Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Changbin had been upset when Seonghwa told him that his packmates weren’t going to visit, even more so when he got to talk to them and heard how upset they seemed. His Omegas may have tried to keep their emotions out of their voices but Changbin knew them better than that. He could hear Felix crying even as he talked, and it hurt Changbin to hear it. Something had happened but no one in his pack wanted to say anything about it. Seonghwa had been tight-lipped too, at first. He broke when Changbin asked if his packmates were okay and told him everything that had happened. Afterwards, Changbin wished he hadn’t pressed so hard. It had only made him feel worse in every way. That was probably what Seonghwa had been worried about and why he hadn’t wanted to say anything.

The Alpha, along with the two Omegas present – Wooyoung and Mingi – and Yeosang had spent more than an hour trying to calm him down from his spiral of thoughts. His Alpha instincts screamed at him that Chan didn’t want him anymore and this was proof of it. Felix was crying because he knew Changbin was being pushed out – the Alpha was certain of that. It hurt, and he couldn’t stop the tears no matter how wet Seonghwa’s shirt got. It was hard for all of them, because no matter what the four said to try and comfort Changbin, no one knew why Chan had staked his reclaimed claim on the pack without Changbin there.

When Changbin woke up the next morning he was surprised to see Mingi curled up around him. Wooyoung had told him the night before that someone would be home with him while the rest were doing schedules but he honestly hadn’t expected anyone. He knew Mingi had to record his raps for Ateez’s new album and he had been so excited the night before when they were talking about their schedules. Most of the group would be in the studio recording their parts while Yunho and Wooyoung were set to be in the practice room, learning the choreography so they could help the rest learn it. Mingi was supposed to be with the group in the studio, yet here he was, treating Changbin like the small spoon. It was nice, if Changbin was being honest.

“Go back to sleep,” Mingi’s deep voice was even deeper when he was still mostly asleep and Changbin thought he could get addicted to hearing it. No wonder Wooyoung was obsessed with the Omega’s voice. When Changbin didn’t reply, Mingi tightened his arms around the Alpha and buried his face in Changbin’s neck. It felt nice, intimate in a way he hadn’t felt with his pack in a while, but not sexual. He would have never taken Mingi for the cuddling type but he was not complaining. Especially not when Mingi smelled so good, too. The sweet citrus lulled Changbin back to sleep.

When he woke up again, he was still cuddled up to Mingi, but the Omega was awake now. He was playing a game on his phone but didn’t have the sound up so Changbin could sleep. When the Omega finally noticed Changbin was awake his face lit up in a smile and he put his phone down.

“Mornin’. How’d you sleep?” Mingi sounded way more awake than he had earlier but the huskiness was still in his voice. Changbin let out a noise of appreciation at the sound.

“Better. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me today.” Mingi made a sound of disagreement as he moved his hand to Changbin’s hair where his fingers danced through the strands. Changbin relaxed further into the nest beneath him.

“I volunteered to stay.” Changbin looked up at the Omega above him curiously. He couldn’t understand why anyone would decide to stay with him, but even more so since it was Mingi who volunteered. They barely knew each other.

“But you were so excited to record today?” Changbin saw how excited the Omega was to record. He remembered thinking how adorable Mingi looked as he gushed about how much he loved recording. Changbin could understand the excitement, because up until Hyunjin’s rut ended just over a week ago he had also had the same excitement about being in the studio.

“But I also haven’t been able to spend much time with you. Youngie hogs you, Sannie and Sangie get to see you when they’re with him. Even Jongho’s gotten more time with you than me.” Mingi was pouting down at him and that was what spurred Changbin into shifting so he could cuddle the Omega again. He was rewarded with a bright, citrusy, happy scent as Mingi slid back into a laying position to easier cuddle the Alpha.

“I love your scent.” It was different than Minho’s honey or Jisung’s rain or Felix’s strawberries but it complemented Wooyoung’s blackberry and Hongjoong’s chocolate well. Still, it was wonderful as it was distinctly Mingi and it was flooding Changbin’s nose. He didn’t try to hide it like Jisung and Minho often did, but he didn’t flaunt it like Felix often did. Not that his youngest Omega was wrong for flaunting such a sweet scent.

“I think it’s too acidic and tart.” Changbin hummed before burying his nose in the Omega’s scent gland. It was easy to forget that they weren’t his pack with how comfortable Changbin felt around them. He paused and tensed for a moment but when Mingi didn’t push him away or show any other signs of discomfort, he relaxed again.

“You smell sweet and fruity, like Youngie and Lixie. Makes me want to bite you.” Changbin may have picked up a few bad habits after spending so much time with Wooyoung. The comment made Mingi laugh and Changbin decided he wanted to hear that sound again.

“Youngie and Joongie say that all the time.” Changbin smiled. He wouldn’t put it past either of the two Omegas to want to bite someone who smelled as good as Mingi did. Mingi’s fingers made their way back to Changbin’s hair as the Alpha indulged himself in the Omega’s scent. It was comforting in a way he had resigned himself to never experiencing again.

Changbin wasn’t sure how long they sat like that. He knew he was getting scent-drunk off the Omega’s scent but he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. Eventually, his stomach growled, as he had eaten nothing all day. The sound brought a small laugh from Mingi as he carefully pushed Changbin away.

“There’s some leftovers in the fridge from last night. I’ll go heat them up.” Mingi stood from the nest and Changbin watched as he walked into the kitchen. When he was out of sight, Changbin let out a small sigh of disappointment. He didn’t really want to be alone – even if just for a few minutes – but he also didn’t want to get up. The nest was comfortable.

For the first time since Hongjoong, Mingi, and Wooyoung built the nest two nights ago, Changbin was actually able to admire how it was built. He could see the similarities in how they weaved the scents together. The Alpha’s scents were on the bottom since they were the strongest, just like his pack nest was. Unlike the nests his Omegas made, the scents were weaved together instead of in blocks. If he had been in his own pack nest, he would likely only be able to smell one Alpha from his position. Jisung had told him once that because his scent was so similar to Chan’s and that because neither of their scents mixed well with Hyunjin’s they separated them so that they could smell everyone. Changbin had believed him then, but smelling how the Ateez Omegas had weaved four contrasting Alpha scents so perfectly together told Changbin it was possible.

His own pack nest had the Omega scents woven loosely and blocky against the Alpha scents, as if they were trying to suppress the scents. Minho’s honey scent was often paired with Changbin’s sandalwood – likely to drown out the dry scent and highlight the sweetness of Minho’s scent – while Jisung’s was usually paired with Chan’s and Felix with Hyunjin. Then the Betas were on top so they would be easily smelled. The Ateez nest – with his own pack’s scents added in – was different. He could smell each of the Alpha scents on the bottom but instead of pairing scents together like his pack did, the Omega scents were laced and threaded together just as expertly as the Alpha scents were.

From where he sat, he could smell all four Alphas perfectly, mixed with the three Ateez Omegas and his Omegas. The smells of cinnamon, two earthy scents that were distinctly different – patchouli and vetiver – and mint combined perfectly with chocolate, blackberry, citrus, honey, strawberry, and rain. And then on top, just as perfectly as the rest, the Beta scents were weaved on top so everyone could smell their fainter floral scents. Lilac, jasmine and rose accented the rest of the smells perfectly. His pack never made a nest so perfect and Changbin immediately felt horrible for thinking such a thing. Without being able to stop it, his scent started burning and tears were building in his eyes again.

“Hey,” Mingi returned with two bowls, but set them down immediately as he saw the state of Changbin’s distress. Mingi pulled him into his arms and settled him on his lap, much like Changbin had done to Jisung and Felix when they were upset in the past. Changbin’s nose was pushed into Mingi’s scent gland again as the Omega started pumping out calming pheromones. It didn’t take too long for Mingi to calm him down but they didn’t separate even after his tears stopped. It was like Mingi was afraid to let him go. Changbin was afraid to let Mingi’s arms leave him.

“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” Mingi’s voice was soft and calm as he rubbed his hand slowly in circles on Changbin’s back. Changbin was silent for a moment as he gathered the courage to speak. How could he tell Mingi that he was such a shitty Alpha that he preferred their nest to one his own pack would make? He didn’t want Mingi – or any of the Ateez pack – to know how terrible he was. But Mingi deserved to know something at least since he was trying to comfort him.

“I’m a shitty Alpha.” His voice broke as more tears welled in his eyes again. Mingi didn’t stop his hand as he continued to rub circles gently and fill his nose with calming pheromones.

“And why would you say that?” Mingi’s voice was still calm, a tinge of worry hidden underneath, but nothing like when he would be confronted by Minho or Chan. They were often confrontational instead of understanding like Mingi seemed to be. It almost made it easier to tell Mingi what was going on in his mind.

“My Omegas never made such a perfect nest as this.” As if that explained everything. And maybe it did. Mingi offered him a small hum, but he didn’t get the chance to reply before the front door was opening and a trio of scents wafted in. For a moment, the smell of Yunho’s patchouli and San’s eucalyptus had him tense. Both Alphas were older than him – not by much but enough in his mind – and he wasn’t sure how he would feel about them knowing how terrible of an Alpha he was. But Wooyoung’s blackberry was just as comforting as Mingi’s citrus.

The three paused in their tracks when they stepped into the living room. Changbin felt rather than saw Mingi shake his head at the three. Wooyoung was frowning as he took the scene in. San was too, but he gently pulled Wooyoung away down the hall. Yunho knelt in front of them outside of the nest and smiled as he reached in to move the hair out of Changbin’s face.

“Can you heat the food back up, Yunnie?” Yunho smiled and nodded. Changbin relaxed as he realized Mingi wasn’t going to make him repeat what he’d said earlier. He knew that most likely Mingi would tell them all what he said, but he wouldn’t make him do it himself. Yunho picked up the bowls and went back into the kitchen. He was there for much longer than Changbin expected.

By the time Yunho returned with the food Wooyoung and San were coming back down the hallway. Instead of entering the nest with the two, Yunho handed them the food and nodded to Mingi and Changbin before turning around and going back to the kitchen. The sound of mugs clinking together indicated that he was making tea. Yunho came back out briefly, only to walk down the hall. Likely to change clothes as San and Wooyoung had done.

Changbin was distracted by Wooyoung as he took one of the bowls and held the chopsticks up to Changbin’s mouth. Behind them, San was doing the same with Mingi so the Omega didn’t have to remove his arms from Changbin. The Alpha was more than okay with the arrangement. He was still able to indulge in the comfort of Mingi’s scent and touch while also letting his stomach settle its hunger. Yunho returned after some time – when Changbin was at least halfway through the bowl of kimchi fried rice – and waited patiently for either of his Omegas to give him permission to enter. As soon as Wooyoung gave him that permission, he carefully slid in and started handing mugs of tea out. Changbin whined when Mingi released one arm to grab a mug of tea and held it up to Changbin’s lips. He wasn’t incapable of taking care of himself, of feeding himself and holding his own mug, but Mingi wouldn’t let him. And he was perfectly fine with letting the Omega dote on him.

Mingi waited until the bowls were empty and the tea was nearly empty before bringing the conversation back up. Being the comforting Omega he was, before he said anything to the three with them, Mingi pushed Changbin’s nose back into his scent gland and pumped out more comforting pheromones. Changbin was quiet and tense as Mingi explained about their day and what led up to Changbin’s scent smelling burnt and him crying into Mingi’s shoulder. Then, when he caught the three up, he turned his attention back to the Alpha in his arms.

“Want to tell us about your pack’s nests?” So Changbin did. He explained how the Omegas in his pack sorted and weaved the scents in their nests. How he didn’t like that he couldn’t smell everyone from any point in the nest but more often than not, he ended up pushed to the bottom of the nest where his own scent usually was paired with Minho’s while he took care of Jeongin. And how he loved the fact that he could smell everyone equally in the nest Hongjoong, Mingi, and Wooyoung made.

“It’s okay to appreciate someone else’s nest more than your own. I love hyung’s nests more than my own. And Mingi’s nests are amazing. That’s why we nest together.” Wooyoung’s scent betrayed how excited he was at hearing that Changbin loved the nest he helped make.

“The nest is as much for the Alphas and Betas as it is for the Omegas. They’re meant to be a source of safety and comfort. If you don’t feel that comfort in your pack nest, it’s not going to make you feel as safe.” Yunho agreed, reaching over with a tissue that Changbin didn’t even know he had to wipe the tears from his eyes.

“Liking another pack’s nest more doesn’t make you a bad Alpha. Especially not with all you’ve been through recently. I’m not surprised that this nest brings you so much comfort.” San agreed as well. Throughout the conversation he had been hugging his Shiber plushie but when he saw how upset Changbin seemed, he handed the plush over. Changbin was pleased as he held it firmly against his chest. Wooyoung shifted to lay his head on Changbin’s stomach while Yunho moved behind Mingi to let the Omega lean against his chest. Yunho’s hand found Changbin’s hair again and started playing with the strands. San found his new normal place against Changbin’s thigh.

That was how the rest of the pack found them a few hours later. Changbin was asleep again, as were San and Wooyoung. Mingi had his head resting against Yunho’s chest where his eyes were also drooping with sleep. Seonghwa smiled at the sight and snapped a quick picture before shuffling down the hall after Hongjoong and Jongho to change clothes. Yeosang wasn’t far behind him after he stopped to pick up the dishes around the nest.

And when Seonghwa returned Yunho nodded at him to sit by him. He did so, along with Hongjoong who was also cooing at how cute the puppy pile had looked. His admiration for the cuddles around him disappeared when he found out the reason for it – Changbin feeling like he wasn’t a good Alpha because of how much he liked their nest more this his own pack’s nest. That was something he and Hongjoong could bring up with Minho later, after – if at all – Chan apologized and Changbin returned to them. For now, Seonghwa was more worried about making sure Changbin knew he was still a good Alpha.

Chapter Text

Minho’s instincts were unsettled. He tried his best to ignore how unsettled he felt as he gave Changbin the time he needed to feel comfortable enough to come home. It was hard for him to see Changbin at work but have to say goodbye to him when he split off from them to go to the Ateez dorm. He was thankful, of course, that there was always someone from Ateez with their manager to pick Changbin up. But it still hurt to see him get in a different car.

Felix and Jisung had tried desperately to help Minho settle his instincts but no matter how many cuddles they gave him, it just didn’t help. Someone was missing from his pack, was missing from their home and there was nothing more he could do about it. Chan had been apologizing constantly as he realized how terrible Minho felt. He knew the current state of the pack was his fault and he was doing everything he could to make them all feel better. It didn’t help Minho feel better at all. It was plain to everyone in the pack and was probably easy for the Ateez pack to see as well. So really, he shouldn’t have been too surprised when Hongjoong texted him one night after they had parted with Changbin.

Hongjoong:

Can you come home with us tomorrow night?

Minho would be lying if he said his inner Omega didn’t preen at the thought of being invited over. Underneath that excitement was a deep worry. Was Changbin okay?

Minho:

Of course. Is everything okay?

He knew that if something was truly wrong, Seonghwa or Hongjoong would tell him immediately but knowing that didn’t stop him from worrying. He’d resigned himself to not being able to check on his Alpha himself and trusting the two Pack heads to take care of his pup.

Hongjoong:

He’s fine but I’m fairly sure he’s missing his Pack Omega.

Minho relaxed some at that. He had also missed his Alpha. He’d been depraved of Changbin cuddles for longer than he had wanted to ever go again.

The next night, when Changbin split apart from the group to head to the Ateez dorm, Minho followed him. It was clear to him that Hongjoong hadn’t told Changbin about Minho coming over when the Alpha watched him with a curious gaze. Minho kept his smile on his lips as they approached the car. The door opened, revealing Hongjoong. The other Omega smiled when he saw Minho and quickly ushered them both into the car. A glance back at his pack as he was getting in showed an array of smiles from the six. Felix and Jisung had been upset they hadn’t been invited too but were both happy that Minho would get to spend quality time with Changbin. Jeongin and Seungmin had both told him to give Changbin kisses for them, and Hyunjin had asked him to give a note to Changbin. Minho wasn’t sure what the note contained but Hyunjin insisted it was something he wanted just between him and Changbin for now. At least until Changbin returned home to them. And Chan had been incredibly supportive even though Minho could see he was upset about not getting to see the Alpha just as much as the rest of the pack was.

“Not that I’m complaining, but why are you coming with us?” Minho couldn’t even pretend to be upset at the question, as he would have normally done had the situation been different, and just let Changbin lean against him.

“I asked him to. You’ve been missing him and there’s only so much we can do about that ourselves.” Hongjoong explained as he watched the two with a fond smile. Changbin’s responding grin made Minho’s heart flutter. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen the Alpha truly smile, and that thought hurt. Chan wasn’t the only one at fault for the state Changbin ended up in. Everyone had been too blind to see how hurt their sweet Alpha was. Maybe except for Seungmin. The Beta had tried talking to all of them about Changbin’s mental state but Minho hadn’t taken him seriously. He’d thought that Changbin trusted him enough to talk to him if he needed to, but he’d been wrong.

“I have missed him.” There was a look of guilt on Changbin’s face as he bit his lip and watched Hongjoong’s reaction. As if he was afraid of upsetting the Omega. Minho took Changbin’s hand in his and began gently rubbing circles along the back of it with his thumb. Whatever reaction Changbin may have been expecting, it probably wasn’t the soft smile Hongjoong gave him.

“I know Binnie. That’s why I asked him to come home with us. You need some cuddles and quality time with your Pack Omega and unfortunately that’s not me, as much as I love our cuddles.” Minho almost bristled at the thought and reminder that the Ateez pack were very comfortable with Changbin before forcing himself to relax. He couldn’t be mad at them when they stepped in to take care of his Alpha when his own pack had been incapable of doing so.

Minho listened to Changbin and Hongjoong talk during the short drive to the Ateez dorm. As they entered the dorm, he tried not to think about what happened the last time he’d been there – even if Chan had finally apologized and kick-started their path to healing. The dorm was just as clean as it had been the last time Minho had been there, but he was surprised to see a nest covering the expanse of the living room floor. He was even more surprised to see the nesting materials he and Seungmin brought them were added in as well. By now the scents were faint and Minho couldn’t smell much of his packmates – except for Changbin, of course – but they were still added.

“Welcome home, and welcome Minho.” Seonghwa greeted them at the door as they were taking their shoes off. He pressed a kiss to Hongjoong’s lips and another to Changbin’s head before bowing to Minho. Minho bowed back, forcing his discomfort away. He couldn’t let himself be jealous now when his focus needed to be on gaining Changbin’s trust again. “Yeosang said you guys can use his bed. Wooyoung is out with Jongho and San while Yeosang, Mingi, and Yunho are at the company. I’ll come get you when dinner is ready.”

Changbin nodded, thanking Seonghwa and Hongjoong as he grabbed Minho’s hand and pulled him down the hall towards what he assumed was Yeosang’s room. And sure enough, when the door opened Minho could smell the faint scent of roses and Wooyoung’s blackberry scent. Mixed with that was San’s eucalyptus and Changbin’s own sandalwood. Changbin pulled his jacket off and tossed it onto one of the chairs. Minho followed suit after a moment but stopped after the jacket was off, hesitant to let his scent get on anything in the pristine room. Changbin was having none of Minho’s hesitation. He grabbed the jacket from his hands and threw it on top of his own.

“Will you take the scent blocker off, hyung?” Minho bit his lip, knowing his scent was still bitter and not wanting to upset Changbin more with how gross it smelled. But the look on Changbin’s face told him he would upset him more by hiding his scent. Slowly Minho peeled the patch from his scent gland and almost flinched as sour honey filled the air. Changbin reacted immediately, pulling Minho into a hug and carefully pulling them towards what he assumed was Yeosang’s bed. The smell of roses told him he was right.

“Don’t be upset, hyung. This isn’t forever.” Changbin shouldn’t be the one trying to comfort Minho; it should have been the other way around. Minho was the hyung here; he should have been the one to be comforting Changbin. That was why he was there, right? Still, Minho took the comfort and buried his face in Changbin’s neck. The Alpha still wore his scent blocker, though. With a whine, Minho reached up and blindly felt around for the patch. He made sure he was careful as he pulled it off and was rewarded with the smell of musky sandalwood joining his own honey scent. He had grown to like the way their scents mixed together after so many years of pairing them together in the pack nests. And now, even as his sour honey tainted Changbin’s scent, Minho found he didn’t hate his own scent as much.

Minho honestly couldn’t say how long they laid on the bed together, Minho laying atop Changbin with his nose buried in his neck and Changbin’s arms wrapped around him securely, but at some point he’d begun purring and his sour honey turned sweeter. Slowly, the longer Changbin held him and they talked about whatever small thing that came to either of their minds, Minho’s instincts began to settle.

Minho was woken up by the sound of a door opening. It was soft, as if whoever was opening it didn’t want to disturb them, but it was enough for Minho’s mind to remind him he wasn’t in his own dorm, nor was he in his pack nest. He lifted his head and looked through blurry eyes to see Wooyoung looking at him apologetically. Minho immediately felt bad. The Omega had been trying to sneak into his own room.

“Don’t get up. You both look comfy and Binnie hasn’t slept this peacefully since he got here.” Minho was surprised at how soft and quiet Wooyoung’s voice was – he was well aware of the fact that Seonghwa and Hongjoong called him their chaos child – but listened and let his head fall back to Changbin’s chest. Wooyoung grabbed clothes and went to leave before something stopped him. Minho watched him curiously as he paused with his hand on the door ready to walk through and shut it behind him. The younger Omega turned towards them with a soft frown on his lips.

“Can I ask a question, hyung?” Minho felt a sense of pride swell in his chest at Wooyoung calling him hyung still, even though he’d played a part in hurting his best friend. He also knew that pride was a response to the intense instincts he’d been fighting for just under two weeks.

“Of course you can.” Wooyoung walked closer to them and knelt on the floor next to them. He looked nervous, as if he was about to ask something that could offend Minho. The Pack Omega refused to let himself be offended when it was clear Wooyoung cared so much about Changbin.

“I guess it’s not a question so much as a comment. Um, a while back, before Chan apologized and even before your packmates came to visit him, Changbin mentioned he liked our nest better. I don’t want you to think he hates your nests but um, from what I understand, he doesn’t like that he can’t smell all of his packmates from wherever he is in the nest.” That surprised Minho as he blinked owlishly at the fidgeting Omega. He took the information in, turning his head to look at the sleeping Alpha below him. How had he not noticed? Worse yet, how come Changbin had never mentioned it to him?

“I didn’t really have anyone to teach me how to nest, and neither did Felix so I had to teach myself. Jisung had more of an idea than we did but even he didn’t know a lot.” Wooyoung was nodding, as if he had guessed that already, drawing Minho’s attention back to him.

“Hyung learned from his mom and then taught us. It takes practice but scents can be weaved together. He didn’t say it, but I’m pretty sure Changbin was under the impression that a nest is only for the Omegas. I’m not trying to step on any toes, but um, if you guys want we can show you how we build ours.” Minho smiled at the younger Omega. Wooyoung was already past the point of stepping on toes; he’d passed that when he threatened Chan with violence – even if Chan had deserved it. Minho had forgiven him for that since he was doing it to protect Changbin. San had overstepped boundaries too when he offered for the Ateez Pack to take Changbin in. Even though Minho was glad Changbin wanted to come back to them, he’d meant it when he told Hongjoong that he would respect Changbin’s decision. And despite the irritation and fear he’d felt, Minho also forgave San for his actions. Because the Alpha had just wanted to take care of someone he cared about.

“I think I’d like that. It may take me a bit to warm Jisung and Felix up to the idea but if it would make Changbin feel more comfortable, I’m sure they’ll agree to it too.” Minho bristled at the idea that he’d been making an uncomfortable nest but had made an agreement with the rest of the pack that they would all work on admitting their faults. And the smile he got from Wooyoung was worth it. Really, he could understand why Changbin loved Wooyoung so much, with such a pretty and bright smile and a beautiful scent.

“I’ll let hyung know so you guys can work it out. Mingi will appreciate that you’re taking this seriously. He was the one who had to comfort Changbin when he was upset over not feeling like a good Alpha for liking our nest so much. He wanted to ask but didn’t think it was his place.” Minho hummed, realizing that he probably came off as intimidating to the other Omega.

“Thank you, Wooyoung. And tell Mingi thank you too. I know why Changbin loves you so much.” That brought a blush to Wooyoung’s face but before Minho could tease him about it, he quickly grabbed his clothes and left the room.

Instead of going back to sleep, knowing that it was probably already late and he would have to leave soon to go home, Minho chose to watch Changbin sleep as he let the new information sink in fully. He shouldn’t be surprised at this point that Changbin wouldn’t tell him if he was upset or uncomfortable with something, especially not something as important as a pack nest. If Changbin hadn’t been comfortable enough to tell him how he was feeling about himself, why would he tell him how he felt about the nest and how uncomfortable it made him. His mind drifted back to the nest just a few rooms away. He hadn’t gotten a good look at it, but he could tell it was well built.

“Hyung?” Changbin’s groggy voice pulled Minho from his thoughts. He’d been staring blankly at Changbin’s face for who knew how long already. “What are you thinking about?”

“I want to apologize for not being the Pack Omega you needed.” Changbin opened his mouth to speak but Minho shook his head and put his hand over his mouth. When Minho was satisfied that he wasn’t going to interrupt, he moved it away again. “I mean it. I should have noticed you were uncomfortable in the pack nest, in my own nests, but I didn’t. I should have noticed you weren’t happy and were feeling so low, but I didn’t. I should have been someone you felt comfortable talking to and I’m not. Even while you’ve been away, I’ve been a shitty Pack Omega. I was so focused on Chan that I didn’t give you enough of my attention and I know that hurt you. Chan isn’t the only one who has vowed to do better, but first I need you to know how sorry I am for being so bad at my role.”

“I love you hyung. You know that, right?” Minho nodded as he reached up to wipe the tears from Changbin’s eyes. Changbin grabbed his hand before it reached his eyes and he pulled it down to his lips to kiss his fingers. “I didn’t bring any of that up to you because I didn’t want to upset you. You do so much for all of us and it didn’t seem fair to put anything else on your shoulders. That’s why I went to Wooyoung about how I was feeling in the first place. But hyung, it’s not your fault. It’s mine. I should have talked to you and Chan both. But I…it never seemed important compared to whatever we were dealing with any time I had built up the courage to talk about it.”

“You’re always important Binnie. You’re as important as anyone in the pack and I’m sorry if we ever made you feel you weren’t.” There was a knock on the door and it opened before Changbin could respond. Seonghwa poked his head in and smiled when he saw them laying on the bed.

“Sorry to interrupt. Dinner’s ready and Minho probably needs to get home soon.” The resulting whine from Changbin drew a laugh from the Omega and he sat up before Changbin could try to coax him into staying.

“Seonghwa’s right. Come on Binnie, you need to eat. We’ve got a tough choreo to practice tomorrow so you need all of your strength.” Minho pulled Changbin up as well despite the pouts and whines thrown his way.

“I know you want more cuddles. Maybe we can arrange for someone to stay the night this weekend?” Seonghwa had been a saint through this entire issue. Minho definitely needed to get him something as a thank you for taking such good care of his packmate.

“Would you like that Binnie? I bet Lixie would love to spend the night with you.” Changbin seemed to think about it seriously, but shook his head. Minho felt his heart drop for a moment. Changbin couldn’t really be changing his mind, right? Or had Felix also done something to upset Changbin without them realizing?

“Want Innie.” Minho relaxed again and smiled. He’d noticed that Changbin and Jeongin had grown closer after Jeongin told them about his sexuality, and looking back on the past few ruts and heats, it was clear that it was because Changbin had always been left to take care of the Beta rather than be involved in the cycle. That would be something to talk to the pack about – but not without talking to Changbin about it first. Later, though. Right now, the smell of food was making his stomach growl.

“I’ll talk to Innie when I get home then. Come on, love. Let’s get dinner.” Changbin followed Minho and Seonghwa to the kitchen. It was hard enough fitting eight around the table, and then adding Changbin the pack had seemed to find a way that worked. Now with Minho thrown it seemed almost too cramped, but no one complained as food was put onto plates and passed out. Minho found he really didn’t mind eating with the Ateez pack. They were funny and so comfortable with each other that his past worries were forgotten when Hongjoong and Wooyoung started bickering about what movie they were going to watch later.

Later, when it was time for Minho to leave – thankful to Ateez’s manager for driving him home – the Omega was pleasantly surprised when he received a kiss on top of the hug from Changbin. Wooyoung had a devious smile on his lips as he watched them but Minho found he didn’t care. Not so long as he knew that Changbin was okay, and the pack was healing. Minho left the dorm that night with his chest feeling lighter than it had in almost a month. His pocket was lighter too, as he had passed the note from Hyunjin off to Changbin after their kiss. His hope for Changbin to return home was rekindled.

Chapter Text

Hongjoong was certain this was a conversation he wasn’t supposed to have heard. Honestly, he’d been curious when he came home to a quiet dorm when he knew that Yunho had stayed home with Changbin that morning. He and Mingi had finished in the studio and though the other Omega had chosen to practice the choreography for their new comeback, Hongjoong had decided to head home. He wanted to spend time with the Alphas. What he came home to was absolutely adorable and intimate in a way he would have never expected from either. Okay, he would expect it from both, but not together like this.

Yunho and Changbin were laying on Yunho’s bed, the shorter Alpha on top of Yunho with his head resting on Yunho’s chest. Yunho’s arms were wrapped securely around Changbin’s waist, as if he was holding the Alpha to him. That didn’t surprise him all that much. He knew both Alphas loved skinship and loved cuddling. Hongjoong couldn’t even begin to think about all the times he’d returned home from the studio in the last four days to find Changbin being cuddled by someone – most often Yunho, Wooyoung or San but he’d definitely seen Mingi and Seonghwa with the Alpha as well. What really surprised him was what they were saying to each other.

“Hongjoong-hyung gives the best hugs when I’m upset. I try not to bother him too much but sometimes all I really need is a hug from my Pack Omega.” And if that didn’t make Hongjoong want to cry – both from happiness as well as sadness that Yunho wasn’t coming to him as much as he needed – Hongjoong wasn’t sure what would.

“Minho-hyung tries to act like hates us all as if we don’t know he’ll give us all hugs if we ask. He has a soft spot for Jisung that he pretends we don’t all see.” The Omega smiled, having seen enough interactions between the Stray Kids pack to know that was true. He leaned against the door frame as he listened to the two talk.

“Hyung does that too. We all know he has such a soft spot for Wooyoung even if he tries to pretend he doesn’t. Then again, we all have a soft spot for Youngie.” Changbin snorted out a laugh that made Hongjoong’s inner Omega preen at hearing. The last week had been hard for them all, but especially for Changbin who was still dealing with the aftereffects of seeing his pack.

“Youngie definitely has a way of wiggling into everyone’s hearts. Lixie is like that too. One smile and everyone melts for him. It’s fitting that they both smell so sweet.” Yunho hummed at that.

“They do smell sweet. I love that each of my Omegas smell so different. And when they’re all together and happy they all smell so sweet I feel like my teeth are rotting. It’s like they’re a dessert waiting to be consumed.” Hongjoong was blushing. There was no reason for him to be so affected by the words but he was. He’d never really heard Yunho talk so openly about them like this. Well, not about himself at least. He’d heard Yunho talk about Mingi and Wooyoung, but never himself.

“Mingi doesn’t like his scent.” It was a statement, one that all of them knew was true, but one that still nearly brought a whine to Hongjoong’s throat. He stopped it before any sound came out. He wasn’t ready to alert them to his presence yet. “Jisung doesn’t like his either.”

“Mingi won’t listen to us when we tell him we love it.” Lord knew Yunho and San had tried desperately to help Mingi love his scent. All of them had. It still hurt to know that wasn’t something they could help the Omega with. “Jisung’s scent reminds me of going camping with my parents back when I was younger. Like a forest during a rainstorm. It’s calming.”

“Sungie thinks it’s not sweet enough for an Omega. He doesn’t seem to understand that we love his scent for what it is and not how well it fits into stereotypes.” Hongjoong could hear the sadness in Changbin’s voice. It made him sad, too.

“We have silly Omegas, don’t we?” Yunho looked up and made eye contact with Hongjoong, causing the Omega to blush, knowing he had been caught. Yunho smirked at him. “Are you going to join us hyung, or you just going to stand in the doorway?”

Hongjoong smiled and walked further into the room. Changbin turned his head to see the Omega and smiled at him. He shifted some so he was only half laying on Yunho as the other Alpha held his arm out for Hongjoong to join them. He did so, climbing onto the bed as carefully as he could and sliding in next to Changbin on top of Yunho.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ease drop.” Yunho flashed him a bright smile and pressed a kiss to the crown of Hongjoong’s head.

“It’s okay hyung. We were waiting for you guys to get home.” Hongjoong purred at the attention.

“It’s just me. Mingi stayed back to work on choreography with everyone else.”

“Did you miss us that much?” Yunho’s tone indicated he was joking but Hongjoong smiled at him anyway. He would be lying if he said he didn’t miss them.

“I did actually. I wanted to spend some time with two of my cuddly Alphas.” Happiness blossomed from Changbin’s scent and Hongjoong immediately tilted his head to scent the Alpha. “So tell me about how silly your Omegas are.”

Changbin squeaked as he flushed in embarrassment but Yunho just laughed again. He leaned down and nuzzled against Hongjoong’s head, scenting him lightly.

“We were talking about how similar our packs are. And how wonderful you all are. Jisung has the same issue with his scent as Mingi. And Felix is just as loveable as Youngie. But we all knew that already.” Hongjoong hummed thoughtfully, continuing to scent Changbin while Yunho scented him.

“Felix is like sunshine. No one could help but love him. We learned that during Kingdom.” Hongjoong remembered when he’d had to talk Wooyoung and San out of trying to kidnap Felix from Stray Kids. Sometimes, he still had to remind them that they couldn’t. “I’m still trying to convince San and Wooyoung we can’t kidnap Felix.”

“If he goes missing I’ll know where to look.” Changbin sounded amused as he tilted his head slightly so Hongjoong was rubbing against his chin and neck more than the side of his face.

“You assume that we wouldn’t also kidnap you with him. You know we’re all going to be sad when you leave us.” It was the first time any of them had voiced those concerns out loud to each other or Changbin, that Hongjoong was aware of. He would have rather enjoyed keeping Changbin there with them forever, and he wouldn’t even be opposed to having the rest of the Stray Kids pack there with them too but that wasn’t something Hongjoong was ready to admit yet. Yunho, however, didn’t seem to care about the delicate situation they were in.

“I’ll be sad when I leave, too.” Hongjoong frowned, letting his nose nuzzle into Changbin’s scent gland for a moment longer before finally pulling away slowly.

“You’ll be happy to be home, though. You know you will. We’ll just have to make more plans for you to come visit us.” He refused to suggest the thought that had been lingering in his mind for a few days already. It was something he’d have to discuss with Seonghwa – and then with Chan and Minho if Seonghwa agreed.

“I’ll make sure to come visit you guys as often as I can.” Hongjoong knew his scent showed them both how happy he was to hear that. Yunho’s scent showed just how happy he was as well.

“Alright, let’s talk about something less upsetting. How was the studio today?” Hongjoong was happy about the subject change. As much as he was happy to hear that Changbin wanted to keep visiting them, the thought of him leaving was still lingering and it upset the Omega. He couldn’t pinpoint when he started thinking of Changbin as his pup or Alpha, but he felt protective over him.

“It was good. We finished the track guides and are ready to begin recording soon.” Hongjoong smiled, going into more detail about the different tracks they had worked on and how excited he was for recording to begin. Changbin probably understood more than Yunho about how exciting it was to produce a new song but both Alphas listened to him talk intently.

“Hyung always gets so excited to record new songs.” Yunho said a few minutes after Hongjoong finished talking about the songs he, Mingi, and Eden worked on that day. Changbin chuckled at the embarrassed flush on Hongjoong’s face.

“It’s a producer thing. Chan-hyung, Jisung and I get the same way.” Hongjoong remembered that from when he got to work with them during Kingdom. He was no better, really. He’d gushed to his pack many times after he left Chan’s studio about how exciting it was to work with them.

“Yunho gets the same way about dancing.” Changbin snorted at the embarrassed look on the tall Alpha’s face at Hongjoong’s accusation.

“We all get excited about our craft.” Yunho was pouting, and it made Hongjoong lean up to press a kiss against his throat.

“It’s adorable. I love hearing you talk about the new choreography. Just as much as I love watching you dance.” Changbin could agree with that. Yunho was adorable when he talked about new choreography and Hongjoong was adorable when he talked about his producing.

“You’re both adorable when you’re excited about something.” Both eyes snapped to him with grins.

“So are you.” Hongjoong went back to scenting Changbin. If Changbin could purr, he probably would be already.

“Hyung, you’re going to send him into a scent high if you keep that up.” Hongjoong didn’t stop, making sure his scent was getting all over Changbin.

“We can take care of him.” Hongjoong hadn’t gotten the chance to actually scent Changbin since he started staying with them. Mingi and Wooyoung got the opportunity often. He knew that Yunho, San, and Seonghwa also scented Changbin pretty regularly, too.

“Hyung.” Hongjoong pouted. Yunho sighed but didn’t stop him. Hongjoong purred happily as he continued to push his scent out while Yunho wrapped his arms around both of them.

Hongjoong wasn’t entirely sure how long the three of them laid like that, Yunho holding them while Hongjoong scented Changbin. At some point, the younger Alpha fell asleep, looking happy and sated. Yunho had been able to stay awake, and it was because of him that Hongjoong was alerted to anyone else being home. Yunho lifted his head suddenly and his eyes were trained on the door. Hongjoong’s brain was foggy and hazy as he lifted his head when the door opened to reveal San. The Alpha smiled at the scene, cooing softly as he moved to his dresser to grab clean clothes from it.

“You three look comfy.” Seonghwa’s voice cut through the haze in Hongjoong’s brain as the Alpha also entered the room and moved to kneel by the bed.

“Binnie’s asleep.” Yunho kept his voice down, keeping himself still to keep Changbin from waking up. Changbin still wasn’t getting enough sleep, and he didn’t want to wake him just yet. Seonghwa looked apologetic as he glanced down at the sleeping Alpha.

“He smells like you Joongie.” Hongjoong hummed, his face buried in Changbin’s neck again. “How long have you guys been like this?”

“At least two hours.” Yunho answered for him. Hongjoong could barely focus, let alone try to answer questions. Seonghwa hummed thoughtfully and moved his hand to thread through Hongjoong’s hair.

“Joongie, do you want to pull away from Changbin?” Hongjoong whined but didn’t move. He was comfortable and definitely didn’t want to move at all. Seonghwa sighed and leaned over to press a kiss to the side of Hongjoong’s head. “You’ve scented him a lot, sweetheart. If you keep going you’re going to send both of you into a drop.”

That got Hongjoong’s attention. He didn’t want to send Changbin into a drop. Changbin was already in a rough state of mind. A drop would only make it worse for him. Slowly, he pulled away from the Alpha. Now that his nose wasn’t filled with only Changbin’s scent, Hongjoong could smell the entire pack. He took a deep breath, pulling in their scents to clear his mind some. It didn’t help. His body felt heavy.

“Can I pick you up, love?” Hongjoong opened his arms for the Alpha who smiled and carefully wrapped his arms around Hongjoong’s waist to pick him up. Hongjoong wrapped his arms around Seonghwa’s neck and let him carry him out of the room. The purring began again.

Hongjoong was carried out of Yunho’s room and to the living room. He was placed in the nest next to Wooyoung and Mingi, who immediately pulled them between them. Their delighted purrs joined his as they began scenting him, too. Moments later Changbin was set down gently next to the three Omegas by Yunho, who looked near sleep himself.

“We’re ordering in tonight.” Seonghwa said as he knelt down to thread his fingers through Hongjoong’s hair again. “Is there anything specific you want?”

Hongjoong shook his head into Mingi’s shoulder. Seonghwa hummed, gently scratching his mate’s head before pulling his hand away and standing up. “I’m going to shower, okay?” Hongjoong nodded and Seonghwa left the room.

“Did you have a good afternoon, hyung? You guys smell so happy.” Hongjoong hummed again, unable to make his mouth feel less like cotton enough to talk.

“Hyung scented Binnie while we cuddled.” Yunho answered for him. Hongjoong was thankful for the Alpha.

“That explains why you’re so out of it.” Wooyoung said as he ran the tip of his nose over Hongjoong’s scent gland, causing shivers to run down his spine. Seonghwa was right, he was near a drop. He tried to pull away but Mingi and Wooyoung stopped him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m sorry for irritating your gland.” Wooyoung said as he started brushing his hand through the older Omega’s hair.

“We’ll take care of you hyung.” Mingi said right after as he ran his hand down Hongjoong’s side. He shivered again and groaned. “Did you get over excited about scenting Binnie? He smells like you.”

Hongjoong opened his mouth to speak but his tongue felt heavy and his lips were numb. Mingi shushed him before he could even begin to form a word. Hongjoong shut his eyes with a sigh as he worked on clearing his mind again.

“Dinner’s here, hyung.” It seemed like only seconds ago he had closed his eyes before Yeosang was shaking him awake. Not really awake, because he didn’t think he was sleeping, but he was brought back to reality. His vision was still blurry as he opened his eyes and let Mingi and Wooyoung help him sit up. His head was still fuzzy and his mouth still felt like cotton. He couldn’t even focus for long as Wooyoung and Mingi took turns feeding him dinner. Across from him, San and Yeosang were feeding Yunho. Someone had woken Changbin up as well, and the Alpha was being fed by Seonghwa and Jongho. His eyes were unfocused and his movements were uncoordinated but he looked blissed out. That made pride swell in Hongjoong’s chest.

Once dinner was finished and the dishes were being cleaned, Changbin fell asleep again, this time curled up next to Yeosang, who was happy to let the Alpha use his leg as a pillow. Yunho was near sleep as well, leaning heavily against Seonghwa, when Jongho returned to the nest.

“Seonghwa-hyung? Hongjoong hyung?” Jongho’s voice was soft and quiet, as it usually was when he was speaking to them, so as to let Changbin sleep more. Hongjoong hummed, feeling mildly better than he had before eating. “What are we going to do when he leaves us?”

No one said anything for a moment but it looked like Yunho was slightly more awake now. Hongjoong frowned as his eyes drifted over to where Changbin was sleeping.

“We can’t make him stay.” Wooyoung whined into Hongjoong’s shoulder as he said that. Hongjoong forced his arm to move so he could wrap it around his younger Omega to comfort him. “I want him to. I love him. But we can’t make him.”

“But we could…we could combine packs.” Seonghwa was biting his lip as all seven snapped their gazes to him. Hongjoong’s heart skipped a beat as his thoughts from earlier returned. He also bit his lip at the thought. It was something he had wanted to talk to Seonghwa about in private, so as not to get anyone’s hopes up should they decide not to, but Seonghwa put it out in the open. Maybe it was better to see where the thought could go with all of them, if it was worth more discussion.

“I had the same thought earlier.” He could feel Yunho’s eyes bearing into him. He was sure the Alpha probably figured out when he’d had that thought.

“If Chan gets his head out of his ass, I’d be willing. I loved getting to work with them and I’d love to get to know them all better.” Yunho stated even though his voice was shaky with sleepiness. Hongjoong believed he wasn’t lying, though.

“I’ve enjoyed every time I got to spend time with them when I went to see Binnie at their dorm. They’re all really nice and kind.” Wooyoung added, pulling his face away from Hongjoong’s shoulder. “I would say yes.”

“When they came over we all meshed well. I would like to get to know them better.” Mingi had taken a liking to the pack and Hongjoong knew he was likely feeling upset for them. He was one Hongjoong was worried about when it did come time for Changbin to leave.

“I think we should take the time to get to know them better, as both a pack and as individuals, before we entertain the idea of combining packs.” Jongho hummed in agreement with Yeosang as he reached over to run his fingers through Changbin’s hair.

“I agree, but I also think we should wait to see if Chan even actually apologizes and Changbin decides to return to them before we do that.” Jongho knew he got along well with Seungmin and he likely would with the rest of them, too.

“We should start as friends. Take things slow so that we don’t go from a traumatic incident to a courting within weeks. The Stray Kids pack needs to heal before we push to combine packs.” San had apparently thought about this a lot. Hongjoong was proud of him for thinking of more than just their own wants and desires. He was looking out for Stray Kids as well.

“San and Jongho are right. A good place to start would be to get to know them as friends. We each know individual members but if this is to work, we need to get to know everyone. But only after we resolve this issue with Changbin and his pack. We can’t, and shouldn’t, do anything until we know if he is going to return to the pack.” Seonghwa said thoughtfully, with a nod to himself. He was trying to think through a plan on how to court the other pack carefully and respectfully.

“We should get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow and Joong-hyung and Yunho are falling asleep already.” Yeosang took the initiative to end the conversation there in favor of them all getting some sleep. San grinned as he looked between the two and then back down to Changbin.

“That’s because hyung spent two hours scenting Binnie on top of Yunnie.” Hongjoong didn’t even have the energy to glare at his grinning Alpha as he curled further into Mingi’s arms and stomach. He was ready to sleep, and he didn’t care what else was said.

“Joong let’s get you ready for bed.” Seonghwa said, passing Yunho off to Jongho to get the Alpha ready for bed as well. Hongjoong groaned as Wooyoung and Seonghwa helped him stand so he could brush his teeth and wash his face. Which he couldn’t even get himself to focus enough to do from the haze and sleepiness so Wooyoung did for him while Seonghwa held him up. He’d have to remember to thank them both later for helping him even though he knew they’d never complain about it.

“Come on sleepyhead. Pajamas and then bed. You can cuddle up to Mingi all you want.” Hongjoong let Seonghwa pull him from the bathroom to their room where he helped him change from his now wrinkled clothes to his more comfortable pajamas. Then, within minutes, he was back in the nest cuddled up to his fellow Omegas and fast asleep.

Chapter Text

Changbin’s hands shook as he opened the note Minho had slipped him before he left the night before. Hongjoong and Seonghwa were with him just in case he was incapable of going through with reading it. The note itself was short, written in Hyunjin’s neat handwriting. Changbin took a deep breath and began reading.

Hyung,

There is much I want to say. I’ve done a lot wrong when it involves you and I’m sorry. I should have realized how bad you felt. If I could go back, I would change a lot of the things I said before. Like not wanting you around Wooyoung. I let my jealousy get the better of me and I’m sorry for how that affected you and your friendship with him. And I’m sorry I made you and Innie feel bad during my rut. I’m sorry I was the reason Chan was mad at you. I wish I could change the past so you would have never felt so terrible. I understand if you never want to see me again.

I’m sorry I’ve been a terrible packmate. Please come home to us soon so we can make it up to you.

Hyunjin

Changbin was in tears by the end of reading it. Seonghwa took it from him carefully, asking if he could read it. Changbin agreed as Hongjoong pulled him into his arms. There was so much he didn’t understand. How could Hyunjin assume it was his fault? It was his rut, sure, but that didn’t mean it was his fault Chan and Changbin had been unable to communicate properly. That was solely on Chan and himself.

“It’s okay Binnie. We can set a date for you guys to talk this out if you want. I think you both need to talk and get your feelings out in the open so you can understand each other better.” Seonghwa put the note down and reached over to thread his fingers through Changbin’s short hair.

“Why would he think this was his fault?” Seonghwa wished he had an answer for Changbin. He could speculate, they all could, but until they asked Hyunjin specifically, they wouldn’t know for certain.

“That’s something only he can answer, but I bet he feels it’s his fault because his rut acted as the catalyst. Maybe he hasn’t fully grasped that you feeling unsafe and uncomfortable there was Chan’s fault and not his own. That’s something for you guys to talk about together.” Hongjoong said as he rubbed Changbin’s back comfortingly. Changbin nodded against Hongjoong’s chest.

Maybe Changbin hadn’t realized how much he’d hurt the rest of his pack when he left. Other than the few times he’d seen them before returning to work, Changbin hadn’t really thought much about how they felt with him gone. Of course he’d seen how upset they were, had smelled it too, but he didn’t think they’d really felt guilty. It wasn’t any of their faults necessarily. He needed to fix this as soon as he could. 

Jeongin was excited to finally get to stay with his hyung. Minho had come home after spending the evening with Changbin and told Jeongin Changbin wanted him to stay the night that weekend. Him specifically. At first, they all assumed he had meant that Changbin wanted one of them to stay with Changbin overnight and that Minho had chosen Jeongin, but after some explanation, it was revealed that Changbin had asked for Jeongin specifically. As much as the Beta was thrilled at being picked by their missing Alpha, he felt bad for how upset Felix and Jisung looked. Minho had sat both Omegas down to explain to them that they needed to be patient and accept whatever Changbin wanted.

Still, despite how upset his packmates were, Jeongin was vibrating as he followed Minho down from the dorm to the car that was waiting for him housing Changbin and Yeosang. Seeing the older Beta, Jeongin smiled at him and received a bright smile back. Changbin held his arms open as much as he could in the small space of the car. Jeongin handed his bag to the driver who placed it in the trunk and climbed into the car and let himself melt directly into Changbin’s waiting arms.

“Have fun Innie, Binnie.” Minho leaned in and pressed a kiss to both of their foreheads before pulling away and closing the door. As the car pulled away, Jeongin waved at Minho until he was out of sight.

“Missed you, Innie.” Changbin had his nose buried in Jeongin’s hair while his arms trapped the Beta against his chest. Not that Jeongin was complaining about their position. He typically wasn’t one for skinship but he’d missed his hyung so much that he couldn’t imagine pulling away from his touch now. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed their cat and mouse game of Changbin trying to hug him while Jeongin ran away until it was gone. The last three weeks were far too long to go without hugs from his favorite hyung.

The ride was quick – quicker than the last two times Jeongin had been to the Ateez dorm – but Jeongin wasn’t complaining at all. Soon the three were walking up to the dorm with Changbin carrying Jeongin’s bag while Yeosang led them up the stairs. The dorm was similar to the last time they had been there – the nest was picked up off the floor and everything was neat and tidy – but he smelled a distinct smell in the air. One that he was intimately familiar with and had been missing from their own dorm for just over a month now. Changbin’s happy scent. The rich sandalwood mixed so perfectly with Ateez’s pack scents that Jeongin almost believed it belonged there. Maybe it did, as much as it belonged with Stray Kids’ scents.

“Hongjoong-hyung wants to rebuild the nest for tonight, if you’re okay with that.” Jeongin wasn’t sure why Changbin was asking him for permission, nor was he sure how he felt about Ateez’s Pack Omega wanting to build a nest just because he was over.

“Hyung likes to make sure everyone in the dorm is comfortable, even if they’re not pack. If you don’t want one that’s okay. You and Changbin can share my bed and I’ll sleep in Yunho’s or Mingi’s.” That didn’t make Jeongin feel any better, honestly. He didn’t want to kick anyone out of their bed just for him.

“Not San’s or Wooyoung’s?” Changbin teased the older Beta as they stopped in the living room. Hongjoong and Mingi were already there, setting up the foundation for a nest. Jeongin frowned as he watched them, feeling uneasy and out of place.

“No, they cling too much.” Yeosang’s answer brought a snort of laughter from Changbin. Usually the sound was enough to brighten Jeongin’s day but he couldn’t bring himself to tear his eyes away from the two Omegas in the center of the room. “Are you okay, Jeongin?”

“I…” How did he explain how he was feeling when he wasn’t even sure what he felt? Hongjoong and Mingi stopped what they were doing to focus on the young Beta, who shrunk in on himself slightly. “You don’t need to build a nest just for me.”

“It’s not just for you, Jeongin. Hongjoong-hyung, Mingi, and Wooyoung like to build nests and we like to spend time as a pack in their nests. Having you and Binnie here means Jongho won’t be alone on the couch. And remember, at any time if you’re uncomfortable you can tell us and we’ll do everything we can to help.” Yeosang’s deep voice was comforting to the younger Beta. He wasn’t sure what he had expected them to say or react – he couldn’t even begin to understand where the nerves and fear were coming from when he knew the entire pack was extremely caring – but this wasn’t it. Maybe he thought they’d get upset or angry at him or maybe it was because his last interaction with them had three of them threatening his Pack Alpha. They had been terrifying but Jeongin hadn’t felt scared then.

“Would you feel better if you helped? We can help guide you.” Hongjoong offered, still sitting where he had been when Jeongin entered. Mingi had gotten up and left but Jeongin hadn’t really been focused on the tall Omega. It wasn’t until he returned with a cup of water that Jeongin realized he’d gone into the kitchen. Mingi handed him the water before scurrying back to the pile of blankets.

“You want me to help?” The Omegas in his pack had never let them help with the nests. Jeongin had tried to help Jisung once, and the Omega had snapped at him that it was his job and to not interfere so Jeongin had never tried again.

“We’d love for you to help. Binnie’s helped us build a few nests already.” Hongjoong confirmed. The Beta looked over at his Alpha who was smiling down at him encouragingly. Shyly, Jeongin stepped forward and kneeled where Hongjoong pointed him to.

For the next forty-five minutes, the two Omegas guided him on how to build a sturdy foundation and then how to build the walls up so they wouldn’t fall. At some point Wooyoung joined them with even more blankets and nesting materials – some of which Jeongin knew were from his own pack but the smells were so faded he couldn’t tell who owned what item anymore – and joined them. Changbin watched next to Yeosang, only leaving to grab things that someone asked for. When it was finished Jeongin felt a sense of pride as he looked at the nest around him. A quick shot of fear tore through him when he realized he’d entered the nest without permission.

“It’s your nest too. You helped build it so you don’t have to ask permission to enter.” Mingi quieted his apology before it could even be voiced, almost as if he knew what Jeongin was going to say when he turned to them with that fearful expression. Wooyoung quickly leaned over and was prepared to hug him, but thought better of it and instead opened his arms as an invitation. His blackberry scent held nerves as he waited but Jeongin didn’t feel the pressure he usually felt to offer skinship. With a smile he happily threw himself in Wooyoung’s arms and was rewarded with one of the warmest hugs of his life – even better than Felix’s – and blackberry blooming with happiness filling his nose.

“That’s such a pretty nest.” Jeongin almost startled when he heard Seonghwa’s voice but Wooyoung hushed him gently before pulling away so he could see the Pack Alpha. Seonghwa was smiling as he looked down at the four of them. Next to him were Jongho and Yunho. San was sitting behind Yeosang and Changbin with his chin resting on Yeosang’s shoulder. He had been so engrossed in building the nest that he hadn’t even realized the rest of the pack had joined them.

“Jeongin helped us make it.” Wooyoung was beaming down at the Beta in his arms happily, which only served to make Jeongin blush even more. He wasn’t used to people actually using his name and wanting his help with things like a nest.

“It looks really comfy. Do you think we can come in?” Jeongin hadn’t even realized the question was directed at him until Wooyoung nudged him for an answer. When he nodded, it was almost like floodgates had opened as the pack and Changbin entered the nest and settled around where the four of them were already sitting. Changbin took Jeongin from Wooyoung and happily scented him until the air smelled of sandalwood and Jasmine.

At some point in the night Seonghwa and Wooyoung left to make dinner – and though the offer had been extended to help, Jeongin was quite comfortable laying on his Alpha and talking to Yunho about a game they both played. After eating and the dishes were washed, the pack turned on a movie and cuddled. No one blinked twice when Jeongin pushed away from Changbin to lie by himself but Seonghwa offered him a blanket to keep warm. That was how Jeongin fell asleep.

When he woke in the morning, he was still laying alone, though he was within arm’s reach of at least four people. Hongjoong and Jongho were already awake and talking about something lowly. They hadn’t noticed Jeongin awake yet, and not wanting to ease drop, Jeongin made noise to alert them to being awake. Both smiled at him as he stretched.

“Sleep well?” Jeongin nodded, having gotten better sleep than he had in weeks. Hongjoong seemed happy to hear that – the rich chocolate scent reminding him of the chocolates his mother used to buy him when he was younger – and opened his arms to offer a cuddle. Jeongin had to be careful as he moved around the pack so he could lie in the pack Omega’s arms.

In the late afternoon, Jeongin returned home to his own dorm with Changbin and Seonghwa in tow. Changbin seemed nervous as they pulled up to the dorm, and it became evident why when they exited the car. Changbin and Seonghwa followed him out and when Jeongin was about to question why, Seonghwa told him it was because Changbin wanted to talk to Hyunjin – somewhere Hyunjin would be comfortable. Jeongin couldn’t admit how happy he was to see his Alpha trying to make amends and make them comfortable even though they didn’t deserve it. There was a lot they didn’t deserve from Changin, and a lot they were asking for from him. He hoped it meant Changbin would be returning home soon if he was willing to go through so much for them.

Jeongin watched the scene before him unfold when the three of them walked into the dorm with a fond smile. Felix was the first to notice Changbin and Seonghwa with Jeongin and had excitedly greeted them. That brought Jisung and Seungmin out from one of the rooms and both also greeted the two Alphas excitedly. Jeongin didn’t take it personally that no one welcomed him home – they’d all missed Changbin dearly.

“Binnie? You came up?” Chan couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice and expression when he followed after his younger packmates, Minho coming out of the kitchen not long after. The only one missing was Hyunjin.

“Yeah, I uh…I wanted to talk to Hyunjin. If I can…” Jeongin saw the knowing look on Minho’s face as he crossed the room to pull Changbin into a hug. It still hurt to think that Changbin was afraid to talk to them, but he was happy to see that Minho was doing his best to show Changbin that he was wanted.

“He’s in his room.” Changbin nodded and pulled away from the hug. He’d already hugged Seungmin and the younger Omegas before Chan arrived but it was no surprise to Jeongin when Felix pouted at him as he passed him. Changbin smiled at him and ran his fingers through his hair once before gently patting his head. Then he continued across the room until he was in front of Chan. The two Alphas were still rebuilding their relationship and trust in one another, meaning that they’d talked at work but Chan had been careful not to touch Changbin. So it was almost amusing to see the confusion and surprise on Chan’s face when Changbin pulled him into a hug. It was shorter than the others and Chan had barely begun to hug back before Changbin was pulling away and slipping past him to go down the hall. It took everything in Jeongin not to laugh at Chan’s bewildered face as he watched Changbin walk down the hall and then turn and look at the rest of them.

“Seonghwa, would you like something to drink?” Minho asked before Chan could ask any questions. The tall Alpha smiled and nodded, moving further into the room to follow Minho. Chan was still looking around at all of them bewildered while Jeongin laughed and moved past him to go into his own room and put his stuff away.

“Jinnie?” Changbin would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous as he knocked gently on the door that would lead to the room Hyunjin shared with Minho and Seungmin. There was shuffling from the other side of the door and then all of a sudden the door was opening and his tall Alpha was in front of him. Changbin felt his heart break when he saw the state of the younger. Hyunjin’s once healthy and fluffy hair looked glossy and stringy – a clear sign he hadn’t been washing it properly – and his face was breaking out. His eyes were red and puffy and his nose red with irritation.

“Binnie?” Hyunjin looked shocked to see him there but Changbin smiled at him in an attempt to ease his nerves. Both of their nerves really, because now that he saw how wrought with guilt Hyunjin was, Changbin felt even worse for taking so long to talk to him.

“Can we talk?” Hyunjin leaned out the door and looked down the hallway, likely looking for anyone accompanying him. When there was no one, he looked back at Changbin confused.

“Alone?” Changbin nodded, not for the first time wondering if this was a bad idea or if he should have let Seonghwa come with him.

“I think that’s best for both of us. Seonghwa-hyung is in the living room with hyungs if you would feel more comfortable with one of them here instead.” Changbin was doing his best to be as accommodating as he could. Just as Ateez had with him. Hyunjin shook his head quickly and moved out of the way so Changbin could enter. Hyunjin returned to his bed where it seemed he’d been curled up for at least the last few hours. Changbin carefully sat on Seungmin’s bed so they could talk facing each other without it being awkward.

“I got your note.” Changbin wasn’t even sure what he wanted to say other than that it wasn’t his fault at all. But it was still awkward trying to figure out the best to say it without sounding like he was pitying the Alpha. Especially after he saw Hyunjin flinch at the mention of the note.

“I’m sorry hyung! I never meant for you to feel so bad about yourself and I wish I could go back and change how I acted and-” Changbin stopped Hyunjin before he could continue by leaping to his feet and crossing the room to pull the crying Alpha into a hug.

“It’s not your fault Jinnie. It’s no one’s fault for how I feel but myself. I should have talked to you all before it ever reached this point.” Hyunjin let out a choked sob as he clung to Changbin, who climbed further onto the bed so he could hold the Alpha as he cried. “You’re a wonderful packmate Jinnie. A good Alpha to us all. I’m sorry I ever made you feel like you weren’t.”

They laid there for a long while, Hyunjin crying into his chest as Changbin held him and tried to comfort him. They both talked through the things that worried them and what they could do better so they didn’t get themselves in such a situation again. By the end of the night, when Seonghwa unfortunately had to split them apart, Changbin felt much better about where they stood. He pressed a kiss to Hyunjin’s forehead before leaving him and following the older Alpha back out to the living room. He said his goodbyes, gave more hugs, and promised to see them all at work soon. And if he smelled strongly of freshly brewed coffee when he got back to the Ateez dorm, well there was no smell he wanted more than that clinging to his clothes.

Chapter Text

The day came for Changbin to return to his own dorm but it was bittersweet. Wooyoung was happy that his friend felt safe and comfortable enough to return home but he had enjoyed having him around all the time. He held himself together long enough for them to see him off with Hongjoong and Seonghwa accompanying him home with the various belongings he’d collected over the months he’d stayed with them. As soon as the car was out of sight and the remaining members of the pack were back inside their dorm, Wooyoung excused himself to his room. His intent was to shower and try to relax before he worried about how Changbin was doing or if he was comfortable at home. But as soon as he smelled Changbin’s sandalwood clinging to a blanket they’d shared many times he lost all control of his emotions.

Yeosang found him nearly ten minutes later curled around the blanket in the middle of his bed, crying into the material as his blackberry scent soured with sadness. If he pulled his nose out of the blanket long enough, he’d smell the sadness in the air from everyone. Yeosang’s roses were wilting and Jongho’s vetiver was rancid. Mingi’s citrus smelled more like rotten oranges than the bright grapefruit and lemon it usually did. San’s eucalyptus and Yunho’s patchouli smelled bitter and dying. When Yeosang sat on the bed next to Wooyoung, the Omega immediately opened his arms to let the Beta curl up next to him.

Wooyoung wasn’t the only one who cried clutching the blanket that smelled so much of the Alpha they’d all grown used to having around. At some point, Mingi and San joined them, with Jongho and Yunho sitting on the floor next to the bed, since there was no more room on it. But they were still holding onto the pack and the blanket. That was how Seonghwa and Hongjoong found them when they returned. Seonghwa let out a deep sigh that Wooyoung usually associated with him growing exhausted by them but the look on his face was the opposite. He looked upset as he looked at them. Hongjoong had let out a whine at the sight of them before turning and immediately rushing out of the room. In his raw and upset state, Wooyoung took his Pack Omega leaving as rejecting them and he cried harder. Seonghwa was by his side at an instant, trying to comfort the Omega as much as he could.

“I want him back hyung.” It wasn’t Wooyoung who whined, however. As much as Wooyoung agreed with the statement – he hadn’t even wanted Changbin to leave in the first place – he hadn’t spoken it. No, Mingi was the one who had expressed the sentiment of wanting Changbin back.

“I know Min. And we’ll work something out but we need to give him a chance to heal. All of them, actually. And then we can approach them about courting.” Seonghwa didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable by bringing up a potential courtship when the pack was still healing. But he also didn’t want to see his own pack so upset over Changbin going home.

“Everyone up. The nest is built, but it’s missing the pack and Binnie’s blanket.” So that was where Hongjoong had gone. Wooyoung looked up when he saw the Pack Omega in the doorway looking just as lost and hurt as the rest of them did. Slowly, the group untangled themselves and followed the older Omega down the hall to the living room where he had built another large nest. Wooyoung instantly recognized Changbin’s scent on the very top with items he’d borrowed over the last months scattered on top. Hongjoong pulled each one into the nest until all that was left was Wooyoung. Who didn’t need prompting and simply laid in the open space with the blanket still clutched to his arms.

“We’ll get this figured out.” It was a promise. Hongjoong wasn’t going to let them be sad and upset for long.

The next two months were hectic between both groups having comebacks and trying to schedule times around everyone’s schedule for them to go see Changbin. More often than not, they met at the Stray Kids dorm rather than the Ateez dorm, but it was set up that way so the members of Ateez could get to know the members of Stray Kids better, discreetly. Or rather, as discreetly as they could when Wooyoung and San both tended to be all over the other members of Stray Kids instead of just Changbin. The first time Wooyoung had hugged Chan, the Alpha looked both scared and surprised before hugging back while looking at Hongjoong in confusion. The Pack Omega had merely smirked at him.

Yunho was fairly sure Changbin had figured out what they were doing, especially after Jongho and Yeosang asked to visit the Betas and take them out to dinner. Seonghwa knew that Minho had figured it out. He knew because the Omega had asked when they were going to bring up courting to Chan. And had insisted that they get them really good gifts to make up for making them wait so long. It should have become obvious when more of the Ateez members were becoming more touchy with Chan and Hyunjin – and doing their best to respect their space when it seemed to make them uncomfortable.

But apparently Changbin and Minho were the only ones who had seen it coming when Seonghwa and Hongjoong finally did send the request to officially court the Stray Kids pack, along with the gifts they’d painstakingly searched for. Chan looked bewildered at the package when it was delivered but Minho simply took it from him and put it in the living room to open as a pack. While they waited for Hyunjin and Seungmin to get home, Minho wrangled Felix and Changbin into helping him cook dinner while Jisung, Jeongin, and Chan sat in the living room, staring at the package.

Chan read the request out loud, stuttering over his words when he read about the Ateez Pack wanting to court them as a whole. The letter talked about how much they all missed Changbin and had enjoyed getting to spend time with the pack as a whole. There was a note at the bottom which Changbin knew definitely came from Wooyoung.

“Don’t make me wait too long to get my kisses.” Changbin would be lying if he said he didn’t also want to kiss Wooyoung – and the whole pack. He had become intimately aware of their scents and how they all smelled when they were happy and pleased. He imagined those scents again as they opened the box.

On top was a fox plushie that smelled like Yeosang. Changbin remembered the night Jeongin spent with him at the Ateez dorm the Beta had complimented the elder Beta’s scent and said he wished he could smell it all the time. Now he could. At least until the smell started to fade. They’d just have to get Yeosang to scent it again if it came to that point. Underneath the plushie – which Jeongin immediately held up to his nose and then cradled to his chest – was one of Jongho’s sweaters for Seungmin. He had complimented Jongho on how natural he looked in it and how he wished he could find such nice sweaters for himself. Seungmin blushed when he realized it was the exact sweater the Beta had complimented during their kingdom collab, that smelled heavily of vetiver.

Next was another plushie for Felix, a rabbit that smelled like San. Then a box set of a drama that Jisung and Wooyoung both liked. Then a set of high end paints for Hyunjin. To no one’s surprise, Changbin was gifted another plushie – one that looked like a wolf and smelled an awful lot like Mingi and Yunho. Minho was surprised to see a blanket that had all of the Ateez Pack’s scents for himself. And at the very bottom was a hoodie, black as Chan usually wore, that smelled heavily of chocolate. Hongjoong had scented the hoodie specifically for Chan. Chan’s shocked and confused expression was what finally broke Changbin and Minho. Both fell into a pile of laughter as their Alpha stared at the hoodie as if it would answer all of his questions.

“Hyung?” Felix sounded shy and nervous, the very opposite he usually sounded, as he held the plushie to his chest. “Are we going to accept?”

Chan looked away from the hoodie to look around the room. He wasn’t all that surprised to see the hope in their eyes as each of them waited for his answer. Even Hyunjin who had very little interaction with the pack compared to the rest of them looked hopeful. He sighed and put the hoodie down. “Is there anyone who doesn’t want to accept?”

Not a single person raised their hands or indicated that they didn’t want to accept the courting gifts. Chan, despite his confusion and nerves about taking such a large step when things finally seemed to be returning to a sense of normalcy for the pack, couldn’t bring himself to deny his pack what they wanted. Besides, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to the other pack as well. He’d nearly gotten himself scent drunk on Hongjoong’s scent the first time they hung out outside of work. And he knew how much his packmates liked the other pack as well. It wasn’t just Changbin asking to spend time with them, but his younger members, too. Minho wasn’t very subtle in going to hang out with Seonghwa either – especially not when he came home smelling heavily of cinnamon.

“We’ll have to plan good return gifts for them.” Changbin and Felix shot him happy smiles as both hugged each other in celebration. Jeongin had a smile so wide Chan worried it would hurt his face at some point, and Seungmin was looking down at his sweater thoughtfully. For now, Chan chose to leave him be. Knowing Seungmin, he was probably already trying to think of a gift worthy of Jongho. He wasn’t surprised the two were friends, but he hadn’t realized they had gotten that close. The same could be said for Jeongin and Yeosang. There was so much Chan missed when his pack was visiting Changbin at the Ateez dorm.

It took more time than Chan wanted but they finally had the gifts for Ateez selected, bought, and packed to send to the other pack. Chan roped their manager into delivering the package for them, too impatient to wait for the actual mail as Sungho had suggested. It was a waiting game from then on, one that made Chan so nervous he could barely focus on anything. He’d never had that problem before. Usually if he tried to work on music he could easily, as if he had a switch in his brain he could just flip and all distractions would be forgotten. Not this time. It took him an awful long time to finish the chorus for the song he was trying to write for their next album. Longer than it should have, or ever had before. He knew the Ateez Pack wouldn’t likely get the package until they returned from schedules – and he was well aware of their schedules now thanks to how much they had been around recently – but that didn’t stop the impatience from distracting him.

In total, it took just over six hours from the time Sungho had delivered the package to Seungwoo, Ateez’s manager, for Chan to get a reply. That reply came in the form of a message from Hongjoong with a picture of Wooyoung and Mingi practically inhaling the scents from the blanket they had scented and sent for the entire pack. And then another picture of San cuddling the cat plushie Minho and Felix picked out for him. And then Seonghwa with his nose buried in the sweater the Omegas scented for them as well.

They had gifted Yunho a video game he had been wanting. Mingi and Wooyoung both received box sets of shows they liked – an anime for Mingi that Changbin remembered watching with him and another drama that Jisung knew Wooyoung liked from one of their lengthy conversations about the subject – along with either a blanket or a plushie scented by both Changbin and Jisung. Seungmin had roped Chan, Changbin, and Jisung into helping him write a song for Jongho – and the pack as a whole – and asked Felix, Changbin, and Jeongin to record it with him. Chan had never been more proud of a song than that one when he saw the look of pure happiness on his packmates’ faces when they listened to the finished product. He only hoped Jongho appreciated it as well.

Yeosang was given a sweater too, scented by both Betas, which Chan had to admit the picture Hongjoong sent of him wearing it and holding the collar up to his nose was so beautiful. There was a soft blush on his cheeks that only highlighted the rest of his natural beauty. They found a Star Wars Lego set that Seonghwa didn’t have yet and pooled their money together to get it for him. And for Hongjoong, Chan found it befitting to get him a blanket for his studio that smelled of them all. He remembered the Omega complaining that he didn’t have any nice blankets for his studio since they usually got taken for the pack nest before he could actually bring it to the studio.

At first, Chan was nervous about scenting anything as a pack. They had such an odd array of scents that he was afraid they would clash and muddle together in an unpleasant way. It was Changbin and Minho who had finally convinced the rest of the pack that it was a good idea.

“Yunho told me that our scents are a representation of each of us and together they represent our pack. To hide it or try and make it smell any different is an insult to the pack as a whole.” Changbin remembered that much from the day he had freaked out over the Ateez nest feeling so comfortable compared to his pack’s nests. It had made so much sense then and he held onto that phrase as he returned, determined to appreciate when the pack scents muddled together accidentally.

“How are we supposed to ask them to court us if we can’t even accept who we are as a pack?” Minho hadn’t brought up the conversation he’d had with Wooyoung about relearning how to build nests but with the courtship, he hoped his babies would be able to accept that there was a better way – a way that all eight of them could be smelled throughout the pack. Soon to be sixteen if all went well.

And so Chan let his worries drop and followed in their faith. It seemed to be the right move since the pack seemed to enjoy their scents so much. And as he let his eyes gaze over the pictures again – or for the first time as more kept coming through from Hongjoong’s phone but he knew they weren’t all from the Omega – Chan wondered what all of their scents would be like. All sixteen of them together? They’d smell like a meadow in a forest with a fruit orchard in the middle.

“Did they reply?” Jisung practically vibrated with excitement as he plopped down in the chair next to Chan. The Omega had been incredibly vocal about getting to know the other pack on a more intimate level. Apparently, something had happened when they went to visit Changbin that had Jisung wanting to see Ateez again. And again and again when he found common ground with more than just San and Wooyoung.

Changbin took the other seat, as he usually did, and leaned over to catch a glimpse of Chan’s phone. He showed them both the pictures, scrolling slowly so they could appreciate the absolute beauty and adorableness that was the Ateez Pack appreciating their gifts. And then the text that had sent Chan’s heart into a frenzy for a reason he couldn’t even begin to explain.

“Is that a yes? You’ll let us court you?”

“Tell him that it’s a yes! Don’t make hyung wait!” Changbin was impatient as he practically ripped the phone from Chan’s fingers to reply to Hongjoong himself. Chan found himself smiling as the Alpha sent a reply that yes, they were accepting the courtship. Then he sent a message to the pack chat to give them a rundown of the reactions.

After the courtship was accepted came a much easier part in Chan’s opinion. Finding time to meet as entire packs had been hard because of their schedules but with the help of Hongjoong and Changbin, everyone in both packs had each other’s numbers and another group chat was made so that they could all communicate together even when they’re not together.

When they could, they got together as full packs but more often than not, individuals or pairs would take another individual or pair on a date. Sometimes it was small groups, sometimes it was just two of them. Chan wasn’t on many of these dates as he was happy to watch his pack fall in love with not only each other again, but the Ateez Pack as well. That is, until Seonghwa and Hongjoong, with the help of Minho and Jisung, crashed his studio and forced him out.

“We’re going on a date. The four of us.” Jisung waved them goodbye as he shut the door on Chan’s face and locked it. Only to open it after a minute and held Chan’s wallet out to him.

“I’ll bring everything else home. Now go enjoy your date.” Jisung closed the door again without any more explanation.

“Come on hyung. Hongjoong got us a reservation at the barbecue place you like.” Minho grabbed his hand and gently tugged on it until Chan smiled and followed them. They followed Hongjoong and Seonghwa to the restaurant with light talk. And then they followed him further into the restaurant until they were near the back in a more secluded area. He supposed it wouldn’t look too scandalous for the four of them to be hanging out – they were the leaders of two packs that were friends publicly, after all – but he was still thankful that they weren’t in the public eye.

“You know you’re part of the pack we’re courting, right Chan?” Hongjoong’s snark was one of the things Chan admired about the man. He didn’t let anyone tell him how to respond to people, and he never pulled his words when it mattered. It still didn’t stop the blush on his face when that snark was turned on him. He knew they were courting him, too. He just assumed they had wanted the rest of the pack more than him. And shyly, awkwardly because he had vowed to be more open about his feelings, Chan told them as such. Seonghwa sighed and reached across the table to grab his hand.

“If we didn’t want you too, we wouldn’t have even asked for a courtship. We want all of Stray Kids. Their workaholic, self-sacrificing, silly Pack Alpha included.” Where Hongjoong was snarky, Seonghwa was gentle and caring. It had been him, after all, who had taught his pack how to take care of someone else and he had been Changbin’s biggest advocate. But he also didn’t hesitate to tell someone when they were doing something they shouldn’t. Such as telling Chan he was being an ass when he was – and threatening him as a way to kick him into gear. Chan didn’t have anything to say for himself as he blushed more and put his head down. He couldn’t bear the sincere look on Seonghwa’s face – not to mention the almost feral grin on Hongjoong’s face that terrified him.

“If you had any doubts, you should have told us before we accepted.” Minho was disappointed in him but Chan knew he would have been even more disappointed if Chan had held them back from what they all had wanted. And when he tried to express that, he was met with three looks of displeasure. He sighed and let his chin rest on his arms, pulling his hand from Seonghwa’s light grasp.

“It’s not that I have doubts. I know both of our packs get along incredibly well and there is a lot of room for love to blossom. I just don’t feel like I deserve this.” There was more; worries he had found himself thinking about when he was lying awake in bed late at night. He used to worry about if he was a good Pack Alpha, but now he worried if he was even fit for the role. If they did combine packs, Seonghwa would make a much better Pack Alpha than Chan ever had. And either Minho or Hongjoong would make a perfect Pack Omega. He was certain of that. Chan just wasn’t sure if he belonged anywhere in the potential new dynamic.

“Are you still beating yourself up for what happened with Changbin? Because if so, stop.” Chan snorted at Hongjoong’s bluntness. As if it was easy to just turn off his worries and regrets. Hongjoong reached over and hooked a finger around one of Chan’s. “I mean it. If you weren’t worthy of being his Pack Alpha, Changbin would have never returned to you. You made a mistake, but that doesn’t define who you are as an Alpha. The fact that you weren’t sure about all of this and still agreed to it for your pack says enough about you.”

“Everyone’s worthy of love, Chan. We wouldn’t have extended the courtship request if we didn’t want you just as much as the rest.” Seonghwa reached over and pried one of Chan’s hands free to hold it, this time not letting go. Minho smiled as he watched the two try and tell his Alpha the very thing he’d been trying to tell him for months.

“We wouldn’t have chosen you as our Pack Alpha if we didn’t think you deserved it. And if you had said you weren’t sure about this, I know the pack wouldn’t have been upset with you.” Chan wanted to believe Minho, he really did, but the idea that he was keeping them from something he wanted was too much to overcome.

“That’s why we’re here now. So we can test the waters with everyone, not just who you think deserves us.” Seonghwa finished for Minho as if this was rehearsed. Honestly, he wouldn’t be surprised if they had rehearsed how to tell him to take a chance.

The night was fun, despite Chan’s mixed feelings. He still felt he didn’t deserve to be there with them, but none of the three would hear it. And Minho had boxed him in so that he couldn’t escape without causing a scene. And despite his reservations, they ended the night on a high note – with Hongjoong even kissing his cheek as a goodbye and Seonghwa hugging him. He wasn’t even all that surprised when Seonghwa gave Minho a kiss on the lips, however chaste, and the two Omegas hugged tightly.

“Next time, you’ll have to take Mingi and Yunho out. They’ve been dying to go out with you.” That bewildered look was back, causing the three of them to laugh. Chan hadn’t even been aware that Yunho and Mingi had wanted to talk to him, let alone go out on a date.

“San and Wooyoung have insisted on kidnapping Hyunjin and Jisung soon so you don’t have to worry about the chaos duo for now.” Hongjoong was not making Chan feel any better about letting his packmates near the Ateez Pack. “Wooyoung still wants his kisses, too.”

And kisses Wooyoung got. He was the most active in taking the Stray Kids members out on dates, all of which ended with him getting the kisses he wanted until all that was left were Hyunjin, Jisung, and Chan himself, and then a week after that warning it was down to just Chan. Changbin, of course, had been the first one to kiss Wooyoung and Chan was almost sad he missed it. He knew both had crushes on each other well before their packs were formed, so it was no surprise to him that they kissed first. Nor was it a surprise that Changbin had kissed the entirety of the Ateez Pack during the first month of their courting.

San and Wooyoung did indeed take Chan out on a date – or rather he was forced into taking them on a date, not that he minded – after he took Yunho and Mingi out, and at the end of the afternoon he’d kissed both. That had sparked a stronger desire in him to actually believe everyone when they said he deserved to be loved. He participated in more dates after that.

Soon enough, two months had passed, promotions and comebacks were finished and Sungho and Seungwoo told them they’d found a place for the packs to live together. They were still working on the legal paperwork required for combining packs, but for now this was something they could do.

The house was large, with plenty of space for them all. When it came to deciding rooms, the packs unanimously agreed that the largest room should go to the pack leaders, so they were all in one place. Chan was convinced that his pups just didn’t want to risk sharing a room with either him or Minho again, but their reasoning had made sense. It would make things easier if they ever had to discuss pack matters in private, but it also made it easier to find them should a packmate have an issue and need guidance. Seonghwa and Hongjoong had agreed to the suggestion immediately and even though Chan still was convinced it was a ploy for the rest to get rid of them, he also agreed.

The rest of the packs picked their bedrooms by drawing out of a hat. Yeosang wrote numbers on slips of paper coordinating with the remaining four rooms and had everyone draw a slip of paper out of Jisung’s hat. In one room, the one closest to the leaders, were Seungmin, Yunho, and Jisung. Down the hall from them were Wooyoung, Felix, and Mingi. And on the other side of them were San, Hyunjin, and Changbin. Finally, in the last bedroom were Yeosang, Jongho, and Jeongin. The den was where they decided to set the pack nest up.

Moving in had been a pain, but once everything was in and settled, Chan immediately felt more comfortable. And he knew Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and Minho felt the same way. Having all of their packmates in one place was a comfort – no longer would they each have to call or text the other pack leaders to find someone or tell them they found one of their packmates.

Stray Kids had made a bet before they moved in on who would be the first one to claim Felix as their cuddle partner that first night they were all together. Jisung insisted it would be Wooyoung; Jeongin insisted it would be San. Seungmin said if it wasn’t Hongjoong he would be surprised, as the Pack Omega had left the youngest Omega smelling heavily of chocolate after taking him on a date one night. Hyunjin thought Yunho, as he knew the taller Alpha enjoyed cuddles immensely. Chan himself agreed with Minho when he said it would be Seonghwa. Changbin had been the only one to guess correctly – though Jisung claimed it was because he had cheated since he knew Ateez better than the rest of them – and that it would be Mingi. The tall Omega had immediately grabbed Felix’s hand and pulled him down onto the newly delivered couch to cuddle. Not that San or Wooyoung weren’t pouting about not getting to cuddle the young Omega first.

Watching the Omegas build their first nest together as a full pack was an experience. Chan had thought at one point that Jisung was going to start arguing with Wooyoung and Mingi when they tried to show him how they built their nests before Felix, Minho, and Hongjoong intervened. Chan had been ready to pull Jisung to the side himself to talk about compromise and listen to other viewpoints when Minho made a comment that shook him to his core. It shook all of them, really. Except for the Ateez members. They didn’t seem surprised at all to find out that Changbin had found the Stray Kids pack nest uncomfortable. With Jisung and Felix near tears – and Mingi trying his best to comfort Felix with his scent – Hongjoong stepped in as well.

“We’re not trying to make you feel bad. It’s something Changbin didn’t tell you and it wasn’t something that we’re trying to force, but our goal is to make everyone comfortable. There’s always room for improvement and with this many scents it’ll be a learning curve for all of us. But we can’t take that step if you aren’t willing to.” Jisung seemed to flinch some at that, but did allow Hongjoong to pull him into a hug.

“We’re not insulting your ability to build a nest. Everyone does it differently, but if we want to be a cohesive pack we should have a cohesive nest, don’t you think?” Wooyoung’s voice was soft instead of its usual loudness, taking Chan by surprise with how gentle he was being. Eventually, Jisung caved and let the three older Omegas show him how they built their nests. And in the end, when the nest was finished and everyone was inside comfortably, Chan heard him tell Wooyoung and Mingi they had been right and he was sorry for arguing. Chan was proud of his pup for being so open about his feelings and not being as stubborn.

The pack nest became their main point of contact. Most days, if they were all home – or even if just a few of them had the day off and were home – they could be found cuddling in the nest together. That particular day, Seonghwa returned home to find Wooyoung and San cuddled up against Hyunjin and Felix. The blond Omega looked so comfortable Seonghwa wouldn’t be surprised if he started purring under the weight of the three. Off to the side, though still within reaching distance, Yeosang and Jeongin were playing a game of some sort. Seonghwa smiled at them when they both looked up before stepping inside. He sat next to Hyunjin, who immediately held his arms open to welcome the Pack Alpha into the pile. Seonghwa leaned into him after pressing a kiss to his cheek and then did so to the rest of his packmates. Officially now, because the paperwork had finally gone through. The StrayTeez pack – as Sungho had affectionately called them once, and the name stuck – was official and Seonghwa had fifteen packmates to worry and care for.

“You’re home early hyung.” Seonghwa chuckled at how out of it Wooyoung sounded with his head pressed into Felix’s neck.

“Yunho and Mingi kicked me out while they tried to learn a new dance. Joongie and Jjong are still at the studio working on the new guides.” San smiled and shook his head as he gently threaded his fingers through Wooyoung’s hair.

“Leave it to those two to force the rest of us out for their dances.” Yeosang looked like he had wanted to say something else but changed it last minute so he didn’t upset the Beta he was playing with. If Jeongin noticed he didn’t say anything.

“It’s fine, really. I’d rather be home with you all than at the company anyways.” Seonghwa had found it more difficult to want to go to work when he could just be home with his packmates instead. He wasn’t the only one, either. Hongjoong had also found it harder to leave home and wanted to spend less time at the studio than normal.

The sound of the door opening above them alerted them that someone else was home too but everyone was comfortable and didn’t want to get up to see who it was. Though, as soon as they heard the voices, they figured it out. Twenty minutes later, after all four had showered, Minho, Changbin, Jisung, and Seungmin were joining the group in the nest.

“Channie went to go pick up the rest of the pack from work. He said we should celebrate the paperwork going through.” Minho explained as the group joined them in the nest. Seonghwa let out a soft grunt at the feeling of Changbin lay on him but smiled down at the Alpha as their fingers entwined.

“He’s right, a celebration is in order.” The four of them had talked about it as soon as they were all settled in the house, about what to do if the paperwork wasn’t approved – though the likelihood of that was slim – and how to celebrate once it was approved. This was the first time they had actually been able to be together as a pack, and as he had expected Hongjoong had probably forgotten to set an alarm, prompting Jongho to ask for Chan’s help.

When the five got home and had showered, they joined the group with a ton of food Chan and Seonghwa had ordered and movies. Everyone broke apart to grab the plates Hongjoong began passing out, the excitement of food enough to overcome the comfort of group cuddles. After eating, Chan and Seonghwa placed their bites on the packmates missing them. It wasn’t the most extravagant ceremony but Seonghwa thought it fit them perfectly. They all had only wanted to have each other with them to experience the finishing of their bond.

Afterwards, sated, they settled in new positions with Felix still under Wooyoung but now accompanied by Jisung, Mingi, and Hongjoong. Minho was close but was enjoying being cuddled by Yunho and San. Jongho and Seungmin joined Yeosang and Jeongin in playing whatever game they’d been playing before with Chan holding Seungmin tight to his chest. He’d seen how tired the Beta seemed when he came home but with how he had practically melted into Chan’s embrace, Seonghwa decided not to question it. He was thankful though, to see the smile on the pretty Beta’s face. And the game seemed to be the perfect distraction for him.

Seonghwa himself was still being cuddled by Hyunjin with Changbin laying on him but the bulky Alpha was deep in conversation with Minho and San about something Seonghwa couldn’t quite keep track of. And it was in that haze of pure delight, surrounded by his packmates and happy to just be with them, that Seonghwa fell asleep.

Comeback season was difficult. Stray Kids started their preparations first and had been gone a lot. For the first week or so, Seonghwa would find most of his packmates moping around the house when they were home but the other half of their pack wasn’t. Even Hongjoong was home more just to try and comfort their pups. But then, halfway through the second week, Ateez had to begin their own preparations, and doing so meant the two groups almost never saw each other.

It was lucky for them that Seungwoo made time in their schedules to go and see Stray Kids perform their new single before their own album was set to drop. It was a wonderful experience that the entire group enjoyed. They hadn’t had the chance to see Stray Kids perform in person since Kingdom. Mingi had never actually gotten to see them perform in person so he was incredibly awed by their stage presence. And when the performance was over, they got to go backstage to see them in their dressing room. To say the afternoon was filled with hugs and kisses and tears was an understatement. Seonghwa himself found himself clinging to Minho as the Omega scented him. Wooyoung and Changbin were cuddled on one of the couches, with San and Felix right next to them. Mingi had pulled Jisung into his lap and was talking to him and Hyunjin – being cuddled by their resident cuddly Alpha Yunho – about the performance. Jongho and the Betas were in another corner talking and Seonghwa smiled to himself when he noticed that Jeongin was letting Jongho hold him.

In the next week or so, both groups would be doing promotions and would probably only see each other at shows like this, but even with that reality facing them, Seonghwa couldn’t regret the decision they’d made. When Wooyoung told him all those years ago that he would always love Changbin, as much if not more than the pack, Seonghwa had a feeling they’d come clashing together. He’s thankful it was in this way, where all sixteen of them were happy, than in an aggressive way that broke their friendship apart.

After all, 8 makes 1 team, but 16 makes 1 pack.