growing. I can get b-by with a little less.”

Yeonjun did not look convinced, and he sighed. “I’ll see what I can do about getting them more food once we get to the base. Eat those,” he said, with one last pointed glance.

Soobin couldn’t fall asleep that night, bundled up in the blankets with his knees pulled to his chest. His teeth still chattered terribly, and he was starting to get a headache from the tension in his muscles. After he sat up to rub his numb hands and feet for what felt like the tenth time that night, Beomgyu got up from where he was perched on top of one of Soobin’s bags.

“I’m going to get Taehyun,” he announced. “You can’t keep going like this.” The tent door flapped, and he was gone before Soobin could protest. After a short while, he returned with the alpha in tow.

“Hyung?” Taehyun said quietly. “Are you okay? Beomgyu hyung said you’re freezing.”

“I am a little c-cold,” Soobin admitted. He heard rather than saw Taehyun come closer, it being too dark in the tent to see anything at all. 

“Scoot over,” Taehyun murmured. “I’ll keep you warm.”

Soobin unwrapped the blankets from around himself to allow Taehyun in beside him, recoiling at the sensation of the icy air rushing in. He should probably feel weird about sleeping with an alpha that wasn’t his sister, but his brain was too cold to think straight. Taehyun’s skin blissfully warm. The younger boy laid an arm over Soobin’s chest to pull him closer, and Soobin melted into him. Eventually the shivering stopped, and he was drawn into sleep.

Yeonjun found him again to give him an extra breakfast bun in the morning, and he made sure that Soobin ate the whole thing before leaving. He was strangely reticent, not really meeting Soobin’s gaze. He was quiet while they walked, too, Kai chattering away at Soobin’s shoulder. The maknae had taken to holding his hand inside his own sleeve, alternating sides to keep his fingers warm. Apparently Taehyun had told him about the previous night, and Kai was trying to help in his own sweet way. His body didn’t naturally run as hot as an alpha’s, but Soobin appreciated it nonetheless.

Taehyun came into his tent again that night without having to be asked. It was just as bitterly cold as it had been the previous night, and Soobin sighed as he relaxed into Taehyun’s arms. The alpha smelled pleasant, sort of earthy and sweet. Like tea, maybe. Soobin’s brain was still too cold to tell.

Yeonjun gave him three more rice balls while they were walking the next day, but he flinched away when their fingers accidentally brushed. Soobin stared.

“Hyung, is everything okay?” He asked. They’d made contact plenty of times before, and Yeonjun had never shied away like this.

“Oh, it’s fine,” he said. “Just– you know. I don’t want Taehyun to get the wrong idea, especially since I’ve been…” He gestured to the rice balls in Soobin’s hands, and the younger tilted his head. He had no idea what Yeonjun was talking about.

“Taehyun?” He prompted. Taehyun was walking with Kai and Beomgyu further back, speaking in hushed tones so as not to alert everyone to the fact that there was technically a ghost in their midst. “What about him?”

“I don’t want him to think that I’m trying to– I don’t know, make a move on you, or something,” Yeonjun explained quietly. He glanced back, but Taehyun was still listening to Kai intently.

“Make– what?” Soobin blurted. Then, it started to dawn on him. Taehyun’s scent had lingered on his skin, laying thickly over the scent blocker. Yeonjun had also definitely seen the alpha come out of his tent that morning, because Soobin had caught the surprised expression that the captain had quickly smoothed over.

“Oh,” he said slowly. “Oh, no, me and Taehyun– it’s not like that, hyung.” Soobin had to admit that it did seem suspicious, and the look on Yeonjun’s face told him the same thing. “It’s just– he’s been helping me sleep.”

Yeonjun’s eyebrows rose. “Helping you… sleep?”

“No, not–“ Soobin groaned. “It’s not like that, we’re just sleeping… together. Because it’s cold, and I get really cold at night. He’s, like, keeping me warm. With his body heat.”

Soobin wanted to smack himself in the face. That was a weird explanation, and the situation was already weird enough. No wonder Yeonjun thought that Taehyun was courting him, or that they were– Soobin couldn’t even bring himself to think about it. The captain’s expression was still completely perplexed.

“So… you are or you aren’t sleeping together?” He asked, after a moment.

“We are sleeping together, but not sleeping together,” Soobin answered, trying to explain it in a way that made it seem less– he was probably just making it worse, on second thought. “It’s just cold, and– well, he’s an alpha, you know? His body runs at a higher temperature than mine.” 

Definitely worse.

“If you’re too cold I can get you more blankets, Soobin,” Yeonjun said. He looked sort of relieved, for some reason.

“Well, we’re going to be there soon, right?” Soobin asked hopefully.

“Yeah. We should be there by tomorrow night.”

“Great.” Soobin exhaled. “I hate trying to set up a tent in the snow.”

Taehyun huffed out a laugh when Soobin relayed their conversation to him that night. Beomgyu, too, gave a half-hearted snort.

“It was just so strange,” Soobin said. “I’ve never seen him all… quiet like that, I guess? You know, he’s always so confident and like, a big bad alpha– but it was like he thought he was doing something wrong, or like it was a big secret.” He paused for a second, a thought dawning on him. “Wait, is this against the rules? Is it against the rules for us to be sleeping together?”

“No, of course not,” Taehyun stated calmly. “I can’t believe he thought I was going to be jealous.”

“I know!” Soobin exclaimed. “I mean, you’re cute and all that, Taehyunnie, but I was just so shocked when I realized because– well, you know. Did he really think that you were going to start a fight, or something?”

“Well, I mean, if I really was courting you I’d probably be pretty annoyed,” Taehyun replied. “It’s kind of insulting, for another alpha to be providing for the person you’re courting. It’s like, implying that you’re not taking good enough care of them.”

“Ugh, so territorial,” Beomgyu said. “I’m so glad I’m not an alpha, that sounds like such a hassle.” Soobin couldn’t see him, but he knew that he was rolling his eyes.

“Me too,” Soobin agreed. He shivered slightly, and Taehyun pulled him closer. “God, and I was so awkward during that conversation. I hope he doesn’t start avoiding me.”

A laugh rumbled in Taehyun’s chest, against Soobin’s cheek. “To be honest, hyung, I think he couldn’t stay away from you even if he wanted to.”

Soobin frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just find it ironic that the one person you should really steer clear of has suddenly become personally invested in your health and well-being,” he answered lightly.

“Tell me about it,” Beomgyu grumbled. “Soobin made all these efforts to get that stupid captain off his case during training, and now that he’s finally graduated the captain’s just taken to bringing him snacks and following him around like a puppy dog.”

“He does not,” Soobin protested. “He’s just being nice.”

“No, he’s nice to me and Kai,” Taehyun said. “He’s borderline soft with you.”

Soobin knew that there was an insinuation there, but he forced himself not to think about it. There was no point, and it would only hurt him. For a moment, a tiny, traitorous part of his brain wondered.

It got warmer almost right away once they crossed the peak of the mountain range and started down the other side. Their destination wasn’t far, now, Yeonjun had informed them all, just a few miles down a riverside pass.

The captain started to look unsettled the closer they got to the colonel’s settlement. His expression was set in a permanent frown, his nose wrinkled like he could smell something bad. Taehyun, too, looked a little put-off. When Soobin slowed a little to walk beside the younger alpha, he grabbed Soobin’s arm to whisper in his ear.

“Smoke,” he said under his breath. “It smells like a lot of smoke ahead, and not the campfire kind.”

Soobin, whose senses had been dulled by near-constant exposure to the scent blockers, raised his eyebrows. Kai’s eyes went wide.

Suddenly, a strong wind flowed through the pass towards them. Even with his weakened senses, Soobin could smell it in the air. It was acrid and dark, tinged with gunpowder. Yeonjun put his hand up, signaling them all to stop.

“I’m going to take a small team to scout ahead,” he announced. “I want all of the non-combat troops to stay here with the supplies. I’ll send someone back when we get the all-clear.” He then counted off a group of twenty, including himself, Soobin, Taehyun, and Kai. There were several other faces that Soobin recognized as well, even a few he knew by name. Seungmin, the male beta that Soobin had practice sparred with during training, was among them.

“Let’s go,” Yeonjun said grimly. He left Seulgi, the alpha whom Soobin knew to be very quick-witted and capable, in command. He turned and motioned for the twenty of them to follow, instructing everyone else to remain where they were and stay alert.

Yeonjun led their small group up the side of the ravine, over a treacherous and rocky path that Soobin guessed only mountain goats and other wild animals frequented. There were sections of the path that were no wider than one person, forcing them to traverse in a single-file line. Eventually, Soobin figured out what Yeonjun was doing– he was planning to survey the area from above, rather than lead their group right into a potential trap.

They made it to the top of the ravine when Soobin heard Seungmin gasp. He pointed to the sky. There was a dark cloud of smoke hovering above them, and chunks of ash floating on the breeze. It made Soobin’s eyes water, and Kai coughed. Soobin prepared himself for the worst, clutching his sword at his side. This was not looking good, and he could see it on Yeonjun’s face.

When they reached an overlook above the colonel’s settlement, there was virtually nothing left of it. The skeletons of burned-out buildings leaned haphazardly over blackened earth, and there was a roughly fifty-foot radius around the small colony where all of the snow had been melted entirely. There was still smoldering piles of detritus in some spots, burning an angry, glowing red. It was clear that the colonel’s position had been destroyed for several days. 

Soobin swallowed. If they hadn’t met any survivors on the mountain path, that meant there probably weren’t any. He made eye contact with Beomgyu, who shook his head.

No one left, he mouthed. Soobin didn’t know if Beomgyu had some sort of sixth sense for death, being dead himself, but Soobin didn’t need anything of the sort to know that a lot of souls had found their final resting place here.

There was movement in the corner of his vision. Yeonjun had pulled out a black flag with the embroidered crest of the emperor from inside his jacket, and several sticks of incense. He knelt and folded the fabric, his movements practiced and familiar. He planted the sticks of incense in the dirt and lit them with a match, the woody scent rising into the air around them. The captain’s head was bowed. Soobin wondered how many times he’d had to do this, at makeshift grave sites for his fallen comrades. Yeonjun was strong, he knew, but still Soobin’s heart ached for him.

Finally, Yeonjun rose to stand again. “Let’s move out,” he said evenly. His eyes were dark, unreadable. “We’ll meet up with the rest of the unit and then head for the nearest town. I need to inform the general and wait for our next orders.” He turned to lead the way back, Soobin, Taehyun, Kai, and Beomgyu bringing up the rear of their party. 

Just before they left, Taehyun reached into his pocket and pulled out a colorful fabric doll. Soobin recognized it as the kind used at funerals, to protect souls on their journey to the afterlife. There might be hundreds that would be lost to the ages without a proper burial and funeral rites. Taehyun laid the doll beside the emperor’s crest, expression somber.

 With one last look at the burned-out shell of the colonel’s settlement, they started back down the ravine. Soobin felt like that tiny doll was seared into his memory– the only blot of color in a desolate landscape of destruction.

Chapter Text

Their unit followed the river upstream, rather than heading back into the mountains. Yeonjun told Soobin that there was a mid-sized town just a few days’ travel from here, where they could all rest up and regroup. The atmosphere was quiet and subdued.

They set up camp in a copse of trees, and Soobin felt confident for the first time in several days that he would be able to sleep without shivering that night. It was still cold, of course, and there was a light blanketing of snow on the ground, but it was nothing compared to the biting chill of the mountains. Taehyun had set up nearby with a quick “come get me if you need me, hyung,” but went to sleep in his own tent that night. Soobin felt a rush of affection for the younger alpha. Both of his dongsaengs were really very sweet and lovely, and Soobin desperately hoped that they wouldn’t lose that to the harshness of war.

Soobin was surprised when he went to bed and Beomgyu didn’t follow him. Although he didn’t need to sleep, of course, Beomgyu tended to at least hang out in Soobin’s tent for a while before he went off and did whatever it was that he did while everyone else was sleeping. Tonight, though, he lingered at the door to Soobin’s tent without entering.

“What is it, Gyu?” Soobin whispered. It was too dark for him to really make out Beomgyu’s expression, but he could hear him shifting around uneasily.

“I don’t know, something feels off, like we’re being watched,” Beomgyu whispered back. “I think I’m going to sit out here for a bit.”

“We have people on lookout duty already, don’t worry,” Soobin replied. “And besides, what would you do if you even if you saw someone? It’s not like you could do anything, the only people who can see or hear you are me and Taehyun.”

“I know, but I’m telling you, something’s weird,” Beomgyu said quietly. The moonlight was reflecting back silver in his round, dark eyes.

“Okay, I trust you,” Soobin murmured. “Just don’t do anything stupid.” He went inside his tent and got into bed, thinking that perhaps Beomgyu was just unsettled by all of the destruction they’d witnessed earlier that day. It was their first taste of war, a view of what might be a very real possibility in their future. Soobin couldn’t blame him for feeling off-put.

He was awoken suddenly by shouting. He sat straight up, looking around. It was still dark. Beomgyu was yelling, his voice getting closer and closer. He was calling for Soobin and Taehyun to wake up.

“They’re here! They killed the lookouts, they’re headed for the captain’s tent!”

Soobin shot out of bed, seizing his sword and looking around desperately for Beomgyu. With a chill lighting his spine, he realized that he had no idea where Yeonjun was sleeping. There were hundreds of tents here, all identical in the semi-darkness.

“Soobin! Taehyun, this way!”

“Hyung, come on,” a voice said. It was Taehyun, pulling at his sleeve. He wasn’t sure exactly when the alpha had emerged, but Soobin’s feet were moving before he’d even really registered it. The two of them sprinted in the direction of Beomgyu’s calls.

They wove through the tents, adrenaline spiking through Soobin’s veins so sharply that it was almost painful. He felt like his heart was in his throat. If Yeonjun– no. He couldn’t think about it, wouldn’t even consider it. 

He spotted movement through the trees. It was a small group, no more than five or ten, designed for stealth and efficiency rather than strength. One of them, a hulking alpha with a broad silhouette and a ponytail tied behind his head, lifted the flap on the tent ahead.

“Yeonjun hyung!” Soobin cried. “Intruders in the camp!”

He saw one of the enemy soldiers turn, lightning-fast, and the creaking of a bow being drawn. Taehyun tackled Soobin to the ground right as an arrow whistled over both of their heads, and suddenly it was chaos. Soobin could hardly see anything in the dappled moonlight filtering through the trees, but he got to his feet again and drew his sword. Taehyun charged ahead, engaging one of the enemies in combat, and there was the clashing of metal on metal as they fought. 

Soobin spotted Beomgyu, running towards him. He pushed something into Soobin’s hands– a flashbang, he realized. Then, a match fell into his palm. Wasting no time, Soobin struck it and lit the flashbang. He aimed right at a fallen tree.

There was a blinding flare, and a miniature explosion rocked the clearing. Light filled the area as the tree burst into flames. There was no way that the enemy soldiers would be able to escape unnoticed now. They were surrounded, and everyone in the camp would know exactly where they were. Soobin blinked, trying to clear the spots from his vision.

Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed in front him. It was the alpha from earlier, expression twisted and ugly. His aura was suffocating, the scent of alpha rage filling Soobin’s nose. His inner omega immediately flinched, and Soobin felt like he was going to throw up. Still, he couldn’t die like this. He raised his sword, just in time to catch the blade that came swinging down at his head.

It wasn’t enough. The other alpha was clearly stronger than him, and would have him overpowered within moments. His inner omega was howling in pain, desperate to submit. Soobin felt the other alpha’s blade, a massive two-handed sword nearly the same width as his body, slice into his cheekbone. He gritted his teeth, but his arms were shaking like a leaf in the wind.

There was a ferocious growl, and the alpha was suddenly thrown off of him. The scent of another alpha’s rage reached him– Yeonjun. The captain had thrown the enemy alpha by his ponytail, and the two were now locked in a fierce duel. Sparks flew as their weapons collided, and the sound was deafening. Their movements were so fast that he could barely track them. Should he try to help? He’d probably just get in Yeonjun’s way. Where was Taehyun?

“Soobin hyung.” He jumped nearly a foot in the air in surprise. Kai had joined the fight from who-knows-where, armed with a bow. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now,” Soobin replied quickly. “Where’s Taehyun?”

“Here,” he said, from just behind the pair. Soobin turned; there was a large spatter of blood across Taehyun’s chest. Soobin got the feeling that it wasn’t his.

The three of them stood back-to-back, and Soobin saw Kai draw his bow out of the corner of his eye. The youngest was waiting for an opening, aimed right at the alpha battling with Yeonjun.

“There!” Taehyun yelled. One of the enemy soldiers, the one with the bow, had an arrow nocked and sighted for Kai.

“Like hell you will,” Soobin whispered under his breath. He lunged right as Taehyun pulled Kai to the ground, his sword colliding with the body of the bow when the other soldier raised it above her head defensively. She was a beta, but the growl that rumbled in her chest could’ve rivaled an alpha’s as she drew a long dagger from a sheath and started to fight. Soobin dodged her slice, and then brought his sword down on her shoulder. The beta was too slow. There was a thud as she dropped to his feet, lifeless.

Soobin tried not to retch at the sensation of his sword cleaving through flesh and bone, and reminded himself that he had no choice. It was her or Kai, and he’d protect their maknae no matter what. It was his first kill.

“He’s running!” Someone shouted. When Soobin turned around he saw the hulking frame of the alpha from earlier bolting through the trees. Kai sent several arrows after him, to no avail. One of the enemy soldiers had thrown himself in front of Yeonjun’s sword and allowed the alpha to escape. Soobin saw another one of their own move to pursue him, but the captain put his arm out.

“Don’t,” he said sharply, shaking his head. “He’s still strong.” There was a moment of stillness, and Soobin shuddered to think what kind of monster could come out of a fight with the captain and still warrant an assessment like that.

 Yeonjun’s gaze suddenly snapped to his face. He covered the distance between them in a few strides, and seized Soobin by the collar. “Why didn’t you fight back?!” He snarled. Soobin fought the urge to whine like an omega as Yeonjun’s aura overpowered him. “I didn’t train you to be a coward.” 

Yeonjun’s eyes were boring into his, and Soobin could do nothing other than open and close his mouth wordlessly. It was as though his brain had jammed up, with Yeonjun’s face so close to his and adrenaline from earlier still thundering through his veins. It didn’t help that it felt like every nerve in his body was searing with the force of the alpha’s aura.

“Hyung,” a voice said. Taehyun. “Let him be.”

To his immense surprise, Yeonjun dropped him. Soobin staggered slightly as he tried to regain his balance, but at least he wasn’t in so much pain now that Yeonjun wasn’t focused on him. He coughed, rubbing at his neck.

“See me later,” Yeonjun snapped. He stalked off in the direction of the camp, to where Soobin’s fellow soldiers were awaiting their commands. Dawn was just beginning to tinge the sky purple. With the lookouts dead and the bodies of several enemy soldiers scattered throughout the trees, they would no doubt have a lot of work ahead of them.

“Soobin.” Beomgyu had appeared at his side, paler than he’d ever seen him.

“Gyu,” Soobin whimpered. “I-I killed someone.”

“I know,” Beomgyu said quietly. “But you had to.”

“You’re not– you’re not angry with me?” Soobin knew his voice was trembling, but he couldn’t help it. “She didn’t get to live a long life. She won’t even make it back to the shrine of her ancestors.”

Beomgyu shook his head, his hand coming up to rest on Soobin’s shoulder. “You did what you needed to do. You kept Kai safe.”

Taehyun, who’d approached the pair with Kai trailing behind, nodded in agreement. Soobin’s eyes locked onto Kai’s face, the maknae looking terribly frightened but trying not to show it. Taehyun touched Soobin’s back, prompting him forwards. “Come on, hyung. Let’s go.”

“Hyung,” Kai mumbled. He reached out to cling to Soobin’s arm, the quiver of arrows jostling between them. He held on tightly as the four of them made their way back to the center of the camp, where Yeonjun was giving out orders. Soobin’s eyes were trained on the ground. The snow and leaf litter muffled their footfalls. If it weren’t for Beomgyu’s intuition, they’d all probably have been murdered in their sleep

“Go wash up,” the captain said flatly, when he saw them approach. “Then start packing. We’re moving out as soon as everything’s been cleaned up here.”

They went to the river, Soobin slowly and methodically rinsing his sword in the freezing water. He felt another wave of nausea rise up in his throat as the water around his blade was dyed red with the blood of the woman he’d killed. His hands quickly went numb, but he made sure that the blade was completely clean before he sheathed it again. He looked up to see Taehyun’s bare chest, goosebumps running over the alpha’s skin in the crisp morning air. He had his jacket and shirt in front of him, trying to wring them both out. Soobin’s gaze trailed over the dark stain on Taehyun’s uniform; with a jolt, he realized that he wasn’t the only one who’d been forced to kill someone that night.

Beomgyu laid a spare jacket over Taehyun’s shoulders, the alpha looking up at him gratefully. Taehyun slipped the jacket on and put his wet clothes in a bag. Kai watched from several feet away, his expression troubled.

“S’okay, it’s just Beomgyu,” Soobin told him.

“I know,” Kai replied. “I just– I wish I could see him, it’s not fair. Taehyunnie likes him a lot.”

“Taehyun can see dead people, Kai,” Soobin reminded him quietly. “We’re in a war.”

Kai’s eyes went wide as the implication hit, and then filled with tears. “Oh my God,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have said that, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Soobin answered. Kai looked up at him, bottom lip quivering.

“It’s not,” he said wetly. “You– hyung, you saved my life.”

“I know.” Soobin exhaled, his bangs flying up around his face. “I know what I did, and I’d do it again. Protecting you matters much more to me than anything else.” As he said it, he knew in his heart that it was true. The memory of the little colorful doll flashed through his mind.

They packed up and made it to their destination just after noon. It was a much bigger town than Soobin had been expecting, more populous than his hometown by a lot. When they arrived, the mayor greeted them at the gates.

“Captain Choi,” she said. She gave a deep, formal bow. “Thank you for informing us of your arrival, it is an honor to have you here.”

Yeonjun returned her bow stiffly. “I appreciate your hospitality, Mayor Moon.”

“Of course,” she replied. “We are grateful to have the imperial army for protection, and I know the people here are eager to repay you for your sacrifices in any way we can.”

Mayor Moon had spoken correctly. They were put up in what Soobin suspected were the nicest accommodations for miles, and the townsfolk had prepared a veritable feast that was held in the hall at the center of town that night. There were a lot of local delicacies that Soobin had never tried before, including a freshwater fish stew that was delicious but so spicy that it made his eyes water profusely. Beomgyu pointed and cackled from where he was sitting beside Taehyun, though he was noticeably envious of all the food. Apparently one of the drawbacks of being dead was that he couldn’t eat anything that wasn’t offered at the ancestral shrine first.

“I’m leaving you nothing but spicy stuff from now on, let’s see how you like it,” Soobin choked out, dabbing at the corners of his eyes with his sleeves.

“Sounds good to me,” Beomgyu replied, shrugging. “I love spicy food.”

“How?! We’re literally related,” Soobin complained.

“Dunno, looks like the bloodline got a lot lamer after I died,” Beomgyu said coolly. Taehyun snorted, and Soobin flicked a piece of rice at Beomgyu. His face lit up with an evil grin as he picked up a chunk of kimchi from Taehyun’s plate, aiming for Soobin, but the alpha quickly snatched it with his chopsticks.

“Love you, hyung, and I appreciate your commitment to making Soobin hyung’s life difficult,” he muttered under his breath. “But supernatural food fights are not something that most people are used to seeing, and it might get us kicked out for suspected witchcraft.” Beomgyu flushed down to his shirt collar at the words “love you”, and Soobin pulled a face. 

Kai nodded from his spot at Soobin’s shoulder. He’d cleared his plate multiple times, but a plump middle-aged woman kept appearing to coo at him and serve him yet more food. He was working through what Soobin thought was probably his fourth helping and showed no signs of slowing down. “It was cool-looking, though, Beomgyu hyung. Floating kimchi is totally awesome.”

Soobin groaned. “Please don’t encourage him, either of you. I’m literally begging.”

“You’re not literally begging, you’re literally stuffing your face with rice cakes,” Beomgyu retorted. Soobin squawked indignantly, but alas. His cheeks were too full of rice cake to speak. 

Taehyun burst into giggles, and Beomgyu stared at him with a gross, enamored expression on his face. Even Kai started laughing at the look of offense on Soobin’s features, and he’d pretty much missed the joke entirely.

Soobin went to find Yeonjun that night, as the captain had requested. He wasn’t in his room, though, and Soobin had asked around quite a bit to see if anyone had seen him. In the end, he found himself on the roof of the inn their unit was staying at. Yeonjun was sitting at the edge with his feet dangling off, looking out over the lights of the town.

Soobin sat beside him, careful not to get too close. He was still a little leery, unsure of what was going on in Yeonjun’s mind. Was he still angry? What if he suspected, or worse, knew that Soobin was an omega? The punishment for treason was immediate execution.

The silence remained unbroken for a long time. Soobin fidgeted nervously, until Yeonjun decided to have mercy on him and speak first.

“Did you eat well tonight?”

“Oh,” Soobin replied, taken aback. That was not at all what he thought Yeonjun would say. “Uh, yeah. It was really delicious, I’ve never had a lot of the food here before.”

“Good,” the captain said. “You’re too skinny.”

There was another long pause, and Soobin thought his brain was going to overheat with how fast his thoughts were racing. He felt like he could never tell what Yeonjun was thinking; just when he thought he knew him well enough, the alpha showed a new side of his personality that Soobin had never seen before.

“I owe you a thank you. I don’t know how you knew they were coming, but if it weren’t for you I’d probably be dead right now.”

“Oh,” Soobin responded, mentally smacking himself for his mindless, vague-sounding answers. “I mean, I kind of had a bad feeling earlier that day, like we were being watched.” He parroted Beomgyu’s words back to the captain, hoping that Yeonjun would believe him. He didn’t press it.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Yeonjun said next. He was avoiding eye contact, face still turned away. Soobin was even more confused now. He didn’t think he’d ever heard the captain apologize before, to anyone. He stuttered a bit before he spoke.

“U-um, no, it’s– well, it was my fault, hyung.”

Yeonjun finally turned so that he was looking at Soobin, fox-like eyes gazing into Soobin’s own. “I just–“ he sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. “You could’ve died. I thought you were going to die.” There was a rawness in his voice that Soobin thought was extremely uncharacteristic of him, and it threw him for a loop. The alpha’s expression was strangely unguarded as his eyes wandered over Soobin’s face, stopping on the long, thin cut that ran the length of his cheekbone.

“I know, hyung,” Soobin said quietly. “But I didn’t. It’s okay.” 

In one stupid, brave moment of vulnerability, he reached out to wrap his fingers around Yeonjun’s. He heard a sharp intake of air. He pressed his eyes shut, afraid that the captain might smack him, but they flew open again when Yeonjun’s hand squeezed his. Soobin was utterly speechless as he gazed at Yeonjun, the lights of the city reflecting like stars in the alpha’s liquid-black eyes. Something about him made Soobin want to be reckless.

Chapter Text

They spent several more days in the town before receiving a missive from the higher-ups in the capital. They were being reassigned, headed towards the western front to join Captain Seo and his unit. It would mean even more travel, scarily close to the border between the Second and Third Kingdoms. The fighting was still concentrated on the western side, though, Beomgyu had assured him. Apparently he’d been in the room while Yeonjun was getting the briefing.

Their unit left the town early in the morning, plied with several fresh cartloads of food and equipment. Soobin knew for a fact that Kai had managed to charm one of the bakery girls so much that she’d filled his bag with sweets and bread before they departed, and he munched happily on a red bean bun as they walked. 

A storm blew in the next evening, dumping what must’ve been nearly a foot of snow in just one night. It hampered their progress significantly, and Soobin could tell that Yeonjun was getting frustrated. It wasn’t nearly as brutal as the mountains they’d braved before, but the roads were icy and the flat, marshy terrain beside the river offered no shelter from the biting wind. Soobin’s cheeks were red and chapped from constant exposure.

After eight days of the same blank, snow-covered scenery, even Soobin started to feel like he might be going insane– and he was used to repetitive activities, having worked the same bakery routine every day for basically his entire life. They’d passed no more than a handful of small hamlets the entire time, the tiny shacks marred by disrepair. The skeletal faces peering from dark windows made them feel more like ghost towns than places inhabited by actual living people, and Yeonjun had stopped their procession more than once to offer food and aid to the villagers. 

Soobin’s own hometown wasn’t wealthy by any means, but he’d never seen abject poverty like this. He had no idea that there were people living like this in the Second Kingdom, and Kai looked equally as unsettled. On the other hand, Taehyun’s grim expression told Soobin that this wasn’t the first time he’d experienced something like this. He found himself wondering, yet again, what sort of secrets the young alpha was keeping.

“It’s the war,” Yeonjun explained quietly, after they’d started on their trek again. “Supply lines have been cut, and all of the country’s resources are being put towards the western front. The people are getting desperate.”

Soobin’s brain kept replaying the faces of two male omegas around his age, from a few villages back. One was freckled with a sweet, pretty face, and the other had narrow, pointed eyes and strong cheekbones. Both were so skinny that their bones pressed into their skin like it was paper-thin, but they’d smiled and thanked him when he’d knocked on their door to distribute rice and dried fish from one of their supply carts.

“My sister,” Soobin murmured. “And Taehyun’s grandmother, Kai’s family–“

Yeonjun shook his head. “They’ll be okay. Your families are closer to the capital, it’s not so dire there yet.”

“Oh,” Soobin said. Then, with a start, he realized that he didn’t know anything at all about Yeonjun’s family– not even where he’d been born. The captain wasn’t particularly forthcoming with information about his past, and rarely spoke about those sorts of things unless Soobin asked.

“What about your family, hyung? Where are they?”

“The capital,” Yeonjun answered shortly. “They’re fine.” He didn’t seem keen on elaborating, so Soobin didn’t pry. General Kim, the one in charge of the war efforts, was the only person Soobin had ever heard him refer to as a father figure. He got the sense that Yeonjun wasn’t very close with his family. The two fell silent, conversation dying out.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the front of their party. Soobin could hear a lot of yelling, but it was much further down the road than they were. He couldn’t see anything beyond a ripple of motion through the ranks. Yeonjun, though, put his hand on his sword. 

“Captain Choi,” a female voice said. It was a combat medic, in charge of one of their supply carts. She loosed the horse from the front of the cart and tossed Yeonjun the reins. The captain mounted in one impressive, fluid movement, and nodded to her in thanks before spurring the horse forwards.

Once he was gone, Soobin finally understood what the soldiers at the front were screaming.

“Ambush! Ambush!”

A chill ran down his spine. He frantically scanned the ranks for his friends– there. Kai was walking with Seungmin, several yards ahead, but the pair had stopped and drawn their swords. Beomgyu and Taehyun both appeared at Soobin’s shoulder, faces set in matching expressions of apprehension.

“Yeonjun hyung,” Soobin finally managed. He pointed in the direction that Yeonjun had gone, and Taehyun pulled at his arm.

“Let’s go. Kai, get a bow and meet us there.”

The two of them tore off down the road, sped up by the gap that Yeonjun’s horse had cleaved though their unit. The enemy’s ambush had worked; everyone was thoroughly unprepared, lulled into a false sense of security by the seemingly endless days of travel with hardly a soul in sight. Soobin could hear his heartbeat roaring in his ears.

An enemy soldier, an alpha clad in the dark blue uniform of the Third Kingdom, leaped in for the attack. Taehyun stepped in front of Soobin and deflected the sword with his own, metal ringing. The momentary distraction was all it took, and Soobin thrust his blade straight through the enemy’s stomach. There was a sickening squelch, but Soobin didn’t flinch. He had to stay strong for his friends. They’d trained together specifically for this.

Soobin and Taehyun started off running again, Soobin’s head whipping back and forth as he searched desperately for Yeonjun. He dodged a sword swipe from another Third Kingdom soldier, Taehyun cutting her down before she could draw back. Blood arced through the air, painting the snow crimson. Arrows streaked overhead, one piercing an enemy alpha straight through the neck with a dull thunk. Kai had caught up to them.

Another voice caught his attention.

“Over here!”

Soobin grabbed Kai’s arm, pointing. It was Beomgyu. He was waving a stick, trying to catch Kai’s attention, and he ducked as an arrow flew by him. It found its mark; an enemy archer that had lined up to shoot right at Taehyun as he defended them from another attack.

“Thanks, Beomgyu hyung,” Kai yelled. 

Suddenly, there was a snarl unlike anything Soobin had ever heard before. His inner omega instinctively shivered, but he steeled himself and forced his brain to concentrate. He scanned his surroundings, trying to find the source.

There. Yeonjun was locked in combat with the same ponytailed alpha from the woods. They were moving so fast it was practically a blur of steel, the battle raging around them. The enemy probably had three inches and a good thirty pounds on Yeonjun, but the captain held his own and even managed to get a few slices in himself. It hardly seemed to affect the monstrous alpha, though, who shook off the wounds and kept fighting.

“Go, hyung, we’ve got your back,” Kai said. He was pale, but his expression was determined. Soobin was suddenly struck by how much he’d grown in the months they’d known each other. Taehyun nodded in affirmation. There was a bruise blooming at his jaw, but he otherwise looked unharmed.

Soobin made eye contact with both of them before turning in the direction of Yeonjun. He dodged another blue-clad soldier, knowing that he had no time to stop and engage but confident that his friends would protect him. Sure enough, there was a thud as the enemy hit the ground.

Just before Soobin reached the captain, he saw Yeonjun’s foot slip. The icy road had become slick, and Soobin’s heart leaped into his throat as the captain’s sword clattered and spun across the earth. He was going to die. Soobin was going to watch the murder of his friend, trapped and unable to help him.

Use anything you can to your advantage.

A scarlet tassel flashed through his memory. Soobin reached into his jacket to where he’d always kept it, ever since the day that he pulled it from the flagpole. Fingers closing over the handle, he threw the dagger as hard as he could. It whistled through the air before sinking deep into the shoulder of the alpha looming over Yeonjun.

The alpha roared in pain, reaching around to grab the knife and toss it to the ground. He turned around, teeth bared. “You,” he snarled. Soobin swallowed. Apparently the alpha remembered him from the flashbang incident. He stormed towards Soobin with his massive sword raised above his head.

Soobin knew that he wasn’t going to win this fight, so he did the only thing he could think to do: run.

He wheeled around and sprinted off of the road. The snow was deeper there, which worked in his favor. He was clearly much lighter than the beast pursuing him, and only barely punched through the frozen top layer. The alpha, on the other hand, was significantly hindered by Mother Nature’s cold, white blessing to Soobin’s existence. Soobin was going to have to high five her once he got to heaven, for allowing him a few more precious seconds on Earth. 

He skidded to a stop at the edge of the river. The surface was frozen over and looked pretty solid, but his sensitive omega hearing picked up the distinct burbling of running water beneath it. The alpha let out a terrifying laugh behind him, sensing his hesitation. Soobin must’ve really pissed him off if he was willing to chase him all the way out here rather than kill the captain, who’d been practically at his mercy.

He made his decision. It was life or death, and he’d risk the river over whatever torturous demise that alpha had planned for him. Soobin stepped out onto the ice, praying to Mother Nature, his ancestors, even Beomgyu– anyone that might be listening– that it would hold his weight.

His first few steps got him over the thinnest sections, out to where the surface was a little more steady. It was still too warm at this altitude for the ice to be very solid, though, and there were several loud snapping sounds beneath his feet as he crossed as lightly as he could. He was about halfway out when the alpha reached the river’s edge. Soobin was so sure that he wouldn’t try to pursue him here, that he would be able to tell that the ice was unstable and simply give up on killing him. That alpha was probably twice his weight, and there was no way that the surface would be able to hold them both.

 His stomach dropped when the alpha stepped out onto the ice. There was a resounding crack, echoing louder than a flashbang over the barren landscape. The alpha dropped straight down with a howl that was quickly cut off as his head went under. Soobin started running again; there was no more time for caution. He was only feet from the bank when the ice collapsed out from under him.

Soobin plunged into the water, system going into shock at the freezing temperature. His body was instantly dragged under the sheet of ice on top, tossed around by a raging current so fierce that he couldn’t tell up from down. He was completely disoriented. His lungs were burning, brain screaming at him to open his mouth and take a breath. Drowning was so much more painful than he’d imagined it to be.

He fought as hard as he could, finally managing to get himself upright, and his fingers scrabbled at the ice. It was futile; the ice held fast, and the current was so strong that Soobin could feel himself getting helplessly pulled further and further downstream. His energy was fading as his oxygen depleted, hastened by his fruitless attempts to swim upwards.

His last thought was for his sister. He hoped that Taehyun would do the funeral rites for him even if they never found his body, so that he might be able to go home to their ancestral shrine. Maybe he could watch over her from there, with Beomgyu, so that she wouldn’t be alone. Beomgyu, who’d never get a second chance at love. They were alike in that, he supposed.

 He was sinking. Everything was slowly going dark.

Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled sharply. He wasn’t sure if he was conscious or not, or maybe this was death. Maybe he was being summoned back to the ancestral shrine. He was entirely numb, couldn’t have moved his body even if he wanted to. He wasn’t even entirely sure he had a body until his eyes fluttered open. He was on his back, staring blankly at the grey sky.

Immediately, his core muscles spasmed and forced water from his lungs. He coughed and hacked, so much that he thought he might throw up. The cold air caught up to him all at once, and he was wracked with shivers so violent that when he tried to sit up he collapsed back again. He would’ve hit the ground if it wasn’t for Kai, who’d appeared beside him. Soobin’s eyes roved over his face. Tears were streaking Kai’s cheeks, his waterline red as if he’d been crying for a long time.

“Hyung, hyung, it’s okay,” he whispered. “Don’t worry, okay? We have to get you out of these clothes, you’re freezing. Taehyunnie’s going to help me carry you, okay?”

Soobin’s gaze moved to Taehyun next. The alpha bent down to lift him by the elbows. “You’re alright, hyung,” he murmured. “Just focus on warming up.” Kai stood, too, and the two of them took his arms to help him move forward. Soobin held on to them as best he could, shaking all over.

He frowned. Something was wrong. Taehyun and Kai were both completely dry. They couldn’t have been the ones to pull him from the river, or they’d have been as soaked as he was. He looked up.

Yeonjun was standing a few feet away. His uniform was completely wet, clinging to his body, his hair hanging down around his face. The alpha’s expression was one of white-hot fury. If it was possible for Soobin’s blood to run any colder than it already was, he was certain that he’d be dead.

His scent blocker had been washed away. The smell of alpha rage was overpowered almost entirely by the unmistakable scent of an omega.

Yeonjun pulled his sword from the sheath at his side, pointing it right at Soobin’s chest. Taehyun and Kai both stopped, their hold keeping Soobin from slipping back to the ground. His legs were weak, and he was trembling all over. 

“Did you know?” The captain said. His voice was acidic, nearly inaudible beneath his fury. Soobin opened his mouth, confused, and then realized that Yeonjun was addressing Taehyun.

“No,” he answered. Soobin saw Kai blanch just the tiniest bit, but he mentally thanked Taehyun for being so clever. If he’d said yes, it would’ve only landed him and Kai in trouble as well. He was surprised, though, by the alpha’s next words. “I didn’t know that he was an omega, but frankly, Yeonjun hyung, I don’t care. Because of him, the captain of the Third Kingdom army is dead. That’s something even an alpha like you couldn’t do.” 

Yeonjun didn’t answer, but the blade leveled with Soobin’s sternum remained unmoving. There was a long moment where Taehyun and Yeonjun just glared at each other, a silent battle of wills between two alphas.

“Go,” Soobin murmured softly, releasing Taehyun’s arm and giving Kai a little push forwards. “Just– l-live well, okay g-g-guys?” That was all that he could say. His teeth were chattering too much to allow him to get any more words out, but he didn’t think he could’ve come up with anything worthwhile anyways. There was nothing he could possibly say to make their grief any lighter. Kai was shaking his head stubbornly with fresh tears running down his cheeks.

“He’s right,” Yeonjun said. His voice was suddenly lifeless, all signs of anger gone. “You know the law, you know what the punishment for treason is. Go, both of you.”

“No!” Kai wailed. “No, hyung, please. You can’t. I won’t let you–”

“Huening Kai Kamal, as your commanding officer I am telling you to go back to the rest of the unit right now,” Yeonjun snapped. “You will obey if you don’t want to go the same way that this omega is.” 

Soobin flinched. The way he said it made it seem like being an omega was something dirty, something wrong. He supposed that it was– if he was anything else, he would be going home to his sister with a medal and honors. For him, being an omega was a sin punishable by execution.

Soobin made eye contact with Taehyun, beseeching. The alpha looked at him for a few seconds before his face crumpled in an expression of raw agony. He took Kai’s hand and pulled him back towards the road. Kai was openly sobbing, the maknae’s cries piercing Soobin’s heart worse than any sword could.

It was just him and Yeonjun now. Where was Beomgyu? Maybe the ancestors had already found out that they’d failed, and recalled him back to the shrine. For the second time that day, Soobin made peace with the fact that he was going to die. He’d never thought, though, that it would be at the hands of someone he’d once considered a friend.

The captain’s face was devoid of any emotion, black eyes dull as he stared at Soobin. It made his handsomeness feel stark and empty, like a cheap imitation of the alpha he knew. There was only an arm’s length between them. Yeonjun’s sword was hadn’t faltered, and Soobin found himself wishing that Yeonjun would just finish the job. He could barely keep himself standing, but he wanted to meet death with pride.

Finally, Yeonjun shifted. Soobin closed his eyes.

“A life for a life,” he heard. “We’re even now.” 

Soobin’s eyes flew open. Yeonjun had sheathed his sword and pulled the scarlet-tasseled knife from his jacket, tossing it on the ground at Soobin’s feet. It was darkened with blood.

“Don’t let me see you again, Soobin,” the captain said. “Or I’ll have no choice.”

With that, Yeonjun turned on his heel and walked back towards the road. He didn’t look back once.

Chapter Text

As soon as Yeonjun was out of sight, Soobin sank to his knees. It was all well and good that Yeonjun had spared his life, he thought, but it wouldn’t much matter in the end. He would doubtlessly die of hypothermia anyways. It may have been more of a mercy for Yeonjun to just end it quickly, rather than leave Soobin to freeze to a slow, quiet, pitiful death. The shivering had stopped, which he took as a bad sign.

He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there in the snow when he heard hooves. With monumental effort, he lifted his head. He thought that maybe he was hallucinating when he saw Beomgyu jump down from the horse’s back, a thick coat and blankets in his hands.

“Come on, Soobin,” he whispered. “Soobin, you have to get up. You need to put this on.”

Soobin couldn’t respond, couldn’t move. He saw rather than felt Beomgyu peeling his frozen uniform off of his body, dressing him in a new set of clothes with a scent Soobin didn’t recognize. Vaguely, he thought that maybe he should be embarrassed by the thought of Beomgyu seeing him naked, but he was too numb to care. Once he’d gotten the clothes on and the coat around his shoulders, Beomgyu started to rub his hands vigorously. He didn’t have any body heat, being already dead himself, but the friction seemed to be working at least a little. Shivers started to wrack Soobin’s body once more.

“Soobin, Soobin, can you hear me?” Beomgyu lifted Soobin’s chin so that he was looking him in the eyes, and he attempted to nod. “Okay,” Beomgyu exhaled. “I have somewhere we can go, but you have to get on the horse. I can’t carry you.”

He was trying, he really was, but Soobin just couldn’t get his limbs to cooperate. His muscles were so stiff that it felt like his body had already frozen solid, and he was just waiting for the rest of him to catch up.

“Soobin, listen to me, you’re not dying here,” Beomgyu growled. “Get up. You have a sister at home that needs you.”

Arin. Beomgyu was right. Dishonor be damned– no matter what, he’d sworn to make it home to her. If he gave up now, she’d never know what had happened to him. She’d spend the rest of her days hurting, wondering. Soobin couldn’t allow it. He forced himself to his feet.

Beomgyu had to help him get on the horse, but in the end he managed to do it. Beomgyu climbed up in front of him, allowing Soobin to lean heavily against his back as he spurred the horse on. Beomgyu directed them onto the road, heading in the direction they’d come from days before. Soobin was sliding in and out of consciousness, and Beomgyu had to stop occasionally to shake him awake again. After what simultaneously felt like an eternity and no time at all, they halted with a clatter of hooves in front of a modest farmhouse. There was a familiar face waiting at the door, with slanted eyes and sharp cheekbones.

“Jeongin,” Beomgyu said. “I’ve got him.”

“Bring him inside, Felix hyung is waiting. Fire’s already going,” the omega replied. Beomgyu dismounted, catching Soobin as he slid to the ground, and dragged him into the house.

The interior was sparsely furnished, but it looked well-kept. Beomgyu steered him to sit on a threadbare cushion in front of a crackling fireplace. Soobin’s body was suddenly washed in warmth, so fast that it was almost painful against his icy skin. He shied away, but Beomgyu was surprisingly strong as he muscled him to the floor.

“Tea?”

It was the other omega, the one with the freckles and the pretty smile– Felix, he remembered. There was a steaming cup in his tiny hands, which Beomgyu took from him gratefully. Felix looked surprised for a second, but the expression quickly melted away.

“He can’t see me,” Beomgyu explained to Soobin quietly. “Only Jeongin can.”

Soobin made a questioning sound. He had no idea how Beomgyu even knew these people, considering that they were probably a hundred miles away from home and had only stopped in this tiny village for a matter of hours. He couldn’t exactly articulate his thoughts over the chattering of his teeth, afraid that he might bite his tongue off, but Beomgyu seemed to get what he was asking.

“Jeongin is a fortune teller,” Beomgyu said. “Blessed with the ability to see the future.”

Soobin didn’t even get the chance to ask any more questions, because just then Felix spoke.

“Hi, Soobin,” he greeted politely. “Nice to see you again, although it would’ve been nicer if the circumstances had been a bit better. Don’t worry, though, because we’re prepared! Innie knew you were coming.” His smile was so bright that it was a bit disconcerting with his voice, which was incredibly deep and smooth.

“F-felix, thank y-y-you,” Soobin stuttered. He wanted to say more, but the freckled omega just giggled.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said cheerfully. “We’re happy to have you. You were so cute and nice, bringing us all that stuff the other day. At least now we’ll have something to feed you while you’re here. I have dinner cooking right now, actually. It won’t be much, but food is food.”

Soobin nodded, looking up when Jeongin stuck his head in from an adjacent room. “Remember, hyung, no bread today. Bad luck.”

“Yep, I know,” Felix replied lightly. “No bread before the new moon, or the snow won’t melt until May.”

What the fuck? That made absolutely zero sense to Soobin, but neither did little scrawny omegas from the countryside who could apparently predict the future. It all felt like some sort of wacky dream.

Jeongin made one more ominous statement before he left. “Make sure he drinks that tea, Beomgyu,” he warned. He disappeared again without another word.

“Sorry about that, he’s usually much more hospitable,” Felix interjected. “He’s been very into the cards, lately. I think the war has him stressed out, especially since they sent Changbin hyung off to the front.” There was a flash of sadness that crossed his features, a deep melancholy that looked like it didn’t belong on him. It was gone as quickly as it came.

“Seo Changbin,” Beomgyu muttered into Soobin’s ear. “Captain Choi’s friend.”

“Y-y-you know Captain S-Seo?” Soobin blurted out, shocked. The shivers were starting to subside a little now, but his words were still interrupted by the occasional chatter of teeth.

“Oh, yes! He’s my mate!” Felix answered brightly. “Do you know him? That makes sense, I guess. Jeongin said you were trained at the same camp he was stationed at for a bit, if I remember correctly.”

Soobin was horrified. If the literal mate of a high-ranking officer was struggling for food and other necessities during the winter, there was no way that his sister stood a chance. He needed to get home as quickly as possible.

“Arin,” he whispered. “Gyu, we h-have to–“

“I know,” Beomgyu responded heavily. “But there’s something else we need to do first, another place we need to go. Jeongin said it’s in the cards, and if we don’t then it spells doom for all of us.”

Soobin wanted to protest, but his limbs felt like they were being weighed down by sacks of flour.  It was as if his joints had been filled with warm molasses, and he knew that he was going to pass out from exhaustion soon whether he liked it or not. The heat from the fireplace was quickly dragging him into sleep.

“Gyu– I…”

“You can sleep, but you have to drink this first because Jeongin’s prophecies do not fuck around,” Beomgyu told him. “Or else you might be cursed to remain a virgin for all eternity, or some shit.” He pushed the cup of tea towards Soobin, who took it with heavy hands.

“You m-mean like you?” Soobin said, aiming for a sarcastic smile. Beomgyu pinched his side, and he yelped and swore. Felix stared a little, bemused, but his freckled cheeks lifted in a smile when he saw Soobin start on the tea.

Beomgyu let Soobin sleep until sundown, and then shook him awake for dinner. Felix was right about it being quite plain, but it was still somehow delicious. Beomgyu’s expression was envious as he took in the smell. True to Felix’s word, there was no bread– just a small serving of rice and a hearty soup with pickled vegetables on the side.

“Alright, now that that’s done I need to read your cards,” Jeongin announced, standing from the table. “If you don’t mind, of course. I’ve been watching your stars and such ever since you passed through, but I’ll be able to get a much more accurate reading with you in the room.”

Soobin nodded, but an unsettled feeling took root in his gut that had nothing to do with Felix’s cooking. He followed Jeongin into what appeared to be his bedroom, although the furniture was arranged in a rather specific and peculiar manner. Soobin was careful not to touch anything, just in case it activated one of Jeongin’s prophecies– as much as he poked light-hearted fun at Beomgyu, dying a virgin was actually kind of a fear of his. 

“Sorry, Beomgyu,” Jeongin said, although he didn’t look particularly apologetic. “No ghosts in the reading room, you’ll throw the energy off like crazy.” Beomgyu looked a bit put-out, but in the end he stayed outside as Jeongin closed the door. 

“Sit.” Jeongin gestured to a low table in the middle of the room. It was completely mundane-looking, in Soobin’s eyes, but he still eyed it like it might bite. With the way that the day had gone so far, he could never be sure. “On the left side, please. I get a lot better readings when I can see out of the window.”

Soobin did as he said, although it felt like his soup and rice were currently running a race in his stomach. Jeongin sat across from him, cross-legged, and waved his arm over the table. A deck of cards appeared, face up, covered with vibrant images of people and animals. There was also a small bowl of silver coins, all identical, and colorful flags also painted with different symbols that Soobin didn’t understand. He stared, mouth open.

“Hyunjin hyung painted them for me. I think you’ll meet him eventually, if the cards are correct, although I haven’t been able to determine exactly when or why,” Jeongin added. Although the cards had admittedly been painted with an impressively skilled and delicate hand, Soobin was a lot more concerned with the fact that Jeongin had summoned all of this stuff from thin fucking air. He shut his mouth, though, and listened carefully as Jeongin started to explain the process. It was complicated, by the sounds of it, and eventually Soobin got so confused he gave up on trying to understand. Beomgyu seemed to trust the kid, so that was good enough in his eyes. 

There was a lot of aggressive flag-waving first, through the air above them and around their heads and shoulders. Jeongin then smacked a perplexed Soobin several times over the head with the fabric.

“Your head and your heart aren’t aligned,” he muttered. Smack. “You’re very conflicted, and it’s crippling your judgement.” Smack. “You want something, but you think it isn’t good for you.” Smack. “You want… an alpha.”

Soobin ducked his head a tiny bit, expecting another smack, but there was nothing. When he looked up, Jeongin’s arms were crossed and there was a frown creasing his brows.

“Is that, like… a diagnosis, or something?” Soobin asked slowly. He was trying very, very hard not to think about Yeon– nope, not going to think about him. He prayed that Beomgyu couldn’t hear what they were saying.

“Not a diagnosis, per se, just the truth,” Jeongin replied. “It’s hurting you, though. You’re not being honest with yourself.”

Okay, ouch. That was… a little too pointed for Soobin’s liking. He was fighting to keep his thoughts from showing, but he must not have been very successful. He got another face-full of fabric.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” he acquiesced. “I have to be, like, honest with myself, and stuff. Anything else? Please don’t hit me with the flag again,” he added quickly.

“Hmm,” Jeongin hummed. “It’s not just that alpha that’s bothering you. You’re battling with your identity. You’re ashamed of who you are.”

The other omega’s voice was much softer now, his narrow eyes suddenly round and gentle. Soobin’s pride was definitely smarting, but he found that he couldn’t argue. He looked down at the table.

“Alright,” Jeongin huffed. “Moving on.” He handed Soobin the bowl of coins, which he’d thankfully remembered the instructions for. He shook it around three times before dumping the dish on the table. The coins scattered over the surface, forming a meaningless pattern to Soobin that must’ve meant something to Jeongin, because he was staring at them intently. There was an uncomfortably long silence, and then Jeongin waved his hand. The coins and the bowl reappeared on the other side of the table.

“Unhelpful,” he sniffed. “Very inconclusive.”

“What– you’re not going to drag me again?” Soobin asked, before he could stop himself. Jeongin actually chuckled at that, eyes folding into crescent moons. He was kind of cute, actually, like Kai– if Soobin ignored the creepy supernatural abilities.

“I’m not dragging you, I’m telling you what you need to hear,” he answered calmly. “If it comes across as a roast to you, then you might need to reevaluate your life choices.”

Was it bad luck to strangle a fortune teller? Probably, but Soobin was still considering it. To add insult to injury, he was pretty sure that Jeongin was a year younger than him. The kid was savage when he wanted to be, and Soobin was weighing the risks of spending eternity as a virgin when Jeongin spoke up again.

“Cards now. This is the important part, so pay attention. Stop thinking about creative ways to kill me and focus.”

So he was a fortune teller and a mind reader. Soobin didn’t think he would be surprised if Jeongin started levitating, at this point.

“I’m not a mind reader, you’re just a terrible liar,” Jeongin supplied. “Your emotions are written all over your face. I’m surprised that precious alpha of yours doesn’t already know that you’re madly in love with him.”

“I– no, I’m not–“ Soobin was spluttering uselessly, and he knew his face must be red. Jeongin didn’t laugh at him, but there was a sparkle in his eyes that Soobin didn’t like the look of.

“Close your eyes and choose a card,” Jeongin said, cutting him off. Soobin snapped his mouth shut with one last grumble, and did as Jeongin instructed. He opened his eyes. The card he’d pulled was painted with a beautiful woman, long hair spilling over her shoulders and her purple hanbok draped in a way that could be construed as rather risqué. She was wearing the traditional jewelry that signified an omega. Soobin hoped that didn’t imply what he thought it might.

“Interesting,” Jeongin commented lightly. He didn’t explain any further, though, just swept the rest of the cards up in his hands and shuffled them fluidly. He spread them again, face down this time, and asked Soobin to choose two.

The first card had five objects on it– a folding paper fan, a dagger, a bell, a fabric doll, and a set of chopsticks. Jeongin looked at it for a moment, but said nothing in response.

The second card depicted what was clearly a war general, decorated with medals and wearing the formal uniform. It looked strikingly familiar. He was accompanied by several soldiers, all brandishing weapons.

Wordlessly, Jeongin took the three cards that Soobin had pulled and set the rest of the deck on the ground. He shuffled the three, laying them one by one face down in front of him.

“Pick,” he said quietly.

Soobin did, and flipped the card over.

It had changed. The painting was of a large grey wolf.

“Oh! Good news,” Jeongin exclaimed cheerfully. “You’re going to see Channie hyung tomorrow.”

This “Channie hyung,” as it turned out, was an alpha who ran an inn in a nearby city. Stopping there was definitely taking the long way around back to Soobin’s hometown, but he couldn’t exactly argue when Beomgyu was the one holding the reins. It was probably a funny sight to other travelers, to see Soobin sitting uncomfortably far back on the saddle without steering the horse, but the roads were basically deserted anyways. It was the dead of winter, in the middle of a war– and they were getting closer and closer to the western front. The city they were headed to basically straddled the border between the two kingdoms.

“Oh, hello!” Chan greeted brightly when he saw them. Or, saw Soobin, rather. His eyes definitely skipped right over where Beomgyu stood without pausing, so that answered the question of whether or not he could see ghosts like Taehyun and Jeongin. “I heard you might be in the neighborhood. Innie told me to keep an eye out for the omega that smells like honey cookies!”

Chan was short but well-muscled, with kind eyes and deep dimples when he smiled. Soobin, who was usually wary of alphas, felt comfortable right away. Chan’s aura was definitely strong, but not in a threatening way.

“Hello,” Soobin said politely. “I was just told that I needed to stop here before I went home.”

“Yes, well, I know it’s probably all very confusing, but we’re happy to see you. Innie’s a bit mysterious like that, he doesn’t always tell you everything he knows,” Chan explained. It didn’t seem to bother him one bit. “Apparently it can spoil prophecies, or something. Anyways, come in. I’m sure you’ve had a long day of travel!”

He showed Soobin in to a cozy-looking tavern, Beomgyu trailing in behind him. It was just barely after sunset so there weren’t many patrons yet, just a few people seated at the bar and a tall, pretty omega sweeping in-between the empty tables. He had dark hair tied back in a ponytail, but a few pieces fell into his face in a charming way. Soobin got the feeling that he was probably very popular with the alphas and betas around here.

“Hyunjin, come say hi,” Chan called. “Soobin finally arrived.”

Ah. So this was the person who’d painted Jeongin’s cards with such skill. Hyunjin looked up from the corner, face splitting into a smile. He was every bit as beautiful as his art. “Oh, hello. Innie told us you’d be here soon. I’m Hyunjin.”

“I’m Soobin,” he replied. 

“Hungry, Soobin?” Chan interjected. “I can get you something to eat. It might be good for you to just hang out down here a bit, get a feel for the city. It’s a port of trade, you know, so we get all sorts around here.”

“Sure,” Soobin answered, smiling. “That would be great.”

Soobin and Hyunjin sat together and chatted while Soobin ate, Beomgyu hovering around and eavesdropping on different conversations as he went. Apparently Hyunjin was originally from the Third Kingdom, and frequently made trips across the border to visit friends and fetch supplies for the inn.

“The border’s kind of strict right now,” he’d said. “But since I’ve got the accent they don’t really pay much attention.” There was definitely a slight lilt to his words, but Soobin probably wouldn’t have recognized it if Hyunjin hadn’t pointed it out. It sort of rounded out his vowels and made his speaking voice pleasant to listen to.

“So, how did you meet Jeongin and Felix?” Soobin asked casually.

“Oh, I’ve known them for a couple years,” Hyunjin replied. His face had lit up at the mention of them. “Since I was fifteen, I think? Channie hyung took me in around then, so I’ve been here a while. Jeongin, Felix, and Felix’s mate Changbin passed through here when Felix got sick one time– they weren’t mates then, of course,” he assured. “Just friends. But they hardly had any money, and they needed a doctor. Channie hyung spotted them the cash, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

“He seems nice,” Soobin commented. “Chan, I mean.”

“Yeah, definitely. Everyone likes him, and I swear to God he knows literally everyone. My theory is that everybody in the Second Kingdom ends up on Chan’s doorstep at some point, needing help. Happened to me, I just never left.” Hyunjin chuckled, plump lips quirked into a smile.

Just then, there was a small commotion at the bar. A beta had gotten a little too drunk and slipped off of his stool, taking a plate and beer glass with him. The dishes had shattered on the floor with a resounding crash.

Hyunjin sighed. “That’s my responsibility, unfortunately. Feel free to hang around, though. Channie hyung is right– you never know who you might meet.”

It got much busier at the tavern after nightfall, and Soobin had taken up a seat near the fireplace when he caught the name of someone he knew filtering through the noise. He strained his ears, trying to listen.

“My sister sent me a letter,” a voice said. It was a woman, speaking in hushed tones that made it difficult to understand her words, but Soobin didn’t dare turn around to look. “She and her mate moved to the Third Kingdom capital a few years ago. He’s a guard at the castle, and she’s working as a cook– apparently they’ve captured General Kim of the Second Kingdom.”

Soobin shared a significant look with Beomgyu, whose eyebrows had scrunched together in a frown.

“Are you sure?” Another woman asked. “I’ve heard that the general is at the front, leading the battle.”

“No, she said she’s sure it’s him,” the first woman whispered back. “She delivered food to the cells. There were six other soldiers with him. She said they’re all to be executed for espionage against the crown, but she also said that the Third Kingdom have no idea exactly who it is they’ve captured. She says she thinks that her and her mate might be the only ones in the whole palace who know, just because we happened to grow up in the same town as the general and his family.”

Soobin’s blood ran cold. Beomgyu’s face had gone very pale, and he looked like he was about to get out of his chair at any moment.

“Oh my gosh, that’s terrifying,” her companion replied. “Do you think the emperor knows?”

“I have no idea, but I can’t exactly march up to the palace and ask, can I? They’d never allow a peasant near the gates. I could have the secret to winning the war in my back pocket, and those royals still wouldn’t even give me the time of day.”

The women’s conversation changed topics to complain about the royal family, which Soobin could agree with. He was much more concerned, though, with the news of the general.

“What do we do?” He asked Beomgyu, under his breath. “What if she’s right, and the news doesn’t make it out? They’ll be executed.”

“I don’t know,” Beomgyu said quietly. His eyes were dark, and he was chewing his bottom lip. “I’d say tell Captain Choi, except he basically promised to kill you on sight.”

“I could do it, we’re not far from the western front,” Soobin whispered. “But what if he doesn’t believe me? We have no proof.”

Beomgyu was silent for a second, thinking. Then, “the letter,” he muttered. “She said she had a letter.”

“That’s not much proof either, a letter could be written by anyone,” Soobin pointed out.  “He also pretty much has every reason not to believe us, considering I’m basically a wanted criminal.”

“It’s better than nothing, he’d have to at least give it at least some consideration. You’re not even supposed to know about that mission in the first place, remember? It’s top secret. How would you know if it wasn’t true?”

“That’s not really helping my case with the whole ‘wanted criminal’ angle.”

“I think we have to try. Don’t you think that’s why Jeongin sent us here? If the general dies, it would cripple the Second Kingdom’s army. We might lose the war,” Beomgyu said grimly.

Soobin went quiet, weighing his options. Finally, he spoke again.

“Let’s try to get that letter first. If we’re successful, we can try to find Taehyun and Kai and figure out what to do from there.” Beomgyu stood up out of his chair, and Soobin quickly put his arm out. “Wait, what are you doing?”

“Make a distraction when I cue you,” Beomgyu told him. “And make it big.”

“Wha– you can’t just waltz up there and break in to their room, you don’t even know which one it is,” Soobin hissed.

“I’ll know when I have the key,” Beomgyu said with a shrug. “They’re numbered.”

Soobin stared, but didn’t stop Beomgyu this time when he stood up and crossed to stand behind where the two women were still conversing. They both showed no signs of recognition, even when he waved a hand in front of their faces. Soobin saw Beomgyu take a deep breath and roll his shoulders back, and then he gave Soobin a thumbs up.

Chapter Text

“Make a distraction,” Beomgyu had said. Alright. Soobin could do that.

When he saw the thumbs up, he slapped the nearest alpha. 

The man whipped around in his seat, snarl on his lips. Soobin ducked out of the way just in time to point at another alpha sitting directly behind him and say, in his best imitation of a scandalous tone, “Oh my God, why would you hit him like that?!”

It was instant chaos. The evening had worn on enough that most all of the tavern’s patrons ranged from tipsy to blackout drunk, and there was a lot of yelling and a raucous round of cheers as the alpha that Soobin had hit slammed into the other with his full body weight. The second alpha, clearly much bigger, fell out of his chair but quickly regained his balance and turned to throw the first one off of him.

There was a moment of drunken posturing between the two, with a lot of chest puffing and growling. Soobin kind of felt bad for inciting violence in Chan’s establishment, but this sort of macho alpha behavior was also admittedly funny to watch. It reminded him of a lot of the things he’d witnessed in the army– Yeonjun had spent a fair amount of time in the first few months breaking up scuffles between overly prideful alphas, and even the occasional beta.

There was another round of cheers as the fight began again. Soobin had lost sight of Beomgyu in the madness, but he saw the door that led to the stairway open ever so slightly. He was jostled repeatedly as people pushed and shoved to try and get a better view of the fight, and decided that the best course of action was to try to make his way to the bar. There, at least, he could avoid any potential stray punches.

Chan was wiping down the counter with a rag, looking completely unperturbed by the shouting and the sound of furniture getting tossed around. He looked up when Soobin approached, dimples popping out as his face split into a grin.

“Enjoying yourself?” He asked. Soobin had to strain his ears to hear him over the noise, but he nodded in response. “Hyunjin will come and break that up in a second,” Chan continued. “Just watch.”

The two of them turned their heads back towards the fight, Chan hopping up on an abandoned stool so that he could see over the crowd. Soobin couldn’t really tell who was winning, just that the smaller alpha seemed to have a lot of pent-up aggression. He’d picked the right target, apparently.

Just when Soobin was starting to get worried about Beomgyu and wondering if he should go upstairs and check, Hyunjin appeared through a door that Soobin thought probably led to the kitchen. The omega took one look at all of the melee, and gave a disgruntled huff. He tossed his apron aside and ran a hand through his hair before straightening up to his full, regal height.

The effect was like magic. Hyunjin was suddenly radiant, an angel among men, stunning in his beauty. His aura was one of the strongest Soobin had ever witnessed, but not in the same way that an alpha’s was. His was absolutely beguiling, like the hypnotic power of a snake charmer. Soobin was an omega as well, but he got the feeling that he’d still be helpless if Hyunjin were to hit him with the full strength of it. As it was, he was completely mesmerized as he watched Hyunjin cross the room, cherry blossom scent floating on the air.

The crowd parted like wind through long grass, the noise level dropping almost instantaneously as he passed. Every head turned to stare, mouths dropping open and eyes blowing wide. A few alphas went weak at the knees, leaning on upended tables and chairs to keep themselves from quite literally falling at his feet.

The only sound left in the room was the growls of the two alphas still duking it out in the middle of the circle. They were unaware, it seemed, of the living siren headed towards them. Hyunjin reached out his hands, and with a single dextrous motion seized them both by their collars and hauled them apart. The moment he touched them, the fight left their bodies and they simply gaped at him.

“Boys,” Hyunjin sighed. “Surely you know better than to go about causing a ruckus in public?”

“Y-yes, sir. Of c-c-course, my apologies,” the taller alpha stuttered out. The smaller alpha was drooling too much to speak.

“Mmm, clean it up and you’re forgiven,” Hyunjin replied calmly. The shorter alpha regained his senses enough to start nodding profusely, his taller counterpart doing the same. Soobin even heard a few murmurs of assent from the audience, too. When the omega released his two captives, they stumbled over each other in their efforts to set the room to rights once more.

“Holy shit,” Soobin said eloquently.

Chan chuckled. “Yeah, pretty much. He hates it, honestly, because no one ever actually sees him for him, they’re all too busy obsessing over his face. It’s his dream to find a mate that really loves him for who he is, but– well, obviously it’s a skill that comes in handy every now and then.” He waved as Hyunjin came over to them, the omega’s apron back on and customary mild slouch setting his shoulders. He was still beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but Soobin didn’t think that he was going to fall over when Hyunjin approached.

“That was so fucking cool,” he breathed. “You’re so hot.”

Hyunjin laughed, eyes crinkling into pretty crescent moons. “Thanks. It’s so much less creepy coming from a fellow omega, for some reason.” His gaze ran appraisingly up and down Soobin’s figure. “Actually, I bet you could do it too. You’re pretty good-looking, yourself.”

“Uh, that’s– generous,” Soobin responded dubiously. 

Hyunjin laughed again, and nudged Soobin’s arm with his elbow. “I’m serious, you’re a handsome omega. Own it, and you’d have alphas and betas catering to your every whim.”

Soobin privately doubted that very much, but he was distracted by Beomgyu’s reappearance. He stuck his head through the door to the stairway, giving Soobin another thumbs-up. Soobin tried not to let the relief show on his face, but Chan must’ve sensed something because he gave the omega a kind smile.

“Headed in for the night?” He asked. “You look like you could use a good night’s rest.”

“Actually, that sounds like a really good idea,” Soobin replied. “I’ll probably head up. Is there anything I can help you guys with before I turn in?”

“No, no,” Chan answered politely, waving him off. “Hyunjin and I have been doing this for years, don’t even worry about it. Honestly, with the way this lot are going, it might be cleaner by the end of the night than it was when we opened.” He gestured to the two alphas from earlier, who were vigorously sweeping up broken glass and rearranging furniture. They’d made an impressive amount of progress in a short time– Soobin was once again awestruck by Hyunjin’s power.

“Okay. Good night,” Soobin said, giving both of them a short bow. Hyunjin waved, and Chan gave him another dimpled grin before Soobin turned and headed up the stairs.

Beomgyu was waiting for him at the top. He smirked, and pulled a small parchment envelope from his pocket. “Like taking candy from a baby,” he drawled. “I have to admit, that was a pretty impressive distraction. I was not expecting that kind of behavior from you, Soobin. Starting a fight in a bar?” He tutted and shook his head in mock disappointment.

Soobin shrunk down a little, ducking his head. “Yeah, I kind of feel bad, honestly. Neither of them really deserved that.”

Beomgyu grinned. “Alphas? Please. All that toxic alpha culture that gets tossed around, they probably would’ve gotten into a fight anyways. Especially drunk alphas– sheesh, what a nightmare.”

“… So you don’t think I’m a bad person?”

“I never said that. You’re definitely a bad person, but at least it was funny.” There was a devilish grin on Beomgyu’s face.

Soobin groaned, scrubbing his hand over his face. “Please tell me there’s something good in that letter.”

Beomgyu made a show of pulling the letter from the envelope and unfolding it before sticking it under Soobin’s nose with a flourish. He tapped it with his finger, Soobin’s eyes scanning the sentence he was pointing at. He gasped.

“The general’s mate is with him?”

“Yep,” Beomgyu said, popping the ‘p’. “That’s undeniable proof, it wasn’t even in the original plans– must’ve been pretty last-minute. The captain is probably one of the only people that will know he’s even on the mission, since he went and met up with them once, remember? He’ll have to believe you.”

Soobin exhaled, bangs fluttering over his forehead. It was getting long again– more like his usual style than the shorter crop that had been customary during his time in the army. “Alright,” he said. “We’ll go, then. Hopefully Taehyun and Kai will be able to back us up long enough for me to be able to reach Yeon– Captain Choi without getting kicked out of camp. We just better hope that he doesn’t make good on his promise to kill me the next time he sees me.”

Beomgyu scoffed. “He couldn’t even do it right the first time, even though it was literally his job. What makes you think he’d have the guts to do it now?”

Beomgyu roused Soobin out of bed early the next morning, and he got up and stumbled around the room for a bit in the semi-darkness while he packed his few possessions back into a bag. He hadn’t really been expecting to see Chan or Hyunjin considering that they had both presumably gone to sleep much later than he had, and had just been planning to leave a note and whatever cash he could scrounge up. To his surprise, though, both of them were sitting beside the fireplace over what appeared to be a rudimentary breakfast.

“Good morning,” Chan said cheerfully. “Heading out? I presume that you got what you came here for.” There was a knowing twinkle in his eye.

“Um, yes,” Soobin replied. “Thank you, thank you both. I don’t have much on me, but–“ he reached into his pockets, but Chan quickly shook his head. 

“No, no, don’t be silly. There’s no need for that, you’re here on the word of a friend.”

“Are you sure?” Soobin asked, but then Hyunjin piped up.

“Actually… There is something you could do for me, if you don’t mind.” Soobin watched curiously as the other omega reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, neatly folded piece of paper. “I had a very dear friend that I lost touch with a few years ago,” Hyunjin continued. There was a blush high on his cheekbones. “Someone really important to me that I let go of. Jeongin said that you might be my only chance of finding him again.”

Soobin took the letter from him. It was sealed with wax, and on the front in a neat, scrawling script was the name Kim Seungmin.

“Oh!” He exclaimed. “Yeah, I know him. Sure, I’ll give it to him, no problem.”

“Thanks,” Hyunjin said quietly. His cheeks were still noticeably red.

“Alright, if you’re sure there’s nothing else I can do, then I’ll head out,” Soobin told the pair. “I think Jeongin might be mad if I’m late to his prophecy.”

Chan chuckled heartily. “You’re right there. Cute but feisty, that one.” He stood to show Soobin to the stables in the back, where the horse he’d brought was already tied and waiting. “Be safe, Soobin.”

“Thanks Chan, um…”

“Just hyung is fine,” Chan said, grinning. “I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you soon, anyways.”

“That ‘feeling’ doesn’t happen to be named Jeongin, does it?” Soobin asked apprehensively.

Chan chuckled again, but ominously didn’t answer.

Soobin and Beomgyu rode straight through the day to get to the western front, stopping only for a few short minutes so that the horse could rest and get some water. It was nearing nightfall when they arrived, sunset bleeding over a field of tents as far as the eye could see.

They had debated using scent blockers before going in to try to avoid any potential hassle, but in the end decided not to. Soobin would need his senses at their strongest if he wanted to be able to find Taehyun and Kai amidst thousands of other soldiers, and at least there were other omegas here that he would be able to blend in with. Beomgyu stole him a medic’s uniform to wear, figuring that an omega medic wasn’t so uncommon as to arouse suspicion. Tucking both letters into his inner pocket, Soobin took a deep breath.

“Do I look okay?” He asked.

Beomgyu gave him a once-over, eyes dark and unreadable. “Yeah,” he answered finally. “Just– I don’t know. Don’t die, I guess.”

“Thanks for the words of wisdom,” Soobin replied, hoping the sarcasm would disguise his nerves. “Should we… split up, or something? We might be able to cover more ground.”

Beomgyu shook his head. “I’d rather stay with you.”

Soobin was secretly grateful for that. The two of them set off without another word.

Soobin passed right through the gates without being stopped by either of the two guards. It was all but dark now, with torches positioned along the main routes to light the way. He knew there must be some sort of organizational system to the camp, but he couldn’t yet determine what it was. His nose was being assaulted by scents from all sides, the clash of smells overwhelming and confusing.

“You could always ask?” Beomgyu suggested, after a few minutes. “We can’t wander around too much, it’ll look suspicious.”

“No, I– I can do it,” Soobin said. “I’m just not used to all of this– you know. I remember what he smells like, though. I’ll find them.”

He didn’t need to find Taehyun in the end, because the younger alpha found him first. Soobin turned around as soon as the earthy, sweet scent of tea reached his nostrils.

“Taehyun,” he breathed.

“Hyung.” Taehyun launched himself into Soobin’s arms, gripping the back of his jacket in a tight hug. “I knew it, you would’ve come back to tell me, I knew you couldn’t be–“ His words broke off, and he pulled back to look at Soobin’s face. “What are you doing here?”

“I need your help,” Soobin said quickly. “I can’t explain it right now, but I need to speak with Yeon– Captain Choi. The general’s been captured.”

“Okay.” Taehyun responded right away, so trusting. “But Kai, he’s–“

“Where is he?” Soobin interrupted gently. “Let’s go.”

Taehyun took Soobin’s arm on one side, and Beomgyu’s hand in the other. It would probably have looked odd to passersby, so Soobin was grateful for the cover of darkness. The alpha led them through the camp with practiced surety, taking so many turns through the tents that Soobin was completely lost. He finally paused in front of one of them, unmarked and indistinguishable from the others. He pushed the flap open, gesturing for Soobin to go in first.

Kai was sitting on his bed, legs crossed, but he looked up when Soobin walked in. His mouth dropped open in an expression of disbelief.

“No shrieking, Kai, ple–“

The maknae burst into tears. He reached out for Soobin, who dropped to his knees and encircled him in a hug. Kai’s tears soaked into his shirt, his sobs tearing at Soobin’s heart. He stroked gently at Kai’s hair, letting the beta cling to him and cry.

“Hyung,” he sniffled. “Hyung, I– I thought–“

“It’s okay, Kai,” Soobin murmured soothingly. “It’s alright.”

Kai suddenly sat straight up, a look of terror on his features. “Hyung, you can’t be here! You can’t–“

“He’s here for something important, Kai,” Taehyun interjected, deadly serious. “He said the general’s been captured.”

Kai frowned in confusion, tears still sparkling in his lashes. “How? The general is here, right now.”

Soobin shook his head. “He’s not. I don’t have time, but as soon as I can I promise I’ll explain everything. You guys know where the captain is, right?”

“No,” Taehyun answered. “He transferred us off of his unit as soon as we got here.”

Beomgyu swore violently, using the captain’s name in a rather unflattering sentence that Soobin chose to ignore. “Do you at least know where he might be? I have to see him, it’s really urgent,” he said. Then, an idea struck him. “Actually, is Kim Seungmin still on his unit?”

“Yeah, why?” Kai replied slowly. His voice still sounded very watery. Soobin brushed some of the tears away from the maknae’s cheeks gently as he answered.

“I have a letter from a friend of his. We might be able to kill two birds with one stone.”

Kim Seungmin was finishing his dinner when the three of them found him in the mess hall. It was so large and so busy that no one else paid Soobin any mind, but Seungmin’s chopsticks clattered to the table when their eyes met.

“Choi Soo–“ 

“Shhh,” Taehyun interrupted quickly, looking around to make sure that no one had heard him. “Sorry, hyung,” he said apologetically. “It’s just– well, I’ll let Soobin hyung explain.”

“We should probably do this somewhere a little more private,” Soobin pointed out. “Sorry, Seungmin, I don’t mean to rush you, or anything.”

Seungmin shook his head, round eyes still wide with shock as he stared at Soobin. “No, I mean– of course. Give me two seconds, I’ll put this away and we can leave.” He stood up and took his bowl with him, vanishing into a crowd of soldiers at the other end of the hall for a moment before returning to the group. They all went back to Seungmin’s tent, the four of them packing into a space that was definitely not meant for this many people. Beomgyu looked disgruntled, but opted to stay outside.

“This is for you,” Soobin began. He pulled the letter out of his pocket, handing it to Seungmin. The beta’s eyes widened instantly when he saw the handwriting.

“Is this… Hyunjin?” He whispered. He was holding the envelope reverently, like it was worth more to him than gold.

“Yes,” Soobin answered. “I ran into him at an inn not far from here, he asked me to give that to you.”

“He’s– how far away?” Seungmin asked. There was an almost desperate look on his face. Soobin recalled Hyunjin’s blush when he’d spoken about him, and wondered if there was more than a simple friendship there.

“A day’s ride. He’s doing well, Seungmin. He seems happy, and I’m sure he’s just as lovely as when you knew him. More, maybe, if it’s been a few years,” Soobin assured him. “He misses you, I think.”

Seungmin looked down at the envelope, fingers tracing over where Hyunjin had written his name so delicately. His gaze then returned to Soobin.

“Thank you, Soobin,” he said. His tone was one of utmost sincerity. “This– I’m sure you can guess. This means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome, of course,” Soobin replied warmly. “I do have a favor to ask, though. Do you know where Captain Choi is?”

“Uh, yeah,” Seungmin answered, looking surprised. “Why? Isn’t it like… I don’t know. You’re kind of supposed to be dead, aren’t you?”

“It’s important, trust me,” Soobin said. “I mean, to be fair, he probably will try to kill me when he sees me, but– anyways. He kicked these guys off of the unit, apparently,” he gestured to Taehyun and Kai, “so I need you to help me get a meeting with him.”

Seungmin raised his eyebrows. “Oh, yeah. There was a whole huge kerfuffle with that. Your little maknae here wouldn’t stop glaring and talking shit, and apparently the psychological torture was so bad that our captain transferred him and Taehyun to Captain Seo rather than try to deal with the guilt.”

Soobin wheeled around to gape at Kai. “You bullied him into taking you off the unit?”

“It wasn’t bullying, hyung,” Kai whined. “I thought you were dead, I thought he executed you point-blank. If anything, I should’ve done worse, but Taehyunnie–“

“You’re welcome,” Taehyun cut in smoothly. “For making sure that you didn’t get yourself a dishonorable discharge for, like, putting a snake in his bag or something.”

“To be fair, I think it was mostly the guilt,” Seungmin interjected. “He’s always had a soft spot for you, you know.” He gave Soobin a very pointed look.

Soobin felt himself flush, and quickly tried to change the subject. “Right, uh– anyways. Do you think you can convince Captain Choi to meet with me? I mean you'll probably have to lie to him, of course, but–”

“Yeah, sure,” Seungmin replied evenly. He held up the letter. “Honestly, Soobin, I’d probably get you an audience with the emperor himself if you asked right now.”

Soobin chuckled. “I don’t know how helpful the emperor would be, so Captain Choi will have to do.”

Seungmin led them right to Captain Choi’s quarters, in another section of the camp that had more permanent buildings than the hastily constructed tent city where the rest of the soldiers lived. There was still light in the windows of the captain’s room. Seungmin knocked, and  Soobin heard Yeonjun’s voice call him in. The beta gave Soobin a reassuring smile before going inside alone.

There was a short pause. Soobin turned to Taehyun and Kai. Beomgyu had rejoined them, and was standing at the alpha’s shoulder with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Look, you guys– the information I have isn’t exactly public knowledge,” Soobin said. “If I wasn’t already a wanted man this would probably look pretty bad for me, so… I don’t know. If you don’t want to get involved in this, I won’t blame you at all.”

Taehyun gave him a weird look. “What the hell, are you asking if we want to dip out?”

“I mean… yeah, I guess?” Soobin replied hesitantly.

Kai put his hands on his hips. “I’m offended that you even need to ask, hyung.”

“Okay,” Soobin exhaled. “Just checking.”

Right at that moment, Seungmin opened the door and stepped back outside. “He’s all yours,” the beta said. “Good luck.”

Chapter Text

The second Soobin stepped inside, there was a ferocious snarl. His inner omega howled, crushed under the weight of an alpha’s fury, and he couldn’t stop himself from skittering backwards with a high-pitched whine. As soon as the pain flared up it was gone, though, and a growl every bit as fierce rumbled like thunder through the room. When Soobin looked up, expecting Taehyun, his mouth fell open. Kai was the one who’d jumped in between Soobin and Yeonjun, the latter of whom had his sword out and pointed right at them. The beta’s chest was puffed like an alpha’s, body positioned in front of Soobin defensively. There was no sign of the fearful, shivering kid from their training days in his posture, and he stared Yeonjun down with single-minded intensity.

“Kai, it’s okay–“

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here,” Yeonjun spat. There was fire in his dark eyes, and a muscle working in his jaw. “I thought I made it very clear that I would not hesitate to kill you on sight.”

“Hyu– Captain Choi,” Soobin quickly corrected himself. It seemed to make Yeonjun even angrier. “You know I wouldn’t have come without a good reason.” He drew the woman’s letter from his inner pocket, but Yeonjun cut him off before he could speak again.

“I don’t know what kind of tricks you’re about to pull this time, Soobin, but you’ve made a mistake in coming here. I’m not going to humor your little games this time.”

Soobin shook his head. “It’s not a game, hyung, I’m not lying. The general is in danger.”

Something, an emotion Soobin didn’t recognize, flashed momentarily over Yeonjun’s features. It was almost immediately smoothed over. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said coldly. “The general is here, on the front, leading the command.”

Soobin shook his head again. “No, he’s in the Third Kingdom capital right now, imprisoned in the royal palace.”

There were several seconds of stunned silence, where no one dared to move. Then, Yeonjun sheathed his sword and pointed at the door.

“Out,” he commanded. “Taehyun, Kai, out. Now.”

Taehyun chuckled. Beomgyu, standing at his side, also barked out a laugh. “You took us off your unit, hyung. You have no grounds to order us around anymore.”

Soobin thought for a second that Yeonjun might finally have reached his limit and would just try to kill them all, but he managed to keep his cool for long enough to snatch the letter from Soobin’s outstretched hand. Kai growled again when the captain got close, but Soobin rubbed his palm over the maknae’s back comfortingly while Yeonjun scanned the paper.

“I got that from a woman in a nearby city,” Soobin explained. “Her sister works at the palace. She even recognized the general’s mate, so she can’t have been mistaken. They grew up in the same hometown, she said.”

Yeonjun’s expression had grown conflicted, flickering between disbelief and a sort of resigned bitterness. Finally, he folded up the letter and shoved it into his pocket before he spoke. “How can you possibly expect me to believe you when you’ve lied to me every day since we met, Soobin?” There was an edge to his voice, something that almost sounded like hurt.

“You know why I had to,” Soobin said quietly. “You know.”

There was a long moment where Yeonjun just looked at him. Once upon a time Soobin wouldn’t have even been able to meet the eyes of an alpha like Yeonjun, but now he held his gaze evenly. For all his rage and betrayal, Soobin would still trust the captain with his life.

“Fine.” Yeonjun adjusted his jacket, and moved past Soobin to put his shoes on. “Come with me, all three of you. We are going to discuss this with the other commanding officers.” His tone left no room for argument, and thankfully there was none. Despite Kai’s clear mistrust, the beta still followed Taehyun and Yeonjun from the room while clinging protectively to Soobin’s arm. Beomgyu was sticking close to Taehyun like a rather miffed-looking shadow, and Soobin saw him stick his tongue out mockingly at the captain’s back.

They moved through the camp in silence, stopping in front of another nondescript building. The four of them stood off to the side as Yeonjun knocked on the door. After a few moments, a good-looking alpha peered out. Soobin recognized his fine features, sort of impishly playful expression, and solid build right away.

“Wooyoung,” Yeonjun greeted shortly. “I just got word from… a reliable source. The general’s position has been compromised, he and the others are being held inside the Third Kingdom palace.”

Wooyoung swore loudly. “Are you sure, Yeonjunnie?”

Yeonjun glanced over at Soobin, and then returned his focus to his fellow captain. “Yes,” he answered. “Meet me at Changbin’s in ten minutes.”

“Fuck that, I’ll come with you right now,” Wooyoung said decisively. “Better hope Changbinnie has clothes on.” When the alpha stepped out of the building and spotted Soobin, Taehyun, and Kai, he swore again. “Is that Choi Soobin?”

“Hi, Captain Jung,” Soobin acknowledged weakly. He had, after all, been under the other captain’s supervision intermittently during his time in training. He was surprised, however, that Wooyoung remembered his name.

“That’s my source,” Yeonjun informed him grimly. “Unfortunately, the evidence is solid.”

“Oh, if you believe him, Junnie, then I’m all on board,” Wooyoung replied with a shrug. “I know you had fee–“

“Yes, anyways,” Yeonjun interrupted loudly. His expression was pinched, like he’d tasted something sour. “We need to act on this immediately. I want to send a team out tonight.”

“Okay. We better check with Changbinnie first, though, since the general left him in charge around here for some godforsaken reason.”

Captain Seo did in fact have clothes on when they knocked, but they were definitely pajamas. The fabric was patterned with baby chicks, and Soobin thought he remembered Felix wearing a matching set the night that he stayed at their house. It should’ve looked ridiculous on Captain Seo, with his handsome, masculine features and sharp jawline, but Soobin found that he looked oddly adorable.

“What is it?” Changbin said gruffly, without preface. “I’m trying to sleep here, dumbasses. I have to take the patrol out at dawn.”

“Urgent, I’m afraid,” Wooyoung replied. He didn’t seem all that apologetic about waking him, and smirked at the way that Changbin’s hair was sticking up on the back of his head. “Yeonjunnie’s omega friend brought back some news about the general.”

Changbin grunted, and opened the door so that they could come in. Soobin hesitated at the threshold, but Wooyoung waved him inside. Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai trailed in after him, the youngest still holding Soobin’s arm in a vice-grip.

The three captains arranged themselves around the room so that they were all looking at Soobin, like some sort of eclectic interview panel. Yeonjun was still wearing his stiffly pressed captain’s uniform, while Wooyoung had thrown a fur-lined jacket and a pair of casual slippers on over his undershirt. Changbin, of course, was still in his matching pajamas, but didn’t look the least bit bothered by his state of dress.

Soobin shivered involuntarily under their piercing gazes, his inner omega whimpering just a little. This was the first time that he was meeting them all as himself, rather than some manufactured beta persona that had simply served to keep him alive. Their combined auras were overwhelming, and Soobin was grateful for the reassuring brush of Beomgyu’s hand against his wrist. Taehyun had dragged a reluctant Kai to stand in the corner of the room, near where Wooyoung was perched with his butt on top of Changbin’s desk.

“Okay, um,” Soobin began, trying not to let his voice shake. “You know that I was– uh, discharged on the road between the colonel’s fort and the western front. So, after that, I turned around and went back towards one of the villages we’d passed through. I was trying to get home, but,” he took a deep breath, and turned to look at Changbin. “I ended up staying with Felix and Jeongin for a night.”

The alpha’s eyes went wide, and he stood up from where he’d been sat on the end of his bed. “You saw them?”

“Yes,” Soobin answered. “They’re both– well, okay, I guess. The winter’s been hard on everyone, I think. There’s not much to eat out there in rural villages, but we did stop and distribute as many rations as we could spare. I delivered stuff to them myself.”

“You didn’t tell me,” Changbin said, side-eyeing Yeonjun. 

The other alpha simply shook his head. “I didn’t realize we’d passed so close to your hometown. This is news to me, too.”

Changbin sat back down, still half-glaring at Yeonjun, but turned his attention to Soobin when he began to speak once again. “I was originally planning on heading home, back to my sister, but Jeongin said– well, a lot of stuff. He read my fortune, and all that, and he said the cards were telling me to go see Chan and Hyunjin.”

Changbin grunted again. “If Jeongin said so then you were right to listen.”

“Sorry, Jeongin?” Wooyoung asked, looking perplexed. Taehyun and Kai, who hadn’t yet heard this part of the story either, were also both listening with interest.

“Childhood friend, basically my kid brother,” Changbin clarified. “Fortune teller, and a damn good one. If he says it’s going to happen, then you can bet your ass it will.”

“Um, yeah,” Soobin said slowly. “So, I went to Chan’s inn. Jeongin didn’t say exactly what to look out for, but when I was hanging out in the tavern that night I overheard a woman talking to her friend. She said that her sister and her sister’s husband both work at the Third Kingdom’s imperial palace, and that the general and his party had been captured. Trick is, though, the Third Kingdom have no idea exactly who they’ve got. They just think they’ve found some regular old spies.”

Changbin’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How did you know that the general wasn’t here at the front? No one is supposed to know that except the three of us.”

“I didn’t,” Soobin lied. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, and hoped that it didn’t show on his face. “But the woman said that her family lived in the same town as the general and his family, and that her sister had even recognized his mate. I thought that the odds that she was wrong were… pretty slim.” He had never really been a great liar, but none of the three captains seemed to question his story and he quickly continued on. “I came straight here. I thought it would be better to tell you guys what I heard and risk being executed than let the general die and risk the entire war effort.”

Once he’d finished his speech, he bowed his head. Beomgyu squeezed his arm comfortingly. “You did good,” he whispered. “We did the right thing, I know it.”

“Well,” Wooyoung said loudly, standing up. “It was very brave of you to come here thinking that you were potentially risking your life, but I just want to let you know that I’m not much in the mood to have you executed, and I doubt these idiots will be either. Least of all that soft-hearted coward.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of Yeonjun on the couch, who scowled at him. “So you don’t have to worry about that.”

Yeonjun sighed and stood up as well. “He brought the letter. I’ve read it, and everything he said is true. There were things in it that no one could possibly know– including the fact that Seokjin hyung went with them, when he wasn’t even supposed to go in the first place. I say we send a rescue party out tonight.”

“How do you propose we do that?” Changbin asked lowly. “Borders are pretty closed, and getting into the palace would be virtually impossible. It’s a suicide mission. Besides, this is literally top secret. The general would probably skin us alive for even letting Taehyun and Kai listen in.” The two who’d been sitting in the corner both jumped at the mention of their names, but wisely said nothing.

“I’ll go,” Yeonjun said with finality. “I have to at least try. I owe the general everything.”

There was a somber silence after that. Wooyoung was spinning an ink brush from Changbin’s desk in his hands, and he sounded nervous when he spoke. “Junnie, he’s right. It’s basically doomed from the start. We can’t risk you and the general, if you fail we’re totally screwed.”

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Yeonjun argued. “He’s– him and Seokjin hyung, they’re the only people that have ever treated me like family.”

There was another pause. Then, “I think I know someone who can get us across the border,” Soobin added. A pleasant voice and a soft, mellow accent murmured in his memory. Chan had mentioned that he thought he might be seeing Soobin again soon, and Hyunjin’s power would be able to charm even the most stubborn Third Kingdom soldiers into letting them enter the country. It was their best bet.

“Us?” Yeonjun said waspishly. Soobin nodded.

“If you go, then– then I’ll go, too. It’s top secret, right? You can’t tell anyone else, and I already know. Besides, maybe if you’re traveling with an omega they’ll suspect you less.”

“No,” Yeonjun rebutted strongly. “No, you’re not risking your life over this, Soobin. You’re not even a Second Kingdom soldier any more, this has nothing to do with you.”

Soobin glanced over at Changbin, who was watching the debate with a frown, and then back at Yeonjun. “Jeongin sent me to Chan’s inn for a reason.”

The captain’s stubborn expression wavered slightly, but in the end his resolve stayed the same. “No. You’re not going, and that’s final.”

“Yeonjun. Think for a second,” Wooyoung reprimanded. “He’s right. If you and a team of big, buff alphas head over there, you won’t even make it across the border without being caught. You’re going to need some sort of decoy or disguise if you want any hope of pulling this off whatsoever.”

Yeonjun turned to point at Changbin. “And you’d allow this?” He growled. “An omega, an innocent omega who has nothing, no stake in this war. You’d send Felix off to the Third Kingdom?”

Changbin exhaled. “No,” he said. Yeonjun looked momentarily triumphant, but then Changbin raised his hand to cut him off. “But Jeongin is never wrong. If it was on Jeongin’s word, then… I guess I’d have to.”

Yeonjun’s expression soured once more. He then glared at Taehyun and Kai in the corner. “Do you two have nothing to say about letting Soobin go?”

There were twin expressions of confusion on both of their faces, and then Taehyun spoke up. “Oh, we weren’t going to just let him go. If he’s going, we’re coming, too.” Kai nodded several times in agreement. Yeonjun put his face in his hands and let out an exasperated groan.

“Well, that’s settled then,” Wooyoung said lightly. He looked over at Soobin. “Keep an eye on him, will you? He’s prone to stupid heroics that usually almost get him killed.”

“Ah, yes sir,” Soobin answered. 

Wooyoung chuckled. “Cute. Yeonjunnie, I can see why you like him so much.”

If looks could kill, Captain Jung would’ve evaporated on the spot.

Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Kai worked with incredible efficiency. They were packed and ready to go less than an hour after leaving Changbin’s quarters, while Soobin and Beomgyu just sort of hovered about uselessly. At one point, though, Yeonjun did come over to find Soobin standing outside of Kai’s tent and shoved a bundle of clothes towards him.

“You can’t go out wearing that,” he said sharply, pointing to the medic’s uniform that Beomgyu had stolen for him. “You’re a little taller than me so those might not fit perfectly, but it’s better than what you’ve got.”

Soobin looked at him, surprised, but quickly bowed his head. “Uh, right. Thanks…”

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Yeonjun sighed. “Just hyung is fine, Soobin.”

“Okay. Thanks, hyung.”

Yeonjun gave him one last look before disappearing into the darkness once more. There was something in his eyes that Soobin couldn’t figure out, a lingering emotion that he’d been trying to hide ever since Soobin had set foot in his room.

The alpha had spoken correctly– his clothes were a tad bit short on Soobin, but it wasn’t noticeable once he pulled up his socks. What was noticeable, though, was the way that Yeonjun’s scent clung to them. Soobin had never really been able to smell him beyond the general scent of alpha, with the blockers hampering his senses. Now, though, the warm and slightly spicy aroma of cinnamon filled his nostrils.

“Whoa, you smell good,” was the first thing that Taehyun said. “Is that Yeonjun hyung’s jacket?”

“It’s Yeonjun hyung’s everything,” Soobin informed him. “I can’t exactly leave in a medic’s uniform, can I?”

“Ugh, can’t you wear Taehyunnie’s clothes? I liked it so much better when you smelled like him instead,” Kai complained. “I’m so mad at Yeonjun hyung right now that even his scent is annoying me.”

Soobin chuckled. “I love Taehyun, too, but I think his clothes might be a bit too small.”

The alpha didn’t look the least bit offended, and instead leaned in a bit to sniff Soobin again. “I don’t know, your scents blend together really nicely. Smells delicious.”

“Whatever,” Kai huffed. “I’m still mad at him.”

Seungmin managed to intercept them on the way out. He was breathing hard, like he’d run to catch up, and there was a thick envelope in his hands.

“Soobin,” he said. “Do you mind– I don’t know if you’ll see him again, but…”

“Yeah, of course,” Soobin responded, taking the letter from him and tucking it in his bag. “I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“Thank you,” Seungmin breathed. There was a light in his eyes that Soobin had never seen before. He ducked his head gratefully before turning and heading back towards the camp they’d just left.

“Oh my God,” Beomgyu groaned. “Love letters, in a war. Soobin, you should just quit your job at the bakery and become a full-time mailman.”

“Shut up,” Soobin muttered under his breath, once he was out of Yeonjun’s earshot. “At least there’s something good coming out of this, even if the mission fails and we all die. You saw Hyunjin’s face, I think they’re going to get married one day.”

Beomgyu’s features scrunched up in disgust. “So sappy.”

“That’s rich, coming from you,” Soobin retorted. “The guy who’s here haunting me because he died without true love. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you trailing after Taehyun like a lovesick puppy.”

“I am not lovesick,” Beomgyu said hotly. “He’s just nice to look at, that’s all.”

“Right. So is Yeonjun hyung, and I don’t see you giving him the googly eyes.”

“Yeah, because you’re too busy giving him the googly eyes! He threatened to kill you, Soobin, and then left you in the wilderness to die. Sure, he agreed to go on this stupid mission, but as far as I’m concerned he’s still on the shit list.” Beomgyu’s hands were curled into fists at his sides, his brows creased as he glared at Yeonjun’s back up ahead.

“He didn’t have a choice, Gyu,” Soobin reminded him. “He broke the law by letting me live. The fact that he didn’t kill me the second I walked into his quarters– that’s breaking the law again. He’s already sacrificing a lot to be here, he’d probably get in a lot of trouble with the higher-ups if they knew.”

“I don’t care,” Beomgyu fumed. “I know you’re all defensive because you have a massive crush on him,” Soobin opened his mouth to protest, and Beomgyu steamrollered right over him. “But I don’t care. He’s been nothing but awful to you, right from day one, and frankly I have no idea what you see in him.”

“He’s– he’s not awful. He just– you know. Has a hard time expressing his feelings, and stuff.”

“See!” Beomgyu cried, pointing. “You’re defending him! Soobin, he’s not good for you. He’s stuck up and rude and he was breathing down your neck all through training for no other reason than because he could.”

“He just– he cares, Gyu,” Soobin murmured. “He’s bad at showing it, but he really does. He was hard on me in training because he wanted me to do well, he wanted me to make it out here. I was the one who was wrong for betraying his trust like that.”

“I still don’t like it,” Beomgyu said mutinously. “I’m keeping an eye on him. He better shape up if he wants my approval.”

Soobin chuckled. “You and Kai have that in common, then. Except he probably has more to worry about with Kai, who, you know– actually exists, and all that.”

Beomgyu pinched Soobin’s side painfully, and he had to squash down a yelp to avoid alarming the others. “Mmhm. Very nonexistent,” Beomgyu drawled.

Chapter Text

The sun had already risen the next morning when they made it to Chan’s inn. Soobin was completely exhausted, having traveled back and forth without sleep, and Kai basically had to basically drag him through the door while Taehyun propped him up from the other side. Chan’s bright grin made him feel a little more refreshed, though, as did Hyunjin’s lovely smile.

“I was right,” Chan said cheerfully. “Good morning.”

“No, Jeongin was right,” Hyunjin corrected easily. “And you brought friends?”

“Yes,” Soobin answered. “This is Taehyun and Kai, and that’s Yeonjun hyung.” The three of them bowed in greeting, and both Chan and Hyunjin introduced themselves in turn. Beomgyu waved, too, and Soobin saw Taehyun fighting a laugh at his dramatic huff when no one responded.

“We just arrived from the western front,” Soobin continued. “We have– well, we’re on a pretty important mission, and it’s kind of time-sensitive. I have a big favor to ask, Hyunjin.”

“Oh, sure,” the omega replied, looking curious. “Ask away.”

“We need to get into the Third Kingdom,” Soobin said, taking a breath. “The capital, if possible.”

Chan’s eyebrows rose, and Hyunjin blinked in surprise. Apparently Jeongin’s prophecies hadn’t gotten this far, or perhaps the younger had just neglected to tell them. Hyunjin quickly composed himself, though, and nodded. “Okay, I can do that. When do you want to go?”

Soobin opened his mouth to reply, but Yeonjun cut him off. “Tomorrow, if that’s alright. Soobin needs to sleep.”

His eyelids were definitely drooping, and his body was groaning from the constant travel, but Soobin shook his head. “It’s alright, hyung, I can rest when we get there.”

“No,” Yeonjun said firmly. “You’re going to wear yourself out, and you won’t be any use if you’re too tired to function. Sleep now, and we can go tomorrow. I’m sure that Hyunjin will need time to prepare, anyways.”

Hyunjin nodded reassuringly. “Tomorrow works. I can pick up a couple of things for the inn while I’m there, and then hopefully circle around to meet up again and bring you back. Does that work?”

“That would be great,” Yeonjun replied, sounding sincere.

Chan clapped his hands together. “In that case, let me show you guys upstairs. I have a couple rooms open, but some of you will have to share.”

“That’s fine,” Soobin responded evenly. “I don’t mind sharing, Taehyun and I have shared before with no problem.”

“Aww, no fair, I want to sleep with Soobin hyung,” Kai protested. “Taehyunnie already got his turn.”

Chan’s dimples popped out when he laughed. “You’re pretty popular, Soobin. Handsome omega like you, I’m not surprised.”

A blush spread over Soobin’s cheeks, and he ruffled the maknae’s hair. “Kai’s just clingy, hyung. He’s my little cutie angel pie.” Kai smiled up at him affectionately, and nuzzled into Soobin’s neck. 

When Soobin made eye contact with Yeonjun, though, the captain looked as though he’d swallowed a lemon. Soobin stared at him, nonplussed, but he quickly smoothed out his expression and turned to follow Chan upstairs. Beomgyu snorted derisively.

Soobin gave Hyunjin the letter before he went, the other omega taking it with an awe-struck expression. He was completely speechless, gaze flickering back and forth between the envelope and Soobin’s face, before he took Soobin in a hug so tight it was almost painful. He didn’t need words to understand what Hyunjin was trying to say. Soobin found himself hoping against all odds that he might have a love like that someday– something that spanned time, distance, and war to bloom into something precious. Hyunjin was always gorgeous, Soobin thought, but he was the most beautiful when he was thinking of his friend.

Soobin collapsed into bed as soon as he got upstairs, expecting to fall asleep right away. Kai wormed his way into his arms, head settling onto his shoulder. He was touchy before, but ever since Soobin had shown up at the western front the maknae had stuck to him like a limpet.

“I missed you, hyung,” he whispered. “I thought you were–“ His voice wobbled like he was going to cry, and Soobin ran a hand through his hair.

“Shh, it’s okay, baby,” he said soothingly. “I’m okay. You know that Yeonjun hyung would never hurt me.”

“I was so scared, I thought he was going to,” Kai whimpered. “I was so scared, hyung. I’ve never seen him so angry.”

“Well you do a good job of hiding it,” Soobin told him. “I was surprised when you jumped in front of me, back in hyung’s room. You’ve gotten very brave.”

“I don’t feel brave,” Kai said. Soobin couldn’t see his expression because the maknae had his face pressed into Soobin’s neck, but he could hear the insecurity behind his words.

“You are,” Soobin murmured. “You are brave. Even though you’re scared, you’re still here. You don’t let your fear stop you, right? There’s no courage without fear.”

Kai hummed softly, his breath floating over Soobin’s collar bone. “Not as brave as you, hyung. You didn’t have to, but you came back. You faced Yeonjun hyung even though he’s an alpha, and your friend.”

“So did you,” Soobin reminded him. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it if you didn’t save me.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re my favorite. You made me a cake, once. I’d fight Yeonjun hyung for you any day.”

Soobin chuckled. “See? You’ve seen how much ass Yeonjun hyung kicks and you’d still take him in a fight. That’s courage to me.”

They were up and out of the inn at dawn the next day, Chan waving them off with a jovial goodbye and a pat to Soobin’s back that made Yeonjun glare, for reasons that he couldn’t fathom. Hyunjin had taken a horse and cart with them, figuring that it made their “traveling merchants” story seem more believable. Soobin rode beside Taehyun, the younger’s head coming to rest on his shoulder. He could tell that Taehyun had missed him, too, even though they hardly exchanged any words. Taehyun had pressed their legs together, and Soobin found that he enjoyed the way that his tea scent washed over him as they rode. He’d never been able to fully appreciate the alpha’s rich, bittersweet smell until now.

They made good time to the border, arriving within the hour. The two guards there must’ve been familiar with Hyunjin, because their eyes flashed with recognition.

“Hello,” Hyunjin called out. “Just headed over to get some supplies. I brought friends!” His accent had come on quite strong, and Soobin knew that he was playing it up in order to get the guards to trust him.

“And what business do they have in the Third Kingdom?” One of them replied gruffly. 

“Nothing serious, they’re just picking up a shipment that got stuck on the other side. This stupid war has been so annoying, you know? They’re just trying to run a shop in town, but all of the deliveries are late!” Hyunjin was definitely dialing up the charm, and it was working. Even Taehyun looked a little shiny-eyed as he stared at the omega, and Beomgyu pinched him with a sour expression.

“We’re not supposed to let alphas through,” the second guard said, though his resolve was clearly wavering. He was a beta, so his instincts weren’t quite as strong, but his alpha companion was clearly ready to just let Hyunjin walk all over him.

“Oh, gosh, it’s not a big deal, I promise,” Hyunjin reassured. “We’ll be in and out, just this once!”

“Alright,” the first guard said. Hyunjin beamed, and Soobin saw the guard nearly trip over his feet in his haste to open the gate so that they could pass through. Yet again, Soobin was hit with another healthy dose of respect for Hyunjin.

As soon as they were out of sight of the guards and well on the way to the capital, he rolled his eyes. “Alphas,” he said to Soobin disdainfully. “Like toddlers, I swear. You just dangle something pretty in front of their faces and they’re instantly mesmerized. Can you imagine if they sent omegas to war? Every alpha on the field would be useless.”

Soobin chuckled. “Uh, I think that might just be you.”

“No, I swear it’s true!” Hyunjin exclaimed. “Try it sometime. Just, like, make your scent all sweet and stuff and then bat your eyelashes. It turns them all into bumbling idiots.”

“All of them?” Soobin turned to Taehyun with an evil smirk, and the alpha just put his hands in the air in surrender.

“Look, you don’t have to pull that weird flirty shit with me, hyung, I might throw up. Just ask and I’ll do it.”

Hyunjin giggled. “That works, too.”

Yeonjun, who was sitting across from Soobin, was wearing a rather funny expression. His lips were half-pursed, and there was a tightness around his eyes that made him look sort of squinty. 

“What’s with you, hyung?” Soobin asked.

“Nothing,” Yeonjun said, with forced nonchalance. “Nothing, I’m just– you know. Trying to plan.”

“Right,” Kai replied disbelievingly. “You’re not jea–“

Yeonjun kicked his foot, and Kai whined. “Hyung, he’s hurting me.”

Soobin sighed. “Come on now, hyung, bullying the maknae? You’re better than this.”

“What?” Yeonjun yelped, eyes wide. “No, I’m not bullying him, I swear, I just– he’s–“

“Oof,” Taehyun said sympathetically. “Yeonjun hyung, I knew you were bad, but that’s bad.”

Yeonjun spluttered some more, ears turning bright red. Kai and Beomgyu both started to cackle, and Yeonjun leaned across the cart to put Kai in a headlock. Soobin saw Beomgyu lift an apple that was meant for the horse and aim it at the alpha’s head, but Taehyun quickly intercepted and shoved the apple back into the bag before either Yeonjun or Hyunjin could see it.

“So where are you guys going?” Hyunjin queried. “The Third Kingdom capital is pretty big, but I might be able to help you with directions.” He didn’t seem at all bothered by the squabbling in the back, just carried on the conversation right over their heads. Taehyun had joined the fray, too, trying to separate the bickering pair.

“Uh, the palace, actually,” Soobin answered. They’d come this far together– Soobin would have no choice but to trust the other omega. Hyunjin’s face lit up.

“Oh! That’s great, then. I have a friend that works there. But… why are you trying to go to the palace?”

Soobin hesitated for a second, but then decided fuck it. They were going to need any help they could possibly get. “There’s someone being held there, in the dungeon,” he explained shortly. “Someone really important to Yeonjun hyung.” It was a half-truth, sort of, but Hyunjin took it without question.

“Ah, right. They’re a little… trigger-happy, over there,” he said. “I think there’s been a fair amount of unrest, with the war and all. The people aren’t very content with the way that things are going.”

“Yeah, well, there’s plenty of people in the Second Kingdom going without right now, too,” Soobin replied. “Jeongin and Felix included.”

“Yeah.” Hyunjin’s face fell, and he looked down at the reins in his hands. “We keep offering to help, to let them stay with us, but I think Felix is just hoping that if he stays home, Changbin hyung will come back.”

“He’ll come back soon,” Soobin said, gazing out at the empty road. “The war will be over one way or another.”

“Yeah, I hope so.” There was a pause, and then Hyunjin shook his head a little as if to clear his mind. “Enough of that, though. If it’s the palace you want, I know just the guy. I hope you brought earplugs.”

When Hyunjin said earplugs Soobin didn’t think that he meant it literally, but there was an explosion of excited yelling the second they walked into a modest-looking house just beyond the capital’s walls. It was the home of an extremely good-looking alpha and his small, adorable omega mate, who was currently clapping Hyunjin’s back in an overenthusiastic bro hug.

“Hwang Hyunjin, my man!” The omega shouted. “It’s been so long, dude, how ya doing?”

“I’m good, Jisung,” Hyunjin answered, flinching slightly at the volume of Jisung’s voice. He then waved to the alpha standing in the corner of the living room. “Hi, Minho hyung.”

“Hyunjin,” the alpha said in a polite greeting. “You look well.”

“Yeah, I’m doing alright. Channie hyung says hi, he says he misses you guys and you don’t come to visit nearly as much as you should.”

“Ah, Chan hyung, miss that dude,” Jisung interjected. “Hyung, he’s right, we should go visit.” Jisung’s round, sparkly eyes then fell on Soobin, who was waiting nervously in the doorway. “Whoa, you brought friends?”

“Yep,” Hyunjin responded cheerfully. “This is Soobin, he’s our age and he’s super cool.”

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you,” Soobin said meekly. Kai was loud, but this omega was brazen even by his standards. Jisung bounded over to take Soobin’s hand in an almost aggressively energetic handshake. “Um, this is Taehyun, and this is Kai,” Soobin continued after a moment, pushing them forward. “And this is Yeonjun hyung.”

“Oh, great,” Jisung commented. “It’s nice to meet you guys, too. Any friend of Hyunjin’s is a friend of ours, right hyung?” He looked back at Minho in the corner, who nodded wordlessly. 

“Unfortunately, we’re not just here to hang out,” Hyunjin interrupted. “I’m going to be straight with you, Sung. They need to get into the palace.”

Jisung straightened up, suddenly serious. “Ah, okay. That’s going to be tricky, though. They pretty much have the whole place on lockdown.”

“You can go in and out, though,” Hyunjin pointed out. “It’s not like they just have you trapped in there all the time.”

“Yeah, but I’m an omega,” Jisung replied. “No one gives a shit what we do. They won’t even let me bring Minho hyung to see the gardens, though, and you know how much he loves the koi pond.”

“Hmm,” Hyunjin hummed, eyebrows creasing into a frown. “Let’s get something to eat and think about this a little more. We don’t have a ton of time, though. Soobin said it’s pretty urgent.”

Soobin nodded in confirmation, and Jisung perked up. “Food sounds good. You’re going to have to be the one helping Minho hyung though, Jinnie. He won’t let me into the kitchen since I almost lit the rice on fire last time.”

That gave Soobin a tiny bit more hope for himself. He may have failed his omega evaluations, but he’d never managed to actually light anything on fire while cooking– and Jisung had still bagged himself a very good-looking alpha. 

They were almost hilariously opposite, Soobin thought, with Minho’s reserved quietness and Jisung’s shameless, outgoing personality. Lunch was prepared impressively fast, and they all sat down around a low table to eat while Jisung chattered away. Yeonjun did manage to draw Minho into conversation with Taehyun at one point, Soobin and Kai listening in. Beomgyu was pacing around the room, peeking nosily into open cabinets and staring at the knickknacks on the fireplace mantle.

“So what do you do at the palace?” Soobin asked Jisung, once there was a lull. The other omega smiled– his cheeks were round and full, giving him the endearing appearance of a squirrel.

“Oh! We’re tailors, actually– both of us. For the royal family, but we also get orders from the other courtiers every now and then.”

“But you’re the only one who goes into the palace?”

“Yeah, at least for right now. Security is really tight– rumor is that they caught spies in the court.”

Soobin tried not to make eye contact with his friends at that moment, praying that his thoughts weren’t visible on his face. “Oh. So they’re only allowing omegas in?”

“Well, allowing isn’t– you know how it is,” Jisung said, waving his hand dismissively. “They don’t give a fuck, they think just ‘cause we’re omegas that we’re weak and useless. Getting you inside will be easy, but your friends and your mate… Not so much.”

Soobin, who had been taking a sip of tea, choked. Kai smacked his back several times as he coughed, tears beading in his eyes from the pain of inhaling hot liquid. Jisung and Minho both stared, but there was a slight smirk quirking the sides of Hyunjin’s mouth.

“We’re not mates,” Yeonjun supplied, though his ears were noticeably pink. “We’re, uh– just friends.”

“Okay,” Jisung said slowly, looking at Soobin. “But you smell like him.”

“I’m… wearing his clothes?” Soobin replied, cringing. His answer probably just made it seem even more suspicious. Beomgyu looked like he was going to burst from holding in his laughter at any moment, and Taehyun and Kai were wearing matching grins. After a long moment of silence, Hyunjin decided to have mercy and elbowed Jisung’s side. It spurred him to speak.

“Alright, sorry, that was awkward,” he said, touching the back of his neck. “Anyways, yeah. We’re going to have to have a really good reason to get you guys in, unless you want to go alone.”

“I could do that, I guess,” Soobin responded hesitantly.

Taehyun shook his head. “No, hyung, you’re not going in there alone.” 

Kai nodded several times, and Yeonjun looked like he very much agreed with that sentiment, even though he was staring down at the table studiously avoiding eye-contact.

Soobin exhaled and blinked several times, trying to think. His gaze fell on Beomgyu at the other side of the room. He was examining an exquisitely crafted purple hanbok, hanging on one of the walls. Suddenly, a memory popped up in his mind– a woman, dressed in a hanbok and posed to seduce.

“Uh… do you think we can disguise them as omegas?”

Soobin’s suggestion was accepted with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but accepted nonetheless. No one could think of a better plan that didn’t involve just breaking into the palace outright, which was a risk they decided not to take considering that they had only bare-bones knowledge of the layout and limited resources. They’d exhausted all of their other ideas, which led to where they were now– Kai, standing in the middle of the room, modeling a flowing hanbok in a shade of dusty pink, with cuffed trousers in an eggplant hue. He looked borderline ecstatic as he strutted around.

“What d’you think, hyung?” Jisung asked, gazing at him appraisingly. “Does he look like a convincing courtesan?”

“Looks lovely,” Minho answered. “You picked a nice silk.”

“Right?” Jisung exclaimed, face lighting up. “It was originally supposed to be for that duke’s son, but then he decided that he wanted blue instead…” There was a great deal more excited chatter, Jisung flitting about the room holding up hanbok pieces to each of their bodies and then tossing them into piles. Soobin kept expecting them to run out at some point, but Minho just continued to fetch more and more expertly tailored clothing from wardrobes and drawers at Jisung’s request.

“Alright, clothes are one thing, but scent is something else,” Beomgyu pointed out, once Soobin had been fitted and then sent off to go find scent blockers. “They’re not allowing betas in, either, which means they actually have to smell like omegas.”

“Well, we just bathe them in blockers, right, and then just… I don’t know. Do I just scent them?” Disguising an omega’s smell was difficult, but covering the pungent scent of an alpha would be another ordeal entirely. 

“Yeah, like a lot,” Beomgyu replied. “I’m confident that Taehyun will handle it with grace since he’s literally perfect, but your stupid captain might pass out.” He gave a disapproving click of his tongue, and Soobin had to fight the blush rising in his face.

“He’s fine, he’ll be fine. We might not be the best of friends right now, but…”  Soobin chewed at his bottom lip nervously.

Beomgyu rolled his eyes. “No offense, but I’m not worried about your friendship,” he said, with sarcastic air quotes. 

“Yeah, well… He has every reason to hate me right now,” Soobin said bitterly. “I can’t blame him.”

Beomgyu stopped dead, staring. “You think he hates you?”

Soobin sighed. “I mean, wouldn’t you?”

Beomgyu actually smacked his hand against his forehead, the sound echoing comically in between the buildings. Soobin glanced around quickly, but they were still far enough out of the central city that there was no one around to hear them. “Oh my God. No offense, Soobin, but how the fuck are we related? You’re so stupid.”

Soobin pinched him, and Beomgyu yelped loudly. “You can’t just say ‘no offense’ and then say something blatantly offensive, you know. That’s not how that works at all.”

“It’s not offensive if it’s true.”

“Actually, I would argue that it makes it even more offensive.”

“Okay, but it doesn’t make it any less true now, does it?”

Soobin pinched him again. Beomgyu launched himself at Soobin with a war cry, and their giggles echoed through the empty street.

Chapter Text

When they returned with the scent blockers, it was Yeonjun’s turn for a fitting. He was standing in the middle of the room with his arms out so that Minho could check his sleeves, Jisung standing further away and eyeing the hanbok critically. Yeonjun turned around when Soobin walked in, and the omega had to hold in a gasp.

He looked– beautiful, for lack of a better word. Soobin had always known that Yeonjun was good-looking, but he’d only ever seen him in his military uniform or the rather plain, nondescript casual clothing they’d arrived in. In an embroidered sky-blue jeogori and crisp white trousers, though, he looked practically radiant. Soobin was temporarily stunned by him.

“Stop staring, it’s embarrassing,” Beomgyu hissed. Soobin shook his head a bit to try and gather himself, and then swallowed.

“Thoughts?” Jisung asked, with a glint in his eye. “I’m not sold on this color for him.”

“N-no,” Soobin said, cursing the nervous stutter. “He– um, he looks great. You look nice, hyung.”

“Thanks,” Yeonjun murmured. He was avoiding Soobin’s gaze, and his ears had gone red again. 

“Alright then, we’ll go with this,” Jisung decided. “Did you get the scent blockers?”

Soobin nodded, and held up a bag. The glass bottles clinked around inside. It was definitely going to be more than they needed, but he thought that it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, Yeonjun had given Soobin his own wallet and strict instructions to buy as much as they’d sell him.

“Let’s test it,” Jisung said. “I’ll go get Hyunjin and the others, and you can just douse him. When we come back, we’ll see if he makes a convincing omega.” He turned and left the room without another word, taking Minho with him. Soobin sent Beomgyu a pleading look, but he just winked and followed the pair from the room.

Soobin busied himself with the bag of scent blockers, pulling out the bottles and lining them up on the table. Neither he nor Yeonjun said anything until Soobin was right in front of him, holding one of them in his hand.

“Here,” he said quietly. “It’s going to be– you know, a lot. You probably won’t be able to smell anything for a while.”

Yeonjun nodded, and lifted his head so that Soobin could spray him methodically. He started at Yeonjun’s neck, making sure to soak the spot just above his collarbones, and then worked his way down. He untied the jeogori and sprayed down as much skin as he could reach, then pulled up his sleeves to make sure the scent glands at Yeonjun’s wrists got a thorough dousing as well. Soobin could feel the alpha’s eyes on him the whole time, but kept his focus on his work until he felt that Yeonjun’s scent had been sufficiently wiped out.

“Okay, hyung,” he said, swallowing. “I can’t– well, I don’t think I can smell you any more. I kind of have the scent blocker in my nose now, too, but– I don’t know. I guess the others can tell us. Now I just have to…”

Yeonjun’s throat bobbed as Soobin straightened up. He made eye contact, wordlessly asking for permission, and ever so slowly, the alpha tilted his head.

It was very intimate. Scenting always was– Soobin had never scented anyone besides family, and it felt like his skin was prickling everywhere that they touched. He pressed his cheek into the juncture of Yeonjun’s neck and shoulder, making an effort to strengthen his scent in order to cover any remaining traces of the alpha’s own. He brought Yeonjun’s hands up to his face and brushed over his wrists as well, making sure that his scent glands were completely enveloped in the smell of warm honey cookies, and then Soobin used the inside of his forearm to wipe down the hanbok. It made his inner omega whine with satisfaction, and he had to shove down the urge to bare his own neck and let the alpha scent him back.

When he finally glanced up, Yeonjun’s expression looked like he’d been hit over the head. His pupils had blown wide, and his pink lips were parted slightly. Soobin went to step away, but Yeonjun caught his sleeve.

“Soobin,” he whispered. Warm air ghosted over the younger’s collar, making him shiver. Soobin wished just for a moment that he could have Yeonjun’s scent back, just so that he might have some clue as to what the alpha was thinking. It wasn’t as though they were strangers, but he was afraid that the easy closeness between them might never exist the way it once had. He thought that pretending not to care might hurt worse than just admitting to the dull ache that was rotting away inside him whenever he looked at Yeonjun.

“Alright, I hope everyone’s decent!” Jisung yelled. “We’re coming in!”

They jumped apart, Soobin’s face flushing and Yeonjun’s ears burning up once again. The others paraded into the room, examining Yeonjun with curiosity. Kai came to sniff at him, and Taehyun blinked with surprise. Even Hyunjin, who was munching on a bag of candied peanuts, looked impressed.

“I’d believe it,” he said with a shrug. “He doesn’t smell funny at all.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of amazing, actually,” Taehyun added, lifting Yeonjun’s arm to put his nose to his wrist. “If I didn’t know him I’d never guess that he’s an alpha.”

“You’re the best, Soobin hyung,” Kai gushed. “You did such a good job. He smells so much better like this.”

Soobin chuckled and mussed the maknae’s hair. “You’re just saying that because you’re still mad at him.”

“Yep,” Kai replied, completely shameless. “You’re my favorite hyung by far.”

Yeonjun had the good sense to look chagrined, and scrubbed his hand over his face. “So it worked, then?”

“Yeah, I’d say that’s a total success,” Jisung interjected. “I’ll be shocked if the guards even look twice. What do you think, hyung?”
Minho, who’d stayed quiet up to that point, nodded in agreement. “Success,” he replied succinctly.

“Great,” Soobin exhaled. “Only two more to go.”

Beomgyu stalked around the room like a territorial cat while Soobin sprayed Taehyun with the scent blocker and then smothered him in the smell of omega, but of course there was nothing he could do but watch. Taehyun was very gracious about the whole thing, even putting a gentle hand on Soobin’s waist to balance him when he bent down to press his face into the alpha’s collar bones. Kai kept looking at Yeonjun over Soobin’s shoulder and cackling like a hyena, but Soobin didn’t dare turn his head to look.

“Ah, hyung, I’d scent you back, but…” Taehyun trailed off, ever polite and thoughtful. He could probably sense that Soobin’s inner omega was whimpering a little, since the lack of reciprocation sort of felt like rejection. Soobin thought he heard a growl at Taehyun’s offer, but when he glanced over his shoulder at Yeonjun the alpha just put a hand over his mouth to muffle a short cough. 

“No worries, but that’s very kind of you, Hyunnie,” he answered warmly. “So cute.”

Taehyun beamed up at him, huge eyes scrunching at the corners, and Soobin ruffled his hair before sending him away. Taehyun went to stand near Beomgyu, his fingers catching around Beomgyu’s wrist and brightening his rather pissed-off expression. 

Kai was last. He hardly needed any more than a light coating of scent blocker and a few passes of Soobin’s wrist to cover his soft, clean beta smell, but Soobin let him bask in the cookie scent for a little longer than strictly necessary. It seemed to settle him out, which Soobin thought made sense considering that he had two omega sisters. He clearly missed them a lot, judging by the way that he hung on to Soobin and Taehyun any chance he got.

“Alright,” Soobin said finally. “What do you guys think?”

“I think Yeonjun could use another go,” Minho replied lightly. His mouth curled a little when Yeonjun blanched, and Soobin was sort of afraid that the alpha’s ears would never return to their normal color. He got the sense that Yeonjun wasn’t particularly close to his family, so he probably didn’t get scented often– if he’d ever done it at all. That would explain the alpha’s hesitation, and the constant blushing.

“You heard the man,” Jisung said, prodding Yeonjun forward. “Get in there, Soobin.”

“A-ah, shouldn’t we wait until we get closer to the palace? It might just wear off again anyways,” Yeonjun stammered. He was vehemently avoiding eye contact, looking at anything but Soobin standing in front of him.

“Nah, we should do anything we possibly can that will help you avoid being caught,” Hyunjin said. “You might have to top up again when you get to the palace, but it doesn’t hurt to lay it on now, too.”

“They’re right, hyung,” Soobin murmured. Yeonjun’s eyes snapped to his face, and his mouth opened and closed uselessly. Finally, he tilted his head so that Soobin could put his cheek against the scent gland in his neck.

It felt different, with everyone watching, like Soobin could feel their gazes crawling up his spine. He had to bend down a lot less for Yeonjun than he did for Taehyun, their faces practically level with each other and so, so close. With his nose buried in Yeonjun’s neck, he could smell his embarrassment– and something else, an emotion he couldn’t identify. Resisting the urge to open his mouth and taste Yeonjun’s scent on his tongue, he made sure that Yeonjun’s skin was soaked in his own scent before he straightened back up again.

“Better?” Soobin asked, voice rougher than he would’ve liked. When he looked up, Yeonjun’s eyes were heavy and dark, pupils practically swallowing his irises. It took the alpha a second to regain himself, blinking several times.

“Mmm,” Taehyun hummed. “That worked, I think.” There was an edge to his voice that told Soobin he was fighting back a laugh with only mild success.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Kai announced. “Enough trying to kill Yeonjun hyung. We should at least give the Third Kingdom soldiers a chance to do it themselves.”

The captain was too busy stuttering and blushing for once to come up with a smart reply.

Soobin wasn’t quite sure what he’d been expecting of the royal palace, but it was ostentatious beyond anything he could’ve possibly imagined. He’d never seen the Second Kingdom’s royal palace, either, but if it was anything like the Third Kingdom’s then Soobin secretly felt miffed that anyone should be going hungry when there was wealth like this in the land. It was such an insane display of grandeur that he couldn’t blame the Third Kingdom citizens for getting restless, not when their plates were empty and their soldiers were dying in battle.

Jisung brought them around to a side entrance, cleverly hidden in an alley beyond the palace’s intricately carved marble walls. Soobin stared with his mouth open at the sloping tiled roofs in bright colors and the gold-topped statues, but Jisung quickly shook his head.

“You have to look like you know what you’re doing,” he hissed. “Even if you’re lost, don’t look lost. You’re a courtesan, so be poised.”

Poised was definitely not a word that could be used to describe Soobin under pretty much any circumstances, especially considering how badly he’d botched his omega evaluations, but he tried to remember everything he’d been taught and straightened his posture into something that might be considered elegant. He lengthened his strides a bit, letting the hanbok flow around his body, and Jisung gave him a satisfied grin.

“Much better,” he said.

Two guards stood at a door in the alleyway. Jisung evidently knew them fairly well, because he stopped to chat while shoving Soobin, Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Kai in ahead of him. Jisung’s innately exuberant personality was a good enough distraction, apparently, and neither of the two betas dressed in Third Kingdom uniforms stopped to ask about the four unknown “omegas” trailing into the palace. Beomgyu looked torn between following them and stopping to wait for Jisung, but in the end decided to slip into the passageway after Kai.

The passage led underground, into a dark tunnel illuminated by sconces on the walls. The flames flickered and threw moving shadows across the floor, making Soobin feel even more antsy than he already was. His heeled shoes clicked on the stone, jeogori fluttering in the slight breeze that flowed through the hallway. They’d even been supplied with little props to make their disguises more convincing, and he clutched the embroidered bokjumeoni bag full of scent blockers inside his sleeve.

Soobin’s stomach turned; Jisung still hadn’t caught up to them. As much as he wanted to trust Hyunjin and his friends, they were from the Third Kingdom. What reason would they have to help them? Had they been led straight into a trap?

He felt a hand brush across his wrist, and jumped. Yeonjun had sped up a little to walk beside him, his touch reassuring and soft. Soobin wasn’t sure how the alpha could detect his emotions, giving that he’d been smothered in scent blockers, but he was grateful nonetheless. Neither of them spoke until they reached a wide wooden door.

“Do we go in?” Soobin asked. “We have no idea what we’re about to walk into.”

“We’ll have to figure it out,” Yeonjun answered. “We’ve made it this far. We can’t turn back now.”

“Hey, guys.” Jisung was panting, having run to catch them before they got into the palace. “Sorry, got a little held up back there.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Soobin told him, relief flooding through his body. “So… where are we?”

“We’re on the same level as the kitchen,” Jisung replied. “That door is going to put us out near the servants’ quarters. I’m not here that often, to be honest, but it’s a good spot to come in if you’re trying not to be noticed.” There was a tiny, knowing smile spreading over Jisung’s mouth when he spoke. “The people you’re looking for are being held a lot higher up, though– the top of the south tower. We’re on the west side, but I’ll point you in the right direction once we get out.” The omega stepped up to open the door in front of Soobin and Yeonjun.

The passage was immediately flooded with lamplight. The servants’ quarters weren’t nearly as flashy as the rest of the palace, just simple bare walls and polished wood floors. People in plain clothing, many of them carrying dishes of food and silverware, bustled past without paying them any attention.

“Dinnertime,” Jisung explained under his breath. “Come on, this way.”

He led them down the hallway, following the flow of servants headed towards what Soobin assumed was the dining room. He split off before they reached the end of the hall, though, entering a nondescript-looking door on the left.

They were suddenly outside. It was nearly dark now, the air filled with a chill that sent a shiver down Soobin’s back. Long standing torches lit cobbled pathways through what looked like a zen garden, with flat sand beds and twisted, artfully-cut trees.

“Okay. You’re headed that way,” Jisung said quietly. He pointed towards a canal, where an immense tower stood on a manmade-island. There was a carved wooden bridge leading up to it, black against the smooth, reflective surface of the water. “I can’t go with you, people here know me too well. It’ll look suspicious.”

“Thank you,” Yeonjun whispered. “Thank you, Jisung, for all your help. We owe you a lot.”

“No problem. I hope you guys make it.” The omega vanished into the night with one last smile and a cheery wave.

Yeonjun exhaled, eyes narrow and determined. “Alright, guys. Just pretend you know what you’re doing, and let’s go.”

“Wow, hyung, so reassuring,” Kai said sarcastically. Despite his bravado, there was a slight tremble to his voice that told Soobin he was afraid.

“Just remember the plan, and we’ll be fine,” Soobin reminded him.

Taehyun snorted. “No offense, but what plan?”

“Get in, find the general, and leave,” Yeonjun replied smartly. 

Beomgyu held up a bell behind the captain’s head. That was really the only part of this whole operation that Soobin had confidence in– if Beomgyu rang the bell, Soobin, Taehyun, and Kai would know they had to run and drag Yeonjun out with them. They might not have the advantage of a map or weapons or really anything of practical use, but they did have Soobin’s invisible dead relative that could serve as a convenient lookout.

They headed for the bridge in silence. Yeonjun led the way, the rest following behind. It reminded Soobin absurdly of a mother hen with her chicks, and he had to push down the hysterical urge to laugh. Fear was pulsing through his veins as they reached the door of the south tower. There were two more guards standing by, both alphas this time.

“What are you doing here?” One of them said gruffly. “No one is supposed to be in the gardens past sundown.”

“Ah, just visiting a friend,” Yeonjun replied, fluttering a painted paper fan courtesy of Hyunjin in front of his face. Soobin heard the insinuation there. The guard must’ve as well, because one of his eyebrows quirked up.

“All four of you?” The second one put in. He had come awfully close, eyes raking hungrily over them. He smelled strongly of something sour, and leered at Kai in a way that made Soobin’s stomach flip.

“Yes, yes,” Yeonjun quickly responded. The fan waved again. “He’s just so lonely these days, you know? They’re so strict with the rules these days, but surely you gentlemen will make an exception.” He was laying the charm on thickly now, and the first guard seemed to soften a little. The second one was still looming over Kai menacingly. He flinched and went to stand beside Taehyun, who was clearly holding back a growl. Soobin was grateful for his self-restraint; if Taehyun snarled, it would out them immediately.

“We’ll let you through if you leave this one,” the second guard said greasily. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of him.” He reached out to grab Kai’s silk sleeve, and the beta whimpered.

Something in Soobin snapped. His inner omega howled, aura strengthening tenfold. His scent flooded over them all, heavy with omega pheromones, and the eyes of both alpha guards snapped to him. Suddenly, Soobin understood what Hyunjin had been saying. He might not be an alpha, but he had a different kind of power. It felt like they were at his command.

“Ah, can’t you just let us through?” He said smoothly, trying to remember what Hyunjin had said about smiling and fluttering his eyelashes. Both of their mouths had gone slack, and they stared at him with gormless expressions. “Just open the doors.”

The first guard immediately started to work on the lock, fingers fumbling. The second guard didn’t move. Soobin turned to him with a honeyed smile on his lips, and the guard dropped Kai’s sleeve right away. Soobin pulled the maknae away with a sweep of his arm, eyes remaining fixed on the alpha as he went to help his counterpart with the doors.

Finally, they managed to get the lock open. The first guard bowed deeply, and the second muttered something under his breath as Soobin pushed his friends inside. He turned just before the doors closed behind him.

“Do me a favor, and don’t tell anyone we came by, alright?”

“Y-y-yes, of course,” the first guard stuttered. “We won’t say a word.”

“Anything you want,” the second guard mumbled. “Please come back again soon.”

The doors shut, leaving them shrouded in shadow. Kai was still clinging to Soobin’s jacket, and Taehyun chuckled before he spoke.

“Fuck, hyung. Not gonna lie, that was hot.”

Soobin felt his cheeks get warm. “Hyunjin really knows what he’s doing, I guess.” He glanced at Yeonjun, who’d gone pale. His lips were parted, eyes wide. He looked a lot like he did when Soobin had scented him for the first time. “Ah, sorry Yeonjun hyung,” he added. “That was probably– I don’t know. Weird, I guess?”

Yeonjun quickly swallowed and averted his gaze. “N-no, you did– that was good. You did well, Soobin.”

Soobin wasn’t technically Yeonjun’s charge anymore, but it still felt strange to get praise from the captain. Yeonjun gave compliments so sparingly that it made Soobin’s face burn.

“Can we go now?” Kai asked in a tiny voice. “I don’t want that guy to come back in here.”

“Uh, yes– I mean, yeah, let’s go,” Yeonjun responded, clearing his throat awkwardly. He waved the fan in the direction of the back of the room.

The south tower was pretty much empty. It looked like some sort of museum, for the most part, with golden statues scattered about and massive, elaborate paintings hung on the walls. The high ceiling was supported by carved columns, and even the beams crisscrossing above were decorated with painstaking detail. There were no guards here. Yeonjun made a beeline for the set of stairs winding upwards.

They climbed until Soobin’s legs were aching, ignoring floor after floor until the stairs came to an end. The door at the very top of the tower was reinforced with metal bars.

“Lock is all yours, Kai,” Yeonjun said. He stepped aside, gesturing with the fan, and the maknae pulled a pair of chopsticks from his pocket. Taehyun reached up and grabbed a candle off of the wall, putting it close to the door handle so that Kai could see. Soobin had no idea why “picking locks” was a skill in their youngest’s arsenal, but decided that he’d really rather not know. Within a surprisingly short amount of time, there was a clicking sound and Kai straightened up again.

“Alright, guys,” Yeonjun said grimly. “This is it. Remember the plan.”

Taehyun’s grin was pearly white even in the dimly lit stairway. “Get in, find the general, and leave?”

“Yep,” Yeonjun replied. “Any questions?”

“Let’s just do this before I chicken out,” Kai begged. “I think I’m going to pee my pants, but I can’t ‘cause they’re real silk and probably the most expensive thing I’ve ever worn in my life.”

Soobin put a hand his shoulder in a manner that he hoped was comforting, but his fingers were definitely trembling. He made eye contact with Beomgyu, who patted his pocket. There was a tiny, almost-inaudible jingle.

“Ready,” Soobin breathed.

In one swift motion, Yeonjun forced the door open.

Chapter Text

The top floor was nothing but a row of cells, iron bars from floor to ceiling. The second they burst through the door, a trio of guards came sprinting towards them with a cry, weapons drawn.

“Kai, free the general,” Yeonjun muttered. “Don’t let the guards get downstairs and alert the others.” He tucked his fan back into his sleeves and prepared to fight. Taehyun stood at Soobin’s shoulder, already in his martial arts stance with his fists raised. Then, the guards were upon them.

Soobin chose the beta. He was thin and wiry, smaller than Soobin, but he had a long spear clutched in his grip. Soobin dodged the first thrust and grabbed at the body of the spear, pulling as hard as he could. The beta didn’t let go, but it did throw off his balance enough for Soobin to place a well-aimed kick to his chest. Armor clanged; the beta gasped, winded, and Soobin slammed a fist into his face. Bones crunched under his hand. That was enough for him to relinquish his weapon, and Soobin took it without hesitation and flipped it. Kai wriggled past him while the guard was distracted, making a dash for one of the cells.

The beta snarled, blood gushing from his flattened nose. Out of the corner of his eye, Soobin saw Taehyun floor the alpha in front of him. The sword he’d been holding clattered and spun away. Yeonjun was still locked in a fierce fight with the last guard.

The beta lunged. Soobin dodged again, catching his legs with the spear and swiping them from under him. He tripped, landing on his front, and Soobin took the opening. He brought the spear straight down. The beta didn’t move again.

When he looked up, Soobin saw the guard that Yeonjun had been fighting swing his sword straight at the captain’s arm. Soobin opened his mouth, warning on his tongue, but Yeonjun had bluffed. He whipped the painted fan out of his sleeve, catching the blade of the sword in between the wooden ribs, and twisted.

The sword flew from the guard’s hand, blade flashing in the torchlight. Both of them went for it, but Yeonjun was faster. He plunged it into the guard’s torso, piercing straight through the armor, and he slumped to the floor. For a moment, no one moved.

“Impressive, Yeonjun-ah,” a deep voice said. “You’ve improved a lot.” 

It was General Kim. He looked much more ragged than he had back at the training field. There was a bruise at the corner of his eye, and his dark hair was messy. His dimples showed when he smiled, though.

“Hyung,” Yeonjun breathed. A strange expression flashed over his face; Soobin thought that he suddenly looked much younger, more like a child than an army captain responsible for the lives of hundreds of soldiers. Yeonjun must’ve remembered his position, because he bowed deeply. The general smiled again.

“No need for that,” he said warmly. “You’ve done well.”

There was another click, and a second cell swung open. A beta stepped out this time, with slightly wavy hair and a heart-shaped grin. He laughed and clapped Yeonjun on the back.

“Sick moves, Junnie,” he chuckled. “With the fan? Like, swish-swish and then BAM! You totally got ‘em. That was cool as fuck.”

“Thanks, Hoseok hyung,” Yeonjun said. He looked uncharacteristically abashed. Hoseok ruffled his hair, even though Yeonjun was a good few inches taller.

“Hey, guys?” Kai piped up. “I mean, I can do it with the chopsticks, but keys would probably be faster.”

Yeonjun started, and Soobin immediately turned around to begin searching. Taehyun did the same, crouching down to check the pockets of the guard he’d felled. He was impressively large, but Soobin had never even thought to worry for Taehyun. The younger alpha was frankly terrifying in battle, and Soobin was incredibly grateful that Taehyun was fighting with them and not against them.

Yeonjun found a ring of keys on a hook near the window, and tossed them to Kai. Within moments, the other five elite soldiers had been released and filed over to stand beside General Kim. An omega, presumably his mate, took his arm.

“Uh, right. Um, guys, this is Seokjin hyung,” Yeonjun began, gesturing to the tall, pretty omega. He had round, full lips and strong brows, with angular eyes that made him look rather seductive. He smiled brightly when Yeonjun said his name, though.

“And Hoseok hyung, of course. That’s Yoongi hyung, next to him.” Yoongi was a short, slim alpha, but his narrow eyes and strong aura gave the impression that he was not to be messed with. Soobin felt goosebumps rise on his skin when Yoongi’s gaze passed over him, and the alpha raised his hand in a lazy wave.

“And then there’s Taehyung hyung,” Yeonjun continued. “Jimin hyung is on his left, and Jungkook hyung is on the end.” They were all good-looking, but Taehyung was quite possibly the most beautiful person Soobin had ever seen– which was a lot to say when he’d left  Hyunjin at the house not even a few hours ago. He had caramel skin and curly hair, with a unique mole at the corner of his shapely mouth. Soobin was sort of stunned; he would’ve guessed omega, but Taehyung was very clearly an alpha.

Jimin was a small and finely-built beta, with long limbs that gave the impression of a dancer. He was clutching the wrist of a well-muscled alpha with round doe eyes and broad shoulders– Jungkook, who also gave a wave and a grin that exposed bunny-like teeth. All in all, they were a handsome and rather intimidating bunch.

“Okay. Hyungs, these are my friends,” Yeonjun said. “Taehyun here is an alpha, and Kai is a beta. The tall one is Soobin, he’s the real omega.”

“It’s really amazing, if I didn’t know Yeonjunnie was definitely an alpha I would’ve assumed you were all omegas,” Jimin commented. He had a melodic, smooth voice that was very pleasing to listen to. “You did a really good job on them, Soobin.”

“Ah, thanks,” he replied, blushing a little at the compliment.

“As lovely as this is, we should probably get out of here,” Yoongi interjected. “We are still in the Third Kingdom palace.”

“Oh, right,” General Kim said. “Hmm. I don’t suppose we can go down the same way you guys came up?”

Soobin’s blood ran cold. The high, clear sound of a bell was echoing up the stairwell from what sounded like several floors below. Beomgyu was trying to warn them.

“Uh, nope. I mean, no, we definitely can’t go down that way,” Soobin replied, flustered. “Um, we need another way out.” He scanned the room. The only other way out was the window, which had bars covering the wooden frame.

“Jungkookie, time to shine,” Taehyung interjected cheerfully. Jungkook high-fived the other alpha and stepped up to the window. He put his hands on the bars, and with one sharp pull and the crunching of broken wood he removed them from the frame.

“That works,” Soobin said. The sound of the bell was still shrieking up the stairs, and both Taehyun and Kai looked apprehensive.

“Out you go, kids.” Seokjin pushed Yeonjun forward gently, but he shook his head.

“Soobin, go. Seokjin hyung next, and then Kai, follow him.”

“Omegas and kids first. Ever the gentleman, Yeonjunnie,” Hoseok said with another heart-shaped grin.

Deciding it was faster not to argue, Soobin stuck his head out of the now-open window. There was a narrow ledge, and a set of columns from the floor below. That was his only option, it seemed. He pulled his belt from around his jeogori, climbed out, and wrapped it around the column. Trying hard not to think about how very far they were from the ground, he slid down.

He landed safely on a balcony, and Seokjin dropped down not a moment later. His hair looked a little windswept in an attractive way, and he reached out to catch Kai. The maknae stared up at him with shiny eyes, and Seokjin had to pull him out of the way so that Taehyun could follow him down.

Within moments, they were all assembled on the balcony. The ringing had stopped, now, and a fleeting worry for Beomgyu passed through Soobin’s mind before General Kim signaled for them to flank the balcony doors. 

Jimin flashed a mischievous smirk when the general gave another hand signal, going straight through the doors and vanishing with the stealth of a tiger. Soobin heard the thundering of footsteps up the stairs pass them by, and then a moment of silence.

“They locked us in!” A voice yelled. “We’re trapped!”

“Genius,” Kai whispered. “That’s fucking brilliant.” He then seemingly remembered that he was surrounded by his superiors, but none of them told him off. To the contrary, Taehyung raised his hand for a high-five from the maknae.

The general motioned for them to move. As silently as he possibly could, Soobin followed the general and his mate through the balcony doors and inside. They ended up in some sort of study, filled with shelves of reading material. He didn’t have time to stop and look, though, just went straight down the stairs after the other omega. Jimin met them on the next floor down, eyes folded into crescents when he was reunited with Jungkook.

“Beomgyu hyung,” Taehyun murmured. “Where’s Beomgyu hyung?”

“I don’t know,” Soobin replied under his breath. “He’ll be okay, come on.” He tugged on Taehyun’s wrist, and they continued to descend.

They had made it to the ground floor of the south tower once again when the doors burst open. A flood of soldiers streamed in, brandishing weapons.

“Hyung, catch!”

Yeonjun had pulled a longsword down from a display, and tossed it to General Kim. It was probably mainly decorative, but still better than nothing. 

“Stand back, kiddos,” Jungkook said. “This might get messy.” He yanked a wooden staff from the wall, the tapestry that it had been supporting fluttering to the ground. 

“The important thing is that you kids get out,” the general intoned, deadly serious. “Take any opportunity you can to escape. If that means leaving us here, then leave.”

Taehyun looked between the three of them, eyes landing on Yeonjun. “We’re ignoring that order, right?” He asked.

“Yep.” Yeonjun’s jaw was set, and he let out a fierce growl when a soldier approached him with a battle cry.

Soobin and Kai fought back-to-back, the way they knew best, Soobin having ripped a dagger from a display cabinet and Kai somehow managing to stab at the enemy soldiers with his chopsticks until he acquired a real sword. Soobin ducked another sword swing, cringing when an alpha approached. Within a moment, though, the pressure of her aura had gone. Kai stepped in front of Soobin, distracting her, and giving Soobin time to slice the dagger across the alpha’s thigh. She fell, and Soobin turned to help Kai.

There was a yelp. One of the enemy soldiers had managed to throw Hoseok across the room, and he landed on his back. Soobin cowered instinctively; the nastiest, most vicious snarl he’d ever heard in his life echoed through the room.

“Uh oh,” Taehyung said lightly. He’d manage to wrestle a spear from his opponent, not even looking twice as he thrust it through her chest. “Someone pissed off Yoongi hyung.”

Pissed would be putting it lightly. The sound of Hoseok’s pain had triggered something feral in Yoongi, and he raged like a hurricane through the mayhem. He moved so fast that Soobin could hardly keep track, leaving fallen soldiers and puddles of blood in his wake. 

“Are they– uh…” Soobin trailed off. Taehyung looked up at him, kicking his opponent aside.

“Oh, yeah,” he replied. “I mean, no, not really. Hobi hyung has been obsessed with him for ages, though, and Yoongi hyung is just too lame to admit that he’s down real bad for him.”

“Wow,” a voice added. It was Taehyun, who’d appeared at Soobin’s shoulder and was watching Yoongi’s rampage with a raptured expression. “That’s amazing.”

“Yeah, well, Yoongi hyung’s criminally lazy,” Jimin put in. There was a dark splatter of blood across his trousers, but the casual nature of his comment led Soobin to believe that it was definitely not his. “Personally, my theory is that he’s been saving all of his energy for the day that someone insults Hobi hyung’s honor. Fucked around and found out, I guess.”

Yoongi had made it to Hoseok’s side, hauling the beta to his feet. “Ah, I’m fine, hyung, just winded,” he said, a blush on his cheeks. “You didn’t have to do all that for me.”

“Mmph,” Yoongi grunted in response. “You looked sad.”

Kai goggled at the pair of them, mouth open. “Did he say– because he looked sad?” He gestured vaguely to the destruction that Yoongi had wreaked upon the enemy. 

“Typical Yoongi hyung,” Jungkook sighed. He’d joined the conversation after cleaning up a few more soldiers, the only standing enemy left turning and sprinting away when General Kim leveled him with a glare. “Hey, can I borrow that?”

Soobin gestured to the ceremonial dagger he’d shoved in his belt, and Jungkook nodded. The alpha took it, pulled back his arm, and with one mighty throw it whistled through the air and embedded itself deep in the fleeing soldier’s back. Jungkook brushed off his hands calmly, looking to their leader.

“Well, perhaps not as subtle as I would’ve hoped,” General Kim said, eyeing Yoongi and Hoseok. “Probably gave Jin hyung time to find us a good exit route by now, though.”

Sure enough, Seokjin’s head popped back in through the doors. Soobin didn’t even realize he’d left.

“Gotcha, Joonie. Bridge is still up, and then I found a gate near the main palace that’s unguarded. I think they all left their posts to come here.”

“You heard the man,” Hoseok chirped, looking more than happy to lean on Yoongi despite his earlier insistence that he was fine. “Let’s bounce.”

Soobin let himself be shepherded out by General Kim, Yeonjun coming up to walk beside him. There was a tear in his jeogori, but the cut beneath looked fairly shallow.

“Are you okay, Soobin?” He asked quietly.

“Fine, hyung,” Soobin reassured him. “Kai did a good job of keeping the alphas away.”

Kai puffed up his chest, looking proud, and accepted Yeonjun’s head pat without protest. Taehyun didn’t speak, clearly still unsettled by Beomgyu’s disappearance. 

They crossed the bridge without incident, the garden eerily silent. Seokjin led them along the back wall of the compound, trailing behind the massive palace. It had gone dark, the entire grounds lit only by the silvery moon above. Finally, they reached the back. There was a ladder extending upwards.

“It’ll take us to the roof, and we can get down from there,” Seokjin said. “I already looked.”

They sent Jungkook up first, Jimin ascending after him after the alpha signaled the all-clear. It was a long way up, Soobin’s legs starting to tire by the time he made it to the sloped roof. The others were standing a short distance away when he got to the top, and Soobin waited for Yeonjun to make it up last.

Yeonjun’s shoes had just landed on the tiles when a cold voice rang out through the night. Soobin felt a knife pressed to his throat, and froze.

“Move and the omega dies.”

An alpha aura immediately bore down on him, crushing his inner omega. He gave an involuntary high-pitched whine, and Yeonjun growled. The alpha holding him pressed the knife harder, and Soobin could feel blood beading up beneath the blade.

“Go,” he managed. “You guys need to go.”

“No,” Yeonjun said stubbornly, but his voice shook. “I’m not leaving you. Not again, Soobin.”

Soobin couldn’t see anything but him. Yeonjun’s expression was twisted in fear, and his hands were trembling around the sword he’d grabbed back at the south tower. The alpha’s eyes were so round, shining in the moonlight, and the only thought in Soobin’s brain was that Yeonjun was beautiful. He could go, he thought, if Yeonjun was the last thing he saw.

“Drop your weapons,” the unknown alpha commanded. “All of you, or I’ll slash his throat right here.”

Soobin tried to choke out a protest, but the knife pressed down again and cut off his words. Yeonjun put his sword at his feet, and it slid off of the sloped tile roof and disappeared.

“Emperor Park,” General Kim said. “Let him go. He’s not the one that you want here.”

Emperor? Soobin thought hysterically. He was going to be killed by the Emperor of the Third Kingdom. It was probably an honor to die at his hand, but Soobin still couldn’t focus on anything but Yeonjun. The scent blocker had all but worn off, and the acrid scent of his pain was making Soobin’s nose burn. Yeonjun rarely expressed emotion like this, but there was desperation clearly written across his face. He looked terrified.

“I don’t care,” the emperor spat. “I’ll kill him, too. Your dirty Second Kingdom omegas are the reason my father is dead.”

“That’s not true,” General Kim replied placatingly. “You know it’s not true. Your father died of grief.”

“She murdered him!” The emperor shrieked. “She died, and she took him with her. If it wasn’t for my mother, he would still be here.”

“You can’t take it out on them,” the general murmured. “You can’t execute every omega in the Second Kingdom. It won’t change anything, it won’t bring him back. Your father was a good man, he wouldn’t have wanted this.”

“Who are you to presume what my father would think?!” The emperor spun around to face General Kim, dragging Soobin forcefully with him. The press of the knife across Soobin’s neck made him cough, but his muscles were weak from the weight of the emperor’s aura. His inner omega was howling in agony. He could only see Yeonjun out of the corner of his eye now, but Kai’s face was pale as he clung to a furious-looking Taehyun.

“I met your father on many occasions,” the general answered calmly. “He was a friendly ally to the Second Kingdom, a benevolent leader. He wouldn’t want his son to become a killer.”

“I’ll never know what my father wanted because he’s dead, and I’ll send this omega the same way,” the emperor hissed.

“You’re a smart boy. You know you can’t kill him, or you’ll have nothing else to bargain with,” General Kim said. “How about a trade? His life for mine. That’s what you want, right? To win the war, and have every omega in the Second Kingdom at your mercy? Surely you can see how such a trade would benefit you.”

“No,” Soobin choked. Even that one word was sapping him of what little energy he had left. “General Ki–“

“Quiet, omega!” The emperor screeched. “I’ll not have your tricks, General! On your knees, all of you. I’ll kill him first, and the rest of you can only watch as I slaughter you one by one. I will have what I want, with or without your cooperation!” His chest was heaving against Soobin’s back; he had snapped, completely unhinged, the stench of madness foul in the night. Soobin closed his eyes. The blade bit at the delicate skin around his neck, but still didn’t pierce the flesh. 

Then, he felt a tug on his sleeve. 

“It’s me,” a voice hissed. Beomgyu. “Listen, you only have one chance. Soobin, you have to do it, Jeongin said so. It has to be you. This is the only way to end it.”

Soobin had no idea what he was talking about. He couldn’t exactly ask, but then Beomgyu pressed a familiar tasseled dagger into his palm. 

I can’t, he thought. The emperor had overpowered him. His inner omega had been forced to submit, and his limbs felt like jelly. Fear was coursing through his veins, icy-cold and paralyzing. The alpha’s unyielding grip was the only thing keeping him upright. 

I can’t move. He’s going to kill me.

“You have to. Soobin, listen to me. You’re an omega, but you’re not weak. You’re the last Choi omega, and you have to make it home to your sister. I promised our family that I would bring you home.”

Arin. He could picture her face, could see her waiting by the door every night for him to come home, could smell the comforting scent of berry hotteok that always lingered around her. If he left, then she’d be alone.

You’re not alone, she’d told him. Your family is always with you.

Beomgyu put his hand over Soobin’s, closing his fingers over the dagger’s handle. Soobin prayed to his ancestors, he prayed to his family, he prayed to Arin for courage. He lifted his arm. In a singular lighting-fast motion, the dagger slashed upwards.

The grip holding Soobin went slack, knife falling with a clatter at his feet. Soobin staggered, but Yeonjun caught him from behind and hoisted him up again. The emperor collapsed like a broken doll, hands clutching at his throat. There was a terrible, retching gasp, and blood poured from between his fingers. His legs twitched, crumpled up beneath him. Finally, he went still. 

Emperor Park’s sightless eyes reflected the stars.

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.”