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Seungkwan was curled on Jeonghan’s lap, his face buried in the head omega’s neck as the rest of the pack milled about, the air thick with tension. Jian watched them carefully, keeping her gaze trained on Seungcheol who stood off to the side, every muscle tight with stress. Seungkwan had scent patches on — they all did, it was required to wear them in almost all workplaces — but Jian wasn’t stupid. She was an omega herself and she had raised two omega pups, she knew the signs of heat and more than that, knew the signs of presentation. Everyone knew which of the members had presented already. Even with the contacts and patches they constantly wore, it was impossible not to get a read of the dynamics when you worked this closely with them. If Jian had put the pieces together right, and she was pretty sure she had, they were in a pretty miserable situation here. There was a sudden knock on the door and Seungcheol jolted, placing himself in front of the omegas on the couch. The door didn’t open though, there was only the soft voice of the writer. “Five minutes.”They were on break from filming but they would have to go back soon. She, Chaerin and Sieun had been sitting and watching the filming but the younger two had retreated back into the waiting room and she hadn’t blamed them. Something had clearly been up with Seungkwan and the two alpha hosts hadn’t helped anything. More than once he had spooked badly and retreated into the circle of Seungcheol’s arms, his eyes wide and scared. It wasn’t until a break was called and he stumbled into Jeonghan’s arms in the waiting room that Jian had realized something was very wrong. She had overheard the whispered conversation between the pack heads, it was impossible not to with where she was standing, and she almost wished she hadn’t.
“He’s presenting. He’s presenting and we’re stuck here. Fuck Cheol, how did I fuck it up again? How did I not know?”
“Shhh, Han. It’ll be okay. We’ll get him home, we’ll take care of him. I’ll carry him there if I have to. It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have known. He was acting normal yesterday, and he didn’t mention feeling off. We’ll figure it out.”
Their manager started to gather them all up, getting their mics back on and prepping them for the shoot. Jeonghan was rocking Seungkwan back and forth, whispering softly and scenting him as best he could with the patches on. The pup clearly craved closeness, to be drowning in his head omega’s scent, but they couldn’t do that here. Jian’s heart ached for them. “We have to get going now,” the manager said softly. “He’s in no condition to keep filming,” Seungcheol said sharply. “I know, we’ll make some excuse for him. Leave him here, I’ll take care of him.”Jian winced as the words came out, her caution seconded by the low growl that left Seungcheol, his fake-brown eyes narrowing. The manager was backtracking immediately and she was in awe that he had even suggested it. No matter how much they trusted their manager, he was an alpha. Leaving your presenting omega pup alone with another alpha was not something any pack head in their right mind would ever do. Hoping to help avoid a conflict, Jian stepped forward carefully.“If you don’t mind… It might be out of place, but perhaps I could stay with him? Chaerin, Sieun and I could take care of him until the shoot is over. I’ve seen my own two pups through their presentations, I know how. We won’t be able to do what you could but perhaps it would be enough to get through the next hour? They said it wouldn’t be much more than that.”Jian ignored Seungcheol and the manager and looked right at Jeonghan. The alphas would always be louder in their protectiveness, would probably descend into a bare-knuckle brawl right here if they weren’t stopped. But Jeonghan was head omega, that was his pup. His to care for, to see through this presentation and make sure he was tended to. Improperly handled presentations could lead to hormone imbalances and all sorts of issues down the line, and one of the most important things in omega presentations was the presence of an older omega to care for them and guide them through it. She could never do for Seungkwan what Jeonghan could, but he might feel more comfortable leaving him with another omega. Certainly more than an alpha. Her suspicion was proven correct when Jeonghan nodded slowly, his grip on Seungkwan loosening as he looked up at Seungcheol.“They’ll take care of him.”Seungcheol looked like he wanted to argue, but he said nothing. That was something Jian had always found wonderful about their pack. They discussed and deliberated at length whenever big decisions were to be made, but in the heat of the moment, when they had mere seconds, Jeonghan was always right. She admired that, really. The head alpha acknowledging that the head omega will always know better about the pack’s needs and deferring to their judgement was not something she saw a lot. She wished she saw it more. She made her way over and sat on the little couch beside them, helping Jeonghan transfer Seungkwan to her arms. As soon as his face left Jeonghan’s neck the pup let out a sharp whine of distress and Jeonghan’s face twisted in pain. He almost looked like he might pull him back, so Jian quickly gathered him close, rocking him and soothing him to silence. “He’ll be alright, we’ll look after him.”Chaerin and Sieun were watching her nervously and she gave them a look. They had to be confident about this. They couldn’t fumble it. Seungkwan was far too precious for that. Jeonghan slowly retreated, looking like it physically pained him. If Jian knew anything from her own experience, she knew it probably did. Seungcheol wrapped an arm around him, both of them looking like they would rather do anything other than walk away from their whimpering pup as the manager escorted them out. Chaerin swiftly kicked everyone else out of the room, leaving just the four of them.“Noona?”Seungkwan’s voice was rough and quiet, barely audible over the sound of filming restarting outside. Jian pulled him close, rocking him back and forth like Jeonghan had been doing. “What is it, Seungkwannie?” she asked him softly, petting over his hair. “I’m scared,” he whispered. “I want Jeonghan-hyung.”His voice cracked and her heart along with it. “I know, sweetheart, he’ll be back as soon as he can. We’re gonna take care of you, though. Do you want to make a little nest, would that feel good?”He gave a minute nod against her chest and she breathed a sigh of relief. A nest would certainly help to soothe him, but she wasn’t sure he would want anything other than his pack den. Really she wasn’t certain he would even accept it if they made it, but it was worth a try. She directed Chaerin and Sieun around, gathering discarded clothes they had decided not to make the boys wear today, pulling things off the hanging racks and collecting their own jackets and things to make a makeshift nest in the corner. It wasn’t very big, probably barely big enough for Seungkwan and just one of them, but it would have to do. She couldn’t carry him, so she got him to his feet and helped him stumble over and collapse into the piled clothes. His nose wrinkled and he keened and whimpered, shoving things around in dissatisfaction until his body gave out in its exhaustion and he collapsed to the ground with a whine. He looked utterly pathetic laying there, his eyes half-open, his body already covered with a thin sheen of sweat. He wasn’t slicking yet, but once he was she knew all hell would break loose. His body craving a knot while the only alphas he would accept it from were gone and wouldn’t return for another hour was about to be the worst kind of torment Satan could dream up. But they had some time before then and she had to make the most of it.“Can I come in your nest, Seungkwan?” she asked carefully.He nodded slowly, clearly unable to muster words. She crawled in carefully and was immediately uncomfortable with how exposed it was. Chaerin must have had the same idea, because in the next moment she was dragging one of the clothing racks over, letting the long folds of cloth shield them from the rest of the room as she and Sieun kneeled outside the nest. Jian shifted to sit by his head, petting his blonde hair back from his eyes. There was nothing she could do really besides drag her wrist along his jaw and pet his hair and pray that time somehow passed faster.His breath started coming faster at some point, soft pants breaking the tense silence of the waiting room. The harsh breathing was occasionally broken by whimpers, but they weren’t any less painful to hear. The worst one, loud and heartbreaking, was followed by the thick, cloying scent of vanilla. Jian cringed as the scent reached her, knowing things were about to get a lot harder. “Sieun, go stuff a towel under the door. Chaerin, grab a water bottle.The younger women scrambled to obey, back in seconds. She cradled Seungkwan’s head in her arms, trying to keep him still as he writhed in pain and discomfort. There were tears on his face now, leaving tracks in the sweat.“I want my alpha,” he cried quietly. “It hurts, I want my alpha.”“I know, sweetheart, I know,” she whispered, her voice almost breaking. “Soon, he’ll be here soon.”She held the water bottle up to his lips, coaxing him to drink to replace all the water that the sweating and slicking would rob him of. She got him to drink as much as she could before lowering his head back down to her lap. “Should we get him something to grind on?” Chaerin asked tentatively. “That sometimes helps me.”Jian nodded quickly, willing to accept any suggestions. It was a risk, for sure. An orgasm might help to calm him for a brief while, but it also might make him more desperate for a knot. There really was no way to know, since this was his first heat, so they were just throwing spaghetti at the wall here. Sieun looked on nervously as Chaerin shuffled around the room, eventually grabbing one of the strange, cylindrical pillows the managers carried around for the boys to rest their heads on when they napped on couches at whatever strange location their unfortunate lives brought them to. She kneeled at the edge of the nest, careful not to enter without permission, and tucked it between his legs. He seemed too tired to really know what to do with it at first, so she pressed it a little closer, giving Jian a worried look. The pressure seemed to make him understand, though, and he canted his hips forward chasing it. Jian settled it more firmly, before returning her hands to his hair, petting through it. He rocked down onto the pillow, his breath coming in short gasps, occasional tears spilling down his pink cheeks. He was truly a miserable sight, radiating sadness and desperation. Jian knew it would take her a while to recover from this. He started to mouth at her knee and she pushed him away gently. “Do we have anything he could chew on?” Sieun bounced up immediately, running to her bag and pulling out a soft-looking rubber toy, likely for a teething baby. “This is my daughter’s, but it might work? I can wash it.”Jian gave her a nod and she ran to the small sink at the back of the room, quickly washing the toy and toweling it off before ducking back through the curtain of clothes to the nest. Jian took it and gently brought it to Seungkwan’s mouth. He let out a moan of relief as his teeth closed on it, chewing haphazardly around his panting breaths. She held it to his mouth, petting his head as he ground weakly against the pillow. He didn’t have the strength for anything else and she didn’t blame him. This much suffering was exhausting. Even just an hour of it was awful and if she wasn’t so afraid of losing her job and leaving her mate out to dry, she would have a word with someone herself about not paying attention, not getting his hormone levels read, not being prepared for this. Not Jeonghan, never Jeonghan. He was doing his absolute best, he wanted to be here with his pup, but he had his own job on the line. She would have to take it up with management, likely. Another hour of this and she might just be convinced to. A shudder ran through Seungkwan’s body and he fell limp, his hips stilling against the pillow. His eyes were shut and his cheeks were stained with tears. His chest heaved, but he made no other sound. She ran her wrist along his jaw again but it didn’t do much to help. “God, what can we do?” Chaerin asked weakly.She sounded close to tears, and one look at Sieun revealed the same. They had all known Seungkwan for a long time and seeing the pup suffering so much was absolutely awful. Especially when it could be so easily stopped. He needed to be home, curled up in the pack den with his packmates, held by his head omega, knotted by his alpha and pampered until his presentation was over. And he had gotten none of that. Just a shitty, makeshift nest in the corner of a cold waiting room and the unfamiliar hands of his stylists.“There’s nothing else we can do. He wants Jeonghan and Seungcheol, not us. He wants his head omega.” Her voice became too weak to continue and she went back to petting his hair. “Could we give him one of his coats? Maybe the scent would help,” Sieun suggested.Seungcheol’s scent would likely just rile him up more and make him more desperate. But Jeonghan’s might actually help keep him calm and make him feel safe, which was all they could do for him at the moment. She gave Sieun a nod and the younger woman was off again, fetching the hoodie Jeonghan had worn to work today. She tucked it close to Seungkwan’s face and the omega whimpered in relief, the first real sign of life they had seen in him for a while. He shifted forward, burying his face in the jacket, his tears dripping onto the fabric as he rubbed his cheek against it, trying to get the scent all over him. It felt almost violating how much she was learning about Seungkwan. That he wanted to be scented all over and come into being an omega completely claimed by someone else. He was likely one of those omegas that liked walking around covered in their alphas’ and head omega’s scents, advertising to everyone they met that they were owned and loved. Her heart ached again when she realized that Jeonghan probably knew that. He definitely knew that and if he were here he would be smothering his pup with his scent, kissing and licking it into his skin until he reeked of love. Seungkwan whimpered a soft “Hyung”, his voice muffled by the fabric that he had buried his nose into. There was absolutely no mistaking who he was calling for. Jian wanted to cry. She knew how much all of the members loved each other, but she also knew that the youngest pups had basically grown up raised by Jeonghan and had a very strong bond with him. It was cruel to make any of them go through presentation without him, even just for an hour. She didn’t know how long it had been, if they were closer to the end than to the beginning. The moments started to blur together. Bringing the hoodie to Seungkwan’s nose, replacing it with the chew toy, having Sieun and Chaerin fetch water and all but begging him to drink it. His eyes were red from crying, his lips swollen from the chewing. His whole body was coated with sweat and his pants were wet with slick and cum. It was awful, she would be more disgusted if she had room in her heart for anything besides pity and misery. All she could do was hold him and whisper that it would be okay. Because it would, it wouldn’t be forever. But it was impossible to get him to believe it. He cried for Jeonghan and for his alpha, pushing away anything that got close to him and sending himself into a sobbing fit before exhausting the little energy he had built up and going back to quiet whimpers. Chaerin and Sieun both started crying quietly at some point, but she couldn’t spare them any attention. She just held Seungkwan as the minutes blurred, both of them waiting desperately. When the sound of the door opening slipped into their little sanctuary in the corner, she was pretty sure her heart skipped a good ten beats. There was a brief pause before Chaerin poked her head out from between the hanging clothes.“We’re in here.”She brushed the tears from her cheeks and carefully moved the rack away. Jian could see Seungcheol and Jeonghan standing in the doorway and a relief brighter and thicker than any she had ever felt flooded through her. Joshua, Jihoon and Jun were standing with them, and peeking out from behind them she could see little Chan. He hadn’t presented yet, so despite the piercing blue of his eyes hidden beneath his brown contacts, his wolf wouldn’t respond to the thick scent of slick and heat filling the air in the room. Mingyu, she noticed, was absent. It was smart, there was no way to know how he would react.Jeonghan nearly knocked Seungcheol over as he rushed across the room, his knees hitting the ground with a crack and his eyes welling up with tears as he reached for Seungkwan. The pup’s eyes opened and he keened in distress as Jian transferred him to Jeonghan’s arms. The door of the room was closed as Jeonghan pulled him close, murmuring into his hair and rubbing his jaw along his head. “I’m so sorry, puppy, I’m so fucking sorry. It must have been so hard, I’m so sorry baby. I’m here now, hyung is here, I’m gonna take care of you. You’re so strong, Kwannie, I’m so proud of you.” A few tears ran down his cheeks as he nuzzled his pup’s ears. “It’s gonna be okay, everything’s okay now, baby.”Jian watched as Seungkwan trembled, burying his face in Jeonghan’s chest and whimpering, “Hyung. Hyung.” “Jeonghan,” she murmured. “Take your patch off. None of us will tell.”She knew they could get in big trouble if they took their patches off during work. It was considered a breach of contract, an hr issue, they might get accused of baiting if they were omegas and assault if they were alphas, and a dozen other things. But there was only the pack and the three women in here. No one would tell and Seungkwan desperately needed a scenting. Jeonghan looked at her with wide eyes, but she knew he was in no position to debate it right now. He ripped the patches from his neck, pulling Seungkwan close and letting the pup bury his face in his scent glands. Seungkwan panted, taking deep lungfuls of his head omega’s scent and Jian watched the magic work. His trembling stopped, his body relaxed and she watched him calm for the first time since he had been left with her. Jeonghan rocked him back and forth like he had done earlier, pressing soft kisses to his temple. “That’s it, baby,” he murmured. “You’re okay. I’m here, you’re okay. Everything’s okay now, Kwannie.”Jeonghan tipped Seungkwan toward him, briefly peeling off the pup’s patch to rub their scent glands together before slapping it back on before too much of his heat scent could escape. But those brief few seconds were clearly enough because Seungkwan relaxed entirely, his body going limp against Jeonghan’s as a purr rumbled up in his chest. Jian felt the tears welling up in her own eyes now and she blinked them back furiously. The pure relief radiating from Seungkwan was so different from the misery and desperation she had seen just a few minutes before and there were no words for her own relief. Jeonghan held him close, purring back to him as his pup calmed. “Thank you,” he whispered after a moment. Jian shook her head, giving him a gentle smile. “I did what I could.”Footsteps approached and she looked up to see Seungcheol lean over Jeonghan, putting a hand on the omega’s shoulder and dropping a kiss on his head. “Han, we’ve got to get him home. Can I carry him?” Jeonghan’s grip tightened for a moment, a purely instinctual response to someone suggesting taking his pup in heat from him, before he relaxed and nodded, helping Seungcheol gather Seungkwan into his arms. Jeonghan reached out to take Jian’s hands, looking into her eyes so deeply his sincerity could be felt even through the brown contacts“Thank you for taking care of my pup. Truly. I know it can’t have been easy to watch, but I’m indebted to you.”Jian smiled and ruffled his auburn hair, shaking her head. “Pups are everyone’s responsibility. We should all do what we can. We’ve all presented and helped people through it before, we did what we could.”She dropped her hand to his shoulder, looking at him seriously. “You’re a good head omega, Jeonghan.”Jeonghan gave her another smile before getting to his feet and pulling Chan close. They filed out of the room after Seungcheol, Jeonghan carefully replacing his patches. The others followed them, Joshua shooting the three women a grateful look as he passed. Jian let out a long breath, leaning back against the wall, her head still spinning with the scent of heat and desperation. Chaerin and Sieun crawled in beside her, tucking close, craving some kind of comfort. “What a day, huh?” Two watery giggles filled the room and Jian pulled them close. Seungkwan would be alright now. His pack would take care of him.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jeonghan slammed open the front door with more force than was probably necessary, but he could blame it on the fact that he was wound about as tight as someone could be. Seungkwan stumbled in behind him, held up by the combined effort of Seungcheol and Mingyu, both of them whispering encouragement to him as he trembled from the effort of making it up the steps. Jeonghan’s heart ached. His body was so weak right now, meant only to take a knot and then rest to adjust to the sudden insurgence of hormones. He had already been made to wait for almost an hour and a half and that was far too much.
Joshua had already taken charge, directing the betas around to gather water bottles and nesting materials and bring them up to the pack den. Seungcheol and Mingyu moved Seungkwan towards the stairs, Jeonghan following close behind. Seungkwan whimpered, going limp against Seungcheol as his legs gave out. The head alpha cursed and wrapped his arms around the pup to hold him up more firmly.
“It’s okay, Seungkwannie, you’re doing so well, baby. Alpha is so proud of you,” he murmured, petting over his hair. “If you can make it upstairs, you can lie down all you want. Jeonghannie is gonna lie with you and you won’t have to get up again, okay? I promise.”
Seungkwan cracked his eyes open and looked at Jeonghan, who watched him with as much love and fondness as he could muster while his gut twisted with worry and guilt. The pup managed to get his feet under him and they started upstairs, Seungcheol whispering to him all the while as Mingyu looked on. Most of them had elected to leave their scent patches on because the stress of this whole situation was sure to make their scents less than comforting. Only Jeonghan had taken his off, they were lost somewhere where he had tossed them the second they had gotten in the car and they were alone. Seungkwan had kept his face pressed into Jeonghan’s neck the whole ride, the scent like a lifeline for him. It made Jeonghan feel sick with guilt, imagining what he must have suffered for that hour alone.
They made it to the top of the stairs and stumbled down the hallway, Jeonghan fumbling with the lock of the pack den in an effort to get it open as quickly as possible. Wonwoo and Hoshi ran up, carrying the extra blankets and pillows they kept in the closet for nesting. The six of them tripped their way into the room and Jeonghan felt himself relax as soon as the four walls were enclosing him. The den was warm and, as always, was filled with a perfect blend of their pack’s scents. Seungkwan let out a whimper of relief and Seungcheol caught him before he could collapse to the ground. Mingyu ducked out of the room as Seungcheol carried Seungkwan to the bed and carefully laid him down.
Jeonghan wasted no time, yanking off his hoodie and tucking it into the nest before crawling in and pulling Seungkwan close. They were home now, there was no risk, so he pulled off the pup’s scent patches and brought their necks together to scent him. The thick heat scent zinged through him, but it didn’t have the same effect on him that it would on the alphas. All it did was set his wolf off, his whole being turned toward his pup who was weak and compromised and needed to be protected and cared for. Seungkwan’s trembling stopped as he pushed himself closer to Jeonghan, letting the head omega wrap his arms around him. Jeonghan dipped his head down to groom Seungkwan’s ears, rasping his tongue over the velvety fur in a way that soothed his wolf like nothing else. His pup was here and safe, no one would hurt him while Jeonghan was here. Seungkwan snuffled softly, all the fight leaving him as he went limp, exhausted from hours of suffering and pushing his body past its limits. Jeonghan cradled him, rubbing his jaw along Seungkwan’s head and licking his cheeks until he smelled like cinnamon and clove, like Jeonghan. He whimpered quietly and Jeonghan’s heart ached. The pup had no strength to even call for his alpha, all he could do was trust that his head omega would help him.
“Do you want a knot, love?” Jeonghan asked him softly.
Seungkwan let out a soft, wavering moan and nodded against his chest. Jeonghan looked up at Seungcheol, still hovering on the edge of the nest, waiting for permission. Something soft and fond twisted in his chest as he was reminded of how good the whole pack was about never entering the nest without permission. It made him feel safe, respected, treasured.
He tipped his head, beckoning Seungcheol into the nest with them. The head alpha stripped his clothes off quickly, tossing them to the side. He knew better than to add anything to the nest without an omega’s watchful eye. Despite his hurriedness, he approached Seungkwan slowly, petting down his back and nuzzling his neck, scenting him carefully. The pup whimpered, rocking back and forth between sinking into Jeonghan’s arms and chasing Seungcheol. The two of them huffed quiet laughs and Jeonghan pulled him close.
“Do you want alpha’s knot, puppy? Or do you just want a scenting?”
Seungkwan whined, pushing his hips back. His desperation to be filled had been muted for the past hour, overpowered by his need to feel safe and be held. But now that he was here, in the pack den, in Jeonghan’s arms and surrounded by his scent, his body was crying out for his alpha.
Seungcheol pulled him by his hips, shifting him onto his back and tugging his pants down, wincing at the way they stuck, wet with slick and cum from the past hour. After he was settled they would have to clean him up. If they could get him out of the den he could really use a bath.
Jeonghan stayed close as Seungkwan whined in confusion, holding his hand and pulling his head into his lap. He pet through Seungkwan’s hair and over his ears, cooing softly to him as Seungcheol slicked himself up.
“You’re so good, puppy. I’m so sorry you had to wait, but you’re okay now. Alpha’s gonna help you, okay?” Jeonghan murmured. “And I’m gonna stay right here.”
Seungkwan stared up at him, his eyes puffy-red from crying, his pupils blown black and his body trembling as Seungcheol pushed into him. He started off slowly, rocking back and forth, letting Seungkwan’s body get used to it for the first time. The pup’s eyes were wide and scared and Jeonghan tried to be as gentle as he could, cooing and whispering and kissing the fear away.
“Doesn’t that feel nice, to be full?” Jeonghan murmured to him, petting over his ears and rubbing his wrist against his neck.
Seungkwan let out a shaky breath that carried the faintest hint of a purr.
“Alpha’s gonna give you a knot now, love. And all the pain will go away.”
Jeonghan flicked his gaze up to Seungcheol to tell him to move, before refocusing on Seungkwan. The pup’s eyes were hazy as his body was rocked back and forth, his focus was completely on Jeonghan, but the way his honey scent started to sweeten was sign enough that he was feeling better. Jeonghan could see in his peripheral the rest of the pack moving about, the other betas filing in with water bottles and snacks, Jihoon fussing with the nest, but that wasn’t what mattered right now.
Seungkwan let out soft gasps as he was fucked, gently but firmly, the heat in his skin slowly burning itself out. Jeonghan whispered praises, nonsense words, he wouldn’t understand them anyway. What mattered was that he was warm and full and in Jeonghan’s arms smelling of cinnamon and clove.
He thought back on Mingyu’s presentation, the two of them alone in the corner of the cold dorm room. Or Jihoon’s, knotted on the creaky bunk bed with Joshua at the door fending off the staff every five minutes. Or his own, a strange, painful haze of hours, sitting in the darkness of the closet, his only relief when the door would open to reveal Seungcheol and the alpha would pull him close and chase his suffering away with the scent of dark cherries.
It was strange to be grateful, considering how badly things had gone today. But this was better. The pack was here, it was warm and smelled of family. Seungkwan was in his lap, purring as his presentation was properly tended, and really Jeonghan couldn’t ask for anything more.
Seungcheol drew a sharp breath and Jeonghan pulled Seungkwan close, whispering praise as he let out a punched-out noise that was half a moan, half a whine, probably processing the strange sensation of being stretched to your limit and filled with heat for the first time.
“Shhh, you did so well, puppy, you’re so good, so perfect. I’m so proud of you, Kwannie.”
Seungcheol pressed his face to the pup’s chest, his litany of soft praises mixing with Jeonghan’s as the two of them fussed over their pup. Jeonghan tipped them both over onto their sides, tugging a blanket over them and settling himself behind Seungkwan, carefully grooming his ears and cheeks, smothering him with his own scent as the heat under his skin started to fade. He felt around for a blanket and someone pushed one into his hand, helping him pull it up over Seungkwan.
“Good boy,” Seungcheol rumbled. “Good puppy, what a good omega.”
Seungkwan was smiling now, for the first time today, his nose pressed to Seungcheol’s chest as the alpha held him. His cheeks were a happy pink, his scent honeying as the pack heads doted on him.
A water bottle appeared at the corner of Jeonghan’s vision, a plastic one with a straw in it. He turned to see Hoshi holding it out, his brow carefully creased with worry behind his bangs, still crunchy with hair gel.
“He should drink.”
Jeonghan accepted the bottle with a smile, noting fondly how Hoshi hovered, not taking his eyes off Seungkwan. They didn’t quite know yet how the care dynamics were going to shake out yet, truly they didn’t know how the pack would shake out at all. But watching them now, Jeonghan would bet quite a lot of money that Hoshi would end up as Seungkwan’s care beta.
He held the straw to Seungkwan’s lips, letting him drink until he nudged it away with a whine. Hoshi took it back and Jeonghan settled back down, brushing his lips against Seungkwan’s neck, carefully soothing his swollen scent gland. Seungcheol was nuzzling his neck, eyes half closed with exhaustion. Jeonghan ran a hand up and down his flank, smiling gently.
“Good job, alpha,” he murmured. “Took such good care of him.”
He got a pleased rumble in response, and Seungkwan chirped at it, a soft little omega sound he had never made before. Jeonghan huffed a breathless laugh, unable to keep the tears from springing to his eyes as he squeezed his pup close, pressing his nose into soft, blonde hair.
“My omega pup,” he whispered, surprised by how choked his voice sounded. “Mine.”
Seungkwan purred happily, pressing back into him and letting out a little trill. Jeonghan brushed the tears from his eyes and trilled back to him, feeling like his chest would explode from how much love had come to rest in it. He looked up a little to see Jihoon watching them from behind fluffy, dark bangs. He had taken his contacts out and his eyes were green and fond as he watched them. Jeonghan chirped at him too and he rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were a soft pink and Jeonghan could smell his joy in the air, thickening the scent of pack in the room. After a few moments, staring at his hands, he let out a soft trill back and Jeonghan smiled fondly.
“Hyung?”
He looked down, bringing a hand up to pet over Seungkwan’s ears. The pup was blinking fast, his pupils slowly shrinking from black voids back to their normal size, his skin cooling as his presentation faded and took the blazing heat with it.
“You’re alright, baby. We’ve got you.”
Seungcheol huffed a little but didn’t open his eyes, clearly spent from knotting so suddenly. Jeonghan petted his hair gently.
“I’ve got him, Cheol.”
Seungkwan whined a little and Jeonghan pulled him as close as he could without tugging on the knot. He covered his cheeks with kisses, making comical smooching noises until the pup was giggling and shoving at him with weak hands.
“I’m okay, hyung, I’m okay!” he laughed, eyes scrunching shut.
Jeonghan smiled and placed one last kiss on his nose. “How do you feel?”
Seungkwan let out a deep breath, ears flicking carefully.
“Good. It was bad for a while, but now it's good,” he said softly.
Jeonghan whined quietly and snuggled him closer, lapping at his ears until he purred.
“I’m so sorry, Kwannie. We did the best we could. I wish I could have been there.”
Seungkwan shook his head, leaning back to tuck his nose under Jeonghan’s chin. The two of them rested for a while, breathing together. Jeonghan rubbed his hand up and down Seungkwan’s side, feeling the way his wolf connected them together. He may not have his pack mark yet, but he was already Jeonghan’s in every way that mattered. He brushed his hand up to Seungkwan’s shoulder, his thumb drawing circles over the soft, unblemished skin there. Seungkwan seemed to notice what he was doing, because he opened his eyes, staring at the sleeping Seungcheol.
“Can I have my mark now, then?”
Jeonghan pressed a kiss to his shoulder and sighed. “Is that what you want? Are you sure?”
Seungkwan turned as best he could to look Jeonghan in the eyes and Jeonghan felt his heart skip at the sincerity he found there.
“I want nothing more than to be here forever,” he whispered.
Jeonghan blinked back a fresh round of tears and buried his face in his pup’s neck, holding him close. They let themselves lay there, breathing together, feeling the way things had changed. He was a full omega now, his baby. All grown. He’d have to start taking suppressants. Probably birth control too. He would have to start being careful with his scent, the alphas would be all over him.
But nothing would happen to him. Jeonghan held him close, rocking him slightly as he made a promise to himself. Nothing would happen to his pup so long as he was around.
They laid in silence, listening to the others move around the room, until Seungcheol’s knot went down. Seungkwan whined in discomfort as Jeonghan pulled him away, likely hating the feeling of the cum leaking out. Jeonghan laughed a little, pressing a kiss to his head.
“Next heat we can get you a plug if you want to keep it inside. But this time we need to get you clean. You’re disgusting.”
Seungkwan stuck out his tongue at him but acquiesced, weak limbs slowly pushing himself up to sit. Joshua crawled over, brushing his hand over Seungcheol’s sleeping face. The three of them watched him for a moment, but it didn’t seem like he was likely to wake up anytime soon.
“I’ll take care of him,” Joshua told him, a fond smile decorating his catlike face. “You go get cleaned up.”
Jeonghan nodded. “Hoshi, love? Can you go run a bath, please?”
The beta nodded immediately, hopping to his feet and darting out of the room. Jeonghan mentally added a few more plausibility points to his theory. He carefully helped Seungkwan onto unsteady feet, wrapping a robe around him and taking careful steps over to the bathroom across the hall. The bathtub was already full and Jeonghan helped Seungkwan into it before stripping and joining him. The warmth of the water soaked into his bones and he let out a long exhale, letting the stress of the day bleed out of him and be carried away by the gentle lap against his skin. Hoshi hovered nearby, ears flattened and brow creased with worry, and Jeonghan couldn’t help smiling.
“We’ll be okay, pup. Go help the others clean the den up.”
The beta nodded, casting one last look at Seungkwan before ducking out of the room, shutting the door behind him as Jeonghan had forcefully trained them all to do. He had gotten fed up with having to get up to close them himself. He pulled Seungkwan close so his back was against Jeonghan’s chest, leaning his chin on the pup’s shoulder.
“Still feeling good?” he asked softly, gently petting his thighs under the water. “Not feeling dizzy or cold or like you’re broken and useless and no one will ever love you?”
Seungkwan let out a high laugh that echoed through the bathroom, pressing back against him. The sound soothed something in Jeonghan that had been worried. Terrified that he hadn’t gotten there in time, that his pup would be damaged.
“No, hyung. I feel good. You were there for most of it, you did a good job.” Seungkwan turned to press a soft kiss to his shoulder. “Thank you.”
Jeonghan shook his head, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. He grabbed the soap and started washing Seungkwan clean, carefully ridding him of the sweat and slick on his skin. Seungkwan sat carefully still, handing Jeonghan his limbs one by one, letting him wash his hair and his face, letting the head omega pet at him. He seemed to understand that Jeonghan needed this. Needed to know his pup was okay, that he had taken care of him and done the best he possibly could. Once he was clean, he settled Seungkwan back against his chest again.
“I’m gonna clean you out now, okay?”
Seungkwan nodded, already half asleep, soothed by the calming cinnamon pheromones and the feeling of being cared for. A soft purr rippled the surface of the water, all satisfaction and contentment. Jeonghan carefully slipped two fingers into his loose hole, gently petting Seungkwan’s stomach as he tensed up.
“Shhh, baby, you need to get clean.” Jeonghan pressed a kiss to his neck.
He moved his fingers slowly, petting his walls and cleaning out the cum that had filled him up, satisfying for a while but quickly annoying.
“I do this for Jihoonie too, you know. He hates being all sticky. I don’t hate it as much. It feels nice when I’m in heat. It sucks after, though, getting it all out.”
He kept talking about nothing, feeling the way Seungkwan squirmed in his arms, the scent of oranges blossoming into the room, twisted with the sweet tang of arousal. He hummed a little, pressing his nose to the side of Seungkwan’s head, the pup squeaking as Jeonghan’s fingers found his prostate.
“Good, baby?”
Seungkwan whimpered and nodded, rocking his hips down. It was easy to forget that this was his first time being touched like this. It was his first knot, his first time being bred. He was so little and sweet and innocent, it made Jeonghan’s heart ache. He pressed ceaseless kisses into Seungkwan’s hair as he carefully massaged him. He was long clean by now, but he made such pretty noises and the scent of him in the air was intoxicating. Jeonghan could indulge him, just for now. It was his first heat, after all, and he’d had such a hard day. It was slow and unhurried, Jeonghan gently massaging him and whispering soft praises in his ear until he shuddered and moaned through his orgasm. Jeonghan pulled his fingers out and carefully cleaned away the slick that had leaked out.
“Let’s go lay down now, hm?”
Seungkwan took several deep breaths, pressing back against him like he wanted to meld into Jeonghan’s skin. His scent was sweet, melted sugar and oranges and delight, and Jeonghan couldn’t help but start purring.
“Can we just sit here for a while?” Seungkwan asked quietly.
Jeonghan smiled, purring louder as he pressed a kiss to his head. “Of course.”
Seungkwan snuggled closer and Jeonghan took a deep breath of the way their scents mingled, like caramelized oranges or a spiced mulled wine.
“I love you, hyung,” he murmured.
Jeonghan’s grip tightened on him and he swore that no one would ever touch his pup. Not ever.
“I love you, baby.”