Archive of Our Own

Lately, things at the dorm had started to mysteriously go missing. At first it was small things like one of Yeosang’s sleeping shirts, Mingi’s pillow cases, Jongho’s fitted bed sheet, and then the blanket they usually used when they get cold on the couch during game nights. 

No one thought much of it in the beginning, figuring the items would eventually reappear after a few laundry cycles as they usually did. But instead of the lost items reammerging, more things started to go missing, and this time it wasn’t just things that could easily be lost in the wash or misplaced. 

But when San pointed this out to the other members, they would shrug and say he was overreacting and that he probably just lost his things all on his own. 

However, when San could not find his pink mokoko plush, it was the last straw. 

“Okay, I need whoever has been stealing our stuff to quit it. My old t-shirts are one thing, but I draw the line at mokoko!” San declared as he stomped into the living room where the rest of the members were. 

Wooyoung snorted. “No one wants to steal your plushies, Sannie. It probably just fell behind your bed since you have a mountain of them,” the omega said, not even turning to look at him from his place on the couch. “And no one is stealing anything. You’re just being paranoid.” 

San pouted. Not even his best friend believed him. 

“We’ve all been losing stuff, how come no one else thinks that’s a big deal? And now mokoko has been plushie-napped!” The young alpha replied, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. 

“San-ah, we’re all a bunch of twenty-year-olds with very busy schedules. We’re bound to lose things. That’s normal. Plus, Hwa-hyung hasn’t lost anything, which means the rest of us are just disorganized,” Yeosang pointed out.

“But don’t you guys think it’s weird that things started to go missing after Hongjoong-hyung left for producing camp?” San tried again. 

But Mingi just shrugged. “I lose my charger wire at least once a week.” 

“You guys!” San whined. 

“I’ll help you look for mokoko after the movie, alright Sannie?” Yunho offered, trying to appease his sulking roommate.

“But-”

“Please be quiet San-hyung, we’re trying to watch a movie,” Jongho said, cutting San off before he could continue complaining. 

The alpha’s pout deepened and he stomped back to his room to sulk as the rest of the members watched Harry Potter for the millionth time. As if the movie was more important than the very real problem they were facing. 

San didn’t know why things had started disappearing, but he was going to rescue mokoko if it was the last thing he did. 

-

Only a few days later, yet another important item had seemingly disappeared. 

San almost felt smug as he watched Wooyoung destroy the living room and his own room in search of his camera case. The alpha had made no progress in finding out who the culprit was, but at least now he wasn’t the only one suffering. He had spent hours looking for mokoko alone or any traces of her and Wooyoung hadn’t lifted a finger to help. 

“Still don’t think someone is stealing our stuff?” San said from his seat on the couch. 

The fiery omega just glared at him. “Shut up. This is actually important!” 

San gasped dramatically. “Are you implying mokoko isn’t important?!”

“Mokoko is a twenty thousand won stuffed animal, this is a case that protects a one million won camera, so yeah, I think it’s a little more important,” Wooyoung snapped back, shoving San off the couch and continuing to look for his lost case. 

Before San could defend mokoko’s honor, Mingi walked into the room. 

“Hey guys, I was about to go out, but I can’t find my bag. You know, the fuzzy one? Have either of you two lovebirds seen it?” the tall beta asked as he looked around the room in search of his lost bag. 

“No, I haven’t seen your ugly bag, Mingi. Have you seen my camera case?” Wooyoung asked in return, still rummaging through one of the storage containers they kept in the living room. 

Mingi rolled his eyes but answered. “No, I haven’t seen your ugly camera case,” he returned, before turning his eyes to San. “Have you seen my bag, San?” 

San shook his head. “Nope. But you can help me figure out who’s been stealing our stuff so we can find it!” He offered back with a cat-like smirk plastered onto his lips.

However, Wooyoung started to cackle beside him, which made San’s grin fall. “You two knuckle-heads figuring something out? Please. You’re lucky to have one intuitive brain cell between the both of you,” the omega commented as he continued to laugh. 

“Hey!” San said in offense, pouting as he swatted the other’s shoulder.

“Laugh all you want, Wooyoung. But I don’t see you finding your camera case either,” Mingi pointed out, flopping down on the couch where San had been sitting.

Wooyoung’s laughter quieted at Mingi’s statement and he threw the tall beta a glare before he resumed his search with a grumbled, “Whatever.” 

“So, Mingi, who do you think has been stealing our stuff?” San continued the conversation, turning to his friend on the couch and hugging a pillow to his chest. 

Mingi rubbed his chin in thought. “I can’t think of any reason why the members would wanna steal any of our stuff. No one even likes my bag. So maybe a staff or someone else?” the beta suggested. 

San gasped. “You don’t think it’s a ghost do you?” 

Wooyoung made a choking sound. “If this is the type of detective work you two are gonna do, none of us are ever getting our stuff back,” the omega said with a shake of his head. 

“Then, who do you think it is, genius?” San asked back, annoyed. 

Wooyoung finally stopped rummaging through the knick-knacks in the living room storage and stared at San in contemplation. 

“You ever heard the saying, nothing is truly lost until your mom can’t find it?” The younger asked. 

San’s face scrunched up in confusion, not sure where the topic change came from. “Yeah…?” he replied skeptically. 

“Well, have either of you asked mom?” Wooyoung continued, as if San had any idea what he was talking about. 

And then suddenly, it clicked. 

Seonghwa. None of them had asked Seonghwa if he had seen their missing items. 

It wasn’t because they didn’t think the other wouldn't know, it was just an unspoken rule around the dorm to not bother the eldest omega in their pack while their pack alpha was away. Seonghwa had been sullen and subdued since his mate had left for his trip, and the others had not wanted to bother him too much. Hence, why San and the others hadn’t asked him for help even though Seonghwa did the laundry and cleaned the dorm, making him the perfect person to ask when things started to go missing. 

“But we all agreed not to bother Seonghwa-hyung,” San said in a whisper. 

“That was before important things like my camera case and Mingi’s ugly bag started to go missing. These are desperate times,” Wooyoung said seriously, already starting to stand. 

“Hey! Mokoko is important, too! That version was limited edition,” San replied, pouting once again. Why did no one understand? 

“No comment. Now come on,” the omega said, as he pulled San up off the floor and Mingi off the couch to follow him. 

Mingi just patted San on the head placatingly as they followed behind the demanding omega.

San sighed and let himself be dragged. Wooyoung always got what he wanted after all. 

When they arrived in front of Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s room. They all paused and huddled together. 

“What are you waiting for? Knock,” Mingi said, nudging Wooyoung’s side. 

“I was the one who had this genius idea. One of you should knock. I’ve already contributed enough,” Wooyoung argued. 

Mingi scoffed. “Telling us what to do isn’t contributing ideas, it’s being a dictator,” the beta said back. 

“Guys, neither of you is being helpful right now,” San interrupted in a loud whisper, trying to stop them before they started full-on bickering in front of Seonghwa’s door. 

Wooyoung let his harsh words die in his throat and shifted his gaze to San instead of Mingi. He glared at the alpha for interrupting him, but then his expression shifted to one of mischief. 

San knew that look all too well. Whatever was about to come out of the younger’s mouth next was not going to bode well for him. 

“Oh? You want to be helpful, San-ah? Thank you for volunteering to ask Seonghwa-hyung about our missing stuff,” the omega said, his voice dripping with fake cheer as his pretty eyes shined wickedly. 

The alpha nearly whined when his fears were confirmed as Mingi started to quietly snicker beside him. San had walked right into Wooyoung’s trap yet again. 

“But Young-ah,” he started to protest, but the omega was quick to shut him down. 

“Ah-ah. You’re the one who’s been the most adamant about all this, so it’s only fair that you take the lead in solving this mystery, isn’t it?” Wooyoung said, once again fluttering his lashes with fake innocence. 

San let out a defeated sigh and shoved the other away lightly. “Fine,” he grumbled as he walked past the beta and omega to make his way to the door. 

He could hear the other two trying and failing to suppress their giggles at his misery, but he did his best to ignore them as he raised his hand to knock on the door. 

The alpha took a deep breath and then finally rapped his knuckles against the door lightly. “Hyung? You there?” he called out tentatively, making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard even behind the door. 

There was silence from the other side of the door for a few beats and San thought that Seonghwa may be asleep or something until he finally heard a faint rustling coming from the room. 

“San?” a groggy voice called back. 

“Sorry, hyung. Were you sleeping?” San asked, feeling bad for having woken Seonghwa up from a nap. He threw a glare Wooyoung’s way for making him do this, but the younger omega just shrugged as if saying, “Not my fault.”

“It’s fine, did you need something?” Seonghwa answered, sounding more awake already. 

“Oh, it’s nothing important,” he replied automatically before Mingi and Wooyoung shoved him to move forward with the plan. “I-I mean. I have a question to ask you, if that’s alright?” he amended quickly, stumbling over his words in his haste to get the conversation back on track. 

“Of course, just give me one second,” the older boy answered. 

San heard more shuffling coming from the other side of the door before Seonghwa finally cracked the door open just enough to fit his head and upper body between the frame and the door, blocking San’s view into the room. 

The young alpha found the action peculiar, as Seonghwa usually welcomed any member of the pack into his room with open arms, but he decided to move the conversation forward instead of asking him about his strange behavior. 

“Umm, hi,” San said awkwardly as he looked up at Seonghwa’s sleep-rumpled appearance, pink patrick pajamas and all. 

He could practically feel Wooyoung and Mingi rolling their eyes from behind him. 

“You wanted to ask me something?” Seonghwa asked with a soft smile, encouraging San to continue speaking. 

“Right! Have you seen mokoko around the dorm? She’s still missing,” San asked, getting back to the topic at hand. He had a precious plushie to find after all. 

Seonghwa blinked a few times and looked to the side, avoiding San’s gaze. 

“Uh, n-no. I don’t think so. Are you sure she’s not just lost under the rest of your plushies?” the elder tried to redirect the conversation as he continued to avoid San’s gaze. 

San narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed sometimes, but even he could tell that something was off about his hyung. It helped that Seonghwa was a terrible liar.

“You know something, don’t you, hyung?” he asked, trying to catch the omega’s gaze. 

“What?” the other practically squeaked. “Of course not! Why would I take your plushie?” 

The statement only made San’s suspicion double. “I never said you took it,” he pointed out. 

At that, Seonghwa’s eyes widened in distress, as if he had been caught. 

Before San could question Seonghwa further, Wooyoung came barreling in from behind San. 

“Alright, I’ve heard enough. What are you hiding, hyung?” the younger omega asked as he pushed against the door Seonghwa was still stubbornly blocking with the rest of his body. 

“Nothing,” came Seonghwa’s strained reply as he fought to keep Wooyoung from pushing open the door and barging into his room. 

“Liar!” Wooyoung yelled back, putting more of his weight against the door and inching it open bit by bit as Seonghwa struggled to keep it from opening all the way. 

Eventually, the younger omega’s hours at the gym paid off because he was able to force Seonghwa back and push the door wide open. 

San was about to yell at Wooyoung for being so forceful and nearly knocked Seonghwa over when his eyes landed on the massive nest on Seonghwa and Hongjoong’s shared bed. 

The alpha stood there, eyes wide and mouth agape as he saw all the missing items perfectly placed all along the inside of the nest.

The missing sheets from the member’s rooms were bunched up together near the foot of the bed, and he could see Yeosang’s t-shirt and the communal living room blanket a little higher up. 

He couldn’t make out everything from this angle, but he saw the furry edge of Mingi’s bag peeking out on the side and near the pillows at the top he could make out the top of-

“Mokoko!” he nearly yelled in excitement at having finally found his beloved plushie. 

San was about to run over to the bed and scoop the toy into his arms when Seonghwa moved to stand in front of the nest protectively. 

“Please don’t take them away! I can explain!” he said, raising his arms in defense. 

“Explain that you’ve been stealing all our stuff?” Wooyoung said with a raised brow. 

Seonghwa flushed in embarrassment and nodded as he looked down at his feet in shame. “I’m sorry,” the omega said softly. 

At Seonghwa’s downtrodden demeanor, San already feels bad for letting Wooyoung barge into the room, even if he had finally found mokoko. 

“It’s okay, hyung. But why didn’t you just ask us? We’re always happy to provide you with nesting materials if you need them,” Mingi said, finally stepping further into the room with the rest of them. 

“Because- well, because it wasn't on purpose. Ever since Hongjoong left for his trip, I’ve been feeling…off? I’m not sure how to explain it, but my omega has been so restless. I didn’t want to worry any of you so I just threw myself into cleaning and tidying up the dorm as I always do. But for some reason, every time I did the laundry I started wanting to take things back to my room. It was harmless at first. I would take a pillowcase, or a towel, or a bed sheet, and we have plenty of extras so I knew it wouldn’t be a big deal if I kept them for a little while. I never even nest outside of my heats, so wanting all these things that smelled of my pack strictly for comfort was a foreign feeling for me, but it was still nice. It was all fine, but then-” he trailed off as if not being able to find the words to continue. 

“But then it wasn’t enough,” Wooyoung provided. 

Seonghwa nodded, still looking at the ground. 

San couldn’t see his face, but when the other started to rub at his eyes with the sleeve of his fluffy pink pajamas and the sad scent of wilting flowers hit the air, the alpha wanted nothing more than to run over to his hyung and wrap him in a tight hug. 

Seonghwa had been dealing with so much on his own, and the rest of the pack hadn’t been there to support him as they should while their leader was away. 

“I just-I don’t know what came over me. One moment, I’d be dusting one of your rooms, and the next I’d be back in my nest adding one of your personal belongings. I’m really sorry for taking them without asking. I didn’t mean to upset you guys, but can I please keep them for a little while longer? At least until Joong is back.” Seonghwa continued, looking up at them with pleading, teary eyes. 

At the sight of Seonghwa’s tears, all three of them felt  their hearts break a little and San is the first to step forward and envelop Seonghwa into a tight hug. 

“Shhh. It’s okay, hyung. No need to be sorry,” San tried to soothe as Seonghwa started crying openly into his chest. 

Wooyoung sidled up beside him and wrapped his arm around Seonghwa’s waist, nuzzling his face into Seonghwa’s neck to scent and comfort his fellow omega. “You just wanted some comfort, hyung. We understand,” he soothed. 

The beta was the last one to join their little group hug and he wrapped his long arms around all three of them, pulling the alpha and two omegas into his chest and resting his chin on top of Seonghwa’s head. 

“Don’t worry, hyung. Our dumb leader will be back soon,” Mingi added, squeezing them all tightly. 

San could feel the soothing rumble of Mingi’s voice next to his ear and he hoped the sound helped comfort Seonghwa as well. 

“I miss him,” Seonghwa said as he sniffled, voice barely above a whisper. 

“We know, hyung. But like Mingi said, he’ll be back soon,” San reassured as he gently patted the omega’s back. 

“Do you want to cuddle in your nest, hyung?” Wooyoung asked from behind him, still lightly scenting the older omega. 

Seonghwa nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice.” 

They quickly untangled from each other, but did not go too far as they all shuffled over to Seonghwa’s nest together. 

They let Seonghwa climb in first and rearrange all the blankets and pillows to his liking, before he lifted a hand to let them know they could join him. 

Wooyoung was the first to jump in, not nearly as cautious as the alpha or beta of messing things up. San figured it was an omega thing and Wooyoung just knew his way around a nest better than Mingi and he did. 

“Ah, there’s my camera case! I’m glad it was in your nest and not actually lost somewhere,” Wooyoung said as he pointed at the camera case snuggly placed in between the blankets. “Are you sure you want that in your nest, though, hyung? That case isn’t exactly cuddling material. I can get you something else of mine instead-”

“No,” was Seonghwa’s immediate reply. “It reminds me of you,” he added in a softer tone as he squeezed Wooyoung into a tight embrace, as if trying to keep him from taking back the case and leaving the nest. 

Wooyoung let out a little chuckle at the older omega’s reaction. “Calm down, hyung. I’m not going to take anything out of your precious nest. It was only a suggestion,” the younger said, cuddling closer to Seonghwa to nuzzle into his neck once again as he continued to douse Seonghwa in his comforting cinnamon scent. 

“Oh, and dumb and dumber, can you hurry it up? I wanna get comfortable before the day ends,” Wooyoung mocked from his comfortable place tucked into Seonghwa’s side. 

“Yah, we don’t want to ruin any of hyung’s hard work!” Mingi protested, nearly knocking over a stuffed bear that was wrapped in a sheet.

San rolled his eyes at his packmates but quickened his pace anyway, settling behind Wooyoung while Mingi moved to the other side to spoon Seonghwa. They were lucky that Hongjoong had splurged on a king-sized bed for him and Seonghwa, or else this would have been a really tight fit. 

Once they’re all pressed together and settled in the cozy nest, Seonghwa lets out a pleased sigh. 

“Thank you,” he whispered between them, snuggling even closer to Mingi and Wooyoung while burying his nose into the younger omega’s dark hair and entwining his fingers with San, squeezing tightly. 

“Any time, hyung,” San said with a smile, squeezing Seonghwa’s hand right back and molding himself to Wooyoung’s side in an effort to be as close as possible to his pack. If Seonghwa wanted comfort, then they would all gladly give it to him. 

Hibiscus, cinnamon, eucalyptus and orange blended together pleasantly as they all subconsciously released happy pheromones while they cuddled in Seonghwa’s comfortable nest. 

Time slowly passed by, but none of them really bothered to keep track. It could have been minutes or hours, but eventually, another one of the members wandered into the room looking for them. 

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but has anyone seen my protein powder?” Yeosang asked, knocking on the slightly open door lightly. 

Seonghwa stiffened at the questions and San could only assume he had hoarded the protein powder away somewhere in the nest, but did not want to admit it. 

Wooyoung seemed to sense the shift from their hyung as well and grumbled as he lifted his head from Seonghwa’s shoulder so the older omega didn’t have to answer. “No one cares about your gross protein powder, you gym rat. Now, come cuddle, Hwa-hyung is feeling lonely,” he said as he extended his hands out to his best friend of 8 years and made little grabbing motions with them. 

Yeosang heaved a heavy sigh before he walked over to the bed. “May I enter your nest, hyung?” the beta asked politely. 

“Mmhmm,” Seonghwa said sleepily and gave the other a little nod of his head. 

Once given permission, Yeosang, huddled in behind San, pressing close and throwing a well-defined arm over both San and Wooyoung so he wouldn’t fall from the crowded bed. 

“Thank you. I hope you’ll feel better, hyung. Don’t let Wooyoung suffocate you with cuddles, though,” he announced as he shuffled closer. 

Wooyoung just rolled his eyes but went back to nuzzling into Seonghwa’s side, blatantly ignoring his best friend and throwing his own arm over Yeosang’s to help entwine the blonde beta’s lavender scent with the rest of theirs in the nest. 

Another few minutes passed until, inevitably, another member was drawn to the room full of the rest of their packmates. 

“Hyung, have you seen my gaming chair cushion? I swore I saw it just yesterday, but did you wash it or something?” Yunho asked as he walked in through the open door. “Oh,” he said upon seeing the cuddle pile on the bed. “We’re having a pack cuddle session and no one thought to invite me? And is that my cushion under Mingi?!” The alpha exclaimed as he walked closer to the nest. 

Mingi moved around a little and pulled out a pink flower cushion from under him. “Is it this thing?” he asked as he held it out in front of him. 

Before Yunho could confirm, though, Seonghwa was quick to snatch the cushion from Mingi’s hand and tuck it back into the nest. 

Once satisfied, he turned to see that the others were giving him funny looks, ranging from confused to amused. 

Seonghwa blushed furiously and lowered his head. “Sorry,” he said. 

Wooyoung burst into laughter at the look of shock on Yunho’s face and Seonghwa’s reaction to having the pillow almost taken from his nest. 

“Am I missing something here? I feel like I’m missing something here,” the tall alpha asked, looking back and forth from Wooyoung to Seonghwa. 

“I’ll give you the dumbed down version for alphas,” Wooyoung said after his cackles finally died down.  “Basically, Hwa-hyung was missing Hongjoong-hyung so he built a nest with all our stuff to help him feel less lonely. And it's very poor etiquette to take anything from an omega’s nest without permission,” the omega finished. 

“Wow. So someone really was taking our stuff,” Yunho blurted out. 

The statement made Seonghwa release a small whine in mortification and cover his face with his hands. 

“Not that there’s anything wrong with you using our stuff to make a nest, hyung! I think it’s cute that our stuff can bring you comfort,” the alpha quickly back-tracked. “I’m honestly more shocked that San was actually right,” Yunho admitted. 

“Hey!” San protested as he sat up in the bed, nearly knocking Yeosang off the edge. “I can be right sometimes,” he whined. 

This made both Yunho and Wooyoung laugh, which only led to San pouting even more.

“Stop teasing San. He was right. I was taking your things without permission, and for that, I’m sorry,” Seonghwa cut in with an apology, taking some of the attention off poor San. 

But Yunho just waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, hyung. You can keep the cushion and any of my other things you have wrapped up in there for as long as you want. I just want to ask one favor.” 

Seonghwa stared at Yunho curiously and tilted his head. “What is it?” he asked. 

Yunho let a wide grin spread across his face as his warm coffee scent grew stronger in his excitement. “Can I cuddle with you guys in the nest, too?”

Seonghwa chuckled at the request and the other’s obvious excitement, endeared by the pack’s very own puppy. 

If Yunho had really been a dog, his tail would be wagging right now. 

The omega nodded his head happily and gave the alpha a fond smile. “Of course, Yunho. Thank you for letting me keep your things for a little while longer.” 

Yunho’s smile widened even more and he didn’t waste another second before jumping in the bed next to Mingi. 

“Yah, be careful!” Mingi yelled as he was squashed by his best friend. “You aren’t exactly as light as a feather, Yun.” 

“Hush, it’s cuddle time,” the alpha said, snuggling up to the beta’s back. 

They all had to shuffle around a bit to accommodate the new addition to their cuddle pile, but they made it work somehow. It was starting to get uncomfortably crowded in the nest, but as long as Seonghwa was happy, none of them were going to complain about it. Even if Yunho’s knee was digging into Mingi’s thigh or if San’s elbow was digging into Yeosang’s side. 

Not long after, their last member finally wandered into the room. They all knew it was only a matter of time before the youngest member of their pack found them considering they were all in the same place.

“I’m going to ignore the fact you’re all squished into Seonghwa-hyung’s bed when we all said we were going to give him space while Hongjoong was away, as long as one of you traitors tells me where you hid my jersey,” Jongho asked, crossing his arms at the doorway and giving them all a judgmental look. 

They all turned to look at Seonghwa for answers and the oldest omega sighed, already coming to terms with the fact he had to confess to his crimes once again and couldn’t let Wooyoung keep doing it for him. The rest of his pack had been understanding, and he knew Jongho would be as well. 

“I think it’s somewhere around where Yeosangie is,” Seonghwa says shyly. “But it smells a lot like you and it makes my nest feel more complete, so is it okay if I borrow it for a little longer?” the omega asked hopefully, clutching one of Hongjoong’s pillows to his chest and looking like the actual maknae of the group instead of the eldest. 

Jongho looked from the bed overflowing with blankets and clothing to his packmates and his heart melted a little at the full, cozy nest his hyung had created. He wouldn’t be able to deny him anything, even his favorite soccer jersey. 

The young alpha sighed and shook his head. “Of course, hyung. Just don’t let any of the other idiots drool on it or something,” Jongho teased.

“You would be lucky to have my drool on your lame jersey, Jongie, now get in here. Pack cuddling session until Seonghwa-hyung feels better. No exceptions,” Wooyoung commanded, urging Jongho towards the bed with an outstretched arm. 

San took a jab to the side from Wooyoung’s elbow and Yeosang snickered beside him when he let out a wounded squeak. 

Their youngest sighed again. “I don’t think I fit, hyung.” 

“Nonsense! We can definitely squeeze one more. What’s the point of this huge bed Hongjoong-hyung bought if we can’t even fit the whole pack in it?” Mingi argued, scooting even closer to Seonghwa in an attempt to make space and gaining only a scant few inches. 

“Come on, Jongie, it’s pack bonding! You can be a little squished for us can’t you?” Yunho asked from his side of the bed, giving the young alpha his best puppy-dog eyes. 

Jongho snorted at his hyungs acting like spoiled kids. “For you? No. For Seonghwa-hyung? I’ll make the sacrifice,” he clarified before finally making his way over to the bed. 

Wooyoung, Yunho and Mingi cheered in victory and began to shuffle around once more to squeeze one more person into the nest. 

A lot of grumbling followed while they all rearranged themselves into better positions all while trying to avoid completely destroying Seonghwa’s carefully arranged nest. 

They even found a few more missing items in the process. 

“Ow! What the fuck is that?” Mingi groaned as he pulled out a hard plastic container that had been stabbing into his hip while he tried to reposition himself. 

“My protein powder!” Yeosang cheered, happy to have finally found his long-lost workout supplement. 

“Hyung, why do you have this hard ass bottle in your soft and cushy nest? Wouldn’t it bother you if you rolled onto it?” Mingi questioned, rubbing his aching hip. 

Seonghwa blushed lightly and buried himself further into Hongjoong’s pillow. “The smell reminds me of Sangie,” he said simply. 

Wooyoung snickered. “What a muscle head.”

Mingi sighed and shook his head, but tucked the bottle back under the blankets to hopefully cushion the blow in case he rolled onto it again. 

Yeosang seemed sad to see his favorite protein powder disappear once again, but he didn’t dare say anything about it. 

After a few more curse words, Wooyoung and San fighting for possession of one of the fluffy blankets and a limb or two thrown into awkward positions, they managed to make the tight fit work and actually ended up pretty comfortable all things considered. 

Jongho ended up squeezed between Mingi and Yunho for “safety” according to the tall duo to ensure that he wouldn’t fall off the edge. Yeosang, San and Wooyoung stayed in their original position, albeit a bit more squished together than before.

Seonghwa laid perfectly in between his packmates feeling more content than he had since Hongjoong had left for producing camp last weekend. 

It had been harder than usual to adjust to his alpha’s absence and the omega still wasn’t sure why. He was used to long days without Hongjoong, especially when they had separate schedules or were on vacation with their families, but this week had hit him much harder than all their previous separations. 

At first, he had thought his heat was going to hit unexpectedly with how strong his urge to nest had been, but when he didn’t feel any of his other pre-heat symptoms, he realized that he was just lonely and missed his mate. He was a little ashamed at being so weak and needy, especially since he was the oldest and should be the one looking out for the members in their leader's absence. But, instead, his packmates ended up being the ones to look after him and help him feel less lonely.

He knew he shouldn’t be reacting this way just because he and Hongjoong had to be apart, but with a nest full of people he cherished, it was hard for him to begrudge his actions even if he could have gone about building his nest in a better way.

“Hyung, do you want to watch a movie?” Wooyoung chirped right next to Seonghwa's ear. 

The oldest omega was startled from his wandering thoughts and he turned to look at this packmate. 

Wooyoung’s eyes were shining happily up at him and a warm grin was lighting up his pretty face.

Seonghwa could not help but smile back just as warmly at the sweet boy. “Sure, Youngie. What do you wanna watch?” 

Wooyoung shook his head. “Nope. You get to choose, hyung,” the younger omega insisted. 

Seonghwa was surprised by the answer since Wooyoung normally took any opportunity he could to make them watch his favorite shows or movies. The small gesture warmed his heart, even if he knew he would probably be teased for his choice. 

“Can we watch Star Wars Episode 4?” he asked timidly. 

There was a chorus of groans from the others at Seonghwa’s predictable movie selection, but the omega knew it was all good-natured. 

“I knew you were gonna pick that,” Mingi grumbled from Seonghwa's other side.

“At least it’s better than the Notebook,” Jongho piped in. 

Mingi gasped in offense. “What’s wrong with the Notebook?” 

“Besides the fact that you watch it like twice a month and we can hear you crying from all the way in the living room?” the youngest alpha asked rhetorically in a deadpan tone. 

The others laughed at Mingi’s expense while the beta valiantly tried to defend himself and the integrity of the Notebook. Seonghwa couldn’t help but smile at their banter filling the room and their happy scents permeating the air. It made the whole room smell like his pack - like home. 

“Alright, I volunteer Yeosang to get up and start playing the movie,” Wooyoung announced as he threw a look over his shoulder at his best friend.

Yeosang groaned. “Why me?” 

“Because you’re at the end of the bed, duh. You want me to crawl over you and Sannie to do it instead?” he asked almost threateningly. 

Yeosang gave a resigned sigh and untangled himself from San and the bedsheets to get out of the nest. “I suppose this is better than getting an elbow to the face,” he grumbled. 

“I’m glad you were able to see things my way,” the omega said smugly. 

Yeosang did not offer a reply to the statement and dutifully grabbed the remote to set up the Star Wars movie before returning to his place in the nest. 

“Thank you, Yeosang,” Seonghwa said gratefully as he directed an affectionate smile at the beta.

The blonde smiled back just as warmly. “Any time, hyung.” 

“Is this the one where Darth Vader does the whole ‘Luke I am your father’ thing?” San asked, pitching his voice lower in a poor imitation of Vader as the opening credits started to roll and inform them of a galaxy far, far away. 

Wooyoung laughed at the poor attempt and smacked San on the arm. “Stop that. You’re gonna make Seonghwa-hyung cry with how bad your impressions are.” 

Seonghwa chuckled when San started to pout and he patted the alpha’s arm in comfort. “No, Sannie, that’s the next one.”

San’s pout eased up a little but he still had his lips slightly jutted out as he shoved Wooyoung’s shoulder in retaliation. 

The younger omega just giggled and turned to nuzzle the alpha lightly in apology before reclaiming his place on Seonghwa’s shoulder. 

“I bet Mingi falls asleep first,” Yunho chimed in as Darth Vader made easy work of the rebels on screen. 

Now it was the tall beta’s turn to pout as he turned to look at his best friend, inadvertently squishing Jongho even tighter between them in the process and making the young alpha groan in protest. 

“No way! Yeosang is definitely falling asleep first,” he said back. 

“Me? San doesn’t even know what movie this is. He’s falling asleep before me for sure,” Yeosang fired back. 

“Hey! There are a lot of movies and they’re all out of order, it’s hard to remember, okay?” the alpha tried to defend as he started to full-on pout again. 

“Quit it! You guys are ruining the movie for Seonghwa-hyung,” Jongho cut in, shoving Mingi in an effort to get some more breathing room. 

“Please, as if Hwa-hyung hasn’t watched this a million times already,” Wooyoung said with a snort as he cuddled closer to Seonghwa and ignored both the movie and his packmates. 

“Okay, new bet. Wooyoung is gonna fall asleep first if all that cuddling is anything to go by,” Yunho amended, propping himself up on an elbow to look over at the cuddling omegas. 

This roused Wooyoung from his comfortable position and he lifted his head up to glare at the tall alpha. “I bet my share of the snacks at the next schedule that Yunho falls asleep before me,” he declared confidently. 

Yunho just smirked at the omega. “Can’t wait to eat your share, Wooyoung.” 

“Then, if San falls asleep before me, I get his share of snacks!” Mingi added. 

“What? No way. I didn’t agree to this!” San protested as he glared over at Mingi. 

The tall beta gave a small shrug. “You and Wooyoung are a packaged deal, so I felt I had to include you in the bet, too.” 

“Not when I didn’t agree to any bets!” the alpha argued back. 

Jongho just rolled his eyes and gave up on stopping his hyungs from talking over the movie and settled between his two tallest packmates as best as he could. Yeosang was taking a similar approach and propped his head up on one of the pillows to get a better view of the screen as he tried to focus on what Obi-Wan was trying to tell Luke. 

Seonghwa laid back fully into the comfort of his nest and kept his eyes on the screen as the rest of his pack continued to make bets and squabble amongst themselves. Wooyoung had been right in not thinking much of them talking over the audio of the movie as Seonghwa already had it memorized and could tell what conversation they were having even if he couldn’t hear Luke’s voice over San’s protests. 

He wrapped himself snuggly in the communal blanket he had stolen from the living room and shoved his face as far into Hongjoong’s pillow as he could without obstructing his view of the screen too much. 

As he laid there, surrounded by the scents of cinnamon, eucalyptus, coffee, oranges, oak, lavender and the faint smell of rain left on his sheets, he let himself indulge in the warm and safe feeling of being surrounded by his pack and he let the pleasant feeling lull him into a deep sleep for the first time in a week. 

It was a shame that no one had bet on Seonghwa being the first to fall asleep. 

-

Hongjoong quietly opened the door to their large shared apartment, careful not to make much noise as it was already two in the morning. 

He had finished up his courses at the training camp earlier than expected and got to come home a few days ahead of schedule. The managers had told him to wait until the following day, but Hongjoong felt he had been away from his packmates long enough and decided to take the very last train back into Seoul that night. 

The alpha took off his shoes and carried his suitcase across the living room, afraid rolling it would make too much noise. When he made it to his and Seonghwa’s bedroom door and slowly creaked it open, he was surprised to find his entire pack squished together in a nest on his bed. 

Yunho looked one strong snore away from falling off the bed while he subconsciously clung to Mingi’s arm like a lifeline while Jongho looked mildly uncomfortable squished between them, but sleeping soundly all the same. Yeosang was only slightly more secure on the other edge of the bed as he clutched San’s back and rested his head on the alpha’s shoulder while San had an arm and leg thrown over Wooyoung and a stuffed animal safely tucked between his chest and Wooyoung’s back. 

And in between the pile of limbs and blankets lay Seonghwa, wrapped in the blanket they usually kept in the living room and surrounded by half of Hongjoong’s collection of sweaters that he had somehow managed to fit into the nest. 

Hongjoong might as well have been reduced to a marshmallow in that moment as he stood there and watched his mate and the rest of his pack resting peacefully. It also made his heart ache in longing and regret at not having been there to be a part of the giant cuddle pile. Even if he wasn’t always fond of physical affection, he would never deny his pack or his mate the comfort of snuggling up close in a nest. And if there was a nest involved, it meant someone needed some serious comfort, which made Joong feel even more guilty for being away. 

The souring of his scent must have been more obvious than he thought because a few moments later, Wooyoung’s head popped up from the middle of the nest. 

“Hyung?” he asked sleepily into the dark room as he rubbed his tired eyes cutely. 

“Shh, go back to sleep, Woo. I’m sorry for waking you,” the alpha said, feeling even more guilty now that he had unintentionally disturbed the omega’s sleep. Wooyoung had always had a sharp nose. 

But the omega just shook his head. “No, you should sleep with Seonghwa-hyung. He’s missed you. I’ll get the others out of your hair, too.” 

And before Hongjoong could even begin to protest, Wooyoung roused San awake and the pair worked together to wake up the others as silently as possible. 

Once all the members minus Seonghwa were awake, they started to sleepily stumble out of the room. Hongjoong was glad Seonghwa kept their room spotless, because he was sure someone would have tripped had there been anything scattered on the floor. 

He got a few sleepy greetings of “hi, hyung” and some grunts of acknowledgement as the members walked past him to presumably head to their own rooms. 

San was the last to exit the room and Hongjoong noticed he was holding something in his hands gingerly. When the other alpha came closer, Hongjoong finally noticed that it was his precious mokoko plushie. “Take care of mokoko tonight, okay? Hwa-hyung might still need her tomorrow, so I don’t want to take her without asking,” the alpha explained, voice still heavy with sleep. 

Hongjoong accepted the pink plushie into his arms when San handed it to him. “Sure thing, San-ah. Thank you for taking care of Seonghwa while I was away. Now, go get some sleep, yeah?” he said as he reached up to gently pat the younger alpha on the head, knowing the other loved head pats. 

San hummed happily before pulling away and heading out the door towards his own room. 

Hongjoong looked down at the mokoko plushie and felt a small smile grace his lips. He was sad that he couldn’t be here to give his mate comfort since it appeared he was the one the others were trying to cheer up, but he was also so incredibly thankful that Seonghwa had the rest of their pack to look after and support him while Hongjoong was away.  

He was truly grateful and proud of how much they all cared for each other. 

After everyone else had left, Hongjoong silently closed the door behind him and quietly placed his suitcase off to the side before making his way over to the bed with the mokoko plush in hand. 

He deposited mokoko next to Seonghwa and slid in under the covers on the opposite side, wrapping a protective arm over his mate’s waist and bringing him closer. 

Seonghwa stirred at being moved, but did not open his eyes. Instead, he scooted closer to Hongjoong and buried his nose in the alpha’s neck, inhaling deeply. 

“Alpha, missed you,” he heard his mate mumble sleepily. 

Hongjoong felt his chest swell in pride at his mate recognizing him even in sleep and he brushed his fingers through Seonghwa’s hair adoringly, wondering how he could have gotten so lucky. 

The alpha still felt awful for leaving his pack and his omega alone for so long, but he promised himself that he’d shower Seonghwa with love and attention as soon as they both woke up tomorrow to make up for his absence. 

He wrapped his arms even tighter around his mate and nuzzled into the side of his head to breathe in his gorgeous hibiscus scent and the faint smell of his coconut shampoo. After almost a week apart, getting to hold his mate close and inhale his scent was a balm to his aching heart. Seonghwa’s scent even smelled sweeter than usual and he wondered if it was just their time apart that made his omega smell even better than he remembered. 

There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him he was missing something, but he chalked it up to exhaustion and decided not to worry about it for now and just focused on cradling his mate in his arms and making sure the other felt safe and loved, even in his sleep. 

As he laid there surrounded by the scent of his pack and with his mate soundly asleep in his embrace, the tension from the stressful week at the production camp started to melt away with every deep breath he took that smelled like home. 

He was finally home. 

Because my world is all over you
I live more in your arms
Your scent stays in my heart