The Better to Protect You With, My Dear
The Better to Protect You With, My Dear
Pairing: KrisChen. I think I made an OT4 on accident too.
PG-13
Warnings: none
Summary: Jongdae in various levels of power
a/n: I suck at titles. I also blame junhos for this. It is entirely her fault. Here darling- for being the one to turn me from a casual reader and helpful beta into an actual fic writer for the first time ever, I dedicate this to you.
Save for the slight sounds of insects underfoot, the forest was quiet and still as Jongdae slunk around a wide oak on the crown of a small hill. There on the other side was a cave formed by a precipice of rock- Jongdae’s rock. He moved up to the top of the jut, just above the cave, and rolled onto his side. The familiarity of his favorite place and the cool summer breeze lulled the wolf into an easy sense of vigilant comfort. It was his wolfish nature to always be alert, but sitting here at his rock gave him a calm peace, even in his changed form.
Jongdae was just beginning to doze when he heard the rustle of brush off to his left. Ears perked and nose in the air, he moved to his feet and back into a passing cloud’s shadow to watch. It wasn't long before three young wolves, just barely past being cubs strolled around the tree and up his hill. Though they were quiet they made no attempt at stealth, padding softly towards the cave. From his perch Jongdae could see the rolling muscles in their shoulders, the lean strength in their legs, and the grace in the swish of their tails. From his perch, he could see the fire and hunger for a challenge in their eyes. He knew from the mental bond all werewolves share with their mates that somewhere behind him near the base of the hill Kris was hunting. He thought briefly of reaching out to the larger male before turning another glance on the wolves in front of him. The same smirk he’d worn on his face since he’d turned fourteen and perfected sarcasm curled at his lips, fiercer with extra sharpness of his canines. Let Kris rest, he thought smugly, I can take ‘em.
One of the young wolves moved forward, his quick movements surprisingly smooth for his erratic speed.
“Come on down, Jongdae. We know you’re up there.” A lazy grin seemed to spread across his face. “Didn't Sehun tell you last week we’d be coming by to play?”
“Shut up Kai; your bravado is boring. Why don’t you and your crew tumble on down into the forest and find Luhan, hmm? I’m sure this time you’ll be able to keep Sehun and Tao’s attention. If you’re lucky Luhan may even treat you like one of his precious maknaes too, and little pup Jongin won’t be left alone anymore.”
Jongdae heard Sehun and Tao snort as they busied themselves on the sides, hiding their faces in their paws. The youngests really were adorable. Even Kai, most days. Today was clearly not going to be one of those days. He’d probably dragged the other two up here hoping to intimidate Jongdae into giving them his rock in order to impress them. Even more likely, he wanted them to be so impressed they would praise him to Luhan. Jongdae heaved a small sigh- this is why he’d told them all to stop acting like Jongin wasn't a child and dote on him every now and again. Even if they weren't exactly a wolf pack, when they weren't changed they were all more or less friends. They could at least act like it.
“My name isn't Jongin!! I told you to call me Kai, you old mutt, and I don’t need anyone to pay me attention. Now cut the crap and give up the rock. You can leave peacefully or we can fight, and you can come down here to face us or I can come up there. It’s your choice, but it all ends the same way.”
I knew he would try to pull this. Still, it’s irritating to be so right all the time. On Jongin’s left, Sehun looked disinterested and aloof, but that was the wolfboy’s general reaction to everything and everyone except Luhan. Tao was to his right and in the middle of a particularly long stretch. He finished, sat back on his haunches, and raised a paw to bat at his nose and rub his eyes. Jongin seems to be the only one who cares about this. It should be easy to scare ‘em off, maybe even keep them from ever coming back.
Jongdae moved out of the shadows with his belly low to the ground, hackles raised, and a snarl exposing his teeth. He let a low growl build deep in the pit of his stomach and rise to the back of his throat.
“Children. Hyung loves talking to you, really I do. But I believe I told you lot to get lost. I have a particular brand of punishment for insolents pups who ignore their elders’ wishes.” He allowed his irritation at having been disturbed to add a flash of danger to his eyes as he leaned forward over the rock’s edge. “Do you really want to test me?”
The three wolves had been leaning back warily since Jongdae crawled forward, but suddenly they looked absolutely terrified. Sehun jumped in the air and landed on Tao’s back with a yelp, and Tao immediately bucked him off and onto Jongin. With a pained whimper the three of them scrabbled around, running into each other and tripping over themselves before they got enough traction under their feet to wheel around and down the hillside with all the speed their bodies possessed. Jongdae stood stock-still as he watched them go, but inside he was rolling around in glee. He knew he had a fierce quality to him despite his small size, but he wasn’t responsible for that hasty retreat- he only knew of one person who could send any wolf running like that.
In their human form his mate was the largest in their group of friends, standing at, at least, 6’4”. With his wide shoulders, large hands, and strict aura he dwarfed everybody with his presence and in his wolf form he was massive. Jongdae loved it. He knew he was strong enough to take care of himself, but the rush he felt whenever Kris curled around him, or lifted him several feet into the air was heady and addicting. It made him positively giddy whenever Kris padded up behind him and used his teeth to grab him by the scruff of his neck, carrying him like a wolf pup. Jongdae lived for those moments when his gentle giant of a lover dominated him, and made sure the older larger wolfman knew it too. He had interesting ways of expressing his gratitude and pleasure when Kris behaved as he liked.
He held his pose, waiting for Kris to come down and lecture him. He didn’t wait long.
“Jongdae. Why didn’t you call for me? I knew something was off when your thoughts got so random and unrelated but you felt so calm I took my time getting up here. I had no idea you were in trouble-”
“I am 99% sure you didn’t know I was in trouble because I wasn’t in trouble, Kris. It was just Jongin, Tao, and Sehun. I was handling it just fine.”
Wolves don’t normally frown, but Kris was far from normal and he was displeased with Jongdae’s flippant reply, so frown he did.
“You know he wants to be called Kai. And I don’t care if it was just Kai or just Tao or just Sehun, it could have been just a kitten and you still should have called me. I want to protect you.”
“Did I ask you to come protect me? I don’t know why you think I can’t handle myself; I was a werewolf before anyone else in this group and I taught the lot of you how to cope. Who are you to explain anything to me?”
If there was a list of things Jongdae loved about his dynamic with Kris, being dominated would be number one, but number two would be needling Kris about it. Even though he knew how much Jongdae enjoyed him being aggressive and protective, he also knew there was a limit. If he got overbearing, Jongdae would get pissed off. A pissed off Jongdae did his level best to scratch off Kris’ face, and even worse as far as Kris cared, a pissed off Jongdae was unhappy. These were both circumstances Kris tried to avoid, so when Jongdae scolded him he drooped his ears and tucked his tail between his legs. The whole situation was hilariously endearing to Jongdae. Were his claws out right now? No. Was he climbing up Kris’ back to get to his face? Not even a little. For the love of all things pure and clean, Kris could feel Jongdae’s emotions mentally- he knew clearly and better than anyone else that Jongdae was far from unhappy. And yet, he still allowed himself to be cowed, just to be on the safe side. Jongdae finally let up the fog over specific thoughts he’d been carrying in his head since he decided to take on the three other wolves alone. The moment he caught Jongdae’s line of thinking, Kris entire body bristled as he took his cue to move in.
“If he could have, Kai would have fought you and taken your land, just for the benefit of those he loves. The fact that he brought Tao and Sehun along at all proves how serious he was willing to be, and the fact that they came along means they were okay with that. They threatened your turf, Jongdae. They threatened you. And I will not stand for anyone or anything threatening what is mine, do you understand me?”
Throughout his entire speech, Kris’d stalked closer and closer to the smaller wolf until Jongdae was situated between Kris’ front two paws, head tilted straight up in order to see Kris’ face. Those dark eyes pinned Jongdae down, and as the silence stretched on without an answer a snarl so deep Jongdae felt it in the earth more than he heard it with his ears began to rumble in Kris’ chest. He felt his mouth dry and throat close up in excitement before he ducked his head and whispered
“Yes Kris. I understand.”
“Apologize.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“For not taking my safety seriously. For not telling you I was in danger.”
Jongdae looked back up into his mate’s face, and then crawled forward to press his nose into the fur of Kris’ lower chest.
“I promise from now on to always tell you when I need you.”
“Good.” Kris nodded once with finality, and raised a paw to lightly bat at Jongdae’s tail.
“…Kris?”
“Yes Jongdae?”
“You make me feel so safe when you come to my rescue.”
The smaller wolf sauntered away, off the top of the cave and down the hill. He looked back over his shoulder with wide innocent eyes and a cheeky grin,
“Won’t you follow me home? I really, really, need you right now. You know, to thank you for taking such good care of me.”
With one loud growl, Kris bounded down the hill, snatched his boyfriend up in his jaws and raced away into the night, Jongdae’s pleased laughter echoing far behind them.
Pairing: KrisChen. I think I made an OT4 on accident too.
PG-13
Warnings: none
Summary: Jongdae in various levels of power
a/n: I suck at titles. I also blame junhos for this. It is entirely her fault. Here darling- for being the one to turn me from a casual reader and helpful beta into an actual fic writer for the first time ever, I dedicate this to you.
Save for the slight sounds of insects underfoot, the forest was quiet and still as Jongdae slunk around a wide oak on the crown of a small hill. There on the other side was a cave formed by a precipice of rock- Jongdae’s rock. He moved up to the top of the jut, just above the cave, and rolled onto his side. The familiarity of his favorite place and the cool summer breeze lulled the wolf into an easy sense of vigilant comfort. It was his wolfish nature to always be alert, but sitting here at his rock gave him a calm peace, even in his changed form.
Jongdae was just beginning to doze when he heard the rustle of brush off to his left. Ears perked and nose in the air, he moved to his feet and back into a passing cloud’s shadow to watch. It wasn't long before three young wolves, just barely past being cubs strolled around the tree and up his hill. Though they were quiet they made no attempt at stealth, padding softly towards the cave. From his perch Jongdae could see the rolling muscles in their shoulders, the lean strength in their legs, and the grace in the swish of their tails. From his perch, he could see the fire and hunger for a challenge in their eyes. He knew from the mental bond all werewolves share with their mates that somewhere behind him near the base of the hill Kris was hunting. He thought briefly of reaching out to the larger male before turning another glance on the wolves in front of him. The same smirk he’d worn on his face since he’d turned fourteen and perfected sarcasm curled at his lips, fiercer with extra sharpness of his canines. Let Kris rest, he thought smugly, I can take ‘em.
One of the young wolves moved forward, his quick movements surprisingly smooth for his erratic speed.
“Come on down, Jongdae. We know you’re up there.” A lazy grin seemed to spread across his face. “Didn't Sehun tell you last week we’d be coming by to play?”
“Shut up Kai; your bravado is boring. Why don’t you and your crew tumble on down into the forest and find Luhan, hmm? I’m sure this time you’ll be able to keep Sehun and Tao’s attention. If you’re lucky Luhan may even treat you like one of his precious maknaes too, and little pup Jongin won’t be left alone anymore.”
Jongdae heard Sehun and Tao snort as they busied themselves on the sides, hiding their faces in their paws. The youngests really were adorable. Even Kai, most days. Today was clearly not going to be one of those days. He’d probably dragged the other two up here hoping to intimidate Jongdae into giving them his rock in order to impress them. Even more likely, he wanted them to be so impressed they would praise him to Luhan. Jongdae heaved a small sigh- this is why he’d told them all to stop acting like Jongin wasn't a child and dote on him every now and again. Even if they weren't exactly a wolf pack, when they weren't changed they were all more or less friends. They could at least act like it.
“My name isn't Jongin!! I told you to call me Kai, you old mutt, and I don’t need anyone to pay me attention. Now cut the crap and give up the rock. You can leave peacefully or we can fight, and you can come down here to face us or I can come up there. It’s your choice, but it all ends the same way.”
I knew he would try to pull this. Still, it’s irritating to be so right all the time. On Jongin’s left, Sehun looked disinterested and aloof, but that was the wolfboy’s general reaction to everything and everyone except Luhan. Tao was to his right and in the middle of a particularly long stretch. He finished, sat back on his haunches, and raised a paw to bat at his nose and rub his eyes. Jongin seems to be the only one who cares about this. It should be easy to scare ‘em off, maybe even keep them from ever coming back.
Jongdae moved out of the shadows with his belly low to the ground, hackles raised, and a snarl exposing his teeth. He let a low growl build deep in the pit of his stomach and rise to the back of his throat.
“Children. Hyung loves talking to you, really I do. But I believe I told you lot to get lost. I have a particular brand of punishment for insolents pups who ignore their elders’ wishes.” He allowed his irritation at having been disturbed to add a flash of danger to his eyes as he leaned forward over the rock’s edge. “Do you really want to test me?”
The three wolves had been leaning back warily since Jongdae crawled forward, but suddenly they looked absolutely terrified. Sehun jumped in the air and landed on Tao’s back with a yelp, and Tao immediately bucked him off and onto Jongin. With a pained whimper the three of them scrabbled around, running into each other and tripping over themselves before they got enough traction under their feet to wheel around and down the hillside with all the speed their bodies possessed. Jongdae stood stock-still as he watched them go, but inside he was rolling around in glee. He knew he had a fierce quality to him despite his small size, but he wasn’t responsible for that hasty retreat- he only knew of one person who could send any wolf running like that.
In their human form his mate was the largest in their group of friends, standing at, at least, 6’4”. With his wide shoulders, large hands, and strict aura he dwarfed everybody with his presence and in his wolf form he was massive. Jongdae loved it. He knew he was strong enough to take care of himself, but the rush he felt whenever Kris curled around him, or lifted him several feet into the air was heady and addicting. It made him positively giddy whenever Kris padded up behind him and used his teeth to grab him by the scruff of his neck, carrying him like a wolf pup. Jongdae lived for those moments when his gentle giant of a lover dominated him, and made sure the older larger wolfman knew it too. He had interesting ways of expressing his gratitude and pleasure when Kris behaved as he liked.
He held his pose, waiting for Kris to come down and lecture him. He didn’t wait long.
“Jongdae. Why didn’t you call for me? I knew something was off when your thoughts got so random and unrelated but you felt so calm I took my time getting up here. I had no idea you were in trouble-”
“I am 99% sure you didn’t know I was in trouble because I wasn’t in trouble, Kris. It was just Jongin, Tao, and Sehun. I was handling it just fine.”
Wolves don’t normally frown, but Kris was far from normal and he was displeased with Jongdae’s flippant reply, so frown he did.
“You know he wants to be called Kai. And I don’t care if it was just Kai or just Tao or just Sehun, it could have been just a kitten and you still should have called me. I want to protect you.”
“Did I ask you to come protect me? I don’t know why you think I can’t handle myself; I was a werewolf before anyone else in this group and I taught the lot of you how to cope. Who are you to explain anything to me?”
If there was a list of things Jongdae loved about his dynamic with Kris, being dominated would be number one, but number two would be needling Kris about it. Even though he knew how much Jongdae enjoyed him being aggressive and protective, he also knew there was a limit. If he got overbearing, Jongdae would get pissed off. A pissed off Jongdae did his level best to scratch off Kris’ face, and even worse as far as Kris cared, a pissed off Jongdae was unhappy. These were both circumstances Kris tried to avoid, so when Jongdae scolded him he drooped his ears and tucked his tail between his legs. The whole situation was hilariously endearing to Jongdae. Were his claws out right now? No. Was he climbing up Kris’ back to get to his face? Not even a little. For the love of all things pure and clean, Kris could feel Jongdae’s emotions mentally- he knew clearly and better than anyone else that Jongdae was far from unhappy. And yet, he still allowed himself to be cowed, just to be on the safe side. Jongdae finally let up the fog over specific thoughts he’d been carrying in his head since he decided to take on the three other wolves alone. The moment he caught Jongdae’s line of thinking, Kris entire body bristled as he took his cue to move in.
“If he could have, Kai would have fought you and taken your land, just for the benefit of those he loves. The fact that he brought Tao and Sehun along at all proves how serious he was willing to be, and the fact that they came along means they were okay with that. They threatened your turf, Jongdae. They threatened you. And I will not stand for anyone or anything threatening what is mine, do you understand me?”
Throughout his entire speech, Kris’d stalked closer and closer to the smaller wolf until Jongdae was situated between Kris’ front two paws, head tilted straight up in order to see Kris’ face. Those dark eyes pinned Jongdae down, and as the silence stretched on without an answer a snarl so deep Jongdae felt it in the earth more than he heard it with his ears began to rumble in Kris’ chest. He felt his mouth dry and throat close up in excitement before he ducked his head and whispered
“Yes Kris. I understand.”
“Apologize.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“For not taking my safety seriously. For not telling you I was in danger.”
Jongdae looked back up into his mate’s face, and then crawled forward to press his nose into the fur of Kris’ lower chest.
“I promise from now on to always tell you when I need you.”
“Good.” Kris nodded once with finality, and raised a paw to lightly bat at Jongdae’s tail.
“…Kris?”
“Yes Jongdae?”
“You make me feel so safe when you come to my rescue.”
The smaller wolf sauntered away, off the top of the cave and down the hill. He looked back over his shoulder with wide innocent eyes and a cheeky grin,
“Won’t you follow me home? I really, really, need you right now. You know, to thank you for taking such good care of me.”
With one loud growl, Kris bounded down the hill, snatched his boyfriend up in his jaws and raced away into the night, Jongdae’s pleased laughter echoing far behind them.