Crown

24. Frosty Memories

Hongjoong looked gorgeous in his black fur coat that reached until the tops of his boots and the white catsuit peeking through on his arms. He and Seonghwa made an odd couple with Seonghwa wearing his soft pink winter jacket and grey cargo pants again.

Jongho was humming to some melody in his head and his fingers were tapping away on his robust thigh while he was safely steering them through the crystal clear air above Nepal. There was no snow falling at the moment and beneath them were endless hills of untouched white. It looked oddly fake in its perfection, but Seonghwa knew it was treacherous. He had spent more than a week wandering those hills until they found him all those years ago. This piece of earth was not welcoming of visitors.

Yunho was next to Jongho and he had a tablet with Wooyoung, San, Mingi and Yeosang squished on top of each other showing on the screen in his big hands. He laughed with them gleefully and sometimes showed them the snowy landscapes, too, so they could admire them.

Seonghwa was huddled against Hongjoong in the back, and the man had put one of his hands on Seonghwa's thighs. From time to time, he squeezed the alpha's leg gently as if to remind him he was there.

"How old were you when this happened?" Hongjoong spoke hushedly as he didn't want to bother the two in front. Yunho was having a good time with their new friends right now, and even Seonghwa was surprised how smoothly they had fit with each other. Seonghwa had had no time yet to discuss the idea of joining packs with his boys since he and Hongjoong had been a bit too attached to each other for the past few days. Yet, the thought wouldn't leave his mind either. Claim Hongjoong, mate with him afterwards... it made Seonghwa giddy like a little schoolgirl.

They had moved from rivals to lovers so fast and now he considered so much of their future together already. But then again Hongjoong did wait six years for him to get that.

"Aren't you watching the news about me?" Seonghwa playfully asked the other man, who then rolled his eyes. His ears were a little red at the tips, and Seonghwa would have loved to give him a fluffy hat, but he knew it was pointless with all of their dangerous maneuvres.

Hongjoong gently nudged his knee against Seonghwa's, a smirk playing around his lips.

"No, you idiot, it's all thirsting about you. I'm an alpha and a scorpio how do you think I react to such news?"

Seonghwa cooed at him, finding him completely adorable.

"Oh, they make you jealous? Oh no, poor baby." He laughed at the indignant slap that was delivered to his thigh and that he barely felt.

"I'm just joking, I don't watch them either if they aren't hilarious in their fakeness. I was nine." Seonghwa leaned back again to look out of the front window and met Mingi's dark eyes through the screen of the tablet. The man had been scrutinising him a lot ever since they had met as if he was trying to find a bad trait that he could point out. Seonghwa kept wondering if the tall beta saw him as a threat. Because he sure liked cuddling up to San and Yeosang.

"That's young... Will you be fine?" A more gentle, more worried squeeze. Seonghwa chuckled as he put his gloved hand over Hongjoong's and tenderly returned the gesture. He appreciated the man's worry.

"Yes. It's far in the past, I barely remember it. I'd rather have it be me to dig this up than my dad, who was hurting so deeply because of her."

Hongjoong nodded thoughtfully, his expression sombre. For a second, he didn't even seem to breathe, but then another smile brightened his features akin to a sunrise.

"Let's meet my parents then, somewhen! I'm sure they would love you, and you'll get to taste the best home-made cookies in France!"

"I can agree to that!" Wooyoung squeakily yelled over the screen because, of course, they were listening in, what else.