Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I can't do this." Jisung cries in front of him. The boy is leaning against the wall with his knees to his chest. His cheeks are red and eyes swollen with the severity of his sobs and it breaks his heart.

Chan bends down to cover them with his body to offer them more privacy in the hallway. He knows there's at least one of their fellow idols in the sitting area just a few meters away. He discovered his distressed pup by chance after returning from a meeting with one of the producers. The uncomfortable lurch in his chest unsettles him due to their vulnerable positions, but he focuses on his sobbing pup. He's not keen to let outsiders see his baby so distraught.

"What can't you do?" He questions the younger. Jisung's scent is sour due to being upset and his instincts do not like it. The desire to comfort and provide overwhelming him. First, he needs to find out what happened.

"I can't go on stage," Jisung whimpers, "I can't."

Chan leans in close to stop Jisung from wiping at his eyes. He's going to make his skin raw. "Baby, don't," he says softly, wrapping his hands around Jisung's wrists. "Now look at me," he instructs softly. He waits for Jisung's watery eyes to look up at him. They're big and so sad, and he wants nothing more than to shield his pup from the world. "There's my baby," he coos softly, "if you really can't do this, you don't have too."

He knows Jisung's social anxiety has been at an all time high due to all of the turmoil they've been through and he refuses to stress his baby out more. His pup's feelings are fragile, and he doesn't want to add more to his already unstable feelings. Jisung noticeably calms in front of him. Chan isn't sure if it's due to him pumping out calming pheromones, or the relief of not having to perform on stage.

"Really?" He asks. Jisung sounds almost disbelieving-which hurts more than he'd like it too but he pushes that down to deal with it another day-and nods in reassurance.

"Of course," he says softly, "you come first. Your health and well-being always comes first."

Jisung's lips wobbles with emotion, "Manager hyung said I had too."

"Han Jisung," he scolds softly, "is manager hyung your alpha?"

Jisung shakes his head, "No, he's not "

"Is he the reason you're upset right now?" He asks.

Jisung nods meekly as if afraid to admit it. He reaches out to card his baby's hair off his forehead. He's a bit irritated with their manager for upsetting Jisung, but he knows the man is currently managing a PR nightmare as is. He still finds it inexcusable that there was a clear lack of empathy for Jisung. He'll have to talk to the man later.

"I'm sorry he made you feel this way," he says gently, "next time wait to speak to me. Okay? Hyung will always have your back."

Jisung nods. He watches as Jisung's eyes water with clear emotion again. "Baby," he huffs out a soft laugh, "it's okay. Hyung is here."

He releases Jisung's wrists and moves to wrap around his pup's back and thighs to lift the boy up into his arms. Thank god he's been working on his squats as lifting his tiny omega is made far easier. Jisung easily melts into his body, arms and legs winding around him as he snuggles his face into his neck. Chan could honestly stand like this for eternity holding his forever maknae, but he would prefer to be more comfortable and with the safety of his pack.

He's not keen on strangers seeing Jisung, an obvious omega in distress, vulnerable like this. Protective alpha instincts be damned; these are hyung instincts wanting to keep his pups safe and happy which means preventing any future embarrassment.

Chan opens the door to the dressing room and the noise of pack fills his ears in a delightful way.

"What happened?" Felix asks immediately when noticing them enter.

"It's okay," he responds softly, "he's feeling anxious."

Felix's face falls with concern, and responds by reaching out to rub at Jisung's back. Felix would no doubt be affected by Jisung's distress as the two omega pups were as close as thieves.

"I'm going to sit down, okay? I'm hoping he'll rest. He was really upset," Chan shares with Felix quietly, not wanting the others to overhear and worry. The last thing Jisung needs is more attention brought onto him. Plus, he really does want his baby to rest after such an emotionally draining conversation.

He sits down on the couch and settles back with Jisung's weight comfortably pressing into him. Jisung sniffles and rubs his nose into his scent gland. It's a cute habit of his pup and one he's had for as long as he's known the omega.

"I love you," Chan says, quiet enough for only Jisung to hear.

Jisung stills and sighs, scent sweetening just a bit with his confession. "I love you, hyung," Jisung mumbles back, "love you so much."

He squeezes Jisung closer to him. His instincts calm slightly. Truthfully, his instincts have been an absolute disaster ever since they recovered from the bonding sickness. It was as if he was at odds with his wolf, and those instincts were haywire on a good day. These last few weeks have been awful for him. The confidence he once had as pack alpha and group leader crumbled.

Trusting himself has been a difficult challenge. He's not sure he's really done a great job of overcoming it, but he's trying to be better for his mates. The people he loves more than anything else in this world. The same people he'd sacrifice his career for if they asked him too. His devotion is to them and their happiness.

He knows that it's that love and devotion that has helped him push through his personal challenges with his instincts to be a present alpha to his packmates. They're all suffering as it is, and he certainly doesn't want to add on to their plate by being an unreliable mate. Frankly, nothing gives him more joy and assurance than being there for his favorite people.

Despite Jisung's breakdown he's proud of his baby for speaking up. If Jisung isn't ready to brave the stage, then he doesn't have to. They do need to make an appointment for a therapy session though. Jisung is clearly struggling and Chan isn't the type of person to let his pups struggle in silence and without appropriate help.

Felix brings them a blanket and covers Jisung's back with it. The drafty air is making the room a bit more chilly. He thanks the boys and makes sure the blanket is properly tucked around Jisung to keep the omega warm and comfortable. Once that's finished he settles in and closes his eyes if only to rest them while they wait to go on stage.

Parting with Jisung when they go to rehearsal is harder than he initially expected it to be. Jisung is compliant and sleepy, so it's easy to lay him down and wrap him up in the blanket. He presses a kiss to Jisung's cheeks to sooth his unhappy wolf-clearly upset leaving a vulnerable pup alone-and following the others to the stage.

The stage performance goes as well as it can with seven members even if there's something clearly missing. That something obviously being Jisung's presence and unique voice. They do their best to fill in the cracks with their energy and enthusiasm. They love being on stage and they do their best to express that. Their fans match that energy and a beautiful synergy happens between them.

He follows his members off the stage and back to observe their performance, finally in agreement with one another that they had a near perfect take.

They're walking in the hallway when Changbin launches himself at someone.

"Bin!" A strangely familiar voice calls out.

Changbin laughs playfully and smacks a kiss onto the stranger. His hackles rise just a bit. Changbin pulls away only to reveal Wooyoung. He smiles at the boy. Wooyoung is a godsend. He'd been extremely supportive toward them and especially Changbin during their bonding sickness. He appreciates the younger boy's empathy and overflowing kindness to not just Bin, but toward his whole pack.

Wooyoung is also newly bonded, so the fact he spent so much time bringing them food and holistic medicines to help with their bonding sickness is truly a testament to the regard he holds for Changbin. The younger omega was the only non-pack person his wolf allowed inside their home during their bonding sickness. Logically he knows that's a big deal and it means something, but he really can't focus on that with everything else that's going on.

"Hi Wooyoungie," he greets.

Wooyoung smiles at him. His hair is a bit askew due to being playfully attacked by Changbin, but those sparkly eyes of his glisten with unrestrained joy. "Hi hyung! I missed you." He pouts cutely and Chan can't help his smile and the fondness he feels. He drapes his arm over the pups shoulders for a side hug.

Changbin pretends to hack up a lung as he cringes at Wooyoung's obvious display of aegyo. He snorts out a laugh at the antics between the two. Those two were absolute troublemakers together, but the dynamic had always been something he enjoyed watching. Changbin clearly adores Wooyoung and something childlike bubbles out of Bin when he's around his best friend.

"Wooyoung, darling," an alluring voice interrupts the current hallway shenanigans.

Wooyoung turns immediately to the voice. "Yes hyung?"

Chan locks eyes with Wooyoung's Head Omega, Park Seonghwa as he makes his presence known. The tall, elegantly styled omega reaches for Wooyoung and draws the younger pup into his chest. The embrace is sweet, but he feels shy watching such an adoring act.

Seonghwa's eyes light up when they fall onto Changbin.

"Hi Bin," Seonghwa greets, reaching over to cuff his alpha pups chin. Changbin laughs shyly.

"Hi hyung," his alpha pup greets.

Seonghwa looks up at him. "I hope my pup isn't being too much of a troublemaker."

The teasing lilt to the omega's voice makes him smile. "I'm not sure he's had enough time to plan any mischief quite yet," he responds, teasing the pup.

Wooyoung sulks at him, "Hyung."

Seonghwa's soft laughter fills the hallway and he's intrigued as to why he finds the other…attractive. It's true that Seonghwa's visuals are elegant and regal with the way he carries himself, but it's more in the way he's interacting with Wooyoung and how gentle he is. He can't ignore the gentle greeting he gave Changbin and immediately flustered his alpha pup.

"I'm sorry pup," Chan concedes to the sulking, "You're very well-behaved."

Wooyoung smiles at that as he nestles into Seonghwa's chest. Seonghwa seems unbothered with the open display of affection. "I'm sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, love." Seonghwa says to Wooyoung. "Were you wanting to spend some time with Bin?"

Wooyoung stands straight up and wiggles out of Seonghwa's arms to fully face him, "Oh hyung, can I? It'll only be for a little bit, I promise I won't bother you."

"Wooyoung, you're never a bother." He scolds the younger. "Of course you can hang out with Changbin."

The omega pup gives him a sweet smile before he jumps onto Changbin's back. Changbin catches him easily, "Seriously, Woo?" He complains.

"Jung Wooyoung," Seonghwa says sharply, "be careful."

"Sorry hyung," Wooyoung responds as Changbin waves to Seonghwa. Changbin seems to accept that Wooyoung isn't getting off and walks them into the dressing room.

"That boy," Seonghwa says. The fond exasperation is clear in his voice. The omega looks back at him, "Feel free to send him our way whenever you need to."

"Sure. That's if Changbin allows me. He's quite protective of his time with Woo since it's becoming more infrequent," Chan shares

Seonghwa smiles at that. "Same with Wooyoung. They're sweet together."

He stands there for a moment feeling a bit awkward. Frankly, he has extremely beautiful omegas himself, so he's not sure why this one has his wolf's attention. He didn't think his wolf was so vain, but he didn't think his wolf was a lot of things up until a couple months ago. He ignores it after a firm reminder of the pup waiting for him.

"I need to go check on an unwell pup," he excuses himself, "it was nice seeing you, Seonghwa."

Seonghwa's face falls in concern, "Are you sure Wooyoung won't be a disruption?"

"No, of course not. He actually might help. I just want to check on him," Chan says, pleased with the concern the other is showing.

"Okay. Well, I hope your pup is okay. Please don't hesitate to send Wooyoung back to us when you need to," Seonghwa reassures once more.

He parts from the omega with another good-bye and returns to his dressing room. The smell of the pack fills his senses. The strange interest from his wolf bothers him, but he pushes it to the side when he finds Jisung cozied up on the couch. He admits he's feeling a bit clingy and protective toward his cub, but he refuses to hide that from him. He wants Jisung to know how much he's cared for.

"There's my baby," he greets.

Jisung looks up and smiles at him. "You're back."

He bends down to kiss Jisung's lips, happy and relieved to see the younger one smiling. Jisung is receptive to his affections and there's a familiar brightness to his eyes.

"You smell good hyung," Jisung says, "you smell happy."

He scoops Jisung up into his arms, amused by the little sound of surprise his omega releases. He sits where Jisung previously was and settles his pup in his lap. Jisung nestles into him.

"How could I not be?" He says softly.

When they're back home he sends his pups into the dorm so he can stay back and talk to their manager. Their manager feels awful and apologizes as he truly thought Jisung had been teasing him, which is something his pups would do to get the older man to laugh. He accepts the apology, but makes it clear that his pups won't be forced to do anything they feel they're incapable of doing.

He goes inside and up to the dorm quickly. Their dorm smells like pack and it calms his alpha upon entry. He locks the deadbolt behind him and ventures into their home. He can hear showers running and shrieks of exasperation.

Minho stands at Changbin and Felix' doorway looking amused. "You should just shower together instead of bickering about who gets the hot water."

"They like to bicker though," he says, coming up behind Minho and resting his hand on the younger alphas hip.

"Hyung," Felix protests.

Changbin sulks at him.

Minho leans back into his chest and huffs out a fond laugh. "You know he's right."

He squeezes past Minho and enters the room to press a kiss to both of them. He's feeling affectionate, and he wants his pups to feel appropriately doted on. He kisses Minho's cheek on the way out as the alpha clearly has their two pups under control.

He ventures into Hyunjin's room. He's lounging on his bed with Seungmin staring at his phone. They both have glazed over eyes due to their tiredness.

"You okay?" He asks.

Grunts of affirmation are his answer.

"Hm. Didn't realize my pups were nonverbal." He teases. His hyung instincts encourage him to enter their room. He sits on Hyunjin's bed and gazes at his pretty omega. Hyunjin's beauty always managed to take his breath. It seemed deeply unfair for someone as pretty as the younger omega to walk around, but he's pleased to have such a thoughtful and kind mate.

He leans down to kiss Hyunjin's lips, always so soft and plush against his own.

"What happened with Sung?" Hyunjin asks.

"Anxiety," he answers, "it's okay. I'll call for an appointment soon."

Hyunjin hums in understanding. "He should be pulled from all activities. He needs to focus on himself."

"I know, angel," he agrees, "we'll see what the therapist says and go from there."

Hyunjin smiles up at him. "One more kiss?"

He agrees easily by pressing kisses all over Hyunjin's forehead and cheeks. He encourages the giggles Hyunjin is releasing and finally presses a kiss to his addictive lips.

Hyunjin is panting and smiling brightly, but it's his happy and content scent that really satisfies his instincts. His pups have been smelling sad and melancholy that any sign of joy and brightness is strongly welcomed. He misses their sweet scents.

He joins Seungmin on his bed and pokes at the maknaes tummy.

"Seungmin," he play says, "I love you."

"I hate you," Seungmin respond in English.

He giggles at the familiar banter. "I love you Seungmin."

"No. I hate you." Seungmin replies. The younger one is smiling and beginning to laugh.

"You could never," he laughs, leaning down to kiss the younger beta's lips.

Seungmin sighs out in exasperation. "I guess hyung."

"Love you, baby."

Seungmin gives him a genuine smile this time. "Love you, hyung "

He cuffs the bottom of Seungmin's chin affectionately. "Jisung and Innie in the shower?" He asks.

"Yeah. Innie nearly wrestled him into the room," Seungmin giggles.

"He's feeling a bit protective," Hyunjin explains.

He can't say he blames the maknae for his protective instincts toward Jisung. Baby boy could certainly use the extra coddling and attention and that's what their pack was for.

Chapter Text

A week after they realized they were in the midst of bonding sickness he asked Hyunjin to be his Head Omega. The younger seemed to be so in tune with the maknae line, and quite intuitive to the older packmates as well. He thought the younger would be the perfect choice to step into the role and help make their pack feel a little more whole than it currently did. His oldest omega mate seamlessly took the reins.

He finally received Hyunjin's official pack marker. He offered it to him the previous night and it now sat prettily in his ear. He promised Hyunjin that he would help with some of the duties typically associated with a head omega to help relieve some of the burden as he gets adjusted to his new role.

So he's not exactly sure why Jisung is yelling at him.

"Hyung, what the actual fuck?" Jisung demands as he enters the studio in a huff. The door slams shut behind him effectively giving them privacy from any prying ears.

He feels his eyebrows raise to the middle of his forehead in sheer surprise over the younger one's language and clear anger with him. Changbin is beside him and standing up protectively.

"Jisung," Changbin says firmly. "Watch what you say. He's your hyung and he's still your alpha."

Jisung laughs, but it sounds mean, vindictive almost. It's not the typical lighthearted giggles he's so fond of. This is dark.

"Oh really?" Jisung challenges. He paces closer to them. "Would a head alpha ask a vulnerable omega to be their head omega, hm? A vulnerable, emotionally unstable omega who's still healing from a hurt we're all fucking dealing with. Is that what a head alpha does, hyung?" Jisung asks, staring him down before looking harshly at Changbin.

Doubt.

A flicker of doubt lights up inside of him. Did he make the wrong choice? Hyunjin accepted the role. He accepted it immediately upon asking. He didn't sense any type of hesitation or unease. He knows that he would. He knows his pups.

"Hyunjin seemed happy to accept the role," Chan says carefully.

"You're so dense and blinded by the overall well-being of the pack you couldn't pick up on it even if you wanted to," Jisung bites out.

"Jisung," Changbin growls warningly. "This is not the way to solve problems. You know better."

Jisung barks out a laugh. It's not an amused one. "Oh, really? Really? Is that what we're doing? What, I'm not allowed to say what we're all collectively thinking? I can't point out that hyung made an incredibly selfish and stupid choice, one that he made without discussing with the pack might I add, and we're just supposed to accept it?"

Jisung is staring Changbin down without backing down. There's a fire in the younger eyes he's not used to seeing. It's protective and territorial. It's pure instinct. Their maknae is completely in control, which makes it even more intimidating.

"Bin," he says, "take a seat. Stop challenging him. He's allowed to speak unfiltered toward us."

Changbin listens to him and sits. The alpha essentially submitting to the omega's wrath. Jisung has the higher ground and the dominant presence to go with it.

"Traditionally, it is the pack alphas' decision on who he asks to be pack omega," Chan says gently.

The maknae scoffs bitterly. "When did we become a traditional pack? I clearly didn't get the memo as I didn't sign up for that type of heteronormative bullshit. When have you ever made a choice without us? This is a decision that affects all of us and we had the right to know about it. I would have said no. Hyunjin is not in a place where he's able to care for all of us and himself. How is he supposed to heal, huh? Did you even think, hyung?"

Jisung's words hurt. They're piercing his heart in a way he's not used to. He's not sure he's ever been on the opposite end of Jisung's anger. That's typically reserved for Minho and the 00z liners. He does not like being on this side of the equation.

He knows there's some truth to Jisung's words, but he made a decision for the good of the pack and he wasn't about to change it. That's between himself and Hyunjin to figure out together even though he appreciates Jisung looking out for the older omega.

"I've made my choice, Jisung. I'm not asking you to like it, but I'm hoping you'll support him in it." Chan says evenly.

Jisung stares at him for a full minute quietly. He shakes his head in disbelief. "I'm disappointed in you, hyung."

Those words are an actual knife to his heart. He feels the tears well up in the corner of his eyes, but he forces himself to stay calm.

Jisung's hands go up to his ear and fiddles with it before drawing them back. His hoop is no longer resting in his ear, but in his hand. He places it delicately on the desk.

"I may be bonded to you, but I certainly don't have to wear your marker until you've earned my trust and respect back," Jisung says carefully. He takes one more look at the earring before turning and leaving the studio.

His heart breaks a second time this year. The sobs seem to explode from within him as he hunches over and covers his face with his hands. His heart hurts and his stomach twists in knots. He feels dizzy and uncomfortable.

"Hyung," Changbin says, wrapping his hands around his wrists and pulling them away from his face, "it's okay, hyung. I'm here. I have you."

Changbin manages to pull him into a hug. He buried his face into his younger alphas neck and breathed in the comforting pheromones his pup was releasing for his own good.

He feels like a failure.

An alpha who can't even make decisions his pack agrees with.

An alpha who disappointed the person he's known the longest in his pack.

He's betrayed the younger omegas' trust.

He clings to Changbin. His fists curl into his shirt as the sobs wrack through his body. Changbin rubs his back, but doesn't say much. He lets him cry and get it out of his system.

When he calms he's breathing heavily and he feels boneless and light-headed. Changbin cups his face gently to look at him with an intense expression. "Let's lay down and cuddle, hyung," he coaxes.

He finds himself on the couch as the little spoon. Changbin is wrapped around him protectively and scenting at his scent gland. Miraculously, he falls asleep, but not without a heavy heart and guilty conscience.

He tiptoes around the dorm. It's clear that there's a clear line in the sand of whose side each packmate is on. Jisung is scarily professional when he returns back to activities, and it only makes his alpha miss the younger omega more. His pup is distancing himself, and he's doing his best to respect the younger one's space.

It comes to a head when Hyunjin calls a pack meeting. They're all sitting in the living room avoiding eye contact with one another. It's the first time they've been awkward since trainee days.

Hyunjin clears his throat.

"I've called a pack meeting because frankly, I'm tired of the lack of communication and everyone childishly picking sides in Chan hyungs and Jisung's argument," Hyunjin's voice is firm and absolute in his delivery. "So we're going to talk about it and put it to rest. For good."

They all nod in agreement.

Hyunjin steamrolls ahead.

"Good. Jisung. What's the main point of your contention with Chan hyung? I want a direct response. I don't want feelings attached," he asks.

Jisung gulps nervously. "I disagree with hyung making a choice that involves the entire pack."

Hyunjin nods. "I can agree and respect that. Hyung has been very open with communication, so I can understand why him making this choice would upset you. Is anyone else upset for the same reason?"

Three hands go up. Felix, Seungmin, and Jeongin.

His heart hurts a little more. It sits a bit heavier in his chest.

"Technically, hyung did nothing wrong or unethical within his role as head alpha. He does indeed have the right to ask whoever he wants to be his head omega without confirmation from the pack. It's a bit traditional, but it's not immoral." Hyunjin explains. "Are we upset at Chan's lack of discussion or that he chose me?"

Jisung coughs nervously. "Both. I'm sorry, Jin, but if this had been put to a pack vote I wouldn't have been for it. I don't think it's wise to step into a vital pack role while we're all healing from trauma. It seems unwise. I have absolute faith in your capabilities and your devotion to us, but it seems unfair to ask you to be that when we're all in the process of grieving."

Felix nods beside Jisung. "I agree. I feel like you should have been asked when we were all a little more stable and settled."

Hyunjin nods. "I'm not mad. I think you have valid points." He pauses for a moment. "Hyung and I are working together to find a harmonious balance. At the end of the day, it's still my decision and I accepted. You cannot be upset with hyung for that."

Jisung's face grows gloomy and dark as he listens, but remains silent. It's clear his maknae doesn't agree, but isn't going to draw out the tension any longer than needed.

"It really seems like this entire argument went in the opposite direction of what we needed," Hyunjin says. "Jisung, you should not have confronted Chan hyung the way you did. I don't have all the specifics, but cornering him while he's at work is equally unloving and disrespectful. You owe hyung an apology for that. The only way this pack works is to show each other the respect we'd want to be shown. This entire thing fails if we don't."

Minho clears his throat from where he's sitting on the couch. "We've experienced enough hurt to last us a lifetime. The last thing we should be doing is going at each other's throats. If we allow that then he wins."

'He' being Woojin.

"I'm sorry hyung," Jisung says carefully. He turns to face the younger omega who's approaching him. He can't resist his pull and reaches out for him. Jisung sits in his lap and curls into his chest. It feels like home having the younger cuddle up to him. "I was disrespectful in the way I brought up my concern. I never should have done so while I was angry. I'm very sorry I used you as my emotional punching bag, especially after Changbin hyung warned me to stop."

He brushes his fingers through Jisung's hair and kisses his temple. "I forgive you, baby. I'm sorry I disappointed you. Hyung will try and do better."

Jisung leans up to kiss his cheek. "I'm not disappointed, hyung. You're my biggest pride and ego boost. You chose me from day one and never abandoned me. My biggest brag is to tell others that not only do I work with Bang Chan, but I'm part of his pack. I love you to the moon and back times an infinite amount."

He smiles at the cheesy declaration. One they've had since they were trainees and started as a mindless joke between them. The words carry a little more depth now.

"I love you," he whispers into Jisung's temple.

Things get better after they clear the air. There seems to be far more transparency between the pack, and Hyunjin initiates hard conversations extremely well. He's direct and to the point and they learn to have these talks without tying their emotions so heavily into them. It's more practical to be direct than it is to sugarcoat and wax poetic about their bruised feelings. It solved nothing and could potentially be more hurtful to hear.

With harmony restored within the pack, Chan's not sure why he feels so restless sitting in their dressing room at Inkigayo. He's full of energy and he's pretty sure he's testing Minho's patience as he shakes his leg.

He stands and leaves the room. He doesn't want to bother his partners, and he could use a change of scenery. He walks down a hallway and up a flight of stairs to enter into a sitting area. The room currently smells like lavender, which he's familiar with.

"Hello Chan-ssi."

He turns to the voice and sees Seonghwa sitting by the fake tree underneath the window. The younger boy smiles at him.

"Hello Seonghwa-ssi," he greets politely.

Lavender. Of course it's Seonghwa. Changbin would come home smelling like lavender and he often wondered who the scent belonged to. His wolf liked the soothing smell as it's easy on his nose and doesn't detract from the smells around him.

"What are you up to?" Seonghwa asks politely.

"Taking a walk. Feeling restless," he shares. "Uh, how about you?"

He internally facepalms at his stuttering and hesitation. He's such a fool sometimes.

"The same. I didn't want to bother my pack, so I came out here," Seonghwa shares honestly.

"Can I join you?" He asks.

"Of course. I'd love some company," Seonghwa says, pointing to a seat and encouraging him to join.

He sits in the seat against the opposite wall so they're able to make comfortable eye contact without staring each other dead on.

"How's Wooyoung?" He asks.

Seonghwa smiles warmly. "He's good. We thought he might have twisted his ankle the other day, but it was just sore muscles from overuse. He had a few days rest and is feeling much better."

He can't help but smile. Wooyoung having to be bed-ridden must be a nightmare. "I'm sure it wasn't easy to keep him still for that long."

Seonghwa laughs, rolling his eyes in a playful manner. "That boy. It's like we were torturing him. He was so moody and grumbly and only allowed Yeosang to cuddle him."

He can't help the surprised laugh that escapes him. Wooyoung's petulance sounds quite adorable, but he can only imagine how frustrating it must be as the one in charge of his health and well-being.

"How'd you get him to stay put?" He asks.

"I got manager hyung on my side and we threatened to keep him out of work for an extra week if he didn't properly rest," Seonghwa smirks devilishly. "Suddenly I had a very amiable and obedient pup on my hands."

"Oh, I bet," he giggles, amused by the hilarious tale. He doesn't doubt it one bit. He has a few workaholics in his own pack who'd do anything to keep working.

"How's Changbin?" Seonghwa asks.

He smiles fondly over the mention of his alpha pup and all the support he's been given by the younger.

"He's good. I've been relying on him a lot, but he's such a stable person it's hard not to," Chan shares easily.

Seonghwa hums in understanding. "Wooyoung always says that about him. He's a reliable and stable presence for him. Oftentimes he's the one talking sense into my own pup, which I'm very, very grateful for."

He giggles. "Those two can get up to some mischief, but I'm glad he's still being a responsible friend."

They fall into a companionable silence. At least, he thinks it is. He always gets a bit awkward over long pauses. He takes a moment to quietly look over the pack omega.

Chan tries not to adhere to traditional norms and terminology considering how much of an odd bunch his own pack is, but the only word he can think of for Seonghwa is elegant. The delicate, soft makeup accentuating his pretty eyes. The earrings bedazzling his ears, softening the harsh edges of his jaw. He's wearing a baby blue sweater with a v-neck cut. His collarbones are peeking out from the material. Hugging his neck is a delicate white gold choker with a teardrop opal pendant hanging from it. The sweater covers the palms of his hand effectively giving him adorable sweater paws as he cradles his phone in his hand.

He knows it's more than just looks. It's the way Seonghwa presents himself to the world. He's put together and attentive. He can easily disarm people with his charming personality and his ease in being polite and respectful.

And he knows these are superficial layers to the omega. It doesn't make any of it less genuine or…enticing. He doesn't understand his wolf's fascination with the other, but he's willing to befriend the other for the sake of his pup.

"Could we exchange numbers? I think it would be good for us to initiate more with Changbin and Wooyoung. I know it would mean a lot for Bin," he laughs softly, "I'm sure he's getting annoyed constantly checking in with me."

Seonghwa brightens up. "Oh, that's a great idea. Wooyoung is getting a bit more hesitant as well. It would be encouraging for him, too."

They exchange numbers and kakaotalk ID's. It's just in time as his phone vibrates with a message from Changbin. It's time for him to return as they have fancalls to do.

He says good-bye to the younger and is pleased with how relaxed and content he feels. Those tingles of restlessness in his muscles have completely disappeared.

Interesting.

Chapter Text

Chan initiates conversation with Seonghwa first. They're at MCountdown and he knows Ateez are as well. Seonghwa's response is nearly immediate with a promise to send Wooyoung his way to surprise Changbin. He's sitting with Felix' head resting in his lap as he dozes in and out of sleep. The younger one couldn't sleep last night and unfortunately paid for it today.

He stares at his phone in thought as to how he could respond to Seonghwa to keep the conversation going in the least awkward way possible. He shakes his head and sets his phone to the side. Something about the younger omega always managed to make him feel inept. He would consider him a pretty outgoing and social person and he enjoyed carrying on conversations, but he completely lost those skills in the face of the other.

The knock on the door effectively breaks him out of his frustrated thoughts. Their manager opens it up for them and relaxes when he sees who's standing at it.

"Good morning," Wooyoung greets politely.

He watches as Changbin's head whips up at.the voice of his closest friend.

"Woo?" He asks.

Wooyoung's smile brightens a bit as he heads over to Changbin, but not before reaching out to squeeze his own hand in passing. It's a silent thank you for letting him visit.

He watches as Wooyoung pinches Changbin's cheek. "Look at you," he coos happily, "you're putting on muscle so easily."

Changbin swats at his hand to get him to release his face. He reaches out to pinch Wooyoung's side. "And what about it?" He grumbles at him.

Wooyoung throws his head back in a high pitched laugh. Felix wakes in his lap, groggily looking around. Chan pets his hair. "Sorry baby," he hums gently, "Wooyoung is here."

That seems to wake Felix up.

"Wooyoung hyung?" He says, looking behind him and out to the room to confirm the fact that he was indeed there.

Wooyoung seems to hear Felix and beams, already reaching his arms out. "Hi Lixie baby," he coos.

Felix is gone in a half a second. He huffs out an amused laugh. Wooyoung's pull on Felix is adorable, and humbling. His youngest omega clearly adores Wooyoung.

Felix throws himself around Wooyoung in a hug, easily making Wooyoung laugh. Wooyoung's arms carefully lace behind his back and hold him close. Wooyoung holds an interesting place within their dynamic as he's the oldest omega when he's with them despite being the maknae omega of Ateez. He's sure he sees a very different side to Wooyoung then his Ateez packmates do.

"Tired, hyung," he mumbles into Wooyoung's neck.

Wooyoung's face softens and looks over to Changbin for explanation.

"Pup didn't sleep well last night," Changbin shares.

Wooyoung hums in concern. "Come on, let's sit and cuddle with Bin."

Felix steps out of the way so Wooyoung can sit before he's offering his arms out again. Felix slips into the older omega's lap and rests his head on his shoulder. "Take a nap, Lix," he comforts the younger softly.

Changbin sits beside Felix and watches the two with a fond smile.

Chan is sitting watching the entire thing feeling...weird. He's trying not to be overly possessive...or even territorial, and he's not. This feeling doesn't feel like any of those. His alpha feels more...restless he can't go and join them in a pseudo puppy pile.

He's not sure of the comfort levels of Wooyoung, and it is considered inappropriate as an alpha to cuddle someone else's bonded omega, especially as he is a pack alpha. It would be a direct challenge to Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

He ignores the fact he has three very cute and relaxed pups cuddling in front of him and focuses on another cute maknae of his. He reaches out and brings Jeongin into his lap as he tries to pass him. The unsuspecting maknae grumbles in frustration over the brief manhandling. The maknae growls sulkily at him, but quiets when he's settled.

"You're clingy today," Jeongin says bluntly.

The beta maknae looks up at him with a blank expression.

"I'm not allowed to cuddle in peace?" He rebuttals.

Jeongin rolls his eyes. "You're dumb," he huffs out, "I know I'm not the one you want to be cuddling right now."

The response has him frowning.

Jeongin's hand covers his mouth to prevent him from speaking. "I'm not taking it as an offense, so don't be a dummy and make assumptions, hyung."

His maknae gives him an intense stare. He nods in understanding, his feathers ruffled slightly by being called out by the youngest of his partners.

"There's an obvious puppy pile going on, and you're upset you can't join," the maknae says plainly. "You're deflecting onto me to calm your senses. Typical alpha."

He tickles Jeongin's sides at the teasing remark. Giggles bubble from the pups chest in a delightful cacophony of sound as well as sweet scent due to the sheer happiness.

Jeongin's bluntness has taken time to get used to, especially with the younger trying to come into his own. He appreciates the honesty, and the straight forward-like nature of the younger. Clearly, this is Minho's biggest influence on their younger mate's character.

"What are your thoughts on Wooyoung?" He asks Jeongin.

Jeongin gazes over at the three. "He fits, doesn't he, hyung?"

Fits?

"Fits how?" He asks.

Jeongin sighs and takes a minute to consider his answer. "He seems to...mesh well with us. It helps that he's friendly and kind, but we have plenty of friends who are both those things and you've never allowed that to happen."

The maknae nods to the puppy pile.

He's feeling especially called out today.

"Well. I think you would let us if we wanted that comfort. I think it's more we choose not to engage in that. We prefer to be with the pack now," Jeongin muses quietly to him. "It makes you think."

It certainly does. It makes him think about things he doesn't want to think about. He can't really think about those things when there's so many other things on his plate like Jisung and his anxiety, Hyunjin is clearly hiding a cold, all of them are sleep-deprived, and he still needs to work on their next album.

He doesn't answer Jeongin, but his pup is content staring at his gaming console and resuming playing it. He watches as Felix nuzzles into Wooyoung's neck.

Felix pauses and sits up straight as he already begins apologizing to the older omega.

"Lix," Wooyoung says softly, "it's okay, honestly. Seonghwa hyung always tells me that as omegas we need a little extra touch and attention, and especially between omega and omega. If you're safe and comfortable with me to scent, then it's a pretty big ego boost for me as someone who isn't pack."

Wooyoung brushes away Felix's hair and smiles at him.

Felix nods before shyly turning to look at him. "Hyung?" He says, the question clear in his voice. Felix will always defy to this word. He wishes the younger would stop and begin asking for the things he wants instead of constantly asking for approval.

"It's okay with me, sunshine. Wooyoung is right. You need that interaction," he reassures.

Felix smiles at him. A bright and beautiful one over the clear acceptance. He watches the younger confidently nuzzle in to scent Wooyoung's neck.

He watches Wooyoung's eyes soften considerably, taming the typical energetic and hyper spirit the boy always seems to have an unlimited amount of.

He quite likes this image.

And that's a scary thing for him to admit and reluctantly accept.

When they're back in their dorm, Changbin locks them in his room and sighs heavily.

"We should talk about Wooyoung."

He sighs and sits on his bed. "We probably should." This isn't a conversation he really wants to have, but Changbin shares haggard and weighed down.

Changbin sits beside him and reaches out to hold his hand. "I should confess something first."

Chan looks over to see his alpha mate unusually nervous. "It's okay, Bin. Whatever it is, I'll listen carefully."

Changbin nods. "Wooyoung is my best friend, but that started to change a little bit before debut. My feelings grew, but I kept them at bay because the timing was just horrible." He sighs. "It seems like my timing is always bad." Changbin squeezes his hand. "I love our pack. Everyone in it is someone I'm deeply appreciative of having in my life, and I know I couldn't live without them. My feelings for Wooyoung are growing again, hyung. I love being with him, and I love seeing how he treats you and the pups. He belongs here, you know? Things seem a little lighter when he's around, and I think we deserve that after the shit show our lives have been."

A part of him always suspected Bin might have feelings for Wooyoung, which he can't blame him for, but the alpha never did anything to pursue them.

"Things are a little more complex now that he's bonded, baby," he says solemnly.

Changbin nods grimly. "That's not really the only problem." He watches the younger alpha run his free hand through his hair nervously. "I have a crush on Seonghwa hyung."

Oh.

That certainly complicates things.

Changbin looks up at him. His eyes have a manic edge to them. "I've been trying to stop, you know. Both of them are taken. They look so happy with their pack, and I'm not… I'm not going to take that away from them. I don't know what to do, hyung. If I stop hanging out, Wooyoung will know something is wrong and I can't lie to him."

Changbin takes a deep breath. "Seonghwa hyung treats me like I'm one of his own, you know? Like, I'm definitely still overshadowed by Wooyoung most times," he huffs out a soft, amused laugh, "but I wouldn't have it any other way. It doesn't bother me. It just increases…the feelings. He's so openly affectionate with me, and takes care of me without a second thought. As if I'm one of his pups, and frankly, I wouldn't mind that. I love the way I feel around him."

There's a bit of an itch to his alpha that he can't shake. The need to provide. The eagerness to make his packmate happy and provide for them. It takes him only a minute before he realizes that he's not jealous or upset. On some level, he can relate to Changbin and his affection for Wooyoung.

"Felix has a crush on him," he shares with Changbin.

Changbin giggles. "Oh, for sure."

"I didn't like that I couldn't join you guys today," he admits. "I think there's a little more depth to my feelings, as well."

Changbin sighs. "I'm sorry hyung."

Chan turns in surprise to make eye contact with his alpha maknae, confused by his apology. "Why are you apologizing?"

Changbin shrugs. "I feel like I need to. On some level, I know I shouldn't be having feelings for two members of another bonded pack. It feels...wrong. I should be happy and content."

"Well, I don't accept it," he states firmly, "your feelings aren't wrong. Bin, a part of me always kind of...had a suspicion there might be something more between you two. In fact, I was more surprised when I asked for you to bond with me and you said yes so easily."

His mate squeezes his hand. "Hyung, I've loved you for quite some time as well. There's no...question regarding you and the others. My feelings are unwavering for you."

"I know," he responds, "the point is. If you have to apologize, then so would I. So would Felix and whoever else Wooyoung has managed to charm. Baby, we're all vulnerable right now, and we're healing a lot of wounds. I don't want this to be another one."

Changbin nods in understanding.

It still doesn't solve their current problem though.

"What do we do?" Changbin asks.

He leans back on his bed and stares up at the ceiling. What did they do? As pack alpha, what is he supposed to do?

A weight settles beside him. He feels Changbin lay his head on his chest. It's a reassuring feeling knowing at the end of the day, Changbin will always come home to him.

"We should talk to the pack," Chan says, "before deciding anything. This impacts them, and they should have a say."

"What do I do about Wooyoung?" Changbin asks softly.

"Why should you have to do anything? He's still your best friend, right? That would be true whether or not you're in a relationship. Be his friend," he advises, "and we'll figure out what to do."

The room is quiet as they both ponder this be development.

"I'm not sure it's very friendly of me to want to kiss him though, hyung."

He can't help the giggles that bubble out of him. Neither can Changbin as the younger laughs as well. It's a nice way to break the tension they've unintentionally created.

It feels good to laugh.

It's needed.

Chapter Text

Jisung still isn't wearing his earring. It bothers him and it's one of the countless reasons he stays up at night restless and unable to sleep. It's hard for him to see his mate clearly presenting themselves to the world that they're unbonded, even though legally, Jisung is his. The young omega is still quietly making his displeasure known that he doesn't agree with his choice.

It's a harsh truth to accept. The reality that in some form or anothers, he's fallen out of favor with the packmate he's known the longest.

The pack has reached a tentative harmony and he's not going to question Jisung and risk disrupting that balance.

He still hasn't brought up the conversation about Wooyoung yet, which is another thing keeping him awake. He looks over at the clock. It's only been a few minutes since he last glanced at it.

His refuge comes in the form of a body laying on top of him and nuzzling into his neck. Chan hums in contentment. He feels warm and less lonely, and welcomes the cuddles. As Minho's only hyung, he gets to see a much different side to the alpha than the others. He considers it one of his biggest privileges.

"You okay?" Minho asks softly.

Being able to hold Minho close to him and breathe in his comforting scent...everything seems a little easier to process and manage.

"Yeah," he answers. He kisses Minho's temple.

Out of everyone, courting Minho had been the simplest. Like most things were when Minho was around him. With Minho, there was laughter at the silliest nonsense, natural bantering, and a comfort that came with zero expectations.

He didn't need to overthink it. Their pack had already started to form more intimate and romantic bonds, and Minho's courting gift was staring at him. It was a stainless steel necklace and black vertical rectangle pendant. It could be engraved on it if he chose to.

He chose to.

In the chosen block script, he has one word engraved: Refuge.

He felt safest with Minho around. He's the bleeding heart, but Minho had nerves of steel and that provides a different sort of protection for him and their pack. Minho is unwavering in his convictions, and he is undeniably devoted and loyal to their pack.

Minho loved the gift. He wears it to this day as often as he can get away with. It's the one thing Minho doesn't provide an explanation for; in their interviews or to their fans...he politely changes the topic. It's something specially reserved for them.

Their chosen dance leader. The man who proved everyone wrong in his capabilities and skills. Their stronghold in the darkest of times.

Their refuge.

He wakes the following morning with hands in his hair and muted laughter. He blinks his eyes open to look up at Minho peering down at him with soft eyes and a gentle smile.

"Hey hyung," Minho greets warmly.

"Morning, Min," he mumbles.

The giggles amplify outside his door.

They have a treasured day off and it's apparent his pups are enjoying it to the fullest already.

"Wanna talk about whatever is keeping you up at night?" He asks.

"It's a long list," he sighs.

"I have time." Minho answers easily.

He looks up at Minho and feels that familiar pulse of safety and comfort he's not felt in a few months. It's his own fault. He effectively shut down any type of vulnerability when they recovered from their bonding sickness. His pack needed strength, an anchor to rely on, so they could be vulnerable and upset in the safety of his arms.

Perhaps it was time to let someone in.

After their day off they were at Music Bank for an encore performance of another single they decided to promote. It seemed to be sheer luck that it was also Ateez's last performance.

He feels guilty that he still hasn't talked to his pack about Wooyoung and the developing feelings for Changbin's best friend. After such an emotional conversation with Minho, he'd felt a bit drained and selfishly decided to put it off when he was able to handle such a serious conversation.

He felt lighter though. The load he carries on his shoulders has been reduced now that he shared his burdens and worries with Minho. It certainly wasn't a fix for everything, but feeling a little more connected to one of his packmates is a welcomed change.

As he stands in the dressing room doorway staring at his pack, and the harmony they all have with each other, he feels like an outsider. He pushes away from the door jam he's leaning against and looks away. It hurts to see them, and not be a part of it.

He walks along the hallway trying to quiet his thoughts. He knows he's feeling sorry for himself. Part of the reason he's even in this predicament is because he's been messing up a lot since the number of his pack lowered in it's count.

"Chan-ssi?"

Chan startles from his thoughts and stumbles into the wall.

"Oh! Oh I'm so sorry."

He looks around to finally see the cause of his stumbling even though his wolf traitorously rumbles in excitement over a voice he's starting to become quite familiar with.

Chan finally looks to see Seonghwa's face creased with concern and arms reaching out, but clearly hesitant to touch.

"I'm so sorry," Seonghwa apologizes again, "are you okay?"

He huffs out an embarrassed laugh and rights himself. He scratches at his neck nervously. "Yeah. I must have been lost in thought."

Seonghwa frowns. It looks wrong on such a pretty and sweet face. "You need to be careful, Chan-ssi. You could have injured yourself."

He watches Seonghwa resolve himself. The omega reaches out and wraps his hand around his forearm. He follows the younger idol to a couple of chairs in the corner. Seonghwa's touch is warm and gentle, but he knows better than to pull away. He knows there's a strength to the head omega he shouldn't underestimate.

Seonghwa guides him to sit down and he takes the seat beside him, finally removing his hand from his arm. He misses the touch, so foreign and gentle in a way he's not quite experienced before.

"You're smelling awfully sad, Chan-ssi," Seonghwa says softly. "Is everything okay?"

Is he okay? Clearly not if he's tripping over his own feet at someone interrupting his thoughts.

"Hyung. Call me hyung," he insisted first. The formality is a thorn to his side. He wants the younger idol to feel comfortable around him.

A ghost of a smile turns Seonghwa's lips up. "Okay, hyung. Why are you so sad?"

Chan sighs. "I'm just feeling sorry for myself."

Seonghwa tilts his head. "Why's that?"

"I keep messing up as pack alpha. I realize those mistakes have clearly put a wedge in between myself and my mates bond," he confesses softly.

Seonghwa is quiet for a few beats before he speaks. "I think it's understandable to feel as though you're looking from the outside in. You bear a heavy burden and responsibility as a head alpha, and even more so considering the last few months. Bonding sickness has very real and serious effects on pack dynamics, and you all are still settling from that as well as managing idol life and the responsibilities that come with our line of work."

The perspective of that is interesting. It almost sounds as though Seonghwa is being overly generous with his words and consideration of his feelings. It's completely opposite from what he feels he deserves. A scolding. A harsh reprimand.

"I do believe you can afford yourself a little patience and forgiveness as you navigate healing and mending your pack," Seonghwa says softly. "Eventually, enough time and distance from such a traumatic experience will help lessen the severity of it and the control it has on you."

He gazes at Seonghwa carefully. The words are a balm to his aching soul and wounded heart. It's a level of understanding he didn't expect the other to have, but he's appreciative for the gentle and comforting words.

It's no wonder Wooyoung treasures Seonghwa. He's only been sitting here for a few minutes and feels heard and comforted. Wooyoung lives with this man.

"Thank you," he says.

"For what, hyung?" Seonghwa asks.

"For putting things into a clearer perspective for me," Chan admits softly.

Seonghwa smiles at him. "You're welcome."

Chan leans back in his chair and rubs at his face. He takes in Seonghwa's appearance and is once again reminded of the sheer elegance of the other. He has a hard time computing it in his brain. The elegance and the wisdom the younger has.

"How are you and your pack doing?" He asks.

Seonghwa's eyes light up at the mention of his pack. "I'm okay, and my pack is doing well. Jongho hurt his knee so he's only able to perform while sitting. He's a bit frustrated by that, but he's happy he is still able to be on stage. Thank you for asking."

"Jongho is...your maknae, right?" Chan asks. He's hoping he's remembering the information correctly. Wooyoung talks about his pack, and there's a lot of names he knows but can't place them to the correct face or position.

"Yeah," Seonghwa's eyes are gleaming with pride, "my reliable maknae. Much older and mature than his actual physical age. It's a relief to have him."

Seonghwa's lavender scent is permeating the air around them as he talks about his pack happily and with warm affection lacing his words. It's an addicting scent. The lavender is a bit sweeter, and his wolf approved of such a delicate scent invading his senses.

No wonder Changbin has a crush on the omega.

His visuals are entrancing, his scent intoxicating, but the sheet warmth and comfort he exudes is unbelievable. By all means, someone like Seonghwa can't exist. He's not pessimistic to question Seonghwa's faults as he's sure the younger man has them, but the genuine way he portrays himself is unusual.

Seonghwa's presence is like a warm blanket being wrapped around you and a mug of hot chocolate being pressed into your hands. A vision of safety, warmth, and comfort all in one.

His wolf wants.

Chan is starting to understand...and agree.

"Would it be okay if I texted you outside of Changbin and Wooyoung related things?" He asks. It's quite bold of him to do so.

Seonghwa looks briefly surprised, and then strangely coy as he masks his expression and calms his scent noticeably.

"It depends on what for, hyung."

"Friendship." He answers.

Seonghwa's eyes warm and loses the mask he quickly put into place just a moment ago. He wouldn't be surprised if he received propositions despite being bonded. Unwarranted alpha advances would be the detriment to all the decent alphas out there, but it's a consequence he understands and accepts.

"I would like that, hyung." Seonghwa responds gently.

His relief is palpable.

When he leaves Seonghwa to return back to his pack, his heart feels lighter and his shoulders weightless. He returns back to the dressing room and finds his pups in a puppy pile laying down on the mats.

The sight warms him. He toes off his shoes and joins them, slotting himself behind Hyunjin. He presses a kiss to the back of his pretty mate's neck and closes his eyes.

Sleep comes easier than it has in a few weeks.

Chan texts Seonghwa a few days after the omega grants him permission. He starts with a greeting and they exchange pleasantries before he finally asks a more serious question.

He's sitting in the studio alone, and he can't proceed with his work now that the question is bothering him.

chan: how would you start a difficult conversation that's bound to be emotional and uncomfortable?

He sets his phone down and stares at his screen. Chan wants to finally talk about Wooyoung, but he feels as though he needs to confess his confusing feelings for Seonghwa as well. He wants to be transparent with them. He doesn't want to hide his feelings and vulnerabilities from them any longer.

He entrusted his heart to them, and he really should be acting in accordance with that promise.

Guarding his heart from them has clearly only bred more trouble and conflict. He ought to learn his lesson.

His phone vibrates.

seonghwa: well, the first thing i like to do is take in schedules. im not a fan of having emotionally draining discussions when we have a packed schedule the following day unless it's an absolute emergency. if it's not, i like to wait for a day off and have it in the morning that way there's time to recoup if needed.

That's actually pretty considerate and thoughtful, and definitely not something he would have thought about.

chan: okay that's a good start. i guess I feel guilty having such a conversation on our time off :(

He sees Seonghwa type and stares at the screen expectantly.

seonghwa: i completely understand, hyung! my pups agree they find it to be the most courteous thing to do. that way they still have the rest of their day to go out and have fun, and they typically enjoy it more with the air being cleared between us. better to do it early then rob everyone of their good mood, especially if it's an unexpected discussion.

Oh. Okay that does make sense, and he can see how that would be more respectful and considerate of his pups day off.

He checks their calendar and makes a note of it on their next day off. He will talk to them then, and maybe they could finally clear the air of all the tension.

chan: thank you. i feel much more confident now. thanks for the advice. sorry if i took up to much of your time.

seonghwa: im happy to help, hyung. and you're never a bother. i enjoy talking to you.

His stomach flips at that.

Well, shit.

When he gets back to the dorm late that afternoon, he's barely turned his key in the lock before the door is swung open with a resounding slam and a body is being pressed up against his front.

The smell clearly identifies it as Hyunjin, but he's not quite sure why his omega is clinging onto him.

"Jinnie?" He questions softly. "Baby, are you okay?"

Hyunjin sniffles into his neck. "No," he admits easily.

He coos in concern and lifts the omega up so he can carry him into the privacy of their dorm and a locked door. He does so quickly, as well as stepping out of his shoes.

"What's wrong, baby?" He asks, sitting down on the couch and letting the younger rest against him.

"Manager hyung says I have to suppress my heat since our next comeback is going to be scheduled during the same time," Hyunjin whines pitifully into his neck, "I don't want to take heat suppressants, hyung. I can't."

He can't help the growl that escapes his lips at the mere idea of any one of his pups being forced to suppress their cycles. His arms tighten around Hyunjin and holds him closer to his chest.

"How did he tell you this? Did you ask him?" Chan questions.

"No," Hyunjin cries, "he just told me on the way back from my dance lessons. I didn't even realize our next comeback is already scheduled. I didn't think to request the week off."

Chan does not like that his omega is taking the blame for a decision that their manager has absolutely no say in. It's a clear line he's crossed, and he's ready to give the man a piece of his mind. Hyunjin is already so sensitive in regards to suppressants that he's only agreed to take them if his heat cycle genuinely risked his safety. Thankfully, they've not been put into that type of situation due to the fact he's pretty regular and they can schedule the time off when they expect his cycle is approaching. Chans already scheduled the entire pack's cycles off for the remaining year.

"Baby, I've already scheduled the time off for all of our cycles for the rest of the year," Chan says gently, "and the company approved it. Manager hyung must have the wrong information, or he's at risk of finding another job."

Hyunjin whimpers sadly into his neck. "Then why'd he tell me that?"

"I don't know, sweetheart, but hyung will take care of it. You don't need to worry about it. No one is making you take suppressants, okay? Hyung wouldn't allow it unless we agreed your safety is at risk, right?"

Hyunjin nods into his neck, hiccuping from his previous upset.

"Okay," he says. "I have you baby. I'm sorry this happened when I wasn't around. That was completely uncalled for."

There's a fire in his belly. He's pretty sure this is the same manager who forced Hyunjin to work while sick. If it was, that's one too many offences against his precious mate.

"Baby, can you be honest with me? Is this the same manager who told you to lie about being sick?" He asks carefully.

Hyunjin's pheromones immediately turn sour with guilt. It's enough to answer, but he waits for the verbal confession.

"Yes," Hyunjin admits with a cry, "I'm so sorry hyung."

His heart aches for his omega, so precious and sensitive for the approval of others that he was convinced to be dishonest and then essentially told he had no choice in his approaching cycle by the same person.

"It's okay, angel," he murmurs soothingly, "this is not at all your fault. Alpha has you, baby."

Hyunjin eventually relaxes, and he's more than content holding his mate for as long as he needed. They're sitting there when Seungmin and Felix come home from their own lessons.

"What happened?" Seungmin demands.

Chan explains what happens. A sense of pride fills him at the dark gazes both his maknae's have.

He handles it the next day when he approaches company management. They're horrified by the treatment, and take immediate action to his surprise. They're most likely walking on eggshells and catering to them ever since the bonding sickness. They know they're at risk for a lawsuit if they don't tread carefully.

The manager is fired and blacklisted.

His wolf feels...confident for the first time in a while. He feels capable. A capable alpha and leader to his mates.

He enjoys the feeling while it lasts.

Chapter Text

The lingering effects of a disintegrating pack bond often are described as a phantom pain. Anytime he'd look up and only see seven faces staring back at him, his heart would clench up at the unfamiliarity of it. As angry and upset as he'd been, and still is, it didn't take away that his wolf felt as though there was still a sense of wrongness to his pack. He needed to look for who was missing.

Phantom pain.

Losing a pack member as abrupt as they did wasn't fair to any of them, but he reminds himself that they at least had each other during it. Each of them knows exactly what sort of pain they're going through. It's the healing aspect they seem to be struggling with. Each of his mates grieve differently, and he's not sure how to unify them without throwing salt into open wounds.

With time, it seems to become more manageable. They find out information that provides more explanation, which they then have to wrestle with. He's available to his mates who want to talk about it. He's a listening ear as they process their feelings. Other times he's a shoulder to cry on. The hurt and betrayal rears its ugly head and he allows himself to be a comforting body so they don't feel alone.

The silence is what bothers him. He's pretty sure it's amplified due to the two most quiet about their feelings being his youngest mates. Jeongin and Seungmin have been pretty tight-lipped about the entire thing.

"Min, can you do me a favor?" He asks his dance leader.

Minho is sitting on the couch opposite of him and looks over his phone. "What's up, hyung?"

"I need to talk to Seungminnie and Innie, do you think you could wrangle the others and take them out?" He asks.

Minho's face dawns with understanding. "You've noticed it too, hm?"

He nods, already feeling worried. "I don't want to dictate how they grieve. I'm just concerned and want to check in with them. I feel like they've been a little...neglected by me."

Minho tilts his head at that. "Didn't you just have both of them sleep with you in the nest? I'm pretty sure I saw you throw Jeongin over your shoulder and you three disappeared the rest of the night."

He snorts out an amused laugh. "I did. He was being stubborn when I could clearly smell he wanted to join us. I took matters into my own hands."

Minho rolls his eyes, but it's with a playful air as he smiles. "That pup."

"As if we're any better with our stubbornness," he says ruefully.

Minho smirks. "I don't think we'd be half as successful if we weren't all equally stubborn in our own way."

Chan stands from where he's sitting and crosses the small distance to sit beside his co-leader. "Can I confess something to you?"

Minho puts his phone down and angles his body to him. "Yeah, hyung. I'm all ears."

"Do you ever disagree with your wolf? Like...have there been times when your wolf has been adamant about something to the point it's blatant stubbornness," he asks curiously.

Minho hums thoughtfully. "I think the only time I really experienced that was when I got kicked off the debut showcase. My wolf became really unsettled, and it took a lot of sheer will to walk away. It's the only time I've really felt out of sorts with my instincts, and understandably so."

Chan reaches out to interlace his fingers with Minho's. The debut showcase is still a sore subject for him even though Minho and Felix seemed to have moved on. He knows there's a lot of residual guilt and anger at the company for taking away his pups for however brief a time it was.

"It's okay, hyung," Minho soothes gently, "Lix and I are here, right?"

He nods. He shoves down those complicated feelings so he can talk about the one currently driving a wedge between himself and his wolf.

"My wolf has formed an attachment to someone outside of our pack," he admits.

His alpha mate's expression doesn't change. Minho squeezes his hand comfortingly, and he knows it's because he must be smelling pretty anxious about the confession.

"You say 'your wolf' because…?" Minho asks.

He sighs. "It feels like I'm being dishonest and disloyal to the pack. We have so much going on and a lot of feelings we're still trying to resolve, why on earth should I be okay with my wolf seeking someone else out."

Minho looks away from him and seems to take a moment to gather his thoughts. He looks pensive, but still open to the conversation. He can't pick up on any scent of distress or upset, but that's not saying much in regards to Minho as the alpha can mask his feelings extremely well.

"Do you remember the scandal that broke out when Super Junior announced they'd bonded?" Minho asks. "They were the first idol group to do so."

"Yeah, the news broke during my first year living here. It was everywhere," he answers.

"Only a few of the members had a romantic bond, but the rest bonded platonically. It's an unusual thing to do as an idol group, but they all agreed that it's one of the biggest reasons they've stayed as united as they have been. They managed to break the seven year curse, and each person has a successful career apart from the idol status," Minho says, "now we're seeing the members who have the platonic bond begin to date and even bond and integrate their partners into the pack bond."

Minho pauses briefly. "They're a true pack. People choosing to bond to one another despite it not being wholly romantic. A pack bond in itself isn't romantic, but we've been fortunate enough to where that is the case. It's togetherness. I watched an interview with Donghae sunbaenim and he explained it perfectly: a pack is formed based on choice. It can't be forced out of a sense of duty or obligation. Our wolves then dictate what needs to be added and what needs to be forgotten. Our wolves know what our pack bond needs, and then they respond accordingly. It's then our job to be willing to listen."

He leans back to look at Minho as the alpha gives him a piercing stare. "Think carefully about what your wolf is trying to communicate with you. Instead of ignoring him or being angry with him, he deserves to be listened to, as well. He has just as much of a voice as you, hyung."

"I don't know what he could be saying if I'm developing feelings for people outside of my pack," he admits honestly. "I feel completely out of depth here."

"You choose to bond with seven people, and love us exactly how we came and with a promise to still love us as we grow and evolve into fully realized individuals," Minho says, "but hyung, we also made those same promises back to you. We chose to bond with you."

He scrubs at his face with his free hand. It's all so overwhelming, but his wolf feels at peace with Minho's words and advice.

"What are you saying, Min? That I should...pursue this?" He asks tentatively.

Minho shrugs, "I don't know. I know nothing about whoever your wolf is crushing on, but I'm not going to speak on behalf of the pack even if I did. Ultimately, it's the choice of the pack."

He already knew that. Minho's easy acceptance is a balm to his anxious soul nonetheless.

"Give us some credit, hyung," Minho says abruptly. "I can smell your anxiety from here. You're acting as though we're going to chase you with pitchforks. This stuff happens."

Not to him. He's loyal to a fault, and he makes commitments with the intention of never swaying or allowing himself wandering eyes for the newer, better thing. He chose these people. He handpicked them for his shot at a career as an idol, and he lovingly asked them to be his intended pack. They're his.

This type of thing doesn't happen.

"Min, you don't understand, this doesn't happen to me. I view these feelings as a betrayal to the bond I have with you all. I feel dishonest," he admits.

Minho frowns. "But, it's not either of those things. This is the purpose of the pack. It fills the spots where we're lacking, and to be completely honest hyung, we're lacking quite a bit currently."

The blunt statement hits him. He knows it's supposed to be comforting, but it bruises his ego and reveals his insecurities. He knows they're lacking.

"Hyung, we really need to discuss this with everyone else," Minho says firmly, "so I'm putting a temporary pause on this conversation. We're not solving anything without them. I love you, and I don't want you to feel shame, guilt, or even dishonest over this. We know you. We know the last thing you'd do to us is betray our trust in you."

He acquiesced. Instead of continuing on with the emotional conversation, Minho shifts so he can sit in his lap and kiss his cheek consolingly.

"Have a little more faith in us, hyung," Minho says.

Their next day off he manages to get his pack to have the burdening pack meeting in the morning. Currently, they're all looking a little sleep rumpled and confused, but he's been up for a few hours pacing trying to ignore the feeling of anxiety and stress clawing its way up his throat.

"You look and smell horrible hyung," Changbin says bluntly.

"Thank you for that," he says.

"Why did you call for a meeting so early, hyung?" Felix whines, snuggling into Hyunjin's shoulder as his eyes slip shut.

"I need to talk to you guys," he says, sitting on the edge of the ottoman. "I need your input on something."

That seems to get the attention of his tired mates. Felix blinks his eyes back open.

"I've been experiencing some, well, I'm not sure it's me as it seems to be my wolf, but essentially, my wolf has a crush on someone...outside of our pack," Chan ends his ramble with a careful look at the other boys to take in the faces of his pack.

"Is this about Wooyoung hyung?" Felix questions, "I'm pretty sure we all have a crush on him, wolves included."

His eyes widened with surprise at the easy admittance. "What?" He sputters out.

Felix shrugs. "He lets me sit in his lap, hyung. It's the easiest way to my heart." The underestimation makes him smile.

Changbin and Minho snort from the other side of the couch. Hyunjin smiles and kisses Felix' forehead.

"I like that hyung doesn't seem to act by the archaic beta rules. He touches me like he would any pup of his, and includes me in skinship," Seungmin admits openly, "it's a relief to be so easily accepted."

"The fact that he's the most lovable and loving person I think I've met, right next to Lixie, and always seems to be such an attentive listener is important to me. He's a safe person to be with," Jisung says, curled around Jeongin.

Chan looks at each of his mates before swallowing nervously. "Okay...well, I'm glad that's been shared. I definitely think that needs to be discussed, but not without admitting my first thing. I think I have a crush on Wooyoung's head omega, Seonghwa."

Changbin whistles from his position. "Hyung, you could not have picked a more devoted omega. I've been flirting with hyung for a few months and he's completely oblivious to it."

"You've been what?" He asks, surprised by the information.

Changbin shrugs. "I like his attention."

"Seonghwa has quite the reputation," Minho says. "He's a pretty protective person from the stories I've heard. He's the one you don't want to cross."

"Why did you bring this up with us, hyung? It's clearly more of just a little crush," Hyunjin asks, "are feelings developing?"

He sighs and scrubs at his face with his palms.

"I believe they are on a superficial level. We exchanged numbers so we could grant Bin and Wooyoung more time together since we were promoting at the same time. Our last day promoting, I had a really nice conversation with him and we agreed to talk more through text, so the short answer is yes." He admits.

"Do you not have feelings for Wooyoung?" Hyunjin asks.

"I definitely think there's something for Wooyoung. Thinking about it logically, he was able to come over during our bonding sickness. I've noticed I keep referring to him as my pup, even though he's not. My wolf gets restless when it sees him with any of you, so yes. I do think there's more to my feelings," he answers.

"Restless how?" Jeongin asks, but there's a knowing smirk to his smile.

He glares playfully at his pup. "As in, I want to join."

Changbin clears his throat. "I know I've been having pretty intense feelings for Wooyoung for quite a long time, but to be completely honest, I think I have a crush on all of the Ateez members. They're so friendly, and they pretty much claimed me as one of their pups as well. Hongjoong hyung and Seonghwa hyung are always so welcoming, and they're able to dote on me in ways Chan hyung can't with Wooyoung."

"How so?" Seungmin asks.

"It's not socially acceptable for a pack alpha to be too friendly with another pack's omega. This excludes long time friendships like what I have with Wooyoung. Whereas I'm an alpha pup in Seonghwa hyung and Hongjoong's hyungs perspective, which makes it okay to be doted and coddled." Changbin muses.

"Is that why both Chan hyung and Minho hyung don't cuddle him?" Jisung asks. "Because of outdated social practices?"

"It's not outdated," Chan defends, "it's respect. I'm respecting Hongjoong's claim on Wooyoung. By initiating any type of nonconsensual scenting or cuddling on his omega it would create conflict. I would probably feel the same way if he initiated that with any of my omegas as well. Which is why I wanted to bring up my feelings for Seonghwa."

"I've already spoken to hyung about my interpretation of his feelings. We can all agree that our pack has gone through a lot and we're lacking. Our wolves know on an instinctual level what the pack bond needs to remain healthy and to make us stronger. We've clearly already connected with Wooyoung. Hyung has now connected with Seonghwa as well. It's obvious they're filling those lacking parts in one way or another." Minho shares.

"What does that mean for the rest of the Ateez pack?" Jisung asks.

Minho shrugs. "Something tells me they're going to be an all or nothing type of pack. That's six other members we have to account for."

"We can initiate things with the intention of courting?" Felix suggests. "I mean it's not… unusual. It's been done before where packs merge. We know royalty does it all the time. I think the only thing unusual about us is just the sheer number, but like Seventeen and The Boys are all together romantically."

Courting?

"You'd like to court them?" He clarifies.

"Well, why not?" Felix says, "We've all met them before. They're kind and polite, as well as genuine and humble. Wooyoung hyung is just one person and we already hold him in such high regards, so imagine the rest of the pack he so lovingly and openly talks about. I mean, hyung, you've already started developing feelings for Seonghwa hyung after a few short weeks of interaction."

"Compatibility between packs shouldn't be ignored, hyung," Minho says, "if we're feeling it, then they no doubt are as well. It's not a one way street."

"If Wooyoung is feeling anything, then he's already told them. He doesn't like keeping that sort of thing secret," Changbin says thoughtfully. "And knowing him, he's probably way more aware of the current situation then I think we are."

He hides his face in his hands, shoulders slumping at the very thought of the entire Ateez pack being aware of their affections for Wooyoung.

"Hyung, we all seem to breathe a little easier when Wooyoung hyung is around," Hyunjin says, "and I'm not inclined to allow us to suffer in silence while we're all harboring the same feelings for the same person. Shouldn't we at least try Felix's idea and see where it takes us? It either works out or it doesn't, but at least we did it together. We can rest in the comfort that however it ends we still have each other."

Hyunjin is right. He smiles at his head omega. "Yes, you're right, Jinnie."

"We should be bold, hyung," Changbin adds, "but honest."

"How do we want to go about this? Do we want to talk to them first?" Chan asks the group.

"I think a formal request would be best. It's the clearest way to express we've acknowledged the feelings we do have and we're interested in pursuing more," Minho suggests. "We have a lot of people to account for, and it should include the entire pack."

A formal request is a document created by the interested pack for the intended pack. It clearly explains interest and the desire to pursue, and although traditional and formal, it's the highest form of respect to do so. The document could be in the form of an invitation or a letter.

Once they agree on the logistics of the request and when to send it out, the air does seem lighter and easier to breathe for him.

Chan really was unaware of how much of a burden his feelings were becoming and confessing them to his mates was equally freeing, if not a bit surprising. It was relieving to know they all were developing a closer attachment to Wooyoung, and it wasn't just himself and Changbin in it alone. It certainly made things easier.

Chapter Text

"You want to do what?" His manager questions, a confused look on his face as he processes the information they've given him.

"We want to initiate a courting request with the Ateez pack," Chan repeats himself.

His manager closes his eyes and raises his hands up so his fingers can pinch the bridge of his nose. "So I did hear that correctly."

"Hyung, we wouldn't be doing this if we didn't feel it was the right decision," he tries to reassure.

"You youngsters," the man sighs. "I'm not allowed to legally intervene or deny you such a request, so why exactly are you telling me?"

"Out of respect and to prepare you," Chan says definitively. "It's happening, whether or not you want it to."

The man sighs. "I'll let the company know."

He smiles, "Thanks, hyung."

"Traditionally, courting gifts should be meaningful, but not in a way where someone feels bad for denying it if they're not ready for an advancement in a relationship," Minho says. They're sitting in the front room discussing courting gift ideas.

"They should still be sentimental," Felix argues, "we want to express the affection we already have."

"Baby, I'm agreeing with you," Minho says calmly, unwaveringly gentle with his voice, "but we only have a bond with Wooyoung currently, and Seonghwa with Chan. Bin being the only exception. We should tread carefully to not offend or cross boundaries."

Felix deflates against the couch with a slight pout to his lips.

"Aigoo," Minho coos, already gesturing for their youngest omega to come to him, "come here sunshine. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings."

He watches as Felix hurries to Minho and occupies his lap for some snuggles and apology kisses from Minho. His alpha mate may have used his stern voice, which always unsettled Felix when he's already feeling a bit sensitive and vulnerable.

Seungmin sighs. "I forget how difficult courting gifts are."

"It's only because we don't know all of them," Chan says, "which is why Changbin will be a great help to us in that regard."

Changbin nods. "Definitely. I think I pretty much have the main categories of what each person would like and we can start from there."

Changbin shares the information he knows and eventually they agree on the intended gift for each Ateez member.

For Hongjoong, a new leather bag with reforming supplies to go with it.

Seonghwa will receive a more traditional gift, only decided by the strong argument from Changbin and the support of Hyunjin, Jisung, and Felix, a choker.

Yeosang will receive a luxury Sherpa blanket due to Changbin knowing how much Yeosang liked soft blankets for personal use as well as nesting. Chan is still confused how his alpha mate knows that.

They're giving Yunho a knitted sweater that is equally soft and comfortable. The material of the sweater is one typically used for easy scenting, so it's a promise that one day they will.

Changbin convinces them to give San a nesting plush, created in a fabric where it's easy for packmates to scent. It's of an adorable little polar bear. Although not typically traditional, Changbin promised them San is the least traditional alpha there is.

Changbin seemed to struggle with Mingi only because the beta seems to have a joy for pretty much anything. They end up getting him a thick, plush robe due to the boy being cold during the cooler seasons.

Wooyoung seems to be the easiest for them all and they have to hold back some of their ideas to keep things fair and equal within their gifts. They agree on a choker, knowing the younger loved jewelry and to make sure to honor his role in bringing them to this point.

Ateez maknae Jongho is a bit more difficult for all of them. The maknae is notoriously private and keeps to himself despite being social and friendly. Changbin suggests a leather bracelet as it's not over-bearing and it's easy to conceal if the younger alpha chose to wear it. They all agree.

It takes a few days for them to split up and gather the gifts and arrange them neatly wrapped and labelled correctly. They stack each item in the box and place their courting letter on top.

He has their manager deliver it the following day and then they wait.

And wait.

And wait.

It's a full week and they still haven't heard anything back. There's certainly no time constraint on a proposal, especially one of this magnitude. He just has impatient mates.

Wooyoung's been unusually quiet in his chat with Changbin and their other friends, and he knows his alpha maknae is becoming increasingly anxious over the ordeal.

Chan encourages them to stay busy. They have plenty to work on. They have dance practices and studio sessions to stay on top of. Chan writes and writes like a machine pumping out content, not all of it is good but it's something they can work with in the future.

They work on future concepts. They go to the gym and eat bland foods to maintain their diets. They go to sleep cuddling each other and whispering about their days.

Anything to keep their minds off the lack of response.

"Hyung, you got a package. Did you shop online again?" Jisung teases warmly.

He tickles the youngers side. "So what if I did."

He doesn't remember buying anything recently though. Jisung sits on his bed and watches him. He uses his pocket knife to cut open the tape and open the flaps of the box. Inside the box are beautifully wrapped packages with a letter addressed to him and his pack. He immediately pauses and closes the box again.

Jisung tilts his head. "Did you buy sex toys? Hyung you do know I've literally sat on your d-"

He's quick to clamp his hand over Jisung, effectively quieting his playful omega. Jisung's eyes are full of mischief and a slight challenge.

"It's a response from Ateez," he answers calmly.

Jisung's eyes widened. He turns to the box and turns back to him. It's obvious what the response is.

"They accepted," Jisung says breathlessly after removing Chan's hand from his face.

He nods.

Ateez sent them courting gifts in a show of acceptance of their proposal.

A denial would have been sent as a letter and that's it. An entire box of gifts is a pretty clear sign of acceptance.

"Let's call everyone and ask them to come home, okay?" He orders softly.

Jisung nearly bounces out of the room.

" And Jisung," he calls.

The omega pauses and looks at him.

"Don't tell them."

Once their pack is finally settled in the living room, equally confused and curious as to why they were summoned, Chan brings out the box.

Jisung is vibrating beside Minho, which has the alpha giving their omega strange looks.

"This is the reason I called you home," he says, hands on the box and fiddling with the loose tape, "we received an answer from Ateez."

There's a brief moment of silence as the words sink in before a cacophony sound of joy and excitement bursts through the room.

"They accepted!" Felix shouts gleefully.

"They had to if they sent an entire box," Jeongin points out.

"Open it, hyung!" Jisung demands.

He smiles. He settles his mates as he opens the box and reaches for the letter first.

He rips open the seal and slides out the expensive feeling paper, thick and silky to the touch.

"'To the Stray Kids pack, we were surprised and honored to receive you courting gifts and a letter of intention. We apologize for our delay, but we needed time to gather gifts for you that were equally thoughtful. We hope we haven't made you wait for too long and we appreciate your patience, and the time and space you afforded us with. We hope you accept these gifts and that they are to your liking. We ask that you open the presents in the order we've presented them in. We accept your proposal. Sincerely, the Ateez Pack.'" He reads.

He sets the letter down and reaches for the first present. He reads the label, and is unsurprised by the name written down.

"Changbin," he says, looking up to see the surprise clear on his alpha mates face. "Here you go, baby."

Changbin takes the medium sized present.

"That's Wooyoung's handwriting," Changbin says.

"Open it, hyung!" Felix encourages warmly.

Changbin unwraps the present slowly, as if disbelieving that the moment was truly happening. Inside is a luxury brand hoodie, which at first didn't seem all that unusual from Changbin's typical wardrobe.

Until the scent permeated the air around them.

Hyunjin inhales sharply. "Wooyoung scented that."

"Well, that's as good a claim as one will get," Jisung teases.

Chan watches as Changbin stares at the piece of clothing in his hand, carefully cradling it before looking up to him. The alpha's eyes are teary.

"Binnie," he says, moving closer to his younger mate and cradling his cheeks, "what is it baby?"

"He scented it," Changbin states.

He smiles at his alpha pup. "I know."

"That means…"

"Yes," he confirms softly.

A scented piece of clothing from an omega to an alpha is the highest form of acceptance in a courting gift. Wooyoung clearly wants to claim Changbin as his, which means all of Changbin's internalized feelings and emotions are being accepted right here and now.

"Why don't you put it on," he suggests.

He watches Changbin carefully put the hoodie on and close his eyes as he breathes in Wooyoung's honey sweet scent. Once his mate is content does he move back to the box. He grabs the next package.

"Felix," he says.

Felix cheers happily. "Yay!"

He passes the wrapped present to him.

This present is twice the size of Changbin's. Felix eagerly tears into the paper revealing the insides.

Felix' eyes widened. "These are...nesting blankets."

"Expensive ones," Jisung says from his side. "Those are the kind that won't irritate your skin while in heat."

The blankets are a soft pink color which Felix seems to love. His alpha feels...pleased by the clear display of his omega being provided for.

He looks into the box and grabs the next present. "Jeongin," he says, handing the present over to his unusually quiet maknae.

Jeongin looks surprised, but takes the gift. It's smaller than both of Changbin's and Felix'.

He tears into the paper revealing a link bracelet. Upon further inspection, the stones that rest in the silver are the Ateez colors, gold and black. It's a clear way of claiming Jeongin's in an unobtrusive manner. Jeongin gazes at it.

"It's so pretty," Jeongin says.

"Like you," Chan compliments.

"I love it." Jeongin proclaims. He watches the maknae immediately put on the bracelet and he finds himself being pleased that it fits well around the tiny wrists.

The next present is handed to Jisung. It's bigger than Jeongins', wider in nature but still thin like Jeongin's.

Jeongin's rips open the paper to reveal the jewelry box. Chan gulps away the emotion creeping up his throat, already assuming what lies in the box.

Jisung opens the box and gasps. "It's...it's a choker."

Felix peers over and gasps at the sight of the necklace. Minho looks over Jisung's shoulder and whistles.

Felix points to something. "Sungie, there's a card here."

He watches as Jisung picks up the card and reads it out loud.

"'To Chan's beginning, a small token to show how we treasure your position within your pack'," Jisung reads out. He wipes at his nose.

Chan feels a wave of emotion come over him at the sentimental piece. It feels...cathartic for someone outside of their pack to recognize the place Jisung holds in his life. Jisung is the start of their journey as a pack and he should be honored for that.

He wipes away the few tears that escape his watery eyes.

"Wooyoungie hyung revealed trade secrets," Jisung whines, "he knows my weakness for sentimental gifts."

They all giggle at the lighthearted complaint, effectively lightening the atmosphere around them.

Chan hands over Seungmin's present next. The beta carefully unwraps the gift and reveals what looks like an expensive leather bound journal that's twice as thick than the one Seungmin is currently using.

Seungmin takes a settling breath. "I just told Wooyoung hyung I was about to complete my journal."

"This looks like an expensive journal, maybe handcrafted?" Jeongin asks, peering closer to the binding.

"I think you're right," Seungmin says, hugging the journal to his chest.

The next gift goes to Minho who opens it carefully. It's a thick cardigan, soft and plush, and perfect cuddling material. Minho seems pleased at the intention behind the gift. More pups to cuddle was never a bad thing, especially if their scents got trapped into the fabric.

Hyunjin is next.

Hyunjin takes his package carefully. With trembling fingers he unwraps the present. Inside lies a choker, much like Jisung's, but slightly more decorative in nature. It looks to have sparkling diamonds glistening in the setting.

"Wow," Felix says, "that's stunning, hyung. It's going to look so pretty on you."

"Channie hyung," Hyunjin says, carefully handing him the box.

He carefully takes the necklace and drapes it across Hyunjin's throat. He clasps the expensive piece and gently kisses the top of his omegas head. Hyunjin looks even more elegant with the fine piece of jewelry hugging his throat, a clear show of the position he held within his pack.

"You're last, hyung," Jisung says, handing him his own present.

It's a bulky package. He rips open the paper and gets a strong scent of lavender.

He rips open the rest of the paper and reveals a large black hoodie much like Changbin's, but clearly scented by someone else.

Seonghwa.

The realization freezes him up as he stares at the piece of clothing in his hands.

"Hyung?" Jisung asks carefully.

"He scented it," he says softly.

"Who?" Jisung asks gently.

"Seonghwa."

Changbin inhales sharply at that.

"Is that bad?" Felix asks, clearly confused.

"No. No, it's a good thing. Seonghwa is acknowledging the bond he feels for Chan hyung," Changbin says, "and is claiming hyung like Wooyoung did with me."

"More importantly," Minho says, "Hongjoong approved of such a gift."

"He smells like lavender," Felix says softly, "it's such a comforting scent."

"Hyung can calm anyone with his scent," Changbin says, "he once de-escalated an argument by just letting his pheromones permeate the air for a few seconds."

He tunes out his packmates and focuses on the lavender scent permeating his senses in an intense display of approval.

Seonghwa claimed him.

The Ateez Dorm

"You want to do what?" Hongjoong asks him.

He chuckles at his alpha mate. "I want my gift for hyung to be a scented hoodie like Wooyoung did for Binnie."

Hongjoongs eyes narrowed at him. "You refused to do that with me. You thought it would be too controlling."

"It would have stifled you," he says gently, "and I knew that about you during that time. They clearly recognize that in you with their gift for you, as well. Trust me. I know Chan hyung. He likes nothing more than smelling like content, happy pack. We can't think of a good enough gift for him anyways...I think this might be the best way."

Hongjoong sighs and small smile pulls his lips upward. "Yeah, okay. He and I are two very different people, and it's nice you're able to engage in that type of bonding with him. If you're comfortable doing so, I'm perfectly happy with it."

"Thank you, baby," he says, bending down to steal a kiss from Hongjoong's lips.

Seonghwa picked out a thick, plushy hoodie that would trap his scent well and keep Chan warm at the same time. They'd been surprised to accept the Stray Kids courting gifts, but after discussing it further and talking about Wooyoung's feelings for them they figured they could at least try. He knows he's always had an affection for the group's head alpha.

It could be the acceptance of his wolf's feelings that makes him feel a bit...territorial, but knowing the alpha would be wearing his scent pleases him.

He wears the hoodie as much as possible to make sure the scent saturates into the material so it stays for as long as possible.

He takes his time wrapping the gift and setting it at the very bottom of the box, feeling only slightly bummed he won't be able to see the composed alphas face.

This was just the beginning anyways.

Chapter Text

His pack scrambles to all corners of the dorm and he's left alone with Seonghwa's scented hoodie still resting on his lap. The material is thick and plush, but soft to the skin. He's hesitating putting the hoodie on as he wants to keep looking at it. It doesn't feel real.

Maybe...it was possible his feelings weren't completely one-sided.

Seonghwa's claim is more than he expected with his gift. He almost expected a watch or a bracelet, but not something carrying the scent of Ateez' head omega.

He feels hands drop onto his shoulders and surprises him out of his stupor. A sweet scent of sugar cookies creeps into his nose immediately giving away who was standing behind him.

"Hyung," Felix says.

He takes a calming breath and leans back so he can look up at his youngest omega. "Yeah baby?"

Felix' smile slants upward a bit brighter at the affectionate pet name. He watches Felix shift his gaze to the hoodie in his lap and then back to him.

"I used to think that I wouldn't be able to share you with anyone else," Felix confesses, "but the relief that I feel over...possibly having something more with Wooyoung hyung is a clear sign of compatibility. Hearing Wooyoung hyung and Changbin hyung speak so...fondly about Seonghwa-ssi only reassures me that if there were to be anyone I'd want you to have feelings for...it would be to someone like him."

"Come sit," he says, shifting the hoodie onto the arm of the couch and guiding Felix to sit in his lap. Felix' nuzzles in easily, practically second nature for him. His sweet omega loved nothing more than to curl up in a lap for some cuddles. He kisses Felix' cheek. "I'm pretty sure his attention is going to be on you, sunshine."

Felix pouts, "Don't deflect, hyung."

"It's the truth. I'm not half as cute as you," Chan praises softly.

Felix frowns, "That's my pack alpha you're talking about, hyung."

He huffs out an amused laugh.

Felix pokes at his cheek. "Your dimples are cute. And when you focus on one of us and smile that's especially cute. Or when you play around with any of us and use your aegyo voice that's even cuter. You're equally as cute and if Seonghwa-ssi has decent vision he'd agree with me."

Felix insisting he's cute is sweet, and certainly something he'll need to be careful about. His younger partner didn't take too kindly to self-deprecation.

"Okay, okay," he soothes softly, "I only meant it as a compliment."

A look of disbelief flickers in Felix' eyes.

"Lix, you do know Wooyoung is absolutely smitten with you, right?" He asks carefully. "Everyone you befriend is immediately taken with you."

Felix flushes a soft pink, only making his freckles that much more apparent. "Hyung." He whines.

"It's true," he insists, "and it's well-deserved. You have a heart of gold, and people are attracted to that. I can already imagine Seonghwa being absolutely enraptured with you."

Felix grumbles. "He'll be too busy trying to spend time with you to pay attention to me."

Chan rolls his eyes. "I'd ask to make a bet, but it would be cruel of me to take your money like that."

Felix swats at his shoulder. He giggles, unable to help the affection he feels for his precious mate.

"The point I was trying to make, hyung," Felix says sternly, "is that with the little I know and have seen of Seonghwa-ssi, I think it makes sense for you two to have a strong compatibility. You both are similar in a lot of ways, and I know that he will treat you well."

"I think you're right," he agrees softly, "I'm not sure how, but that doesn't take away from you being right."

"You never think you're worthy of something too good to be true," Felix scolds softly, "but he scented a hoodie for you! He's already deemed you worthy. It's not up to you to question it. It's up to him, so stop devaluing his choice by doing so."

His eyes widened at the succinct argument from Felix. Felix is right. He shouldn't be trying to take away Seonghwa's autonomy in choosing him and he should accept it for exactly what it is.

"You're right," he says, pressing a calming kiss to Felix' temple. "I'm sorry."

Felix shrugs, "It's okay, hyung. Sometimes your dumb, but that's what you have us for."

He laughs, amused by the blunt explanation.

"Will you wear it now? I know you want to." Felix says, looking at the sweater.

Chan hesitates. "It'll be an unfamiliar omega scent. Won't that upset you?"

His omega mate rolls his eyes. "I can smell it from here, hyung. He smells nice. He smells...safe and comforting. His scent is clearly a reflection of who he is as a person."

He cards his fingers through Felix' hair. Safe and comforting we're certainly good descriptions of Seonghwa.

The following day he wakes up knowing he needs to reach out to the Ateez pack to set up a pack night so they can all be together. There's a lot of people that need to get to know one another, and they have to schedule it considering their hectic lives.

He stares at his phone with Seonghwa's contact pulled up. His thumb is hovering over the call icon, but he can't make himself press it.

His door bursts open, slamming against the wall and revealing Changbin with a phone up to his ear. His mate takes one look at him and rolls his eyes.

"Hyung is being stupid," Changbin repeats to whoever is on the other end of the phone.

He's about to protest before Changbin offers his phone to him, directly in his face. He goes a bit cross eyed at the close proximity.

"Wooyoung wants to talk to you," Changbin states.

He takes the phone and holds it up to his ear.

"Wooyoung?" He asks.

Wooyoung sighs, "Hyung! Why haven't you called my hyung, hm?"

He opens his mouth but no words come out.

Wooyoung let's out a frustrated grumble. "Hyung, I would like a pack night sometime before I turn fifty, okay? So either you call him yourself or I'm passing the phone over to him. I would like to kiss Bin sooner rather than later."

"Wooyoung!" He hears someone in the background scolding him.

"Hyung, hush, Chan hyung is being shy for no reason," Wooyoung says back to whichever member scolded him. "Hyung. Do you promise to call Seonghwa hyung?"

"Uh. Yes." He says.

"Good. I'd also like to kiss you as well, but I can't do that if you don't call," Wooyoung grumbles unhappily.

"There will be no kissing of any kind!" A loud protest sounds from the background.

"I'll kiss whoever I want, hyung!" Wooyoung says back. "Put Bin back on the phone, please, hyungie."

He hands the phone back to Changbin, feeling an extreme sense of whiplash after the conversation.

"Here," he says to Changbin.

Changbin laughs at him as he takes his phone and leaves him alone in the bedroom, the door wide open.

He clicks the call button and holds the phone up to his ear, robotically obeying Wooyoung's request while trying not to dwell on the fact the younger wanted to kiss him.

"Hi hyung," Seonghwa answers.

He inhales sharply and immediately chokes. He rips the phone away from his ear so he can cough violently. Once he's done he's slightly out of breath and a bit light-headed. He scrambles for the phone and puts it up to his ear.

"Hyung?" Seonghwa asks, sounding much more concerned.

"I'm here, I'm so sorry," Chan says hurriedly, "I don't know what just happened."

"It's okay," Seonghwa soothes gently, "are you okay? Your chest must hurt."

He rubs his chest and shakes his head, before realizing the other can't see him. "Oh, uh, no. It doesn't. I'm okay."

Seonghwa chuckles softly. "Okay. I'm assuming you got our package if you're calling?"

"Yes! We did. Thank you for the gifts. My pack loved them," he expresses sincerely, feeling strangely upright and careful with his wording.

"And you, hyung?" Seonghwa asks in a tone Chan can't decipher or else he risks misinterpreting it.

He swallows nervously. They were going to discuss it. "I-yes. I liked it. Thank you."

Seonghwa hums, and it sounds like approval. "We had a difficult time picking something out for you," he shares softly, "but, I guessed you would be the type of alpha who would appreciate that sort of gift."

"I did," he says meekly, "I do." He corrects.

"I'm glad," Seonghwa declares.

He rubs at the back of his neck. Is he sweating? He feels damp and clammy, and he certainly wasn't when he woke up an hour ago.

"So, hyung, you must have called for a reason, right?" Seonghwa segues easily.

Did he?

Pack nights!

"Oh! Y-yes, Wooyoung all but demanded me to schedule a pack night with you. Something about kissing Changbin? But someone didn't sound too pleased to hear that so I'm not sure." Chan says, cringing at his nonsensical rambling.

"Oh? Is that what I heard Hongjoong protesting earlier? Wooyoung enjoys riling him up for no other reason than to get under his skin sometimes," Seonghwa shares fondly.

It's becoming quite clear that the Ateez pack structure is run by the omegas. Although unusual, he's not entirely surprised by it. Seonghwa himself is a very confident and outspoken omega, and Wooyoung is a fireball on a normal day. It takes a very secure individual to be with such strong personalities, which already gives him insight to the rest of their pack members.

He laughs, already sympathizing with his fellow pack alpha. "It must have been him, yes."

Seonghwa laughs. "Alright, well. I know better than to come between Wooyoung and his promise of kisses. Should I have our manager send our schedule over to your manager?"

"Yes, please. They can work out a time," he says, feeling a bit more composed now that he's not put on the spot.

"Great. Was there anything else you needed, hyung?" Seonghwa asks softly.

"No, no, that…that was it," he says. He already feels reluctant to hang up. His wolf feels like it's clawing at the edges desperately trying to reach out, but they're miles apart only connected by their phones.

"Okay," Seonghwa answers, "well, thank you for my gift, hyung. I'm going to send you a link, will you watch it?"

"Yes, sure," he agrees easily.

"Wear the hoodie, okay?" Seonghwa asks, "I'll know if you don't. Talk to you soon, hyung."

The line disconnects.

He feels winded.

His phone dings with a notification. Seonghwa did send him a link. It sends him straight to a performance Ateez recently participated in. At first he's a little confused even though he's enjoying the performance. It's not until Seonghwa is center stage that he understands why he was sent this.

Around his neck is the choker they sent him.

He's once again blown away by the sheer beauty and elegance of Park Seonghwa. Seconds later Wooyoung appears and his neck also displays the choker they gifted him as well.

He pauses the video and tips backward onto his bed. Those two would be the death of him.

A date is finally set for their first official pack night. His manager sends him a text and he saves it to his calendar after texting his pack's group chat.

It feels like the days are molasses. Time passes slowly and their excitement for something to finally happen only makes it worse for them all. They're kept sane by keeping the dorm clean and planning out snacks and drinks and what kind of activities they should do to keep everyone comfortable. The last thing they want to be are poor hosts. This is essentially the first 'date' between packs and it's important they start it off on a good precedence.

His mates always give 120% on any given task, so he knows they're going to be stressing about making it perfect. After gentle reminders that perfection is an impossible standard, he lets them have at it. He doesn't want to dampen their excitement or ruin their fun. There is a spark to their eyes he's not seen in a while, and he wants to encourage that.

The day finally comes. A random Thursday evening that his manager pretty much booked completely off despite the company not being happy about it. Their formal request is the only thing saving them right now as it would be against the law to deny courting dates.

His pack separates into groups to finish the last minute groceries and tasks needed. Seungmin stays at home to finish cleaning as he doesn't want to go outside, which is a compromise they happily make with him. Felix and Minho are in the kitchen, one baking and the latter cooking. Hyunjin and Jeongin went off to buy a couple more board games, while he's wrangling Changbin and Jisung to the grocery store for some extra ingredients they ran out of. He tucks Jisung into his side once he begins to pout over Changbin's excessive teasing and play, and distracts the older with a task. Once Changbin wandered off somewhere he leaned down to kiss Jisung's temple.

Jisung sweetly nuzzles into him.

"Feeling okay, sweetheart? It's okay if you're feeling a little anxious about today. I'll tell Binnie to ease up on you," Chan promises gently.

Jisung shakes his head. "I'm okay hyung. I think he's just excited and it's being projected fully onto me. Better me than Minho hyung. I could tell hyung was becoming a bit unglued with Binnie hyungs hyperness."

He kisses Jisung's cheek. "How are you feeling about tonight?"

Jisung shrugs. "Excited, a tiny bit anxious, and curious to see how things go tonight."

"I'm feeling the same," Chan agrees softly.

"And with Seonghwa-ssi? Any feelings regarding that?" Jisung gives him a playful, yet earnest gaze.

A pulse of anxiety washes through him over hearing the name of the omega.

"Anxious," he declares softly, "I feel like I'm some awkward teen going on a date for the first time ever."

Jisung's smile softens sympathetically, "As a completely unbiased perspective on all these Bang Chan, you are not an awkward teen and are in fact incredibly charming and handsome. I really hope you just be yourself. That's the only version I'd want him to fall for."

He smiles at the youngers sweet, yet poignant words. A gentle reminder that regardless of how tonight ended he would always have his pack to fall back on.

"I needed to hear that. Thank you baby," he says.

"Now the real question is how fast do you think the Ateez pack will fall for Felix?" Jisung asks, a serious expression only giving way to the smile the omega is trying to suppress.

He laughs at Jisung's playful tease to Felix's natural charm and universal cuteness.

"I give it five minutes."

Once they're back at the dorm, Chan hands off the groceries to Felix not before stealing a couple kisses once Minho's back is turned. He checks on Seungmin and finds the younger one laying on his bed with damp hair and sleepy eyes.

"Hey puppy," he says affectionately, "did you want to nap for a bit?"

Seungmin looks over at him with bleary eyes and nods. Chan crosses the cleaned up room and sits on the edge of Seungmin's bed so he can pet the younger beta's hair back. Seungmin looks up at him curiously.

"Are you feeling okay? Emotions and everything?" He asks.

Seungmin nods. "I'm okay. Just tired from the cleaning."

"Okay, Min. You can leave at any moment tonight if things are too overwhelming," he says. "Or if you need me. I'm always here for you."

"I know hyung, thank you," Seungmin acknowledges.

"Sleep with me tonight?" He asks.

Seungmin smiles, "Okay hyung."

Chan leaves Seungmin to rest and goes to find the rest of his pack. Changbin is hanging off of Hyunjin in the living room, nearly vibrating. Hyunjin is handling it gracefully, calmly keeping the conversation going as he doesn't encourage or discourage Changbin's excitement. His head omega is the best.

It's impossible to walk past him without stealing a few kisses from his pillowy soft lips. Hyunjin's pretty eyes gazed up at him from behind his bangs, curious but not protesting the interruption. Changbin squawks from beside him demanding kisses as well, so of course he bends back down to kiss his excited alpha maknae. Changbin detaches himself from Hyunjin's back and wraps his arms around his neck, needy for the affection and attention he seems to be craving.

Confused but endeared, he pulls away to give a questioning look to his pup. Changbin pouts. "I just want kisses."

A sulky pup gazes up at him and he feels so much love and warmth for him. He gently cups his face, thumb tracing over the apple of his cheek. "Do you need a little extra attention?"

Changbin is already straightening from where he'd been hunching over Hyunjin. "Cuddles?" He asks hopefully.

His guess is the younger one needs a bit of settling and a good scenting with some affection is the best way to remedy that. He guides Changbin into his room and closes the door behind him. Changbin is already tugging at his hoodie, "Off," he whines.

"Do you want skin-to-skin?" He asks, surprised.

"Yes," Changbin demands.

He easily accepts the demand and takes off his hoodie and shirt, setting them on his dresser before helping Changbin out of his. He notices a dark purple mark on his pec, and raises an eyebrow up at Changbin.

Changbin shrugs, "Innie got a bit possessive and marked me."

"Innie?" He remarks, surprised that their youngest pup left such a dark mark on his alpha pups body.

Changbin nods, before pushing on his waist to sit back on the bed. He laughs, situating himself against the headboard and reaching out for his touch deprived baby. Changbin eagerly climbs onto his lap and straddles his thighs. He lays his head on his shoulder, nose firmly placed in his scent gland, and releases a content sigh.

He hums, reassured by the calm state of his wired pup. He moves his hands up and down Changbin's naked back, the skin warm and smooth underneath his palms. He feels Changbin's teeth nip at his neck, which is an instinctual response to stimulate a stronger scent from him. He assumes the younger alpha liked the feeling and began nibbling at his neck, right above his scent gland. It's a sensitive area and it sends shivers throughout his body at the tingling sensation. His wolf is feeling bone-deep contentment being able to comfort his pup in such a manner.

"You're so riled up today, Binnie baby," he says gently, "I can only attribute it to you seeing Wooyoung today, hm?"

Changbin releases an excited grumble, hips wiggling as if the mere thought of the omega makes him restless.

He huffs out a soft laugh.

They lay there for about an hour before Changbin sits up and stares at him. Chan rests his hands on the younger hips, squeezing him and maintaining eye contact. Changbin gives an experimental rock of his hips, eyes dark with want.

He feels a spark of interest, but he's not sure it's a good idea. "Baby," he says, already looking down at the clock to see how much time they have. "Baby, we really can't," he says, gazing back up at him.

Changbin's pout is a shot through his very soft heart. He hates telling any of his lovers no, and he logically knows that it might not be a terrible idea to let Changbin burn off a little extra steam due to his excitement. He's mostly concerned about the time constraint.

"Please?" Changbin asks softly.

He can't tell him no. He compromises with Changbin and lets off extra steam and a shower together. Changbin is perfectly satiated and relaxed exiting the steamy bathroom. He's also feeling way more relaxed about their visitors. Changbin is looking through his dresser to no doubt steal his clothes. He walks up behind him and pulls the younger in for a backhug. He kisses Changbin's scent gland.

"I love you," he says gently.

Changing releases a pressed grumble. The younger's hands pat on his own. "Love you, alpha."

He nips at Changbin's neck before pulling away to let him get dressed in peace.

"Should I be wearing a turtleneck?" Changbin asks, half seriously.

The moment is finally upon them when Ateez should be arriving. His pups are all dressed up a bit from their typical day off lounge wear they like to put on. He's made it a point to wear the scented hoodie, as well as Changbin, perfectly nestled into the couch as he reads something on his phone. Minho and Hyunjin had been relieved to see how calm their partner had been compared to his earlier restless energy nearly vibrating through him.

He was happy to accept the grateful kisses they gave him in exchange for it, as well.

Jisung and Hyunjin are wearing their gifted chokers, elegantly displaying on their necks. He has a hard time looking away from both of them as they've matched the rest of their jewelry to it so they sparkle and glitter in a tantalizing manner.

"Pretty," he mumbles, kissing Jisung's lips after snagging him by the waist and forcing the younger to sit in his lap.

Jisung wiggles away, "Hyung, I'm going to scent your hoodie. I don't want to upset Seonghwa-ssi."

Changbin frowns, "It won't upset him, baby."

Changbin's 'alpha hyung' cap is firmly in place now that he's calm, and he looks concerned over Jisung's worry. "I promise you, baby boy, nothing would make him happier knowing you also found his scent comforting and wanted to snuggle Chan hyung."

Jisung nibbles his lip worriedly, clearly torn between keeping the hoodie's scent intact and cuddling him.

He tugs on his hips. "I bet you he'd love having another pup smelling like him. Come snuggle, baby."

Jisung easily melts back into his lap. His nose just barely grazes over his neck before he's trying to bury into his chest. He laughs at the sweet sight. Now his hoodie would smell of two omegas. Maybe he could get the others to cuddle as well?

His plans are ruined by the melodic sound of their doorbell. Everyone in the room freezes before Changbin is standing up. "Finally," he breathes out dramatically.

They stay sitting, not wanting to overwhelm their guests by crowding them in the doorway.

Changbin unlocks the door and opens it.

"Hi hyu- oof!" Changbin says, his happy greeting cut off by someone tackling him.

"Wooyoung!" A voice scolds.

Minho stands up, concerned by the commotion, but only lets out an amused snicker. The alpha turns back to him. "Wooyoungie tackled Bin and kissed him."

Oh, how he'd love to see that. His precious pup finally getting the kisses from his best friend turned crush.

"Wooyoung," Changbin says breathlessly, "what the heck? You couldn't wait until I invited everyone in?"

"No!" Wooyoung giggles, "I've been waiting years for this, you dummy."

"Jung Wooyoung," an exasperated voice chastises. Seonghwa's voice.

Changbin whines, "Hyung."

Chan watches a taller boy with bright blonde hair enter their dorm and easily bend down to lift up Wooyoung much to his protests. Yunho, his brain supplies for him.

"You promised hyung you would behave," Yunho scolds.

Seonghwa makes his appearance and immediately disappears as he bends down to check on Changbin. The duo stand up again only for Changbin to wrap himself securely around Seonghwa in an intimate embrace. Chan watches Seonghwa's face soften. He kisses his alpha pup's forehead.

"Come on in everyone, we didn't want to crowd you at the door," Chan says, easily gesturing for them to join his pack in the main living room.

Seonghwa turns to him with a soft glance. Changbin wiggled away from him and onto the next person asking for kisses and hugs. Jisung is about to slip away when Seonghwa approaches them, but he holds onto his baby securely. Seonghwa's eyes shimmer and he immediately smells how pleased the omega is.

"Hey Seonghwa," he greets.

"Hi hyung," he says, "thank you for inviting us over."

"Of course," he smiles. He presses a soft kiss to Jisung's cheek. "Jisung, this is Seonghwa. Seonghwa, meet my first packmate, Jisung."

Seonghwa's smile brightens, and eyes glitter when he takes in Jisung. It's clear he recognizes the choker bedazzling his neck. Seonghwa sits beside him. "Hi Jisung," he says gently, "it's nice to meet you. The necklace looks wonderful on you. Very pretty."

Jisung melts back into his chest over the compliment, overwhelmed by the gentle praise. "Thank you, Seonghwa-ssi," he says politely.

"None of that," Seonghwa corrects, "call me hyung."

Jisung nods obediently. His eyes wide with wonder and clear awe over Seonghwa's charm. He appreciates the gentle way Seonghwa is interacting with his pup, and he knows it's a clear demonstration of the omega proving his skills as a head omega. As if he had anything he needed to prove to Chan.

"Do you like the hoodie, Jisung?" Seonghwa asks, tilting his head to the side earnestly. Chan's eyes are captivated by the earrings dangling and shimmering in the omega's ears. They're as elegant and pretty as the omega himself.

Jisung nods, "It's nice, hyung. It feels really soft." The omega pauses before continuing on, "Smells good."

Seonghwa smiles in clear satisfaction at the expressed compliment over his scent. "Thank you, baby," Seonghwa responds graciously.

And it's in that very moment he knows that the pup who started his pack and saved him from hopelessness is absolutely won over by the head omegas charms. Jisung's eagerness for praise, compliments, and pet names were the easiest ways to lower his guard.

Chan looks around the room to inspect the others. Changbin and Wooyoung are easily going around playing host and matching up members they think will match. They've already managed to group up his beta's with the Ateez beta's Yunho and Mingi who look absolutely smitten over his pups. Yeosang and Hyunjin are sitting together, and their beauty together seems almost unreal. Hongjoong, the leader and pack alpha, is standing with Minho, keeping a close eye on his pups but completely relaxed as he talks to his alpha mate. Jongho on the other hand seems to be completely enraptured with Changbin. His alpha mate dotes on the younger alpha effortlessly. San is already beside Felix listening to the younger talk animatedly about something while looking besotted, as most people do when interacting with his charming mate.

"Would you like to sit with Seonghwa, baby?" He asks Jisung. Jisung's eyes widen, in both surprise and want.

"Hyung, he didn't offer-" Jisung starts to protest.

"I'd love to have you sit with me," Seonghwa interrupts gently. His eyes are earnest.

Jisung looks at him one last time before shifting over to the taller omega. Jisung settles in Seonghwa's lap. The older one easily embraces the younger, arms wrapped around him snug and comfortable. He smiles at the sight, his wolf extremely pleased seeing the two together.

"I need to take care of some alpha stuff," he excuses himself, "but we will talk later, okay?" He speaks to Seonghwa gently.

Seonghwa nods, "Of course. I'll take care of Jisung."

And oh did that stand pleasurable tingles throughout his body.

He leaves the two omegas and makes his way to Minho and Hongjoong. He smiles at them both, even though he feels nervous meeting Hongjoong.

"Hi," he greets, as warmly as he can, "it's nice to meet you, Hongjoong."

Hongjoong bows his head in a polite introduction, "It's nice to meet you. I see you've already left a pup with my mate." Hongjoong's eyes sparkle with something as he gazes over at the duo.

Chan shrugs, "Your omega has a very comforting scent. My pup liked it."

Hongjoong laughs softly, "I'm teasing. Seonghwa has a way of collecting pups anywhere he goes."

He's curious to learn more about that, but leaves that for later. "I know you accepted our courting offer, but I wanted to speak...directly to you about any boundaries you might have for me in regards to your pack."

Hongjoong looks momentarily taken aback, but collects himself easily enough. "Honestly, at first I thought I would have to give you a list of things I didn't want you to do, but then I realized how unfair that would be to my pups and I don't like controlling them in any aspect of their lives. Not that I've really ever been able to."

He chuckles at that. "I understand. I just want to make sure we're on good terms, especially with how everything started. I felt guilty enough...feeling something toward a mated omega."

Hongjoong snorts at that. "Hyung, I'm arguably mated to a very attractive omega and I'm very secure in my relationship with him. Seonghwa wouldn't have given you the time of day if he thought you had bad intentions or were being dishonest. Believe me, you have nothing to feel guilty about."

He smiles, acknowledging the statement for exactly what it was. "Plus, it would be hypocritical of me as well. We're all quite fond of Changbin."

Hongjoong's eyes sparkle as his gaze turns to Changbin and Wooyoung talking to Hyunjin and Yeosang, Jongho back hugging Changbin during the exchange.

His belly warms at that. Everything seems to be fitting exactly the way it should.

"Well, we all feel the same toward Wooyoung," he admits softly, "he's been so good to us and you've been incredibly generous letting him spend so much time with us after being newly bonded."

Hongjoong smiles, eyes softening considerably. "You guys needed him, and we were happy to share him with you."

It's as if Wooyoung can sense their gazes on him and he turns to look back at them. Hongjoong gestures for him. "Come here, treasure."

Wooyoung leaves his group and hurries toward them. His eyes are bright and happy, and Chan immediately wants to wrap the younger up in a hug and cuddle.

Wooyoung melts into Hongjoong's side. The alpha laughs softly. "Hi precious," Hongjoong coos softly, "we were talking about you."

Wooyoung looks up at his alpha. "All good things?"

Hongjoong kisses his forehead, "The best things. Chan hyung is asking me about any boundaries I might have, but I figured we should ask you specifically for boundaries you might have for him."

Wooyoung squirms giddily, "I want kisses. And hugs. Cuddles are a must. As well as consistent scenting. Hyung smells so good."

Hongjoong looks up at him with a smirk, "He's a needy little pup. Think you can handle it?"

Chan laughs at the comment, looking down to see Wooyoung's earnest gaze on him and immediately answers. "Absolutely. It's the least that I can do for him."

Wooyoung wiggles out of Hongjoong's embrace and throws his arms around his neck. He easily wraps his arms around Wooyoung's lower back, nosing into the omegas scent gland as the sweetness emanating from Wooyoung is strong. This omega pup is happy. It settles his wolf so well, and the relief he feels finally being able to touch and hold is imminent. He's always seen Wooyoung as his, but now he has permission from both Wooyoung and Wooyoung's alpha to finally act on those feelings.

"Cute," Minho says from his side. He looks up to see Minho watching them softly, eyes gentle and sweet.

He squeezes Wooyoung closer to him as his heart expands a little more at the pure display of love.

Wooyoung finally pulls away first, much to his dismay, but the omega must sense it and easily settles him with a sweet kiss to his cheek. He wants nothing more than to scent Wooyoung and have the other cuddle into his lap for hours on end after being deprived for months of the physical affection he wanted to spoil the younger with.

The young omega smiles at him, tender and warm, "I'm not going anywhere, hyungie, but I need you to meet the rest of my pack first, okay?"

He nods, entranced by Wooyoung speaking so softly to him. He'd do anything for the young omega, even if it meant releasing him.

"Ah, the Wooyoung Effect," Hongjoong says.

He looks up to him, confused by what he means. "He already has you wrapped around his pinky finger, hyung," Hongjoong teases lightly, "it's his charm."

He finds that he doesn't mind at all. He knows how generous and kind the younger is and he wouldn't want to be charmed by anyone else.

"Hey, Hongjoong," Minho says, "have you met Felix yet?"

Hongjoong shakes his head, "No."

Minho smiles, "Let's go meet him, ok?"

Chan waits until the two alphas are met by Felix before giggling with Wooyoung. Hongjoong was about to experience the Felix Effect. Wooyoung pulls away again, but holds his hand. "Come on, let's go talk to Yeosang. It's time you met my best friend."

Chan is pulled by Wooyoung over to the little group of alphas and omegas. Changbin greets him softly.

"Yeosangie, this is Chan hyung. Hyung, this is Yeosang," Wooyoung introduces them.

Yeosang is strikingly gorgeous up close, but there's a sweetness to the omegas edges.

"Hi, it's so nice to meet you," Chan greets warmly, "feel free to call me hyung."

Yeosang nods, "It's nice to meet you. It's not everyday my best friend is charmed by an alpha."

He knows the younger omega is teasing him, but he doesn't know for what. He turns to Wooyoung who is rolling his eyes. "Stop exposing me!"

Yeosang shrugs nonchalantly. "He's handsome, and he smells nice. So far, all good qualities."

Wooyoung whacks Yeosang on the shoulder, "You're a menace!"

"No, I'm pretty sure that title belongs to you," Changbin says.

Yeosang, Hyunjin, Changbin, and Jongho all laugh at the pout Wooyoung gives them. He easily brings Wooyoung closer to him, dropping a kiss to the top of his head.

"Ooh, protective alpha instincts," Hyunjin teases, "you've got it bad, hyung."

He shakes his head. He doesn't mind the teasing, and he's glad for the easy conversation.

Changbin laughs before looking at Jongho. "This little velcro pup is Jongho, the Ateez maknae."

He smiles, already endeared by the adorable face. "Hi pup, it's nice to finally meet you. Seonghwa always has such wonderful things to say about you."

Jongho's cheeks pinken. "It's nice to meet you hyung."

"Jongho is our teams pride and joy," Wooyoung informs lovingly, "and he's also relieved to be closer to his Binnie hyung."

"Hyung," Jongho whines.

Changbin soothes him easily, "It's okay. Ignore the mean omega."

Jongho smiles at that and he finally understands. Jongho is absolutely adorable when smiling and comfortable, and clearly Changbin makes him feel both.

"Okay, let's move on hyung," Wooyoung encourages, already leading him away from the group. Their next stop is with the resident beta's of both packs. His eyes widen with surprise over how comfortable both Jeongin and Seungmin appear with Mingi and Yunho. His two maknaes take a while to feel comfortable around others, but they both look completely relaxed gazing up at the Ateez beta's.

"Yunho, Mingi," Wooyoung says, "you need to meet Chan hyung!"

He's met by open and kind faces from both beta's and he's blown away by how striking their visuals are. Yunho looks classically charming while Mingi looks intimidating and intense with his dragon-like eyes and plush lips.

"Hi," he greets, "thank you for taking care of my pups so well."

"Hyung," Jeongin protests.

Yunho laughs, "It's no worries. Sorry about this one over here. He always needs to make a memorable appearance."

Wooyoung grumbles from his side. "I've been waiting to kiss Bin for years!"

Yunho rolls his eyes, "You could have waited and been civilized."

"No," Wooyoung pouts.

Mingi laughs, "Always a flare for the dramatics."

Chan looks down to see Wooyoung isn't all that upset, he's putting up a front but he seems just as amused by the teasing.

"Anyways," Wooyoung segues, "Yunho is the oldest of us 99z, so he sometimes gets a hyung complex."

"What? No I don't!" Yunho argues.

"And Mingi may be all intense with his visuals, but he's actually a baby and is babied by the hyungs way more than Jongho is." Wooyoung shares, steamrolling over Yunho's protests.

"Yeah, that's fair," Mingi accepts.

Wooyoung chuckles. "This is Chan, a soft, squishy alpha who has an affection for all things cute, aka Felix."

"What?" He squeaks out, "Why are you exposing me?"

"Because it's true," Seungmin says, justifying Wooyoung's statement easily.

Wooyoung bends down and drops a kiss to Seungmin's forehead, "Thank you, precious. I can always count on my reliable dongsaeng."

Seungmin blooms underneath Wooyoung.

He sighs and let's it go, enjoying how happy his pups are smelling. He is quite smitten by cute things and Felix is adorable.

He turns to look for the younger boy and sees Hongjoong beside the omega, eyes wide with sincerity as he listens closely to whatever his omega is saying.

"So is Hongjoong apparently," Chan says.

Wooyoung turns to look and giggles. "Ah, little Felix is such a charmer," he turns back to Chan, "okay, it's time to meet my soulmate. It's very important to me that you like each other."

His sombers at the severity in Wooyoung's tone. "He's...different, and I expect you to treat him well, hyung."

"Of course," he promises.

"San is special to me," Wooyoung repeats firmly, "and he's not...a stereotypical alpha. I've been with him the longest, hyung. Do you understand?"

He thinks he does, so he shakes his head. Wooyoung takes his hand and leads him over to San, Felix, Minho, and Hongjoong. Wooyoung easily interrupts and takes San away from the group, leaving Felix under the careful gaze of Minho and besotted expression of Hongjoong.

San approaches him, almost timid in nature. Wooyoung is holding Sans hand securely in his. "Channie hyung this is San, Sannie, this is Chan."

Chan smiles warmly at him. "Hi, it's nice to meet Wooyoung's soulmate."

San's eyes get big and round with surprise, before softening and looking quite shy. "It's nice to meet you, hyung." San looks up, already questioning the informal language.

"It's okay," he reassures, "there's no need to be formal if we're courting."

San deflates into Wooyoung's chest, relieved by the permission.

"Was Felix treating you well?" He asks.

San nods, "Yes. He's so sweet. Everything Wooyoung shared about him I got to witness firsthand. He's adorable."

He smiles, his wolf pleased by the compliments over his youngest omega pup.

"We adore him," Chan says. "Thank you for sharing your soulmate with us," he pauses, "we've come to adore Wooyoung quite a bit."

San's eyes brighten. "Isn't Wooyoung just the best?"

He giggles at the adoring exclamation. "He absolutely is."

"He's the entire reason our pack is even bonded, hyung," San shares happily, "we love him a lot. The fact that he's receiving even more love makes me very happy."

He feels surprised at such an honest and accepting statement. His wolf settles at the approval. "He's certainly deserving of it, isn't he?"

He looks at Wooyoung, amused by the pink flush staining his cheeks. The omega looks vulnerable for the first time, and Chan is revelling in it.

"If anyone deserves it, it's him," San agrees, tone softening. He kisses Wooyoung's forehead. "We dated for a bit before asking the hyungs to court the entire pack. He holds a very special place in our pack."

"Sannie," Wooyoung protests.

"It's true! Hyung should know," San says.

"He has a special place in our pack," Chan admits easily, "we all treasure him."

The younger alpha beams at the acknowledgement.

"Everyone seems to be getting along so well, hyung," Wooyoung says, seamlessly changing the topic.

Chan humors him and nods. "They are. I'm happy we all are."

"Chan hyung!"

He looks over to Minho who's standing.

"Yeah, baby," he responds.

"Should we bring out the snacks and games?" Minho asks.

"Let's do it, have the pups help you," Chan says.

Hongjoong stands as well. "I can help too."

Minho smirks, "Well, you would fall under the umbrella term of being Chan's pup."

Chan freezes in surprise. Hongjoong flushes a deep red, and doesn't respond.

Wooyoung hums beside him. "Well that's unusual."

"What?" He asks.

San smirks. "When's the last time he's been called a pup outside of Eden hyung and Maddox hyung?"

Wooyoung shrugs. "He better get used to it because that reaction was way too cute to handle."

He watches Hongjoong helps his pups and he silently agrees.

"So. Are we going to talk about Seonghwa hyung and Jisung?" Wooyoung asks.

He looks over at the pairing. Jisung is completely knocked out on Seonghwa's shoulder, and the head omega is gently doting on him with soft touches. His heart melts into a pile of goo.

"I'm pretty sure hyung might risk it all to sneak him back to our dorm," San exclaims, "so be careful."

He smiles. He's not keen on the idea of any of them leaving, but...he does appreciate how Seonghwa is doting on his baby.

"Can I…?" He gestures to them, seeking Wooyoung's permission.

Wooyoung smiles, "Sure hyung. Thanks for letting me drag you around."

He bends down to kiss Wooyoung's lips. When he comes back up he pauses, immediately frozen by the fact he kissed the omega in front of San. San giggles, "It's okay, hyung. We've all learned to not come in between Woo and the promise of kisses."

Wooyoung groans. "I'm not that needy!"

"You really are, baby, and we love it," San says, pulling Wooyoung away gently.

He leaves the two and walks over to the pair cuddling up on the couch. Seonghwa smiles up at him.

"Wooyoung got to kiss you before me?" Seonghwa says.

He can feel his cheeks heating up. "Hongjoong...gave me permission."

Seonghwa raises his eyebrow.

He sighs. "Okay, I just wanted to make sure we were all good before making...advances."

Seonghwa laughs warmly at his distress. "Hyung, you've been going snail speed with us. No wonder he tackled Binnie on our way in."

He knows Seonghwa is teasing him and it feels good to be laughed at in such a playful manner. He sits beside him and reaches out to card Jisung's bangs back.

"He knocked out," he says softly.

Seonghwa nods. "Who knew lavender could calm people?"

Chan looks up at him only to be met with amused eyes and a smile threatening to break out on his face.

"I think it's you," Chan reasserts gently. "You make people feel safe."

Seonghwa's amusement dims, but he does seem touched by his compliment.

"I'm glad," Seonghwa says, looking down at the pup sitting in his lap. "I can tell he was anxious after you left me. You mean a lot to him."

He nods. "Jisung saved me from a very dark path," he admits easily, "I owe him a lot."

"It's different for him," Seonghwa says, "almost like...you're his anchor. Anytime I'd bring you up, he would just...relax. It felt as though any reminder of you would bring him comfort."

He nods. "He means the world to me." He pauses a bit. "Our fans like to point out how close I am to Felix because of us being Australian, but what they don't realize is I wouldn't have that if it wasn't for Jisung. I nearly quit and missed out on this chance of having a wonderful life. You're holding my lifeline, right now."

Seonghwa listens carefully. His eyes are soft and tender when he looks up at him. "I love how reverently you speak of your pups. You're so devoted to them. I feel so lucky that I managed to attract you in some form or another."

He's surprised by the admission, but ducks his head shyly. "I think I'm the lucky one."

Seonghwa nudges him with his elbow. "Hyung, please kiss me."

Chan looks back up.

"I've waited long enough," Seonghwa says, "and I'm very sure of my feelings for you."

It's all the permission he needs. He cups Seonghwa's chin and gently leans down to kiss the sweet lips that he's been dreaming about for weeks now. Only this time, it's real. Seonghwa reaches out to hold the back of his neck. He's breathing and he's so warm, and Seonghwa currently has his most cherished pup sleeping in his lap.

It's perfect. It's simple. It's warm and safe in a way he's unused to. He doesn't feel butterflies because he has no reason to be anxious about what the kiss means.

Seonghwa chose him. And that is good enough for him.

Chapter Text

Chan is watching Changbin. He is absolutely shining with the attention the Ateez pack is giving him, and he's oblivious to the way Hongjoong keeps brushing his bangs out of his eyes and wearing an affectionate smile. It's as easy as breathing for Ateez to spoil Changbin. Jongho maintains his position behind him and back hugging the older alpha and casually leaning in for a brief scenting.

Yeosang teases Changbin with an ease that only comes from longevity, but he doesn't miss the sparkle of interest in both of their eyes. There's no societal barriers keeping the two from interacting and sharing soft touches. It feels surreal being able to take a step back and watch the interactions and the fragile and tentative start to something new.

He's also feeling a little emotional after his first kiss with Seonghwa and he's very much aware he has rose tinted glasses on as he rides that high.

"Hyung," Seonghwa says softly.

He turns to the pretty omega eagerly, already feeling his axis shift and gravitate toward him.

"He's scenting me," Seonghwa says.

Chan looks at Jisung sweetly nuzzling into Seonghwa's scent gland.

"He'll be waking soon if he's doing that," he shares.

"Good, he should eat anyways," Seonghwa says, "this little love is tiny."

"Are you trying to provide for my pups already?" He teases.

Sharp eyes look up at him with an unfamiliar edge to them. "Well, I should prove myself as a head omega, right? I expect you to do the same as head alpha, hyung."

He gulps nervously at the tension created by Seonghwa. They are courting now, and he does have an obligation to prove himself as a good mate, but most importantly, as the head alpha of his pack.

He nods, "Right."

Seonghwa relaxes and shifts back into a comforting smile. "You've already passed with flying colors with Wooyoungie."

He relaxes and smiles. It's an easy compliment from Seonghwa. It makes him feel confident and relaxed in his abilities. He hears Felix' in his mind reminding him to be himself. It's how he won Wooyoung's affections, and now Seonghwa's attraction.

He watches Jisung's eyes flutter open prettily. Confusion takes over him as he pulls away from Seonghwa's neck. He looks up, a bit dazed, until he seems to be reminded of where he's at and who's lap he's in.

"Ah, hyung," he squeaks, "I'm so sorry."

Seonghwa giggles, his entire expression turning gentle and soft. "It's okay, honey, I'm always happy to snuggle such a sweet pup."

Jisung looks at him. He reaches out to brush Jisung's bangs out of his eyes. "It's okay, baby," he reassures warmly, "we're supposed to get closer, right?"

Jisung nods. He watches the omega pup shyly rest his head against Seonghwa's shoulder.

"Do you want me to bring you some snacks? The others are eating already," Chan offers.

Jisung nods, "That would be nice, hyungie."

He stands and promises to return soon. On the way over to their little snack bar set-up, Hyunjin catches his hand. He pauses and gives his omega mate his full attention.

"How's Jisung?" Hyunjin asks.

"He's okay, love," he promises, "he's bonding with Seonghwa right now. Seonghwa's good for him."

Hyunjin smiles, relieved. "Good."

"How about you and Yeosang?" He asks.

Hyunjin's cheeks flush pink. "Fine."

He chuckles, amused by the younger's flustered nature. He drops a kiss to his head omegas forehead before continuing on to retrieve Jisung's promised snacks.

He makes sure to get a variety to appease whichever Jisung craves most. They've got a wide spread to suit any palette. Once he's filled up a plate he returns back to the two omegas, watching as some of the maknaes play a board game and excitedly cheer.

He returns to the couch and sits. He shows Jisung the plate. "What do you want, baby?"

Jisung eyes the snacks greedily. "The chocolate crackers please."

Chan nods and breaks them in half before feeding the younger. Jisung's eyes glaze over just a bit at the treatment, receiving the treats contently. Chan gives him a few of the healthier snacks in between the chocolate ones to not fill his pup up entirely on sugar. Seonghwa watches quietly.

"Does he usually like to be hand fed?" Seonghwa asks.

Chan pauses in breaking up a piece of strawberry. He nods. "Jisung is very independent, but he does like the extra spoiling if he's particularly tired or anxious."

Seonghwa hums in understanding. "May I?" He asks.

Chan offers him the plate. "Sure."

Seonghwa picks up a small piece of strawberry. Jisung's eyes narrow onto Seonghwa's face as the Ateez eldest offers him the bite between his elegant fingers. Jisung's eyes darted over to him before parting his lips to accept the offered snack. Seonghwa smiles, slipping the piece of juicy fruit into Jisung mouth.

Jisung stares up at Seonghwa, surprised by the acceptance of the head omega.

Hand feeding is intimate. It's one of the best ways to show someone how much you care for them, which is why Chan regularly took the time to do it with his pups. For Seonghwa to be so accepting and eager to provide for Jisung is a clear sign the older omega wants to take care of Jisung. Jisung recognizes this and accepts it.

It's a special moment to be a part of.

He watches as Seonghwa continues to feed Jisung, the omega pup watching the eldest in sweet admiration. He had a feeling these two would bond quickly, and Jisung is going to crave the eldests attention. His omega maknaes already loved having Wooyoung around as an older omega, and to have an additional one who seems to be even more doting and affectionate? His pups would be absolutely spoiled.

His wolf quite likes the thought of that.

Seonghwa has zero qualms feeding Jisung, and his scent actually sweetens as time passes between them. Once Jisung has finished the snacks, Chan takes the plate from Seonghwa and watches the older omega gently whisper to Jisung. Jisung nods and closes his eyes, nuzzling back into Seonghwa's neck.

It's going to be difficult separating those two at the end of the night.

He sits back against the couch, shoulder to shoulder with Seonghwa.

He watches as Wooyoung detangles himself from San, bends down to kiss the alpha, and makes his way toward him.

Wooyoung is...intoxicating. His charisma and energy make you feel seen and warm. His expression is equally playful with an underlying seduction behind his eyes. He is graceful and tantalizing with every step and away from his body. Wooyoung is an addiction; Chan cannot take his eyes off of him.

"Hyung," he calls, elongating the vowels in a playful manner.

"Here comes trouble," Seonghwa whispers to him.

He doesn't doubt that one bit, but he's at Wooyoung's mercy.

"Yeah?" He responds. His arms reach out for the omega before he can process what he's doing. Wooyoung's grin tells him he must approve of the action. His heart flutters watching Wooyoung slot his hips in between his hands.

"You promised cuddles and kisses," he says, bottom lip jutting out in a mischievous pout.

"I did," he confirms, fingers gripping Wooyoung's hoodie.

Wooyoung's eyebrow raises expectantly and he feels his instincts scramble to provide for the omega.

"Come sit, baby," he says thoughtlessly, tugging on Wooyoung's hips to bring him into his lap. Wooyoung accepts the invitation and sits on his thigh. The younger comfortably noses into his scent gland and those scrambled instincts to make his mate happy disintegrate into one where his wolf is content and pleased.

Wait.

His mate?

Heavens, help him, he thinks.

A few hours pass, and the packs mingle wonderfully. Conversation picks up whenever it does naturally. The social butterflies intervening to not let the silence grow awkward. They play board games and charades. Both Seonghwa and himself convince the little loves currently nesting in their lap to get up and participate. They join in as well, and the night ends with laughter and excitement for future meetings.

Parting is difficult.

His wolf aches as he says good-bye to Wooyoung and Seonghwa. He draws Wooyoung in for a kiss and a light scenting before gently pushing him into the waiting arms of San.

Seonghwa kisses his lips, and places a feathery light brush of lips to his scent gland. "Until next time, hyung," he promises.

Seonghwa reaches out for Hongjoong, which the alpha interprets and easily takes the omegas hand into his own.

He watches as Hyunjin snuggles close to Yeosang before the older omega parts from him. Jongho looks absolutely petulant when Mingi and Yunho both try to separate him from Changbin. Changbin laughs softly.

"Come on, pup, we'll see each other soon. Be good for hyung," he encourages softly.

Jongho mournfully parts from Changbin. His alpha mate presses a kiss to the baby alphas forehead and nudges him into Mingi's welcoming hug.

"Text me when you guys get home safely," he calls out.

And with that the dorm is drenched in silence.

"We're going to bond with them, aren't we?" Seungmin says.

"Compatibility," Minho muses softly, "is an interesting thing."

"What do you mean, hyung?" Jeongin asks.

"Every time we're together it's going to feel like coming home. When we part, it's going to feel empty, and one day, it'll be devastating for us. Even if we're not properly bonded, our wolves will see that we are, and the separation of packs will become increasingly difficult," Minho explains.

"Our wolves are whipped as fuck," Jisung says.

"Language," he scolds.

"That seems like a future problem for us to discuss," Felix says, "for now we should celebrate that it went well and that we all got along."

"Good idea," he says, smiling toward the omega maknae.

Eventually they split up into pairings to clean up and put the food away. He watches as the 00-liners all head to the bathroom to shower together, as per their ritual.

"Do they do anything by themselves?" Minho asks.

"Nope," Jeongin answers, "they're gross."

"Innie, are you saying you can't be convinced to take a shower with me?" Minho asks, eyes intense and heavy as he peers at the beta.

Jeongin's cheeks turn a bright shade of red. "Hyung!" He scolds. "You're being weird."

He finds himself chuckling at the interaction, as well as hearing Changbin giggle as well.

The next morning, Seonghwa sends him a picture of Wooyoung curled around the older omega with a simple message.

He misses you.

This is going to be a lot harder than he originally assumed it would be.

Chapter Text

He can tell that his pack is starting to become more restless since their first pack night. Their wolves desire to be close to their intended mates, and the separation is hard. It feels unnatural.

Thankfully, they all have phones so they get by with texts and the occasional video chat. Wooyoung and Changbin are calling each other every week, and his heart hurts a little that it can't be more. They're idols, but with that comes an understanding from both sides.

A new development is Hongjoong texting him. It's usually a picture of whichever Ateez pup he finds especially cute and wants to share. The last two weeks have been the Ateez omegas puppy piling together. The pictures are sweet, and he adores seeing them. He responds in kind, sharing sweet moments of his own pups.

He also knows that Jisung is contacting Seonghwa the most. Jisung is absolutely smitten by the head omega, and his wolf is immensely pleased by their relationship. Seonghwa flusters him and makes him shy, but he can also see a distinct glow to Jisung after talking to the older omega. Whatever their conversations are, he's happy by it.

Eventually Felix gets envious of Jisung's relationship to Seonghwa, so he starts messaging the pack omega as well. He has two pups fighting for Seonghwas attention, and the older omega handles it graciously.

Hongjoong shared that Seonghwa loves it.

Wooyoung had created a group chat for them both the day after their pack night, which is nice for them to all familiarize themselves with one another.

Still, it's not a replacement for actually hanging out and spending time with one another.

So he calls Hongjoong.

"Hyung?" Hongjoong greets, "Hello."

"Hi," he smiles, the confusion sounding adorable from the younger alpha. "Are you able to talk?"

"Yeah! I'm just on a break," Hongjoong shares, "I'm going a bit stir crazy with this track I'm working on."

"Ahh," he says, "been there." He relates softly, "A break is good. Sometimes our minds just need a change of scenery for things to click."

Hongjoong hums in agreement. "What did you need from me, hyung?"

"I was hoping to figure out what the state of your pack looks like. I have some sad, needy pups on my hand and was wondering if you're in the same boat."

Hongjoong lets out a frustrated groan. "Yes, I do. Pups are so sad right now, and it's because they're missing you guys. Seonghwa and I have tried to keep their spirits high, but morale is low. They want another pack night."

"I have the same situation. Think we can schedule one soon?" He asks.

"We should be able to, I can have hyung talk to your manager and figure out the closest date," Hongjoong says thoughtfully.

"Okay," he says gently. "Your place or mine?"

"Ours. Seonghwa has this whole thing about tradition, and it's polite to invite you guys after you hosted the first time." Hongjoong shares, "And I'm going to let him have whatever he wants or risk sleeping on the couch."

He can hear the light teasing for what it is. "Something tells me you're not hard pressed on withholding from him," he softly teases the younger alpha.

Hongjoong chuckles shyly, "No, I'm not hyung. I'd give him the world if I could."

That sounds about right. Hongjoong and Seonghwa are clearly soulmates destined to meet one another in every lifetime. Seonghwa tempers Hongjoongs brashness. Hongjoongs confidence encourages Seonghwa. They're opposite sides of the same coin.

Their dynamic is beautiful to watch. He feels privileged to witness their interactions, and it only makes him desire them both more.

"I'm hoping we can see each other soon," he confesses gently.

"Me too," Hongjoong murmurs, "Hwa said that our wolves must have heavy compatibility for us to be reacting like this."

"Minho said the same. Our unusual harmony is a clear sign."

"Hyung, eventually we're going to have to let the pups go out alone and on their own when they have free schedules. More consistent meetups are necessary, and we shouldn't prevent them from hanging out if they're free."

"I agree. Smaller meetups are preferable for some of my pups, as well. Two packs of eight can be quite overwhelming for some of my introverted boys."

Hongjoong laughs. "Don't worry, I have plenty of extroverts to share."

They both laugh and end the call with sweet goodbyes. It's nice being on the same page with the Ateez alpha. Hongjoong is a unique character. He plays with his gender and dynamic as though it's as easy as breathing for him. He turns stereotypes atop its head and breaks the mold constantly.

And yet, there's a sureness in who Hongjoong is as an alpha and a leader. Hongjoong doesn't doubt himself. He's confident in his decisions. He has the devotion of seven completely different and unique packmates. It takes a special person to lead such wonderfully unique people.

He doesn't know if the Ateez pack would even be together if not under the guidance and leadership of someone as eccentric as Hongjoong. He sees it in the way they perform on stage and how the pack gravitates to Hongjoongs aura and energy. He infects the rest of them, and it is a sight to behold.

Hongjoong is special.

He understands a little better the attraction between Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

His wolf wants. His wolf aches to be close to both of the pack heads. He knows that harmony with them will be the easiest way to reach the Ateez pups. If Hongjoong himself can fall for him, then he will earn the trust of the more withdrawn Ateez pups.
He knows the type of person he is and he wants to be close to him. He craves affection.

A couple days after his phone call with Hongjoong, Seonghwa calls him. He accepts it quickly, ignoring the current song he's working on in favor of talking to the pretty omega he can't stop thinking about.

"Hey," he greets breathlessly.

"Hi hyung," Seonghwa answers. His tone is soft and rumbly.

"Hi," he repeats.

Seonghwa laughs, and it's like ASMR to his brain. He's addicted to the sound. "What are you up to hyung?"

"I'm in the studio. I have a day off and thought I could start preparing for the next album," he confesses.

"You're as bad as Hongjoongie, working on your days off," Seonghwa teases gently.

He laughs. "The kids are off doing their own thing and I felt lazy. Making music always makes me feel productive."

"Up for a change of scenery, hyung?" Seonghwa asks, a bit cryptic.

He sits forward. "Definitely."

"Meet me at Hongjoongs studio?" Seonghwa asks.

"Okay," he accepts.

Once the call ends, Seonghwa sends him the address with promises of a visit badge at the front desk. He messages his manager and they leave within ten minutes.

It's only when he's in the car does he realize he's not dressed up in the slightest. He's far faced, hat on his head to calm his unruly hair, a sleeveless shirt, and a pair of jeans on. It's not the outfit he would have chosen, but it's what he's in.

He doesn't get bad going to drop in for a visit since he knows Wooyoung, Felix and Changbin are together today. He's pretty sure Hyunjin, Yeosang, and San went to a puppy cafe yesterday as well.

The only one who might be a bit sulky is Jisung. Jisung's been super busy this past week, and he's been upset he couldn't visit with anyone because of it.

Nonetheless, he resolves himself to give the younger more cuddles to calm him.

His manager drops him off and he's relieved to see that there's no lingering fans. The lobby is sleek and modern. The lady at the front greets him politely and hands him his badge. She gives him directions and he leaves.

It's when he's standing in the elevator that he can smell lavender. He pauses the doors from closing and peeks out to look around.

He doesn't see anything. He steps back in and closes the doors. It must be lingering from earlier?

The elevator plays a simple classical tune, but it does nothing to calm his anxiety of seeing Seonghwa and Hongjoong. This is the first time they'd be alone, and although he's nervous…he's more excited. Eager anticipation from his wolf is overriding any nervousness he might normally be feeling.

The elevator stops and the doors glide open. He steps out and is met with an eerily quiet floor. He turns to the left as instructed. He no longer smells Seonghwa, but he chalks it up to the open space and better ventilation.

He keeps his eyes on the doors he's passing and pauses at one that's cracked open. Soft voices spill out into the hallway.

He raises his hand to knock on the door, effectively quieting the two boys inside.

"Chan hyung?" Seonghwa asks, finally opening the door and revealing himself. Seonghwa is a in a loose shirt and jeans, a relaxed and casual outfit that still looks strikingly good on the younger.

"Hey," he greets, a slight flutter in his stomach.

Seonghwa smiles, "Come in. I just got here as well. Hongjoong is being difficult."

"What? No I'm not," Hongjoong whines from inside the studio.

Seonghwa giggles and gestures to come inside. He turns to Hongjoong who's sitting at the chair looking a bit sulky. "Then how would you describe it, beloved."

"Temperamental," Hongjoong says.

"That's not much better," Seonghwa laughs.

"What happened?" He asks, taking in Hongjoongs appearance. He's endeared by Hongjoongs display of petulance as it's triggering those familiar alpha hyung instincts that come so naturally to a pup being upset. The difficult part is to not coddle or be over bearing to an unsuspecting pup.

"He forgot to save a copy of the song he was working on, and lost all the progress he made on it due to serious sleep deprivation," Seonghwa shares, moving closer to Hongjoong to run a manicured hand through the alphas hair. Hongjoong instinctively tilts his head closer to Seonghwa.

"I've been there," he relates, sympathizing entirely too well to Hongjoongs current frustration. "I'm sorry."

Hongjoong grumbles. "It's not your fault, hyung, don't be silly."

And yet, it still doesn't temper the feeling of wanting to herd the both of them into his lap for some proper hyung-dongsaeng cuddling.

"Come now, this is probably one of the very rare times where we'll have Chan hyung all to ourselves," Seonghwa coaxes, "let make the best of it, hm?"

Hongjoong sighs and all of his silky and pouty expression melts away to give him the loveliest of smiles. "I'm glad you're here, hyung."

He settles, smiling right back at him. "Thanks for the invite."

Seonghwa perches himself on Hongjoongs lap and pulls his phone out. "Okay, I'm ordering us food from that little sandwich shop we went to last month. What do you want, Joongie?"

Hongjoong smiles, hands moving to rest on Seonghwa hips as he conveys his order. Seonghwa focuses on his phone and then passes it to him. "Order whatever you want hyung, it's our treat!"

He takes the phone and looks at the menu. He feels…conflicted. As the hyung, he typically likes to provide for his dongsaeng, but he also likes that he's being taken care of as we.

"Only if you let me treat you next time," he compromises, passing the phone back once he's made his selection.

Seonghwa takes it with a nod. "Deal."

"Take a seat wherever you like, hyung," Hongjoong says, pointing to the tiny leather loveseat and recliner behind him.

He moves to the loveseat and sits.

"Hyung, how's Jisungie?" Seonghwa asks, "He told me he went to a therapy session earlier this week?"

Warmth blooms in his chest at the mention of Jisung. "He's okay. His anxiety has a tendency to flare up, but he's really good about going to his appointments. I'm glad he's telling you about those. He used to be really self-conscious."

"No reason for him to be. I mean we've all been there at various times in our lives," Hongjoong shares.

"Yes, but understanding that and believing that can be difficult," Seonghwa reconciles gently.

He nods his head an agreement. Ever since he met Jisung he put himself in therapy so he could be the reliable alpha Jisung was deserving of. He himself had been in a very dark place at the time.

"I know I'm pleased about one thing though," Hongjoong starts, "is Jongho having people the same age as him. He's basically inheriting you're entire 00 liners as friends, with the potential of it turning into more."

Seonghwa chuckles. "With how friendly all four of them are, he doesn't really stand a chance against them."

"Yes, my four are quite the social butterflies when together. They give each other confidence and boldness, which comes off as extroversion. The arguments in the very beginning were a struggle, but now they're thicker than theives." He huffs out a laugh. "They can get into quite a bit of mischevous as well."

"Jongho needs that. He burdens himself with being reliable and so much older than what he actually is. That's why we love Binnie so much," Hongjoong states, "because he unlocks this side of Jongho we've never seen before. God, he loves Changbin so much."

Seonghwa hums in agreement. "It's like nothing I've seen before in him. Here's this pup who is skinship resistant and so painfully shy about affection in the privacy of our own homes, and it's like something flips when Bin is around."

"And I'm sure you're perfectly aware, but Bin is such a good alpha," Hongjoong states.

He feels overwhelmingly proud and affectionate toward his alpha pup. Changbin is an incredible person, and it's so nice to hear someone outside of their pack speak of it in kind and appreciate him for it.

"He's the best, honestly. The kids adore him, and it's nice to hear you all feel the same way. I feel like he's definitely deserving of so much love," he says.

"He speaks so highly of you," Seonghwa says, "I mean, in a revertant tone, almost. Like he can't quite believe he has you in his pack. I mean, he's the primary reason we allowed Wooyoungie too visit you guys by himself. The way he spoke of your character and values…it made it so much easier to entrust him to you."

"Thank you," he says, "I know that means a lot."

"You don't know how much," Hongjoong says, "Seonghwa and Wooyoung have a very unique bond."

"Your feelings toward Jisung mirror my feelings toward Wooyoung. He means the absolute world to me," Seonghwa confesses, "and the fact that the brat knows it."

He giggles at Seonghwa's fond exasperation.

Hongjoong chuckles.

"I wonder if anyone has met Wooyoung and not fallen a little in love with him," he muses softly.

"Probably not. Wooyoung just has a way of making you feel seen, and just earns everyone's love and affection by being immensely thoughtful and considerate. He loves to play and tease, but he's hardwired to love and be affectionate. That's why him and Sannie are so good together." Seonghwa shares softly.

"He's such a good hyung to my pups, as well. I mean they all adore him. Felix especially. He likes having an omega hyung so willing to cuddle and scent him. I think it makes him feel safe and secure," he expressed softly.

"Oh, that's right. The oldest members in your pack are all alphas," Seonghwa says gently, "so your omega trio are all the same age? Hierarchy must be difficult for them."

"Hyunjin is the technical pack head, but Jisung has quite a lot of sway as the first omega, and Felix is happy being the maknae, even if it's technically by a day," he explains.

Seonghwa tilts his head to the side. "Still, omega hierarchy is quite a unique one. And while I don't think age should be as big of a factor as it is…your pups have probably been raised as so. You essentially have a trio where they're all equal in age and dynamic, and having to choose one could be difficult for them. How did you pick Hyunjin?"

He thinks about the question seriously. "Because his conflict resolution skills and communication is by far the strongest out of the three. He does on the youngest four as though it's as easy as breathing, and he's so good to myself and the other alphas. He just felt…right."

Seonghwa hums in understanding. "Those are all good reasons. With how you talk of Jisung, I am surprised he wasn't chosen."

He huffs out a laugh. "I probably should have. Jisung confronts me way more than the other two. He calls me out when needed too."

Seonghwa nods. "And yet, he's the only one of your pups not wearing an earring."

Guilt and anxiety begins to eat away in his chest and stomach. He should have known. Seonghwa is perceptive. He probably has an entire read on his pack and the intricacies of the heirarchy and dynamic within it.

"Yes," he says, looking away from them both and to the ground. "Yes, I upset him a few months back. I'm not quite forgiven."

"Hyung, we don't need to talk about it," Hongjoong says, "Seonghwa gets ahead of himself, but if it's sensitive, we can change subjects."

He looks back up at their concerned faces. He shrugs. "It's not something I want to hide from you both. Especially as pack heads. It happened after we were recovered from our bonding sickness and Jisung had major anxiety. I asked Hyunjin to be pack omega, and he accepted. Jisung was not thrilled by that. He disagreed with my timing. He didn't think it was fair and appropriate to ask Hyunjin when we were still healing from our own trauma of losing a mate. He never once doubted Jinnie, but he just doesn't agree with the timing aspect of it all."

Seonghwa stands and crosses the floor to sit beside him. A hand slips into his own, fingers interlacing with his own. "Did you ask him why he felt so strongly about this? It's clear he believes Hyunjin has the abilities to be a pack head."

He looks at Seonghwa in surprise. "No, I didn't. Do you think he knows something that I don't?"

Seonghwa shrugs. "I can't say for sure, but omegas are fiercely protective for a reason, especially when up against an alpha they love more than anyone else. It's unusual, right? Jisung becoming angry with you."

And suddenly, he feels like a fool.

"He's never been angry with me."

The revelation stuns him.

Chapter Text

"He's never been angry with me."

The revelation stuns him.

Seonghwa squeezes his hand. "I know we're outsiders, but we've been through a very similar situation."

He looks up to see Seonghwa giving him a soft, sincere smile. The omega then looks to Hongjoong. "Joong?"

Hongjoong nods and rolls over on the chair so they can all be a bit closer.

"As you are well aware, Wooyoung has quite a fiery personality," Hongjoong starts softly, eyes downcast as though he's looking at their clasped hands. "And I had a problem with that in the early stages of our pack."

"Hongjoong himself has quite a fiery temperament as well, so they did have clashing personalities," Seonghwa adds in gently. "I'm pretty sure those two argued more in our first few months of bonding than anyone."

He looks up at Hongjoong. "You guys didn't argue while courting?"

Hongjoong smiles and shakes his head. "Not really. We all think the honeymoon stage kind of intervened and made us far more agreeable."

Seonghwa chuckles beside him.

"Still, I had a lot to learn as a pack head," Hongjoong says, looking up at him again. "The arguing was wearing Wooyoung down, as well as him constantly having to defend himself and stick up for his beliefs. It was stressful for him, and it all reached a point where he threatened to leave. He confesses going through bonding sickness would be a sweet relief compared to what he was going through."

He winces. Bonding sickness is no walk in the park. Wooyoung must have been experiencing a lot of emotional turmoil to see that as a valid option.

"Hwa had to sit down with me and essentially gave me an ultimatum," Hongjoong sighs.

"Wooyoung hadn't changed, it was Hongjoong trying to assert his dominance as pack alpha over an 'unruly omega'," Seonghwa murmurs, "and I had to remind him Wooyoung will always be fiery. He will always be intensely vocal about his thoughts and feelings. It's not our job as pack heads or loving partners to try and force him to submit to our will. So I told him, you either allow Wooyoung to be who he is and change yourself or we break the bond as soon as possible."

"That must have been a difficult conversation to have," he says, stomach turning at the mere thought of someone trying to change Wooyoung.

"It's probably the most serious and difficult conversation Joong and I have had," Seonghwa admits. "I couldn't see myself not being bonded to Hongjoong, but I would cut it off for the sake of Wooyoung. Hongjoong needed to know how serious I was."

"I should have never tried to change Wooyoung. In fact, I didn't even realize that I was," Hongjoong admits, "so I took a step back. I could see what the fighting was doing to everyone else. The boys were stressed and anxious. The dorm was so quiet and sullen. I had caused that. And it goes deeper than just…me trying to be in charge and control Wooyoung. I was exerting my strength and power as an alpha over one of my omegas. The omega who initiated our courting, mind you. It was a smack in the face to everything he had done for us as a group."

His heart hurts a little for Wooyoung. Wooyoung who is good and sweet. The one who provides so much security and comfort to his own omegas and betas. He did it out of his overwhelming amount of love he has for people.

"What did you do?" He asks.

"I apologized," Hongjoong admits, "got down on my knees and bowed in front of him and the others. And then I went to a few counseling sessions to work on some of those unhealthy traits and behaviors I had somehow managed to pick up on."

"Wooyoung broke down. It was the validation he needed, and you could see the fight leave him. He didn't have his hackles up anymore because his pack alpha submitted to him. It wasn't Hongjoong giving in, but a true sign of Hongjoong accepting that what he did was wrong and properly apologizing," Seonghwa murmurs, "I think it only made the two of them closer though."

"I might not have the bond Hwa has with him, but I love him more than I can fully understand," Hongjoong admits softly, "All of him. I wouldn't want him to be anyone else. He's exactly what our pack needs."

"So believe us, we understand pack conflict. The difference is you and Jisung aren't confronting the issue, hyung," Seonghwa says firmly, "so it's being stuffed down. Stuffing problems will only build more tension and resentment. And I guarantee you it's affecting the other boys."

"You guys might have talked about the actual conflict, but you didn't necessarily get down to the root of the issue. Jisung knows something, hyung. And I would advise you to pay attention to that and ask him about it so harmony could be restored in your pack. You've all been through so much, you deserve peace," Hongjoong says.

He uses his free hand to rub his eyes. How could he be so oblivious?

"How did I miss out on something so obvious?" He questions.

Seonghwa squeezes his hand. "It's okay hyung. You were probably just wanting to be in the good graces of Jisung. You didn't put too much thought into it. You've been a bit stressed out and our brains can't really function properly, especially being an idol on top of everything else."

He huffs out a laugh. "I can't really catch a break, can I?" He looks up to the two and meets gazes of sympathy, but they're not pitying. It makes him feel seen.

"I think you carry too much burden," Hongjoong admits. "Do you share your burdens with Hyunjinnie?"

He shakes his head. "No, I'm actually helping support him in his own role as he adjusts.

"Wait, what? Really, hyung?" Seonghwa asks.

He looks at the omega and gets the distinct impression he's messed up. "Y-yes."

Seonghwa squeezes his hand. "I say this with the utmost adoration hyung, but really? You can't alpha your way into a pack omegas role."

Seonghwa's eyes become more fiery and intense as he looks at him. "No wonder you can't catch a break. Pack heads are vital, but they only work when each person steps to their role completely. You've completely taken Hyunjin's authority away by sharing his role and given yourself more."

"Seonghwa," Hongjoong interrupts, "be gentle."

Seonghwa closes his eyes and takes a settling breath. When he reopens them, his expression is gentle. "Hyung," he starts, tilting his head sweetly to the side, "you are a good alpha and hyung. You're a strong and reliable leader. You're an excellent partner to your mates. You're affectionate and caring, and you have so much love to give. You are good. What I'm about to tell you diminishes none of that, okay?"

He nods his head, uncertain by the current conversation. The last thing he wants is to be taken out of Seonghwa's favor.

"Your heart is in the right place, but you unintentionally toppled your pack dynamics," Seonghwa states carefully. "You might have a pack omega, but…the pack can't recognize Hyunjin in his role until you back off. Completely. You need to trust that he's capable. And you only intervene when he comes to you first. The pack omega is vital for a healthy pack, and it's clear you guys are struggling. You're taking on far too much as pack alpha, and you need to start including your partners as fully able adults who willingly consented to bonding to you. That means giving them roles of their own so they can start taking pride in being a member of your pack. More hands on board makes the work easier and more efficient."

Hongjoong chuckles. "Seonghwa is fiercely passionate about pack dynamics and healthy bonds."

Seonghwa rolls his eyes playfully. "A pack wasn't built for one person to carry all the burdens, responsibilities, and issues of it. A pack means you disperse. You share in the burden. For everyone's peace of mind, hyung, you need to do some research. You need to be more educated on pack bonds and dynamics, especially for a pack who has experienced bonding sickness. That is your due diligence as pack leader."

Tears inevitably make his vision go blurry. He quickly goes to wipe them away as he holds back some of the emotions he's feeling. He feels…he feels inadequate. He feels like a failure.

"Oh hyung," Seonghwa says gently, "you've been through so much this last year. Let us help, hm? You don't have to do this alone. You're not alone. You never have been. And you especially won't be now that we're courting."

And it really is the exhaustion and relief of someone offering help that he can't fight it. He also knows that Seonghwa and Hongjoong are good. They are more than able to help him and to be good pack heads to his packmates.

"Okay."

Help initially comes in the form of a lot of reading material. Seonghwa sends him links and lets him borrow books on pack bonds and dynamics. Hongjoong recommended therapy as well. It's good advice. He's been so worried about everyone else he's not had the time to think about his own well-being. He knows there's a lot he still needs to personally process.

So he makes appointments once a week for the next two months. He reads everything Seonghwa advises him to. It works out since Ateez are right in the middle of promotions, which limits how often they can meet.

He's so invested with it that he…he withdraws himself a little from the pack. He lets the boys be and stops hovering. He tries to keep a careful eye on them, but he wants them to come to him. He's realized he needs to let his younger partners initiate conversation and that he can't always…infer. They're unhealthy habits for anyone in a mutually consenting relationship, and it's not fair for any of them to be the responsible party for someone else's feelings.

He's letting the pack breathe.

And the pack responds in kind.

Three weeks after his visit with the Ateez pack heads does he feel a little more confident in confronting Jisung. His feelings had been a little more on the vulnerable side after spending the afternoon with Seonghwa and Hongjoong even if he did earn himself a proper scenting. He had smelled like Seonghwa for nearly two days.

Of course, he had six very pouty dongsaeng on his hands once they realized who he'd been with. Jisung being the saddest contender.

And now, he feels like he can't miss the opportunity to talk to Jisung. They'd locked the door to the studio about an hour ago so they could work distraction free. He can't help but notice Jisung staring off into space silently humming to himself. He knows he's reached a point where he can't continue unless he brings it up.

"Sung," he says, already mourning the dazed expression on Jisung's eyes as they sharpen and look over at him.

"Yeah?" Jisung asks, tilting his head adorably to the side. A habit he picked up from Felix.

"Could we talk about something?" He broaches softly.

Jisung's eyebrows furron in concern. "Of course hyung. Is everything okay?"

"Well, no, not really, but I'm hoping this conversation will make it so," he says gently.

Jisung drops his pen and spins the chair to face him. He tamps down the hyung instincts to reach out and pull his dongsaeng into his lap. Jisung is far too cute and cuddly dressed in one of Changbin's hoodies and a pair of joggers.

"Okay, of course," Jisung answers.

"It has to do with your earring," he stares simply.

Jisung's fingers find their way to his ear, nimbly touching the spot where the earring once sat.

"Okay," Jisung whispers.

"I'm not upset," he reassures softly, "but I do feel like a fool. Someone helped me come to a realization. Sungie, you've never once yelled at me. You've never been so angry at me that you felt the need to remove your bonding earring. And it took me a very long time for me to recognize it for what it is. Baby, do you know something about Hyunjin that I don't? Something that would make you feel protective enough to show your disapproval?"

Jisung's pretty doe eyes well with tears. He resists the urge to comfort and hold because he knows Jisung needs to talk to him without being smothered by an overly affectionate partner.

"Yes," Jisung confesses in a broken whisper.

He nods. Relief floods him. He can actually do something about this now. He needs to make amends with Jisung.

"Okay," he acknowledges warmly, "can you tell me?"

Jisung wipes at his nose and nods. "He thinks he's being sneaky about it, hyung. He's really struggling. There's been some gossip online that he bullied his way into being a pack omega, which hasn't helped the bullying rumors floating around. I thought they'd all stopped, but apparently they're escalating. The company has done shit to stop them."

He frowns. That…is not what he was expecting to hear.

"Manager-nim told me they were beginning to sue?" He questions softly.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean the actual rumor has stopped, hyung," Jisung says, "most of the time these people can't be tracked anyways."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Maybe Minho hyung? I can't be too sure," Jisung shares, "I feel like he'd tell you if he did."

Minho hasn't said anything to him. He can't help but feel irritated. He doesn't particularly feed into gossip forums or read comments underneath their content unless he's live. He knows how cruel some people can be and he doesn't want to give them the upper hand by getting any type of reaction. Unfortunately, he has some very curious and sensitive partners who like to read the validation, but with that comes a lot of negativity.

Protective omega instincts certainly kicked in for Jisung.

"That's why you couldn't be honest in the pack meeting," he says, "you didn't want to expose Hyunjin."

Jisung nods. "It wouldn't be fair to him. I've been keeping an eye on him and trying to…regulate how much time he's on his phone when he's around me. I want him to focus on us, not what some faceless idiots are saying."

He feels a wave of pride for Jisung's bravery and self-assurance in taking care of his packmate.

"I'm so proud of you, Sung," he says, reaching out to wipe away a few stray tears, "and I'm sorry I didn't recognize your anger for what it meant. Had I known this was happening, I hope you trust that I would have never asked him, okay?"

Jisung sniffles. "I know hyung. Of course I know that. It's you. My wolf just…went overboard in its protection mode. I shouldn't…I shouldn't have lashed out. That was completely unfair to you. I'm sorry hyung."

He smiles, leaning forward to kiss Jisung's plush lips. "You've been forgiven, my love," he promises.

Jisung nods, leaning in to nuzzle against his neck.

"So, what are we going to do about Jinnie, hm?" He asks.

Chapter Text

Speaking with Hyunjin is harder than he thought it would be. It seems like Hyunjin always had a pup in orbit, which makes it tricky to privately converse with him without raising an alarm. Jisung is smart and firmly in tune with Hyunjin. They track him down at the dance studio where he's having a solo session.

Hyunjin looks confused to see them, pausing his movements. “Hyung?” He greets.

Chan goes over to pause the music, drenching the rook in silence. “Hi sweetheart,” he greets, watching as Jisung hugs Hyunjin and nuzzles into the older omegas neck for a brief scenting session.

“What happened?” Hyunjin asks, once Jisung releases him.

“Nothing happened,” he reassures the concerned omega. “We just need to chat.”

They sit next to the fan to allow Hyunjin a chance to cool off, and so they're not as vulnerable in the very center of the studio.

“Jinnie, baby, Jisung shared that you've been dealing with pretty severe online bullying and harassment,” he starts gently, “which is the main reason he was so opposed to you becoming head omega. He could see what I couldn't.”

Hyunjin’s face crumples. “Hyung, I tried so hard not to look, I promise. It's just…I was so fixated about what people thought of me. I couldn't help it.”

Jisung brings Hyunjin into his chest and holds the older omega close to him. “You've suffered a lot, Hyunjinnie, but you're not alone now.”

His heart aches with how sad and tired Hyunjin sounds. Hyunjin has been guarding this secret and unhealthy pastime without him even realizing. “Jinnie, sweetheart, I can't expect you to take care of the pack if you aren't taking care of yourself. Clearly, you need time to focus on yourself and healing. I…I didn't allow you to do that due to my obliviousness, but now that I’m aware it is my job to correct that.”

Hyunjin sniffles sadly against Jisung’s chest, “I'm sorry for disappointing you.”

“Oh, Jin, I'm not disappointed. I'm…upset with myself for ignoring very clear signs that something was wrong. You've been hurting, baby, and now I hope you'll allow your alpha to help, hm?” He says gently.

Hyunjin agrees, and eventually he finds himself with a lap full of weepy omega. He cuddles his oldest omega tightly to him and reaffirms the fact that he would do anything for his pack.

“I love you, Hyunjin, never forget that, hm?” He whispers to his beloved mate. Jisung sits beside him and smiles.

Hyunjin would be okay with time and patience.

Loving someone is a choice, not an act of destiny. It is hard, messy, and labor-intensive to love others. Chan knows this in the deepest trenches of his heart and soul, and yet…he would still choose his pack every time. He would choose each person a hundred times over because the messiness they bring is offset by the enrichment they bring to his life. They bring him love and affection, purpose and responsibility, and grace and forgiveness.

They have loved him during his messiest and difficult times, and he would do the same tenfold for any member of his pack.

Walking with Hyunjin through this stage is an honor and his right as pack alpha. There's no question about it and he takes it seriously.

Hyunjin eventually allows him to bring Seonghwa into the conversation and the head omega graciously listens and patiently tends to the younger omega's concerns and troubles. It's here he watches Hyunjin truly flower for the first time. Seonghwa is already a fully formed flower, petals open to receive the light of the sun and the water within the soil for his roots to take drink of. Hyunjin is still a bud, waiting to flower, waiting for the resources necessary to initiate flowering.

Seonghwa was what he needed to spur that growth on. The head omega provides him with information and resources, being an attentive listener, and a body to hug and cuddle. Seonghwa encourages healthy growth and gently reprimands unhealthy habits. The older omega praises and rejoices Hyunjin’s wins, and is there to hold and comfort when he relapses.

Seonghwa is there, consistently and lovingly.

And the head omega eventually reaps what he sows. Hyunjin slowly, but surely flowers into the person he was always meant to be. Hyunjin stops caring about the words of those inconsequential to him. He leans into his introverted nature with a confidence he's not seen before. He listens and observes without feeling the need to add to the conversation to stay relevant.

It takes time, of course. Weeks pass by where they all nurture Hyunjin and allow him the time and space to heal. Himself, his pack, and the Ateez pack. He feels as though they all get closer because of it. They're all a little more vulnerable with one another. They're more comfortable around one another.

Chan though? He is irrevocably in love with Seonghwa by the time Hyunjin has healed.

That love for Seonghwa trickles down to the rest of the Ateez pack and his desire to know the others as intimately as he does Seonghwa only increases.

And of course, his instincts start to focus on Hongjoong quite strongly.

The Ateez pack alpha. Seonghwa’s claimed soulmate. He is possibly the most important person to Seonghwa, and has been for quite some time.

As wolves they understand dynamics between potential packmates much better than a bystander would. He can see that to win Seonghwa's heart, he needs to win Hongjoong’s first. No omega likes to see two alphas butt heads, and Chan isn't about to make his future packmate any unnecessary pain.

Because at this point, he cannot see a future that doesn't involve the merging of his and Seonghwa's pack.

They're having another pack night at the Ateez dorm. They arrived about an hour ago and the pups are settling in so well together. He's not seen much of Seonghwa or Minho as both are in the kitchen preparing dinner. Eventually, he can't ignore his instincts and goes to check on them, peeking his head in to see Seonghwa leaning against the counter and Minho at the sink washing dishes. They're talking quietly amongst one another but stop to look at him.

“Hi,” he greets, entering the kitchen and going to Minho first for a brief kiss. Minho indulges him, and as he pulls away he catches a roll of eyes. He pinches him for that.

“Hi pretty,” he murmurs to Seonghwa, taking in how pretty his intended is. Seonghwa's hair is so long now, framing his face and making him look even more delicate and beautiful. Seonghwa arches an eyebrow at him.

“Hyung,” he teases.

He chuckles, leaning in to steal a kiss from the pretty omega who sets his very soul on fire. Seonghwa is gracious and receives his kisses warmly.

He pulls away and grins dumbly at Seonghwa. Seonghwa huffs out an amused laugh. “Did you abandon the pups for a kiss?”

“Two,” he corrects, holding up two fingers. “I stole a kiss from Minho as well.”

Seonghwa and Minho both chuckle at that. “Needy alpha,” Minho teases from behind him.

“I just wanted to check up on you both.” He says.

“Everything is almost done, we’re just waiting on the stew to finish simmering and then we'll call for dinner.” Minho answers.

“Min and I make a great team,” Seonghwa surmises.

“I don't doubt that at all.” He says standing beside Seonghwa so he can wrap his arms behind the omegas back. The omega leans in for a side cuddle. “No dishes the rest of the night, Min.”

“I know, hyung,” Minho says, drying his hands on a towel and turning to them. “But Hwa and I both don't like working in a mess.”

He chuckles. His little neat freaks.

Once dinner is called, their packs integrate nicely around the makeshift table. They help scoop up portions for others and make sure everyone is served before allowing Jeongin to take the first bite before they all eat as well.

He finds himself in between Hyunjin and Yeosang. Hyunjin had pouted at him to sit beside him and he caved instantly. Yeosang had a distinct pink tint to his cheeks and looked away. He knew he still made the omega shy, but he didn't bring it up. He did help load up both Hyunjin and Yeosang’s bowls with stew.

The table is a buzz of conversation and he takes it in. It's the perfect white noise and he feels content and at peace hearing how everyone is getting along and can still conversate equally well.

Once dinner is over, and Wooyoung and Changbin are washing dishes due to losing rock, paper, scissors, the rest congregate in the main living room. Jongho, Mingi, San, Jeongin, and Seungmin turn on the TV to start up a game. Yeosang is huddling close to Hyunjin while they talk softly to one another.

Felix, Jisung, and Seonghwa have taken up residency in the loveseat bundled up together in the most adorable cuddle pile. Yunho and Minho are engaged in conversation of some sort.

Which leaves him alone with Hongjoong. He glances toward the other pack alpha and smiles at him. He sits on the couch and pats the seat beside him. Hongjoong sits next to him, allowing their thighs to press against one another.

Hongjoong is…tiny. He's not tall like Mingi and Yunho, and he's slender with perfectly defined lean muscles. They're both the same height, but he definitely has more muscle and thicker build, whereas Hongjoong has the ideal body for an idol. A lean frame, tiny waist and long legs.

Hongjoongs style is what makes him stand out. The painted nails, the multiple earrings, the adornment of jewelry on his hands, wrists, and neck. The subtle eye makeup and the gender defying style.

Nothing beats those pretty eyes and Cheshire cat smiles though. He's grown so fond of it. The fire that burns for Seonghwa had been so sweet and pure in its intention. It is radically different for Hongjoong. He's not sure if it's because they're both alphas, but he yearns for Hongjoong in a much more…physical manner. It surprises him, and frustrates him because they're not at that point yet. Well, it frustrates his wolf. He is perfectly content waiting for that type of affection.

“How have you been?” He asks.

Hongjoong sighs, “Busy. Comeback preparations are always a bit more exhausting.”

He hums in understanding. “You'll do great though.”

“I love being on stage, it'll be good to perform again.” Hongjoong acknowledges warmly.

He catches Homgjoong's hand in his own to look at the painted nails. “How long do these take?”

“They're gel manicures, maybe an hour for solid color, but longer for designs,” Hongjoong explains.

He looks over the various painted nails and intricate designs. Hongjoong is so cool, possibly the coolest person he knows. “Very cool,” he murmurs.

“I can see you with all black nails, hyung,” Hongjoong muses, “it would contrast nicely with your skin.”

He looks at his own hands and cringes. “I don't know if I want to draw more attention to them. They're not pretty like yours.”

Hongjoong scoffs, “They're sexy, hyung. They're masculine and you can see your veins.”

He's startled by the compliment and looks at Hongjoong in shock.

Hongjoong rolls his eyes. “Honestly, hyung. Have you looked in the mirror?”

“Yeah?”

“Really looked?” Hongjoong questions.

“Probably…” he trails off, cringing at the idea of looking at himself.

“That's a no then,” Hongjoong frowns. “Well, no time is better than the present. Let's go.”

Hongjoong leads Chan away from the living room and into what he knows is his shared room with Seonghwa. Hongjoong leads him into the en suite bathroom and turns the light on to reveal a large mirror. Hongjoong is angled behind him and smiles.

“Alright, hyung, would you like to know what we all see?” Hongjoong asks, his voice lowering in pitch. It would be like ASMR if it didn't light a fire in his stomach.

He nods shyly.

“I see a boyish face, with pretty brown eyes and a dimpler smile. This face radiates kindness and invites everyone in with an ease that I envy.” Hongjoong rests his hands on his shoulders. “Then there's your shoulders and arms, clearly built with muscle that conveys your strength and hard work at sculpting your body to look exactly like how you want it. A strong, capable alpha.” Hongjoongs hands move to his waist, fingers slipping underneath his shirt to touch his bare skin. “A narrow waist that curves into actual hips…just like an Adonis or Greek god. You would be the envy of many if you weren't so kind and sweet, you know? Looking like this should be illegal.” Hongjoong reaches for his hands and intertwined his fingers with his own. “Strong, capable hands that are perfectly masculine. Veins that lead into your arms, showing off the tone muscles you have there as well. It's sexy, hyung.”

Hongjoong rests his chin on his shoulder and tilts his head coyly. “Should I go on, hyung?”

His entire body is on fire, electrified by the touches Hongjoong has so casually laid on him…and now they're holding hands! He takes a shaky breath, unsure if he wants Hongjoong to answer. He doesn't feel objectified in the slightest.
He feels like he's being told the truth, and that Hongjoong genuinely finds him attractive.

“I don't know,” he answers honestly.

Hongjoongs lips quirk into a mischievous smile. “I probably shouldn't. It might lead to us getting into trouble.”

Hongjoong leans into his neck to nuzzle against his scent gland before pressing the lightest of kisses against it. “You're the undoing of my self-control, hyung. And I'm not known for my patience,” Hongjoong whispers into his skin.

Arousal spikes within him. He can feel his body start to be affected by Hongjoongs ministrations and words. He can't help it. He's already wound tight like a wire when it involves the other alpha, and now to have him whispering seductively against his skin has him bound to snap.

He feels like a live wire, all of his nerves exposed and laid bare before Hongjoong.

He releases Hongjoongs hands from his own so he can turn around and face the alpha himself. “That makes two of us then,” he says, before pressing his lips to Hongjoong’s for the first time. Hongjoongs lips taste like strawberries and they're too good at kissing him. His hands go to grip at Hongjoong's hips, pulling him as close to his body as possible. Hongjoong wraps his arms around his neck and before he can think about it, he lifts Hongjoong up and turns to sit him on the counter.

Hongjoong’s legs lock around his waist and drag him in closer. He grips Hongjoongs thighs, mourning the lack of skin but squeezing nonetheless. Hongjoongs hands are tangled in his hair, making it hard to pull away even if he wanted to, which he doesn't.

Hongjoong bites at his lower lip, but never draws blood. Just enough to lay his claim and make his lips puffy and more sensitive.

Their need for air eventually separates them and they both pull away breathing deeply and looking properly mussed and turned on. Hongjoongs eyes are still incredibly sharp and focused on him, and for the first time Chan feels like prey. Hongjoong has the gaze of a predator and it's definitely a turn on.

“I want more,” Hongjoong suddenly pouts, his legs tightening around his hips, “but the pups will wonder where we are.”

“Another time,” he promises Hongjoong, “where it's just us, hm?”

Hongjoong nods, leaning in for a much sweeter, deeper kiss. He cradles the back of Hongjoong's neck and makes sure to put every ounce of desire and love into the kiss.

When they part, Hongjoong smiles at him. It's sweeter, more tender and full of affection. He doesn't want to part, but knows that they need to.

“Come on, baby,” he says, “let's put ourselves back together.”

Hongjoong laughs. He helps the younger alpha down. They help clean each other up and straighten each other's clothes before sharing a few more kisses with one another.

He maybe falls a little bit in love with Hongjoong.

Maybe.