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“I’m an alpha now” Ni-ki mutters sleepily to himself, “An alpha....a cool alpha” he whispers again before completely falling asleep next to a very sleepy, tired and honestly confused omega, Sunoo.
The omega sits up as quietly as he can without waking up the maknae and grabs the attention of Jay who was sitting in the opposite bunk,
“Are alphas always like this? What is with their need to be cool, buff and strong?” Sunoo huffs, annoyed that Ni-ki seemed so adamant on the fact that him presenting as an alpha a few days ago meant him having to be as mature as a man in his 30’s. The older alpha, Jay, flushes a bit and hesitates when Jungwon, his mate, comes to the rescue, “It’s a thing that’ll wear off in a few days Sunoo hyung” and Sunoo hopes that’s true.
He really didn’t want to see some stuck up, try-hard alpha in place of the maknae who he adored so much.
Sunoo’s face, being expressive as it is, displays his worry full on to which Jungwon laughs and continues from Jay’s side on the bunk bed, “Let’s not forget how Jay went to the gym for a whole four days but dropped it right after his whole Alpha phase dialed down”
Jay nods, “It’s true, the Alpha phase dies out in a day or so and wait—“ he pauses before turning to look at Jungwon offensively, “Why is it called an Alpha phase ?”. Jungwon squints.
“Would you rather have me call it Alpha puberty?”
The maknaes snicker and Jay mumbles something about, “I’m older, you disrespectful brats” before turning off the lights and attempts to lighten the mood to ease Sunoo’s worry, “Sunoo-ah, don’t stay up too late drooling over Suho or Seojun or whatever in that k-drama tonight, okay?”. “You know their names?” Sunoo gasps before the light flickers on again and he finds both Jay and Jungwon glaring at him, “If I hear you rant about Seojun’s jawline and broad shoulders one more time—“
Sunoo laughs and switches off the light again, using the switch beside him and pulls the cover over him, hoping to get some sleep.
But unfortunately he stays awake for some time after lying back down with the sleeping younger, squished between Ni-ki and his pillow, which normally would’ve been the perfect level of comfy for him to sleep in, but he just couldn’t. Sunoo had witnessed when Jay and Sunghoon had presented. The former had, just as Jungwon said, gone on an exercising spree, consumed an unhealthy amount of protein powder and obsessed about his physique for nearly a week, something about being a strong alpha was important. But he eventually understood that being strong isn’t an alpha trait nor a necessity to qualify as an alpha but was just some overpushed mentality by stuck up, toxic people.Whereas Sunghoon never went through his ‘alpha phase’, it was mostly due to him being surrounded by open minded individuals during his past time as a male figure skater, he understood that an alpha doesn’t have to have manly, strong traits from when he was young itself.
But now Ni-ki...
As if hearing his worries, Ni-ki snuggles closer to the older, mumbles a bit about Hyung, you’re warm in some hybrid of Japanese and Korean, to which Sunoo smiles fondly and brings an arm around the alpha’s waist. He temporarily pushed his concerns aside,
Yeah, don’t worry, everything’s gonna be alright
—
Sunoo wakes up the next morning and nearly yells his lungs out.
You see, the members always call out Sunoo for his dramaticness in a good natured way because everyone deep down enjoyed the reactions Sunoo brought to the table. Whether it was making a conversation on a Vlive heading in a solemn direction into a random teasing battle or screaming and jokingly getting pissed just to send the other members into a fit of giggles. But this time, he yelled for a valid reason. A reason so valid, he shouldn’t even be screaming but possibly calling an ambulance.
Ni-ki, their main dancer, their smart maknae, said to have brain cells , was chewing on Jay’s protein powder.
“Good morning, hyung—“ Ni-ki starts, a bit of protein powder on his nose because the dumbass was currently eating it right from the tub.
“YOU IDIOT” Sunoo yells again, voice still hoarse due to it being early in the morning and is met with a small pout on the younger’s face. Sunoo figures that screaming along with mild-cursing wasn’t normal for him since Heeseung and Jake burst into the room, concern etched on their faces, “Sunoo, what happ—“
They pause.
Heeseung frowns and turns to Jake, “You’re seeing this too, right.” Jake’s eyebrows are so close to flying right off his forehead, “I really wish I wasn’t”
Ni-ki’s pout deepened and Sunoo massages his own temples, “Fine, Ni-ki, before I chew your brains out. Explain to me why you’re eating Jay’s expired protein powder”. “ITS EXPIRED?” Heeseung and Jake collectively yell, Ni-ki lets out a soft noise similar to a confused puppy, and Jay somehow appears from the hallway, “Oh, that protein powder? It expired like a year ago?”
“Oh my god ”
A few moments pass, the five members just standing awkwardly with no idea of what to do before Heeseung clears his throat, “Okay, Jay and Jake get back into the kitchen, let’s not burn our breakfast” And he turns to Sunoo and Ni-ki, “Sunoo-ah, helps Ni-ki cough out the protein powder in his mouth”
Ni-ki swallows a good bit of the protein powder in his mouth and Heeseung groans, “Whatever protein powder remains , at least”
The rest leave the room and Sunoo nods his head, pulls Ni-ki by the wrist into the bathroom and shuts the door. He pats the younger on the back to spit out the remaining dry powder in his mouth and stands aside while he rinses his mouth. He find his thoughts slowly wandering to how much taller Ni-ki has grown, even without the Alpha traits of tall height, Sunoo would’ve guessed Ni-ki would be tall anyways.
Ni-ki also seems to have put on a bit of muscle, just a bit, from the amount of dance practice he’s done. Whereas Sunoo has lost a significant amount of weight, except from his cheeks, after dancing way too much. He assumes that’s how they were gonna turn out anyways, typical traits of alpha and an omega. But Sunoo secretly hopes that the chance of Ni-ki wouldn’t fall for the ‘cool and strong, buff’ alpha stereotypes. He hoped that somehow he’d be content with himself just like how Jay and Sunghoon are.
So he figured confrontation and talking about it would be a step closer to getting his Ni-ki back. So, Sunoo speaks when Ni-ki is drying his face with a towel beside the sink,
“Ni-ki, you wanna tell me why you wanted to eat protein powder so early in the morning?”
“I thought eating it dry, would make sure I would get more protein since I wouldn’t dilute it with any liquids....” he trails off, avoiding Sunoo’s glare.
“Ni-ki ” he sighs, “the science, I’m afraid, isn’t sciencing” but he pulls Ni-ki to look at him by his chin and continues, “But you didn’t answer me, why were you eating that anyway?”
Sunoo realizes, sadly, that Ni-ki hesitates , “Sorry, hyung, you wouldn’t understand”
And he leaves the bathroom.
—
Sunoo is recognized by his members for having a very expressive face, being able to show a variety of feelings— from my-heart-is-so-happy-you-can-literally-see-rainbows-shooting-out-of-my-abdominal-cavity to dude-you’ve-pissed-me-off-so-bad-that-you’re-grave-is-decorated-and-awaiting-you.
This time, after spotting Ni-ki in the living room right before dinner, it was something along the lines of the second extreme emotion Sunoo expressed. You see, around this time Ni-ki and Sunoo usually eat some soft biscuits and choco milk, since they normally need a recharge after the grueling dance practices during the afternoon.
But Ni-ki was sitting on the dining table, a wary expression on his face, holding chopsticks over some sort of steak with an alarming amount of wasabi on it.
Sunoo had several complaints. But after being brushed off by Ni-ki in the morning, he swallows them back, quietly brings a biscuit packet and pours himself a cup of milk.
He also kept the carton and an extra glass ready, in case Ni-ki changes his mind.
Sunoo finally sat down next to him, slowly popping a biscuit into his mouth after he sees Ni-ki shove a piece of Wasabi covered steak into his mouth. He wrinkles his nose slightly, because he didn’t want to know how wasabi with steak even tasted , but also glances up at Ni-ki to check on him, Sunoo knew Ni-ki couldn’t eat spicy food very well.
But he also notices that Ni-ki sits up way straighter now, chest puffed out and jaw square. And frankly Sunoo wanted to smack the younger and take away his phone. (Seriously, kids and their phone these days), since his phone and those instagram posts about alphas and their muscles or ‘gains’ from exercising and an inhumane amount of protein clearly went straight to Ni-ki’s head.
In his haze of thoughts he didn’t notice Ni-ki’s face, for some reason, red, and his cheeks were puffed out in this odd way. Then Sunoo noticed half of the wasabi and steak on his plate missing and pales.
He quickly grabs his glass of milk and brings it towards the younger, “Ni-ki! Quick drink this—” but was pushed away by the maknae’s hand,
“No-“ he wheezes in a weird, strangled way, “It’s not.....not spicy at all ” and Ni-ki pushes Sunoo again, this time moving away from him as well, the chair screeches.
“I’m an alpha, a strong-“
Sunoo never gets angry, but he never yells at anyone. In any situation, although he seems dramatic, he is pretty level headed and rarely does anything out of impulse. But now it seemed that there was whole lot of pent up frustration Sunoo was waiting to let out.
“And? ” Sunoo questions with a steely cold voice, interrupting the younger, “You’re an alpha, So. What. ” Ni-ki keeps quiet, wide-eyed.
And Sunoo takes it as a chance to continue, “That doesn’t mean you should stop being Ni-ki”
The Ni-ki I like.
Oh,
Did I just think that?
Sunoo always confronts his feelings, and right now this new realization would take an hour to comprehend properly, so the omega begins to head to his room, quickly picking up the glass of milk and biscuits— until a hand stops him. Sunoo notices Ni-ki is still panting heavily, his hand tightly grasping Sunoo’s wrist.
“Oh, right, you want the milk”, Sunoo hands him the cup dejectedly.
“No, hyung, I want you ”
And Sunoo’s heart explodes. He wasn’t even the one who ate the wasabi but it felt like warmth blooming all over his chest, right uptill his cheeks and ears. He always wore his heart on his sleeve and Ni-ki wasn’t as dense as everyone thought he was, so he giggles (well wheezes actually, the wasabi was still burning his insides), “I’ll take it as you like me too”
“For the past year, but wait” Sunoo looks up (since when did he grow so tall? stupid alphas) to glare at the younger, “If you eat protein powder like a maniac and want to change your entire persona then no” and Ni-ki pouts for like the umpteenth time today, “But, hyung, I thought you liked strong, buff alphas?”
Sunoo gawks at him, “First, I’m flattered and angry that you wanted to change yourself for me” and pokes a finger onto Ni-ki’s chest, “Don’t you dare though, I love you as you are right now” the younger blushes and looks down but Sunoo continues, “Secondly, when did I specifically say that?”. “Seojun and Suho sunbaenim...? You rant about them and their coolness and broad shoulders everyday”
Sunoo swears he hears someone snicker.
He looks up at Ni-ki’s downcast expression and pulls him in for a hug, “Ni-ki, hyung is sorry yeah?”, Sunoo hears a small whine of dissatisfaction and Sunoo rolls his eyes fondly, “I dont care about Suho’s shoulders at all, you’re moles are better to stare at”
Ni-ki lets out a large smile and reciprocates the hug, bending to bury his face into Sunoo’s neck, “I thought looking like your ideal type would make you pay more attention to me...” and Sunoo’s heart flutters, “I’ve picked up ranting habits from my sister who fangirls 24/7, but don’t worry, I need no ideal type when I’ve found my other half”
Ni-ki snuggles his face deeper into the crook of the older’s neck, it must’ve been uncomfortable since the younger was quite tall but Sunoo tiptoed to help ease the stress on his neck.
“Hyungie, come on, that was so cheesy”
“Don’t ruin the mood! Say something nice back!”
“I- I like cheese?”
“Wow, real nice, Ni-ki”
“Or! Or, this might be cheesy, but you are grate ”
“.....What pinterest pin did you read that off of? Great, the mood’s dead”
“But—“
“Dead, Ni-ki, dead, but you’re lucky i’m in love with you ” And Sunoo’s heart stutters as he says those words, still unsure of whether the words would return back to him empty.
“I love you too hyung, so much” Ni-ki whispers in his ear, and god , Sunoo smells the warm chocolatey scent wafting off of the younger and inhales deeply, he smiles softly “Wait till I tell Jungwon and Jay how K-dramas actually help romance in real life”
“ Hyung ”
—
“Jungwon, stop snickering, what if they hear us?” Jay scolds lightly, hiding with the omega behind the couch.
“I can’t believe Ni-ki was actually jealous of a fictional character” Jungwon struggles to hold back his laugh and opts to cover his mouth with his hand instead.
“Well....Han Seojun makes me feel things too sometimes”
Jungwon pauses, “Jay hyung, what the fuck?”
“What?”
“You have a mate! And it’s me ” Jungwon glares, but Jay smiles softly at Jungwon’s attempt to be scary, “Wonie, admit it, he makes you feel things too”
“.....” He peers from the side of the couch to spy on the maknaes but mumbles, “Suho is cuter”
“Hell no, it’s definitely Seojun”
”Uncultured”
”Have you seen him call that other dude a ‘bastard’, I nearly cried”
“Wait till Sunoo hears this—”