Chapter Text
Chaotic.
That's how Chan described his house's daily situations. Eight people—including him; two alphas, three betas, and two omegas lived together in a quite small house, of course it is gonna be a bit of a mess. Delicious smell from whatever his beta brother cooks with very loud chit chats—more like bickering and nagging, and laughter in the background fills the gap in an already cramped house, makes the house even more warm, like home.
Chan does not mind the loud sounds, it always makes him feel alive. Oh, he did not exaggerate, leaving the house—and his six brothers for a whole month to train in the training site really drains him off to the bone. “I’m home.” Said him loud enough for them to hear, but not that loud to annoy the neighbour. The loud voice stopped for a while, every head looked at him with shining eyes, “Welcome home, Hyung!” Said them full of joy seeing their eldest brother finally came home that night.
Chan ditched his big backpack on the side of their TV cabinet and made his way to the sofa where his younger brothers were. Hyunjin and Felix—his omega brothers shower him with hugs, an obvious gesture to say they missed him. He let out a light laugh and gave them kisses on top of their head as a response, “I missed you too babies.” he said softly to them.
Lino—his first beta brother who is in charge of cooking in the household tapping his wooden spatulan onto the skillet making clinking sounds to get their attention. “Kids, start to clear the table and set the plate up please, the food is almost ready.” The kids obeyed the command immediately. After the plates were set, Lino put the dish on their wide coffee table surrounded by his younger brothers.
Their dinner that night felt warmer than other previous nights.
Soobin sighs out of relief after dunking his head inside of the tub full of warm water. He leaned on the cold ceramic wall tub, resting his sore body. A soft knocks is like an alarm to him cause he would probably fall asleep. Again, he let a defeat sigh out, already overwhelmed from his thinking about his daily duties.
A small sweet smile from Beomgyu—his maid-in-honour always be the first thing he sees as soon as he comes out of the bathroom. The tiredness in his face said it all, and Beomgyu knew it very well, but there is nothing he can do besides giving him a pity smile—hoping that his presence somehow can ease his prince's burden even a little bit and a tight hug they always shared since their childhood days.
Soobin can not thank Beomgyu enough for every second they spend together for almost their whole life. Their relationship is more than master and servant, they basically grew up together, spending their days stuck to the hip, just like real brothers. Beomgyu knew all of his secrets, he could not hide anything from him, and he gave the comfort he needed to let out his burdens.
Beomgyu loosened their hug up, and stared straight at Soobin’s delicate eyes—giving him a reassuring look before detached himself. Soobin looked at his bedroom door for quite a while, once he stepped out of his bedroom, that is his cue to put up his mask as the crown prince. A suffocating mask he refuses to endure, a suffering mask he hates to death. A mask that caged his inner omega just to adequate to be future leader of his country as per King’s favor.
His hand gripped a small exquisite looking bottle filled with pheromone suppression potion. As much as he resents it, he cannot refuse it. He was taught this way since he turned eighteen to be the throne. It would be much easier if he was an alpha or beta, being an omega as a crown prince is another level of hell—for Soobin at least. He feels so vulnerable every time he takes extra steps before starting the day just to suppress his omega instincts.
A proper King should not show any weakness in front of his people, that is what his father taught him, hence the suppression routine came from. It would be a lie if he said that routine does not stress him out, he despised it wholeheartedly.
He walked in the hallway to the dining room, his firm steps echoed, implicitly showing his presence. The doorguard bowed to him out of respect and habit when he walked off of them, he did not really care. Their huge dining room filled with a variety of foods—too many for himself with no sign of his parents.
Soobin does not speak with his mouth, but his expression is loud enough to questioning his parents' whereabouts. “Your Majesties left this morning for the fall conference in Adelime, Young Prince.” Said Taehyun, one of his right hands explained without being asked. Soobin threw a small smile and said thank you softly at him, at least he can enjoy his meal off pressure today.
A deep crease formed on his forehead as he read a bunch of report papers piling up on his working desk. Soobin has been sitting on his cushiony chair for the past six hours since he finished his breakfast. His eyes dried up seeing sheets of papers full of words filling up the page without break. If his head can explode by itself, it probably will happen by now.
“My Prince, it’s past your lunch time, I suggest you take a break.” Said Beomgyu as soon as he walked into his work room, breaking his attention from piles of papers. Soobin took off his glasses and put them on his desk, his back slumped on his chair defeatedly. Heavy sighs left out of his mouth, too tired to protest. “Is there anything you want?”
Soobin looked at the ceiling vacantly for a while. “Gyu, can I eat my lunch in the garden? One more look at this paper I definitely would throw up.” He said full of hope and disgust. Beomgyu let out a chuckle as a response to his best friend's words “Sure. Go ahead Binnie, I will bring them to you.” He answered leaving the honorific behind, earning a pleased smile from the omega prince.
Soobin sighs happily sitting in a wooden chair under the pavilion. Autumn breeze gently passes by his body, giving him tiny shivers, he likes it a lot. His lunch is finished long ago, leaving a bowl filled with grapes and diced pears along with a set of tea pot and cup. He enjoyed his free time reading fiction books, taking his mind a break out of his workload for a while.
As his body relaxes he spreads his lily-peony scent softly without realizing it. He felt his heart light as if there was no burden latching on his back at all. With the help of the breeze, his scent spreads all over the palace and makes every person smell the soft lilies in relief—Their Prince are happy right now.
“Choi Soobin.” Soobin recognized that stern low voice calling his name. He quickly put his books away and got up from the chair, “Good afternoon, Father.” He greeted his father with a forty five degree bow. Soobin obviously did not expect his parents to come back so soon like this—he expected them to come back around dinner time because of how long a conference can be.
“What did I tell you about being a crown prince?” Soobin with a lowered head bit his lip out of fear and tense atmosphere, “I- I should suppress my omega traits in front of the public, Father.” His voice starts shaking, answering his father’s question. “Then why do I smell your scent around the palace?” His face turned pale, now realizing that his good mood broke the scent blocker he used this morning. He gripped his clothes to conceal his trembling hand. “I– I… I’m sorry, Father.” Soobin cannot think of any excuse under his father’s pressure.
His father looked at him with his knife-sharp eyes, “Good.” He left shortly after suffocating his only son with his intimidating aura. Soobin felt his leg become jelly, trembling and unable to support his weight anymore so he slowly fell down into the floor. Tears flooded up his eyelid ready to fall anytime soon. His breathing starts to heavy and short. Soobin smacks his chest hoping that would help him breathe better.
Chan patrolling around the queen mother’s garden. A faint miserable sob followed by bitter scent caught his attention. His eyes and ears lead him to the queen mother’s pavilion. His eyes widened, seeing the crown prince slumped on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. “Young prince?” He approached cautiously, his hand checking his prince’s body looking up any wound, and sighing in relief found nothing.
“Sorry I touched you. Here, let me help you get up, Young Prince.” Chan offered his hand to the prince to take. Soobin shakes his head, his hand hits his chest again, “H-hurt. I- I can’t breath hisk!” He sobs trying to tell the bodyguard. Chan grabbed the prince's hand and brought it to his chest, “Feel my breath, breathe with me, Young Prince.” He commands his prince to follow his breath rhythm.
They stayed like that for a couple minutes, Chan rubbed the prince’s back of his hand as a soothing gesture, and Soobin’s heavy breath started to ease slowly by following Chan’s breath sound as a guide. “How do you feel right now?” Chan asked softly, earning a small nod from the crown prince, “A little better. Thank you, Sir Chan.” He answered with a shaking voice.
“Let me take you to your room, Young Prince.” He again offered his hand to help the crown prince get up. His hand grabbed Soobin’s natural small waist by reflex because his prince cannot balance his body out. Soobin can hear clearly how loud his heart thumps, making his face heated up. Chan slowly pulled his hand away from the crown prince, he didn't want to die if there was anyone saw them in scandalous positions like that. “I’m sorry, Young Prince.” He apologized quickly after clearing his throat awkwardly.
Soobin just nodded with shining eyes like crystal blinked a few times. “It’s okay, Sir Chan.” He said with a small voice, “Please help me to my bedroom.” He timidly grabbed Chan’s hand and held it tight. Chan led their way to the crown prince's bedroom without being asked one more time.
A similar thing happened again a few days later. Soobin having a breakdown after a heated discussion with his father. Leading him to difficulty breathing, nausea, and trembling body. At that time, Chan was the doorguard of the meeting room. He catches the prince's trembled body, holding him from falling. “Sir Chan.. Bedroom, please..” Soobin said with a weak voice, ordered him to take him to the prince’s bedroom.
Chan without any hesitation obeyed the order, he put the crown prince arm around his shoulder while his arm wrapped around omega’s tiny waist, then led the way to the prince’s bedroom. After helping the prince climb his bed up, Chan is supposed to let the prince go, but Soobin has a different idea; he hugged his board shoulder tightly, unwilling to let go.
Soobin let a faint sobs in the bodyguard’s embrace. His tears streamed out onto the guard’s chest, leaving a big wet mark on the guard’s uniform fabric. He can hear a hard thud on his heart hearing a saddening cry from his prince. His hand slowly went up to the prince’s back, leaving soft rub here and there to comfort the prince. Chan stood there with body a bit bowed to level their body up. He listened to every one of Soobin’s ramblings attentively, sometimes making white noises to calm him down when he chokes on his sobs.
After hours of crying, Soobin finally loosens up his hug still followed by some stifle out of his mouth. His eyes were red and glossy, his face was just the same as his eyes, burning up; looks horrible yet still drop-dead gorgeous. Chan cursed himself thinking of that, but who can lie about his prince beauty?
Chan clears his throat up, and moves his hand to wipe leftover tears on the prince’s face. “Let me call Beomgyu, okay?” He said successfully removing the prince’s hand out of his body. Soobin frowned at the bodyguard’s words, he shook his head, he tapped his bed, signalling the older man to lay down beside him. “Cuddle me to sleep.”
Chan’s eyes widened to the request, completely shocked. “I can’t, Young Prince. It crossed the contract agreement.” He refused politely, he still needs this job to feed his six brothers at home. Soobin whined sadly, “I would never tell anyone. Please. I need your hug, Sir Chan.” He begged with his magical looking doll eyes.
They stared at each other for a couple of minutes, sending different signals to each other. Then Chan sighed defeatedly, making Soobin cheer happily. He shifts to the side of his bed, making a space for Chan. The bodyguard’s big figure sinks the younger’s bed, he positioned himself by leaning on the headboard. Soobin eagerly moved his body closer to the guard’s making his body smaller on Chan’s embrace.
Soobin let out a relieved sigh after making sure he was in a comfortable position. He can hear Chan’s stable heartbeat is a sign of how close they are. Chan reached for Soobin’s hand, and held it carefully. His thumb softly stroked Soobin’s the back of his hand, sending butterflies to the stomach and drifting the prince to dreamland. “Thank you, Sir Chan.” Said Him before completely dozing off with a smile on his face.
Soobin’s gradually having a mental breakdown since then, it is a result of burdens and stress he endured all this time. His condition gets worse each time he breaks down. And somehow, Chan always finds him and is ready to soothe him down every time, like there is a fate written for them.
Soobin found comfort from Chan, a thing he hardly found in this cold air palace. Chan's hug is a safe place for him, it is a place where he can be vulnerable whenever he wants without getting judged negatively. In Chan’s embrace, he can be a small omega just what he wanted.
Even though he hesitates at first, Chan feels the freedom whenever his prince is around. If Soobin found comfort from him, then he found a small getaway from Soobin. A deserved rest from the hard way he went through for the past years to make sure his brothers are safe and sound.
Chan and Soobin eventually emotionally bonded over how often they spent time together as each other's safe place. Even when they separated for a couple of hours, they sought each other's presence. When they are in the same room, they will steal glances, and their cheeks will be heated up if their eyes meet.
Soobin walked to the queen mother’s garden pavilion light-heartedly. He can feel there is an imaginary tail wagging fast behind him, describing how excited he is. His smile grew wider seeing a board figure standing in the pavilion with his back to him. “Boo!” Chan flinched in surprise as a response, while Soobin laughed his heart out, satisfied with Chan’s reaction. Chan shook his head in disbelief, “A kid.” He teased his prince's behaviour, and Soobin’s response was sticking his tongue out playfully.
Chan leaned on the pavilion's rail, followed by Soobin. They stood side by side with shoulders brushing now and then. Their eyes fixated on the clear night sky full of glittering stars, watching them in silence. Chan glanced at his prince, a delighted smile grew on his face, admiring the royal omega’s beauty.
“Why are you staring at me?” Chan shook his head but his grins wider, earning a confused look from the younger male. “Pretty. Just like the moon.” He confessed with a smile never leave his face. Soobin looked at him in confusion, especially when he noticed his ears were burning red. Then it clicks in his head.
Oh.
Soobin smiled widely, showing off his perfect dimples on both sides of his cheeks. “So are you, Sir Chan.” He replied with a heated face completely flushed.
Oh.