Chapter Text
Chanyeol thinks it’s the scent that attracts his attention first.
It’s warm, kind of earthy and yet spicy at the same time, and Chanyeol thinks it’s the best thing he’s ever smelt. He knows it is all the omega’s own, too, because as much as he sniffs he doesn’t get any hint of an alpha or beta. Which is… puzzling. Because while he’s met unbonded omegas before, he’s never met one who has been unbonded after reaching maturity or at least not in a relationship of some sort. Usually there is the scent of their beta or alpha partner mingling with their own and telling the world that they are strictly off limits.
And it’s such an intoxicating smell and he’s so obviously available that Chanyeol can’t help but be interested. He breathes it in and feels something stir in his chest even as he watches the omega get leered at by the customer he’s serving.
There’s a stereotype about unbonded omegas being loose with their affections, flighty and unsettled, and Chanyeol thinks he can see it in the omega. He doesn’t look disgusted by the beta looking him up and down and neither does he do anything about the hand that the beta places on his arm. He smiles instead of shrugging it off and Chanyeol feels a sudden flash of rage, hot and burning, and he has to fight down the urge to rip the beta’s arm from his shoulder.
Some long dormant part of him is screaming mine, mine, mine but he ignores it.
There’s no way that he wants to get involved with someone like that.
Because the omega is skin and bones and faded polyester clothes. He’s chapped lips and dark circles under large, flame-hot eyes that pull and drag Chanyeol in. He isn’t surprised that when their gazes meet for the briefest of moments across the busy restaurant that it feels like someone has started a fire in his chest.
And Chanyeol knows he needs to be rational about this, no matter what his instincts are telling him, but he still finds himself sitting up and puffing his chest out, just waiting for the omega to look back in his direction.
He can still smell him even if he thinks he shouldn’t be able to because Chanyeol has never had a strong sense of smell. But, somehow, he’s able to swallow down the omega’s scent with every breath he takes.
He knows he’s been staring when he receives a swift kick to the shin.
“Shit,” he grinds out as the rest of the world comes back into focus and he returns to himself. Calm and rational. Well, mostly. His leg is throbbing and he’s itching to kick out and take his revenge. “What did you do that for, Baekhyun?”
“Has someone in this dump caught your eye, hmm?” Baekhyun teases because he’s seen who Chanyeol has been looking at, has more than likely picked up his scent.
“Come on, it’s not that bad.” Jongdae says, trying to distract them both with his obvious lie. Joonmyun had, after all, used nearly half a pack of antibacterial wipes on the table when they had first sat down. “Not for this part of town, at least.”
Chanyeol doesn’t doubt that there are worse places that they could have chosen to eat but that doesn’t make this place any nicer. It’s cramped and rundown and the other customers are the kind of people Chanyeol would cross the road to avoid. Their small group sticks out like sore thumbs with their designer clothes and expensive watches.
“Let’s just hope we don’t get mugged on the way out.” Jongin mutters with a sniff.
“Oh, please.” Joonmyun says as if he’s not the biggest snob of them all. “Like entering this part of town automatically means you’re going leave short of all your valuables.”
“Yeah, I think we should be okay, I don’t think any of us were actually stupid enough to wear anything worth over three hundred thousand won.” Baekhyun counters and Joonmyun flushes.
“Joonmyun hyung’s shoes are worth at least eight hundred thousand.” Jongin says almost gleefully.
“Try a million.” Joonmyun corrects and he’s trying to keep a straight face despite his flaming cheeks.
“This place might be rough,” Chanyeol says as he flicks through the menu, trying for soothing because he knows Joonmyun’s likely to burst a blood vessel if they continue for much longer with their teasing but not really able to help himself, “but I think you’re safe. It’s not like anyone who frequents places like this are going to be able to tell the difference between Versace and-.”
Chanyeol is interrupted by someone clearing their throat and he looks up to see the omega standing at the foot of their table.
And this close he is stunning.
His skin is smooth and pale and it contrasts so beautifully with the black of his hair and his eyes and he’s staring at Chanyeol and Chanyeol feels like he’s being burned alive.
But this isn’t the flirty gaze he had been expecting. This is cold and defiant and Chanyeol knows he’s messed up.
“Can I get you some drinks?” The omega asks and he looks away from Chanyeol’s gaze as if he has no idea of the flames he has fanned.
“Can I get a coke?” Jongdae asks, polite smile already fixed in place.
Baekhyun, however, makes a show of sniffing in the omega’s direction before fixing him with a predatory smile, “aren’t you just a pretty little thing? Such an interesting smell, too. How about I-?”
Chanyeol knows what game Baekhyun is playing and he doesn’t like it. He can feel the alpha in him hiss and spit and rage. He kicks Baekhyun under the table before he can finish and feels an instant rush of gratification at the pain on his face, “ignore him, he’s just being an asshole. Can I get a coke as well, please?”
The omega stiffens and narrows his eyes but takes the rest of their drink orders without any further trouble.
As soon as he’s gone, Chanyeol rounds on Baekhyun, “what did you do that for?”
“I can see why he caught your eye,” Baekhyun grins, “and your nose. He has a very interesting scent. Pretty, too.”
“Shut up.” Chanyeol says.
“A bit skinny, though.” Jongin adds with a sly smirk, “but I bet he’s a good fuck.”
“Did you see the way he swung his hips as he walked away?” Baekhyun lets out a low whistle. “Omegas like that know what they’re doing. He’d chew you up and spit you right back out.”
Joonmyun sighs and Jongdae rolls his eyes and Chanyeol knows that Baekhyun and Jongin are only being this vulgar so that they can get a rise out of him. He knows this, rationally, and yet it still works.
“Can we not talk about this?” Chanyeol snaps.
“Yes, can we stop objectifying omegas, please? Given the reason we’re here and all.” Jongdae says, trying to ease some of the tension that has built up between them.
There’s a moment where it looks like one or more of them might argue but then Baekhyun lets out a breathy chuckle and everything is back to normal, “oh shit, yeah.”
“I swear to god-.” Jongin cuts himself off and instead chooses to punch Baekhyun on the arm to get his point across.
“Sweet baby Jesus, I get it, okay?” Baekhyun rubs at his arm. “No more hitting or kicking, I’m begging you.”
“You started it.” Chanyeol points out.
“Are you twelve?” Jongdae asks even as Joonmyun says, “why can we not have one meal together where it doesn’t descend into hitting each other and calling each other names?”
“Because, hyung,” Jongin stresses the honorific he hardly ever bothers to use, “that would be boring.”
“Growing up is boring.” Joonmyun counters.
“Which is why I’ve never bothered to do it.” Baekhyun says with a waggle of his eyebrows.
The rest of the meal passes uneventfully by their standards. Baekhyun and Jongin still tease and Baekhyun takes more digs at the omega when he comes to their table, never mind how much Joonmyun and Jongdae scold him. Chanyeol tries not to let it bother him but can’t help the irritation building beneath his skin. It doesn’t help that his eyes seem to be glued to the omega wherever he goes. This means he doesn’t miss the eyes that rake over the omega’s body, can’t deny the pangs of jealousy that course through him whenever the omega smiles at someone that isn’t him.
He’s almost grateful when they’re finished and can finally leave. He doesn’t like the way his heart has been pounding or how his emotions have been all over the place.
He’s looking forward to fresh air and an opportunity to clear his head and then it happens.
There’s the smashing of plates and the clinking of cutlery and Chanyeol knows without looking that the omega will be the cause.
He isn’t wrong.
The omega is being pinned to a table by an alpha much taller and broader than he is. He’s struggling against the hands that are holding him down, the whole restaurant their audience, as the alpha tries to force him to submit, to accept his scent, and something within Chanyeol swells and bursts.
Without thinking he sprints across the restaurant and grabs the offending alpha by the back of his t-shirt and wrenches him off the omega. The alpha twirls around and swings for him but Chanyeol is quicker and he dodges the blow. The alpha squares up to Chanyeol then and Chanyeol meets the challenge head on. He’s got a few inches on the other man but he’s a lot skinnier, too, and has an unimpressive track record having lost the only two fights – both in middle school and both against Jongdae – he’s ever been in. Still, he stands his ground and lets out a deep warning growl, the rumbling in his throat and chest an unfamiliar sensation.
There’s a tense couple of minutes where the world seems to stop spinning and Chanyeol sure he’s going to get his ass handed to him but then the other alpha spits in the omega’s direction and mutters, “you’re not worth the effort, whore.”
He leaves then and the tension leaks from the room.
Time seems to catch up and sound returns and Chanyeol is shaking from the sudden burst of adrenaline.
For all that has happened, the omega hardly looks phased. There’s blood streaming from a cut on his hand and bruises already forming on his too thin wrists but he still looks at Chanyeol as if he’s the lowest of the low.
“What’s your problem?” He snaps.
“My problem?” Chanyeol asks and he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “That guy was going to force his scent on you. I saved you.”
The omega snorts, “like I need the help of a rich boy like you.”
But he’s immediately made to swallow his words when an ill-tempered looking man storms from the kitchens, scowl fixed firmly in place and sweat on his face, with one of the other waiters following closely behind looking nervous and pale.
“What’s going on here?” He booms and the omega is immediately jumping to attention, hiding his bleeding hand behind his back. “What have you done this time, Minseok?”
“I’m sorry.” The omega bows. “There was a-.”
“I don’t want to hear it.” The man – the restaurant owner, Chanyeol guesses – cuts him off. “You’re always causing so much trouble. I don’t know why I keep you around.”
Chanyeol doesn’t like the look the man is giving the omega, an ugly smugness that tells Chanyeol that he knows he’s got the omega right where he wants him.
“Please, Jihoon.” The omega bows even deeper and Chanyeol is surprised to hear his voice tremble after the defiance only a minute ago. “Please, I’m sorry.”
The situation is unnecessarily humiliating, nearly everyone in the restaurant watching, and Chanyeol feels anger build within him once more.
“Your waiter-.” He starts.
But then there’s a small hand circling around his wrist and a quiet voice whispers, “don’t, please. I need this job.”
“-has provided excellent service.” Chanyeol finishes, lamely, the anger leaving as quickly as it came.
The owner’s eyes narrow before he waves a hand and turns to head back into the kitchen. Over his shoulder he calls, “those plates are coming out of your wage!”
“Shit.” He hears and the hand lets go of him.
The waiter who had followed the owner from the kitchen approaches them then with a concerned look on his face, “are you okay, Minseok?”
“I’m fine, Yixing.” The omega – Minseok – replies but his brow is creased with worry. “I just...”
“Don’t worry about this, I’ll clear it up.” Yixing says and he gives Minseok a small, uncertain smile. “And we can work something out about the plates later.”
“You should get your hand checked out.” Chanyeol says, pointedly looking at the hand Minseok is now cradling against his chest.
“And you should leave.” Minseok says as Chanyeol’s friends begin to crowd around.
But Chanyeol can’t. He sees how worried Minseok is about the plates, how he can’t seem to drag his eyes away from them when all Chanyeol wants is for Minseok to look at him again. So it is for selfish reasons that Chanyeol digs out his wallet from his jean pocket and pulls a handful of notes out. He holds them out to Minseok, “then here, take this. For the plates.”
Minseok’s eyes flit to Chanyeol’s friends and Chanyeol finds it hard to read what he’s thinking. Finally, his shoulders sag and he takes the money with a quiet, “thank you.”
He doesn’t look at Chanyeol.
Chanyeol forces himself to smile and says, “I’ll see you around, yeah?”
“Please don’t come back.” Minseok says in return but then he meets Chanyeol’s eyes and there’s a spark of something and he knows Minseok doesn’t mean it.
And he’s all Chanyeol can think about.
All the way to the community centre where Jongdae is trying to convince them to volunteer at over the summer – despite the teasing he gets on the way there from the others for releasing his ‘wolf’ – and all through the afternoon.
He imagines the scent of Minseok clinging to his clothes and the warmth of his hand on his wrist and he agrees to spend his summer break at the community centre just so he has an excuse to visit the restaurant again. He doesn’t even know what he’s agreed to do.
And then that night his dreams are filled with small hands and large eyes and that smell, that smell, and he feels like a teenager again when he wakes up the next morning and his sheets are wet and sticky.
“Can we eat lunch at that restaurant again?” Chanyeol asks as he slips into the passenger seat of Jongdae’s car just after nine.
“Good morning to you, too.” Jongdae laughs.
“What? Oh, yeah. Good morning.”
“You’re hopeless.”
“No, I think I’m in lust.” Chanyeol says, earnestly, because that’s definitely a thing.
“That’s even worse.”
“How is it?”
“You’re planning on stalking the poor guy. I know you are.” Jongdae points out. “That’s hardly normal.”
“No, I’m not.” Chanyeol shakes his head. “All I’m suggesting is visiting the restaurant where he works and therefore must interact with me every day for the rest of the summer. Or until he agrees to go out with me. Whichever happens first.”
“There goes my diet.” Jongdae mutters.
They arrive at the community centre just after ten and Jongdae leads him through the rundown hallways and to the garden at the back of the building. It hardly deserves the name. It’s a large walled space, much larger than Chanyeol was expecting for this part of the city, but there’s no greenery to speak of. The floor is broken flagstones mostly hidden under years of dirt and rubbish. There aren’t even any weeds.
“Okay.” Chanyeol says. “I don’t remember agreeing to this.”
“It’ll be okay.” Jongdae smiles. “All we have to do is clean the place up, pull up the flagstones, put some grass down and done.”
“Is that all?” Chanyeol asks with no small amount of sarcasm.
“It’ll be okay.” Jongdae says again. “The others will be coming along when they can-.”
“Have you ever seen Joonmyun get his hands dirty?”
“-and it’ll be ready for the kids in no time.”
“Kids?”
Jongdae sighs, “you really weren’t paying attention yesterday, were you?”
Chanyeol shakes his head.
“There’s a crèche in the centre, they want somewhere safe for the kids to be able to play when the weather’s nice.” Jongdae explains.
“And now you’re guilting me into staying.” Chanyeol fakes a scowl even though they both know he never had any intention of backing out. “Great, thanks. What a friend you are.”
“Will I or will I not be playing the role of wingman for the entirety of the summer break?” Jongdae reminds him.
“Fine.” Chanyeol grumbles. “Let’s just get started.”
The work is both tiring and slow-going. They fill bag after bag with rubbish and make countless journeys through the centre to throw them into the waiting skip. Chanyeol gets to see more of the centre and meet some of the people who work there, mostly older ladies who coo over them and pinch Jongdae’s cheeks twice as hard because they can’t reach Chanyeol’s.
And Chanyeol’s surprised by how much there’s going on for what is actually quite a small building. There’s the overcrowded crèche that Chanyeol avoids like the plague as well as a day centre for old people that, too, is overcrowded and avoided. There’s a library that is nothing more than a couple of dozen books and a computer that Chanyeol’s sure is older than he is. There’s a couple more rooms where classes are held and another that seems to be a clinic of some sorts with a queue of people continually reaching out past the main entrance, coughing and groaning as they wait patiently to be seen.
The building itself is cramped and stuffy. The paint on the wall is scuffed and peeling and the flyers on the notice boards are for events already long gone by. One of the windows at the front of the building, the one that looks into the day centre, is cracked and splintered. Chanyeol doubts it will take much effort to make the glass come tumbling down despite the tape used to hold it in place.
The whole place is understaffed and it doesn’t take long for Chanyeol to work out what few staff they do have are mostly volunteers and it makes him sad when he thinks of the community centre in his own neighbourhood: brand new, fully staffed and barely used. The only thing that can possibly make the whole thing anymore depressing is that this failing centre is aimed especially at omegas and those who rely on them. It makes him a bit sick to think that those who are society’s most vulnerable are the ones who are being most let down.
It makes him think about the omega at the restaurant. The centre is only a twenty minute walk from where he works, it makes sense to him that the omega – Minseok, he reminds himself – has probably visited the centre at some point. Maybe for suppressants at the clinic or to use the ancient computer for something.
And it’s stupid, he knows, but he smells for him each time he walks the main corridor of the centre and he knows that it must be his nose playing tricks on him but he swears that he catches the faintest hint of him mingling with the hundreds of other scents that layer the area.
“Does it bother you?” Jongdae asks as they climb into his car to travel to the restaurant at lunchtime.
“I wouldn’t say bother.” Chanyeol replies as he cranks the air conditioning up. “It’s just depressing, you know? That place is all those people have got and it looks like one strong gust of wind is going to knock it down. It’s not right.”
Jongdae nods, “it’s horrible, isn’t it? Seeing how the other half live. But that’s not what I was talking about.”
“Huh?”
“All those omegas.” Jongdae shrugs. “After your little display yesterday, I thought you might have been sensitive.”
“No, I’ve been fine.” Chanyeol tells him and he’s being mostly honest. Jongdae’s already probably guessed that he hasn’t been able to get Minseok off his mind. “Besides, the omegas at the centre have all been bonded or too old or young. I’ve hardly noticed them, to be honest.”
“They’ve definitely noticed you.” Jongdae tells him.
“What do you mean?”
“Your scent has been really strong. Like really, really strong. I’d be surprised if the ladies at the centre didn’t start to air the place out as soon as we left.” Jongdae explains. He is a beta and a lot more sensitive to smells than Chanyeol is.
It’s mortifying.
He struggles with his words for a minute or two, wondering how on earth he’s going to defend himself.
“Oh my god,” He ends up saying instead and he buries his face in his hands, “what’s wrong with me?”
“Don’t worry about it, it’ll die down in a day or two.” Jongdae tells him as they pull into the parking lot of the restaurant.
“I am so embarrassed.” Chanyeol says. “They must think I’m a horny kid or something.”
“Probably.” Jongdae grins and he switches the engine of the car off now that they’re parked. “But they’re not completely wrong, are they?”
“Haha, very funny.” Chanyeol says.
“I could smell it on you this morning.” Jongdae tells him as they climb out of the car. “It was pretty gross actually.”
“Please,” Chanyeol pleads, “don’t tell anyone about this.”
But his phone is already vibrating in his pocket and Jongdae is cackling and Chanyeol worries about who is going to help him hide the bodies once he’s murdered all of his friends.
They enter the restaurant and are seated by the waiter who had come to help Minseok clean up the day before. He obviously recognises them from the look he gives them but he doesn’t say anything. He does, however, scrunch his nose at Chanyeol and Jongdae cackles some more.
“I don’t think this could get any more embarrassing.” Chanyeol mutters once they’re seated and flicking through the menus.
But it does.
Not even a minute later a quiet voice is hissing, “am I going to have to talk to the owner about you?”
“What?” Chanyeol looks up from the menu with wide eyes and, of course, Minseok is stood there. There’s a fierce look on his face and it sends a thrill of something through Chanyeol. “Am I not allowed to come in here for something to eat?”
“I’m not going to play any games with you.” Minseok tells him, his voice still low. “I’m not interested, okay?”
But there’s that something in his eyes that makes it very clear to Chanyeol that he’s lying.
“Look,” Chanyeol says and he’s as surprised as anyone at the confidence in his voice, “we’ve just come in here for something to eat. Are you going to serve us or not?”
“Fine. Tell me what you want.” Minseok glares at him and there’s a challenge in his eyes that Chanyeol can’t refuse.
Chanyeol holds his gaze as he orders his food and not once throughout the entire exchange, not even when Jongdae gives his order, do either of them look away from the other’s eyes.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks.” Minseok tells them once Jongdae is finished speaking and then he’s gone.
Chanyeol’s shoulders slump as soon as he’s out of sight and Jongdae doesn’t try to hold back his laughter anymore.
“Oh my god.” Chanyeol groans.
“What was that?” Jongdae asks and he’s clutching at his ribs as he tries to catch his breath. “Was that- were you flirting?”
“Jongdae, please.” Chanyeol grinds out. “Just, shut up, okay?”
“I’m sorry.” Jongdae says even though he’s not at all. “I just… you’re hopeless. You’ll be lucky if he ever talks to you again.”
And Jongdae is right. It’s the other waiter who brings them their drinks and then later their food and Chanyeol can only watch as Minseok continues about his business. Jongdae teases him as they eat but Chanyeol knows he’s not imagining the glances that the omega sends his way.
They return to the community centre after lunch and continue on working on clearing the trash from the garden. By the time that five rolls around and their first day is over it feels like they’ve hardly made a dint.
“How is that even possible?” Chanyeol complains. “Are you sure that someone hasn’t just been putting it all back when our backs have been turned?”
He declines Jongdae’s offer of an evening of junk food and video games and instead takes a long shower to try and remove some of the aches that have built up through the day. It’s not as successful as he hopes so he changes into pyjamas and orders takeout instead of going to the grocery store like he knows he should. He thinks about inviting one of the others around but knows from the hundred unread messages in their group chat that they’re all of them going to be insufferable, never mind who he chooses.
He goes on his laptop for a couple of hours and tries not to think about how quiet his apartment is. It’s never been quiet before. He’s always been happy to be by himself, too busy with school and his social life to really think about having someone like that around. He’s still young, just about to start his master’s degree in September, and not at all ready to enter the adult world of steady relationships and commitment.
Still, he thinks what it would be like to have Minseok curled up against him on the sofa or teasing him for the derelict state of his fridge and it fills him with an ache that he knows all the showers in the world won’t be able to take away.
He goes to bed early but he doesn’t sleep well. He tosses and turns and can’t help but think that his bed is too big for just him.
He picks Jongdae up just before nine the next morning and the elder notices his glum mood and decides not to interfere. They work in silence for most of the morning and Chanyeol thinks about asking whether they can go somewhere different for lunch but he doesn’t. He’s still desperate to see Minseok even if it’s going to remind him of what he doesn’t have.
They’re served by the other waiter – Yixing, as he introduces himself – and Minseok avoids their table. Chanyeol doesn’t mind too much, he still gets to watch him even if his body screams at him for more.
They return to the centre and the afternoon passes much like the morning and soon a whole week has gone by and Chanyeol still hasn’t made any progress. He’s beginning to think he never will.
The garden is coming along nicely, though. By the time Friday afternoon comes to an end, they’ve managed to clear it out entirely and start pulling up the flagstones. Chanyeol is looking forward to two days of rest over the weekend but then Jongin calls him ridiculously early on Saturday morning and informs him that they’ll be picking him at nine to go back to the community centre.
“All five of us are free.” Jongin argues over the phone when Chanyeol sounds like he’s going to say no. “Can you imagine how much we’ll get done?”
“You guys just want an excuse to go back to the restaurant.” Chanyeol says because Jongdae has been providing them with updates all week and it’s all they’ve been talking about.
“That’s not true.” Jongin replies and Chanyeol thinks he can hear his pout. “We just want to help. We promised Jongdae that we would.”
Chanyeol groans and relents, knowing that even if he said no that they’d still turn up at his door anyway.
“Joonmyun hyung knows he’s going to get dirty, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“And that there’s going to be heavy lifting involved?”
“I’m fairly certain Jongdae mentioned it.”
“And that he shouldn’t wear his Gucci loafers, no matter how good he thinks he looks in them?”
“They’re Prada actually but, yeah, he knows.”
Chanyeol rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh, “fine. I’ll see you at nine.”
He puts down the phone and manages another half hour of sleep before dragging himself from bed for a shower. He dresses in sweats and a t-shirt and tries not to think about whatever ridiculous outfit Joonmyun will be wearing.
And at exactly ten past nine, he gets a text to say that they’re outside his apartment building. He lets out another long sigh and resigns himself to a day of teasing.
But there isn’t any.
Or, at least, there isn’t any after Baekhyun’s loud, “you’re right, Jongdae, he does smell.”
Instead Jongdae is beaming at Joonmyun and Chanyeol feels like he’s missing something.
“What’s going on?” He asks.
“Joonmyun hyung got his father to agree to pay for some playground equipment for the garden!” Jongdae nearly squeals.
Chanyeol snorts, “is that all?”
Chanyeol comes from a wealthy family but it is nothing compared to Joonmyun’s. He doubts that Joonmyun’s father would miss the money if they were to take enough to refurbish the whole community centre.
“Don’t be like that.” Jongdae punches him on the arm. “It’s really generous of him.”
Jongdae’s family is just about well enough off to be called middle class so he doesn’t have the same attitude towards money as the rest of them. It can be refreshing at times but also incredibly exasperating when he doesn’t realise just how little it matters to some people, especially those who are as wealthy as Joonmyun’s father.
Joonmyun shoots him a look in the rear-view mirror, “we’re going to go get measurements and see what they’ve got room for.”
“Ah,” Chanyeol says and he thinks he finally understands, “so you’re not really going to be doing any work?”
“I’ll do something.” Joonmyun insists.
“You said that when you agreed to help me move into my apartment.” Chanyeol points out.
“He hired those movers, didn’t he?” Baekhyun asks, slyly.
“And he bought dinner that night.” Jongin adds.
“When don’t I buy dinner?” Joonmyun huffs. “Besides, I didn’t see any of you complaining.”
“Probably because you bought our silence with alcohol.” Jongdae says.
“And yet here we are, still talking about it.” Joonmyun says.
“I’m sure the centre’s going to appreciate it.” Chanyeol tells him and earns himself a grateful smile for the change of subject. “Though, I really hope you’re not expecting me to help put anything together.”
“Don’t worry,” Baekhyun says, “I’ve made it my personal mission in life to make sure those poor children never go anywhere near anything you’ve had a hand in building.”
“Yeah,” Jongdae agrees, “that’s probably for the best. We don’t want any repeats of the bookcase incident.”
Chanyeol rubs at his arm as he remembers old wounds, “I hurt myself more than I hurt any of you.”
“And let’s keep it that way.” Joonmyun says.
They arrive at the centre just after ten and it isn’t a minute too soon for Chanyeol. Jongdae had been going into a way too in-depth retelling of Chanyeol’s interactions, or lack thereof, with Minseok over the last week and Jongin and Baekhyun have been taking too much pleasure from his misery.
“Don’t be so quick to judge.” Joonmyun says following a particularly crude remark from Baekhyun and Chanyeol is surprised by the steel in his words. “Or to criticise. You know nothing about this omega or why he’s like he is. You should be kinder for Chanyeol’s sake. He really likes him.”
Chanyeol immediately blushes, “oh my god. I’m not going to bond with him. Can you imagine what my parents would say if I brought him home?”
“Is this before or after you’ve fucked him?” Jongin asks with a smirk.
“Do you really think it matters? They’re going to be disappointed either way.” Baekhyun says. He pauses for the briefest of moments before adding, “but probably more so when Chanyeol has to break it to them that he’s got herpes.”
“I swear to god!” Chanyeol shouts but then they’re pulling into the parking lot and he’s unbuckling his belt before the car has even come to a stop.
He’s out of the car and halfway to the entrance before the others have even opened their doors.
“Hey, Chanyeol!” Baekhyun calls and Chanyeol turns back to face him, flipping him the bird with both hands. “You forgot your ga-.”
But then Chanyeol is colliding with another body and they both go tumbling to the hard asphalt floor, though Chanyeol’s fall is mostly broken by the smaller body beneath his.
“Shit.” He swears and then he freezes because the other’s scent is intoxicating and he has to breathe it in and savour it because he knows it so well and he’s never been this close.
“What are you doing?” Minseok huffs, sounding winded, and he pushing at Chanyeol’s body and trying to get out from under him. “Get off me!”
“What?” Chanyeol asks because his brain feels like it’s been replaced with cotton wool and he’s not one hundred percent sure what’s happening.
“Get off!” Minseok grinds out. “You’re hurting me.”
And that sparks something in Chanyeol and he scrambles to get to his feet.
“Oh, shit.” He breathes and he grabs at Minseok’s hands and pulls him to his feet, even if the omega tries to avoid his touch, and his heart is thumping madly against his ribcage. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine.” Minseok says and he makes no attempt to brush the dirt and dust from faded black uniform. Instead his hands go to the strap of the overstuffed messenger bag he’s wearing and there’s a small look of relief on his face when he finds that stitching joining the bag and the strap together has not been loosened any further.
“Are you sure?” Chanyeol asks and his hands itch to touch and make sure for himself. He doesn’t though because his friends are crowding around with gleeful looks on their faces.
Minseok ignores his question, ignores the others, and instead demands, “what are you doing here? Is stalking me at work not enough?”
“What?” Chanyeol asks and there’s a small bubble of irritation in his chest. “What are you talking about? Why would I be stalking you?”
“Then what are you doing here?” Minseok asks, his face hard.
“We just love to hang out in places like this.” Baekhyun’s voice is dripping with sarcasm. “Can’t think of anywhere else we’d rather spend our day.”
“We’re helping out over the summer.” Chanyeol explains as he shoots Baekhyun a glare. “There’s a garden at the back of the building that we’re clearing up so that the kids from the crèche have somewhere outside that they can play.”
“What?” Minseok asks and Chanyeol thinks he sees a flicker of surprise flash across his face.
“Are you deaf or just plain stupid?” Jongin asks and Chanyeol knows by the glance that Jongin sends his way that he’s trying to get a rise of Chanyeol more than he is Minseok.
It works.
Chanyeol rounds on him, “I swear to god, Jongin, if you don’t-.”
“You’re cleaning up the garden?” Minseok asks, ignoring them both. He looks taken aback. “For the kids?”
“Well, yeah.” Chanyeol shrugs.
There are emotions on Minseok’s face that Chanyeol doesn’t understand and when their eyes meet he feels like he’s drowning.
“I just didn’t think…” Minseok trails off and Chanyeol doesn’t think he’s ever seen him look so open. And yet, and yet Chanyeol still has no idea what he’s thinking but the world feels like it’s shrinking and it’s just the two of them and Chanyeol struggles to remember how to breathe.
He doesn’t think he wants to remember how to if it means he can make this moment last forever.
But then Baekhyun breaks the spell, “you should get to know a person before you judge them.”
Minseok looks away and Chanyeol feels an almost desperate urge to pin him down, mark him with his teeth and bond their scents together so that the whole world knows that Minseok is his.
There’ll be no more customers leering at Minseok then and the restaurant owner will keep his hands to himself and, god, how Chanyeol would like nothing more than to wipe the smug look from his ugly face.
He takes a step forwards but then Jongdae places a hand on his arm and keeps him in place. He gives him a look that plainly says ‘stay right where you are’ while Joonmyun hits Baekhyun on the arm for using his words against Minseok.
“Ignore him.” Joonmyun says. “We do.”
Minseok nods but then his eyes fall on Joonmyun’s far too flashy watch and he pales, “I am so late. I’ve got to go.”
They watch him as sprints across the parking lot and Jongin calls out after him, “get back here! You forgot to suck hyung’s di-.”
Jongdae’s not quick enough to stop Chanyeol from launching himself at Jongin. He wraps his arms around Jongin’s chest and tries to pull him to the floor but Jongin is pulling at his t-shirt and digging his fingers into his back and they are snapping at each other’s necks, their teeth bared.
Chanyeol has never felt so out of control, so wild.
“Jesus Christ.” Someone mutters and then there are hands on them, trying to pull them apart.
Chanyeol struggles against the arms wrapped around his chest until it finally hits him what he was trying to do and the fight drains out of him.
“Oh, fuck.” He whispers and then louder asks, “shit, man, Jongin, are you okay?”
The fight is gone from Jongin, too, but Joonmyun still keeps a hand on his shoulder just in case.
“Yeah. Fuck, ‘Yeol, I didn’t know you liked him that much.” Jongin says and he straightens his t-shirt and runs a hand through his hair.
“I don’t.” Chanyeol says but he knows it’s not true.
“You were practically eye fucking.” Baekhyun smirks but there’s none of the harshness in his words as there had been before.
“It’s true.” Jongdae nods and he pats Chanyeol’s shoulder. “I was going to suggest you get a room.”
“My little Chanyeol.” Joonmyun sniffs and wipes away fake tears and the last of the tension between them vanishes. “He’s growing up so fast.”
“They’re practically bonded.” Jongdae joins in and he gives an overdramatic sob. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Okay, okay.” Chanyeol says but secretly he’s pleased.
His friends can be assholes at times but they don’t lie to him, not about important stuff like this. He thinks, he hopes, that means that he’s in with a chance. That maybe Minseok likes him back.
“I’ll lay off.” Jongin declares as they set off in the direction of the entrance again. “But I can’t make any promises about Baekhyun.”
“Baekhyun can’t make any promises about Baekhyun.” Chanyeol says as he slings an arm around Jongin’s shoulders.
Baekhyun nods, “I sometimes wonder if there’s a disconnect somewhere between my brain and my mouth.”
“Yeah,” Jongdae snorts, “your brain. Mainly the assumption that you have one.”
When they reach the garden the subject is mostly dropped in favour of complaining about just how much work there is still left to do before they can even think about getting anything for the kids to play on. They discuss timescales for getting the various stages of the project completed and then Chanyeol helps Joonmyun take measurements of the garden while Jongdae talks Baekhyun and Jongin through the finer points of pulling up the flagstones.
“There’s not as much room as I was hoping.” Joonmyun admits once he’s finished noting down the garden’s dimensions on his iPad. “We could probably get a climbing frame and a swing set in. Maybe a shed, too, so that they can store things. The kids are still going to want room to run around in.”
“Yeah.” Chanyeol agrees even though he knows nothing about children.
“We could put the shed at the back over there.” Joonmyun points where he means. “And then everything else over here. That’ll be okay, won’t it?”
“I don’t know.” Chanyeol shrugs. “Maybe you should ask someone who works in the crèche?”
“Excellent idea.” Joonmyun grins at him and he forces Chanyeol to go with him just because he knows how much Chanyeol doesn’t like children.
But the joke is on Joonmyun because it’s a Saturday and thankfully, thankfully, the crèche is mostly empty. After walking passed it so many times during the week Chanyeol had been expecting to see hordes of screaming children, toys and books everywhere and the care staff to be at their wits end.
Instead the crèche is almost tranquil.
There are a few older children playing with a plastic kitchen set and one of the staff members is sat with a couple of toddlers who are doing some colouring in. Two more of the staff members are fussing over a pair of babies who cough and splutter and even Chanyeol, who is completely ignorant of all things relating to small children, can work out that they’re ill.
“-can’t keep bringing them in like his.” One of the women is saying as they approach, not having noticed their entrance. “It’s not fair on the other children.”
Joonmyun clears his throat and bows once he has their attention.
“My name is Kim Joonmyun.” He explains. “I’m one of the volunteers helping with the garden project. I was hoping I could have a minute of your time to discuss some ideas that we have?”
The women share looks before the elder of the two nods. She looks at Chanyeol before nodding at the baby fussing in her arms, “do you mind holding him while I speak to your friend? He won’t settle unless he’s being held.”
Chanyeol doesn’t seem to have a choice because suddenly he has an armful of baby that he has no idea what to do with. He looks to Joonmyun for help but he and the woman have moved to stand near the door and he is showing her photos on his iPad.
“You don’t need to look so frightened.” The second woman says and she smiles at his obvious discomfort. “He’s not going to bite.”
“I’m more worried about dropping him.” Chanyeol admits as the baby in his arm coughs. He frowns, “he doesn’t sound too good.”
“No.” The woman agrees. “They’re both a bit under the weather.”
“Can’t they take any medicine?” Chanyeol asks and he adjusts his hold on the squirming baby so that he’s flush against Chanyeol’s chest with his small head resting on his shoulder. It’s more awkward than anyone has ever made it look.
“Medicine is expensive.” The woman tells him. “Even with the discounts you can get from the clinic.”
Chanyeol’s heart plummets right through his chest and into the pit of his stomach, “I- I hadn’t thought about that.”
The woman gives him a sad smile and adjusts the baby in her grip, cooing over him when he scrunches up his face like he might cry, and says, “medicine or food? It’s a decision we’ve all had to make at one point.”
“I…” Chanyeol trails off, not quite sure what to say so he doesn’t say anything at all.
They’re saved from falling into an awkward silence by Joonmyun and the other woman returning, the latter smiling wildly.
Joonmyun is smiling, too, but it falters as he gets closer to the babies. He inhales deeply through his nose and says, “they have an interesting smell.”
Chanyeol takes a cautious sniff of the baby in his arms and thinks he catches a hint of something familiar under the general baby smell but he can’t work it out. Smell has never been his strongest sense.
“The twins are from a single parent family.” The older woman says with a tut as she takes the baby back from Chanyeol. “What you’re smelling is the lack of alpha or beta.”
“Yeah.” Joonmyun says and the distaste on his face his obvious. “That must be it.”
“You’re good to look after them.” Chanyeol says because there is no greater shame, nothing more unforgivable, than having children out of bond. The women are well within their rights to refuse to care for them. Chanyeol has heard stories of omegas being disowned by their families based on nothing more than a rumour of being pregnant out of bond. “A lot of people wouldn’t.”
“They’re just babies.” One of the women says. “We can’t punish them for the sins of the parent.”
“However big the sin.” The other adds.
They return to the garden then and are immediately dragged into helping with the flagstones. Baekhyun and Jongin mock them for dodging the real work as if Chanyeol hasn’t been there all week. Jongdae rolls his eyes and Joonmyun is distant, not even complaining when Baekhyun gets dirt over his designer sneakers.
They go to the restaurant at lunch and Chanyeol is shocked when it is Minseok who seats them and then comes to take their order after what had happened in the parking lot that morning. He is distant with them, though, and keeps his head bowed. Chanyeol wonders why at first but then he sees that Minseok’s lip is split and bruised and then he seethes.
“What happened?” He demands and the others fall silent. “Who did that?”
Minseok doesn’t look him but his voice is as calm and measured as always as he asks, “can I take your drinks order, please?”
“Minseok, look at me.” Chanyeol says and his tone leaves no room for argument.
“It’s nothing, okay?” Minseok hisses and their eyes meet for the briefest of moments. “Just leave it.”
“You heard him, Chanyeol.” Joonmyun says. His voice is cold, on the verge of rude, and the look he gives Minseok is nothing short of hostile, “I’ll have a sparkling water. Don’t forget to put some lemon in my glass this time, okay? You were lucky I didn’t complain last time.”
“Joonmyun?” Jongdae breathes because the rest of them are all in too much shock.
“The others will have cokes.” Joonmyun tells Minseok when no one else says anything. “What are you standing there for? Go get our drinks.”
Minseok nods and bows and leaves without another word.
“What the fuck, Joonmyun?” Jongin says.
“Stay away from him.” Joonmyun advises, shooting Minseok a glare from across the busy restaurant. “He’s not worth your time, Chanyeol.”
“Joonmyun?” Chanyeol asks, wanting some kind of explanation.
“Just trust me on this.” Joonmyun says and he refuses to explain any further.