Chapter Text
Chapter 1-Intro Part 1
Life was crazy here, though that was one of the biggest understatements of the year, though, in the very least. However, it's what you would expect while working in one of the largest casinos in the country of Seoul, South Korea. However, this wasn't precisely what Chan had pictured himself doing here as his occupation when he left Australia all of those years ago. But he was happy here now for the most part. Sure, things could get very hectic from time to time, and it was very, very stressful, but Chan was happy. That was more than he could say about his past self. But now wasn't the time to dwell on anything like that. He had bigger things to worry about now.
He had an entire casino that he had to run along with other side businesses attached to it. So there were a lot of players and puzzle pieces floating around outside in his world. And he had to be on top of his game to rein everybody in. Even though sometimes he does question his life choices despite what some of his friends(BamBam and Jamie) tell you, he does love his job. And it might be partly because he's a certified work-a-holic, but he also has his pack or his family to thank for that. They are his rock and his support system. Even though his pack was a bit on the unconventional side, Chan didn't care. They were his family, and he loved them, and he knew that they loved him immensely in return. It reassures him a lot in times of doubt that he can do his job well and always have someone on his back.
The story of how they all found each other is a bit long and complicated. And the whole pack faced many hardships to get where they are today. But through all of that pain and suffering, all 8 of them met, Chan wouldn't change any of it for the world if he got the family he has today. And he can hear the rest of them in the back of his mind calling him a 'sap' (Looking at you, Seungmin) to think that. But he can't help it. It's the truth, and he's never been a big fan of lying to the people that he loves, so he just doesn't. If that makes him a sap then, so be it. Chan stopped caring what most people thought of him years ago, so he just lets it roll off his shoulders like nothing.
But back to the topic at hand here, his pack. They are a great bunch of wolves, and he wouldn't trade them for the world, no matter how much they drive him nuts. They were his family, and he would do anything for them, and vice versa. And while Chan doesn't think of them as unconventional, most other people do. And it is not because of their secondary genders. No, they have a good mix of them. There are three alphas, including himself, three omegas, and two betas. No, that is not why they are considered unconventional. It is because even though Chan is the pack alpha, he 'doesn't act like one.'
According to society, Chan doesn't act like a ruthless knothead who only thinks with his wolf's little brain. And is very dominant and has control over all of his pack members; he is a lousy alpha. And the fact that he lets his omegas do what they want to do. Especially since one of his omegas is a co-second in command of both his business and pack. But Chan doesn't care. He knows what his pack is capable of, and his omegas are some of the most independent and self-sufficient that there are. He's not going to stop them from doing what they want to do, especially if he knows that they can do it.
So Chan is more laid-back and less hands-on pack alpha; he is still a pack alpha. And he cares deeply for all of his pack mates in a family sense and not a romantic one(Read in denial on that last one.). But you do not, repeat, do not mess with his family. That is where he draws the line, and the claws come out. He may be on the shorter side for an alpha, but he is pretty built and much stronger than people think he is. He will gladly die for his family if it means that they will be safe. And while his pack doesn't have those same sentiments about his martyr-like tendencies, he knows that he will do whatever it takes to ensure that the people he loves are safe. Even though running the Mirroh is an excellent job and livelihood for him. And he loves working here; he is willing to let it all burn to the ground if it means that his family will still be safe.
Chan was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the knocking on his office door at first. Once the knocking got louder, he jumped back to reality and turned his attention to the door. "Enter," Chan called to whoever was on the other side. The door opened, and one of his security guards poked his head into the room. "Mr. Bang?" He asked. Chan knew his name, he knew all of his employees' names, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember it at the moment. Maybe he's more sleep-deprived than he thought that he was. "Yes?" Chan asked him. "Mr. Seo sent me up to remind you about your 3 o'clock meeting, sir." The guy said. Chan turned and looked at the clock on the wall. 'Shit.' He thought to himself, it was almost time for that. "Thank you, I almost forgot about it," Chan said. "Go and tell Mr. Seo that I'll be there in a minute, thank you for reminding me, dishmished." He said. The guy nodded and closed the door behind him on the way out. Well, time to get back to the fun parts of work.
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Even though Minho doesn't look or act like it, he enjoys his job most of the time. And most people think that he doesn't like his career because he has to deal with people. And he has a reputation for not being that great with people in general. And you know, being a bartender, you would think that would be a bad combination. But it worked out quite well in Minho's favor. Most of the people who came to the bar at the Mirroh, came to gamble and have fun. Their patrons like to drink and have a good time. And lucky for Minho, most of their definitions of having fun didn't involve talking to the bartender outside of ordering drinks. So all in all, it's a good job. And there's also the bonus that he gets to work with his pack all day as well.
Minho was both the second eldest pack member and alpha in the pack. And most people find it odd that two alphas who are so close in age in the same pack are not at each other's throats, but their pack was different. Chan, himself, and Changbin were the alphas of the pack. And they also doubled as the three eldest and Chan as the pack leader. Society views it as odd that they get along with each other so well that he and Changbin defer to Chan without fighting. But Minho never liked to be in charge and is very relieved to let Chan take over the majority of the pack responsibilities. Sure, he does step up and help out when he needs to, but Chan deals with it all for the most part, and he's happy just to let him have his fun. And if Chan can't do anything, Changbin and Jisung typically take over since they are his seconds. But Minho has been known to step in from time to time to help out when needed to.
The only reason Minho ever had to step in was to help Changbin back Jisung up. Even though Omega Rights has come a long way from what it used to be, some people still give omegas a hard time, especially male ones. Some people like to be dicks, give Jisung a hard time, and are not too keen on taking him seriously since he was a male omega. Which Minho had no problem doing. He liked putting those douches in their places and letting them see just how capable Jisung was in the business world. It didn't help Jisung any that he was young, however. Most assholes think that just because Jisung was young, he slept his way up to his position. This just isn't true, and Minho finds it very offensive. Jisung is one of the most cunning, most intelligent, and hardworking people that he knows. He's also one of the shyest, awkward people that he's met ever. A couple of times that Minho has seen people flirt with Jisung, the omega always turns bright red. He squeaks out a high-pitch response and ends up running into something, trying to get away from the person regardless of whether they are a creep or not.
That was the only reason that Minho went and helped back Jisung up. It had nothing at all to do with the fact that he may or may not be just a tad bit in love with the young omega, nope, not at all whatsoever. He's just a good friend and packmate, nothing more, nothing less. However, that is just in a professional setting. It is a known fact by the rest of the pack that the two of them were in some sort of courting period. It's very complicated to explain, and Minho doesn't want to detail it. While he will admit that he probably does love Jisung more than just in a platonic way, he keeps his distance on that. Jisung didn't have the best track-recorded relationships or alphas in general before Chan found him. And while he has come a long way since then. Minho knows that some things still make him very uncomfortable. And the last thing that he wants to do is make the younger man uncomfortable. So Minho keeps his mouth shut and just hopes that maybe one day this feeling will work itself out, and he can get close with Jisung without freaking him out. He loves Jisung more than anything, and the last thing he wants is to do something that could potentially hurt Jisung in any way.
Minho was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard someone come up to the bar. And whoever it was, was yelling for his attention. He turned his attention to the customer. He could tell that the man was drunk just by looking at him. And Minho's suspicions were confirmed when Minho had to have the guy repeat his drink order a couple of times because the man was so drunk that he couldn't understand him. He was just happy the man was a beta and not an alpha, or else he would have to worry about drunk alpha pheromones to deal with as well. Drunk betas were so easy to deal with; they had muted scents and none of the hormonal instincts that drive them and make them lose control sometimes when they're drunk. Minho sighed to himself and started getting the drinks ready. It was almost happy hour when the rush started. Another reason why he loved his job was that it was never dull. And it was also a good distraction for his wandering thoughts.
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If Changbin didn't get out of here in the next 15 minutes, he was going to rip someone's head off. Now he knows that sounds just a tad bit dramatic(He blames Hyunjin for rubbing off on him.). However, when you're running on about an hour and a half of sleep and only 3 cups of cold, bitter coffee, it can get to you, which describes Changbin right about now. The alpha had been up all night combing through reports for the casino. He made sure that all of their ducks were in line before the meeting with investors and board members today. It was that time of year again when everyone got together to see how well the casino was doing. Everyone puts in their two cents on changes they should make to better 'improve' the place. Changbin dreaded these meetings the most because they made his blood pressure spike so much.
His only saving grace in these meetings was the two people sitting beside him. Changbin craned his head around to look at both Jisung and Chan. The omega and elder alpha were present for this meeting as well. And they both just look as bored and agitated as he did. However, Changbin didn't blame them. After basically pulling an all-nighter going through reports, all three of them are really in need of some sleep. But none of them can do that until this dreadful meeting is over with. Discreetly, Changbin checked his phone to see the time. Thankfully they only had 15 minutes left of this 3-hour meeting. Though he knows that these entitled people will want to run over and ask them dumb questions and make useless suggestions, they still only had a little longer left. And with how tired all of them are, Changbin knows Chan won't indulge in this activity afterward. In his mind, Changbin was doing a little happy dance.
Another good reason for ending somewhat on time is because of Jisung. Even though the dazed look in the younger omega's eyes could be passed off just as pure exhaustion, Changbin knew better. Jisung was an omega, and like an omega, every couple of months goes through their heat cycle. And while they now have medications to help them through it, such as suppressants, they still take a toll on them. And Jisung's heat was supposed to start next week, and his pre-heat would be starting any day now. And not only do they have Jisung to worry about but Hyunjin and Felix as well. When they formed their pack all of those years ago, Changbin found out the hard way that omega's heat cycles sync up with one another if they spend a lot of them together. And considering they all live together, the pack omega's cycles synced up. And while having three omegas going into heat all at once can be a bit overwhelming, that wasn't the hard part. No, the hard part is that none of the pack omegas have what the doctors call a regular heat cycle. Jisung himself has very intense heat, and not in a sexual way. During heats, omega's hormones are off the charts. It is a lot like a beta woman's menstrual cycles, in which omegas also have some semblance. But with Jisung, has very intense emotions during this. Changbin is pretty sure his anxiety disorder doesn't help with it, but he's not a doctor. So Jisung spends most of his pre-heat and actual heat on the brink of a mental breakdown. There have been a couple of instances of having to take him to the ER. He was panicking so bad he couldn't function.
Next was Felix; while the youngest omega does have regular heats like Jisung, his are more unpredictable. Some heats, Felix is just soft. He doesn't want anything to do with sex and just wants to cuddle everyone in the pack. Other times, that's all he can think about. So all the alphas, plus the two betas, clear out of the house and stay at the hotel attached to the casino while they let the omegas have at it and check on them periodically. Then there are times where Felix doesn't want to be touched at all. Some he just spends the entire time cleaning. You can never tell Felix what is going to happen.
Then there is Hyunjin. The oldest omega is a little bit more serious. Due to some issues with suppressants in the past, Hyunjin's heat cycles are forever screwed up because of it. So his heats aren't as regular as the others. And when he does have them, they are more intense than the other two. Hyunjin has also had to be taken to the ER on numerous occasions. And it concerns Changbin a lot. And while Changbin does care and worry about the other two omegas, he will admit that he worries about Hyunjin the most. And it's not just because of his health issues. Many people don't know about his feelings for the younger man.
Ever since they first met when they were dumb teenagers, Changbin had been infatuated with him. To this day, Changbin thinks that Hyunjin is the most beautiful person that he's ever seen in his life. And it is not just because of his looks. He loves every single aspect of Hyunjin. From his overdramatic tendencies to his loving nature. But He's always been reserved about his emotions. At the same time, he will admit that he and Hyunjin have fallen into a bit of a friend with benefits relationship over the past year and a half or so. The younger had his heart from day one. He just wishes to work up the courage to do something about it. He just hopes that when he finally gets the nerve that his worst fears don't come true and he ruins everything for everyone. He would hate to be the reason that his pack split up.
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Being the casino host of a place as massive as the Mirroh was not an easy job. That much Hyunjin can tell you. He has over 200 clients vying for his attention at every turn every day. Being a casino host makes sure that his clients have a good time here. A good enough time that they spend money, and it doesn't turn them off from ever coming back to the Mirroh. So, Hyunjin has gone many days without sleep because of this job. But he doesn't mind it in the slightest. He loves his job, even though it can sometimes be draining. However, part of the reason he can get through the hard days is because of his pack. After a long day at work, he just goes back home and just crashes and cuddles with his pack. Even though he's not a big fan of skinship, he loves being around his family.
Part of the reason that Hyunjin is so good at his job is his secondary gender. Being an omega, which is considered quite beautiful at that, he uses his looks to his advantage. It means that his clients underestimate him at first, and by the end of their visit, they end up being hooked. He doesn't do anything inappropriate with a client, though he knows some wouldn't mind it. But he won't do that to Chan. The casino is his Hyung's business and life. He worked hard to get the Mirroh away from the previous owner JYP. And Hyunjin wasn't going to do anything to compromise that. And the fact that he loves his Hyung, and he knows how disappointed he would be in him.
But that's okay, considering he's never been interested in any clients outside of a business standpoint. He just wants them for the business they bring to the casino and his pack. And the fact that he already has someone else that he has his mind on. Ever since he met the shorter alpha, Hyunjin felt funny about it. Not in the wrong way, in any case. But there was just something about Changbin that drew him into the alpha. He made Hyunjin feel safe and secure in a way that he hadn't felt in a long time beforehand. But it was in a different way than Chan, and the others made him feel. He considered them to be his family, but Changbin was just different from the others. And Hyunjin is a bit embarrassed to say that it took him a long time to realize the crush he had on the alpha. And then to realize that said crush was more than just a crush. He's been in love with Changbin for as long as he can remember when he thinks about it now. But he's been too scared to do anything about it. Instead of taking his feelings out with the elder and confessing, he ended up with friends with benefits relationship.
Even though they haven't told the rest of their pack what they are doing, Hyunjin and Changbin both know something is up with them. It also didn't help that during one of their more rushed 'dates, ' Minho just happened to walk in on them. The two of them ended up sitting down with Chan and having a very long and embarrassing conversation about sex. Consent and birth control. Hyunjin is still mortified and refuses to talk to the pack leader about personal stuff. He does understand his concern, considering how irregular and unpredictable his heats are. The illegal suppressants he was forced to be on as a child did screw with his body. They were leaving him with erratic, irregular, painful heats. Though his doctor said his fertility is still intact for the most part, he couldn't be sure. But Hyunjin knew that both he and Changbin weren't prepared or ready in the slightest for kids. Sure, he was only in his early 20s, but Hyunjin just knows that now's not the time.
Though that doesn't stop him from thinking about what it would be like to have kids with Changbin. The idea of having mini-Changbins running around was very appealing to him. But Hyunjin is very hesitant to do anything about it. Certain things that happened in his past have made it hard for him to open up and be vulnerable on such an intimate level. But he knows that he loves Changbin with all of his heart. And while he isn't sure what Changbin's feelings for him are. But Hyunjin doesn't want to lose him. So even though he knows he wants more than just sex with the older alpha, Hyunjin will take what he can get. And though he had been warned numerous times by the other omegas and the pack alpha himself about getting his heart broken and being hurt, he just can't. He knows that he loves Changbin too much to let him go. His mind knows that he's playing a very dangerous game here. But his heart just doesn't care anymore. He knows that deep down in his bones that his is the man he should be spending the rest of his life with. He just can't give that up though. It would just kill him.
Part of the reason why Hyunjin subjects himself to this is the trauma he experienced in his past. He honestly doesn't have that high of an opinion of himself, and he just thinks he deserves it. Changbin and the others are the only ones who correct him on this and bring up his self-confidence. But he still has trouble believing that he is worth more than just his looks, at least to his family and pack. He is just so scared of losing someone that he cares about so much that he'll do anything to keep them in his life. he knows that if this thing between them crashes and burns then it could spell disaster for the pack. And Hyunjin doesn't want to be part of the reason that his pack breaks up. Hyunjin shook himself out of his self-deprecating thoughts and turned his attention back to his job. He had to get all his stuff together before his heat left next week. He needed to find a distraction over his anxiety about whether he would have heat or not. His symptoms this time around have been nothing but brutal.