He never recalled questioning his life purpose until he met him. Since the moment he entered the world, everything he needed seemed to be lined up so clearly right in front of him. He was the fourth alpha son in a family of purebred alphas, and he'd one day be expected to leave his family pack and start his own to continue building his family legacy--it was as simple as that. As he grew up, he often found comfort in that simplicity and in knowing exactly how his life was meant to pan out. 

But that all changed the moment he wandered into his life.

His parents would have called him a drifter, a wanderer, a lone wolf with no sense of direction--certainly not a suitable mate. Joonmyun probably would have agreed had he not imprinted on him. But he did, so to him, Yixing wasn't a drifting wanderer with no sense of life direction. He was someone who let the wind carry him wherever it pleased, someone who didn't put so much pressure on planning and laid his trust completely in Fate. He was someone he didn't realize he longed to be until the moment he showed up on their land on that preordained day.

It wasn't entirely uncommon for strangers to knock on their front door. His family owned one of the largest pieces of land in the region, so it was very easy to get lost and end up in need of some directions. It was a little strange for some to turn up at night, though, but all thoughts of that immediately left his mind the moment Joonmyun opened the door and met eyes with Yixing. At first, it was hard to tell if he was also experiencing the same thing, as his facial expression remained calm and collected until he finally spoke up first. 

"I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I was just trying to pass through and ended up getting lost. I tried to follow my map, but it's kind of difficult to see in the dark, even with night vision," he had said, looking a little embarrassed as he motioned to the folded-up map stuffed in his coat pocket. 

It took a moment for Joonmyun to snap back into reality, and he found himself stumbling over his words when he did. "I-It's not a problem. W-Where were you, um, h-headed?" he asked in the stablest voice he could muster up. 

"Just the next town over, I think..." the man's voice trailed off as he took his map out and briefly looked at it. "Yeah, it shouldn't be far from here. About ten more miles, if my planning is right." Joonmyun glanced out into the quickly darkening night as if he could see ten miles away, but quickly shook his head when he realized how ridiculous that made him look. Still, he knew roughly the town he was talking about.

"You should be headed in the right direction then. There's even a little bit of a shortcut if you go through the woods. It'll only save you a few miles, but it might be nice," he explained. The person hummed and looked in the direction Joonmyun had pointed, a smile coming over his face when their eyes met again. 

"Thank you, that helps a lot," he said cheerfully in reply.

"Y-You're welcome...are you sure you'll be okay alone out there? Our land is pretty well secured, but still..." Joonmyun's eyes moved to the dark woods and he grimaced at his own fear of being alone in there at night. 

"I should be. I've been traveling on my own for almost a year now, so I'm used to it," he said, either laughing off his own worries or laughing at Joonmyun's scrunched-up, concerned face. "It might be good to set up camp for the night, though. I have been traveling since early this morning. You wouldn't mind if I set up out there, right? Since you said this was your pack's land?"

"Y-Yeah, that'd be fine!" Joonmyun replied a little nervously. 

"Great, thank you again. I'll be gone by morning. I usually like to get an early start." That sentence disheartened Joonmyun, who was now thinking that he had indeed been the only one to imprint. Still, all he could do was nod and put on the best smile he could. "Well, thanks again. I really appreciate the help. Goodnight!"  

And with that and one small wave, the man was off into the woods, leaving Joonmyun standing there with so many words hanging off the edge of his tongue. 

"Who was that?" he heard his eldest brother, Joontae, ask from behind him. Joonmyun turned around, eyes widened slightly. 

"No one, just someone asking for directions again," he replied as he closed the door and stepped further back inside. 

Joontae raised an eyebrow. "At this hour? Are you sure they weren't a hunter or something?" he asked. 

"He didn't look like one," Joonmyun replied with a quick shrug. "He said he was just traveling through to get to the next town." His brother's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he hummed as he glanced out of the window next to the front door. 

"Okay. Let's just hope he finds his way out quickly," he said, his voice dropping as he headed upstairs. Joontae reminded him a lot of their father, which he supposed was only natural given that he was the firstborn. And if his father would have scolded him for allowing a strange, seemingly lone wolf camp out on their land, he was sure Joontae would have also, so he just kept that part a secret. Maybe he'd get up early and check on him--or at least check to make sure he was gone, though he was hoping for the former more so than the latter. 

So, the next morning, he did just that. He got up around 5:30, an hour or so before his father, mother and siblings were due to start waking up, and quietly snuck outside. It took a good few minutes of walking for him to find the man, but when he did, he already looked wide awake as he packed up his things. 

"Oh, hello again," he said, smiling and speaking sweetly to him when he saw Joonmyun. 

"H-Hi," Joonmyun replied with an awkward wave. "I just came to make sure you were alright out here." The sun hadn't finished rising yet, but he could easily see the other man blush a little after he spoke. 

"That was kind of you. I'm almost finished packing up," he said with a quick clearing of his throat, briefly looking around at the things he had yet to pack. "You know, I usually don't mind sleeping outside, but I was definitely a little more on guard after what you said last night."

Joonmyun's eyes widened. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want anything bad to happen to you out here. I was really projecting my own fears...I'm sorry," he replied. 

The man chuckled for a moment and shook his head. "I was teasing you. It's okay, really. I've slept in scarier places," he replied. Joonmyun chuckled back in slight embarrassment, now feeling a little extra nervous meeting his eyes. "My name is Yixing by the way. Most people I know call me Lay, though," he added after a brief but tense moment of silence. 

"A-Ah, I'm Joonmyun. Kim Joonmyun," he quickly said. Yixing smiled at him for a moment and then looked away. Noticing his things on the ground, Joonmyun cleared his throat and spoke up again. "C-Can I help you pack up anything?"

Yixing opened his mouth, probably to decline Joonmyun guessed but ended up sprouting another small grin and nodding instead. "Sure, thanks." So, Joonmyun took a few steps forward and began helping him gather the rest of his belongings for whatever journey lay ahead of him. Once he had his backpack strapped on safely and double-checked to make sure he hadn't left anything laying around, he turned to look at Joonmyun. "Thank you again for your help, Joonmyun. I don't usually talk to a lot of people while I travel, but I'm glad I met you," he said. 

Joonmyun felt himself blushing a little now, but he tried his best to cover it up with a controlled smile. "It was no problem," he said. "I, um, hope the rest of your travels go well."

"Thank you." Yixing let out the faintest laugh, observing him for a moment or two more before waving and heading off in the direction that would lead him out of the woods. Part of him felt stupid for letting him go so easily, but another part of him felt content. It seemed he had made a good impression, so all he could do was hope that that memory would carry him back into his life one day soon. 

And sure enough, three and a half months later, it did.

He had just arrived home from his classes at the local community college, but was stopped in his tracks when he saw a person with a familiar backpack standing near the front porch. 

"Yixing?" he called out loudly enough but still softly. The person turned around and Yixing smiled shyly, sending him a small wave. A smile instantly bloomed on Joonmyun's face as he picked up his walking pace a little in an effort to get closer to him. "What are you doing here?" The other man's lips parted as a look of bashful surprise came over his face. Joonmyun quickly spoke up again in an attempt to correct himself. "N-Not that I don't want you to be here...I'm just surprised you came back is all."

"I am, too, actually," Yixing replied, briefly rubbing the side of his neck. Joonmyun was a little confused by his response, so he just quietly waited for him to continue. "I'm sure you probably guessed it, but I don't usually stay in one place for long. I've been a little...restless, I guess, for as long as I can remember." He paused and shook his head a little as he exhaled and glanced down at the ground for a moment. "I think what I mean to say is that I've never felt comfortable staying in the same place for more than a few days. I get anxious, like if I don't keep moving then I'll never feel whole, like I'll always feel like there's something I'm missing out on. But for some reason, after I left a few months ago, my mind kept coming back to this place...and to you." Yixing chuckled, now blushing. "I-I hope you understand what I'm trying to say. This is the first time I've ever experienced something like this if it wasn't painfully obvious."

Joonmyun smiled and shook his head in understanding. "No, I...I think I get it," he said. "This is all kind of new to me, too." They exchanged small smiles and soft laughs after looking at each other for a moment. "Maybe we can...I don't know...figure it out t-together?" Yixing looked surprised to hear his offer, but a smile slowly returned to his face after only a few seconds.

"I...think I'd like that," he said. Inside, Joonmyun felt ecstatic with joy, but he tried to keep it contained as to not scare Yixing. 

He invited him into the house after that and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking and starting to get to know each other a little more. They also vaguely talked about what their next move would be. They both wanted to respect each other's current situations, as Joonmyun was in school and Yixing still had a strong desire to continue his travels. If it was solely up to him, Joonmyun would have dropped everything and followed Yixing wherever he went. But it wasn't as simple as that. Still, he hoped his family would understand.

"You want to travel with someone you just met?" Joontae said, being the first one to respond to his announcement of sorts later that evening.

Joonmyun glanced down and swallowed, trying to think of the best way to explain his belief in Fate to his mostly traditionalist family. "Yeah, I mean, we technically just met, but it feels like we've known each other since forever. That's what it felt like...i-imprinting," he said. Joontae sighed and sat back against the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. Nervously, Joonmyun's eyes shifted around the scarily quiet room. His father hadn't said anything about the matter yet, but his eyes hadn't left him yet. "I-I know it seems rash, but I...I really want to see where this goes. It's hard to explain in a sensical way, but I just feel like this is something I need to do." There was another stretch of silence before another one of his brothers spoke up. 

"I say let him do it," Joonki said with a nonchalant shrug. "He's a good kid. It won't do anyone any good if we hold him back." He then sent a little nod Joonmyun's way that made him smile a little. He was only a couple of years older than him, the closest brother he had in age, so they often stuck together growing up.

"I don't care what he does. I don't why he's asking for our permission anyway. We're not living in the olden days," Sangjoon said, rolling his eyes. He had always been rather rebellious, knowing exactly how much to push their parents' expectations without completely pissing them off, so his response didn't surprise Joonmyun at all. 

His eyes landed on his father next, whose eyes were still on him. Kim Junho was a difficult man to read, the strong and silent type, the type to never ask for help even if he needed it. He was affectionate nonetheless, but Joonmyun knew he held high expectations for his children. The last thing he ever wanted to do was disappoint his father, but he also knew he'd regret not taking a chance to at least try to make a life with Yixing. 

"This is what you want?" he asked, not saying exactly what Joonmyun expected. 

"Y-Yes, sir," he replied, nodding his head a little as well. He noticed his father exhale as he blinked and swallowed nervously. 

"Just make sure to come back and visit us every now and again," he said after a minute or so. Joonmyun's eyes widened in surprise and he could have sworn he saw his father smile faintly at him. 

"R-Really? You don't even want to meet him first?" he replied, eyes moving between his parents. 

"We trust your judgment," his mother, Hyunjoo, said. "Joonki is right. You've been a good boy, Joonie. You deserve a chance to see the world. Introduce us to him when you come back." Joonmyun could only smile widely in response, feeling even more excitement bubbling up inside of him. 

And so, after a few days of planning, Joonmyun packed up everything he thought he could comfortably carry, said his goodbyes to his family, and began his new journey with Yixing. 

Over the next several months, they went all over the country and he learned more about his childhood and how he came to discover his love for traveling. He moved to Korea from China at a young age, where he lived a pretty sheltered life with his mother. They didn't belong a pack, so it was easier for him to just get up and go after his mother assured him she'd be okay on her own. After every new place he visited, he'd go back home to visit with her or at least send her a postcard depending on how far away he was. That was how Joonmyun ended up meeting her, and she seemed very pleasantly surprised that her son had finally returned home with someone.  

A year or so after officially becoming mates, Yixing surprised Joonmyun again by saying he was ready to settle down in a more permanent place. They had just gotten back from a trip to Japan, but Joonmyun was accustomed to their routine at that point; once they took a few days off from one trip, they were planning and heading off on the next. So when he told him he wanted to start looking for a home instead of their next destination, he was pretty taken aback. He hadn't thought about settling down actively for quite a while, as he was just happy being able to follow Yixing wherever his heart decided to take him. But it wasn't a hard thing to say yes to. He looked at it as he would have looked at any other adventure, a new chapter in their story. 

Joonmyun's father helped them while they both looked for jobs. He had just enough experience to get into an entry-level position at a decent company, and Yixing ended up accepting a secretary position at a local veterinary hospital. As they both worked and grew in their jobs, they were eventually able to save enough money for their first home. It was small and one story, but they did their best to make it cozy and welcoming all the same. 

It was a few years after that when Kim Junho passed on, and being the generous man Joonmyun always knew his father to be, he left each of his four children a handsome inheritance for them to do with what they pleased. Even though he had grown up financially privileged, Joonmyun felt a bit nervous having so much money of his own. So, both he and Yixing resolved to save all of it for a day when they would feel better about spending it--but not before taking a small amount and taking a chance at some investments that would pay off sooner than they imagined. 

Before they knew it, they were buying a bigger house with more bedrooms than they probably needed for a couple without children. It was a bit of a fixer-upper, rough around the edges, the small improvement projects already racking up in Joonmyun's mind. But they both agreed that it felt like the right move even if they couldn't pinpoint why yet. The day after they closed on the house and it officially became theirs, they ended up standing outside for a long and admiring it. 

"Maybe it's time to dip into that inheritance. We're gonna need a lot of furniture," Yixing joked. Joonmyun laughed and pulled his mate in closer to him. 

"We've definitely got our work cut out for us," he said with a small sigh, eyes wandering around the property. "But we'll figure it out. We always do." He turned to look at Yixing, who was already smiling affectionately at him. They shared a quick but sweet kiss and were about to head inside when they heard a sound that resembled footsteps coming from behind them. They turned around to see someone who looked just as surprised to see them. 

"You guys bought this house?" the person, who was easily identified as a fellow werewolf when a light breeze pushed a whiff of their scent toward their nose, asked. 

"Yes, just a few days ago actually," Yixing answered, a friendly smile on his face. "I'm Lay and this is my mate Suho." Joonmyun waved and offered the person a smile. They eyed them suspiciously for a few moments before replying. 

"Xiumin," he said plainly but looking a bit more relaxed. "I've been staying here. Well, not legally I guess. It's pretty old, so I was able to sneak in after I left my pack." Yixing and Joonmyun glanced at each other. Joonmyun was a little nervous to hear that, the thought making him wonder if anyone else was in there, too.

"Well, you don't have to leave," Yixing said, surprising both his mate and Xiumin. "It's just the two of us, and we've clearly got more room than necessary."

Xiumin's eyebrows knitted together. "Are you seriously offering me a place to stay after I told I've been secretly living in the house you just bought?" 

Yixing chuckled. "It sounds weird when you put it like that," he said. "But I'd hate to put you out. And like I said, we've got the room." He turned to Joonmyun next. "What do you think?"

Joonmyun really didn't know how to answer on the spot like that, but as he looked at Xiumin, he briefly got the feeling of what his father must have felt the day he told him he wanted to leave. It was a mix of worry and faith; he was aware of the possible risks, but saying no somehow felt wrong. 

"I think it's a good idea," he said with a smile, quickly moving to look at Yixing again, who just smiled in return. He looked back at Xiumin, who still seemed confused but his expression had softened. "Besides, maybe you can help us with all of the projects we'll have around here. An extra set of hands would be nice." Xiumin stood there silently for what felt like a long time, and for a moment, Joonmyun and Yixing worried they had come off as too generous. 

"I have no idea why you just offered me this, but--" Xiumin began, pausing to sigh and glance down. "--I appreciate it. Thank you." It was clear to see that he had a story and in time, Joonmyun hoped he would feel comfortable enough to share it with them. 

Over the years, they'd encounter more werewolves like Xiumin, those who seemed stuck and just needed a break from life: someone who just wanted a change of scenery, someone who would eventually change Xiumin's life, a parent looking for a safe haven, a young beta in search of a home, and a scared lone wolf with more pain than anyone deserved to have. And eventually, with time and trust, their house became the full, loving home they'd always hoped it would be. 

And then their time came and despite it being a little earlier than he expected, Yixing felt at peace with the hope that they'd one day see each other again. That didn't prevent his heart from hurting for the others, though. The impact he made during his life could be seen in the number of people who attended his funeral, some of who offered a few words about how he had helped them. It was bittersweet and made him feel like he had gotten the easy way out. The grieving process would be a long and rough journey, but just as he always knew, Joonmyun would still be right there to help them along. 

After much internal debate, Yixing agreed to speak. His intentions were for it to be a celebration of his life and a chance for those who cared about him to say their final goodbyes, but he figured it might provide some extra comfort for himself and the others. He also thought he should do as much as he can while he was still in good health. He was about to stand up but turned his attention to Kai first. 

"Are you sure you don't want to say anything?" he asked him. 

His facial expression was blank when he shook his head, not saying a word and not meeting his eyes. Yixing exhaled a little and stood up. He went and stood in front of the guests, putting on the bravest smile he could for them. 

"I just want to thank everyone for taking the time to visit us today. I know he appreciates you all being here." He started out plainly before glancing down and trying to figure out where he wanted to go from there. "I, uh, met Joonmyun at a pretty confusing point in my life, but somehow our brief first meeting cleared everything up for me. I didn't really know what I wanted, but I did know that I wanted a future with him. He always told me he was willing to follow me anywhere..." He stopped for a moment and smiled to himself, a thin layer of tears glossing over his eyes. "I guess now it's my turn to follow you, my love."

They met again a few weeks later. He looked the same as he did when he first opened the door, or as Yixing remembered it, the moment he found his final destination.