Chapter Text
Seonghwa carefully lowered himself on the sofa near Yeosang's head. The omega's legs were drawn to his chest while his feet kept stroking the soft material of the sofa, his arms were visibly shielding his abdomen but kept at a safe distance from his middle. His hair was sprawled on the cushion he used, some locks curled and others sticking out every which way when he kept rubbing his cheek against it. "Hey, pup, puppy, why.. Why are you crying?" Seonghwa doubted he was heard when he heard Yeosang whimpering again, so pained that he stopped all movements, and Seonghwa was sure he stopped breathing.
"Yeosang," he stroked his hand gently, "you will pass out if you don't breathe." Yeosang's hands were freezing, noted Seonghwa. They tended to run cold but this was a new level.
Obediently, he took in a shaky breath, his eyes brimming with tears as he did so but Seonghwa failed to see what was wrong on his own seeing that Yeosang was visibly in so much pain and could hardly speak a word let alone formulate an explanation. As if to confirm his doubts even when there were very few left with the way the brunet omega kept clenching and unclenching his fists, drawn between distancing them from his torso and letting them hover over his stomach, he murmured ' hurts, bad ' almost indistinctively.
For a long moment, Seonghwa simply frowned. His head refused to supply him with any bout of meaningful explanation for the reason behind Yeosang being in the state he found him in.
He felt stupid for coming up with crazy ideas. It could be his sleep-clouded mind, after all, he had just woken up from his afternoon nap but no, that doesn't clog his nostrils because how idiotic of him to miss the wafts of scents coiling in the air when he was sitting so close to the source. Any other time, he would take a single inhale of the air soaked with caramel and he would immediately come to the realisation that Yeosang was in heat. It took him longer, but he eventually did, and with that information finally in, he slid from the sofa and settled on the carpet to have a better access to the brunet boy who was starting to shudder as wave after wave of pain shot from his lower abdomen and down his inner thighs, seeping right into his bones and making his lower half grow weak.
"Can I hold you, pup?" It didn't hurt to ask even if he already knew the answer. Maybe in hopes that this time around, Yeosang would allow himself to be held.
As expected, he received a curt head shake. He knew how intense the omega's heats get and the simplest of skin brushes against his skin would make his body go even more haywire, not knowing what to do with the overstimulation especially if he never consented to being touched or accidentally so and no one had the heart to make him suffer like that. They all kept their distance, respecting his boundaries even if it was hard with how sweet Yeosang would smell and how flushed his skin and cheeks would get, prompting him to lose more and more items of clothing until he would be left with but sleeveless shirts, baggy and most definitely borrowed. The onslaught of all these elements, from smells to visuals and the addition of his breathy whimpers and moans of one of their names when he couldn't take it anymore and wanted to at least have them close so he could go through another crashing wave of cramps, was a very tortuous sight to behold. It broke their hearts gravely but there were very little options available for him with the regular ones out of question.
The other two omegas of their pack, like they've seen the ones outside of theirs do too, would opt to cuddling after rounds and rounds of sex with either one of the four alphas or beta.
Wooyoung didn't have preferences as long as it was someone from their pack looking after him, he was used to his pack members and they too were used to him. They could handle his mood swings and his demands of being doted on that would turn into fussing when he gets very little or not enough, but once he's in bed with them, he would be the most pliant and the sweetest cuddler in his afterglow glory.
San was a tad too wild for their sanity but he still fell under the regular category of omegas even if he got supra horny during his heats and was hard to satisfy but they still got the hang of it eventually. A bit of manhandling here, a twist of degradation there, putting on an unamused face when pounding into him as keen moans and gasps of pleasure leave his lips is what they need to tip him over the age.
None of these things worked on Yeosang and no one dared to try. Maybe because he was the youngest and his body was adjusting to the changes that presenting suggested. He also didn't have any experience and it was made even harder for him with the intensity that brought each month's heat hence why they seldom were allowed to try but they had to alternate between gentle and overbearing when with him, and that was only on the days he was receptive. Those days were rare. Any other regular day in his heat, he would sit sequestered in his room with a pile of blankets and anything that has chocolate in it ready on his bedside table. So finding him alone in the living room and laying on the sofa of all places was uncommon, especially when he was overly aware of how even if Seonghwa weekly changed its covers, he still refused to so much as sit on it because of how, and to quote his words, all of you sweat in these very cushions and rub your scents like some wild wolves in the woods marking their territory. Seonghwa guessed that he settled for it because no one had sat on said cushions yet after changing them that morning.
Yeosang was also growing very upset and little by little, his shivering increased. He was freezing and everything he was inhaling was the burnt caramel in his own scent and that of detergent because of the sofa. Not a single hint of any of his pack members' respective scents. On top of that all, he was cold. Freezing. He could take a wild guess, he was running a cold fever. Nothing new, nothing he couldn't handle before.
He sniffed and sat up groggily. He wiped his face clean of tears which he was terrible at to be honest for he barely caught a few with his thumb and the back of his hand before deeming it enough, questionably so.
Seonghwa was sitting on his haunches, still in his previous position. It took all of him not to fold Yeosang in his arms and embrace him closely and hopefully keep his hurt away.
Instead, said omega turned to face him. The soles of his feet brushed against Seonghwa's thighs when he slid his feet from the sofa and caged him in the process. Yeosang's fingers found his chest and inched upwards, catching onto the material of his shirt and not letting go.
What was incomprehensible with how his dislike for skinship during his heat was that it wasn't so bad if he initiated it. One could debate that it was because his body and mind both know what to brace for, which would be true, but most likely not the whole thing. He managed skinship sometimes even when he wasn't the one to initiate it and only after allowing it. A certain kind in a few distinct points like his hand and wrist, especially his palm and the inside of his wrist right above his pulse point. The tips of his fingers and the planes of his shoulder blades, any lower than that or higher and he would snap. Grabbing his waist or upper arms or stroking his neck would probably, most certainly actually, be a ticket to an early grave. Not that Seonghwa knew that, no, absolutely not at all. He wouldn't touch his own stomach because his hands, again, were too cold to bear, but he would definitely accept and even appreciates belly rubs. He enjoyed soft and purposefully gentle touches but seriously never touch his lower back.
Seonghwa wasn't sure of where to go from there at first but when he looked into Yeosang's eyes, a silent plea was the one thing readable.
"Yeosang, tell me what you need. Is there anything that you want specifically?"
A nest.
They made one on the living room floor near the fireplace atop Jongho's sheets and Yeosang was in one of the said beta's shirts, cocooned in two layers of blankets, Mingi and Hongjoong's, Yunho's pillows and San's plushies hugged close to his chest and last but not least, Wooyoung's heat-packs on the coffee table that was pushed to the wall to make room for the piles of burrowed belongings from the absent pack members' rooms. Not that they would mind.
Yeosang sat in the middle, his head resting on Seonghwa's thigh with his legs stretched beneath a fluffy blanket. He was simmering, content within the comfort of his nest, his fingers continuing to play with Seonghwa's as they talked about what they needed to order for dinner when the others were back, or better yet, ask Wooyoung to cook one of his own creations since he was a skilled chef.
"I want Wooyoungie's. Wooyoungie style steak is the best steak." He tugged and pulled at Seonghwa's hand to make the deer he's made run away from the snapping jaws his own hand formed. It made the alpha smile fondly at his antics as he continued to listen to one of Yeosang’s many adventures in the kitchen, his cotton stuffed brain failing to catch up to his unraveling of one of his secrets when he told him the careful steps he took once to make some traditional dish but ending up with a mop in his hand in the middle of the night instead, all ingredients ended up on the floor boards when he misplaced them on the counter so whatever surprise breakfast he was planning for his pack was fed to the stray cats eventually since it was beyond salvation.
“You aren’t going to try again because of that incident?” He glanced down, the omega was pondering his question, eyes furrowed in concentration.
Seonghwa knew not to expect zero disasters from their resident troublemaker. He wasn’t chaotic or naughty per se, he was just clumsy by nature and got himself into trouble. Being obliged to mop after a failed breakfast wasn’t the only thing he had to do after an incident. Seonghwa remembers, most likely all the pack does, that one time he fought with the freezer to retrieve a pot of tomato sauce that Wooyoung put there to cool faster. When the other omega asked Yeosang to grab it for him, he certainly didn’t put into account the ice crystals that all too soon formed around the base of the pot and stuck it to the freezer. So when Yeosang reached up and tugged and tugged at it without a result with one hand, he decided to use both of his hands and before he could yip with triumph, the tomato sauce, too spicy and positively freezing, landed with a splash across his face and hair and all the way into his right eye. Wooyoung whipped his head around upon hearing the clatter of stainless steel against wood to see an all red Yeosang. He didn’t reprimand the younger, how could he when all he was repeating was an endless chant of ‘ sorry ’ and ‘ it stings.’ The worst part wasn’t their lost chance to have homemade pizza, it was walking up to the kitchen as the commotion started, one by one, they all had the fright of their lives seeing Yeosang crying and Wooyoung trying to clean the sauce from his face and wipe his eye that was turning red and even more teary and swollen when he kept apologizing for interfering and successfully ruining his dish.
Yeosang yawned and rolled on his back carefully slow until he was on his side. Seonghwa’s thigh still pillowed his head and he nuzzled the alpha’s abdomen before murmuring that he ‘would be more, extra, ultra careful’ if he did try again some day.
Seonghwa really wished he would. Their youngest was usually home all alone when the others went to their jobs or had some errands to run and only returned late in the evenings or even at night when their personal schedules were hectic. He was bound to be bored, even if he never admitted it to them. He could only entertain himself so much before growing to taste the bitterness of what it really meant to have all the house to himself. He was a tactile person by excellence, add to it that he was still very much a pup when he only lately turned eighteen which made him the most sensitive to their distance and only receiving attention when they weren’t done in on weekdays or completely ran over come weekends.
It was understandable to Seonghwa why he’d tried to surprise them with a gesture so simple like preparing breakfast or doing their beds on the days when they overslept and had to quickly leave for work, it was his only way to communicate with them when direct ones failed to be present. He craved their care, and they were far from the typical, universal view of spoiling youngsters. Seonghwa couldn’t even count past the fingers of one hand the times they all sat together at dinner during the last month alone, or had a movie night, or played games like they used to do. They’ve been neglecting him but he didn’t give up on them. At least, not consciously so.
Ironically, they couldn’t find an explanation to the way he behaved the way he did when his heat came round. He must have subconsciously registered their distance from him and filed it under not needing physical contact to survive it, one burden amongst many that he was obliged to go through on his own even if he belonged to a pack that was designed for that very purpose.
He was obliged to learn on his own through trial and error. If he failed to operate the washing machine, he would look it up or hand wash their laundry just so Seonghwa wouldn’t need to do it on his scheduled laundry day. The skin on the back of his hands irritated was the telltale sign of that. If he left his wallet at the grocery store because he was that forgetful when shopping, he would turn to ordering what they need online and have everything delivered to their house. If San couldn’t find an important notebook to study for his exam and was so stressed about it, Yeosang would look all over for it only to find it wedged between San’s desk and the wall and hand it to him. He was always there for them in subtle ways, even if his first attempts ended with disasters, never once caring about his safety when they were involved, helping them but never asking for anything in return because he was content when they were satisfied, happy when they were happy.
Seonghwa really wished he’d have some sense of self preservation or at least pay attention to where he was putting his own two feet for them.
Yeosang continued to mumble into Seonghwa’s shirt about some interesting anime he’d started watching featuring some characters with book titles for abilities. He could make out that much before Yeosang’s speech turned slurred, some more gibberish about Horton Hears A Who and missing Jongho?
Seonghwa paused his hand that was stroking the chocolate brown locks of hair to ask if he heard right. He was met with the sight of Yeosang dozing off before his eyes sewed shut, his face cradled in his right hand as he finally succumbed to drowsiness and drifted into dreamland.
Seonghwa smiled at the display. He really talked himself to sleep.
What Seonghwa failed to notice because he too was lulled to sleep by the warmth of the fireplace and within the comfort of Yeosang's nest was how little the omega stirred and thrashed in his sleep compared to the times he spent these exact same days of his cycle before, curled up in bed as pain ate away at his bones and he felt like he was a star burning from the inside with nothing to extinguish the fire.
The others came back home that evening to find that the living room was reorganized so that every piece of furniture was pushed to the wall to allow some space for their makeshift bed as the two of them curled around each other, breathing the same air with how close their heads laid on a pillow that Yunho recognised as his. The blankets were swallowing them whole and they looked so pleased with each other's company, they even smelled like it. Cherry mixed with caramel and mingled intricately in a non-traditional but delightful concoction.
"I want to have what they have."
Hongjoong's comment elicited peels of laughter from Mingi and high pitched, even if muffled chortles from San.
The noise caught Seonghwa's ears, forcing him to look around for the source of disturbance, his gaze landing quickly on the rest of his pack grouped like penguins by the entrance. He pressed his pointer finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet because Yeosang was still asleep and he looked like he needed it.
He extricated his limbs from the mess of blankets and tucked them around Yeosang carefully before tiptoeing his way to them.
"Hey," Yunho smiled at the way his bedhead was a mess after a small nap. He reached out and smoothed it down for him. "Did you sleep well?"
Seonghwa nodded and snuggled closer to him. He rested his head on Yunho's shoulder and closed his eyes.
"Is he ok?" Mingi asked when he saw Yeosang starting to shift.
"Not really," Seonghwa shook his head. "He might be in pain and," he turned to Jongho who's been silently observing their youngest and the ornate nest he'd put together. Seonghwa called his name to grab his attention before continuing, "he's been calling for you in his sleep. I believe he said he misses you too."
That was definitely a novel of an occurrence. They weren't at all accustomed to Yeosang openly stating that he missed one of them, unclear and muffled as it has been said within his sleep haze, but still expressed.
Jongho nodded before stating that he will go stay with him. The others dispersed, Wooyoung with Seonghwa to the kitchen while trying to decide on a dinner, the rest discussing amongst themselves about the day's events and how it was so tiresome they had to take the longest rest.
The beta was reluctant at first, his steps timid as he crossed the living room, but as Yeosang’s sleeping form became clearer and clearer the closer he got, with his flushed cheeks and splayed brown locks, he caved. Carefully, he laid next to him, head plopping on the same pillow and soundlessly watched the way Yeosang scrunched his nose upon sensing him, his scent stronger than ever. He nuzzled Jongho’s hand when it brushed his cheeks. The sweet nickname Jongho chose for him coupled with the extra comfortable warmth coaxed him to open his eyes and blink blearily at him. A smile stretched his lips before he could even register the joyful somersaults his heart did upon hearing Jongho refer to him as Rosy Cheeks again.
It was a cheesy unimaginative nickname but he was sure no one used it for Yeosang before, or for anyone ever, so he thought ‘why not.’ The omega’s cheeks tended to turn that rosy shade whenever he was shy or embarrassed, it was more endearing to witness after he woke up, something Jongho will never have enough of and a thing he was currently being graced with.
"Hey, pup. How was your nap?" Jongho couldn't help but smile back at the younger when Yeosang was beaming at him the way he always did when he was over the moon.
Yeosang hummed, content with the warmth and Jongho's presence. "Best nap in for- forever." A yawn interrupted him and his eyes were too droopy. Jongho could see how he needed a few more minutes or however much it took for him to fully rest.
"Did you miss me, Yeosangie? You're wearing my shirt." He brushed Yeosang's hair with his fingers, a smile still playing on his lips.
Yeosang rubbed his eyes lazily. "Missed hyungie but.." a frown knitted his brows as he continued, "but couldn't find you 'cause you had work and Hwa hyung was here so we made this and napped together." He patted the mass of blankets under his hand as a finish.
"I'm here now, puppy."
It was a bittersweet moment, coming home so late when he was needed hours ago and Yeosang had probably even given up on seeing him, or any of them, by settling for their belongings and trusting them to keep him company better than them the owners. And why was that? Right, because they had work.
It was a sad reality but they were living right in those days where they were neglecting the most vulnerable member of their pack and it wasn't like Jongho was blind. No, he could see it, and he was furious.
Jongho was mad at himself and at the ridiculous amount of cases he had to prepare for, with hearings left and right without a hint of a stop. He knew it was hard to be a lawyer, but for how long was he planning to keep doing this until he could no more?
Seonghwa staying at home that day was just a lucky coincidence. Yeosang's heat was supposed to be in two weeks according to schedule. It could have gone wrong in so many ways had Seonghwa chosen not to take the day off.
Jongho knew that he should be grateful for Seonghwa, and he was, but it seemed like even the alpha's presence wasn't enough. What with the nest that Jongho himself was laying in and the way Yeosang was scooting closer to him. And how could it be enough when they hardly offered Yeosang the opportunity to be around so he would at least have that option, that they were there for him if and when needed.
The beta was convinced that he needed a break, a well-deserved one. He's been working his ass off for years continuously and now was the time to take those months of his vacation that he had been saving unintentionally. That way, he would get to relax and most importantly spend some time with their youngest.
"Want to sleep for a bit more? I'll wake you up once dinner is ready." Jongho's fingers gently ran through the silky brown strands of Yeosang's hair making the omega even more sluggish.
Yeosang nodded, the idea not at all bad.
Jongho was right there with him. The beta had been so busy that Yeosang kept missing the chance to see him in the beginning of the day or after work for two weeks in a row, and it was bad enough for him that he couldn't switch it off and ignore it like he would usually. All he knew was that his instinct was compelling him to wrap around the beta and keep him there for as long as he was available. He hoped it would last for a century.
"Will you stay?" Yeosang asked in a small voice. He was unsure if he could hope to see Jongho after waking up again or if the beta would be busy.
Honesty, Yeosang wasn't sure if could stay up any longer. His heart was already preparing itself for yet another rejection. It was too used to being stomped on to erase his yearning but that was fine, his pack wasn't his personal property and he didn't own any of its members. They had lives outside of their home, taking care of him wasn't their responsibility and so was staying with him as he slept.
However, and to his absolute delight, even if with a hint of confusion, Jongho's answer was in affirmative.
Yeosang just had to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
"Hyung?" He said eloquently. His tongue, of course, refused to cooperate with his brain.
Jongho's face lit up with a smile upon seeing the astonishment that widened Yeosang's previously droopy eyes. Jongho had merely confirmed that he will stay with Yeosang. It wasn't that hard to please Yeosang, if the way his eyes lit up was anything to go by, his reaction made the beta's heart ache.
"I'll be here when you wake up. Don't worry about it and try to rest, yeah?" Jongho vowed to himself that he will do his best to stay rooted in his place for when Yeosang wakes up and that he would do his absolute hardest to be there for him in the future too.
It wasn't that hard to notice, and maybe it was because Jongho's nose was the most sensitive out of all of them and picked up the changes of scents in the air before anyone else, but he could easily tell what Yeosang was about to go through based on the change of his scent. The caramel was dampened bit by bit with soot. It was foreign for burnt sugar usually smelled like coal, but soot was too much even for Yeosang.
Jongho knew that he would be needed. Either that or he will be sent away really quickly.
As if on cue, Yeosang shifted closer. There was a whimper in his voice as he asked for Jongho to 'please stay' but he muffled it all by burying his face in Jongho's broad chest and gripping his dress shirt with both fists.
After a long wave of pain raking through Yeosang's body, the omega relaxed again. The tension in his muscles diminished relatively allowing him a breather. It wasn't clear to Jongho whether he'd gone out cold because of the exhaustion or the general sleepiness. Either ways, he was curled up close to Jongho's body, breaths even as they caressed the beta's skin with the way his head was tucked under Jongho's chin.
While the younger slept, Jongho stayed awake, alarmed and ready whenever he sensed another change in Yeosang's scent. He was glad when he noticed how infrequent the heat pains became after some time, Yeosang wasn't stirring and turning just as often with Jongho's hands giving him belly rubs after he'd shifted at one point.
Jongho couldn't help but think that maybe they should stop letting him stay alone in his room when he was in heat. It wasn't all that bad to warm him up and keep him comfortable company. And yes, Yeosang was indeed comfortable. One doesn't just get 70 pounds of thick white fur across their lap if said mass of fluff wasn't comfortable.
Yeosang in his wolf form was a mesmerising sight. His skeleton was lithe and he didn't weigh much since he was an Arctic wolf, especially since he was young. His insulated white coat bordering on silver around his small ears and the tip of his muzzle made him all the more ethereal. His once blue irises now changed to fully golden and they too were as captivating as his brown eyes when in his human form. They settled on Jongho as soon as his eyelids fluttered open.
"Wooyoung says dinner is served." Jongho's heart was thundering in his chest, it was all too endearing to have Yeosang's gaze focused on him and him only as he explained that they needed to wake up. And maybe the idea wasn't that welcomed.
Yeosang huffed upon hearing that he had to step out of his nest, his head suddenly filled with lead as it dropped on Jongho's chest and refused to so much as shift.
Jongho raised his brow.
Hiding his grin, he tried what he knew would get the omega's attention in an instant.
"I hear that he's made steak, grilled." The golden irises flickered over to him.
Bingo!
"You can stay here, pup. I'm sure you're tired." Jongho closed his eyes and let his head fall back on the pillow.
"But, hyung!" Yeosang whined, already sitting up. He shook Jongho's shoulder when he didn't get any response.
And if asked, Jongho would say that there was no better time to start righting his wrongdoings than now.
In a flurry of whines and gasps, Yeosang found himself being carried across the house and then sat at the dinner table with Jongho cutting his steak to bite-sized pieces and spoon feeding him vegetables when he forgot to. It somehow didn't end there, the others too were so gentle with him that he ended up tearing up at one point in the evening, touched with the way Mingi was considerate of him and made him hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows as they sat around the still perfectly made nest to watch Harry Potter per Yunho's request and Yeosang's insistense. They might have needed more blankets for the rest of them but it was even more delightful that way to Yeosang. Let's just say that he had a lot of tears of joy to spare with how heartwarming it was to be in his first ever cuddle pile. It's never that bad when the eight of them were together.