Chapter Text
To say that Chan was frustrated was an understatement.
Not only was he rudely awakened at six in the morning when they didn’t even have to be in the studio until nine, but the smaller Aussie had escaped his arms sometime within the night (no note or explanation but from the fact that Jisung and Seungmin also were missing, it was reasonable to conclude that Felix was upset… Which made the alpha feel worse) and then he was pulled from the dorm at seven by Manager-hyung for a “company debriefing” (in reality, he was sat in a chair for two hours being scolded and talked down to by his superiors; he felt alone, betrayed, and bitter when his Manager apologized for his “reckless and foolish behavior” and assured, with a swift but nonetheless stern glare at Chan, “that such irresponsibility will never happen again” ).
“The next time I tell you to just nod your head and listen, I expect you to do it.”
Chan grits his teeth, arms crossed and refusing to face the man speaking to him in the driver’s seat.
“You can be mad at me all you want, you can disagree with me all you want, but I never want to hear you talk back to the company like that again; they are still older than you, still your superiors, I know that both I and your parents have taught you better than that.”
He exhales harshly through his nostrils, the hold on his biceps tightening with his contained anger.
“You’re lucky they didn’t suspend you right then and there, or worse, kick you out completely-”
“So it is better for me to pretend like what I did was so wrong? To let them treat me like an insolent child after the eleven years of blood, sweat, and tears I put into this company?” Chan finally snaps, hands flying through the air before landing in clenched fists in his lap, “Because I did something they didn’t approve, I’m suddenly just another disposable and replaceable trainee.” He lets out a sharp, wry laugh. “But God forbid that I don’t bite my tongue and show them respect. God forbid that I don’t spend the rest of my life hiding my true self from the world. I’ll just stay quiet next time, yup; I’ll just sit there and watch as one of my pack members has his dream, life, and happiness ripped away from him in a moment’s notice for not being the average beta idol. That’s what you want, right? For me to be a coward? I guess not being straight in such an old-fashioned industry really is a death wish: years of loyalty, hard work, and dedication… gone, swoosh, down the drain. ”
Manager-hyung had stayed quiet throughout his outburst, just staring blankly at the road ahead with an exhausted pull to his thin lips. He waits a minute as Chan simmers down, slumping back in the passenger’s seat and recrossing his arms as he waits for the man’s response (or lack thereof). “Are you done?” He finally asks.
Chan’s brows furrow deeply at the condescending question, another self-righteous monologue on the tip of his tongue before his manager raises a hand in a gesture to hold off and listen.
“It is a yes or no, Chan-ah. If it’s a yes, then I will tell you why I’m not supporting the mighty action you took yesterday. If it’s a no, then I will sit here and let you have your little tantrum until you come to your senses and realize that just because somebody is coming off as harsh, doesn’t mean that they are against you; I’ll let your alpha pride rant until your heart’s content.”
His mouth shuts reluctantly, feelings of humiliation and resentment tumbling through his chest.
His manager sighs in subtle relief. “Now, while you were getting all defensive in the conference, I was on the phone with Yongbokkie…”
Chan stiffens before his disbelief twisted into frustration once again, “You knew exactly why I did it yet you still-”
The hand patiently rose back up. Chan frowned but fell quiet once again.
“I know you had good intentions, I know that you were just trying to protect Felix but,” he sends a look to Chan, one that is reprimanding and lacking the previous sympathy, “the way you went about it was a stupid, spur of the moment, half-thought plan that could have gotten you in a lot more trouble than the kid ever would have been in.”
“How could you say that?! Being bisexual is a lot different than coming out as a male omega! My reputation is more stable and I have greater rapport with the company; in theory, if a rumor was to break out, it would be less harmful to me than Felix!”
“Having a single person suggest a rumor in the comment section of a live video broadcast is a lot different than an idol not only explicitly stating their bisexuality, but also describing their crush on another man-”
“Oh I get it,” Chan scoffs, “It’s because I came out ; I thought you would be supportive but I should have known bet-”
“Don’t,” the elder groans, giving an unamused eye roll, “I’m not homophobic; you know better than that. Felix, Minho, and even Hyunjin have always been pretty open with subtle hints of their sexuality and I have never shut them down before; the difference is that they aren't directly telling the camera."
“Well it sure seems like it to me… You’ve done nothing but criticize me since I said it-”
“ Christopher Bang , I’m not angry or judging you because you like men and women-”
“Then you’re angry that Felix is an ome-”
“No, just close your mouth and listen right now!” The patient man finally snaps, a red glint to his eyes that instantly has Chan submitting; he deflates when the younger shrinks in on himself. “I love you both, you know that right? All of you guys are like my kids at this point: and the father figure in me is proud of you for being yourself and is supportive of your orientation and presentation but, at the end of the day, I am still your manager. And the manager in me needs to stop being loving and supportive during every little mishap when it comes to the good of the group. You, Bang Chan, need to realize that the situation yesterday could have been handled so much better: a little comment made, without any proof or evidence or support in numbers, was not going to gain so much traction that it will create a smear on Yongbok’s career. We could have ignored it or, if they ended up making a bigger fuss about it, just have denied the allegations. Unless he was going to admit it right there on camera that the accusation was correct, there was no reason for you to get involved with a fact we literally couldn’t cover up or deny. I can’t fix this, I can’t prevent the backlash you’re going to receive and I can’t protect you from those old, traditionalist hags running the company. ”
Chan is quiet for a few moments before he mumbles, “I don’t need protecting. As a leader, I knew what I was doing and that was looking out for the wellbeing of my pack-”
“But you weren’t thinking as a leader,” Manager-hyung shakes his head, a knowing look in his eyes, “You were thinking as an alpha.”
The younger scowls in offense, “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Were you thinking about any of the other boys when you said it?” He asks, unimpressed; Chan’s face falls and his body sinks in shame. “Were you thinking about yourself and how it would affect you ? What would you have done if they asked you to leave? If Stay asked you to leave?”
Chan worries his bottom lip, feeling guilty but trying to cling to what is left of his pride. “They wouldn’t have kicked me out…”
“But they could have . And if you were gone, think about how all the rest of the group would have suffered: you're the oldest, the leader, and the main producer. The boys all look up to you, look to you as the responsible voice of reason; do you think Stray Kids would be able to last without you? What would your parents think if you returned home permanently this time because of a single, last second, comment? Changbin and Jisung would break under the pressure of producing so many songs on their own, Minho would have to become the new leader without a choice in the matter, and Felix… Felix would be alone without his best friend, without his slice of home away from home , probably hating himself for being the reason you’re gone. Don’t you think that Yongbok would resent his presentation even more from that? As a leader, Chan-ah, you should have considered all of this beforehand; you should have considered the possible impact it could have had on your career and, consequently, all of your pack. And this is why I’m upset with you: you gave into your pheromones… actually, more like Yongbok’s pheromones, to be exact…”
He feels the tip of his ears flush, pulling the beanie down to hide his embarrassment; he decides to defend himself even if the implication settling between them was futile to deny, “He was distressed and as an alpha-”
“Your first instinct was to protect your omega .”
“I-”
“Your mate. ”
Chan goes rigid in his seat, staring at their manager in both apprehension and humiliation. How would he have known that already? Were they that obvious?
“I-I don’t- Felix is not-”
“Maybe not yet but you did confess yesterday, right?"
The younger begins to panic, mouth opening and closing uselessly as any sort of lie or excuse leaves his head. He could just say no, just say that the omega was his little Australian brother , like he has always done before… But why does it feel like venom on his tongue now? Felix isn’t even here, he wouldn’t even have to know; and it’s not even like he was really friendzoning him, bro- zoning him. He’s just lying to protect their interests-
“Actually, I don’t want to know.” Manager dismisses the inquiry, adding a little softer, “At least then, if your relationship gets out to the public, I could claim ignorance.”
It felt like a knife to the gut, Chan’s mouth grumbling out without a second thought, “You wouldn’t support that, either…”
“Of course I want the two of you to be happy,” the older starts, causing the other to lift his gaze hopefully, “But the interest of the group is my priority: if you guys get caught, all of that is reflecting on me for allowing it and I will be fired.”
Disappointment blooms, the resentment coming back as his lips press into a thin line.
“Hey, don’t give me that look: I’m not saying my career is more important, that’s not it at all,” Manager-hyung scolds, “I’m saying me being there for all of the other kids when the two of you get forced out for the violation of your contract is what matters to me most because my professional responsibilities come first. The Australians of the group are a major publicity point of Stray Kids: just like Yongbok’s deep voice and your hard work as well as frequent interactions with Stay. You guys are a constant in the kids’ life: it would be even worse to lose their leader, ace, and manager in all the same day, right?”
“Hyung, you’re acting like you’re sure we’re going to get caught… We would be careful and- and if we knew you had our backs then-”
“Hypothetically speaking, of course?” the older adds, a brow raised in a reminder that he didn’t want to know .
Chan nods his head, “Yes, hypothetically, if we could just be ourselves around the boys and you then I think- I think we would be fine.”
His manager sighs, a sadness in his eyes as he pulls onto the side of the street in front of the dorm. He turns off the car and shifts in the driver’s seat to fully look at the younger. “I truly, from the bottom of my heart, want to tell you to go for it and that I’m so proud and happy for you… but I can’t support this. You’re not my little, naive teen foreigners anymore; you are successful and wise adults that are making this decision by yourselves so I can’t technically do anything to stop you, but I think this is bad timing for such a risky move with how delicate your reputations are as Stray Kids continue to rise in popularity. You guys are being watched more, people are noticing and recognizing you ; the fandom has nearly tripled since God’s Menu. As your manager, as your hyung … I am hypothetically advising against this and won’t be there to back you up in the fall out.”
The hurt is more than the frustration, but Chan finds himself lashing out all the same, “We wouldn’t even be asking you to do anything! Just to silently support from the sidelines, pretend you don’t see anything if we were holding hands or something off camera-”
“I’m already sticking my neck out for Felix,” he scrubs a hand over his face, “I bought those suppressants and scent creams and paid off the camera man with my own money to keep his presentation a secret. And you can go assume that it was all personal gain for me and that I don’t care about you guys but the fact that he is actually not a beta despite his papers saying so is not the main problem here (that would fall back on me for falsifying documents saying him and Innie had presented when they didn’t and I would be fired but they would be relatively fine. A lot of young idols get false records of their presentation so they can debut sooner; normally it isn’t a problem because their presentation is pretty much assumed by the age of sixteen).”
Chan’s brow furrows in confusion, “Yeah, you are keeping it a secret so you don’t get fired-”
“No, I’m keeping it a secret because if Yongbok is confirmed as an omega in the company… he will be in violation of some omega-specific clauses in his contract right now, three to be exact; and I can assure that even my replacement wouldn’t be able to fight them on it. You know how much the industry prefers its betas...”
The Aussie’s eyes widen, attention rapt at the look of wariness on his manager’s face. “Clauses… like what?”
“Well first, omegas are supposed to live in a secluded dorm with only other omegas; it doesn’t matter if they are in the same group or not. I didn’t want to have to separate Felix from the rest of you… You are all so close and he’s pretty clingy and social so the fact he is one of the only male omegas in the industry would put him in an entire dorm by himself because he can’t be around females either.”
“That’s ridiculous! How could they discriminate against them like tha-”
The man cuts him off with nods of his head, “I know, I know; I don’t agree with it either but that’s the only way they can assure no ruts or heats take place if even a single member forgets to take a pill. Second, and I’m not sure if you knew this or not, but alphas aren’t actually allowed to imprint on the omegas of their group. It’s supposed to prevent possessiveness and jealousy if more than one member is an alpha so… the fact that Felix lets you and Minho scent him could get you in serious trouble...”
The flush at his ears travels down to his neck, knowing that his shameless whining for other’s scent was not something that went unnoticed by the others. It’s not that he didn’t like Felix smelling of his fellow members, he just preferred if the omega had traces of his scent beneath the layers of warm vanilla and sea salt instead .
“I-I see…” Chan mumbles in embarrassment, “I’ll keep that in mind…”
“And lastly, and probably the worst one, omegas don’t just sign dating contracts: they sign mating contracts, like ones that state that they will never have a mate-bite on their neck.”
“But if they were already mated to someone then some of these problems wouldn’t even be-”
“It ruins the fantasy for the fans, Chan-ah,” Manager says with a sigh, “The thing about being an omega in the entertainment industry is that they are going to capitalize on your desirableness. Omega concepts are typically sexual or overly cutesy to attract an audience of pheromone ridden alphas; if the omega is already clearly mated, then the fantasy of wanting them is decreased purely by the instinct that the mark invokes.”
The younger remains silent for a few moments, features a bit crestfallen as he continues to absorb more and more reasons as to why Felix could never show the world who he really is.
Finally, he mumbles, “Companies don’t want omegas at all, do they?”
The man frowned but couldn’t find it in his heart to disagree. “Sadly, they really don’t. Betas are the favored presentation because they require less maintenance; the only reason Alphas are so prevalent too is because they are good at commanding attention and gaining popularity for a group. An omega is usually a highly-controlled, one man show.”
He places a hand on the curly-haired man’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze with a sad smile, “I’m sorry, Chan-ah; it isn’t fair and it most certainly sucks but… we don’t always get what we want. All of these secrets need to remain secrets; no more surprises this week, okay?”
Chan nods his head, unbuckling and opening the passenger side door. “Yes, Hyung. Um… I’ll see you later, I guess.” He pauses before leaving, turning back to ask, “Can you at least promise me that you’ll look into the possible stalker thing? I’m… I think it really freaked Lix out. ”
“Yeah, I’ll see what I can find out about this anonymous user and I’ll add an extra security camera outside the dorm; for now though, you’re suspended from Vlive.”
Chan blinks in shock, standing outside the car for a moment before whining, “But Hyung-”
“Nope; the company said so. Just for a couple weeks and then you can do three Chan’s Room to make up for it for all I care.”
The younger pouts but mutters in defeat, “Fine. Bye.” He shuts the door a little harder than he meant to before stomping his way to the dorm.
“I’m home,” the alpha called out, toeing off his shoes as he ran his hand through his hair beneath the beanie.
“Hi Chan-hyung; how’d it go?” Hyunjin asked as he hopped into the room from the kitchen, stirring a cup of something with an encouraging smile.
The older sighed, that hand in his hair slowly dragging down his face in exhaustion. “Could have gone better,” he looks up at the ceiling in contemplation for a moment before meeting his eyes again, “Could have gone a lot worse too, I guess.”
Hyunjin nods, browns eyes shining with sympathy, “Well as long as you’re still here in one piece, I’m glad. We were… really worried, you know.”
Manager-hyung’s scolding rings through his head and Chan’s shoulders slump in shame; the sensitive Real-Chan seems to push his alpha and leader sides to the backburner. “Yeah, I know; I’m really sorry. What I did was reckless and I didn’t stop and think of how it would affect you and I was a bad leader and-”
“Hyung,” Hyunjin interrupts firmly, but softens when Chan looks up at him with a jutted lip, “Don’t apologize. We all would have done the same thing to protect Yongbokkie. Well, maybe not the same exact thing (I don’t want to assume everybody’s sexuality) but you get the point. We support you, man ; we support the both of you no matter what.”
Chan gives a tired but appreciative smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys,” he adds with a giggle, “I got the best members in the world~”
The long haired man rolled his eyes, “ Yah, we are perfect, you’re welcome. ”
"But speaking of Lix," Chan gives a subtle glance around, the alpha side of himself perking up in worry, "How is he?"
Hyunjin looks down at the drink in his hands before back up at the alpha, a mischievous twinkle to his brown eyes. "How about you ask him yourself?" The beta suggested as he removed the spoon and shoved the glass of what appears to be chocolate milk towards him. "He's in your guys' room. Changbin-hyung was in there earlier but I think he's gone now."
The shorter brunette bites his lip anxiously, gaze hesitant on the door to the room in question; what if Felix didn't want to talk to him? What if the reason he was upset this morning truly was because of him? What if everything the younger Aussie said yesterday was just a spur of the moment deal and now he regrets ever changing the nature of their relationship?
"Hyung, relax. I can hear you overthinking from over here. Felix loves you: just go in there and talk to him."
Chan’s ears flush in embarrassment, pulling the beanie further down his face as a small whine reverberates in his throat. “...But what if he’s avoiding me on purpose?” He mumbles while tugging at his earlobe sheepishly, “I don’t want to bother him.”
Hyunjin deadpans, still holding out the drink insistently. “I don’t think that you bothering Felix should even be considered a sentence. The two of you basically share brain cells; if you were upset and he didn’t come to ask you what’s wrong (like he always does), then wouldn’t you feel even more sad?”
Chan’s lips part but then he reluctantly nods his head.
"Exactly; you'd probably wonder if Felix noticed but just didn't care. Or you would wonder if he’s trying to give you space because he thinks you’re mad at him and then you eventually feel guilty. Or-”
“Okay, okay; I get it.” He takes the chocolate milk from Hyunjin’s hands, “Is he… like crying or something?”
The taller one raises an eyebrow.
The alpha slumps in on himself a bit, avoiding his gaze. “What? I just wanted to know what I’m walking into is all…”
The beta’s eyes narrowed. “So… if he was crying you wouldn’t talk to him?”
“That's not it!” Chan waves his hands through the air while frantically shaking his head, almost sloshing some of the milk, “Of course I would still talk to him but…” He dug his toe into the floor in slight embarrassment, “It’s just… seeing him cry makes me cry.”
At that, Hyunjin relents his accusing expression and gives a smile. “Well, he’s not crying, Hyung. Just… troubled. Give him his milk or kiss him until he feels better, I don't care; I just want my angel model back. He wouldn't let me take pictures of him today; can you believe that? He's my number one model and I had to take selfies instead."
Chan snorts, the beta's dramatics making him relax a bit but then a part of what he said stood out like a sore thumb. "Did he… tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
The alpha rubs the back of his neck, blowing a raspberry before shaking out his jitters and saying with what he thought was a confident voice, "If he hasn't told you, then I'm not going to say anything."
Hyunjin whines, "That's not fair: how do I know if he told me something if you're not going to tell me what he could have possibly told me?"
Chan blinks in an attempt to process what exactly the point was behind all the told-me-tell-me's before ultimately deciding to shake his head and dismiss the inquiry altogether.
" I'm gonna go and see Lix now… My mum didn't raise a snitch!"
"What? I don't understand those words!"
"Too bad! I can't tell you until Lix tells me that I can tell you or if he tells you himself!"
"Stop saying tell! I kind of really hate it now!"
"I'm completely not sorry!"
The omega stiffens in bed at the sound of the bedroom door opening, throwing the blanket over his head in an attempt to feign sleep. His resolve only crumbles a little bit when the scent of cinnamon, clove, and a hint of sea salt assails his nostrils.
Footsteps get louder as they approach him and he knows for a fact that any attempt to hide or pretend that he wasn't awake was futile at this point because the alpha just sighs and seems to kneel down next to the bed frame. Chan can probably smell his distress, huh? Stupid omega pheromones- they always ruin everything.
"H-Hey, Felix,” such a comforting voice hesitantly says before pausing like he was waiting for some kind of response. The younger bites his bottom lip to remain quiet.
“I brought you some chocolate milk… Jinnie said you wanted some.”
Guilt rises like bile in Felix’s throat, Stage-Felix demanding for some sort of control over the situation before he ends up unintentionally hurting the older’s feelings. But Real-Felix is stubborn and sticks to what he’s good at: being a coward and running from his problems… Even if a small voice in the back of his head is yelling at him that Chan doesn’t deserve this treatment at all (probably his omega instincts that are crying out for his alpha, his mate).
“Or I can get you something else if you like..? Anything you want,” Chan sounds reassuring, patient, not something the other Aussie deserves right now. “I’d do anything for you, you know that. Just say the word and I’ll go get it.”
“That’s the problem, Hyung,” the younger whispers, feeling a pressure build up in his head like he was going to cry (which is stupid, so very stupid because he’s acting like an immature child; he’s acting like Chan didn’t confess to him yesterday, like they aren’t mates by any means. He’s such a mess).
The alpha seems a little more eager now that he’s gotten a reply, tone still remaining soft as he asked, “What is?”
Felix releases a shaky exhale. “That- That you do everything for me… without thinking about how it will affect yourself. I… I saw the text messages you ignored from Manager-hyung yesterday and this morning; I know you’re in trouble and you only made it worse for yourself.”
The room falls into quiet then, and for a moment, Felix is regretful of speaking at all because he already misses the sound of his hyung’s voice but then he hears Chan setting the glass down on the nightstand and feels hands tentatively put some weight upon the mattress.
“You’re… mad at me for wanting to take care of you? To protect you? I won’t apologize for that but if you want me to um- to leave you alone, I can do that too-”
Felix pulls the blanket off his head, staring at the older with wide and pained brown orbs. “I’m not mad at you, Channie-hyung. I’m- I’m mad at myself for needing protecting in the first place. I’ve done nothing but cause problems for you and you’ve- you’ve only hurt yourself trying to fix them all.”
The alpha’s brow furrows in worry, his shoulders slumping a bit like the pitiful sight of the younger right now is making him physically depressed. Felix just feels more guilt swell in his chest for even making Chan think that he was angry with him: the omega could never be truly angry with one of the most kind and guiding lights in his life (he loves Chan; he loves him more than he loves himself. Nothing will ever change that).
“M-May I…?” The older Aussie inquires, cautiously lifting up the edge of the blanket. That small voice in his head from before quiets down at the idea of getting cuddles so the omega nods and scoots over a bit to make room.
The twinkle in Chan’s eyes seems to return as he clambers his way onto the bed and beneath the blanket, laying on his side to face the freckled brunette who was just watching his clumsily hopeful movements with nothing short of fondness.
They both just look at each other then, a yearning deep inside to just wheedle his head into the crook of his hyung’s neck and lay there inhaling the comforting scent for all eternity but Chan’s hesitance towards him makes the air between them too delicate to want to break at the moment. He resists.
“Hey.”
Felix fears to blink, not wanting that loving look to the other Aussie’s eyes to disappear. “Hey.”
A playful sort of quirk appears on Chan’s lips before he says in his cheesy flirting voice, “How you doin’?”
The omega can’t help but softly smile in return. But then an idea strikes him that is too good to resist. Deepening his pitch, he mumbles with a wiggle of his brows, “You know, Chan, I’m not a photographer but I can picture you and me together.”
Immediately, the alpha’s ears flush as he releases a flustered whine, eyes crinkled to the point of being fine slits with the extent of his embarrassed giggles. “Aw man, so you found out about that? I was hoping people would forget about that little slip of the tongue; your name was just the first one that I thought of and I was like whelp I gotta go with it now.”
Felix giggles too, giving into the temptation to scoot closer to the other. “Of course; I was only mildly disappointed that you didn’t actually say it to me. I was waiting for it like- all day after the Vlive.”
“Really?!” Chan’s eyes widened comically, also wiggling closer to put just a few inches between their faces, “Darn, I should have gone for it then. I was worried that you’d think I was weird.”
“You are weird,” Felix says without hesitation before closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against the older brunette’s, “But I am too so it’s perfect.”
The alpha hums in appreciation, his hand hovering over the other’s side. “Can I-”
“Please.”
Chan doesn’t wait a second longer to wrap up his omega in a tight hug, Felix sighing in content against the other’s neck.
They lay like that until the younger murmurs, “How did I get so lucky to meet you?”
Chan’s breath stutters in his chest for only a brief moment before he whispers back just as sincerely and disbelieving, “How did I get so lucky to have you?”
“You don’t mean that… I’m a burden on you-”
“No,” Chan pulls away just enough to look Felix in the eyes, tone gentle but firm, “Honestly, you are one of the best things that could have ever happened to me. I am so- so lucky to have you in my life.”
“Channie-” the younger goes to whine but the older shakes his head, hand rising to cup Felix’s cheek and press a thumb over his lips to silence him.
“Felix, I don’t protect you because I think you need protecting; I don’t protect you because I think you are a problem I need to solve or a burden to overcome. I protect you because I love you and want the best for you, even if that means sacrificing my own wellbeing sometimes… Yesterday, I will admit, was a little reckless-" at the omega's instant deadpan, Chan is quick to tack on, " But- but- after learning some things about what omegas in the music industry have to deal with, I am so glad that my secret was the only thing they found out yesterday."
Felix fiddles with the blanket, avoiding his gaze. "Oh, you saw those..?"
The older man shakes his head, brows slightly furrowed in confusion. “Saw, no; heard about, yes.”
"I looked them up on my phone this morning… I had that thought of, 'you know, how bad could it be' I guess ," the omega releases a bitter and sad chuckle, "I wish I didn't though because now I really don't want anybody to know…"
Chan frowns and pulls Felix tighter against him with a heavy exhale. "Manager-hyung told me about them earlier, when he was trying to make me be grateful for all that he is 'doing for us'." The younger snorts at his hyung's sarcastic tone, knowing that the Aussie was secretly very thankful for all the hard work their manager does for them but he's just feeling grumpy because his pride was wounded.
He jolts a bit when he feels lips press against his forehead tenderly. "Even if everyone finds out," Chan whispers, voice serious and honest like a sealed oath, "I won't let them take you away from us. We’re in this together."
The brunette looks up, brown eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Promise?" He mumbles weakly, holding up his short pinky between them and watches as the older's face breaks out in an endeared, dimpled grin.
Chan's pinky wraps around his as he plants a brief kiss to Felix's nose, murmuring, "Promise."
The omega pouts. "Stab on it."
"Huh?
"You gotta stab on it, mate, or it doesn't count."
Chan continues to blink at him blankly.
The freckled man sighs, rolling his eyes despite the slight quirk to his lips. "You're getting old," he comments before pressing the pad of his thumb against the alpha's, "Like this. We stabbed on it now."
"I'm not old," Chan mutters in a pathetic manner, making Felix giggle, "You're just… more in-the-know, you know?"
"Or Stray Kids just secretly have an old and crusty alpha leader-”
The alpha’s head pulls back in offense, his nose wrinkled as he cries dramatically, “Crusty?! How dare you! I am Crispy Chrissy, thank you!”
And Felix’s eyes scrunch up as he laughs, a genuine and jubilant noise that makes his leader join in too out of pure happiness that the younger was happy as well.
“I love you,” Felix mumbles when their guffaws quiet down, so full of adoration that he can’t keep the bright smile off his face, snuggling into Chan’s chest and resting the side of his head on his hyung’s shoulder, “So much; you don’t even know.” (Omega-Felix practically purrs at the cocktail of content pheromones circulating through the air).
“No, you don’t even know how much I love you ,” Chan counters cheesily as he ducks a bit to make his body almost completely encapsulate the younger in his warmth. Felix relishes in it.
"Noeee," he says back in stubbornness, Australian accent thick as he drags out the syllable, "You don't even know how much I know you that you don't know how much I love you."
The alpha stares a little dumbfoundedly. "Um…" His voice takes on a questioning tone, "I know that we love each other..?"
Felix giggles and hums in agreement before leaving a sweet peck on Chan's bottom lip. "Very much so, Hyungie."
"Then can I have a real kiss now?"
The omega grins, raising a bit off the bed to meet Chan's mouth. "Of course," he whispers before kissing him slowly, like he was a delicate piece of art meant to be worshipped or a delectable dessert that you feel the need to savor every bite of.
“You taste so sweet,” Chan breathes against him, “Like you’re made of honey and cookies.”
“Is that… a good thing?”
“Yeah, wait- no.” He pulls away, mischief twinkling in his eyes, “It’s a great thing, sugar.”
And if Felix’s weak omega heart hadn’t melted already, then that pet name definitely would have done it.