Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The practice room was filled with the sounds of heaving breaths and bodies dramatically collapsing onto the floor as the music was finally, finally turned off for the day.

They had been practising in preparation for their upcoming Maxident promotions for what honestly felt like forever, and Seungmin couldn’t wait to get home to his calling bed… and to discreetly get to the painkillers in their bathroom cabinet.

He had tried to ignore his pounding headache the best he could for probably over an hour at that point, but there was nothing to distract him from it anymore now that the day was done.

It’s not that Seungmin was ashamed over getting a headache or anything—around comebacks, those were usually unavoidable for pretty much everybody—but he’d been sick quite a bit lately and he could deal without having his pack getting more worried about him than was necessary. It was just a headache, after all; he had gotten through worse things unnoticed before.

He wasn’t so sure it worked this time, considering the glances both Minho and Hyunjin had been sending him towards the end. But Seungmin supposed that if they asked, he could always just chalk it up to being tired. Hopefully. The loud complaints he vaguely registered coming from both Jisung and Changbin wouldn’t exactly leave him alone in that feeling.

“I’m showering first!” Jeongin yelled as everyone made their way towards the pile of bags strewn along one of the walls.

Various water bottles were slung through the air into waiting hands, and Seungmin shook his head at Felix reaching one of them out to him, eyebrows raised in silent question. He immediately regretted it as the headache got even worse from the movement, even if only for a second. It was kind of a miracle he'd been able to dance with it for as long as he had.

“Yah, I’m the sweatiest, I should get to shower first!” Hyunjin answered their maknae, much to the surprise of no one.

“We literally have two showers, guys. There’s no need to argue about this,” Chan said, voice sounding tired. “You can both shower first.”

“How anyone could want to shower before having dinner, I’ll never understand,” Changbin chipped in whilst leaning against Jisung, seemingly waiting for the bickering members as they finally got their bags sorted.

Jeongin’s eyes glinted at the other’s comment, and Seungmin was already silently bracing himself for more potential yelling after whatever the youngest was about to say. “Hyung, just because you—”

He was interrupted by the door to the practice room suddenly opening, revealing Manager Seojun. Great. The man didn’t show up often, but when he did, it almost always had something to do with Seungmin.

“Ah, finished already, I see?” Seojun said, glancing down at the packed bags in their hands. His voice probably sounded normal to most people hearing it; the slightly disapproving tone in his voice was subtle enough for no one to really be able to comment on it. “Lucky I got here when I did then. Seungmin, if you could just come with me for a moment?”

…And there it was. Seungmin gave the biggest internal sigh a human could possibly give upon hearing that question. So much for going home to bed.

The other members didn’t look particularly happy with the manager either, judging by their subtle change in scent at the thought of Seungmin not going home together with the rest of them. It wasn’t anything that someone outside of the pack would be able to notice, but it still warmed Seungmin’s heart that the others cared for him that much.

It only made seeing the man and hearing what he was saying that much worse. The familiar feeling of guilt he associated with the manager’s meetings was starting to show its ugly head again in the back of his mind, and he shifted his weight slightly between his feet, eyes shooting down towards the floor. He really didn’t want to go. But he also knew he didn't have a choice.

“Are you sure this can’t wait, Seojun-ssi?” Chan said, voice not giving even a shred of his frustration away despite it being seen in his tense posture. “We were just about to head home.”

“Yes, which is precisely why this can’t wait, Chan. You’ll be off schedule for two days now, and I’ll need to speak with Seungmin before that. It won’t take long, and then he can go home.”

The alpha had a tone to his voice that didn’t seem to leave much up for discussion. Seojun had never been a particularly favoured manager by any of the members, partly because of that attitude. He always acted as if he’d rather be anywhere else than where he was, and as if he was above them. It grated on Seungmin’s nerves every time he heard it.

But it also couldn’t be denied that the man was efficient in his work, able to keep track of and make changes in their already nightmarish schedule (in even more ways than the other members were aware of), along with all the industry connections he apparently had. If someone wanted to pull on some strings, Seojun was the man who knew where to go, or how to find out.

They knew he was needed, in the company in general as well as for their group, but they were also happy with the man usually staying behind the scenes of things and never actually interacting with them too much. And what with him being the head manager, that was (thankfully) usually the case.

Although that fact was probably a bit more applicable to the rest of the members than to Seungmin.

Chan still didn’t look very happy with him, but Seungmin knew there wasn’t any point in continuing whatever this was. The sooner he left with Seojun, the sooner he’d actually be able to go home, after all.

“It’s fine, hyung,” he said, taking the few steps necessary to close the distance between them as he spoke. “I’ll go with him.”

Their leader turned to look at Seungmin’s probably tired stance. “Are you sure?” he said, voice lowered to match Seungmin’s, eyes slightly worried. They didn’t have to be. Seungmin didn’t like seeing the others worry about him so much. “Do you want us to stay and wait for you?”

Seungmin immediately shook his head. “No, no, of course not. Everyone’s tired, and Seojun-ssi said it would be quick.” Seungmin tried to make his voice sound more lighthearted than he felt. “I’m sure I’ll be home soon.”

Chan still didn’t look entirely happy (although he rarely did, to be fair—there was always seemingly something to be worrying about when it came to their leader), but the tension in his shoulders going away told Seungmin all he needed to know.

“Fine,” the alpha said, reluctance tinging his voice. “But you better be home quickly. We’ve all had a long day, many long days, and we deserve to rest now. The whole pack, together.”

That last sentence made Seungmin smile. It also made him a little sad.

He knew that Chan, being their pack alpha, must be feeling even more on edge than everyone else from how little quality time the pack had spent together recently. It was important for the pack bonds they all had with each other, which management was also aware of. It was a major part of why they even got these two days off at all, knowing the group wouldn’t be able to work at their best if they weren’t given that time together.

Seungmin may have found it a little ridiculous to see their leader this on edge about something as little as this, as they’ve definitely gone longer without days off together before. He didn’t say anything about it though, instead quietly reaching his wrist out for the other to take hold of.

Chan always felt a little better after having scented his pack. He had never really said why, but if Seungmin were to take a guess, he probably liked to make sure all of them smelled like him and like each other. Like pack. It was easy to poke fun of their leader's overprotective tendencies (and he definitely did at times), but Seungmin also couldn’t deny that he liked it, too. So if Chan quietly rubbing his wrist against Seungmin’s, even if it was the mildest form of scenting, was enough to seemingly put some of their leader’s worries at bay, well then Seungmin would let him do it a hundred times over.

He could feel the alpha's smokey cedar scent lose some of its edge—the smoke settling back to simply being a layered note again—and Seungmin could feel himself feel a little bit better, too.

Hyunjin, always the one who seemed to read Seungmin and his intentions the best, walked up to the two of them and clung to Chan’s side and started to playfully tug their leader towards the door.

“Come on, old man, the faster you let Seungmin go, the faster he’ll be back, right?” the beta said, his calming lilac and petrichor scent washing over them both and further settling their leader’s worries. “Besides, you heard what he said! We’re all tired. Right guys?”

Hyunjin had turned to the rest of the pack before that last question, and they all started to play up their tiredness. Jisung’s loud complaints filled the room again, with Felix joining in as well as mirroring Hyunjin in clinging onto Chan, making the latter’s playfully tired face instead of the real one make a welcome return.

Seungmin couldn’t help but roll his eyes fondly, the corners of his mouth lifting the slightest bit at how ridiculous his pack was. He loved them all so much.

As Hyunjin and Felix all but started dragging Chan towards the door, the others followed close behind. Changbin made up the end of the trail as he fell behind to say a few words to Seungmin.

“Remember what Chan-hyung said, okay?” The older had taken a gentle hold of Seungmin’s wrist at the words, caressing his thumb against the scent gland there. It wasn’t really scenting, but a quietly intimate action regardless. “Don’t be too late,” Changbin said with a teasing smile. “We need our beta.”

Seungmin’s own smile didn’t falter, even as he felt their manager's sharp gaze on him upon overhearing that last phrase. “Of course, hyung. I’ll be home as quickly as I can, I promise.”

Changbin gave a satisfied nod before letting go of him and joining the others who’d already gone outside, and seemed to have already gotten halfway down the corridor judging by the hurried footsteps and shouting that followed.

As the door to the practice room swung shut behind all the noise, it was only Seungmin and their manager left in the room. The man wasted no time in gesturing Seungmin towards the door as well, and then on towards his office.

He was quiet as they walked. Seungmin appreciated that.

Changbin’s words echoed in his head as they made their way through the corridors of JYP Entertainment before finally reaching the man’s office, and they continued to echo as Seungmin sat down in the chair in front of his desk, hands nervously playing with his fingers.

We need our beta.

I know, Seungmin thought. That’s why I’m doing all of this.

***

“Seungmin? Are you listening to what I’m saying?”

The words snapped Seungmin out of his thoughts. Seojun had been talking about re-scheduled vocal lessons and other things Seungmin knew wasn’t the actual reason he’d been brought there. Those things weren’t important or unusual enough for him not to be able to wait two days to learn about, but Seungmin also didn’t know what could be. So his mind had gone through the usual mental checklist.

He still had a fair amount of suppressants left—he wasn’t due another re-fill of those anytime soon, nor any of the other pills he was taking. He had already been put on a new diet for the comeback, so surely there couldn’t be anything more about that? And as far as he could tell, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Aside from what he was doing right then, at least.

His manager didn’t look too happy with Seungmin being so distracted, so he bowed his head and gave the man a quick apology. He wished Seojun would just get it over with. He wanted to go home.

It seemed as if the universe decided to be a bit lenient towards him at that moment, because Seojun gathered the papers he’d been referring to in front of him with an annoyed sigh before leaning back to the drawers beside him.

“Alright, let’s get to it then,” he said as he put away the papers. “Didn’t realise you were so keen to speak about your problem.”

Problem. So that was what this was about, then.

All these years later, and that’s still how the select few employees who knew about it would refer to this whole situation. He remembers how tentatively they’d spoken the word at first, with hushed voices and annoyed expressions. The word had lost most of its weight for them over the years as they all learnt how to deal with it, but it was still what the staff would call it whenever they had to bring it up to Seungmin. His problem.

“But,” his manager continued, “I suppose I did say this would be quick. Which it will be, as long as you decide to still be cooperative.”

Seungmin didn’t even have time to think about that phrasing and what it could possibly entail before the man placed some pill bottles on the desk, gesturing to them as he continued. “We’ve decided to put you on new suppressants.”

The confusion Seungmin felt upon hearing that must have shown on his face, because his manager started to give a bit more of an explanation. “I’m aware that you’ve been on the same ones ever since your presentation, but to be quite frank, they haven’t worked as well as they should lately.”

…What?

“We thought we were past any issues about this, Seungmin, but it appears we were wrong. You have been exhibiting some omega-like behaviours these past couple of months.”

The words hit him like a slap to the face.

“That is simply unacceptable, and you know it. We have been through this many times already, and upping the dosage of your suppressants seemed to work last time. But now we are right back to where we were. We expected better from you.”

Seungmin’s ears were burning. His fingers were white from how hard he was clasping the seat. It felt like his headache from before was becoming worse for every minute that passed inside that office.

He always felt so scrutinised whenever Seojun scolded him about his designation like this, and even more so when he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly he was referring to. The man always gave such broad statements, never offering any specifics.

A part of him wanted to ask: what behaviours? What had he done wrong? But there was another part of him that also really, really didn’t want to know the answer.

He could feel the words at the tip of his tongue, and he wanted to say something. Wanted to defend himself somehow, or maybe ask a few questions, but—

“Don’t speak,” the manager said as he closed his eyes and put his hand up, as if Seungmin was nothing but a bother to him. “Just listen. I’m not finished.”

“Then again,” the man continued when he had deemed Seungmin’s silence good enough, “as some of the others have pointed out, the suppressants you’re on also aren’t meant for such long-term use.”

The words made Seungmin’s eyes snap up from where they had been glued to the desk. He didn't know that. Shouldn’t he have known that?

“It is possible they have started to lose some of their desired effects, making some of your… urges, harder to control.” The man didn’t bother trying to hide the disgust in his tone of voice. Seungmin wanted to sink into the floor.

“We also have reason to suspect this may have been a contributing factor to your health issues this past year.”

Everything that the manager was saying made Seungmin’s pulse quicken. His thoughts were a jumbled mess.

His daily dosage of suppressants and scent blockers and all the other, less regular pills for pheromone regulation and so on had become such an ingrained part of his daily routine that he barely even gave them a second thought anymore. It was just something he took every day, along with his usual vitamins and the occasional dietary supplements whenever management decided he needed to lose weight.

He took those things to stay healthy—or, at least to stay the person everyone wanted him to be, whatever way, shape or form that might be. But now they had been making him sick?

“Which is another issue in and of itself, mind you,” Seojun continued. “We don't pay you to be sick. Regardless of whether the suppressants had anything to do with it or not, there are precautions you could have taken regarding your health but have chosen not to—and don’t try to lie about any of that to me, I have heard your alphas scold you about this many times before.”

Seungmin hadn’t been trying to say anything. He isn’t sure there’s much of anything he could say to all of this aside from giving even more apologies, but he knew from experience that those only tended to annoy the man. So he kept quiet, and he listened. Like he’d been told to do.

“The other members also have better things to do than to waste time fretting over you, Seungmin. Don’t think I didn’t see how ridiculous they acted just now, when all I wanted was to whisk you away for a quick meeting. That is not acceptable. Not when it comes to you.”

Not when it comes to you. Seungmin was already feeling bad over the fact that his members worried about him too much, but the manager's words really twisted the knife. It was normal for a pack to be a little more protective than necessary when it came to their omegas after all (whether it be intentionally or not), but that’s not what Seungmin was supposed to be.

“That being said, we are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, considering the possible influence the other suppressants may have had on you. These ones,” he said, picking up one of the bottles on the table, “are very new as a whole. They haven’t even been put out on the market yet, but we managed to get early access to them. We were initially going to wait to give them to you until after the upcoming promotions, but we really can’t risk you getting sick again so close to the comeback, or risk having you forget your place. Which means you’re switching to these starting today.”

Seungmin was glad he didn’t have to speak. He wasn’t sure he would even be able to at this point.

“I hope you understand the gravity of the situation, Seungmin. It took jumping through quite a few hoops to get hold of these pills, but they are supposed to not only be more effective, which apparently seems to be necessary, but also more suitable for long-term use. Or so I’ve been told.”

The man scanned over Seungmin’s figure with cold, calculating eyes.

“In my opinion, however, I think you’ve been a beta for long enough now to know how to act like one, despite what any defective suppressants might have done. If you haven’t gone into heat, then they’ve done their job, I think. The rest is simply up to you; whether you decide to give into any silly, omega-like urges or not. And as I hope you’ve understood by now, we expect you to not.”

Seungmin knew his ears were red. He wanted this conversation to be over with. Couldn't he have just been given the suppressants and then have it be over with? Was all of this really necessary?

“I do not want to have to go through any more hoops to get yet another type of suppressant for you in the future, is that understood?”

“Y-yes, sir.” Seungmin stuttered out, trying with all his might to keep the tears he could feel wanting to emerge at bay. He would not cry in front of this man. Not again. It would probably be classed as an omega-like behaviour, too, knowing the man.

“I also expect you to be less of a burden to your members in the future.”

If Seungmin’s heart had quickened earlier in the meeting, now it felt as if it had stopped. It’s not as if he had never thought it before, but to hear someone else say it out loud, and in such a matter-of-fact voice…

“They have important work to focus on, as do you. Your singing still has a long way to go, and don’t even get me started on your dancing. I do not want to take up any more of your time, or mine, than what’s absolutely necessary. Have I made myself clear?”

“...Yes, sir.” His voice was quiet, but Seojun thankfully didn’t comment on it. He was dismissed after being informed of a company car waiting for him outside the building to take him back to the dorms, and then he was out of there.

***

Seungmin was silent during the ride home. He couldn’t seem to escape the thoughts swirling around in his mind just then.

Despite Seungmin’s dislike of the man, he knew that what Seojun was saying was inevitably right. That’s part of what made Seungmin hate him so much in the first place.

It used to be much worse, back at the beginning of all this. When Seungmin was still new to the crumbling guilt of keeping all of this hidden from his pack. When the members were still getting used to the fact that Seungmin was a practically scentless beta, with only the occasional hint of very mild coconut able to be detected after all the pills. When Seungmin would still catch the occasional disappointed edge to their scents whenever Seungmin couldn’t scent them properly, or whenever they couldn’t detect him in nests—his scent simply being way too muted to leave enough of a trace on anything. When Seungmin was still unsure if he was doing the right thing, lying about himself like that.

But Seungmin knew it was best for everybody if he was a beta. It had been said to him enough times for him not to doubt it anymore, and it had proven true time and time again.

The issue with his muted scent, for example—it hadn’t even been an issue for that long. There had been so many ways later on in which his muted scent had actually turned out to be a good thing.

There was the more lighthearted advantage of being able to go undetected in the dorms, which gave him the golden opportunity of jumpscaring his members in ways that no one else in the pack really could ever since presenting. There had been quite a few clips and memes born out of that ability as well, which Stays seemed to like.

Then there was the fact that when Jeongin first presented as an alpha, scents had been so overwhelming for him during those first few days that no one in the pack (not even Hyunjin) could be with him for more than a few minutes at a time… except for Seungmin.

Seungmin’s coconut being as mild as it was also somehow made him Chan’s favourite member to scent whenever he needed help to settle the stressed and, as a result, overly protective alpha in him. It had made Seungmin feel quite weird and guilty at first, being preferred over even the omegas of the group for something like that, but he had come to love being able to help his hyung in that way. If he or the pack wasn’t able to smell like Seungmin, then Chan would make sure that Seungmin at least smelled of him, of pack. Seungmin supposed it was fair.

He didn’t tend to indulge much in skinship (especially on camera, having slowly become too wary to do so over time), but he always made exceptions for when his pack needed him like that.

(It also gave Seungmin an excuse to get the skinship he sometimes craved, too, but you would never hear him admit that out loud. Ever.)

Then there was also the fact that he pretty much had the personality of a stereotypical beta, anyway. The pack constantly joked about Seungmin being the only level-headed member, able to keep the group in balance along with Hyunjin (in a different way than Chan did, of course).

The two of them, Hyunjin and Seungmin, had also bonded over being the two betas of the group, just like Jisung and Felix had bonded over being the two omegas. Hyunjin had been so happy when Seungmin ‘presented as a beta’, even though they had all assumed he would be one anyway—even Seungmin himself. It had been a pretty unanimous guess by Stays as well, when they were speculating about what secondary genders all the unpresented members would have.

So, Seungmin didn't mind being a beta. Not really. That’s what everyone had thought he would be, and what everyone had wanted him to be.

But even more so than that, there was something else deep down in him that just knew: he would not be a good omega. He didn’t exactly act like the stereotypical omega—not before his presentation, and certainly not after it, considering he was pretty much banned from doing so. He could never be as good of an omega as Jisung and Felix, that’s for sure.

…And then there was his scent. His extremely muted coconut might have its advantages here and there as a beta, but as an omega?

Honestly, he barely even remembers anything about his actual scent from when he was presenting aside from that rotten smell of distress and the unmistakable omega pheromones emanating from him, both from it being almost three years ago and from how overwhelming everything had been at the time. He knows some of the other staff members had noticed his coconut note, though, as it had sparked quite a few discussions—some of which he was supposed to hear and consider, and others… not so much.

“He even smells like a beta,” one of the staff members had whispered behind his back. Of course, his sensitive hearing during presentation made him able to pick up on just about everything that was said about him that day. “An insufferable one at that. Omegas shouldn’t smell like that.”

“Right?” another staff member had whispered back. “I wouldn’t want an omega like that in my pack, that’s for sure.”

It had made him feel so small, he remembers. Hearing the things that were said about him that day. And the things that went unsaid, too—the swirling mixture of panicked, angry, worried, disappointed, stressed, and sad scents, all because of him, had made his head pound. His sensitive nose had barely even been able to categorise any of them, especially not his own scent since it had been so wrong, anyway.

All he remembers of it is that rotten distress—the coconut only became clear to him afterwards, when the presentation had settled and he’d already started his suppressants, so he’d only ever felt its muted form. He supposes he must have some other notes in his scents too, of course, but he’d never actually been able to smell them himself, and he had never really felt like asking any of the other staff who’d been there during his presentation about it, either. All that mattered was the coconut: a perfectly normal scent for a beta. Which, of course, meant that it was used as yet another thing to try to convince Seungmin to actually be one.

…Not that he needed much convincing to begin with. At least not when they’d all laid out the facts so logically. Not when they’d all been pushing for it so much, not when the amount of wrong scents in the air was because of him, and not when there was a pretty easy solution to make them go away, all things considered.

He already acted like a beta anyway, multiple people had said. All he had to do was take a few pills and keep acting like he always had. And he was so reliable and diligent—if anyone could make this work, it would be him. They just knew it. They had it all planned out.

Besides, he’d just had the position of main vocalist thrust upon him, which was a big deal that required even more responsibility and dedicated time than before. He didn’t want to ruin the already established marketing plans and schedules and expectations by being an omega, did he? Not when the group was already going through such a big adjustment as it was, what with them going from nine to eight and everything—they didn’t need any more surprises, did they? Neither the group nor the fans needed that.

And the group had already just gotten two (better) omegas anyway, just like the staff had already just gotten two heat cycles to schedule the group’s time around, and already had two members that the group just couldn’t help but be a bit more protective and possessive of that now needed to be taken into account when it came to solo schedules and staff divisions and so on—no one needed the added stress of a third one, right?

Stray Kids already had two members more suited to be marketed as the soft-spoken, sweet, obedient idols that omegas were supposed to be. Stray Kids didn’t need the kind of media backlash and fan disappointment that a beta-like omega (who was already the least-liked member anyway) would bring, did they? No, of course they didn’t.

So Seungmin could be a beta, couldn’t he? Of course he could. It would be such a help, for everyone, really. And he wanted to be helpful, didn’t he? He wanted to be good for everyone, didn’t he?

Seungmin didn’t know why his mind decided to play back those conversations now of all times. It’s not like it would help him feel any better.

Besides, it’s not as if those are the only reasons, or even really the main reasons he was still trying so hard with this whole beta thing. It might have been why he started, but as time went on, the reasons to keep going only increased. He wasn’t just doing this for everyone else anymore—it had become a fully selfish objective, keeping his omega status a secret.

Him not being able to be a good omega aside, it’s not like he could suddenly reveal the truth to his pack after years upon years of lying to them, anyway. If they only had a professional relationship with each other like some other groups, sure. Maybe. But they were a pack. What kind of packmate does that? He would never be able to disappoint them like that.

And if he were to do that, and that reveal would against all odds go flawlessly, then what? It’s not like the idea of revealing himself as an omega and suddenly messing up their group and pack dynamics they’d spent years curating into the balance it has now was in any way something Seungmin wanted to do. They had gone through a lot of adjustments and rough patches to get to the place they were today, both as professional idols who worked together as well as packmates. He would not be responsible for throwing that balance off. No way.

So, there. It was decided. It’s been decided for years now, so he doesn’t know why he keeps doing this to himself, doesn't know why he keeps replaying the same arguments in his mind over and over and over. Why not focus on the positive aspects of all of this?

As a beta, the company lets him have more freedom in how he chooses to express himself on camera (as long as it isn’t omega-like, of course). As a beta, he can help Hyunjin keep the pack in perfect balance, which probably makes him feel a lot more useful than he ever could if he were an omega, and keeps Hyunjin from having to deal with that task all by himself, too. Seungmin likes feeling useful. He likes knowing that he's needed, that he's doing the right thing, and being a beta? That’s something he knows how to do. That's something he knows people want him to be, and appreciate him being.

Seungmin also quite likes having such a mild scent. It might have come with some complications at first, but, well… not having all his emotions be broadcasted through the pheromones in his scent was definitely nice. Sure, it might mean that the members actually ask him a lot more about what he’s thinking and feeling, which can make him feel a little singled out and annoyed sometimes, but in those cases, lying is at least always an option.

He does try to be as honest as he can be (so long as it doesn’t have anything to do with his hidden omega designation, of course), but it’s definitely made him feel grateful more times than he can count that his scent didn’t give away how he was feeling. Of course, you can always keep your scent in check, and it’s not like it’s broadcasting the average person’s emotions at all times. But it is quite hard to hold your secent back when you’re especially emotional about something, so in that way, his mild scent has definitely made him more successful in the let’s-not-worry-the-members department, too.

Thinking of all the good things that came out of what he was doing, and that there wasn’t anything he could do about all of this anymore anyway (since it had been decided, it was a decision that was over and done with and that he simply had to stand by), made Seungmin feel a bit better.

His mind was still reeling, and his head was still hurting, but he knew he was doing the right thing. He just… had to get through some of the bad parts to get to the good ones. That's all.

***

By the time Seungmin finally came home, he could feel the exhaustion eating at him all the way down to his bones. Some painkillers, a shower, and sleep had never sounded as heavenly as they did at that moment.

Of course, that moment also decided to bring both Hyunjin and Minho right in front of him.

Seriously, what was with them today? Did they have nothing better to do than to keep an eye on their front door?

“Uhm…” Seungmin said very intelligently. “Hi?”

“I thought Chan-hyung and Binnie had told you to hurry home,” Minho said, face as blank and hard to read as always. His scent didn’t give away any particular emotion, either; the alpha’s dark chocolate and cherry wine scent being as composed as always.

Hyunjin’s expression of concern was much easier to read, although it didn’t exactly help Seungmin feel any better.

“Well, I believe they technically said to 'not be too late', which is pretty ambiguous all things considered…”

Minho’s eyes probably hurt from how far back they rolled. Seungmin would have teased him and asked him about it had it been literally any other time, but as it was, all he wanted was to sleep. Pissing off Minho was a pretty bad strategy to take to achieve that goal.

“You know very well what they meant, you brat,” the alpha said, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms.

Shit. He really wasn’t happy, huh?

“Hyung—" Hyunjin said, eyes having flitted nervously between them before trying to add anything to the conversation himself, only to be cut off.

“So?” Minho said, one eyebrow raised as if he dared Seungmin to say anything else that would make him fall into the aforementioned ‘brat’ category.

Unfortunately, Seungmin was a little lost.

“...So?” He said, quirking an eyebrow right back. This one was arguably more confused than Minho’s, though.

“So,” the alpha continued, voice now clearly annoyed, “what took you so long? What did Seojun-ssi want? What couldn’t wait until after the weekend?”

Okay, seriously, what was with them all today? First with how they had acted at practice, in front of Seojun of all things, and now this? He wasn’t even that late.

It’s not like questions about meetings with managers were weird, Seungmin just happened to really not be in the mood. Minho’s usually retained note of sharp bitterness that always clung to his usual scent had also decided to make its presence well known by now, making Seungmin’s headache even worse. He didn’t even know how it was possible at this point. He did know it would tip over into a migraine if he didn’t get away to his room soon, though, and he’d rather not deal with that.

Not today. Please, not today.

The placating route usually got him away from these things quicker—hopefully, it would now, too.

“Hyung, I’m really sorry, okay?” he said, voice soft and earnest. He was sorry, after all. “But you know how Seojun-ssi is. I tried to finish as soon as I could, and it was just—it wasn’t even anything important, really.”

Shit, what had Seojun talked about at the beginning? He really should have been paying more attention…

Minho didn’t give up, though. “Nothing important?” he asked, both eyebrows raised this time. “He said it couldn’t wait until later, though. What couldn’t wait until later?”

“It was just-” shit, think, “my vocal lessons for next week. Some of them had to be re-scheduled, and there was something about wanting me to free up some more hours for the new instructor I’m trying out.”

Minho looked incredulous. “More vocal lessons? He wants you doing more vocal lessons?”

Was that such a big deal? He hadn’t made it up, he does remember Seojun saying something about that towards the start of the meeting. It was comeback season after all, and he was the main vocalist. It only made sense.

“...Yes?”

Just as suddenly as Minho had gotten there, Minho started walking away—muttering under his breath as he went. Seungmin couldn’t hear most of what he was saying, but it did sound like something was “unbelievable,” apparently.

…Was Minho actually annoyed with him? Something deep inside wanted to cower and ask the alpha for forgiveness, to calm him down and mellow out that bitter undertone in his scent. Seungmin forced it down.

But with Minho gone, it was Hyunjin’s turn to have his voice fill the air again.

“Hey,” the beta said, snapping Seungmin’s attention back to him, “don’t mind Minho-hyung, okay? He’s just worried.”

Hyunjin’s voice was as soft as Seungmin’s had been earlier, if not more so, which was very confusing. “Worried?” Seungmin said before he could help himself. “He seemed more annoyed than worried, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin’s eyebrows scrunched together slightly. “Not at you though. You know that, right?”

Seungmin didn’t have time to think about or answer that question, because Chan and Jisung suddenly joined them.

“Sungminnie!” Jisung said, pulling him in for a hug and dramatically peppering kisses on his face immediately. “Ugh, finally you’re home. Changbin-hyung’s been nagging everyone’s ear off about being hungry but refused to order anything until he knew when you’d be here. You never answered our messages, so we still haven’t ordered anything.”

He’d gotten messages? Shit. Maybe Minho had a bit more of a reason to be so annoyed with him, then.

“Ah... I-I didn’t see those, sorry about tha—”

“What did Seojun-ssi want, Seungmin?” Chan asked, cutting him off. Thankfully, Seungmin knew what to say this time.

“It was nothing much! He just wanted to make sure I knew about some changes in my upcoming vocal lessons, that’s all. There’s been some re-scheduling and stuff.”

“And more vocal lessons,” Hyunjin added. For some reason, it felt like the beta was telling on him or something.

“That explains why Minho’s scent was so weird, then,” was all Chan said, though.

On a closer look, the man did seem much more calm and settled here at the dorms than he had at the practice room not too long ago. Seungmin didn’t need to be told anything to know there must have been quite a bit of scenting happening whilst he was gone. Of course, the general safety and mix of pack scents that filled the space of their shared dorm were also grounds for a more level-headed pack alpha, which Seungmin couldn’t be happier about if he tried.

He wasn’t quite sure what Chan was getting at with what he had said, about that explaining Minho’s behaviour, but he wasn’t about to ask for an explanation. That could wait until literally any other day.

“Yeah, so it wasn’t that big of a deal or anything,” Seungmin said, before adding: “I know you said to get home quick, and I did try. But you know Manager Seojun… I’m sorry.”

Then their pack alpha, against all odds, smiled. “It’s fine, Minnie, I know you couldn’t help it. I’m just glad to have you home now.”

The man took a step closer before hugging him. It was tighter than usual. Seungmin let himself melt into the hug, just a bit. Just for now.

“I’m sorry I was so on edge about it earlier,” Chan said quietly, still clinging to Seungmin. “I think it’s just been a long day for all of us, Minho included.”

“Yeah,” Hyunjin said off to the side, “and speaking of this being a long day, how are you feeling, Minnie? Better?”

Chan drew back from the hug, eyebrows drawn together slightly. Hyunjin’s words also made Jisung snap back into the conversation, having been checking something on his phone in the meantime.

“Oh, what?” the omega said, pocketing the device and stepping up to Seungmin again. “Have you not been feeling well? What’s wrong?” All his happy energy from before had disappeared, a worried tone having taken its place instead. Seungmin hated it.

Burden. The word rang through his head, Seojun’s voice accompanying his own as it did.

“It’s nothing bad, guys,” he said, making sure to look at all of them as he did, “Hyunjin’s just… being dramatic, as usual.” Seungmin shrugged slightly before continuing, ignoring Hyunjin’s annoyed expression. “I have a headache, and I’m really tired, but that’s true for all of us, no? So I’m fine. Really.”

He could see all three of them looking as if they were about to say something more, but he really did want this to be over with as soon as possible, so he continued. “I am sorry though, I don’t think I can do dinner with you guys today. My headache got a bit worse during the meeting, and right now I kinda want to just shower and go to sleep. I’m sorry... I know you waited for me.”

Hyunjin’s eyes softened. “Don’t be sorry,” he said, seemingly just before Chan had the chance to say the same. “Are you sure, though? You haven’t eaten anything since lunch. You should eat something.”

“I’m sure,” Seungmin said, trying to think of something to add to make it a little less serious-sounding. “I know it’s a bit early, but I wanna make sure I’m good for our weekend off, you know? Hopefully, resting more now will pay off tomorrow. I can just have a bigger breakfast or something.”

Fortunately, his packmates seemed to like the idea of Seungmin resting, and they didn’t put up any more of a fight or ask any more questions. Instead, Jisung took it upon himself to jokingly push Seungmin towards the bathroom.

“Alright, alright, go take a shower and sleep and make sure you’ll be all good for tomorrow! Okay?”

“Okay,” Seungmin replied, not bothering to hide the fondness in his tone.

“Good. I’ll make sure none of the others bother you or anything. Ah, wait, did you want to sleep by yourself, too? Or do you want one of us to join you?”

“I’m sure you guys will force me to cuddle more than enough tomorrow. I’ll be fine on my own for one night, Sungie.”

Seungmin’s voice had gone back to being teasing again, which seemed to put the omega in a better mood, despite the playfully annoyed reply he got back.

“Yah, you better be expecting loads of cuddles tomorrow! And loads of scenting! We’ll be in the pack nest and everything, Felix and I talked about it on the way back.”

“Oh yeah?” Seungmin said, the teasing still very evident in his voice. Jisung ignored it.

“Of course. Who did you want planning our pack day? The alphas? Please.” He proceeded to roll his eyes much like Minho had done earlier, voice back to being happy, and now also sassy. Just like Seungmin loved it being.

“Okay then,” Seungmin replied, still smiling. He was already feeling better, being around his pack like this. As much as he liked to complain about it, he couldn’t wait for tomorrow. “I trust you guys.”

***

The shower did end up being heavenly, just as Seungmin knew it would be. The painkiller he’d taken beforehand was slowly dulling his headache as the hot water cascading down his body softened his aching muscles, tense from both the mental and physical stress he’d put on his body that day. His soft bed that invited him after it had also been better than words could describe, truly.

His bed still carried the scent of his pack from the various pillows and blankets from the living room that had ended up in his bed over the week, often having fallen asleep on the couch and being carried to the bed by someone or another. It also wasn’t unusual for someone in the pack to be joining him randomly, their scents lingering in the sheets because of it.

Hyunjin’s scent from yesterday was still fairly strong on his pillows, and if Seungmin melted into them more than usual that day, no one needed to know.

He had taken the new pills just after showering, having remembered them just as he was about to climb into bed. There wasn’t any type of description for him to read for the new suppressants since they came in those same inconspicuous, blank plastic bottles he’d gotten his old ones in. Seojun hadn’t said anything about the dosage being any different, though, and being too tired to overthink it, Seungmin simply took his usual night-time amount of suppressants along with his other usual combination, and then he was off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Changbin was used to the dorms being quiet in the morning. Being one of the only early risers of the pack had that effect on you, after all. But for some reason, he really didn't like it this time.

He kept telling himself it was a pack day and that he would see everyone soon and be able to be with them the whole day, but there was still a nagging feeling in his mind telling him to seek out his members. Wasn't it weird that no one else was up? Didn't the dorms feel a bit… strange? Something could be wrong!

Changbin shook his head at the thoughts running through his mind. He tried his best to focus on taking out the ingredients for the protein shake he would have on his way to the gym instead (because you should never work out on an empty stomach), but his mind wouldn’t quite let him.

He tried to reason with himself. It wasn't that weird, really. They all had the day off; sleeping in made sense. Besides, it was usually only Minho other than himself that was up and about this early anyways, and, well, considering the fact that the other alpha had been in a bit of a mood yesterday and ended up stealing Jisung away to his room, Changbin didn't exactly expect either of them to come out of there anytime soon.

His alpha was pretty damn insistent though. Thoughts of being with the pack, or at the very least checking up on them, didn't leave his mind, and eventually Changbin gave up on trying to ignore it. It wasn't like he'd be able to get in a good workout if he was worrying about this the whole time, anyway.

Maybe one of the others was awake, and just hadn't gotten out of their room yet? If so, they might be willing to join him in the gym, and—okay, yeah, his alpha seemed to like the thought of that. He knew the chance wasn't very high, but he figured it was worth a shot.

It was in moments like this that he really couldn't imagine not living together with the whole pack. He was glad Chan had fought for it as hard as he did when they moved away from their old place. The initial plan had apparently been to split the group up into two dorms (it being the somewhat cheaper option, and would include apartments already owned by the company), but Chan had made some pretty convincing arguments to have them stay together, even offering to find the place himself. And whilst packs as big as theirs weren't too common anymore, they were still common enough for there to be plenty of suitable apartments for it available in Seoul, so it worked out in the end.

Changbin got to Minho's door first. He didn't have very high hopes about this one, but he still opened the door gently and peeked inside, and… yeah, no. The older alpha was still fast asleep, and he was holding an also-still-sleeping Jisung close, the younger practically drowning under the covers and arms that kept him in bed. The omega looked content, though, and Changbin huffed amusedly before closing the door.

That was two potential gym partners down—five more to go.

Hyunjin was still fast asleep in the bed Changbin had woken up and left him in (which he probably didn't even need to double-check, but he figured it couldn't hurt to make sure). Chan was also still passed out in his bed, although Changbin hadn't expected anything else, seeing as their leader had been up late as usual yesterday, doing something or another on his computer.

He got a mini heart attack upon seeing their maknae's bed empty, the unexplainable feeling of something being wrong, wrong, wrong increasing tenfold, but it calmed down again as soon as he got to Felix's room and saw the two of them cuddling in there, also still asleep. It's not like it was uncommon for the pack to sleep in each other's beds, so really, he had no reason to worry like that. Jeongin might not be the usual candidate for it, but it was far from rare.

Anyway, that only left Seungmin. The younger had gone to bed early yesterday, so the chance of him being awake was definitely higher, which Changbin was happy about.

He had missed their beta. He hadn't even seen him when he got home yesterday, and he had been just as upset about leaving the company without him as everyone else had been, but he had tried to get everyone else's minds off of it instead of dwelling on it himself.

Even if Seungmin was awake, it wasn't certain that he would want to join Changbin in the gym, but it was at least worth asking! The beta might not be much for working out, but he did want to go to the gym sometimes to work on his stamina and improve his overall vocal stability, and Changbin thought he heard Minho and Chan talk about something to do with Seungmin and vocal lessons last night, so the odds seemed to be better than usual. Even if he didn't want to go to the gym, he might get Seungmin to at least have breakfast with him—especially since the younger skipped dinner yesterday.

Satisfied with that plan, he hurried his way over to Seungmin's room. As he approached the door, though, he could feel his alpha grow more and more anxious for every step he took. It was a bit like the nagging feeling he had felt in the kitchen, only it was dialled up to about a hundred, and Changbin almost froze on the spot when he felt it.

This was weird. Something was wrong. His instincts were screaming at him to go to Seungmin, and quickly.

Had he gotten sick? Had he hurt himself somehow? He knew the beta hadn't felt too good yesterday, but according to Jisung, it hadn't been anything out of the ordinary.

When he stood right outside of Seungmin’s door, ready to gently knock on it, he heard a faint whimper coming from inside the room, and suddenly all inhibitions went out the window as his alpha was clawing its way out of his chest with worry for his packmate.

“Seungminnie?!” he said as he rapidly knocked on the door, but when he didn’t get an answer, he didn’t even bother knocking again before opening it and quickly stepping inside.

Worry tore up his chest as he saw Seungmin writhe around his sheets in what looked like pain. His eyes were still closed, though. Was he having a nightmare?

“Minnie? Hey, what’s wrong?” He tried to keep his voice just loud enough for Seungmin to be able to hear him as he closed the door behind him, but not loud enough to wake any of the others in the dorm. When he got closer to the bed, though, his worry only increased.

Seungmin’s scent was still weak as always, but it was a lot stronger than it usually was. And this time, it was wrong.

There were so many things wrong with it that Changbin couldn’t keep track of it all. It was stronger than usual, which meant he could read more into it than he usually could, and his heart tied itself into knots as he smelled the sheer distress and pain and confusion and panic coming from his younger packmate. Seungmin hadn’t even noticed Changbin’s presence yet, and—god, how was he able to sleep through all of this?!

Changbin almost ran over to the bed after everything had registered for him, desperate to calm down the distressed beta and find out what exactly was wrong. Was it just a nightmare, or was he sick somehow? Was he hurt?!

He went to gently shake him awake, but apparently there was no need for that. As soon as he touched Seungmin’s shoulder, the younger’s eyes startled open and he instinctively sat up and scooched further away from him on the bed, creating a distance between them that Changbin immediately wanted to close.

Trying to ignore the alpha that was trying to claw its way out of his chest and get closer to his packmate, Changbin tried speaking to Seungmin again. “Seungmin? Hey, it’s just me. It’s Changbin-hyung. You’re okay.”

Seungmin still looked so confused and scared, and Changbin’s brain started going into overdrive.

What if something was really wrong? They hadn’t gotten to that point yet, but for some reason, a really bad feeling had started to spread in his chest upon seeing his mate like this. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Recognition started to show itself in Seungmin’s eyes as he continued to look at Changbin for a few more seconds, and he let out a shaky breath. “H-hyung?”

“Yeah, it’s just me, baby. But what’s wrong, huh? What’s got you like this?”

Seungmin looked down at himself, and only then did Changbin drag his eyes away from Seungmin’s own and look at the rest of him. It only made the bad feeling in his chest worse.

Seungmin was sweaty, so sweaty, but he was also shivering as if he was cold. He was pale, too, and his breathing was quick and shallow. His scent was even stronger up close. Changbin had never felt it this strong before, and the coconut was so rotten and twisted and wrong that he had to keep himself from covering his nose.

Seungmin whimpered again, louder this time, as he clutched his stomach and curled in on himself.

Changbin’s heart broke seeing him like this. Seungmin had been sick way too much lately, but this wasn’t like those times. This was something else.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me, Minnie, I need to know how I can help you.”

He wasn’t even sure if Seungmin could hear him. It looked as if the other was dissociating.

“Seungmin,” he said, his voice now a little sharper. Seungmin startled out of whatever trance he’d been in and looked at Changbin anxiously. “What’s wrong? Are you hurting? Are you sick?”

Beneath all the stress and fear, Seungmin almost looked… conflicted.

Why would he look conflicted?

“Seungmin?” he said, making the younger look at him again. “I need you to tell me what’s wrong.”

Seungmin’s eyes looked down to the bed, avoiding Changbin’s.

“Seungmin.”

The beta’s eyes met Changbin’s nervously before looking off to the side, clearly fighting with himself about something. Something he wasn’t telling Changbin.

His alpha was not happy about that.

“Hey, I need you to talk to me. Tell alpha what’s wrong.”

Seungmin whimpered again, lowering his head at him. “I- I’m sorry, I’m sure it’s nothing. I- I’m just sick, is all.”

Changbin knew he was lying. Seungmin had been sick before, but never like this. And his scent, it was so- so off. And with the way Seungmin couldn’t even look him in the eyes, it was clear he was lying. Which was worrying in and of itself, because Seungmin was usually pretty good at lying—he was usually able to say the most ridiculous things with a straight face. He had to be feeling really bad for him to be acting like this.

“You’re not just sick, Seungmin. I don’t- I don’t know what’s happening, but I need you to be honest with me. This is important. You can’t downplay anything, okay? You look like hell, and I’m worried.”

Seungmin’s eyes started to fill with tears as he hunched in on himself even more. It almost looked like he was trying to disappear.

“I’m- I’m sorry, but I don’t- I don’t know what’s wrong! And I can’t—” he closed his eyes and shook his head. Changbin felt so helpless, just looking at him like this.

“I’m just sick! I’m all sweaty and gross, and my head hurts, and I’m just achy everywhere… I’m sure it'll pass in a bit, it’s just really bad right now.”

Changbin tried to be patient. There was clearly something Seungmin wasn’t telling him, and he had a feeling that getting angry would only make things worse.

“How bad is it? Do you need to go to the hospital? It’s just- I’ve never seen you like this, Minnie. And your scent, it’s so—”

Seungmin flinched at that. “What- what’s wrong with my scent?!”

“No, there’s nothing- it just smells so off, it’s never been like this before. And it’s so strong?”

Seungmin’s eyes widened at that last part, and his eyes immediately flitted over to his the drawers to his right. His eyes snapped back to Changbin immediately, as if he caught himself doing something he shouldn't, and that bad feeling in Changbin’s stomach almost felt like it would explode at this point.

“Seungmin?”

The other’s breath was getting shallower and shallower as his breaths increased in pace. Changbin had seen Jisung have enough panic attacks for him to be able to recognise them by now. It was startling to see Seungmin be the one having one, but he tried to disregard those thoughts and immediately got to it.

“Hey, hey, look at me, okay? I think you’re panicking, but just take deep, slow breaths, okay? Here, copy hyung.”

He started taking slow, deep breaths, counting the seconds. He also started to inch closer to Seungmin, testing the waters.

“Can I sit down on your bed, Minnie?”

The beta jerked his head in awkward nods as he tried to get his breaths in order, and as soon as Changbin sat down, Seungmin scooched closer. Changbin reached his hands out, and the younger grabbed hold of them as quickly as he could, squeezing them as he focused on his breathing.

“You’re okay, Seungmin. You’re okay. Just breathe for me, yeah? You’re doing great, baby. Just keep breathing for me.”

When Seungmin started to calm down, there were tentative knocks on the door. Seungmin didn’t even seem to notice, so Changbin called out a soft response, telling whoever it was that they could come in.

The door opened, and Jeongin peeked his head in through the door. “Hey, I was just on my way back from the bathroom when I heard the noise. What’s going on?”

“Seungmin is… sick, or something. And I’m pretty sure he just had a panic attack.”

Jeongin’s eyes widened, and he stepped further into the room, holding the door open behind him. “Is he okay? Should I go get someone?”

Changbin saw the moment the strange scent in the air registered to Jeongin, the other’s cinnamon cappuccino scent spiking with worry upon noticing it. “Hyung? Why does it smell like that?”

Seungmin whimpered in front of him again, and Changbin tried to squeeze his hands in reassurance. “I don’t know, Innie, but something is wrong. I don’t think we need to get any of the others until we’ve figured out what it is, though. Seungmin was panicking at the thought of telling me, let alone the whole pack.”

“He… he knows what’s wrong, and he doesn’t want to tell you?” Jeongin looked shocked, and Changbin couldn’t blame him. It’s true that Seungmin was a bit more of a private person than most of the members, and he constantly tried to deal with things on his own before going to others for help, but rarely did he take it this far or put his own health in jeopardy because of it.

“Hyung,” Seungmin suddenly whined. “Can you scent me, please?”

Changbin was stunned. It really wasn't like Seungmin to be this vulnerable, this open with what he wanted. His alpha purred in satisfaction and pride at the thought of his beta looking to him for comfort, though, and Changbin supposed any further interrogation could be put on hold for now. Seunmin looked absolutely exhausted.

“Of course, baby,” he said, voice as soft as possible. He glanced at Jeongin still standing somewhat awkwardly in the doorway. “Do you want Jeonginnie to join us, too?”

Seungmin looked toward the other alpha, as if he was only just now noticing that he was there. He kept quiet, but he nodded his head and stretched his arms out toward him.

Jeongin quietly closed the door behind him before hurrying to join the two of them on the bed. They all laid down comfortably, Seungmin sandwiched between the two alphas.

He could immediately feel Seungmin relax as the scent of Changbin’s leather and black tea mixed with Jeongin’s cinnamon cappuccino and settled comfortably in the air around them. Combined with Seungmin’s somewhat more stable and sweet coconut, the three of them made the room smell like a cozy café.

Changbin tried his best to keep his scent clear of any worry, trying to make it as comforting as possible, and upon noticing, Jeongin did the same.

It didn’t take long for Seungmin to doze off, nose buried in Changbin’s neck and leg hooked over Jeongin’s as the maknae had his arm around his waist. Changbin’s arm was supporting Seungmin’s neck, hugging him close, whilst the other played with the beta’s hair.

Both Jeongin and Changbin were scenting Seungmin, but carefully. The other’s scent was still a bit off, and Changbin couldn’t scent it for too long without risking letting worry and sadness mix with his own scent, and he didn’t want to disturb Seungmin when he finally managed to look peaceful.

It was definitely worrying, though. Seungmin didn’t typically have a strong scent, sometimes to the point of it almost not being noticeable at all. It did vary, sometimes, depending on the other’s mood—often spiking slightly when he was feeling especially content and happy, but never to this level. And it didn’t usually spike much with negative emotions, either, the rotten coconut and something else, something wrong almost foreign to Changbin.

“Hyung?” Jeongin said, snapping Changbin out of his thoughts. “What happened before I came in? Could you tell me, please?”

Changbin could hear the worry in their maknae’s voice, and his heart clenched. He wished he could reassure the other, but he didn’t know enough about what was going on for him to do that, either.

“I just… I was checking in on everyone before I was planning on heading to the gym, and I was gonna ask Minnie if he wanted to join me or maybe have breakfast with me since he didn’t have any dinner yesterday. But when I got to his room, I could- I could hear him whimpering through the door.”

They both kept their voices quiet, careful not to wake Seungmin up, who looked like he desperately needed the sleep.

He looked so small, lying between them like this. Changbin wished he knew what was wrong so he could fix it. Seeing Seungmin this helpless was excruciating.

“I tried to ask what was wrong, but he didn’t answer. I was so worried, I just went in. I know he doesn’t usually like it when we get into his room without permission, but he sounded like he was in pain, Innie. It was killing me.”

Jeongin’s eyes were sad, and he saw the baby alpha cling onto Seungmin just a bit tighter at the mental image probably plaguing his mind.

“When I got inside, he was still sleeping. He was whimpering and shivering and, well, he was clearly in pain, I don’t- I don’t know how he could even sleep through that. At least I think he was asleep? He startled when I went up to him, and it seemed to take him a while to even realise it was me.”

Changbin looked down at Seungmin again, sleeping peacefully. There was still a crease between his eyebrows, though—a tension that didn’t seem to want to go away, and his scent was still wrong. It wasn’t as forceful as it had been earlier, but it still clung to him even in its muted form.

“I asked him what was wrong, and he… looked conflicted? As if there was something he knew, but didn’t want to tell me. I think I lost my composure a little bit, my alpha was going crazy and I just- I wanted to know what was wrong so I could help. I even asked if he needed to go to the hospital since he had never been like this before, but as soon as I mentioned how wrong his scent was, he just panicked. I had only just managed to get him to calm down when you got here.”

Jeongin looked even more worried at that. “Hospital? Do you think it’s that bad?”

Changbin shook his head. “I don’t know, honestly. We can’t know until Seungmin decides to tell us. He said he didn’t know what was going on, but I could tell he was holding something back. It was weird.”

They were quiet after that. They tried to find some momentary peace in the silence of the room, and in the close contact of their usually quite closed-off beta, but Changbin couldn’t help but worry, and he knew Jeongin did the same. They still managed to keep their scents untainted by it, which admittedly got easier the more Seungmin seemed to settle.

The peace didn’t last for long, though. It couldn’t have been more than maybe 15 minutes or so before Seungmin started to tense his body again, voice immediately whimpering as he seemd to stir in his sleep.

He was waking up, and he was waking up to pain again. Changbin felt utterly useless.

“Hey, it’s okay. Innie and I are here, Minnie. Are you with us?” Changbin honestly didn’t know how he managed to keep his voice so calm, but he was glad he did.

“Hyung?”

Seungmin opened his eyes, and Changbin could immediately see how glazed over they were. He silently cursed himself at the realization that Seungmin was scent drunk.

It did seem to help, though. Seungmin was visibly out of it, but maybe that also meant that the pain was more subdued. There was barely any panic there, either, which Changbin couldn’t be happier about.

“Yeah, it’s me, pup. How are you feeling, huh? Any better?”

It looked like he was feeling better. His scent was still off, though, and Changbin wanted to make sure.

“My head hurts,” Seungmin said, voice slightly muffled from having turned his face back into Changbin’s neck. He gently tried to pry the beta away from there, not wanting him to get any more scent drunk than he already was, even if it did seem to help with the pain. He still had to talk to Seungmin—he couldn’t risk him falling asleep, or become any more out of it than he already was.

Seungmin whimpered at Changbin taking him away from his scent gland, but he didn’t try to fight back. Changbin whispered reassurances at the same time as Jeongin comfortingly and calmly caressed Seungmin’s back.

“Minnie? I’m gonna need you to try to tell me what’s wrong, okay? I know your head hurts, but you mentioned some other things before, too, remember?”

Before Seungmin even got a chance to answer, his scent suddenly spiked. Changbin almost coughed from how much the rotten coconut pierced through the calming pheromones that he and Jeongin had filled the air with, but then it just… drew back again.

Changbin almost thought he had imagined it, but Jeongin looked at him with wide eyes, clearly having noticed the same thing. And judging by Seungmin’s growing distress, so had he.

“Hey, Seungmin. Calm down, okay?” Changbin said, immediately emitting calming pheromones again. Seungmin had tensed his whole body after the scent spike, but he was slowly relaxing again.

“That’s good, you’re doing so good, okay? Just focus on my question from before, baby. Can you tell hyung what’s wrong?”

It was clear that Seungmin wasn’t entirely with them, but Changbin was almost happy he wasn’t. An awake and alert Seungmin tended to also be a stubborn Seungmin, but a scent drunk one? Maybe they had a bigger chance of actually finding out what was wrong this way, as much as Changbin hated the thought of that.

Seungmin still seemed conflicted, though. His scent spiked again, filling the room for a split second before drawing back again as if it never happened. Changbin had never heard of anything like it, not in the way it was happening now, at least, and it was worrying. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

“Hey,” he said, voice a little sharper again. He was careful not to let it sound angry, but it was serious. Seungmin’s eyes snapped to his, slightly widened.

“I need you to tell me what you're thinking about, Seungmin. I need to know what’s going on so I can help you. So all of us can help you. This is serious.”

Seungmin looked down in… shame?

“I’m really sorry,” he said, voice shaky and breathy. “I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Changbin was beyond confused. Was Seungmin apologising for being sick? Or was this something else? He had done it before, given apologies for “inconvenient” health issues, and he’d always been told not to. But he’d never been this adamant about it. Never this thoroughly apologetic as he seemed to be now.

“Hyung?” Jeongin said, sitting up a little more so he could look Seungmin in the face. “You don’t need to apologise for anything, okay? You just need to tell us what’s wrong.”

Seungmin shook his head. “But I do need to. This is my fault. Those pills were supposed to not make me sick, they were supposed to be better. I don’t know what happened.”

Changbin was confused. “Pills? What pills?”

It seemed to take a second before the question registered in Seungmin’s mind, and then he just… froze. His whole body tensed up, and he was quiet.

“What pills, Seungmin?” Changbin asked, voice a little more urgent than before. Why was Seungmin reacting like that? What was going on?

“It’s- it’s nothing. Forget about it, I just—”

"No,” Changbin interrupted, his voice now the sharpest it had been that morning. Seungmin immediately closed his mouth, head bowing slightly at the scolding tone. “Don’t try to go back on what you said, or explain it away. This is not a good time for you to try to do this on your own or something like that, this is important.”

Seungmin stayed quiet. Jeongin looked anxious behind them.

Changbin took a deep breath. Seungmin’s scent spiked again, and his worry only grew, but he tried to keep his voice more controlled when he spoke again. “We’re gonna try that again, okay? I need you to be honest with me. What pills are you talking about?”

“I… I got some pills yesterday, since I’ve been sick a lot. They were supposed to be better.”

“What pills, though? Are you sick? Are you on some type of medication? This is something we need to know about, Minnie, it could be dangerous if we don’t.”

“I… I can’t tell you.” Seungmin sounded apologetic, but that didn’t change the fact that he still said it.

“...What?”

“I can’t tell you!” Seungmin said, voice just as stressed as Changbin felt. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“Hyung,” Jeongin said, voice tight, “this sounds like it’s something really important. Why can’t you tell us? Like Changbin-hyung said, it could be dangerous to keep it to yourself.”

“But I… I was told to keep it quiet. And it’s been so long now, you’ll be angry if I tell you!”

Changbin’s mind was racing as he thought about what Seungmin could possibly mean. He’d been hiding something from them? And for a long time, by the sounds of it.

Most importantly, though: he’d been told to keep it quiet?!

Changbin took deep breaths to calm himself. He didn’t even know what it was about yet, but he had a feeling he was about to become absolutely furious when he did. Not at Seungmin, though.

“Minnie,” he said, voice calm, “we already know that it’s something now. There’s no point in hiding it from us anymore, right? We won’t be angry with you, but we need you to be honest.”

Seungmin still didn’t say anything, and Changbin was growing impatient.

“What pills, Seungmin?” he suddenly remembered Seungmin’s out-of-place glance towards his drawers before panicking earlier, and a thought struck him. “Are they in your drawers?”

He sat up, about to reach over to the drawers to see them for himself. He knew it was an invasion of privacy, but with the way Seungmin was acting—

“No!” Seungmin yelled, sitting up and grabbing him. He looked at the drawers anxiously, and then back at Changbin. “Don’t. Don’t, I just- I’m sorry. I…” he closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Changbin tried to cut him off, but Seungmin continued. “You weren’t supposed to find out.”

“Weren’t supposed to find out what?” Jeongin asked, voice just as shaky as Seungmin’s.

“The pills. They’re my… suppressants.”

Silence. That was all that could be heard after what Seungmin had said.

Suppressants.

Dread started taking over Changbin’s mind as the words sank in fully. He doubted they’d ever leave. Those words were etched into his mind now—the way Seungmin had said them, his tone of voice, the way he almost had to force them past his lips. Changbin didn’t think any of it would leave, ever.

Suppressants. Seungmin was taking suppressants.

They weren’t exactly… uncommon, in the entertainment industry at least. They were generally frowned upon in society, but for idols, they were sometimes necessary whenever heats and ruts were coming on at important times they couldn’t reschedule or work around. Chan had always hated them, and he had always tried to argue with the staff whenever they wanted anyone in the pack taking them, but they had all taken them at some point.

The alphas and omegas, that is. Because it was only alphas and omegas that had any need for them. And Seungmin… Seungmin was a beta.

Wasn’t he?

“Why are you taking suppressants, Seungmin?” he said, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible.

He couldn’t allow himself to jump to the worst possible conclusion, but it was hard not to. Suppressants could be used in certain other medical contexts outside of their usual purpose, but it wasn’t common at all. And even though something told Changbin this wasn’t one of those cases, he still had to keep an open mind to it.

He dragged his eyes away from Seungmin’s downturned face and looked at Jeongin. The younger’s face looked stunned in shock, but there was also fear in it. He knew Jeongin was thinking along the same lines as him, but surely—

No. No, it had to be something else.

“Seungmin," he said, voice almost breaking with desperation because Seungmin still hadn’t said anything and Changbin was starting to panic. “Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

Seungmin slowly looked up, and he looked between the two of them with tears in his eyes.

“Hey,” Changbin said, clinging on to that last shred of hope that was slowly dying in his chest. “Say something. Please.”

At that, Seungmin broke.

“I’m sorry,” he says, voice wrecked as tears started to spill from his eyes. His scent spiked again, and Changbin felt like he was about to be sick if he thought about what that might mean for too long. “I can still be a beta, I just—”

“What do you mean you can still be a beta?” Jeongin said, voice almost breaking. ”You are a beta, aren’t you, hyung?”

Any hope that had been in Changbin's chest had shattered at hearing what Seungmin said, and his heart broke at the silence that followed Jeongin’s words.

Seungmin wasn’t a beta. Seungmin had been taking suppressants to be a beta.

“Hyung,” Jeongin’s voice said again, probably talking to Seungmin, but Changbin couldn’t see him. Couldn’t see anything, really. He just stared off into space. “Hyung, what did you present as?”

Changbin thought back to Seungmin’s presentation. He hadn’t really given it a second thought. He had been a little sad that he had missed it of course, but with their schedules being the way they were, it wasn’t too uncommon. Especially if they were as fast as Seungmin’s had been.

Presentation was different for everybody. There were general differences depending on what designation you presented as, but even then, it wasn’t the same for everyone. For some, presentation came with lots of horrible symptoms and side-effects, and they could last for days. For others, it could happen within a matter of hours with barely any symptoms or side effects at all. Some even presented in their sleep and just woke up with their second gender fully settled into their bodies with no problem at all.

Changbin had always assumed Seungmin fell into that latter category, and it had never felt strange to him. Changbin’s own presentation had taken days, but his side effects were so mild he had barely even realised that that was what was going on. He had kind of just assumed that he was having a bad couple of days where he was more moody than ever. At least, that was until he all of a sudden was able to detect scents much better than before, and it was just enough of a warning to recognise his behaviour over the past week for an alpha presentation before his rut hit.

Seungmin’s presentation, though. He had gone to his schedules for the day just like everybody else, and he had ended up staying at the company for longer than planned, which wasn’t exactly uncommon. Then he had just been taken back to the dorms by one of their managers with the news that he had presented as a beta.

Changbin had always felt a little bad that no one had been around for Seungmin’s presentation, since they could be quite overwhelming, but, clearly, Seungmin’s had been quick and painless, since no one had felt the need to notify any of the other members. It had still angered them at the time (Chan especially), that they weren’t even given the opportunity to be there for Seungmin as it happened, but overall, it was a pretty uneventful affair. Seungmin had presented quickly and without issues, as the designation everyone were already kind of expecting him to present as, anyway, and then life continued on as usual.

The only ‘problem’ that had occurred was Seungmin presenting as a nearly scentless beta, which Changbin and the rest of the members could tell he wasn’t very happy with. They had been a little disappointed, too, since being able to connect with a person’s scent—especially when they were pack—was something the rest of the presented members had treasured and something that had made them even closer than before.

They had never told Seungmin any of that of course, and they still loved him just as much as they always had. Eventually, that wasn’t something any of them thought very much about, either. It was just a part of what made Seungmin Seungmin, and they loved him, whether he had a faint scent or not.

They loved Seungmin, and Seungmin loved them. So why had he kept this from them?

Seungmin had been given new pills yesterday, he remembered. Better ones. Ones that didn’t make him sick.

Seungmin had been told to keep it quiet.

Changbin was hit with such an intense wave of rage it almost made him ill. Someone had been handing Seungmin suppressants that had been making him sick, and he had been forced to keep quiet about it.

He knew that his own anger as well as Jeongin’s sadness was filling the air around them and probably overwhelmed Seungmin even more, but he couldn’t hold it back.

“Hyung, what did you present as?” Jeongin asked again. It sounded like he was about to cry.

Changbin took deep breaths, and tried to calm himself. This was no time for him to let his protective instincts take over, even though he wanted to go to the company building right now and—

No. Deep breaths, Changbin. He had to be there for Seungmin right now.

Speaking of Seungmin, he had started to cry even harder as Jeongin had repeated his question. “I’m really sorry,” he said again, and the apology twisted the knife that was already buried in Changbin’s chest now that he knew what the other was apologising for. “I know- I know I wouldn’t be a good omega—”

Changbin felt as if his body shut down at that.

Omega. Seungmin was an omega, and none of them had known.

Seungmin took a deep breath before continuing. “And I can still be a beta if you just- if you just forget about this, and then we- we don’t even have to let the others know! I can still be a beta, I promise, I—”

“Hyung!" Jeongin cut him off, tears rolling down his face now, but there was an angry undertone to his voice, too. “What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean you wouldn’t be a good omega?"

Changbin… Changbin didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what he had been expecting when he walked into Seungmin’s room earlier and noticed something was wrong, but this wasn’t it.

This wasn’t just Seungmin being sick, and Changbin maybe having to make him tea or soup or something and cuddling with him to make him feel better. No, this was big. This had consequences he couldn’t even begin to wrap his head around.

Seungmin thought he had to be a beta and had been making himself sick for years trying to achieve that goal. He had people at the company helping him keep it a secret, helping with providing him suppressants and god knows what else to keep this up, and there was no way all of that was even legal.

Panic started to seep into his mind again. How had this even happened? How had no one noticed? How had no one at the company intervened yet? What the hell had Seungmin been going through, keeping something like this from them?

There was a lot he didn’t know at the moment, but there was one thing he did know.

Changbin had to get the rest of the pack here. He had to get Chan here. Changbin was so out of his depth, it felt like he would drown at any moment. He couldn’t deal with this alone, none of them could.

Seungmin had. Seungmin had been dealing with this by himself for years.

Trying to suppress angry tears, Changbin spoke again.

“Jeongin, I need you to wake everyone else up. We’re going to have a pack meeting about this in the living room.”

Seungmin looked as if his world had just shattered. Changbin felt the same.

“No, no that’s- that doesn’t need to happen!” he said, desperation seeping into his words as he spoke. “Hyung, please don’t tell the others. I can fix this, I promise! I’ll—”

“Stop,” Changbin said, interrupting the be- omega. God, that was gonna take some getting used to, but he couldn’t wait to get there. All of them, together. “There is nothing for you to fix, Seungmin. Not anymore. We’ll make sure of that, okay?”

“But I… I can’t be an omega.”

Changbin… Changbin didn’t know what to say. What could you even say to that? He had no idea what Seungmin had been going through to get that sort of mindset, and he wasn’t very keen to find out, but he knew he had to.

His alpha was howling at knowing he had failed to protect one of his pack members like this, and Changbin had to get the others involved before he went crazy with it.

“Innie,” he said, drawing the attention of the other alpha again. He looked just as distraught as Changbin probably did, and he wished he had known how heavy this conversation would have been beforehand so their maknae wouldn’t have had to have been there for it, but he also couldn't deny that it was nice not to be alone in this right now. “Go and gather the others, please. Now.”

Jeongin nodded, and after a final glance at Seungmin’s resigned face, he quickly got up from the bed and left the room.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Changbin said. He wasn’t quite sure if he was saying that for Seungmin’s sake or his own.

“I promise it’s gonna be okay.”

Chapter Text

Unless he was tucked away in his studio at the company, Chan was used to being one of the first people aware and present whenever something was wrong with his pack.

Jeongin accidentally broke something? Chan would hear it.

Felix and Seungmin tried doing something nice for the pack and ended up making an absolute mess in the kitchen? Chan would be there before they burned the dorms down (with Minho hot on his tail).

Jisung was in pre-heat, irritable and snappy to the point that both he and Hyunjin suddenly harboured the energy of their pre-debut selves and were at each other’s throats again? Chan would be there before things got out of hand.

Sometimes, this required Chan to be a pretty light sleeper. And he usually was. Whether it was due to him being the leader of a rowdy pack of eight or not, he didn’t know, but there had been far too many instances where him being a light sleeper had been to their advantage. He was used to being aware and available when his pack needed him to be.

So when he suddenly woke up from Hyunjin flinging his door open, distress and confusion palpable in the expression on his face as well as in his scent, Chan only took a second to allow himself to freeze in shock and force any sleepy fogginess out of his mind before quickly sitting up and getting back on track.

“What is it? What’s—”

“I don’t know what’s happening, but Innie’s gathering everyone to a pack meeting in the living room.”

Something’s wrong went unsaid, but it was obvious nonetheless. Pack meetings weren’t always about something bad of course, but this early in the morning, on a day off schedule, and Jeongin being the one to gather everyone?

Chan’s mind immediately went into overdrive trying to think about what it could be.

“Did he say why? Did he seem hurt? Is everyone else awake?” Chan asked, quickly rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he threw off the covers and desperately searched for the sweatpants he knew he’d left somewhere on the ground next to his bed yesterday. Hyunjin was only in his pyjamas, too, with his black sleeping shorts and one of Changbin’s shirts drowning him where he stood in the doorframe, so Chan supposed grey sweatpants and a tank top would be good enough for whatever impromptu pack meeting he was about to head into.

“I don’t think it’s about him, hyung,” Hyunjin said, voice slightly anxious. “I fell asleep with Changbin-hyung yesterday, and he wasn’t there when Innie came to wake me up. I saw Lixie, Sungie and Minho-hyung awake out in the hall at least, but hyung’s getting pissed that Innie won’t just tell them what’s happening. Innie seemed pretty busy with that, so I thought I would just come and wake you up instead.”

Now that Hyunjin mentioned it, Chan could vaguely register noises coming from the hallway that sounded suspiciously much like a very unhappy pack. His very unhappy pack.

Chan cursed under his breath as he finally found the sweatpants, quickly tugging them on before nodding to Hyunjin and joining the others outside the room.

“-on’t think I should be the one talking about it, and Changbin-hyung said to have everyone gather in the living room for it!”

Jeongin was talking to a visibly annoyed Minho, and from the sounds of it, he’d probably already said that exact line already. Before anyone could say anything else, Chan cleared his throat, and all three heads turned to look at him.

“You heard Jeonginnie. Let’s just go to the living room and see what this is all about, alright?”

Minho looked like he wanted to say something more, eyebrows scrunched together as he looked between Jeongin and Chan, arms crossed in front of him. Jisung, who was standing beside him, grabbed hold of Minho's wrist and gently started tugging him in the direction of the living room.

“Come on, hyung. Let’s just go, yeah? The sooner we’re there, the sooner we’ll find out.”

Minho looked to be considering it for a second or two before sighing and following the omega to where he was guiding him. Felix glanced back at Chan and gave him a half-hearted smile before following the pair, leaving only Jeongin, Hyunjin, and Chan in the hallway.

Chan was just as nervous as he knew everyone else probably was, too, but he tried to keep himself as level-headed as possible. He couldn’t afford to freak out before knowing what this was all about, and, well, he couldn’t freak out once he did, either. His pack needed him, and he would make sure to be there for them as well as he possibly could be.

He had already done the quick mental maths of which members were accounted for, and since Jeongin had mentioned Changbin as being up and about as well as also being in on the whole pack meeting thing, it only left one person.

“Should I go get Minnie whilst the two of you go and join the others?” he asked, wanting to get things moving as quickly as possible. He wanted to know what was going on, and fast.

Jeongin got a grim look on his face before answering. “Seungmin-hyung is already awake. I think Changbin-hyung will take him there, so we can go now.”

That’s… Chan didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but hearing Jeongin say that combined with the sudden memory of Seungmin not feeling well yesterday only made Chan’s worry triple in size. His alpha sometimes went a little crazy when it came to their youngest beta. He had never really understood why, but it seemed like today was gonna be another one of those days.

“Is it something about Seungmin?” he asked, even though he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

Jeongin looked almost pained as he bit his lip and slowly shook his head. “Let’s just go to the living room, hyung. The others will know what to do, I was just told to gather everyone there, I don’t… I don’t know what else to tell you.”

Although Chan desperately wanted answers, he could also see how stressed Jeongin was over the whole thing. He didn’t want to add to that, so he simply nodded his head, and then the three of them were off to join the others.

***

The living room was uncomfortably quiet. A knife could cut the tension in the air as everyone either tried to figure out what was going on, worried about how bad it could be, or simply tried their best to be patient whilst waiting for the two final members to join them.

After what felt like hours, but was probably only a couple of minutes, Jeongin suddenly sprang up from the couch.

“I’m gonna go check on what’s taking so long. Just… stay here, yeah?” He didn’t look back before quickly heading out of the room.

Chan had found that it helped having something to focus on whenever he had to hold himself back from letting his mind spiral, so he observed the other members still left in the room. They were all in their sleep clothes just like Chan and Hyunjin, and everyone's hair was various levels of untidy, sleep still clinging onto some faces here and there. It didn't exactly fit the tense atmosphere of the room.

Hyunjin craned his head up to the ceiling and sighed heavily, clearly getting impatient with the wait. Felix’s eyes darted around the room nervously from where he sat next to him, probably not even aware that he was leaning into the beta’s space for comfort. Jisung’s leg bounced up and down from where he was sitting on the other end of the couch, and he wrung his hands in his lap before Minho reached over wordlessly and took a hold of them. He squeezed his hand into the omega’s tightly, the action no doubt grounding for both of them.

It was clear that everyone hated this just as much as Chan did, and that feeling of at least being in this situation together helped calm him down a little bit. He wasn’t used to being out of the loop, he really wasn’t, but he waited patiently, and he hoped it would pay off in the end.

After what felt like forever, Changbin stepped into the living room.

“Hey,” Chan said without hesitation, worry and impatience filling his body. He didn’t ask if everything was okay or not. He didn’t need for Changbin to tell him to know what the answer would be, so he went with the other question that had popped up in his mind as soon as he'd seen the other. “Where are the others?”

The other alpha slowly went over to an empty armchair as he looked to be thinking about what to say. “They’ll come here later. I just… Well, Seungmin really didn’t want to be here for this, and I didn’t really see the point in putting him through the whole conversation again. He also kind of panicked again when he heard you guys argue in the hallway, so he’s pretty exhausted right now. Innie’s with him, though, so it’s fine.”

There was enough in what Changbin had said to make Chan’s mind race already, despite his best efforts not to. It was almost too much (so it was about Seungmin? and he had panicked? again?), but at the same time, it still felt like Changbin had told him nothing.

“Changbin, I’m gonna need you to tell us what’s going on.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I called for a pack meeting. I can’t… Seungmin didn’t want me or Innie to tell anyone else about it, but hyung, we have to do something about it. I mean—"

“Do something about what, Changbin?!” Minho said, voice agitated and impatient. It was less than before (probably due to hearing that Seungmin had panicked from hearing him argue with Jeongin), but it was still clearly getting to him. “You’re not telling us anything, and neither was Innie. What’s happening?"

“Is Seungmin okay?” Chan couldn’t help but ask. It was pretty obvious that he wasn’t, but, well… “Is he hurt? Sick? If he needs to go see a doctor or something, we shouldn’t just sit here and—”

“No, hyung, just- Seungminnie’s in his room with Innie, and I’m pretty sure that’s the best place for him right now. It’s just… it’s a lot. I’m trying to think of how to say it. I mean, I don’t even know all the details- in fact, I feel like I know the damn bare minimum, but I just… I don’t know how to deal with this alone. So here I am, telling all of you about it, and then we as a pack are gonna figure out how to deal with this together. Okay?”

Changbin looked around the room at everybody, jaw tense. There was a nervous energy about him in general, but he also looked determined. Braced for impact. He looked to be readying himself for something, and Chan was doing the same right alongside him.

Changbin didn’t need a verbal response to what he had asked of them. The way everyone was looking at him, and the way they all looked at each other… Chan had never thought that a critical moment like this would be one where he would feel such pride for his pack spring up in his chest, but it did. Everyone in the room was ready to face whatever this was, together.

“Okay,” Changbin continued, voice determined. “There’s really no easy way to say this, and I don’t know everything about it yet, so I’m just gonna cut right to the chase.” He took a deep breath in. Then out.

“Seungmin is an omega.”

Whatever Chan had been bracing himself to hear… that wasn’t it. All his thoughts screeched to a halt. All he could do was stare into the air.

A distressed sound from Hyunjin snapped Chan’s attention back to his pack.

Minho’s anger and stress had seemingly turned into quiet thinking, his face drawn carefully blank. Jisung’s had drained of all colour, eyes wide as he stared at Changnin. It was drastically different to the other two: Felix looked distressed, yes, but also very, very confused, and Hyunjin… Chan honestly wasn’t sure how to read the expression on his face.

“But he’s…” Hyunjin almost looked as if he wanted to argue. Like what Changbin was saying couldn't possibly be true. Like he was still wrapping his head around it, but also refused to believe it in any way he could. “Seungmin’s not an omega! I mean, he’s…it’s not like he’s having a second presentation right now. We’d be able to tell if he was in heat!”

Judging by the grim look on Changbin’s face, he already knew that. And the silence from the rest of the pack, as well as the growingly distressed and sad and confused scents in the air seemed to indicate that they had all been thinking the same thing.

“Hyung?” Felix asked, breaking the suffocating silence that had come after Hyunjin’s statement with an unsteady voice. He sounded like he was on the verge of crying. “What are you- I mean, are you sure? I just… how is that even possible?”

Changbin’s scent cycled through all sorts of negative emotions as he probably thought of the answer to that question, but he wasn’t saying anything yet.

Felix was zeroed in on Changbin, waiting for an answer. Hyunjin looked like he was slowly sinking into despair, as did the others.

But Chan?

Chan still felt… nothing. His mind was blank. It was as if it had locked away any and all feelings he could possibly feel upon hearing something like that until he knew what do with himself, until he had more information to work with, or… something. As it was now, it was just too big for his brain and body and heart to decide how to react to.

So Chan said nothing, and he watched his pack say everything he wanted to instead.

“I’m sure, Lix.” Changbin finally said. “I wish I weren’t, but I am.”

“How?” It was Hyunjin this time, voice desperate. “Hyung, what happened?"

That’s what Chan wanted to know, too. How did they find out? What happened for them to have gotten here? Why did Seungmin panic?

Why was Changbin looking as if he still hadn’t even said the half of it and was still bracing himself?

“I… I was just gonna ask if he wanted to join me in the gym. That’s all. But when I got to his room…” Changbin closed his eyes and shook his head. “Something was wrong with him. And I don’t just mean that he looked sick or something, it was more than that. I’m not gonna go into all of it now, you’ll probably know what I mean later, anyway, but he basically ended up having a panic attack when I pressed him to tell me what was wrong. I probably went about it the wrong way, but I could tell there was something he wasn’t telling me and I was getting pissed off... Anyway, Innie ended up hearing us and helped me calm him down. It wasn’t until he and I basically got Minnie scent drunk that he calmed down enough to actually tell us anything.”

What Chan saw in his mind as Changbin was saying all of this was enough to make something like dread start to form in his chest. He already knew what was coming, but he remembered how Changbin still braced himself for something. There were still so many unanswered questions about all of this, so he tried to ignore what he was thinking and feeling and tried to just focus on Changbin for now. He couldn’t afford to zone out and miss anything.

“Seungmin never presented as a beta. He’s been on suppressants this whole time."

There was something haunted in his voice as Changbin said that. As he thought about everything that could possibly entail. Chan knew he would lose it if he did that, too, so he forced himself to focus on his pack.

Minho’s face was still blank, but his entire body was stiff. Chan wished he could tell what he was thinking about, but the other alpha had officially shielded himself off. Jisung, on the other hand, looked like he was gonna be sick. Felix had tears in his eyes by now, and Hyunjin still looked like he was in denial, although that mindset seemed to crumble with every word Changbin was saying as the realisation dawned on the beta.

“Why would he do that?” Felix asked, voice breaking even more. “Why would he lie to us about something like that?”

“And how would he even do something like that?” Jisung asked, face white as a sheet. “Going on suppressants in general is awful, but for… for three years?!"

“We didn’t really talk about it much,” Changbin continued, looking pained from what the others were saying. “It was hard to get him to say anything, let alone a detailed explanation, but based on what he said… I don’t think he had much of a choice.”

“What?” Hyunjin asked, eyes sharp and voice dangerous. “What the hell does that mean?”

Changbin’s eyes darkened as he continued to talk. “The first thing he said was about how he had gotten new pills yesterday. He didn’t say it was suppressants at first, he just said ‘pills’, and when Innie and I tried asking him what kind, he… he said he couldn’t tell us, because he’s supposed to keep it quiet. He didn’t say who he had gotten them from, but I mean, it has to be someone from the company, right? So someone there has been supplying him with suppressants for years, and made him keep quiet about it.”

That seemed to be the final straw for Chan to settle on what to feel. Helpless fury coursed through his veins at the thought of their Seungmin in that position, and the urge to go to the company right away and demand answers, to scream and shout and claw his way until he had them was overwhelming.

It seemed like that sentiment was shared: Minho still kept quiet, but his jaw tensed as his teeth most likely ground together, and Hyunjin looked like he wanted to rip someone’s throat out.

Chan knew if he gave in to the anger rising in his chest, he’d probably just be charged for assault and be of no help to his pack at all, and, well... he’d rather not have that happen.

(Not yet at least. Not until Seungmin had clarified who exactly it was that needed to be shredded to bits).

Changbin looked at the rest of them, and he looked just as angry as Chan felt. “He also said that the suppressants he was on before had been making him sick. That the ones he got yesterday was supposed to be better. Hyung… he presented three years ago."

Changbin didn’t need to explain what he meant by that. They knew. All of them did.

Seungmin had been dealing with this for three years, alone. No one had figured out what was happening and put a stop to it. Everyone had missed it.

Chan had missed it.

His alpha was almost trying to bury itself in shame inside him as the realisation hit him square in the chest. He didn’t have a specific person or people to point the blame to yet (although he did have a hunch), which meant the anger was just uselessly stuck inside him with nowhere to go. The natural place for it to go in that case, was himself.

Chan had missed this. How had he missed this?

Sure, Seungmin hadn’t meant for them to find out, but Chan shouldn’t have missed it. He was the leader of Stray Kids, the group’s pack alpha, and Seungmin was one of the most important people in his life. Chan loved him so much, and yet he had missed something this big about him.

“Why would he agree to something like that though?” Felix asked, voice thick from the tears spilling down his cheeks. Hyunjin wordlessly hugged him from the side, but it was clear he was too upset to be much of a comfort at the moment. “Why not just tell us? Why not tell someone about it?”

“He kept… kept saying he couldn’t be an omega. That he wouldn’t be a good omega.” Changbin sounded furious as he thought back to it, and just imagining hearing something like that come out of Seungmin’s mouth was enough for Chan to want to hug the younger and never, ever let go of him again.

“We kept joking about it,” Minho suddenly said. He’d been quiet for so long that the rest of them almost jumped upon hearing his voice, but Minho almost looked like he didn’t even notice. He just kept staring off into space as he spoke. “Everyone assumed he would present as a beta. Seungmin did. We did. Stays did. And the company… the company did, too.”

Memories of everyone assuming Seungmin would be a beta flashed through Chan’s mind, and they sent shivers down his spine. He hadn’t given his jokes or comments about it a second thought back then.

It was true what Minho said—everyone had assumed Seungmin would be a beta.

“He wouldn’t go through something like this just because him being an omega would come as a shock though!” Hyunjin said, voice vehement. “He wouldn’t lie to us about something like this, and take suppressants that were basically poisining him for years just because it was assumed he would be a beta. That’s stupid. Seungmin isn’t stupid."

“No, but think about it,” Minho continued. “Seungmin doesn’t like being a bother to people. You know that, I know that. We all know that. If he thought that pretending to be a beta was what would be better for the group, he would do it. Seungmin might not be stupid, but when it comes to putting himself first? He doesn’t know how to do that. And if he had people around him when he presented that also knew that…”

Felix gasped. “He presented at the company. None of us were there when he did!”

“Exactly,” Minho continued, voice almost hollow. “And if the right person was around to give him suppressants and then... I don't know. Somehow convince him to continue taking them…?”

“You said that Seungminnie said he ‘wouldn’t be a good omega’, right?” Chan asked, eyes locked on Changbin and voice unsteady as he tried to wrap his mind about everything Minho was saying, dread settling in the pit of his stomach. “Maybe someone convinced him of that?”

Hyunjin cursed. “I’m gonna fucking kill them,” he said, voice sounding like it was wavering between wanting to cry and wanting to scream. “If someone actually told him that, I—”

“Presentation is one of the most vulnerable times in a person’s life,” Minho said, voice contemplative. “How your presentation is will have an impact on you, everyone knows that. It probably wouldn’t be hard to convince him of something like that, would it?”

“He kept saying he couldn’t be an omega.” Changbin’s voice was almost steely with the way he said the words. “That he knew he wouldn’t be a good omega. And he kept- he kept apologising to me and Jeonginnie about it, it was awful."

“What does that even mean, though?! Being a good omega?!” Felix asked, disgust tinging his voice.

“Well, there was a reason everyone expected he would be a beta, right?” Chan said, dread setting in his bones as his fault in all of this was starting to show itself. “I guess the leap from expecting him to be a beta to wanting him to be one isn't that big?”

“So you're saying we made Minnie think we wouldn't want him as an omega?!” Felix asked, voice incredulous, but also so, so sad, and ashamed. Just like Chan.

It’s not like it had been set in stone, Seungmin being a beta. They hadn’t talked about it as if it were some certain thing… had they? It was a little scary that he couldn’t remember for sure. Chan did know that he had definitely never had the thought that he would be disappointed if Seungmin turned out to be anything but a beta, though.

Is that what Seungmin had thought? Or what someone had convinced him that the members thought?

“I don’t know. But it’s… it’s definitely possible. There’s only one person who actually knows, though.”

Chan looked at Changbin. “What do you think, Binnie? Will Seungmin want to see us now?”

“We should be in the pack nest!” Jisung said, voice loud and determined. He had been quiet throughout all of the conversation so far, lost in his mind as he had thought about something or another, but the mention of going to see Seungmin seemed to have snapped him out of it.

“Lixie and I already got it ready for our pack day today anyway, and it’s- it’s perfect, hyung. And Minnie hasn’t gotten to…” his voice turned distressed as his mind wandered away. It almost seemed as if thinking about it was bad enough, and having to say it was verging on being unbearable. “He’s an omega, and he’s never built his own nest. He hasn’t nested, ever!”

“That we know of, at least,” Changbin muttered. Chan couldn't help the image of Seungmin secretly nesting alone in some hidden-away closet that came to mind at that, and it almost made him cry right then and there.

“Has he even had a heat, then?” Felix suddenly asked, his voice sounding like the question shocked and horrified even himself. “Ever?!”

“Why are we speculating about all of this when we can just ask Seungmin himself?!” Hyunjin sounded like he’d had enough, and Chan could feel himself getting there, too. The urge to go see Seungmin was crashing into him like waves, over and over and over. He didn’t see a point in talking about all of this without Seungmin there anymore, he really didn’t.

“Jisungie, you said the pack nest was ready for today, right?” he asked, looking at the omega imploringly. “Then why don’t we go there? All of us. Now.”

***

Their pack nest had always been great. Tucked away in a safe corner of the space bordering the divide of the kitchen and one of the hallways, slightly hidden behind a dresser, thick mattresses covered the floor. The various blankets, pillows, covers and articles of clothing that made up for the rest of the padding and the intricately layered walls made for a soft and welcoming space for their pack to rest, cuddle, bond, make out—well, whatever the occasion called for, really. But right now, despite the hard work Jisung and Felix had put into rearranging it just right, it felt incomplete.

It’s not like it always had to have all the members in it for it to feel nice and good and safe. Chan knew that. But right now, that was clearly what his alpha wanted (and just Chan in general, honestly).

Changbin had gone to get their two youngest pack members a while ago, and Chan’s patience was growing thin from all the waiting he’d had to do. He wanted the whole pack together, now.

So when the three final members finally came into view, it should have made all the pieces slide into place—should have made everything feel okay now that the pack was fully gathered. But it didn’t.

Nothing was as it should be. Chan didn’t know how long it would take for it to be like it should again.

Aside from looking sick (the pale, clammy skin, along with his slightly shivering frame obvious from where Chan sat), Seungmin also looked nervous. He was holding onto Changbin, who had seemingly led him towards the living room, and it almost looked as if he was trying to hide himself behind the broader man.

Everything about it was wrong. Chan had thought he would feel better upon seeing Seungmin, but seeing him now, hiding himself away from his pack, and knowing what he had learnt about the younger from Changbin… it almost made him feel worse.

Jeongin was walking behind the pair, a hand on the small of Seungmin’s back, reassuringly guiding him forward. When the trio finally paused in front of the nest, the unmistakable waft of coconut, Seungmin’s coconut flickered through the tense air of the nest, and Chan’s eyes almost widened in surprise.

It was so strong. It was weirdly unsteady, but much more present than usual.

He was about to say something about it, the words seemingly at the tip of his tongue, but all thoughts about whatever words those were supposed to be disappeared as he heard what Seungmin said next.

“Hi,” he said, eyes a little glazed over (Changbin had mentioned Seungmin being a little scent drunk), but still nervous-looking and a little… dimmed. “Can I… can I get in the nest, too?”

Seungmin’s voice was small. It was small, and insecure, and like he was genuinely worried that the pack would say no. Like there was even the smallest chance that they wouldn’t want him anymore—that they would say no and reject him. It was more than just heartbreaking.

Chan’s words died on his tongue, and he had no idea what to say or how to make the situation better.

He was the leader. The pack alpha. He was supposed to fix things.

He didn’t know how to fix this.

Sudden growling dragged Chan out of his thoughts. A quick glance to his right showed it was Hyunjin, and the lilacs in his scent were wilted as he looked at the cowering pack member in front of him.

“Get in the nest, omega.”

Seungmin physically flinched at that, bowing his head at the tone of their pack beta. Chan silently cursed at the sight. Changbin had mentioned that Seungmin was worried they would be angry with him for lying to them, and Hyunjin’s growling and upset scent probably didn’t work in their favour.

On the other hand, he had told Seungmin to join the nest (even though it was technically supposed to be the omegas that invite pack members into their nest, although judging by the look of them, they clearly didn't mind), so Chan could only hope that Seungmin saw the action for what it actually was.

Luckily, the younger only hesitated for a second or two before obeying the beta and slowly starting to take the final few steps towards the nest. Changbin and Jeongin were close behind him, never letting him feel alone, and Jeongin made sure to keep that guiding hand on the small of Seungmin’s back. Chan liked the sight of it. Seeing his pack be so protective of Seungmin, matching his own feelings... It made it more bearable.

As soon as Seungmin got close enough, Hyunjin reached out and quickly (but gently) pulled him inside the nest. He immediately wrapped himself around the younger, emitting calming—but also somewhat claiming—pheromones as he tentatively nosed along Seungmin’s jaw, silently asking for permission to scent him. Seungmin looked unsure, but after glancing over at Changbin, he tentatively bared his neck to the beta.

Aside from the long-since-healed pack bite, it looked awfully unmarked. Chan would have to change that later. Seungmin didn’t need to leave the dorms for at least two days, after all.

Hyunjin didn’t waste any time before surging in on the exposed skin, and it barely took any time at all for the rest of the members to join in.

Everyone was in the nest by now, and everyone was somehow in physical contact with someone else, sharing body heat and scents and pheromones until it all turned into pack, individual notes getting harder and harder to distinguish.

Chan loved it. He had to make all of them smell like him, had to make everyone smell like each other, like pack, and then everyone would know this was his pack, that Seungmin was their omega. It was perfect.

And Seungmin… even though it was almost drowned out by all the other scents in the air, Chan could still feel Seungmin’s coconut flickering. And it wasn’t just his scent, either.

The pheromones in his scent were finally strong enough to be able to convey emotion. There was confusion and sadness. Anger and happiness and hope. And there was love. So much love, Chan didn’t know what to do with it all.

“You’re not- you’re not mad?” Seungmin said, like it was too good to be true. “Really?”

The question pulled even more growls from some of them (Chan included), and then Seungmin was pulled even closer.

“Oh, we’re mad, baby,” Hyunjin said, his voice almost dangerous, sounding like it was coming from somewhere deep inside. “Just not at you.”

Chan had just enough time to see the beta abandon the younger’s neck (Felix immediately taking his place, scenting him like he hadn't done it in weeks), and then he moved in the direction of Seungmin’s face. His lips.

Hyunjin didn’t hold back in the slightest upon kissing him—his lips clashing onto the other’s with a newfound fervour Chan hadn’t seen him have in a while. Seungmin gasped in response, which, judging from the sounds that followed, allowed Hyunjin to slip his tongue into the younger.

Love. Relief. Gratefulness.

“You’re so good for us, Minnie,” Jisung said from where he was hugging him on the other side, one of Seungmin’s arms slung around him from when Minho had presumably reached for it. He was behind the other, scenting Seungmin’s wrist gland with glowing eyes.

“We love you so much,” Changbin said from somewhere else. It was hard to keep track of everything, but it was exactly what Chan wanted. He drank in the sight of his pack together like this, and of Seungmin, here and safe and loved in the safety of their pack nest, and it was enough for now.

Chan wished it could have been like this always.

“I- I love you too,” Seungmin gasped out, Hyunjin still kissing him. Then, an awful twist of guilt and shame in his scent, “and I’m- I’m sorry.”

Hyunjin growled again at that, immediately deepening the kiss even more to presumably shut him up. Chan appreciated it. He didn’t want to hear Seungmin apologise for this ever again.

“Perfect omega,” he couldn’t help but growl out himself, and Seungmin shivered at the words, whimpering into the kiss.

Chan knew they should probably talk before anything else, but seeing Seungmin had made all those feelings from the living room come crashing back, and the protective and possessive instincts in him were getting harder and harder to control. It was safe to say it was the same for everyone else, too.

They had all been gentle with Seungmin at first, but it seemed as if everyone was slowly starting to lose track of themselves as the mixed scents in the air grew heavier with something else. When Felix suddenly climbed on top of Seungmin, though, the younger whimpered again, and his scent suddenly twisted into distress, shame, pain.

Chan didn’t even have to say anything—Felix practically flew off of Seungmin in his hurry to give him space, as did everyone else. The heavy mix of pheromones in the air pierced through with burdening clarity.

“What’s wrong?!” Felix said, voice urgent.

Seungmin reached for his stomach, face twisted in pain. “Hurts,” he gasps out, face turned away from the pack. “Sorry, I—”

Felix made a hurt sound. “Don’t say sorry,” he said, gently cupping the omega’s face.

The mood from earlier was gone, and a tense silence settled over the nest again as they watched Seungmin, helpless to do anything aside from trying to clear the scent in the air.

“I think I forgot to warn you guys about that…” Changbin said from somewhere to Chan’s left, a sheepish and guilty tone to his voice. “That’s on me. I gave Minnie some painkillers whilst Jeongin went to wake everyone up, but they probably haven’t kicked in fully yet. And, well, we don’t know how well they mix with his new suppressants, either.”

“Painkillers?” Minho asked, voice worried. “You’re in pain? Where?”

Seungmin glanced down again. Chan wished he could read his mind, but he was pretty sure the younger felt bad for bringing down the mood again.

“It’s… everywhere, really. They made my headache go away, but I still just ache all over. My stomach’s the worst, though.”

“You’re not… your pills don’t usually make you hurt, right?” Jisung asked, voice tinged with fear and worry for his fellow omega.

“No,” Seungmin was quick to say. “Not my usual ones, anyway. At least not like this. But the ones I got yesterday… I don’t know.” Seungmin looked frustrated with himself as he continued. “Maybe they don’t mix well with everything else I take, maybe I took the wrong amount of them, maybe they just don't react well with me specifically. I don’t know. It doesn’t usually feel like this.”

“What suppressants did you switch to, exactly?” Minho asked.

“Uhm. Well… Seojun-ssi said they weren’t on the market yet. That he got early access to them, so I’m not sure.”

Seojun. Chan had guessed the head manager would have something to do with it, especially when he remembered the impromptu meeting he’d taken Seungmin away to yesterday. Hearing it confirmed made something poisonous settle in his gut, but he tried to ignore it for now. It was clear that everyone else had caught on to the name, too, but Chan cut in before anyone could say anything about it.

“Didn’t you get them in some sort of package, though?” he asked, wanting to stay on track. “An instruction label? Anything?”

Seungmin just shook his head. “No. They just came in blank plastic bottles, and my old ones did, too. I didn’t… I didn’t get any instructions for the new pills, so I just took the same amount I usually take. I probably shouldn’t have done that...”

Seungmin shook his head and held it low as he continued talking, not looking at any of them.

“He said they were stronger. That’s why I got them in the first place. I should have realised. I was just so tired, I didn’t- didn’t think. ‘M sorry.”

“Stronger?” Changbin asked, voice angry again. “You’ve been on suppressants for years already, and he decided to give you even stronger suppressants?!”

Seungmin looked nervous. “Well… apparently my old ones weren’t supposed to be used long-term like that, and they were starting to not be very… good for me, I guess. And th-they'd apparently started to lose some of their, uhm, effects on me, so it was decided I needed stronger ones.”

Seungmin almost looked ashamed as he talked. Chan took deep breaths, telling himself to stay focused. They were finally getting somewhere, after all.

“Okay. That's okay. We can find out which suppressants you were taking later… but you said you're taking other things, too?”

As much as Chan hated hearing about it, he had to. Had to know as much as possible about all of this before he went to the company and demanded who knows how many people to be fired.

Seungmin started to list the other medication he was on, slowly relaxing as he did; apparently the pain came in waves. Chan didn’t even know half the stuff existed, and it was a small relief to hear that not all of them were taken daily—there were some pheromone regulators he apparently took on a weekly basis, and then there were hormone stabilisers he had to inject into himself once a month.

As Chan listened to him, he started to wonder where the company had even managed to get the funds for this and still keep it under wraps. Some of the pharmaceutical company brands Seungmin mentioned were quite high-grade stuff… including the scent blockers.

Chan didn’t know why that out of everything surprised him. Seungmin having a barely-there scent was just something that Chan saw as a Seungmin thing. He hadn’t really given it a second thought, not even when Changbin told them about the whole suppressants thing earlier.

Although, it had been quite clear that the younger didn’t use the usual scent blockers that most idols and trainees tended to use. The thing with those ones was that, whilst they were effective, they also had a pretty distinct chemical or something in them that kind of just replaced your usual scent with, well… scent blockers. You could tell when people were using them—that subtle but clear, almost clinical edge to the otherwise also noticeable nothingness. Chan had never noticed that from Seungmin. He’d never had to take such scent blockers after all, since his scent was already so mild. Or, well. As far as Chan had known, anyway.

“Wait, so do you actually have a stronger scent, then?” Felix asked, breaking Chan away from his trail of thought.

“Are there any more notes in it?” Jisung added, voice clearly interested and even a little excited, even though it was still a little sad.

At that, Seungmin’s scent spiked. Negative pheromones entered the space around them, but then they settled back down just as quickly as they’d appeared. The members all looked at each other—and Changbin and Jeongin at each other, specifically.

“...What was—”

“I don’t know,” Seungmin said, cutting Minho off. “I know my scent was stronger when I presented, but I could barely distinguish any of the scents there, let alone my own.”

“But… what about later?” Jeongin kept his voice careful. “After your presentation settled down? You couldn’t tell your own scent apart then, either?”

“Or was it still just coconut?” Jisung asked. “It’s obviously okay if it is, I’m just curious. I love your coconut scent!”

Seungmin’s ears started to flush. “It’s so faint, how would you even know?” he asked, keeping his voice a little dismissive as if wanting to move on to something else.

Before Jisung got a chance to respond, though, Hyunjin cut in, a teasing smirk on his face. “Mmm, it gets a little stronger sometimes.”

Seungmin stared at Hyunin—ears scarlet at this point. The rest of the younger members all broke out into laughter, the atmosphere becoming lighter in an instant. Chan couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, too, seeing Seungmin reach out to slap Hyunjin’s arm in retaliation.

Hyunjin looked like he was going to say something else, a satisfied look on his face, before Minho reached over to flick him on the forehead.

“Ow!” Hyunjin rubbed his forehead and turned to look at Minho with a dramatically betrayed look. “What the hell, hyung!”

“Your horny brain needs to be studied,” Minho said, voice flat. “We’re having a serious conversation here.”

Hyunjin turned back to Seungmin, who was smiling at Hyunjin’s expense despite his ears being red. “Hyung’s being ridiculous. I was just… stating a fact.”

“Oh yeah, sure you were,” Felix said, voice teasing. “It’s not like you were talking about Minnie’s scent getting stronger and sweeter in bed or anything.”

Now it was Chan’s turn to stifle a laugh as Seungmin turned to Felix, eyes wide. “It does?!”

“A little bit,” Minho added with a smooth voice and a half-smile, the hypocrite that he was.

“So?” Jisung asked, eyes glowing from laughter. “Is your real scent even sweeter?”

Chan had to admit: he was curious, too. It wasn’t completely unheard of for someone to only have one note in their scent of course, but two or maybe even three was definitely more common, and omegas did tend to have at least one note in their scent that was sweeter compared to others.

Felix’s lemongrass, for example, was accompanied by a mouthwatering brown sugar, and when he was upset, it was the sugar that took over—albeit a quite burnt version of it. Jisung, on the other hand, had the scent of salted caramel, with the salt taking over whenever he was upset. His panic attacks usually smelled like a roaring ocean.

But Seungmin? Whenever his scent could be detected, it was usually a pretty neutral coconut. And when it did turn that little bit sweeter (yes, Chan had noticed it too, sue him), it was more akin to coconut cream. Could it really be even sweeter?

He didn’t have time to think about it any more, though. Seungmin’s smile had started to die down a little. His scent didn’t spike again or anything (thank god, because that had been weird), he just looked a little resigned as he spoke again.

“I don’t know. I couldn’t tell what scent I had when I presented since I was pretty overwhelmed, and the staff only ever mentioned the coconut to me. I probably have another note too, but they never mentioned it to me, and I’ve never been off the scent blockers long enough to find out... Sorry.”

Jisung made a confused noise. “Not even during your heat?”

Seungmin winced at that. “Oh. I’ve never… I mean, I’ve always been on the suppressants. I’ve never had a heat. I think those would be quite hard to hide.”

“But, wait,” Felix said, voice just as confused as Jisung’s had been. “What about your presentation, then? I mean, if you presented as an omega, you must have gone into heat then at least.”

“Yeah,” Jisung added, distress in his voice. “Or was that too overwhelming as well? I mean, I’d understand if it was. I guess it was in the presentation rooms? And you didn’t have any of us there! You came home the same day, so it must have been a really short heat, but still.”

Seungmin’s face was almost sheepish when he responded. “No. When I said I’ve never had a heat, I… I mean, as soon as Seojun-ssi noticed the omega pheromones, he gave me suppressants since there was still a lot of work that had to be done for the day. And then he called all those meetings, and I just... never ended up having my heat, I guess?”

Seungmin must have seen the alarmed looks on their faces, because he was quick to try to clarify. “I was fine! It’s not like I wanted to have a heat at the company, anyway. And I’ve- I’ve had health check-ups with one of the company doctors about it, too, and he said everything was fine. There’s no need to worry about it.”

Chan was worried. Chan was really worried. When Felix first mentioned the possibility of Seungmin possibly never even having had a heat, there was too much going on in his head for him to really have had the chance to think about it. But now?

The heat wasn’t the only thing that happened for omegas during presentation of course, just like ruts weren’t the only thing that happened for alphas. But it was a pretty damn important part of it. It’s what helped settle the designation into your body, the final step of it all. Had Seungmin’s presentation even gotten the chance to actually settle if he’s been on suppressants since before it even finished?

“What kind of doctor would say that’s okay?!” Jeongin asked, voice frustrated beyond belief. “Who even was that?”

“It was just Dr. Gyeong…” Seungmin muttered, a sheepish look on his face.

“You’re telling me Dr. Gyeong knew about you taking suppressants?!” Minho asked, voice angry and concerned. Seungmin nodded.

“...Let me get this straight. Dr. Gyeong knew about you taking suppressants that weren’t meant for long-term use for years on end, that made you sick, and said that you suppressing your presentation heat was completely okay?”

“I mean…” Seungmin didn’t meet his gaze, eyes looking down at the floor. “He might not have used those words exactly. But I didn’t- I didn’t even know my suppressants weren’t safe until yesterday, okay? That’s why I got new ones!”

“Yeah, after three years,” Jeongin muttered.

“Well, he must have known that, considering he’s a doctor,” Minho continued. “And he didn’t do anything about it!”

“Look, I don’t know, okay? They said something about having older data to base my treatment plan off of, and that modern medicine would make it much safer than it was to disguise as a beta in the past. He told me the risks are far less nowadays than they used to be.”

Chan wanted to break something. How was Seungmin talking about all of this so casually?!

Minho scoffed. “Yeah, and then he gave you new suppressants without any sort of instructions as to how to use them, and now you’re even sicker than you apparently already were. That doesn’t exactly sound safe, Seungmin.”

“Well, what about the other doctors at the company?” Hyunjin asked, voice nervous. “Have more doctors than Dr. Gyeong said that that’s safe?”

“No, Seojun-ssi said it was best that as few people knew about it as possible.”

“We’re gonna have to go get you checked out by other doctors, then,” Minho said, and Chan’s gaze snapped away from Seungmin and onto the other alpha.

“What?” he asked, and Minho turned to look at him.

“I said, we’re gonna have to go get him checked out by other doctors. I know I wasn’t the only one who noticed his scent spiking like that just moments ago! That’s not normal. And he’s only ever been seen by one doctor about this, who clearly doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing or has Seungmin’s best interest in mind.”

Seungmin… leaving the nest? Minho wanted Seungmin to leave the nest?

“But hyung, I don’t want to go to the company!” Seungmin said, voice frantic. “What if I run into Manager Seojun? Or what if one of the others talks to Dr. Gyeong? You weren’t even supposed to know about this! They’ll be mad if they find out I told you anything!”

“And that’s even more of a reason for you to go!” Minho replied, voice slightly raised and an upset expression on his face as he looked at the younger. “Something’s clearly not right here, Seungmin, you have to know that.”

“Minho,” Chan said, and the alpha turned his attention to him again. “I don't want Seungmin going to any doctors today.”

“...What?” Minho’s voice was shocked, but grew more heated as he realised what Chan had said. “Why not?!”

Why not?!

“You can’t seriously tell me you feel okay handing him over to another fucking doctor right now, that’s what caused this whole mess in the first place! He needs to be with the pack, not given more pills to fix the problem!”

“And how do you know that that's what he needs?!”

“Yah!” Changbin yelled, drawing the attention of both Chan and Minho to him. “Go talk about this somewhere else.” He made a pointed look towards Seungmin, who Chan only now saw had his face buried in Hyunjin’s neck, hands covering his ears.

It was like a cloud lifted from Chan’s mind, seeing his packmate like that. Because of him.

Shame and guilt swirled in his gut as Chan gently lifted his body up and away from the nest. It took everything from him to separate from his pack just then, but he knew that’s what he needed to do. He didn’t even need to signal for Minho to do the same, having done so the moment he saw Seungmin, his upset expression growing even worse.

Chan beckoned for Minho to follow him, and he slowly walked away, mind and body heavy. He was painfully aware of Seungmin in the background, rambling something about how he didn’t want to leave, please don’t make him leave, the others trying their best to comfort him, and the feeling grew even worse.

His alpha was still keyed up in his chest. It was braced as if it was ready for war at this point, protective and possessive to a degree he rarely felt, and he forced himself to take a few deep breaths as he thought about how to get through to Minho. It wasn’t just his alpha instincts that didn’t want to let Seungmin out of the dorms today, after all. He had to make sure Minho understood that.

***

They ended up going to the other’s bedroom, it being the closest to the living room. That way the two of them were far enough from the nest to be able to have a private conversation without anyone else overhearing them, but still close enough to not have it be physically painful.

Minho was clearly not happy with him, his arms crossed in a tense posture as he looked at Chan closing the door behind them. Chan took that as his cue to start.

“Look, I know you’re worried about him, but I really don’t think taking Seungmin to see a doctor is going to be of any help. At least not yet.”

“And why is that, hyung?” Minho was still agitated, his voice clipped as he spoke. “You noticed his scent spiking just like I did. You heard what Changbin as well as Seungmin himself told us. How is going to the doctor not the obvious next step?”

“Yes, but you heard him out there, Minho. He’s scared.” Chan swallowed as the image of Seungmin—so uncharacteristically nervous and fearful—came to mind again. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t take him to a doctor ever again. I’m saying we wait a few days, at least this weekend. We wait and see how he feels, and we wait in order to give him, and us, some more time to process and talk about all of this.”

“...Hyung. With all due respect, I don’t care if he’s scared. I need him to be safe.”

Minho still looked angry, but Chan’s eyes softened. “I know, Minho. Don’t you think I feel the same? But I really don’t think going to a doctor is going to be of help to anyone right now. I mean, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t be anxious taking him to another company doctor after everything he’s just told us.”

“So let’s not take him to a company doctor, let’s go to an actual hospital.”

“And do what? Have everyone stress out even more once it gets leaked that Seungmin went to an omega clinic, or when someone spots him there? When the company finds out about us going to the hospital without letting anyone there know first? We might actually get into legal trouble if Seungmin goes talking about his manager supplying him unauthorised suppressants, we have no idea if he signed any forms about that or what the company guidelines are about it. You don’t want to get Minnie in trouble, do you?”

“Of course I don’t!” Minho said, clearly upset. “I’m just worried about him, hyung. What if… what if he needs something we can’t provide for him? I just…” Minho took a deep breath before continuing. “We missed this, hyung. If we had found out earlier, maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad as it is now. I just- I don’t wanna mess up even more.”

Chan's heart ached. He was scared, too. Of course he was. He didn’t want to ruin things even more for Seungmin, either. But he had seen the younger’s reaction out there, and deep inside, he knew he was sure about this.

“I know. But think about it this way: what would the hospital even do? Realistically, I mean. Because Seungmin doesn’t know the type of suppressant he used to take, and the ones he took yesterday aren’t even out on the market yet. They’re probably just gonna check his vitals and wait it out until they can get more information, or wait and see if he feels better or worse. Prescribe him some better pain meds, maybe. But that’s something we can do, too, without all the added stress.”

Minho looked like he wanted to interrupt him, and Chan was quick to clarify.

“I’m not saying we know better than doctors or anything, just… I say we do some of our own research about suppressants and all the other stuff he took, and the side effects they have, and we find out anything and everything there is to find out about what you can do at home to minimise them. We keep an eye on how he feels, we make sure to be there for him. We cuddle him, scent him, try to have him nest… everything we haven’t been able to do these past three years. And then when we get him to a doctor once I’ve talked to the company about this, we’re gonna know more about the situation in general, and they'll have more to work with.”

Minho looked somewhat reassured, but he still didn’t look entirely convinced. “And if he gets worse? What will we do if he gets worse, hyung?”

Chan took a deep breath. He really didn’t want to think about that, but he knew the answer.

“If he gets worse, we’ll make sure he gets the help he needs as soon as possible. I really do think the worst part of all of this for him right now is the stress of everything finally coming out, but if he starts to feel even worse… I might not like the thought of him leaving the dorms today, and I might not be able to deal with another so-called doctor even looking at Seungmin right now without me wanting to rip their throat out, but I will if I have to. I just want the best for him. You know that, don’t you?”

The rest of the tension that had been in Minho’s body faded away at that. “I do. I’m sorry if it seemed like I didn’t, I just…”

“I know.” Chan stepped forward, cupping Minho’s face with one of his hands and letting the thumb of his other slowly brush over the scent glands on his neck. “Trust me, I know.”

Minho smiled at him, and Chan felt a little more okay, all things considered.

***

By the time they got back to the nest, Seungmin had calmed down. He was sandwiched between Hyunjin and Changbin, but all the members were pretty much in one giant hug as they were lying there in the nest. Chan’s heart warmed at the sight.

Seungmin’s head popped up adorably once the younger registered their scents in the air, and he tried his best to wiggle out from underneath the cuddle pile so he could sit up.

“Hyungs,” he said, his expression almost… sheepish. “Before you say anything, I want to apologise for how I reacted before.”

The others were sitting up now, too, looking between Seungmin and Minho and Chan, who were crouching in front of the nest at this point.

“I shouldn’t have freaked out like that,” Seungmin continued, keeping his eyes glued to the floor. “I shouldn't put any more stress on you than I already have, and I’m sure that whatever you decide to do is going to be whatever’s best for me. I’m sorry.” His ears reddened a little before he added, “I’m sorry, alphas.”

Seungmin’s head bowed a little more, and all Chan wanted to do was to hug him. Whoever said Seungmin wouldn't be a good omega clearly didn't know what the fuck they were talking about.

Before he had a chance to get any closer to the nest, though, Minho reached his hands out to Seungmin’s lap. He took a hold of Seungmin's clasped hands, lightly brushing his thumb over the back of his hand as he spoke.

“Look at me, Minnie.”

Seungmin slowly lifted his gaze, meeting Minho’s eyes with his tentative ones.

“You’re not the one who should be apologising right now. I'm the one who’s sorry, okay?” The alpha sighed, letting out a half-smile as he continued. “I should have listened to what you were trying to tell me. Tell us. But I let my instincts get the better of me, and I’m sorry. I’ve been talking with Chan-hyung, and I agree with him now that we can hold off on bringing you to any doctors for now.”

Seungmin’s eyes widened. “Really? I’m not going to a doctor?”

“No. Well, not yet. Not this weekend, at least.” Minho's voice had been soft and soothing, but it turned a little more sharp and serious as he continued. ”But, if you feel like you’re getting worse, you have to tell one of us about it, and then we’re gonna have to go and get you checked out. That’s an order, okay?”

Seungmin didn’t seem too happy with that, but he nodded nonetheless.

Minho arched an eyebrow. “I need a proper answer, Seungmin.”

“Yes,” the other answered quickly, swallowing before continuing. “I’ll tell someone if I start to feel worse. I promise I will, hyung.”

Despite the promise, and Chan trusting that Seungmin was telling the truth, the younger’s scent started to twist again.

Guilt. Shame. Anger.

Chan didn’t like that. He didn't like that at all. “Hey,” he said, climbing into the nest and placing one of his hands on the younger’s legs. “What’s wrong?”

He vaguely registered Minho climbing into the nest, too, but all he could focus on was Seungmin’s steadily rotting scent. He still wasn’t quite used to being able to read the younger through his pheromones, and although he would normally be over the moon about it, he couldn’t exactly say that he was glad to sense his pack member feel this way.

Unlike his scent, Seungmin remained quiet. He continued to have his gaze lowered to his lap, so Chan looked to the rest of the pack. They were all wearing expressions of varying levels of concern. “Do you guys know what’s wrong? Did something else happen whilst we were gone?”

“No, not really,” Felix answered, drawing his fingers through Seungmin’s hair whilst Changbin and Jeongin emitted calming pheromones once again. “He doesn’t seem to be panicking again, though?”

Seungmin snorted at that, and murmured something that was too quiet for Chan to hear.

“What was that, Minnie?” Hyunjin asked.

“Things were much easier when you couldn’t smell my emotions,” he said, a wry smile on his face. “You sure I can’t just continue being on scent blockers?”

Felix and Hyunjin hit his arm scoldingly at that, and Seungmin winced, rubbing the sore spot. Chan didn’t see the point in adding to that—he was sure that had gotten the point across plenty.

Seungmin’s scent lifted a little bit, but it still remained stubborn. Chan supposed the younger probably didn’t quite know how to rein it in, seeing as he’s never had to do that before, so they really were all given access to all of Seungmin’s change in emotion just then.

Knowing the younger, it probably wouldn't take long for him to figure it out, so Chan figured he should probably make the most of it whilst he could. Even if the emotions he sensed the younger going through were negative, at least Chan was aware of them. Seungmin couldn’t hide anything from them anymore.

“Well, how about you just tell us what’s wrong, then?” he asked. His voice was somewhat light and teasing, but serious nonetheless. “Since we can all sense your change in scent, there’s no point in trying to keep quiet about it, right? Just let us help you.”

Seungmin’s face remained neutral, but Chan could tell he was thinking about it.

“There’s nothing… specific, really. I just…” He chewed on his lip for a little while as he wrapped his arms around himself before continuing. “I’m used to handling things by myself. You guys shouldn’t have to deal with all of this, with the problem I caused just because I was tired and didn’t think straight—”

“Yeah, I’m gonna stop you right there,” Changbin said, interrupting the younger. “Innie and I already told you this, but I'll say it again if I have to. It’s not your fault. I don’t want to keep hearing you blame yourself for something you shouldn’t, Minnie. None of us do.”

“Yeah,” Seungmin said quietly, eyes on his lap again. “Sorry.”

“Stop apologising.” Chan couldn’t bear hearing Seungmin talk like this anymore. “I mean it. Stop. You have nothing to apologise for, so don’t. I know you feel bad, but you really, really don’t have to.”

Seungmin made a frustrated sound. “But this is pack day."

“...So?”

Seungmin sighed. “I just… I know you’ve all been looking forward to this weekend for a long time. I have, too. And now here I am, ruini—”

“Did you plan on becoming sick?” Chan asked, interrupting the younger before he could say something stupid again.

“Hyung—”

“Did you?”

“...No.”

“Then it’s fine. There’s nothing you could have done to stop this from happening, Seungmin. And even if there somehow was, it’s too late now, anyway. What’s done is done. So please stop beating yourself up over it, okay?”

Seungmin swallowed again before looking up at Chan with worried eyes. “I just…”

He paused, and he looked as if he was holding himself back from saying something. “What?” Chan prompted, nudging the other gently. “What is it? You can tell us.”

Seungmin looked to be debating something with himself before eventually giving up. His shoulders tensed, and he made himself even smaller, along with his voice. Chan could barely catch the words that left his lips, but he was glad he did.

“I just don’t wanna be a burden."

Getting stabbed would have been easier to handle than hearing Seungmin say that. Hearing him think of himself like that.

“You’re not a burden, Minnie. We love you. Taking care of someone you love isn’t a burden. Being there for someone you love isn’t a burden. You’re never going to be a burden to us, baby. Please don’t ever feel that way.”

Seungmin started to tear up, but he wiped his tears away angrily. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t feel like this, I just…”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to us if you don’t want to. Just… let us be there for you, yeah?”

Seungmin nods. Chan finally goes to hug the younger, and they fall onto their sides in the nest—the rest of the pack quickly following their lead.

Slowly but surely, their nest finally started to feel a little more right again.

Chapter Text

After such an early and emotionally draining morning, it was no surprise that the cuddling in the pack nest would lull most of the members back to sleep.

Chan wasn’t quite sure who the first person to fall asleep was. They had started to gently scent each other again—calm and steady reassurances being conveyed in more ways than one—and at some point, the lulls in their quiet conversations became longer and longer until they eventually stopped altogether.

The peaceful look on the others’ faces was a nice break from earlier. But as much as he wanted to stay awake and bask in the moment, Chan could feel his own eyes become heavier, too.

The late September weather had the rain steadily smatter against the window panes just a few steps away from the nest, and it was the only sound Chan could hear in the otherwise comfortable silence of his napping pack. The only thing missing was a crackling fireplace or something.

Really, Chan couldn’t have staved off the sleep that was starting to overtake him even if he’d wanted to. So with the sound of the rain in the background, and the scent of pack swirling in the air—Seungmin’s coconut amongst it, content and peaceful—Chan was the last to fall asleep.

***

He was apparently not the first one to wake up. By the time he somewhat blearily opened his eyes, Chan was able to register the poorly whispered bickering between… Jisung and Seungmin? Oh, and Felix’s voice was there, too.

They shouldn’t even have bothered trying to keep it quiet, honestly.

“Nooo, don’t leave the nest!” Jisung whined. ”You can’t leave the nest. Lixie agrees with me, right Lixie?”

“Of course I do! You have to be here with us, Minnie. Stay in the nest, please?”

Oh, Chan didn't even have to look at the omegas to know what sort of puppy-eye look they were doing right now.

“I’m going to the bathroom," Seungmin’s exasperated voice sounded in reply. ”It’s not like I’m leaving forever! I’ll be quick, I promise.”

Judging by the slight shuffling and the sound of Seungmin huffing in played-up annoyance, the other two had probably only started to cuddle him even closer in response.

Chan didn’t even notice the quiet chuckling that escaped him as he turned to look at the mess happening to his left until Seungmin's head suddenly snapped towards him, awarding him with an incredulous expression.

“Don’t just laugh! This is serious!”

“He’s not the only one amused, Minnie,” Changbin suddenly chimed in from Seungmin’s other side, the glee in his voice not hidden in the slightest.

The younger rolled his eyes in response and groaned as he again tried to dislodge himself from the (quite impressive) octopus-hold that both Felix and Jisung had him in. It looked pitiful, to say the least. It was entertaining to watch, though.

“Hyung,” Seungmin whined after a final sigh and slumping back into the mattress, eyes back on Chan. “Shouldn't you, like, want your pack members to behave themselves? You should make them get off me.”

“And how would he do that?” Jisung said, sounding somewhat affronted at the implication. “If I want to hug you and never let go, that's my business!”

Changbin snorted at Seungmin’s resigned sigh, and his eyes turned to what Chan could only assume was to shoot daggers at the other alpha.

“This is all your fault, hyung. Making me drink that giant glass of water with the painkillers. What was even the point, honestly?”

“Hey, you seem to feel better already!”

“Yeah, from the pain killers, not your stupid—”

“Enough already,” Minho groaned from behind Jisung. Before Chan even realised what was happening, the younger yelped as he was dragged off and away from Seungmin; dramatically complaining whines, outstretched arms and Changbin’s background cackles accompanying the sight.

With one of the two clinging omegas off, Seungmin finally managed to wiggle himself out of Felix’s grasp, much to the others' chagrin. Felix’s complaints were a little more playful-sounding than Jisung’s, though.

As Seungmin quickly wandered off in the direction of the bathroom, muttering under his breath about crazy people (with a suppressed smile that made Chan happy to have caught), Jisung’s whines started to take the form of actual words.

“Noooo. Someone should go with him, at least!”

“He’s in the dorms, Sungie,” Minho said in his gravelly, barely-awake voice, pulling the omega closer to himself. “He’s perfectly safe. Trust me.”

Jisung started to wiggle in his grasp, trying to get up. “But—”

“Silly omega,” Minho huffed before cupping the back of Jisung’s head, turning the younger’s face into the crook of his neck, right by his scent glands. It wasn't hard to spot the way Jisung’s body sagged into the mattress in response.

“No fair,” Jisung mumbled, because of course not even that would be able to stop his complaining. He burrowed his face deeper into the scent nonetheless. “Stupid alpha pheromones,” he muttered. ”Should be illegal.”

“Yeah?” Minho said, a more awake and amused smile on his face now compared to earlier.

“Yeah,” Jisung said before slinging his arm around him, hugging him closer. Chan almost wanted to roll his eyes if it wasn't also for the part of him that was absolutely adoring the sight.

“Alright then, no more alpha pheromones for you,” Minho said before gently (but quickly) pushing Jisung away and standing up from the nest.

“Yah!” Jisung yelled, clearly taken off-guard. “What the hell, hyung!”

“Hey, you were the one who said my pheromones should be illegal.” Minho said as he fished up his phone from underneath one of the many clothing items placed inside the nest.

“Besides, have you seen what time it is?” he continued as he showed his lit-up phone screen to the rest of them, the time displayed near the top of it. “It’s almost midday, and none of us had any sort of breakfast. I’m gonna go make us some lunch.”

“Do you want any help in the kitchen, hyung?” Felix asked, his head shooting up from the bunched-up hoodie-turned-pillow he was lying on in the process.

“You? Help me in the kitchen?” Minho had a teasing smile on his face, and before Felix could even start trying to defend his cooking skills, he continued. “Nah, it's fine. I'm probably just gonna do a quick stir-fry with some of the veggies and the leftovers from yesterday. I'll make a more proper meal for dinner.”

“What are you making for dinner?” Changbin asked from where he had taken over the position of cuddling a sulking Jisung.

“...I was thinking of kimchi jjigae,” was all Minho said before turning around and leaving for the kitchen—no doubt hurrying before his ears started to turn red.

Making Seungmin’s favourite meal for dinner? Minho was such a softie, honestly. Although it’s not like Chan had any legs to stand on when it came to that, so he kept the teasing to himself.

With Felix having joined in on the Changbin-cuddling over to his left, Chan turned to look at the two members who were somehow still asleep, despite all the noise.

Hyunjin and Jeongin were sleeping tangled together; Hyunjin clinging on to Jeongin’s side like a koala, and their maknae having one arm over Hyunjin and one of his legs hooked around one of Chan's. He was debating whether to wake them up or not when Minho suddenly yelled from the kitchen.

“Seo Changbin!”

Despite not waking up from any of the bickering that had just happened, Jeongin stirred in his sleep at that, which made Hyunjin do the same in return. Chan would have felt a little more annoyed with Minho’s yelling if it weren’t for the fact that they probably would have had to get up soon anyway.

It really was a lost cause by the time Minho came stomping in from the kitchen, standing a few steps away from the nest with his arms crossed.

Chan looked between a clearly-annoyed Minho and a confused Changbin, biting back the smile that wanted to make itself known on his face. He was still way too tired to deal with the consequences of whatever that might be. Hyunjin’s cute, slow blinks as he was waking up helped keep him distracted enough.

“Care to explain why you’ve left my kitchen a damn mess again?” Minho asked with raised eyebrows. Changbin’s head had been raised to look at the older, and at that, his head fell back on the pillow with a sigh.

“I forgot about that…”

Minho clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Yeah, well, get in here and clean it up, protein boy.”

It was at that moment that Seungmin came back, looking between Minho and Changbin with a gleeful grin. “Ooooh, Changbin-hyung’s in trouble? What did I miss?”

“Yah!” Changbin yelled, although as opposed to Minho’s voice just before, there was no real annoyance in his voice at all. “I forgot about those things in the kitchen because I was busy helping you, you gremlin!”

Seungmin froze a little at that, sending off warning signals in Chan’s brain, but it was only for a fraction of a second. Then he rolled his eyes with an easy smile before going to sit back down in the nest, his fellow omegas immediately flocking to him as he did. “Well, you should have prioritised Minho-hyung’s wrath instead, what can I say…”

His voice sounded the same as it always did whenever he was in a teasing mood, and he didn’t seem too phased by the comment, so Chan decided to leave it. It was only normal for Changbin to tease Seungmin back, and Chan had a suspicion that the younger probably appreciated the normalcy of it, even if the comment might have been a little insensitive.

It would probably take a while before Seungmin truly was back to himself completely. Chan would definitely keep an eye on him, but it seemed to be okay for now.

“Where were you?” Hyunjin asked as Minho dragged Changbin off to the kitchen, looking at Seungmin with tight eyebrows. “Why weren’t you in the nest?”

“Oh my god, I was peeing,” Seungmin replied with a deadpan expression and exasperated voice. “Is that still allowed?”

"No," Jisung grumbled into the back of his neck. “Someone should have been with you just in case.”

“Exactly.”

Seungmin huffed, but it was clear he wasn’t actually annoyed. “In case of what?”

“I don’t know.” Hyunjin’s expression was complex, but it was clear to Chan that he was being serious. “All I know is that I’m feeling very protective of you right now, and I’d rather know that someone’s with you and keeping you safe than having you be somewhere by yourself and me not even knowing where that is.”

Hyunjin’s voice left no doubt that he meant what he was saying. Seungmin’s ears started to take on a red tint, and his voice was a little quieter (but still fairly neutral) when he spoke again. “It’s not like I’m newly presented or dying or anything… I’m just a little sick, that’s all. You don’t have to guard me 24/7.”

It was like a lightbulb went off in Chan’s mind at that. It seemed to be the same for Hyunjin, the beta tilting his head in a thoughtful expression.

“Huh,” he said, laughing a little. “I didn’t even think of that. I think… I think finding out about you being an omega, along with your scent suddenly being stronger and everything... it's kind of…”

“...Sending the wrong signals?” Chan finished, and everyone turned to look at him instead. “Yeah, I feel it too. I think my alpha actually is considering you as a newly presented member of the pack right now, Minnie.”

“...Oh,” was all Seungmin said at that, his voice shy.

It did make sense. It was still normal for them to feel protective of Seungmin and angry on his behalf after finding out about everything they did of course, but the fact that a part of them were now recognising Seungmin as a newly presented member of the pack (and a newly presented omega at that)... well, it would explain those extra possessive and protective instincts (sometimes to a little bit of a ridiculous extent) that a lot of them seemed to have. It could definitely be worth researching about along with the side effects of suppressant abuse later on, Chan thought.

For now, though, he didn’t see anything wrong with the way they all dove in on Seungmin, hugging him to their hearts’ content.

***

Minho’s stir-fry ended up being well past the limits of what Chan would consider a “proper meal” (and a delicious one, at that), but his plan on making kimchi jjigae for dinner was still in the works.

The way Seungmin’s eyes lit up at the other’s oh-so-casual suggesting of having it that evening, and the way the younger definitely made his puppy-nickname justice from how he nodded his head up and down—hair flopping almost like dog ears, making Chan have to physically hold himself back from cooing—was definitely enough to encourage the man even more.

It did so with the others, too. After seeing Seungmin’s excitement for their dinner plans, essentially everyone eagerly volunteered to be the one to accompany Minho to the shops for some of the missing ingredients (although Jeongin and Changbin were definitely the most insistent members).

Chan’s instincts were also yelling at him to “provide for the new omega”, as he guessed was the case for the rest of the members, too, but he knew he would be of much better use staying in the dorms; keeping an eye on things and doing some of that research. He also wasn’t sure if he even had it in himself to leave the dorms that day, if he was honest with himself.

Jeongin ended up being the one to win the grocery-trip role after mentioning Changbin’s earlier kitchen mishaps. Changbin pointing out the fact that the younger had barely even been awake when it happened and thus didn’t even quite know what it was about did not matter in the slightest: Jeongin sticking out his tongue in response made Minho laugh enough for that.

With Minho and Jeongin gone for a while, Felix and Jisung ended up taking it upon themselves to try and get Seungmin to finally make his own nest. That’s unfortunately where things started to go a little more downhill again.

Seungmin had seemed quite reluctant to the idea of making his own nest, so the two of them brought him back to the pack nest to simply “rearrange it how he’d like” as a sort of soft start. But the whole thing ended up stressing Seungmin out quite a bit.

It wasn’t easy to get him to talk about it, but with some help from the rest of the members, they managed to at least get the idea. Seungmin didn’t want to mess up the nest that the two of them had already worked so hard on and already made so good, and he apparently hated the thought of making a nest in his own bed when Jisung had suggested that, too (and Chan did not want to think too much about why). His scent had twisted in guilt, shame, frustration, and after some intervention from Chan, the three of them ended up just cuddling and comfortingly scenting each other in the pack nest again instead.

“Omega bonding-time, hyung, please?” Felix had asked when the rest of them had wanted to join in. And, well, who would be able to say no to that? So Chan, Hyunjin and Changbin ended up doing some of that research together instead, leaving their omegas to the care of each other in the meanwhile.

Changbin looked up the side effects of all the medicine Seungmin was using (the ones they knew the name of, at least), whilst Hyunjin and Chan looked up past reports of omegas using medication to pass as betas. It definitely seemed to have been more of a thing in the past (at least that Google and Naver seemed to be aware of, and that Chan had heard of before), when omega rights were even more of an issue than they are today, whether it be professionally or just in society in general.

Things had definitely gotten better over the last few decades, but there were still unfortunately more than enough incentives for people to not want to deal with being an omega, and going to extreme lengths to achieve that goal. There was at least one article that was quite difficult to get through without a whole storm of emotion welling up inside Chan, and judging by the look of them, both Hyunjin and Changbin seemed to be going through something similar from whatever they were reading, too.

They would have spent a much longer time looking things up and trying to get a better grasp of Seungmin’s situation if it weren’t for Jisung interrupting them not much later. Seungmin’s stomach had started to hurt again, and although he had tried holding off from alerting the rest, it was apparently becoming just as bad as it had been in the morning.

It had mostly been gone since they all woke up from the nap, and there had been a spark of hope in Chan’s chest that it would continue to stay away. But no, of course it didn’t.

Seeing Seungmin in pain again after having read what they did was a new type of awful.

It was also very apparent that, on top of the pain, Seungmin was still very stressed about the possibility of leaving the dorms that day. As soon as Chan got close enough to where Felix was holding Seungmin close, soothing and protective pheromones filling the air seemingly in vain, the younger immediately scrambled to reassure them that it was not any worse than it had been in the morning when Changbin first found him. And although Seungmin looked worse than when Chan had seen him before, he believed what he was saying.

Seungmin might have lied about his health before, but both Chan and Minho (and the rest of the pack, too) had made it very clear that he had to be honest about it from now on.

…He also thinks that there’s a part of Seungmin that feels too guilty about it all to continue lying to them, and although that shouldn’t reassure Chan in the way it did, it didn’t take away the fact that it was quite useful for the time being.

“What do we do, though?” Hyunjin asked, looking around at the other members. Minho and Jeongin were still out, so it was only the six of them in the room. Chan wasn’t sure if he should be thankful that Minho wasn’t there to demand a doctor again, or if he should be regretful that the other alpha wasn’t there to do exactly that.

They had promised Seungmin that they wouldn’t go see a doctor if it wasn’t getting worse, though. And Chan wasn’t one to break a promise. It was just his own anxiety and shame over the situation getting in the way.

“Can’t I just have another painkiller?” Seungmin asked. His voice was weak, and he kept his eyes closed from where he was lying in the nest, not looking at any of them. Chan hated seeing him like that.

“It’s not…” Changbin started, looking pained and unsure. Chan was pretty sure he knew what he was going to say. He felt the same helplessness at the question.

“I’m not a doctor or anything, but from what I’ve gathered online… it’s really not good for you to be taking any more medicine right now. I mean, what you did yesterday with your new suppressants- well, we don’t know what caused the side effects. But there is a serious possibility that you took an overdose of them.”

“We don’t know how well your new medication pairs with painkillers, either.” As much as it pained Chan to say, it was true. The last thing they needed right now was to overwhelm Seungmin’s body with even more chemicals that may or may not make him feel worse when mixed.

(Although it probably didn’t help that Chan had some nightmare-like articles in mind of omegas ending up in vicious cycles of suppressants that hurt them, and painkillers that ended up becoming useless from how much they needed to take them, either.)

“Well… what about alpha pheromones?” Felix asked.

Chan wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that, but Changbin looked as if he had just struck gold.

“Of course!” he said, and wasted no time before joining the nest and cuddling up on Seungmin’s other side. The younger immediately burrowed his nose in the alpha’s neck, and Chan could see the way Seungmin slowly started to relax.

Everyone looked at the two of them curiously, and Changbin started to explain.

“Well, this morning. Remember how I said Innie and I only got Seungmin to talk after getting him scent drunk? Being that way can also help with pain, remember? And it’s like, as natural of a painkiller as you can get without it being actual medicine.”

“We can’t just have him be scent drunk all weekend, though?” Hyunjin said. “I mean, that can’t be good for him either, right?”

“Well… no. That probably wouldn’t be good. But I don’t think it has to be to that extent in order for it to work.”

Changbin looked to be thinking about something before he continued, gently brushing Seungmin’s hair with his fingers as he did. “Alpha pheromones did come up as some suggested at-home remedies for suppressant-related problems I read about earlier. Everyone knows they can help with emotions, but they work physically, too. I mean, it makes sense when you think of heats, right?”

At the silence that followed, Changbin continued.

“Omegas notice when there’s alpha pheromones nearby and how compatible and familiar they are—you know, basic biology stuff. The presence of an alpha can help make a heat be more bearable and pass over more quickly, no matter how you choose to go about them. It’s the same thing with suppressants. Or, well, theoretically, at least. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of research on it. But suppressants throw the hormone balance way off, and alpha pheromones can help stabilise them again.”

It… made sense. It kind of sounded too good to be true, but Chan could only hope it would work. If being near his alphas was all Seungmin needed to be in less pain, Chan would make sure there was at least one alpha with him all day.

They all ended up joining the nest again after that, creating one giant cuddle pile once again. When Jeongin and Minho came back, they were quick to follow suit—drinks and snacks in tow.

They ended up lying in the pack nest for the majority of the afternoon. Talking, cuddling, doing more research on their phones, sharing gentle kisses. They did a whole lot of scenting, too. Chan tried to make sure they didn’t go too far with it and make Seungmin (or anyone else for that matter) scent drunk again, but there was only so much he could do when all of them instinctively wanted to scent the new omega, especially since it took even more of his pain away than their mere presence did.

Eventually, Seungmin’s eyes became glassy, his movements more sluggish. He had an easier time smiling, and he had no problem seeking out physical contact like he might have otherwise.

Everyone noticed it, too. It started out small, but eventually all of them cooed at the way he was acting.

“He’s so cuddly!” Hyunjin said with no small amount of affection in his voice. “I don’t know if my heart can take this.”

“Shut up,” Seungmin mumbled. He was still smiling, though, and he made no move to unwrap himself from the hold he had on Changbin and Jisung, or from the hold everyone else had on him in some way or another.

“He’s adorable,” Jeongin said, smiling at his youngest hyung with that smile of his.

“Yeah, we might as well enjoy it whilst it lasts,” Jisung said. “It’s not like Seungmin is gonna want to cuddle this much ever again after this.”

Sadness. Guilt. Anger.

“Whoa,” Chan said, immediately noticing the way Seungmin’s scent spiked. Everyone else did, too, and either froze up or shuffled away from him a little bit to get a better look at him.

“Seungmin?” Changbin asked, looking at him carefully. “Are you okay?”

The younger still looked out of it, the scent drunk state making him have even less control of his pheromones than he already did. It had been cute before, the sheer happiness and content emanating from him making Chan feel like they were on the right track. But now his scent had soured again, and it remained that way.

“What’s wrong?” Chan asked softly. Seungmin looked like he wanted to answer, but wasn’t quite sure how to.

“I’m sorry,” was what he settled on in the end. It made Chan bristle, but he kept his words gentle. He had to know what the younger was thinking.

“What are you sorry for, pup?”

Seungmin's eyes looked shy, despite his scent drunk state. But he answered him nonetheless.

“Avoiding skinship.”

“Oh,” was all Chan could say at that, and everyone else’s surprised expressions probably matched his own. It seemed like Seungmin was more out of it than they thought.

“That’s okay,” Changbin said, going to hold the younger close again. “Not everyone has to like it. Jisungie was just joking, baby, you know that.”

Seungmin mumbled something in response. Chan couldn’t hear what it was, but seeing as Changbin’s expression fell when he heard it, it wasn’t something he could just ignore.

“What was that, Minnie?”

The younger looked around at the rest of them with an expression akin to shame. “Omega-like behaviour. Got scolded for it. ‘m sorry.”

Everyone’s scents soured at that, and Seungmin made a wounded sound.

“I’m gonna kill him.”

“I swear to god, I’m gonna—”

“It wasn’t only Seojun, hyung—”

“Minnie? Are you—”

“Guys, sort out your scents!”

***

They made sure not to get anyone scent drunk again after that. It left you more emotionally vulnerable, after all, and they were all bad enough as it was without having that make everything worse. Seungmin seemed to appreciate having more autonomy over himself and what he was saying, too.

Besides, being scent drunk was apparently not something that healthcare professionals encouraged when dealing with hormone- and pheromone imbalances. It could help combat pain if it seemed severe enough to warrant it, and so long as the scent drunk state didn’t induce more stress in the omega in question, it was something you could use. But getting someone scent drunk is to quite literally overwhelm their scent glands, and in a body that’s already struggling to come into balance, it wasn’t exactly the best way to go about it.

Having at least one alpha in the nest with Seungmin or accompanying him around the dorms still helped to keep the worst of the pain away. It didn’t seem to remove it entirely, judging from how the younger would tense up sometimes or clench his jaw when he thought no one would see. Chan let it be, though. They would have noticed if it was getting worse, and they had already made Seungmin talk about himself more than he was usually comfortable with. His scent spikes gave away the worst of it, anyway.

With scenting to that extent being out of the question, Chan made sure to be there for Seungmin in other ways.

Everyone did.

They had gotten a lot of things right already, based on what they managed to find online. When dealing with accidental wrong dosage or overuse of suppressants at home (when the symptoms didn’t call for an immediate doctor’s appointment, which Seungmin's didn't appear to do, to everyone’s immense relief), there were a lot of things you could do that all of them were already doing.

Having the omega be in close physical contact with members of the pack, especially their alpha(s)? Check.

Keeping a close eye on the omega, making sure they don’t go into a fever or develop other flu-like symptoms? Check.

Providing the omega with enough energy to both combat and endure the hormone- and pheromone imbalance in their body? Double check. Seungmin almost got annoyed by the amount of snacks and beverages that various members offered him throughout the day. He even complained that Minho’s dinner wasn’t going to taste as good if he wasn’t actually hungry for it. When dinner time came around, though, the kimchi jjigae appeared to be just as good as always from how happy the younger seemed to be eating it, which made everyone else happy to see, too.

It was much later in the evening when something started to change again.

It started so slowly that Chan didn’t even realise what was happening at first. He could tell that something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what until Jeongin suddenly gasped.

Jeongin, who had the most sensitive nose out of all of them. Jeongin, who gasped and looked at Seungmin as if he’d hung all the stars in the sky.

“Hyung!” he said, and then everyone else was looking at him, too. Paying even more attention.

It still took a second for Chan to register the discreet change of scent in the air. The eight of them had been together for the majority of the day, and picking out individual scents in the general pack one hadn’t been as relevant as it usually was.

Besides, he’d kind of been distracted by Seungmin’s already-stronger coconut scent. But now that he paid attention, and when he heard more gasps of adoration and surprise, it was as if it hit him all at once: Seungmin’s second note.

The coconut was still there, but underneath it all, rounding out the scent and smoothening the edges was a warm, sweet, unmistakable honey.

Coconut and honey. Honey and coconut.

It was as if the scent registered for everyone all at once, and suddenly Seungmin was engulfed in a hug by everyone.

“Your scent!”

“Oh my god, Minnie! You’re—”

“Honey?! That’s honey, right?”

“It’s honey!”

It was faint, but it was there. It was definitely there.

The air was swirling with pheromones of happiness, shock, pride—all sorts of emotions surrounded them as they, in turn, surrounded their new omega with his new scent. This really didn’t do any favours to the part of them that saw Minnie as newly presented, everyone’s wolves going absolutely haywire.

Seungmin looked happy, too. So happy. “Honey?” he asked, a wide smile on his face. “Are you sure?”

“Yes!” Felix said, almost jumping up-and-down from joy. “Can’t you sense it?”

“I mean, I can, I just…” Seungmin seemed to be going through a lot of emotions just then. “I can’t believe it.”

“Well, you better start believing it!” Hyunjin said, love glowing on his face. “You smell so good, Minnie. You already did, but this… it fits you so well!”

“It really does,” Chan said, looking at Seungmin and the rest of his pack with so much pride.

This was a good sign. This was a really good sign, his real scent slowly coming back after so many years of constant scent-blocker use. Stopping them had made his extremely faint coconut become stronger, and now it was revealing his second note that none of them, not even Seungmin, had felt before.

They couldn’t get enough of it. It almost looked as if something in Seungmin healed, too, from the way everyone loved his scent. Chan almost didn’t ask, but he had to.

“Minnie?” he asked, a soft smile grazing his lips as he looked at the younger. “What are you thinking about, baby?”

Seungmin didn’t seem… sad, per se. But there was something there, something in his face that Chan couldn’t place.

“I just… I’m confused.”

“What’s confusing?” Felix asked, gently prompting him to clarify.

“When I presented… I mean, they kind of made a big deal about my scent.” At everyone’s confused faces, Seungmin continued. “They kept talking about how I smelled like a beta. That an omega shouldn’t smell like that. I assumed they referred to the coconut, which, like... yeah. It’s more common in betas. But I mean, honey is like one of the most common omega scents out there, isn’t it?”

Well, yes. It was. Most people knew at least one omega that had a honey note in their scent—not that that made it any less amazing, being part of Seungmin’s scent. It really suited him.

Chan couldn’t help but feel angry again at what Seungmin was saying, though. They had made a big deal about of his scent? They had said, to Seungmin’s face, at that, that an omega shouldn’t smell the way he does?

Chan was going to have to show even more self-restraint when he went to the company on Monday than what was probably possible.

“What the hell?” Minho’s eyebrows were drawn together. “Who the fuck are these people? What would make them think that would ever be okay to say to you? Or to anyone, for that matter?!”

Chan was about to agree with him, reassurances ready at the tip of his tongue, but then he caught sight of Hyunjin. His expression was angry, yes, but it was also… thoughtful. Worried. It caught Chan’s attention, and he couldn’t look away.

Hyunjin probably sensed Chan’s gaze on him. The beta looked up, biting his lower lip. Then he turned to Seungmin.

“Minnie?” he asked, trepidation in his voice. Seungmin turned to look at him, confusion still lingering in his features. “Do you think- I mean, is it possible that, when you presented… your scent could have… receded?”

If the members didn’t already look angry before, hearing that made all of them look absolutely livid.

If an omega was stressed enough, especially around heats, the sweet note in their scent could sometimes recede, having the other note take over pretty much entirely. It was a biological defence mechanism that some omegas still had to make their status less apparent, in order to ward off potential danger and unwanted attention.

If Seojun and the other staff at the company had actually made Seungmin’s presentation so stressful to the point of his honey note receding…

Chan wanted to kill all of them. Chan wanted to hug his omega and never let go.

Whilst everyone else looked angry, Seungmin, on the other hand, looked thoughtful.

“Oh,” he said. His voice was difficult to make out, which was fair. Chan had no idea how he would have reacted to that, either. “I hadn’t… I hadn’t thought about it like that. But I mean… yeah. Maybe?”

Chan’s heart broke.

He knew it didn't make sense, but he felt awful, truly and utterly awful for not having been there. For letting his youngest omega go through something like that alone. For even letting him go through something like that at all.

“Hyung?” Chan’s eyes snapped up to meet Seungmin’s. The younger had a searching look on his face. “Are you okay?”

“...What?”

“Are you okay?” Seungmin asked again, worry in his voice. The other members looked at him, too, sadness and anger layering their expressions. But there was understanding, too.

“Am I… Am I okay?! Seungmin, you just told us your scent could have receded during your presentation, and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

“Yes,” was all Seungmin said to that, determination in his face. Chan’s heart ached.

“Don’t… you don’t have to worry about me. Okay?”

Seungmin bristled. “Don’t do that.”

Chan blinked at the younger, surprise no doubt showing on his face. “Do what?”

“Just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean I can’t comfort you, too.” Seungmin’s eyes had a fire in them, but there was almost a sadness there, too. “Talk to me. Please.”

“...I just..." Chan didn't really want to put his feelings into words, but he supposed he would be kind of a hypocrite if he didn't. "I’m angry for you. And sad. It’s my job to protect you, all of you, and I failed.” The words weighed heavily on Chan, the sheer truth in them. He had fucked up. “I just… I feel guilty that I wasn’t there for you.”

“But you were.”

Seungmin looked just as determined as he had before, and Chan was lost. “What?”

“You were there for me, hyung. When I came back that day, and you found out I had presented without any of you there with me… you were angry and sad for me then, too. But most of all, you were there for me.”

Seungmin continued with a newfound strength in his voice. “You scented me. You hugged me. You kissed me. You tended to my pack bite. You never complained about me being scentless, or about me acting weird because of the guilt I was feeling from presenting wrong and from keeping that from you. You took care of me. You were there for me, hyung. All of you were.”

Seungmin knew that wasn’t what Chan meant, but that was okay. Chan knew he was being ridiculous, anyway. He’s been told over and over that he takes on way more responsibility than he should. That he feels guilty for things he shouldn’t. He supposes Seungmin and he are similar in that way.

“I love you,” Chan said, looking at Seungmin.

Seungmin looked at him right back. “I love you, too.”

And then, because this was still Seungmin, and he was definitely not scent drunk anymore, his ears started to turn red again and his eyes fell to the floor before looking around at the rest of the members, a vulnerable look in his face.

“I love all of you.”

They all hug him again, just like before. They hug him, and they kiss him, and they say “I love you”, too. The sheer love that filled the room was almost suffocating, but in the best way possible.

“Your scent really is amazing, by the way,” Felix said from where he had one of Seungmin’s wrists in a gentle hold, pressing kisses along his forearm. “I’m not exaggerating, either.”

Seungmin snorts, but he looks way too happy to be able to fake any type of annoyance. “It’s just honey. It’s not like it’s a rare note or anything.”

“That doesn’t matter! It suits you so well, and your honey… there’s something special about it, I swear.”

“He’s right,” Jeongin said. “And it goes so well with your coconut, and with all of our scents, too. All of our scents mix so well together.” There was a pride in his voice that Chan felt in himself, too. Seungmin’s scent really was something.

Chan's guilt wasn’t completely gone, of course, but there were so many other feelings and things to focus on that he couldn’t bring himself to dwell on it anymore for now. His pack had made sure of that.

“I’m gonna have you scent so many things now, Minnie, you’re gonna get sick of it.” Hyunjin’s teasing smile was infectious, and the rest of the members laughed in agreement.

Seungmin had a shy smile on his face. “Okay,” he said, and shuffled even closer to Hyunjin and the rest, happy pheromones filling the air.

“I… I like my scent, too,” Seungmin added.

Chan couldn’t smile any wider if he tried.