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Surviving university was difficult enough. Surviving law school? That felt practically impossible. There was so much studying, so much memorizing, so many exams. Oftentimes, Seungkwan had worried his head would explode from all the knowledge trying to be shoved in it. He didn't understand how Hansol did it. He could read a textbook and have in memorized in under an hour. Then again, Hansol did often say he was insane. He loved law in a way that was almost concerning. If it was something related to law, he could tell you anything about it within a minute. Seungkwan had even timed him once. It was endearing as it was frustrating. When they first hooked up, the omega's spring heat lining up with the alpha's spring rut, he gave the other a warning look in between messy kisses.
"No biting. If you accidentally bite me and it's a mating mark, we have to register it with official documents."
Seungkwan, used to the excess of information, but rather impatient in the moment, kissed the omega to stop his rambling. "Enough. I'll take care of you, Hansol. I always do, don't I?"
The omega, cheeks flushed from his heat and perhaps embarrassment and lust, slowly nodded. "You do." He confirmed. "But still no biting."
"As you wish."
By fall, they had to register their mating marks.
The two of them had been friends for practically their whole lives. Their packs having decades of friendship between them. When they both decided to study law, it made sense to live together. They had always been closer than friends, but never really acted on it until their rut and heat lined up just perfect one rainy spring day. Hooking up seemed like the natural thing to do, even their family predicted them to be mated one day. It was perfect, an alpha and omega living happily ever after, except the story didn't end there. It was just beginning.
In Hansol and Seungkwan's second year of law school, they came across Lee Chan, an omega with a passion for law that nearly matched Hansol's and energy that matched Seungkwan's. However, he was all alone in the world, for reasons he wasn't ready to talk about. Without hesitation, Seungkwan and Hansol took him in. The arrangement was different at first, but became just as natural as it had been when it was just the two of them. One night, in their shared room that used to belong solely to Seungkwan, they laid close and discussed their feelings in a low voice.
"You feel it too, don't you? The attraction to Channie?" Seungkwan blurted out, finger grazing the omega's arm.
"I do." Hansol admitted easily, always one to bravely say what he was feeling or thinking. Seungkwan often envied that about his mate as well. "It's silly how you act like you don't like him when you're practically yearning for him with your gaze."
Seungkwan lightly hit the omega's arm. "I hate that you know me so well." He then sighed. "It's just complicated. We're mated and adding someone else…" He trailed, unsure of where his words were even going to start with.
"You know, back in the Joseon dynasty, more than one mate was encouraged and a sign of prosperity." Hansol stated, just as Seungkwan had expected him to.
"Maybe, but it was different back then. We live in the present day, not back then."
It was Hansol's turn to scoff. "The purity culture of the nineteenth and twentieth century really did a number on our society. Only one alpha, one omega, maybe a beta and alpha or a beta and omega if the beta was lucky. The criminalization of omegas being with omegas and alphas being with alphas really did us in for. It's stupid. Not to mention the exclusion of betas despite how beneficial they are to society." He ranted.
The alpha gently patted the omega's arm, letting out a low rumble and releasing some of his citrus ocean scent to help settle the omega before he could work himself up any further. "You're getting off track, Nonie."
Hansol let out breath, forcing himself to slow back down. "Right. The point I was trying to make is that it's not illegal or anything, not since 2015, just unheard of. We deserve to be truthful to ourselves. Besides, even if it was wrong, who better to fight the law than lawyers?"
It made Seungkwan smile a bit. "We're not lawyers yet." He reminded.
"We will be." Hansol replied, voice sure. "Just like we'll be together with Chan."
"We still have to talk to him."
"Another thing lawyers are good at, talking."
Except it was easier said than done.
Chan was a bright and friendly person who seemed to love life, but when it came to closeness and bonding with others, even platonically, he was rather standoffish. It made pursuing him and trying to confess to him a challenge. They would invite him to join in on their movie nights, even just as a friendly way, but Chan would refuse, always busy with one thing or another. They tried to have lunch with him in the middle of classes, but again, he was always busy.
Seungkwan and Hansol were ready to give up. Maybe he wasn't interested. Maybe he was overly cautious being an omega and all. If Chan didn't want to be pursued by them, they would respect that, but as Hansol always said, it was better to talk things out first. So, one night, they finally got Chan to sit down and talk to them one evening.
"I have class." He tried.
"You don't have class on Thursday. Professor Park specifically asked for Thursdays off so he could golf." Hansol stated simply.
Chan was briefly too stunned to even argue. Instead, he just stared at the other omega. "How the hell do you know that?"
Seungkwan replied for him. "It saves time if you just assume that Hansol knows everything."
"Right. Well, uhm, I promised to meet some classmates for dinner and I better get go"
"It's four in the afternoon."
"Very early dinner. We're very busy students after all. Best to eat early and-"
Seungkwan cut him off with an even but hurt stare. "Why are you avoiding us?"
Chan let out an incredulous laugh that sounded more nervous than anything. "I'm not avoiding you!"
Seungkwan, never one to back down, stood, Hansol trying to pull him back down,but also slightly interested to see where it would lead. "You are avoiding us. You always run off, you eat dinner at a restaurant, you practically lock yourself in your room. We sometimes forget you even live here."
"Do you not like us?" Hansol asked, sounding curious but also hurt.
Chan looked crestfallen and conflicted. His eyes darted between them as he seemed to debate with himself. Finally, he let out a defeated sigh and sat himself down on the floor in front of the sofa. He wouldn't look at them, but at least he wasn't running away. It was progress.
"Quite the opposite." He finally replied.
It was silent as Seungkwan and Hansol tried to process what he meant. Hansol, always the curious and brave one, decided to ask.
"What do you mean?"
"I like you…both of you, so much, but you're mated."
Seungkwan scoffed, seemingly relieved. "That's all?"
Chan finally looked at them, whipping his head around so fast it looked like it hurt. "That's all?" He repeated in a mocking voice. "Did you not hear me say that you're mated? You're legally bound together, a pack of your own. I shouldn't even be living here."
Hansol joined him on the floor, knees folded to his chest. "You know, we don't sit down here nearly enough, quite comfy."
Seungkwan joined them, sitting on the other side of Hansol. "Until your legs fall asleep." He pointed out.
Chan huffed. "Are you guys intentionally messing with me?"
"We're not." Seungkwan replied. "We're trying to make you understand that it isn't a big deal, not like you're making it out to be."
"Yeah, well you're doing a horrible job of it."
"Brat. We're trying to confess to you, tell you that we want to be mated and here you are-"
Chan let out a strangled sound. "Hold on. Back up. You what?"
"We like you, love you actually. We want to be your mate."
Poor Chan seemed utterly confused. "But…aren't you…mated?"
Seungkwan let out a frustrated groan. "Quite slow, isn't he?" He let out a sigh before speaking again. "Yes, we're mated, yes, we also want to be mated to you, the three of us together."
"That's allowed?"
"Please don't get Hansol started."
Hansol, taking personal offense to that, pouted. "I was just surprised Channie didn't know that. He's studying family law after all."
Chan took sudden interest in his knees. "Okay, so it's allowed or whatever, but what does it matter?"
Now it was the mated pair's turn to be confused. "You…don't want to be mated?"
Chan shrugged, burying his head in his knees for a long moment, the scent of sour apples began to surround them. When he resurfaced, he had tears lining the rims of his eyes. "Did you know that for two mated individuals to break the bond legally, they have to hand write statements, read them in front of a judge? If the judge grants the separation, they're sent to court mandated doctor appointments to remove the mark. If any pups are a product of the union, almost always the custody is granted to the omega or beta who birthed them unless abuse had been documented and reported."
Seungkwan's entire demeanor softened. "Are you thinking that will happen to us?" He asked, the thought unimaginable.
Chan shrugged once more. "I don't know. It happened to my parents." He revealed.
It all started to make sense. The reason why Chan was so reluctant to be mated, why he was pursuing family law, the disbelief. It all made sense now and their heart broke for him.
Hansol extended his hand, not touching the other omega, but offering it in case the other wanted it. Hansol's dragon fruit scent slowly wrapped around him, turning the apple scent sweeter, something more familiar. Chan took his hand, holding it firmly, taking Seungkwan's as well. The alpha slowly rumbled, trying to calm the omega further. It was working as the youngest sank against them, calm and less rigid than before. He took a deep breath.
"When I was seven, my parents decided to separate. They were always fighting and could barely even look at each other. It took them three long years to be separated and my brother and I were sent to live with our Appy, as he was the one who gave birth to us, but it wasn't a good choice. He didn't like us. I think he resented us. We should have lived with Eomin, but back then, the law deemed it best for pups to be with the one who birthed them, rather than the one who actually loved them."
Hansol nodded, looking very serious. "The law is flawed, which is why we as lawyers are meant to question it and fight back. It doesn't mean you have to hide away your whole life and deny your feelings. You just have to make the world better for yourself and for the pups who can't fight yet."
Seungkwan chimed in. "And we'd like to be with you, fighting beside you, as your mates."
Finally, Chan had managed to smile.
A few months later, the three of them were mated, their bond becoming stronger than ever, but it still wasn't their happily ever after. There was still one person missing.
-
Yoon Jeonghan, despite being told over and over again that he wasn't special, thought himself to be special. To most people, being a beta was possibly the worst and most boring thing in the world. Most historical figures were alphas or even omegas. Rarely ever was there a famous or "meaningful" beta. Novels and dramas portrayed relationships strictly between omegas and alphas. Just as recent as 2018 had there been beta main leads, not just as left over side stories. To most people. being a beta meant being second rate, but to Yoon Jeonghan, who never accepted anything less, refused to accept society's view of him. So, he set to change it.
At fifteen, he already grown into his looks. He grew out his hair, wanting to stand out and try something new. He had been told by the aunties of his neighborhood that he was beautiful, but then came the kiss of death.
"You're pretty, Jeonghan-ah, it's too bad you're not an omega. You'd find a mate in no time."
It should have hurt, but since presentation, it was all he ever heard and he was never impressed. It wouldn't be his normal for long. For now, he smiled, thanking the aunties, knowing they meant well but knowing there was no attachment to brain and mouth.
"Thank you, I don't need to be omega though."
Then, came that look of pity, thinking that he was just saying that to himself to make him feel better, not knowing that he truly meant it. Yoon Jeonghan would rather die than see himself less than. He would never hang his head for being a beta.
Perhaps that was what helped him land his first modeling gig. He had originally been scouted for his look, but when they learned he was a beta, they became reluctant. However, Jeonghan had learned how to be charming, to convince people to see outside of their prejudice. His perseverance paid off and he was giving the job and the rest was history. His career had expanded from there. Job after job, opportunity after opportunity. Jeonghan was special and important to everyone else, people finally seeing him as he saw himself. He had met many betas who thanked him for bringing them to center stage, for reminding the world that they existed too and were capable of grand things. It made the long hours and the invasion of privacy worth it. However, some days were still longer than others.
Today was one of those long days. The shoot was going hours past schedule and Jeonghan was tired, hungry, and cranky, all horrible traits for a model who was supposed to embody softness. Thankfully, they had finally called for a meal break and Jeonghan practically ran to the table where all the food that had been ordered was. He was supposed to be on a diet, but he had a fast metabolism and the courage to put his foot down. He told them that he would never diet and if they tried to make him, he would expose them and sue them for mistreatment. Lawsuits and influential celebrities were enough to get them to back off and allow Jeonghan to eat pork belly in peace.
"God, you disgust me." His fellow model and friend, Hyungwon scoffed.
They were finally doing a shoot together, a collab on a summer project. It turned out Hyungwon liked Wonwoo and Minghao's designs as well, allowing them to work together. Hyungwon was a beta too, but from the few stories he told, he had it rougher than Jeonghan, having a harder time to hold his head high. One time, when he was drunk, he had admitted that he used to hate Jeonghan for how easy he made it all seem. For that reason, Hyungwon was the only person Jeonghan had been completely honest and vulnerable with. Even when they bickered, they were still the closest of friends.
Jeonghan only smiled in reply, shoving a rather large portion of greasy meat into his mouth, making his friend cringe. He let out an exaggerated moan, making the other model roll his eyes, standing from the table.
"I'm going to see if my lawyer is here yet."
Jeonghan frowned. "Lawyer? What for?"
"Contract negotiation."
Jeonghan understood then, nodding along. "Good luck."
"I need it. I work for Satan after all. Not all of us can live in a mansion like you."
"You love my mansion."
"You're the only one living in it. It's a waste of space."
"I throw plenty of parties and fill the space."
""You're insufferable."
"Yet, I'm the one eating this delicious pork belly."
Hyungwon rolled his eyes and went to walk away, but a person approached him. Suddenly the pork belly was long forgotten in favor of the handsome alpha standing just a few feet away from him. Jeonghan found a new want.
Much to the annoyance of Hyungwon, Jeonghan got to officially meet the handsome lawyer named Boo Seungkwan. He was a taken man, sporting not one but two mating marks. That didn't deter the beta any. He had always been greedy. Jeonghan had met Seungkwan's mates, two omegas and lawyers as well, within a month. They were interesting people. Chan was fun to tease, the omega's cheeks quick to heat up with the slightest bit of teasing, but he was sweet too. It was clear he loved his mates deeply and truly, his sweet apple scent content.
Hansol was a bit strange but in endearing way. It was clear he loved the law and history, as he was always sharing facts or knowledge about laws at any given moment. Seungkwan had tried to stop him the first time it happened, but Jeonghan had simply leaned across the table, his face inches from the omega's.
"Go on, I'd love to hear about the recent tax law and how it affects the working class."
Hansol's eyes had lit up so bright, they were practically blinding. He began to explain the new complicated tax law with such enthusiasm. Seungkwan had seemed by surprised by Jeonghan's behavior as did Chan, but then the expression turned into something softer, something curious and full of wanting.
In their free time, the four of them met when they could, growing closer, but still keeping a certain distance. However, by that spring, nearly a year since they had first met, Jeonghan was tired of playing the long game, used to going after what he wanted. There was a pull all of them felt and couldn't deny, but they never acted on it and Jeonghan couldn't quite understand why. There was already three of them. What was wrong with adding a fourth? Finally, one afternoon while they were at his mansion, he decided to bring it up.
"Do you guys want to be mated to me?" He asked bluntly.
Three sets of eyes started at him, stunned. Seungkwan recovered faster. "Excuse me?"
Jeonghan wouldn't be discouraged or back down. "I know you guys feel it, the pull, the attraction. I've been trying to flirt this entire time."
Chan's mouth was slightly open in shock. "We just thought that was how you were, that you were that friendly."
Jeonghan took a breath, considering his next words. "Is it because I'm a beta?" He tried.
Hansol was the first one to look absolutely horrified. "No! Betas are wonderful and beneficial to the world. You are no different from us."
It made Jeonghan slightly smile, but he still didn't understand. Why were they so reluctant?
"Then…what's the problem?"
"The three of us come as a packaged deal." Seungkwan stated firmly.
"I'm aware. I want all three of you."
Seungkwan's mouth upturned in a small smirk. "Greedy."
"No better way to be."
"We take mating very seriously." Hansol continued. "It's emotionally, financially, and legally binding."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Chan's eyes looked shiny, nearing tears. "You truly want to be with us?"
"Forever."
And the rest was history. They were mated that summer and were finally complete, their happily ever after.