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Xie Lian stuck his tongue out in concentration as he re-arranged the mountain of pillows and blankets surrounding him for what had to be the fifth time in the last twenty minutes. He was banned from helping his friends in the kitchen, so he decided to keep himself otherwise occupied. A comfortable nest was a must for a friendly gathering like the one they were participating in tonight.
The group of eight had planned a night full of food, games and Christmas movies to get the group in the holiday spirit before final exams could bring down their spirits and mental fortitude. Xie Lian had taken extra precautions to ensure that they’d be watching both of San Lang’s favorite Christmas films; being ‘Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer’ and ‘Olive, the Other Reindeer’.
Of course, not all eight bodies could fit inside Shi Qingxuan’s admittedly spacious kitchen, so the group was currently divided into smaller units. Yin Yu was efficiently keeping an eye on everything as Mu Qing would let his focus waver so he could fuss with Feng Xin over the tiniest details. Wherever Yin Yu was that is where Quan Yizhen wanted to be, so the younger Alpha diligently played his role as a spectator in exchange for promising to stay out of the way.
Hua Cheng and He Xuan would be situated in the living room along with himself and Shi Qingxuan if Xie Lian hadn’t let it slip that he preferred graham crackers over pretzels. As expected, Hua Cheng could not stand for any of his gege’s desires to be unsatisfied, so he had dragged his reluctant beta friend with him to the market a few blocks over in search of the sweet crackers.
While flattered, a bigger part of Xie Lian wished his omega had stayed with him so they could get a few cuddles in without Mu Qing or Feng Xin yelling about how sticky there were.
This minor separation is also what spurred the amber-eyed omega to fix a cozy nest for him and his lover to enjoy once he returned. Shi Qingxuan, the third and final omega of the group, observed in quiet fascination. They had already tried to help their friend with collecting and arranging the padding of the nest, but that resulted in Xie Lian shooing them away lest their hazelnut and tangerine scent decided to cling to the blankets that would cover him and San Lang.
People who knew the pair tended to poke fun at the fact that, despite both being omegas, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng insisted upon scenting their love and became agitated if another’s scent was too prominent. This had led to a few misunderstandings during their first few months of having met each other, with both parties believing the other was courting one of the members in their own individual little packs.
Three years later and Xie Lian still hasn’t seen Yin Yu or He Xuan laugh as hard as they had when he confronted them about whether one of them was courting San Lang. The memory still brings a feeling of slight mortification that is usually immediately replaced by sentiments of relief and a touch of smugness. San Lang was happily his and no one could take that away.
Placing down the last pillow from the previous pile, Xie Lian sighed happily. The nest finally looked and felt worthy of housing his love for the rest of the night.
“Ah, a-Lian! Your nest looks so comfortable! Maybe I should’ve made one for myself and He Xuan,” Shi Qingxuan pouted, looking at the freshly completed nest with slight envy.
Xie Lian immediately felt bad and let out a low purr, remembering how he had snapped at them earlier for getting too close.
“Eh, I’m sorry about earlier Shi Qingxuan. Let San Lang see it first, and if he’s okay with it, you can join us for a little bit?” Xie Lian wasn’t sure of his proposal but seeing his friend perk up and let out a happy purr of their own removed the slight worry that had settled over his shoulders.
Noticing this, Shi Qingxuan moved closer to the other omega, watching for any sign of disapproval. When none was received, they plastered themselves to Xie Lian’s and nuzzled their cheeks together.
“I’d be happy to join you two, a-Lian! Hua Cheng might be scary but he makes for a great cuddle buddy! Don’t tell him I said that though,” Shi Qingxuan giggled to themselves. Xie Lian echoed their mirth but for a different reason; he was the only one who was aware of San Lang’s soft spot for the other omega in their blended pack.
Most people would assume that to be normal since Shi Qingxuan is one of his original packmates lover, but that notion gets disproven as soon as Quan Yizhen gets mentioned. Quan Yizhen’s scent, cedarwood and pine needles, is described by Hua Cheng as a feral dog wandering into the woods and marking its territory with piss before succumbing to its own misery.
There were very few mysteries surrounding San Lang for Xie Lian, but one that seemed to persist is whatever drama that transpired between Quan Yizhen and his boyfriend’s pack. He’s edged around the topic before and San Lang had only given the vaguest of answers, so he let the issue go. If it were to concern him, he was sure San Lang would share more.
Although, if Xie Lian had to guess, he’d assume Quan Yizhen likely harmed Yin Yu in some way or form in order to earn almost overtly hostile treatment from both Hua Cheng and He Xuan. Despite how the trio acted in public, it was obvious to Xie Lian at least that they cared deeply for each other and wouldn’t let perceived slights against any of them stand without correction.
“A-Xuan!”
Xie Lian blinked as he watched Shi Qingxuan launch themselves at the beta who had just barely entered the apartment, still clad in his coat and boots.
Said beta rolled his eyes fondly as he shuffled pass the threshold so his companion could enter as well. Xie Lian would freely admit to perking up just as much as his friend once his San Lang squeezed around the couple reuniting in the doorway to make immediate eye contact.
“San Lang, Welcome back!” Xie Lian was nearly buzzing with excitement as he watched his boyfriend deftly shimmy out of his outerwear and place them in their respective spaces before gliding over with a market plastic bag in his hands.
“Gege,” Hua Cheng cooed, kneeling in front of Xie Lian to rub the tips of their noses together, “Sorry for taking so long, I had to stop fish-face over there from buying half the store.”
A scoff came from the door. Xie Lian spared a glance in that direction to see He Xuan struggling to remove his own outer layers as Shi Qingxuan refused to unwind their arms from around his torso.
“Oh, fuck you. It definitely was your obsessing over which form of graham crackers would communicate your love the most that turned a maybe fifteen-minute trip into thirty.”
Hua Cheng flipped his packmate off before directing Xie Lian’s attention back to him. “That reminds me Gege, I got you both the regular graham crackers that could be crushed and they had a special edition ‘reindeer snacks’ version I thought you’d enjoy.”
Heterochromatic eyes watched as Xie Lian dug around for his promised goodies, letting out a coo of his own as the adorable packaging of the aforementioned reindeer snacks came into view. The graham crackers were formed into little bones that had the different names of Santa’s reindeer etched into each snack.
Xie Lian leaned in and placed his lips gently on top of Hua Cheng’s for a quick peck. Or was meant to be a quick peck. San Lang followed those sweet lips tasting of vanilla bean and strawberries, not having gotten his fill just yet.
“Did you get the cooking oil I texted you for?”
“Yeah.”
“It better be the sesame cooking oil.”
“Fuck you, I know how to read.”
“You’re good for something, at least.”
Xie Lian whined as San Lang was the one to pull away this time, a chuckle on those plump lips.
“Didis, why are we fighting? You’re both doing a great job, I appreciate it.”
Xie Lian had to suppress his own laugh as He Xuan and Yin Yu, who must’ve entered the room at some point, stopped their fussing to avert their gazes as identical blushes bloomed on their faces.
“I wonder if that would work on my packmates.”
Mu Qing and Feng Xin, despite having obvious feelings for each other, still insisted on fussing any time there were within the same area like they were four years old again meeting on the playground. Both alphas were sensitive to their omega packmate’s moods, so it’d be worth it to try it out at least once the next time things got out of hand.
“Tch. That trash would be blessed to receive anything from Gege, much less a compliment.” Hua Cheng hissed as Xie Lian nipped his bottom lip in slight reprimand.
“They’ve been polite to San Lang all night, so San Lang should be nice in return, yes?” Xie Lian quirked an eyebrow at his boyfriend as he grumbled off to the side.
“Whatever Gege says. This one apologizes, especially for not mentioning how perfectly cozy your nest looks.” Hua Cheng softened as he watched his gege visibly perk up at mention of the nest.
“It’s for San Lang to enjoy while we watch the movies later! Won’t he try it out?” Xie Lian bit his lower lip. Even after all these years, he still got nervous now and again about making nests for his (hopefully) future mate. An omega’s nest is a central part of their being, used to show not only their contentment but also provide a place of security and comfort.
Being welcomed to share an omega’s nest is one of the most intimate gestures that can be extended, doing so speaking volumes to the trust the omega has in their invitee.
Hua Cheng tried to tamp down his blush by clearing his throat softly before shooting Xie Lian a reassuring smile.
“En.”
Amber eyes watched anxiously as long pale limbs moved towards and then into the nest. With the copious number of blankets and pillows used, five grown bodies could easily fit with a couple more only being slightly out of the nest.
Hua Cheng crawled around the inner wall of the nest, taking in lingering notes of vanilla and strawberries while also leaving behind his own scent. Once a full patrol through the nest was conducted, Hua Cheng flopped down right in the middle, audibly happy purrs vibrating from his chest. It really was a comfortable nest, perfect for having to remain in for a stretch of time. Only one thing could make it better.
Rolling onto his back, Hua Cheng opened his eyes to look at boyfriend only to see him already looking back at him with a hopeful look.
Pale arms stretched out. “Such a warm, cozy nest for this San Lang. Only thing missing is a beautiful gege.”
Xie Lian did not need to be told twice. He scurried into the nest and plopped himself directly on top of Hua Cheng, drawing a small ‘oof’ from the other man. He took his time rubbing his cheeks across the other’s face, taking in the unique fragrance of raspberries and sweet mint while also covering him with his own scent.
Hua Cheng was pliant under his boyfriend’s ministrations, quite content to let him renew his scent claim. In fact, there were few things the pair enjoyed more than intertwining their natural scents ins o closely that they could barely be distinguished from the other.
Typically, a scenting from an omega would not last longer than a couple of hours, however; Xie Lian and Hua Cheng found themselves to be a little different than most. When they scent each other, it can remain a notable presence for at least a day and then gradually peter out over the next couple of days just like an alpha or beta’s attempt. Hua Cheng said it was proof of how much they loved each other while Mu Qing called bullshit and said it was proof of how obsessed they were.
It didn’t matter who was correct to Xie Lian; only thing he cared about was everybody knowing that this gorgeous, sincere, highly capable omega below him was his.
Spurred by the thought, Xie Lian drifted slightly lower and plucked down the red turtleneck collar currently shielding that golden spot from his touch.
Hua Cheng has already begun to sink into that delicious headspace where everything felt a hundred times better and there was nothing more on his mind past his gege. Docile as he was, he didn’t anticipate his love’s next move until an almost feverish tongue was lapping harshly at his newly revealed scent gland.
Mix matched eyes squinted shut as his spine reflexively arched into a perfect bow. “Hmph, Gege…” Hua Cheng gasped.
He was mostly unaware of his body opening itself up to Xie Lian, long legs spreading and neck tilting to entice another touch. Xie Lian allowed himself a rare smirk as he used teasing nips to travel across that pale column of a neck to the opposing gland. There, he repeated the same harsh, wet lick before ending it with hard suction with his lips.
The whine that was snatched from Hua Cheng’s vocal cords was music to Xie Lian’s ears. His San Lang’s scent had become even more potent than it had been in previous moments. If he took a deep enough whiff, Xie Lian was sure he’d pick up tints of arousal stirring in his beloved. The very thought had Xie Lian surging back up to reclaim those addictive lips.
The omega pair kissed as if they wish to devour each other whole. Noses slotted together perfectly as pink tongues intertwined and explored with its destined twin. It took Xie Lian feeling a little light-headed himself for him to pull back. The sight that greeted him was one of the many he strives to earn every day if he could.
San Lang was spread out as if boneless; pink-dusted high cheekbones matched the blooming pink love bites at the base of his neck as well as complimenting the red outline that circled a gland. The normally garnet eye now closely matched its counterpart as the pupil dilated so far it was almost entirely black. The man was completely vulnerable, and yet made no attempts to adjust.
MinemineminemineMINE.
Xie Lian felt his inner omega croon possessively. San Lang’s easy submission keeping his blood boiling in the best way. Said omega was about to lean back in to further debauch his lover when an additional presence made itself known in the nest.
“I didn’t expect a show along with the invitation, but who am I to turn down beautiful things?” Shi Qingxuan winked at Xie Lian as they fluffed the pillows closest to them.
Xie Lian’s first instinct was to snap at the other omega for entering his nest with his dazed omega inside. Luckily, the more rational side of Xie Lian was in the majority and heat rushed up his face in embarrassment. How shameless of him! Practically engaging in foreplay with San Lang in front of their respective packmates, how bold!
Shi Qingxuan hid their amusement behind a hand, politely turning their head to save Xie Lian some face. Hua Cheng was probably the most shameless of them all so he couldn’t care less who witnessed him and his future mate being sticky.
“Ahem. Sorry about that Shi Qingxuan, He Xuan,” Xie Lian cleared his throat, nodding to both omega and beta respectively. He had changed his position so he no longer was kneeling on top of Hua Cheng, but was now sitting down propped up against the far wall of the nest. The taller omega resting with his head on a muscular thigh still trying to land from the previous headspace he’d been in.
He Xuan merely grunted as he shoveled another handful of sea salt kettle chips into his mouth. As long as he had food, he couldn’t give two fucks about whatever everybody else had going on. His partner on the other hand wiggled their eyebrows suggestively and titter into the space.
“I think it would be a crime to apologize for making one’s omega so happy. But back to what I was saying cause I know you weren’t listening,” Shi Qingxuan waved off Xie Lian’s bubbling apologies, “Can a-Xuan join us in your nest? I think Hua Cheng would freak out if I touched either of you right now and I want cuddles!”
Xie Lian chuckled at his friend’s exaggerated pout. “I made the nest for San Lang, so it’s up to him who gets to come in and who doesn’t.” Reaching a hand down to rest onto a cooling cheek, Xie Lian called Hua Cheng’s attention to him.
“Hi there my San Lang. Shi Qingxuan has a question for you, okay?”
One dusky eye glanced up before roaming to the side to land on the patient omega. Taking that as the sign it was, Shi Qingxuan clasped their hands together in a mock-begging position.
“Hua Cheng, pretty pretty please may a-Xuan come into your nest with us? I promise he won’t get any crumbs in it!”
A small scoff came from the lounging body, lucid enough now to realize that tall order.
The pout deepened. “Okay. Any crumbs that inevitably find their way inside will be kept over towards the edge. Pretty please with a-Lian on top?”
Hua Cheng snickered as said topping sputtered. “A-Lian on top is my favorite place for him to be,” He continued on over Xie Lian’s meek ‘San Lang!’ and Shi Qingxuan’s glee, “But if I let one didi in, then the other will get jealous and want to come in too, but that didi comes with a stupid alpha and I don’t want my nest smelling like piss.” The last part of his sentence was directed up at Xie Lian as if seeking his counsel.
He Xuan snorted derisively. “Fuck Yin Yu and his hanger on, actually.” The comment earned him a harsh smack on the arm from Shi Qingxuan. “Be nice to Yin Yu, a-Xuan! He’s in there making your food right now.” The beta rolled his moss-colored eyes but wisely refrained from commenting further.
Meanwhile, Xie Lian had taken out Hua Cheng’s long-ruined ponytail and was now running his fingers gently through waves of sable. “This gege made a nest for his San Lang, so San Lang alone gets to decide who does and who doesn’t get to enter it. And if anyone has an issue with that, I’m happy to discuss it with them.”
Hua Cheng hid a smile against Xie Lian’s thigh while the other pair eyed the shorter omega warily. In most circumstances, Xie Lian saying he’d discuss it with someone would be simply that; talking. However, when it came to his San Lang it simply meant he’d give you some options, and if you had even the slightest sense of self-preservation, you’d take the road of least resistance.
“Well, if gege says so, it could only be true,” Hua Cheng pressed a kiss to the muscle below his head before sitting up slightly with his boyfriend’s help. “
C’mere didi, you know the drill.”
Despite his grumblings, He Xuan didn’t hesitate to move himself closer to the edge of the nest so that his packmate could lean over and scent him, slightly cloaking own his blue freesias and coconut water. Since Hua Cheng had just been effectively scented by Xie Lian, a pleasant mixture of their two scents is what would linger on those he scented in turn.
It was not uncommon for omegas to cover nest guests with their own scent so as to make the space more harmonious as well as reinforce that the guest was not an intruder.
Hua Cheng idly rubbed his cheeks against He Xuan’s a few times before nudging the beta away with his head to scent his packmate’s omega. Once Hua Cheng was done, Shi Qingxuan whooped loudly and dove gracefully into the mountain of comfort, echoing a very similar purr to the one Hua Cheng had released upon his first entry in the nest. Very few would miss the look of love He Xuan gazed upon his partner with. The beta crawled in after them much slowly but somehow with just as much grace.
“Ohh, a-Lian this is so comfy. I feel like the filling in a marshmallow.” Shi Qingxuan rolled happily in the tiny portion they had claim for the night.
Xie Lian felt his chest puff out a little at his future packmates also enjoying the nest he had built. There are very few things a good nest couldn’t cure as his mother would say!
The quartet rested in a companionable silence until the previously distant yelling from the kitchen migrated closer to where they were situated in the living area.
“Try not to be a bumbling idiot for once because if you drop any of that dip I’m going to use your balls as replacement ingredients in the next batch.” Mu Qing hissed as he followed Feng Xin into the room, both of their arms saddled with various dishes full of food. The alpha in question was walking pretty swiftly for having to balance four bowls on top of a platter.
“Please. If I drop any I’ll go ahead and off myself so I wouldn’t have to hear you bitch for another two hours straight.” Feng Xin shot back at the silver-haired alpha. He made it over to the prepped low coffee table and deposited his haul, situating the bowls in the preferred order of Mu Qing despite their ongoing bickering.
Xie Lian could only shake his head as his two alpha packmates continued swiping at each other even as they moved in tandem to arrange all of the food being spread.
Everyone could tell that the two had some deep, unresolved tension between them that could not be explained away by the hate the pair claimed to feel towards the other. They had been on the brink of something since even before they both presented in the same year. Xie Lian used to worry that his friends were afraid of being judged for being a same-secondary gender couple, but after assuring them both that the world was more accepting of all forms of love now, he came to the realization that Feng Xin and Mu Qing weren’t scared; they were just stupid and dedicated to the longest foreplay in existence.
Xie Lian’s attention was diverted from the frankly amusing argument over the placement of toppings to the platter being extended to him from his peripheral. Turning his head to the side he noted it was Yin Yu holding out a giant plate with both his and San Lang’s favorites piled onto it, though it seemed to contain a few more of Xie Lian’s preferences.
“Ah, Yin Yu. Thank you so much! You’ve been working in the kitchen the entire time; you didn’t need to fix us a plate on top of that too.” Xie Lian thanked the beta as the platter exchanged hands.
Yin Yu’s eyes roamed over to the far side of the nest before snapping back to make contact with Xie Lian. “It was no extra labor truly; I know the both of you had a long day earlier at the elementary school.”
While it was true Xie Lian and Hua Cheng had spent a few hours at the local elementary school reading Christmas stories to a few classrooms, it wasn’t strenuous enough that they couldn’t get their own food. Especially not when they had spent majority of the evening sitting down and would continue to do so for the movie and game portion of the night. Xie Lian was about to insist on returning the favor, but Yin Yu’s attention was no longer on him, having returned to that same corner of the nest.
Xie Lian followed his line of sight and would’ve covered his mouth as he laughed if they weren’t already occupied. ‘Ah, San Lang was right once again.’
Now that he was properly paying attention, it was obvious that what Yin Yu was eyeballing was in fact He Xuan lounging comfortably in his claimed spot in the nest, a shit-eating grin on his face as he kept his eyes on his fellow beta. It was obviously meant as a taunt. It never ceased to amaze Xie Lian how similar his and San Lang’s packmates could be, but that was part of the reason why they’ve been insisting on these bigger get togethers.
They were planning on becoming true mates once they graduated and secured stable employment, so it only made sense to try to integrate their two separate packs into one so they’d all get used to being around each other. He thought about interjecting when San Lang took over before he could.
“Look Gege, my didi brought us so much to snack on, isn’t he so reliable?” Hua Cheng knew he was laying it on a bit thick and there was a chance the other would think he was mocking Yin Yu, but he was serious in his praise. The beta had not only brought him food, he had also taken his love into consideration and actually catered more to Xie Lian’s taste which is exactly what Hua Cheng wants at all times. Plus, he could smell He Xuan’s smugness from here.
Yin Yu had already begun to blush at Hua Cheng’s comment, but now his pale visage was pinker than jade as Xie Lian enthusiastically nodded his agreement. “So reliable! And thoughtful! A great packmate to have.”
Poor Yin Yu had started to shift on his feet from the influx of compliments, however both omegas could smell the slight highlights of self-satisfaction coming from the quiet beta. An offended huff came from behind the pair, no doubt from He Xuan. Deciding to relieve him from his embarrassment, Hua Cheng reached a hand out to Yin Yu.
“Will didi be joining us now?” Yin Yu took no further encouragement, kneeling down to allow Hua Cheng to repeat the process for the third time that night before stepping into the nest and settling on the opposite side of the omega pair.
Quan Yizhen had surprisingly been silent up until this point, slinking behind his shixiong with two plates in his own hands. Seeing Yin Yu had picked a place to settle for the night, the alpha jumped to plop down next to him only to be stopped by Hua Cheng.
“No.”
Everyone stopped what they were doing at the icy tone coming from the omega. Hua Cheng didn’t speak to anyone the same gentle way he spoke to Xie Lian, but it was rare nowadays for him to speak to anyone in that room with that tone. Except for Quan Yizhen.
Said alpha had paused initially at the command only to bare his fangs and snarl threateningly at Hua Cheng and press forward, clearly planning to enter the nest anyway despite the clear warning.
Xie Lian vaguely registered He Xuan and Yin Yu tensing before he himself swiftly passed the platter of food to San Lang to launch himself in Quan Yizhen’s face. He had meant every word he said earlier about this being San Lang’s nest and all guests must be approved by San Lang alone.
Xie Lian had already had a separate conversation with Quan Yizhen back when the drama was fresh that he didn’t care if he was an omega while the other was alpha, he would absolutely unleash his full martial arts repertoire if the man ever thought about laying a hand on his omega.
Having briefly participated in the same martial arts club as Xie Lian, Quan Yizhen was well aware it’d be a fool’s gamble to press any further, no matter how upset he was. With a dejected look, the alpha slumped down on the outside of the nest. He could still reach over and touch Yin Yu if he wanted to, but was otherwise clear of the nest.
The rest of the group let out a collective sigh of relief and returned to their previous activities. Yin Yu was still a bit tense, avoiding everyone’s eyes until a questioning chirp from Hua Cheng had him lifting his head. Xie Lian couldn’t tell what was being discussed in their seemingly telepathic conversation, though he could tell it was all going to be okay by the beta’s shy smile and thankful bow of the head.
There were a few more minutes of shuffling around and plates being filled and drinks passed out before everyone was settled for light conversation before getting the rest of the night’s itinerary started.
Well, almost everyone was settled.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were crouch by the outskirts of the nest. They were fiercely whispering back and forth while eyeing the nest. Xie Lian knew he didn’t have to worry about them trying to strong arm their way in like Quan Yizhen had attempted, but he was still on guard.
“They can come closer, Gege.”
Xie Lian snapped his head towards his boyfriend, not even having noticed he had stopped eating to look at his deliberating packmates. Quickly donning a smile, Xie Lian tried to wave him off.
“No, it’s totally okay. How many times do I have to remind San Lang that this is his nest to do with as he pleases?” Xie Lian teased, tapping the tip of that pale nose with a finger. Hua Cheng scrunched his face playfully before focusing.
“And how many times do I have to remind Gege that I’m at my happiest when you’re happy? They’re your packmates and one day I’ll be stuck with them too, so they can come halfway in. You’ve got to be the one to scent them though.” Hua Cheng said nonchalantly.
Xie Lian felt his heart swell for this precious, thoughtful man. He really was the biggest blessing in his life and he prayed he could keep him even in the next lifetime.
Quickly getting up, Xie Lian made his way over to his two packmates who were watching him approach with eyes blown wide, no doubt expecting a scolding for hovering so close uninvited. They were (pleasantly) surprised and bashful to have the omega quickly explain what was happening before leaning in to nuzzle first Mu Qing and then Feng Xin. The tips of the alphas’ ears were burning red even as they moved themselves closer to the mouth of the nest, following instructions to a tee.
Xie Lian settled himself back next to his love, reaching over to his lap to pick up a meat bun for himself. Taking a bite, amber eyes took their time scanning the room at their pack being safe and fed all in one spot. A warm feeling buzzed in Xie Lian’s chest as San Lang snuggled in closer to his side, not breaking his conversation with He Xuan.
He, too, felt like the inside of a marshmallow.