Chapter Text
“I honestly don’t know why you’re trying again.”
They’re not going to want you.
“You’re going to age out soon, you know what that means.”
You’re just gonna be sent back and end up on the streets.
“We’ll get to play with you even more when you come back this time.”
You’re going to die here. Alone.
“That’s enough out of you, boys. Changkyun, it’s time to go.” The boy in question snapped himself out of his thoughts at the softer voice, glancing up blankly with a nod. His backpack was already hooked over his shoulder, everything he owned stuffed into the fraying canvas.”You lot run along, now. Miss Campbell is waiting for you in the kitchen for your afternoon chores.” Her tone of voice left no room for argument, and the group of boys ran off with final sneers cast in Changkyun’s direction. Only when the last of them rounded the corner, was the boy able to relax a bit, releasing a shaky breath. “Hey, it’ll be okay. This time won’t be like the last.” Her words should have been reassuring, but Changkyun could only stare down at his feet, wanting to glare at the holes in his shoes but not having the energy to.
“That’s what you said last time.” His voice was monotone and raspy from years of disuse, and if you weren’t paying attention you wouldn’t have even known he’d spoken. A heavy sigh from the woman had Changkyun sucking his bottom lip between his teeth, worrying it before he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He bit down a little rougher on his lip, letting out his own sigh. “I’m sorry. That was rude.” The woman shook her head, smiling down at him softly as she led him through the halls he had become all too accustomed to.
“It’s fine, Changkyun. You’ve been through hell. I’m not surprised you don’t believe me, but I’d really like for you to trust me. I know this pack personally. I placed two of them myself when they were younger than you.” This piqued the boy’s interest. He wondered if he knew any of the people in this pack he’d be going with, or if he at least recognized them. The ear atop his head twitched slightly as he glanced back up at the woman, his face still blank even as he tilted his head. “You might be too young to remember them, but it’s Hyunwoo’s pack.” This had the ears falling flat onto the boys head.
Son Hyunwoo had been the best and worst thing to ever happen to Changkyun. He’d been just a pup, then, not even a teenager. He still spent all of his time surrounded by the teachers and older women from the shelter, who tended to dote on the younger ones. The older boys usually kept to themselves unless it was chore time, but not Hyunwoo. The older kids had a short break from chores during the pup’s play time outside, and he had come running the very second Changkyun had fallen out of a tree. The older boy had carried him all the way to the infirmary and never left his side while they reset his leg and left him to heal. They’d become attached at the hip. Any chance Changkyun got he was glued to the older boy, came to rely on him. Hyunwoo had been the only one to make an attempt to interact with him in such a long time that it was hard not to get attached. Which was why it hurt so much when Hyunwoo decided he wanted to head out on his own after his 16th birthday. Changkyun had barely been 11, far too young for a pup to leave the shelter without a stable guardian. Hyunwoo had always said that he would be back to visit, but he never had. He left Changkyun alone.
Perhaps he thought another pack would see Changkyun’s charms and take him in. He couldn’t have known that his departure would squash Changkyun’s smile so badly that no pack kept him around for longer than a month.
“I remember.” He finally whispered the words, shaking his head clear of his thoughts. If he didn’t stop, he wouldn’t be able to pull himself out of his own head, and then Hyunwoo would want to give him back, too. “Does he know it’s me?” He couldn’t stop the question when it popped up, the slightest hint of worry bleeding into his voice.
The woman’s expression softened further, and she gave his shoulder a squeeze before pulling him closer. “Of course he does, Changkyun. He always said that he was going to come back for you.”
“He also said he would visit.” Changkyun forced his voice back to its neutral tone, afraid that if he didn’t, he would either cry or scream.
“Changkyun.” The woman’s voice was a little more harsh as she stopped them near the front doors. Instead of pushing him through she moved to stand in front of him, dropping down to her knees. One hand clutched both of Changkyun’s, while her free hand traced a healing bruise beneath his eye. “I’m not going to give any excuses to try and make you feel better, but this is only going to work if you want it to. I know you don’t blame him for anything that’s happened to you, and I’m so proud of you for that, but horrible things did happen. You’ve bounced back each and every time, because I know somewhere you’ve been holding out hope. Well that time has finally come, and I just want you happy. You deserve this, Changkyun.” He doesn’t know why it made the tear slide down his cheek, but the next thing he knew he was wrapped in the woman’s comforting arms as she stroked her hands over his ears. “You don’t have to visit, but I want you to write, okay? And maybe call sometimes?” Changkyun nodded against her shoulder, giving his own weak hug in return.
He knew that had she been allowed, he would be in Miss Days’ pack. Hell, she’d once said that she would outright adopt him if she could, but the caretakers were not allowed to take anyone in from the shelter for personal reasons. He knew that. “Of course I will.” Maybe he would even visit, if Hyunwoo and his pack let him. He only hoped that the next time he and Miss Days saw each other, it wouldn’t be because he was once again unwanted.
“There’s my boy.” WIth a gentle press of her lips to the top of his head she pulled away, hands still on Changkyun’s shoulders for a brief moment before she turned around. “Come on, then. Your new pack is waiting for you.” With a determined nod and sharp intake of breath Changkyun followed her out the doors. He didn’t care about his messed up face or the tear streaks, only keeping his head held high to please the caretaker. “Hyunwoo! Loot at you! All grown up!” Changkyun found himself disappointed in himself as his head lowered the second Miss Day walked away. The tiny voice in his head telling him he was doing well. He’d already learned his lesson about looking an Alpha in the eyes or their general direction. He found himself tuning back into the conversation as soon as his name was mentioned. “Yes, yes. He’s right-” The woman’s voice got cut off, and Changkyun found himself being pulled into strong arms. He was proud, though, when he didn’t wince at the discomfort in his ribs. “There.”
“Kyun-ah.” The voice muffled by his ears hadn’t changed a lick in the nine years they’d been apart, and it sent off a rush of emotion coursing through his veins before he promptly shut it down.
“Hello.” He managed to croak the words out, his voice box already complaining about the frequent use for the day. Finally the arms were removed, only to be replaced by hands on his shoulders. He still couldn’t bring himself to look up.
“Hyunwoo-hyung?!” The excited shouts had Changkyun tensing, and he cursed internally since Hyunwoo would have most definitely felt it beneath his hands before he pulled them away.
Changkyun only saw the hoard of feet as Hyunwoo was surrounded, excited greetings being passed around as he stood to the side, hands tightening around his backpack strap. He was perfectly content waiting patiently from Hyunwoo to be finished, until he felt a familiar warmth at his back. “Isn’t this just precious.” The sneer in his ear had Changkyun tensing even further, trying to curl in on himself. “Hyunwoo hyung came back for his little shadow. Too bad he doesn’t know about all of the times you fucked up. Maybe someone should tell him, save him the grief of having to keep you in his home until he brings you back.” Changkyun’s eyes close against the onslaught of words, pouring all of his focus into keeping his breathing calm and tears at bay. “You’ll be back, and I’ll get to play with you all over again, and it will be just like new.” This time the words were paired with a hand roughly gripping his backside. There was no stopping the fearful whimper that slipped from his throat, or the rapid thump of his heartbeat from the action.
“Minki! Look how tall you got!” Changkyun’s eyes snapped open as Hyunwoo’s voice got closer, but he kept his head pointed towards his shoes. Surprisingly, there were no further greetings to the boy behind him as Hyunwoo placed a gentle hand onto Changkyun’s shoulder. “Hey, pup. Are you ready to go?” Changkyun’s response was a barely there nod, and that apparently wasn’t good enough for Hyunwoo. The older man used a finger from his free hand to lift under Changyun’s chin. The pup had no choice but to finally look up into the face of the other male, and he watched a myriad of emotions cross his eyes. There were no words as a finger gently brushed the healing split in his lip, but Hyunwoo’s eyes quickly closed off, his mouth setting into a thin line. “Come on. We need to get back before Kihyun finishes dinner, or he’ll nag us to death.” Another nod from Changkyun, and Hyunwoo took that as a sign to grab the pup’s hand, leading him towards the van parked in front of the building. With his eyes on the ground, Changkyun missed the harsh look Hyunwoo threw back in Minki’s direction.
“Alright, so I’ll follow you in the company car.” Changkyun’s head snapped up, worry filling his eyes for a brief moment before he schooled his expression. “I won’t go into details, or say anything that will make you uncomfortable, but I need to go over your file with the pack.” Knowing it was standard procedure, the boy nodded, his teeth returning to his bottom lip to worry at the healing mark there. “Go on. I’ll be right behind you.” With a quick nod Changkyun slid himself into the backseat of the van, keeping his eyes down as he buckled himself into a seat.
“Changkyun, this is Minhyuk, one of my Beta’s.” With his peripherals he could see the blonde in the passenger seat turn to wave, and Changkyun gave a respectful bow of his head.
“It’s nice to meet you.” His words once again came out croaked, and he cleared his throat before returning his focus to his shoes to control the flush of his cheeks.
“It’s an hour drive, so go ahead and get some rest, Kyun-ah.” Knowing an out when he saw one, Changkyun gratefully wiggled in the seat until he was comfortable, and tilted his head against the seat rest. With his eyes closed, he didn’t care if the men in the front seat could see the bruises and scarring on his face, and he could forget that his childhood hero was about to hear every horrible thing he’d ever done since he was left behind. With his eyes closed and ears tuned to the quiet murmurs in the front seat, he could almost forget that he was alone.
Changkyun hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until he jolted at the van door being opened. His eyes went wide, landing on the blonde from the front seat, Minhyuk, who was reaching over, probably to wake him up. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. We’re here.” Changkyun nodded, stretching slightly while ignoring the open worry on the other male’s face at the exposed skin of his stomach. “Are your other bags in Miss Days’ car?” Changkyun shook his head, snagging up his backpack before the blonde could get to it. He just wanted to get inside. He couldn’t take the open emotions flitting across Minhyuk’s face. “Come on, then. I’ll introduce you to the others while Hyunwoo waits out here. We lost Miss Days coming off of the highway.” Another nod was his reply, since Changkyun couldn’t trust his voice at the moment.
The pup’s head remained lowered as he followed Minhyuk up the front steps to the house, trying his hardest not to flinch when Hyunwoo patted his head on the way by. “We warned everyone that you’re a little shy, so they’re not going to be too crazy, but can you tell me if you’re feeling overwhelmed, please?” Changkyun couldn’t hide his shock as he finally looked up at Minhyuk’s face, even knowing the potential consequences. The older male looked almost nervous, and Changkyun found that he hated it.
“Promise.” He croaked, and Minhyuk’s face softened before hesitantly reaching out to pat his head. When Changkyun didn’t flinch away, he put a little more pressure into the gesture with a small smile.
“Don’t push yourself, okay? If you need, we can grab you a notepad.” The pup’s head was spinning. No one had ever taken him into such consideration before. Of course, he also had the feeling that this pack didn’t just want him for a breeder like the others had. Not with Hyunwoo at the helm.
“Is this the famous Changkyun?” A new voice had the pup’s head tilting down again, and Minhyuk moved his hand to his shoulder.
“Hey.” When Changkyun looked up, Minhyuk was on a knee so they could look each other in the eye. “You don’t need to be afraid with us, okay? I promise no one is going to be mad if you look at us. If anything, it will help us know if you get too uncomfortable.” His voice was gentle, and something about it made tears well in Changkyun’s eyes, but he blinked them back with a solid nod. “This is Kihyun. He’s kind of like our pack mother.” He snickered at his own words, and Kihyun whacked him playfully on the back of his head.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Changkyun.” The pup in question gave a respectful nod as he turned towards the new male, forcing himself to look up. He knew the moment Kihyun took in his bruising because he took a quick step forward before stopping himself. “Oh, sweetheart.” The term of endearment and tone of voice had Changkyun sucking in a breath as Kihyun approached further. He held out a hand, question in his eyes, and Changkyun made the move. He stepped into the touch, rubbing his ears against the hand, which made Kihyun’s grin grow. “Come on, let’s get you settled at the table, hm? Wonnie and Honey are in there, very excited to meet you as well.” Changkyun nodded, allowing the male to wrap an arm around his shoulder to lead him to the kitchen. “Boys, this is Changkyun. Changkyun, this is Hyungwon and Jooheon.” Changkyun once again gave his bows, remembering his manners even if he did want to run and hide.
Contrary to what Kihyun had said, both boys only gave quiet greetings, obviously not wanting to spook him. “We’re going to wait until Hyung comes in to start eating, is that okay with you?” While his stomach protested, Changkyun gave a nod. He was used to waiting for food. It was sad, but he was rather proud of how long he could go without eating.
“Go ahead and get the plates ready, Ki.” Hyunwoo’s voice had him tensing, because he knew what that meant. Even as a plate of delicious smelling chicken and pasta was placed in front of him, he couldn’t move. Soon, they would all know.
A familiar, comforting hand on his shoulder allowed him to relax the slightest bit. Knowing Miss Days would be right by his side as they found out made him feel a little better about the situation. “Hello, boys. I’m Melissa Days, and I just want to start by thanking you for offering to care for my boy.” Her gentle hands moved over his ears, and Changkyun leaned into the touch, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “As we discussed, Kyunnie’s time with us hasn’t been that easy. He’s been through three abusive packs, and had some problems with the other boys at the shelter.” Even amidst the choir of them, Changkyun could pick out Hyunwoo’s gasp, and he squeezed his eyes closed. The last thing he’d wanted to do was make Hyunwoo look at him differently. A soft hand on his own had him giving a subtle sniff, relaxing further when he realized it was Kihyun trying to give him comfort.
“I’m sure he wants to be able to share details when he’s ready, but...Mel...What happened?” The tone of Hyunwoo’s voice had him choking in a breath, and Changkyun found himself gripping at Kihyun’s fingers.
“I don’t want to ruin your dinner, boys.” She was trying to save Changkyun a panic attack, and he knew it, but no one else did, and he could just imagine the stern looks from the pack members. “Two of the packs smacked him around because he was the smallest. They both brought him back to the shelter because he wasn’t up to their standards.” Hyunwoo’s sharp growl caused Changkyun to shiver. “After the first time, Changkyun stopped talking, and the second pack saw that as weakness, which they apparently couldn’t tolerate.” This time it was Miss Days doing the growling. “The third-” She cut herself off with a harsh breath, and Changkyun tensed for the bomb to drop. “They falsified their paperwork and took him as a breeder.” This time a hand slammed down onto the table and Changkyun visibly flinched, curling into himself. Kihyun’s hand clutched his tighter, his thumb rubbing whatever flesh it could touch to calm the pup down. “Hey, hey. It’s alright, Kyunnie.” Melissa tried to smooth a hand over his hair, but the action just made him panic further.
“I’m sorry.” He gasped out, yanking his hand from Kihyun’s as he practically threw himself from his chair and raced for the door. As soon as the cold air hit his face the sobs started, and he couldn’t stop them even as they stole his breath and he fell to his knees.
“Changkyun. Kyunnie listen to me.” Melissa was back at his side, and this time he slumped into her arms while she rubbed circles into his back.
“We should go home now. They won’t want me, now. I’m dirty.” His words were jumbled through the gasps and sobs, but the woman heard him, and just clung to him tighter.
“No, Kyunnie, no. You know that’s not true. Hyunwoo spent all of these years saving up and building you the perfect pack. He’s not going to turn you away for things out of your control. You didn’t ask that pack to use you, nor the others to hurt you. It’s not your fault, Changkyun.” And though he’d heard those very words hundreds of times, they still made him sob. Melissa always knew exactly how he was feeling, and which thoughts were rearing their heads. “Now breathe with me, okay?” After a few moments Changkyun’s breathing had calmed, but his sobs hadn’t, and they just came harder when the front door opened. “Be gentle with him, please.”
“Of course.” Hyunwoo’s voice sounded wrecked, like he had been the one sobbing instead of Changkyun. “Hey, Kyun-ah. Can you look at me please?” It was difficult, his body having barely any strength left after his panic attack, but his eyes blinked open. His vision was blurry from the flowing tears, but he saw that Hyunwoo’s cheeks were red, and his eyes were also glassy. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come for you sooner.” That was all Changkyun needed to move from Melissa’s arms. He crawled into Hyunwoo’s lap without hesitation, clinging to his shirt like he had when he’d broken his leg as a child. “I’m not letting you go, now. We will spend every day making sure you know you belong. You’re meant to be here, with us. You’ve always been my pack, and that won’t ever change.” Even though he wanted to cry more, the Alpha’s words calmed him further, and Changkyun found himself nuzzling into Hyunwoo’s neck.
“Go. Get him settled. It always takes a while from him to come down after an attack. I left his file with Kihyun, and know that you can call me at any time.” Changkyun couldn’t even wave goodbye as Melissa ruffled his hair for a final time.
“We have a room set up for you.” Hyunwoo spoke as he slowly stood, shifting Changkyun to get a better hold on him. Without even saying anything Changkyun shook his head, and Hyunwoo nuzzled against his ears. “Whose room do you want tonight, then?” Changkyun was able to croak out an eomma, which had Hyunwoo laughing as he moved them back into the house. “Ki, is it alright if I settle Kyun in your room for a while?”
“Of course, you don’t even need to ask.” Kihyun’s voice grew closer, and after a brief moment he felt fingers stroking at his ears. A deep grumble of content came from his chest as he nuzzled into it. He could hate himself for the show of emotions all he wanted when he was back to his senses. “Would you like me to stay with you? The others can take care of the kitchen for a night.” Changkyun gave a weak nod of his head, and Hyunwoo began moving to one of the first floor bedrooms.
“I’ll check on you in a while, okay?” Hyunwoo set Changkyun onto a plush bed covered in blue sheets, hands stroking his ears until he got a nod from the younger male. All the while Kihyun was rushing around in his closet before coming out with a large hoodie. “Get some rest.”
Kihyun only approached when Hyunwoo left, in case it sent Changkyun into another panic. “Here. This has some of our scents on it, it may help.” Changkyun nodded again before forcing his arms to work. When they didn’t, he huffed, and Kihyun gave him a soft smile. “Is it alright if I help?” For once, the thought of someone seeing his bare chest didn’t bother Changkyun. He was too tired and sore to care, so he nodded. Kihyun worked silently, only sucking in a breath when all of the buttons of the dress shirt were undone, revealing marred skin. “Oh, sweetheart.” He whispered again, and Changkyun’s breath wavered. Hesitant fingers reached out, tracing over the dark bruising around the pup’s ribs. “She didn’t know about these, did she? They’re fresh.” Changkyun only shook his head, wishing his throat didn’t hurt so much.
“This morning.” He managed to get out, and Kihyun’s lips turned into a frown.
“Those boys Miss Days mentioned?” A nod. “It will hurt, but I need to set them, sweetheart.” Not giving any sort of response, Changkyun shifted so he was laying on his back, the bruising aimed towards Kihyun. “Take a deep breath for me, okay?.” Changkyun did as he was told, only letting out a soft whimper when Kihyun shoved his ribs back into place. “There. You did so well.” The older male cooed as he helped Changkyun sit up long enough to fit the hoodie over his head. Even sitting down the hem nearly reached his knees. Without prompt, Changkyun laid himself back down, making sure to leave room for Kihyun. The older boy took an extra minute to remove his own button down, leaving him in a plain white t-shirt, before settling in next to the pup. “Come over here, I’ll keep you safe while you rest.”
And Changkyun did, snuggling up against Kihyun’s side while the older male’s arm wrapped around his middle. As his eyes closed, the scent of Kihyun and the others filled his nose, and he went to sleep without fear for the first time in years.