Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sungyeol hates playdates.

He doesn't understand why he has to spend his precious weekends with a kid he barely knows. He should be allowed to sleep in and only wake up to have lunch, while still in pyjamas and dazed with sleep.

He is an alpha, for God’s sake. He should be able to do whatever he wants, just like his older cousin who he’s sure is still snoring loudly in his bedroom. Last night they played video games together way past his usual curfew. Why, because today is Saturday. Therefore no school.

But here he is. In a pristine and stifling formal shirt just like his school uniform, having a hearty breakfast with some kid he doesn’t know. Well, not really. Sungyeol knows who he is. His mom made sure of that and showed him his pictures on her phone. Hundreds of them, he can make several photo books and sell them. He will be rich, maybe even richer than his parents. And then he could buy his way out of this situation by paying someone to act as him in a playdate. So that he doesn’t have to wake up early and spend the weekends awkwardly with this kid.

With his future mate, Kim Myungsoo.

His family has this ridiculous tradition with the other rich families to marry each other. He isn’t sure why, maybe they are just too lazy to make some new friends. They surely need to do that though. His birthday starts to get boring, he keeps getting similar presents every year. Who knows, maybe if his parents befriend people who own a zoo, he would get a giraffe on his birthday. Or maybe a lion. Or people who own museums so that he could have a life size T-rex skeleton. His friends would be jealous!

“Do you like dinos?” Sungyeol asks after finishing his plate of pancakes with vanilla ice cream. Fortunately his mom allowed him to have ice cream for breakfast, as a meagre compensation for ruining his plan to sleep in.

Myungsoo shakes his small head lightly. “I don’t like them. They are mean and scary.”

Sungyeol scoffs, “What? No, they are cool! Sure, some of them look tough, but still cool!”

“But they have, like, big mouths and big teeth. They also chase other animals and yell at them. They are mean and scary.” Myungsoo lowers his head and resumes his breakfast.

“But I like cats, though.” He adds with a soft smile.

Sungyeol rolls his eyes and grabs a glass of milk while muttering under his breath, “Lame.”

His mom asked him to be nice to Myungsoo, but she failed to mention that Myungsoo doesn’t like dinosaurs. How can he befriend someone who hates dinosaurs? Then what will they talk about? Also, Myungsoo won’t appreciate his vast collection of dinosaur-themed stuff.

But Myungsoo likes cats.

Cats are like lions, right? Sure they don’t roar nor have big teeth. But lions are big cats, so they are basically the same, only different in size. Maybe he’s not that bad. Maybe one day when they get married and live together they can get a pet lion. There’s still a chance to build a bridge between them.

“I never see you in any of my classes. Do you go to another school?”

He realises Myungsoo is smaller than him. But maybe that’s because he is an omega. He doesn’t really understand what’s the difference between alpha and omega (he often sleeps during health education class because his beta teacher has a really soft voice that always manages to lull him to sleep the first five minutes in). Maybe they go to different schools?

Sungyeol sips his milk, not gulping it down because he knows his mom sits not far from there, watching them intently.

“I’m in the same class as Daeyeol.”

Suddenly his milk went down the wrong pipe, making him cough loudly.

“W-what?! You are the same age as my brother? Eugh, then you just graduated from kindergarten. You are a baby!”

“I’m not a baby! I’m seven!”

“And I will be ten next year. That’s two digits if you don’t know!”

“Lee Sungyeol!” There she is. His dear mom.

“Mom, I don’t wanna marry this kid! He is a baby! How can I marry someone of Daeyeol's age? Eww.” Sungyeol makes a face.

Having Daeyeol as his younger brother is one thing, but how can he enjoy the company of a seven year old? This wimpy kid, can he even read? They basically make him a babysitter and Lee Sungyeol can’t accept this. What’s next, will they have him helping Myungsoo doing his homework?

“Who wants to marry you, anyway? Daeyeol told me you are obsessed with dinosaurs. Mean and scary dinosaurs!”

And have no dinosaurs in his future home? Totally unacceptable.

“They are not mean and scary! It’s not their fault you are a coward! And a baby!”

“You are a baby!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am no-- You are a meanie!”

Myungsoo throws his milk at him, making him sputter and wet. And smells of milk.

“Yah! Kim Myungsoo!” He exclaims, ready to counterattack with whatever stuff on the table he can reach.

Bless his mom for being there and intercept before everything goes downhill. Or Myungsoo will go home covered in maple syrup.

…

Sungyeol decides that he hates Kim Myungsoo.