A/N: rewritten due to changes in writing style
They didn't walk for too long. The trio of friends, who had somehow turned into Hani's guides, talked happily between them and occasionally asked her questions so that she could be a part of their conversation. Hani smiled at them, her heart was imbued in a warm wave ignited by the sweetness of the group. The people around them watched them curiously from afar, probably wondering what the lively group was up to, this time. Noticing their eyes on her, Hani smiled at the people and they returned the tender smile, acknowledging their new Luna.
The market was in a clearing, displaced from the cabins. Multiple stands stood next to one another, creating a hallway of sorts that guided those who entered it. The place was crowded by the members of the pack who conversated with one another, bought a variety of fresh products and thanked warmly the owners for the food. Hani felt Yeona's hand touch hers, trying to catch her attention. Barely reaching her waist, Yeona was on her tiptoes, desperately trying to hold the girl's hands. Hani giggled at how cute the little girl was and crouched down to pick her up. Yeona was glaring at Hani upset that she wasn't tall enough but, nevertheless, she wrapped her arms around Hani's neck.
"Lead the way captain"
She told Yeona with a playful smile on her face. Melting into the older girl's bright smile, Yeona smiled too and started instructing Hani where to go. The two boys walked by their side, their hands clutching onto Hani's pants, so that they wouldn't get lost in the huge crowd.
"It's there"
Excitedly, Yeona screamed pointing at one of the stands at the end of the row that they were in. Nodding her head, Hani put her back down. Wasting no time and unable to contain their excitement, Yeona and the two boys sprinted off; they ran towards the stand giggling. From the decoration, Hani assumed it was a flower shop. All different kinds of flowers and arrangements were displayed, decorating the wooden structure beautifully. It definitely stood out in the middle of the others who were rather simple and plain. Hani recognized most of the flowers, especially her favorite. Unconsciously, Hani reached out her hands to touch the yellow flower.
"The sulfur cosmos... interesting pick"
An unknown voice startled Hani, causing her hand to back away abruptly from the flower. An elderly lady was observing her behind the stand tenderly. Unbothered by the situation, the trio of friends were focused on pointing at the variety of flowers displayed, discussing amongst themselves which one was the prettiest.
"Sorry... I didn't" Embarrassed, Hani tried to explain herself to the elderly lady. She was rather flustered, judging by how she stumbled and fumbled with her words as she spoke. "I just felt drawn to them... I'm sorry"
The lady shook her head side to side while waving her head, shrugging Hani's shyness and embarrassment away. Gently, she too, took one of the flowers in her hand.
"These flowers are quite unique, Luna. They harvest many meanings in them. They gained their name from their petal arrangement, how perfectly placed its petals stand. 'Cosmos' means universe, however, the flower also symbolizes harmony and order." Delicately, the woman trailed the flowers' petals; somehow, luring and seducing Hani's eyes to dive deeper into its color. "Well... they are mostly known for symbolizing the idea of 'walking hand in hand together'"
Hani was unfamiliar with the flower's meaning. Actually, it was the first time she was hearing it. She had just felt drawn to them growing up, collecting them every time she went out. Now, Hani learned to cherish the flower even more. The meaning made her love for it grow. And despite not being able to grasp it fully, Hani engraved the woman's words in her mind. Although the words she engraved, were nothing more than her own interpretation of the meaning. That order in the universe requires harmony.
"Here, Luna"
The elderly woman – who by now, Hani was sure was the famous Mrs. Bong – reached out the yellow flower for Hani to take. They had been neatly arranged into a bouquet and the woman smiled tenderly as she waited for Hani to accept them.
"No, no. I can't"
It's not that the girl couldn't, she was just too shy to accept them. Jungkook had told her to get whatever she wanted that he'd take care of it; but Hani wasn't able to. Her embarrassment and shyness held her back from accepting the things kindness placed in her hands.
"I insist, Luna. They fit you, please take them" She insisted, inching her hand closer to Hani. Sighing in defeat, she accepted the flowers, throwing a kind and warm smile to the elderly woman as she did so. "Take this as a future thank you for all the things you will do for this pack."
Hani's heart felt warm and giggly in her chest but the weight of responsibility was lurking around, ready to remember the girl of which position was she in, now. With kind eyes, Mrs. Bong smiled at the young Luna. Locking her eyes with hers, Hani made sure to keep her words forever engraved in her mind. Much was expected of her and a part of her doubted and feared that she could live up to it. But looking at the trio of friends she had made and the sweet gesture of the elderly woman, Hani felt motivated to face all the challenges ahead of her.
"Thank you. I will do my best to not disappoint"
All that the woman did was nod her head and Hani smiled lovingly at her; thanking her once more for the flowers. Breaking the silent moment, Hani felt Yeona slightly tug at her pants.
"Luna, let's go! Mr. Goo is selling his favorite chocolate bread!"
Before Hani could give the lady one last heartfelt smile, Yeona started dragging her towards Mr. Goo's stand. The two boys sprinted off in front of them, already familiar with the path that led them to the stand. It was rather close but even from afar, the sweet smell of the pastries seduced everyone to the stand. At the front of it was displayed all sorts of pastries and snacks. The kids' eyes widened and glowed, they jumped impatiently as they said 'hi' to Mr. Goo. With puppy dog eyes, the three of them started begging for his famous chocolate bread. Eventually, Mr. Goo succumbed to their whines and handed each of them their own chocolate bread. They stuffed the pastry in their mouths, their cheeks puffing up while they enjoyed the sweetness of the chocolate. Jiho turned around, facing the Luna as he chewed on his bread with a big smile on his lips. Hani noticed a small chocolate stain on his nose and giggling, she crouched down to his level and gently, she wiped it off.
"Have one too, Luna"
Mr. Goo spoke softly, extending his hand that held a chocolate bread towards Hani. She got up and like she had done in Mrs. Bongs' stand, she refused the bread kindly. Yet, he insisted saying it was a welcoming gift for her. And once more, Hani felt herself submitting and accepting the gift. Shyly, she thanked him and took a bite from the bread. The trio blossomed into smiles while they observed Hani happily eating the pastry. However, the girl wasn't allowed to finish her food, for Yeona was already trying to take her to another place. Hastily, Hani waved goodbye to Mr. Goo, thanking him once more for the delicious food.
Throughout their walk, Yeona bragged about how pretty this place she was going to show her was. Enthusiastically, she described the flower garden; comparing it to a magic forest, a creation of her imagination. On the day she had arrived, Hani had been briefly introduced to the place by Jungkook. It was a rapid and fleeting meeting, for the Alpha was much more interested in showing her others places in the territory.
The place resembled a small labyrinth. Yeona guided Hani through its small sections and at each turn, a new type of flowers was growing. There were more than Hani could count and she was seeing some for the first time ever in her life. She was mesmerized by the place, her eyes took their time examining each flower, each corner of the maze. They lingered over the little details, wanting to fully capture the beauty of the scenery. Little wood benches were placed in each corridor of the maze. Just a few meters in front of her, Yeona Minjae and Jiho ran around the place playing hide and seek; familiar with each corner, knowing each good hiding spot. Hani's mind was reminded of her mother and of how she would have to see that place. Surely, she would have fallen in love with it – the same way Hani was – despite not having sunflowers there.
Minjae had explained to Hani that Mrs. Bong's family was in charge of taking care of the garden. Initially, she had just planted a few flowers wanting to decorate the pack; then, throughout the years, more and more people became fascinated by the place and started helping her. The flowers that she sold at the market, all came from that garden. But above all, this was the place that many people of the pack came to visit and recharge their batteries.
Hani's journey halted upon reaching the middle of the maze. At the center of the clearing was a little lake surrounded by red tulips and two marble benches stood next to it, facing one another. Hani's mouth was agape at the beauty that hid inside the maze. Trailing slowly, Hani made her way towards the benches as she scanned the place in amazement. She sat down, her legs tired from all the walking. Closing her eyes, Hani took a deep breath and enjoyed the gentle winter breeze that blew her hair side to side. The kids were playing behind her, giggling and laughing at one another. The atmosphere was peaceful, lively; resembling a breath of fresh air. Opening her eyes tenderly, Hani observed the red and gold fishes in the lake and how they wiggled their bodies to swim.
The girl had been so caught up in the scenery that surrounded her, that her ears failed to notice the sound of footsteps that approached her. Awakening her from the bliss of the atmosphere, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her. The scent of fire and forest taking over the winter breeze.
"Jungkook"
The name rolled off her tongue like honey, dripping from her lips silk-like. She smiled brightly and, as a response, the Alpha tightened his embrace, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses up her neck. When she turned around, The Alpha was staring lovingly at her, his eyes twinkling under the morning sun. His hair was down, his dark bangs covering his forehead. He smiled playfully, happy that he had surprised his mate with his presence. Untangling his arms, the Alpha got up and Hani followed him. On her tippy-toes, she pressed a soft and quick kiss to Jungkook's lips. Yet, unsatisfied with the small affection, his hands went down her body and, in a swift move, he raised her up. His lips crashed on hers passionately and she kissed him just as hard. The Alpha smirked against the kiss, noticing how much she had missed him and his touch. Hani left a shy peck to his lips, before detaching them completely from his. With a smile that mirrored one another, Jungkook slowly put his mate down.
"What are you doing here?"
Hani asked amusedly, curious at Jungkook's sudden appearance. Time had fleeted through the girl unnoticed and so, there was no way of her knowing it was already late in the morning; and that Jungkook had been searching for her, since he had promised to have lunch with her.
"I thought about surprising you, thinking that you had missed me a lot throughout the day.... and this is the first thing you tell me when you see me?"
Hani rolled her eyes at him and turned around, going back to sitting on the bench. He trailed behind her and sat down next to her; his legs glued to hers, his arm wrapped around her waist, bringing her even closer to him.
"How was the meeting?"
She asked gently while she brushed Jungkook's bangs away from his eyes. Lovingly, he smiled at her; their eyes locking with one another, ignoring any other signal of life that wasn't each other.
"Stressful, as usual. I'm just glad it's over and that I can, finally, spend the rest of the day with my girl."
The girl's cheeks blushed at the Alpha's flirtatious remark, her heart booming at his cheeky smile. She was preparing a witty remark of her own, strong enough to cause Jungkook's cheeks to turn red; however, the sound of hurried footsteps stole the Alpha's attention from her. Yeona, Jiho and Minjae were running towards Hani, probably racing one another to see who reached her faster. Yet, their race was quickly forgotten. Their footsteps stopped and frozen, they noticed who was sitting next to Hani. They shared a worried glance between one another, all of them unsure about how they should approach the Alpha. Eventually, Jiho decided to take the first step and made his way towards the mates, with Yeona and Minjae trailing slowly behind him.
"Alpha?"
Shakingly and nervously, Jiho called for Jungkook. When the Alpha's eyes met the group, the three kids' eyes lit up; glowing and sparkling with enthusiasm. Especially Minjae whose smile was so, so, big that took over his whole face.
"Oh? Hi!" Jungkook spoke with a playful and cheerful tone as he watched the kids tenderly. "You're Jiho, right? And is that Yeona and the bright Minjae?"
Even bigger smiles blossomed on their faces when Jungkook recognized them. Happily, they skipped towards him, their shoulders bumping into each other's as they raced to reach him first. The trio grabbed Jungkook's legs as they giggled and the Alpha, just as cheerful, patted each of their heads in a loving gesture. Noticing that Jiho was trying to sit on the bench next to him, Jungkook helped him up and, then, raised Yeona and Minjae. Carefully, he placed them between Hani and him, and once they were all settled, they let their enthusiasm explode on the Alpha's ears.
"Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!"
Minjae screamed for Jungkook, even if he was just a few inches away from him. He was jumping on his seat, his hand raised towards the sky as if Jungkook was his teacher and he had a really important question to ask him. Hani chuckled at Minjae's endearing behavior. He had been so shy around her but, one glance at Jungkook, and his whole demeanor changed.
"What is it, Minjae?"
"Is it true that you defeated a whole pack of Alphas by yourself?!" The boy asked as soon as Jungkook gave him permission to do so. He spoke quickly and hastily, the words becoming barely understandable due to the excitement that poured out of him. Jungkook's eyes were widened, surprised at how fast the boy was speaking. "Oh! And that one time you fought against this big, big, big bear and you won, without shifting! An-and... is it true that you can rip a tree from the ground with your bare hands?!"
"My dad told me our Alpha is the strongest wolf that ever lived!" Jiho argued with Minjae, interrupting Jungkook who was about to answer to the excited boy's question. "Of course, it is true, Minjae!"
"I-I'm not sure. I mean..." Yeona joined the conversation shyly and with big hopeful eyes, she stared at Jungkook patiently. "Are you really that strong, Alpha?"
"Well... It is true that I defeated the pack... and the bear even though I had a bit of help in that case. When it comes to the tree, well... I never tried ripping one of the ground so, I'm not sure that I c-"
"See! I told you he was strong!"
Jiho screamed and pointed at Minjae but the younger boy wasn't really paying him any attention. Instead, his eyes were glued to Jungkook's figure and they glowed with the stories he created in his imagination; in all of them, Jungkook fought the most horrible of monsters and won, never once giving up or bleeding.
"When I grow up" Jiho determinately and confidently announced while he stood on top of the bench, his hands holding his waist proudly and his chest filled with air. "I'm going be as strong as you, Alpha. I promise!"
"No" Sternly, Jungkook said; destroying the once confident posture of the young boy. Gently, he placed his hand on his shoulder and Jiho sat down. Then, locking his eyes with him, the Alpha admirably filled his heart with new goals. "When you grow up, you have to become stronger than me, okay?"
For a few seconds, Jiho was confused at the Alpha's reply. Stronger than him? He was sure no one else would ever surpass the Alpha, such thing was impossible, he was sure. Still, he nodded his head bravely, accepting the Alpha's challenge with a courageous heart. Pleased, Jungkook smiled and patted his head tenderly and the same thing he did to Minjae, already guessing what was going through the boy's mind.
"T-then when I grow up" Yeona got up, standing like Jiho had previously done. With her eyebrows scrunched in determination, her fierce gaze befell on Hani. "I'm going to be as strong and as pretty as the Luna!"
At that moment, Hani's cheeks became bright red. She stared at the proud girl flustered and yet, somehow, honored with her announcement. Next to her, Jungkook laughed amusedly and tenderly he smiled at his mate.
"We are both very excited to see you all growing up to be strong Alphas and Luna. Don't disappoint us, okay?"
Jungkook warned them playfully, pointing with his index finger at them in a threatening manner. The kids smiled and immediately, promised the Alpha to never disappoint them. Watching over them fondly, Jungkook and Hani listened to the kids attentively who were sharing with them their plans to make their dreams come true.
Hani's heart was twirling inside her chest, swimming in the hot honey that filled the cavity in which the organ stood. It was impossible to not feel that way. The scene in front of her: the sweetness and natural kindness that Jungkook carried, the admiration that poured from the kid's eyes. All of it, were pushing Hani more into believing. It was clear to her that Jungkook had been born to lead, to protect and care for people- the way an Alpha should. He'd paid attention to the kids, complimented them, gave them advice. Nurtured them and guided them with his words – the way a leader should. Faced with this, Hani rethought the tale she had heard so many times before. She put that violent image people had constructed for him side by side, with the one she was now painting of him – the one her eyes told her it was the true version of him. He was not someone vile or ruthless, a bloodthirsty monster who only knows violence. Right there. In front of her, he was showing her, little by little, how none of that was true. And, somehow, Hani felt... it was up to her to tell his story exactly as it was, and not as people had made it to be.