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“Is Donghyuck okay with that?” Renjun asks as he walks past and Jeno tilts his head.
“Okay with what?”
Renjun raises an eyebrow, gesturing to the jacket around his shoulders. “You’re wearing his alpha’s jacket.”
Jeno takes the jacket off and holds it in his hands, frowning. It’s really cold today and the stylists always manage to give him the thinnest clothes out of all of them so he couldn’t say no when Jaemin had offered up his jacket during their stage rehearsal. It’s so warm and it smells like him and as soon as he takes it off he can feel anxiety start to build in his stomach again.
“He gave it to me,” Jeno mumbles, staring at the ground.
All he gets from Renjun is a single look, his expression unreadable, before the others come back on stage and their conversation is cut short. He locks eyes with Jaemin before he can stop himself and the alpha immediately starts to head towards him, brow furrowed. He can hear Donghyuck teasing Mark on the other side of the stage.
“Why did you take it off?” Jaemin asks, his tone carefully measured.
Jeno blushes. “Well…Renjun said it-”
“You’re cold,” Jaemin interrupts sharply.
“It’s okay,” Jeno replies, but they can both tell he’s lying. The weather’s been getting colder and colder these days and Jeno’s always been sensitive to changes in temperature. Already he can feel himself start to shiver as the wind blows against them.
Before Jaemin can answer, Donghyuck comes running up and throws his arms around Jeno, hugging him tightly.
“My baby!” he exclaims, nuzzling against Jeno’s neck. It provides a sense of comfort only another omega can bring and Jeno finds himself leaning into it.
He can feel his scent changing and Donghyuck hums happily from behind him. It’s futile to try and hide his emotions because his scent always gives it away, but right now he’s okay with it, relaxing in Donghyuck’s warm embrace. He doesn’t know why but he feels a different kind of safety in Donghyuck’s arms. It’s something he only feels when he’s with the other omega and the only person who can come close to replicating it is Jaemin. Now that they’re both next to him, the knots in his stomach start to disappear.
“You’re cold,” Donghyuck says, upset. Jeno whines softly, instinctively trying to find a way to make him feel better. He doesn’t want Donghyuck to be sad.
“He took it off,” Jaemin replies before Jeno can say anything. He pulls the jacket out of Jeno’s hands.
Donghyuck lets go of Jeno to walk over to Jaemin and Jeno feels the wind start to blow through his clothes again, his hands starting to shake. He wants to run into their arms. He tells himself it’s just because he’s cold. He just wants the comfort of his groupmates. Nothing more.
Back when they were trainees, Jeno was obsessed with Jaemin. He thought he was the prettiest person to ever exist and found himself chasing after every moment with him. After Jaemin presented as an alpha, Jeno prayed every night that he would be an omega, if only to fulfill Jaemin’s desires.
It was a stupid wish, since these days nontraditional pairings are everywhere, but it was just that childlike desire. All the fairytales have the strong, kind alpha falling in love with the beautiful, gentle omega, and that’s what Jeno wanted to be to Jaemin. But he was too scared to tell him.
By the time Jeno had gained enough confidence to think about confessing his feelings, Jaemin had started dating Donghyuck, the only other omega in their group. It was a bitter jealousy that took over Jeno, something he had never felt before, and he spent months avoiding talking to both of them, wondering if there was something he could have done differently. Why did Jaemin have to fall in love with Donghyuck instead?
But Donghyuck is too kind of a person, too beautiful and wonderful to hate, and Jeno got over it quickly. He never managed to get rid of his crush on Jaemin, but the jealousy disappeared. Over time, he found himself admiring Donghyuck too. He knows they’re such a good couple, one of the best matches for each other. And Donghyuck is so wonderful. Jaemin deserves him and he deserves Jaemin.
These days the jealousy has come back but it confuses him. He’ll find himself sneaking glances during practice, but they’re not always at Jaemin. Something about Donghyuck has been pulling him in, deeper and deeper, and it’s starting to make him nervous. Neither of them could ever see him that way and he needs to stop whatever he’s doing. He can tell the other group members know what’s going on and they keep looking at him with such pity in their eyes that it makes him embarrassed. All he can do is pathetically chase after people that can never like him back.
“Jeno?” Jaemin asks, and Jeno realizes he’s zoned out again, staring at the ground. He looks up to meet both Donghyuck and Jaemin’s gaze.
“Sorry,” he mumbles.
They stay quiet for a moment and then Donghyuck grabs the jacket, walking back towards Jeno.
“I don’t like it when you’re cold,” he says softly, reaching up and putting it around Jeno’s shoulders. “Will you please wear it?”
Jeno looks around and locks eyes with Renjun on the other side of the stage for a second. He pales, shaking his head. “I don’t think I should.”
“Why not?” Jaemin is frowning.
“It’s not…I’m…” Jeno stutters helplessly. “Jaemin’s your alpha. I shouldn’t.”
The air grows heavy and Jeno starts to wonder if he’s said something wrong. He really hopes he hasn’t. Jaemin and Donghyuck are looking at each other, having some sort of silent conversation, and he considers just handing the jacket back and going to find someone else to talk to.
“Um, I can give it back-”
“Don’t,” comes the sharp response, but it’s not from Jaemin this time. Donghyuck is looking at him with a mix of frustration and something Jeno can’t place.
“I just don’t think it’s appropriate-”
“I want you to wear it,” Donghyuck says as Jaemin just stands there quietly, watching. Donghyuck turns to glance at him and then looks back at Jeno. “We want you to wear it.”
Jeno doesn’t really know what to say to that. It makes him feel kind of weird and he doesn’t like that he can’t place the exact emotion. He just nods and pulls his arms through the sleeves, hugging his arms against his chest.
Jaemin and Donghyuck seem content with his decision and walk away to take care of other things. He goes through the rest of rehearsal wearing it, only giving it back when it’s time to actually perform, and only has fleeting conversations with them for the rest of the day. He can feel their eyes on him but he clings to Mark instead, trying to get rid of the weird feeling in his stomach.
Renjun’s words bounce around his head for the next few days. Has Jeno been doing inappropriate things with Jaemin? He starts to notice everything that Donghyuck and Jaemin do with him and it confuses him even more.
The morning that Donghyuck is sent to wake him up for their schedules, instead of calling him from the doorway he slips under the covers, cuddling him and scenting him all over until he’s awake enough to get up. In the car, Jisung comments on it, saying how it smells like they have two Donghyucks, and Jeno blushes while Donghyuck grins proudly, The weird feeling comes back.
Jeno keeps noticing things like that. Jaemin will make breakfast for Jeno before he makes it for himself, but will roll his eyes when anyone else walks up and asks for some. When he’s watching tv, Donghyuck will push other people away from him just to be able to climb on his lap and wrap all his limbs around him so he can’t move. Every now and then, he’ll find a sweater on his bed, smelling like Donghyuck and Jaemin, and he can’t help but wear it every time. As confused as it makes him, their scent provides him with so much comfort he can’t refuse it.
Mates are supposed to be territorial, so Jeno wearing Jaemin’s sweatshirt should really make Donghyuck mad. But Donghyuck’s scent is all over it too and when he walks out of his room wearing it, all he gets is a pleased expression from the other omega. Jeno has no idea what’s going on and is starting to wonder if this is a big elaborate plot to blackmail him or kick him out of the group. It makes no sense.
Chenle catches him in the hallway one day, grabbing his arm before he can go into his room.
“Hey,” he says, with a frown on his face. “Jaemin and Donghyuck…do you know what you’re doing?”
Jeno tries to control his scent but the way Chenle’s expression changes he can tell his anxiety is clear. “I mean…I’m not trying to mess anything up…”
Chenle’s face softens as he sees Jeno shrink under his gaze and he lets go of Jeno’s arm. “You’re not messing anything up. Just be careful.”
He can tell the words are supposed to be comforting but all they do is confuse him even more. Something is going on with Jaemin and Donghyuck and it’s starting to feel like everyone else knows what it is except him.
He considers keeping some distance from them and trying not to impose on their relationship but it ends up nearly impossible. Jaemin checks in on him over and over throughout the day, handing him snacks and playing with his hair. Donghyuck is almost always clinging to him somehow, scenting him so much that Jeno thinks he might smell more like Donghyuck than himself at this point.
One day he’s sitting on the couch, making a bracelet using some string. It’s something he hasn’t done in a while but he finds the childish action a little soothing, especially as the tv plays a random drama in the background. It helps to clear his mind.
Donghyuck appears, sliding onto the couch next to him and smiling at him. He looks down at the bracelet in Jeno’s hands.
“Is that for Jaemin?” he asks and Jeno tilts his head in confusion.
“No…?” he replies slowly. “Does he want one? I can make one for him, I guess…”
Donghyuck’s face falls at his words and Jeno feels a pang in his chest, even though he doesn’t even know what he said that was wrong. Did Jaemin ask for a bracelet and he didn’t realize? He hasn’t made any of these in ages and he didn’t even see Jaemin earlier. How would Jaemin even know he was making them?
“Who’s it for then?” Donghyuck asks, quiet.
“I don’t know,” Jeno replies, still extremely confused. “Me? Maybe I can give it to Renjun or something. I think he likes stuff like that.”
Something changes in Donghyuck’s expression and he gets up before Jeno can even finish his sentence. His scent sours and Jeno bites back a whine. What did he say?
“Yeah,” Donghyuck says, a hint of bitterness in his tone. “I’m sure Renjun will like it.”
He disappears down the hallway and Jeno is too confused to get up and follow him. He thinks Donghyuck might just have been having a bad day but later at dinner, both he and Jaemin don’t talk to him, avoiding eye contact. Did Jaemin really want one of them?
It seems like a small thing (after all, it’s just a bracelet) but Donghyuck and Jaemin continue to avoid him for the next few days. On the one hand, Jeno is glad he doesn’t have to deal with the confusing interactions where he doesn’t know if he’s crossing a line, but he also finds himself missing the attention. Donghyuck and Jaemin’s scents start to slowly fade from him and as he begins to smell more like himself again, he can feel the anxiety running through his veins.
On the fourth day of them not speaking to him, Jeno’s anxiety comes to a peak and he finds himself climbing onto Mark’s bed to cling to him. Despite the stereotypes of omegas, Jeno doesn’t tend to seek out affection like Donghyuck, so Mark pulls him in for a hug, concerned.
“What’s wrong, Jen?” he asks gently.
“Why do they hate me?” Jeno ignores the way his eyes start to burn.
“Who hates you?”
“Jaemin and Donghyuck,” Jeno says, the words heavy in his mouth. “I don’t know what I did wrong and now they won’t talk to me.”
Mark’s expression changes into one of knowing and Jeno pouts. How does everyone seem to get what’s going on except him? Mark pulls out his phone to text someone and a few seconds later, Renjun walks into the room.
“What happened?” he asks and the tears start rolling down Jeno’s cheeks.
“Jaemin and Donghyuck hate me!” he says as he rubs his eyes, trying to stop crying. “I would’ve given it to him if I knew they would get so upset…”
“Given him what?” Renjun asks with a frown.
“I was making a bracelet and Donghyuck asked who I was going to give it to. And I wasn’t going to give it to anyone! But I said I might give it to you because you like bracelets and things…” He whines. “But it was ugly so I didn’t anyway!”
“Jeno,” Renjun sighs, sitting down next to him. “They thought you were rejecting their courting by giving me a gift.”
Jeno blinks dumbly. “Their courting?”
Both Mark and Renjun look at Jeno incredulously and he shrinks a little under their gaze.
“Dude,” Mark says, eyes wide. “Did you seriously not realize?”
Jeno’s starting to get really confused now. “Realize what?”
“Jeno,” Renjun says, rolling his eyes. “They’ve been trying to court you for weeks now.”
“What? No, they haven’t,” Jeno replies, but the dots are already starting to connect in his mind. All of the snacks and scenting, and the way Jaemin would get irritated when people other than Donghyuck got close to him.
“Jeno-”
“Oh my God,” Jeno chokes out, his face turning red. “They’ve been courting me.”
Mark nods and Jeno buries his face in his hands. How could he be so stupid? Years of pining after them and he couldn’t even realize they were trying to court him. And now he’s ruined it.
“I have to talk to them,” he says suddenly, getting up from the bed.
“I think that’s probably best,” Renjun replies with a nod. “I told them you wouldn’t get it if they didn’t tell you explicitly but they didn’t believe me.”
Before Renjun can say anything else, Jeno’s rushing out of Mark’s room and heads towards Jaemin’s. He can smell both of them inside and he pushes the door open before he can start to lose his confidence. He needs to do this.
“What do you want?” Donghyuck mumbles, looking up at Jeno with red-rimmed eyes. Has he been crying?
Jaemin is sitting at his desk and he spins around, frowning. Jeno’s never received such an emotionless look from him and it makes him nervous. But he’s come here to talk to them and he needs to say it.
“I’m sorry,” he says, fiddling with the hem of his hoodie. “About the bracelet.”
“It’s okay,” Jaemin replies neutrally. “We got the message.”
Jeno shakes his head. “No! I didn’t…I didn’t mean it like that…”
“It was pretty clear,” Donghyuck says dejectedly. Jaemin nods.
“I didn’t know you were courting me!” Jeno blurts out. They both look at him in shock and he can feel his cheeks starting to burn again. “That’s why…I didn’t realize…”
“What do you mean?” Donghyuck’s voice comes out as a mix of hope and confusion.
“I thought you were just…being friendly,” Jeno admits awkwardly. “I didn’t know.”
“I hope we can still be friends,” Jaemin replies, a sad smile on his face. It makes Jeno nauseous.
“I don’t want to be,” he says quickly and he shakes his head again as he sees their faces drop. “I don’t-”
Donghyuck tears up. “We didn’t want to ruin anything, I swear.”
“I don’t want to be friends,” Jeno says again, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the bracelet. It’s still ugly, not a good gift at all, but he feels like he needs to give it to them.
“I thought you were going to give it to Renjun,” Jaemin says quietly as he stares at the bracelet in Jeno’s hands.
“I want you to have it.” Jeno steps forward and holds it out, his hands shaking a little. “Can we try again?”
“What?” Donghyuck asks breathlessly.
“Can I do it properly? Now that I know?” Jeno asks, biting his lip nervously. “Will you give me another chance?”
Donghyuck gets up and throws himself into Jeno’s arms, wrapping him in the tightest hug he’s ever had. He relaxes in the embrace as Jaemin steps closer to them with a soft smile on his face.
“We would love nothing more,” he says softly.
“I just want to be yours,” Jeno admits as Jaemin and Donghyuck’s pleased scents fill the room.
“You’ve always been ours.”