ETY | MW [✔]

04.

The throbbing in his hand grew less after the omega left. It got dark, and Beast slept. When he woke, the pain in his hand was gone. Pulling off the white stuff the omega had wrapped around it, he held it up to the light, and turned it back and forth. The cuts had closed, the skin had healed, and every trace of blood was gone. Except on the wall, the stain a dark red, almost black. It was because of the omega; he'd tended to his hand, taken the pain away. It was strange to think they cared so much that they'd go to the trouble of healing him. That, alongside all the food, told Beast he was important somehow. They must have wanted him to fight, there was no other explanation for it. But why wait so long?

He went to sit by the door, his chain dragging along the floor behind him. It no longer bothered him. He knew how far he could get before it hobbled him. The morning passed slowly, the sun inching its way up the sky. Beast moved outside, sitting with his back to the wall. The sun fell across him, bathing him in warmth, and he closed his eyes. He wasn't sleeping, just listening and scenting, knowing the omega would come soon. Unless... unless he didn't.

The sound of footsteps moving through the forest had him opening his eyes and leaning forward in anticipation. There. He caught a glimpse of the omega through the trees, his body relaxing. The omega stopped in his usual spot, crouching close to the ground. He set his bag down and went to open it. Beast got to his feet, and the omega paused. Moving slowly, Beast went inside, sat down against the wall, and waited.

At first, he worried the omega would just leave. No food, no water. But the other shifter appeared in the doorway and started talking like normal. He came inside and sat down, pulling the food and water from his bag. Beast waited expectantly, his eyes on the bag. The omega made a strange sound, but when Beast looked at his face, he seemed to be smiling.

A moment later, a bright-colored ball rolled toward him, followed by another and another. Beast picked one up and went to bite into it, then remembering the previous day, started to tear the orange skin off first with his fingers. Before he bit into it, he looked down at the other two orange things by his feet and back up at the omega. Taking one in his hand, he rolled it back to the omega.

"Good," he told him.

The omega's smile grew wider, and he nodded.

"Good."

*****

Wonwoo didn't know what to think when the alpha got up and went inside the cottage. Mindful that Taehyun was very likely watching the camera feed, he moved forward cautiously, ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. Inside, the alpha sat calmly against the wall, as if waiting for him. When Wonwoo sat down, his eyes went expectantly to the bag held loosely in his hands.

Keeping to their usual routine, he doled out the food, unsurprised when the alpha went to eat the fruit first. Just as Taehyun had promised, they'd got more oranges. What he wasn't expecting, was the alpha to give one back to him, accompanied by only the second word Wonwoo had heard him speak.

"Good."

Wonwoo echoed him, picking up the orange and peeling it. He didn't like to take food meant for the alpha, but the other shifter was watching him expectantly. The alpha frowned when Wonwoo broke off a segment and popped it in his mouth, staring down at the pulpy mess in his hand, which was all that was left of the one he'd eaten.

"If you peel it, you can break it up into little pieces," he said, showing them to the alpha. "It means all the juicy goodness goes in your mouth and not all over your hands."

He held out the open orange to the alpha, encouraging him to take some. The shifter cautiously reached out, snagged two segments, and stuck them in his mouth.