Chapter Text
Some things in this world were beyond Jisung’s understanding. How lightning worked. What caused electrons to decide to move and form electricity. The stock market. Marmite.
Despite it all, Jisung was pretty sure he knew the rules of his own pack. They’d been together for eight years since they debuted, so they were pretty settled at this point.
And yet, somehow, the universe seemed determined to challenge his understanding of his world.
Jisung was gaping at the closed door in front of him.
Chan had just entered Minho’s room.
The forbidden lands. The sinister donjon. The barren desert of solitude.
Without permission.
If Jisung’s jaw could have hit the floor, it would have.
He whirled around, frantically grasping at his phone.
The cool ones
Cutest bug expert
WHAT IS HAPPENING
~•~
“Chan-hyung? Hey, Chan-hyung,” Changbin repeated to no avail.
Chan was busy staring, eyes focused on Minho’s jacket left on the back of a chair. He stared at it for a long time, almost puzzled by it, until Changbin tripped over his own feet in his attempts to approach Chan and collided with him. It pulled Chan out of his focus, and he blinked; yet, a few minutes later, Jeongin heard Minho ask Jisung where his jacket had gone.
~•~
“Hyuuuung,” Minho whined. “Not this one. Can you cut me some pork belly?”
“Cut it yourself,” Chan said, reaching for the plate anyway. He started cutting the meat. Minho’s lips stretched into a satisfied smile.
Jeongin, Hyunjin, Felix, and Jisung exchanged glances, making faces at each other. Changbin looked up from his plate, mouth full, and raised an eyebrow at them. Hyunjin simply gestured towards Chan and Minho with his head.
Minho was pouting, lower lip jutting out as Chan tutted and struggled to cut the meat. Minho’s eyes were fixed on Chan, wide and doe-eyed like they always were when he looked at their leader. They all observed in silence as Chan’s ears grew red under Minho stare, and the way Chan complied to the youngest omega's every demand.
Once Minho’s plate was full, Minho tutted. “Serve yourself as well, you big dummy. What are you gonna do, starve?” He proceeded to empty his plate with his chopsticks, transferring each item to Chan’s own despite the leader’s protests.
Jeongin stared at his hyungs, and wondered once again what the hell had gotten into them.
~•~
“Welcome to the first official gathering of the observation committee,” Hyunjin declared solemnly. “We are gathered here on this day because we bright minds noticed odd happenings in our pack.”
Jeongin, Felix and Jisung nodded gravely.
“Things have been seen, stuff has been observed, and something’s mighty sus, I’m telling you. So. Gentlemen, your evidence.”
Pictures, phones and skewed drawings were pushed forward onto the table. The four co-conspirators leaned forward, surveying their findings.
The soft light from Felix’s lava lamp and his LoL string light illuminated the dark spaces giving it a cosy – professional and ominous – vibe.
“Is that dog poo?” Felix asked, pointing at Jisung’s drawing.
“That’s pudding! Minho-hyung shared his pudding with Chan-hyung at the dorm the other night!”
Everyone gasped. Jeongin gaped in disbelief. “There’s no way.”
“That’s why I had to capture the moment! I didn’t have my phone on me because it was charging in my room, and by the time I came back they had already finished eating. BUT I SAW IT! WITH MY OWN EYEBALLS!”
“So you drew Chan eating dog poo,” Hyunjin said with a chuckle.
“It’s not– Okay, yeah, it does look like it. It’s not, though. It’s a sign of love.”
Everyone gasped again.
“Expand on your findings, Dr Han.”
“Well. I don’t know. It just sounded dramatic.” Jisung shrugged.
“Love... ” Hyunjin sighed wistfully.
“We already know the hyungs love each other, though,” Felix interjected. “I mean I love them too.”
“Not like thaaat!” Jisung whined. “I meant romantic, gross feelings, type of love. Kdrama style.”
“Oh, oh, Oh, oh!” Felix’ shock was apparent. “LOVE?”
“Love,” Jisung and Hyunjin repeated, like it was a mysterious and unfathomable thing.
“Chan-hyung is definitely in love with Minho-hyung,” Jeongin mused.
Three pairs of eyes locked onto him.
He snorted. “I’ve never heard someone mention Minho-hyung more often than Chan-hyung – besides you, Jisung, but you’re an attention whore so it doesn’t count.”
Jisung gaped, outraged. Felix and Hyunjin cackled at his face, then seemed to consider Jeongin’s words.
“Fair point. But we need more. What else have you got?”
“I,” Felix declared with obvious satisfaction, a goblin snicker escaping him, “got video evidence there is something fishy happening.” He brandished his phone like it was sacred. “Watch this.”
What followed was a three minute video of Chan and Minho sitting together in a corner during their latest live. Felix had cropped the video so only the two of them were visible. Felix had also abused the zoom-in feature, and they all watched as the camera focused on the two omegas’ hands on Minho’s lap.
“They’re holding hands,” Felix said with glee.
“The hyungs are always holding hands.”
“Yes, but look!”
Minho was playing with Chan’s fingers. He interlaced them with his own, his thumb stroking Chan’s skin. Another wild cut and zoom- in later, Minho followed the veins under Chan’s skin with the tip of his fingers, drawing patterns into his skin. Another cut, and he was fiddling with Chan’s silver bracelet.
“He’s using Chan-hyung as a fidget toy, so what?”
“No, I agree with Felix, this is porn,” Hyunjin said. “Look at him stroking Chan’s fingers. Wild.”
“You’re just a hater, Sung-ah.”
“I’m not! What do you think, Jeongin-ah?”
“Kinda felt like we weren’t supposed to see this.”
“Right? Gave me butterflies,” Hyunjin said.
“Me too,” Felix said. “Especially because it’s Lee fucking Minho.”
“I don’t know, he just fidgets a lot.”
“You’re just jealous it’s not your hand he’s playing with,” Hyunjin said with a laugh.
Jisung opened his mouth and closed it. “I’m supposed to be his boyfriend.” He pouted.
“Self-appointed boyfriend, you mean.”
“I am the favourite, okay,” Jisung exclaimed. “I’m the cutest bug around, how could I not be?”
Jeongin snorted. “Have you, like, been in a one-sided committed relationship with Minho-hyung this whole time?”
“Obviously not. He pines after me. After all, I’m irresistible.” Jisung angled his chin up, seductive pout to his lips.
Hyunjin cackled and Felix grinned.
“So you’re Minho’s boyfriend as an act of charity because he’s madly in love with you, and couldn’t survive without you?”
“Precisely.”
“I’m sorry, Sung-ah, but I’ve never heard anyone utter so much crap in my life before,” Jeongin declared.
“Yah!” Jisung exclaimed with a falsely offended expression on his face. “Watch yourself or I’ll use my devastating charm to enchant you, too!”
A fit of laughter seized the group and their hyena laughter drew in Seungmin. The beta cracked the bedroom door open and peeked inside.
“What are you guys doing in here?”
“Highly classified scientific research investigation in omegan behavioural patterns,” Jisung said.
“That… was a lot of words I’m not sure you know the meaning of.”
Jisung was once again gobsmacked by the audacity.
“What he means is that we’re spying on the hyungs,” Jeongin explained.
Seungmin perked up, and a smile stretched his lips. “Can I help?”
Felix gestured for him to sit down next to him. “We were going through the evidence we’ve gathered so far.”
Felix gave Seungmin a rundown, and by the end of it, the beta was nodding like he was deep in thought.
“Right, what’s next?” Hyunjin asked. “Jisung?”
Jisung pushed a rolled up t-shirt towards him. “Smell this, and tell me there’s nothing different about it.”
Hyunjin grabbed the shirt and brought it to his nose. “Oh my god, what is this?” The alpha’s scent dipped, going mushy and relaxed, warm like a hearth.
The t-shirt got passed around. Jeongin sniffed it cautiously. The muscles in his whole body suddenly relaxed. It took all his willpower not to drop on the table with a pleased purr. This was home. Cosy, safe, petrichor and a hot cup of tea. Minho’s' usual scent times ten.
“I love this scent,” Felix sighed, nose in Minho’s shirt. His eyelids were drooping, and his own scent mellowing.
Hyunjin nodded. “I need a nap now.”
“I thought it’d be creepy to have you three smell his clothes like some kind of stalkers,” Jisung said with a sheepish expression as Seungmin smelled the shirt still held by Felix curiously, “but it’s actually funny to see you guys try to stay awake.” Jisung stole the shirt from Felix who moaned in despair and sniffed it himself. He almost dropped it as his head dipped. “Damn, I haven’t smelled Minho-hyung from up close recently.” He yawned, quickly followed by Seungmin who was emitting a quiet purr. “That’s some strong shit.”
“Why is hyung smelling like the fucking sandman himself?” Seungmin asked, rubbing his eyes.
“Fuck knows,” Hyunjin said. “Where did you find that, Jisung? He hasn’t been smelling like this in dance practice, I’m telling you.”
“It was in the bag he’d packed to go to sleep over at yours, Jeongin-ah. It was weird because I saw him scent it before. He never does that. We all know how precious Chan-hyung is about his space. Minho-hyung knows we can’t introduce strong scents in your dorms.”
“You think he’s doing it to help Chan-hyung sleep?” Jeongin mused, suddenly remembering the pile of clothes on Chan’s bed. “I haven’t asked how his insomnia has been lately.”
“Oh my god, Jeongin-ah, you’re a genius!” Felix exclaimed, one of his eyelids half closed, the other struggling to stay up.
“Minho-hyung’s so pure sometimes,” Hyunjin chuckled. “Look at him transforming into a human soporific.” The alpha grabbed his pen and added to their research in wobbly penmanship.
“Right. Progress. Beautiful. Nap?”
All of them nodded, and they piled on Felix’s bed before succumbing to Minho’s powerful relaxing pheromones.
The next morning, when Chan mentioned how well he slept that night, the maknae-line turned towards Minho with misty eyes and gave him thumbs up.
Minho stared at them like they’d all lost their minds.