Chapter Text
The promotion period of a new song was always stressful. Just as stressful as recording the album and learning the new choreography. At least then they had the grace of making mistakes and having the chance to fix them. Once promotions started and they began performing, they couldn’t conceal mistakes and one single mistake could mean the difference between a win and a loss.
For Jisung, this promotion period was harder than any prior. The first week wasn’t that bad, really. They put on their best performances and even won on a few music shows. Jisung felt the thrilling exhilaration of performing and hearing their fans cheer for them and thought things couldn’t get better.
But then the second week, things changed. Ateez dropped their own title song a week after they did. Before Changbin left their pack, Jisung had never really worried about other groups promoting at the same time as them. He didn’t mind the competition because it made the wins mean more to him when there was strong competition. But with Ateez promoting simultaneously with them, things shifted.
Now, Jisung would be lying if he said that Ateez weren’t an incredible group, and they put out some amazing music. He would also be lying if he said he wasn’t a fan of them and their work. In the past, he had absolutely loved watching them to see what they came up with. Even now he didn’t mind watching them. Their new song was incredible and captivated him as he watched the performance.
But that admiration and captivation was ruined when the performance was over and Ateez returned backstage. Just as they did almost every time they were promoting with their friends, Stray Kids met them before they made their way to their dressing room to congratulate them on a good performance. For the first few minutes, things seemed normal between them, like they used to. Before Changbin was pushed away from the pack and before he joined a new one. Before he joined Ateez’s pack.
The rest of their pack congratulated Ateez and talked to them just as they would any other set of friends, but the moment Changbin stepped forward the shift in the atmosphere happened. The shift was normal for them, really. Before the bond break Wooyoung and Changbin always had a tension around them that had always made him question – had made Hyunjin upset and irritated at the thought that something was going on with them – but now it was even more tense than it used to be. Maybe it was because now they didn’t have to pretend not to love each other. They were in the same pack now, so Changbin didn’t have to worry about the feelings of their feelings anymore.
Jisung thought he had already come to terms with Changbin’s decision to join the Ateez pack. He thought he had accepted that Changbin was no longer his packmate, no longer his Alpha. He thought he could handle the idea of Changbin not being his, but he never realized that would mean he’d have to watch him love someone else. Jisung realized that as he watched Changbin kiss each of the Ateez members with a smile on his face that Jisung had never seen when he was with them.
His vision filled with tears, making the scene in front of him blur. Someone grabbed Jisung’s arm and pulled him away from the scene slowly. Even so, Jisung had a hard time pulling his gaze away despite being unable to see much. The last thing he could really see was Mingi draping himself over Changbin’s back while the Alpha talked to Seonghwa and Hongjoong. Jisung only turned away when they were so far down the hall that he couldn’t even see their figures anymore. The sound of a door shutting broke him from his trance and he wiped his tears away. Only then did he look at the rest of his pack. Minho was the one who pulled him away and Chan was pulling Hyunjin and Felix away as well. They looked just as upset as he felt. Looking around the room – their dressing room – Jisung realized his Betas were missing. They must have stayed behind with Changbin.
Chan pulled Hyunjin and Felix to the couch and started comforting them. Minho was looking down at Jisung with a worried expression that didn’t feel right to see. Minho should never have that look on his face for something that none of them could control.
“I’m okay. I just…I thought I had accepted it, but seeing them…it hurts.” Minho pulled him into a hug and tried to hush him without letting him cry again. They couldn’t afford to get their stage outfits ruined when they barely had time to fix them. It was bad enough that the stylists would have to redo their makeup to try and hide the fact that they were crying.
“I know, sweetheart. I wish I could make it better.” It wasn’t on Minho to make this better. It was on Jisung to accept how things turned out. Their therapist had told him – and probably the rest of them as well though she had never confirmed it for him – that they wouldn’t be able to move on until they got past the guilt they all felt. And he had thought he had. He was getting better at watching Changbin leave every night in a different car with different Ateez members and Changbin seemed to be doing better around them. Less on edge and generally feeling safer around them. Of course, he still spent more time with Seungmin and Jeongin than he did the rest of them but Jisung accepted that he had messed up and dragged Felix into that mess as well so it came as no surprise that Changbin didn’t want to spend his free time with them as much anymore. He’d accepted that he needed to give Changbin more time and they would eventually get to a point where they could at least be friends again. Jisung just had to learn how to be friends with Changbin instead of packmates.
But seeing him be so loving and intimate with the Ateez members ripped open all the wounds he’d thought he’d stitched closed. He wasn’t the only one, either. Felix’s rotting strawberry scent was pushing through the scent blocker, as was the smell of burnt coffee. Smelling the distressed scents had his own rain smell turning to mud under his own scent blocker. Minho sighed and pressed a kiss to Jisung’s forehead before pulling away and guiding him to one of the chairs. Minho left without another word, leaving the four in silence broken only by the soft sobs Felix was still emitting.
Seungmin kept an eye on his packmates as the five of them left, leaving him and Jeongin with Changbin and Ateez. He could have gone with them and Jeongin could have too. But leaving Changbin didn’t seem right. How were they supposed to get used to the fact that Changbin was part of another pack instead of theirs if they never saw them together? It hurt, definitely, to see Changbin so comfortable with having Mingi draped over his back like Hyunjin used to do, but it also settled something in his instincts to see Changbin so happy. He’d been so worried about the Alpha for so long that to see the smile on his face was just what he needed to know that everything was okay with him again. Changbin had a pack who seemed to care about him more than his own pack had. There was a part of Seungmin who didn’t think he would ever be able to forgive Chan for ignoring the signs that something wasn’t right with Changbin, for pushing him away and for breaking the bond he had with Changbin by letting his base instincts take over. He didn’t think he’d be able to forgive himself for not being more assertive when he knew something was wrong.
But there was a relief he felt that was mirrored in Jeongin’s expression as he watched Seonghwa and Hongjoong check in with Changbin to make sure he was okay. They wanted to know if he was uncomfortable or had any doubts about the choice to stay with Stray Kids. And as upset as Seungmin would be if Changbin left the group, he fully understood where the pack leaders were coming from. And he was thrilled to hear that Changbin was happy with the group, and he appreciated that they were trying. Things still weren’t perfect, but everyone was trying.
“And you, Seungmin, I.N.? How are you guys feeling about the dynamic change? I know it’s a lot for anyone to handle especially when you guys aren’t the cause of everything.” Seungmin was surprised at the question Seonghwa directed at him and Jeongin. No one had asked how they felt during the entire duration of this situation. Even when Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Wooyoung had come over to get Changbin’s things – or later on when Yunho and Mingi accompanied Yeosang and Wooyoung to get the rest of them – no one had really asked him how he was doing. Back then it was probably obvious so there was no need to ask.
“I’m still mad at Channie-hyung.” Jeongin hadn’t pulled his words since they found out that Changbin had mated with the Ateez pack. At first, he was furious with Chan and Minho, and let them both know. Then he was mad at Hyunjin, Jisung, and Felix, and let them know as well. He was mad at Seungmin for a time too and Seungmin didn’t blame him in the slightest. Seungmin was mad at himself too for not being able to do more, but they talked it through together and with their therapist – a move they had requested instead of being forced into – and had settled their feelings in that regard. But still, no matter how much Chan apologized it didn’t make Jeongin anymore willing to forgive. Seungmin understood. Changbin was his favorite hyung. He was the one who took care of him when everyone else was too clouded by pheromones and hormones during cycles. As much as Seungmin hated himself for not being able to think of his packmate during heats and ruts, he was thankful for Changbin who had cared for Jeongin’s comfort. Seungmin was just as susceptible to the pheromones as everyone else in the pack, Changbin included, yet the Alpha was able to push through that haze to think of their youngest.
It made Seungmin worry about the next cycle. With the issue of Changbin leaving the pack and being on hiatus for so long, no one had gone through a full cycle. Minho had put himself on suppressants because he’d refused to go through a heat without all of his packmates there, and Hyunjin followed his example. Chan’s rut had lasted three days instead of the normal seven and it had left him angrier and more aggressive than he had been before. For Seungmin that was more reason not to spend a lot of time with the Alpha as much as he loved him. And with the hostility and tension in the air, Jisung and Felix’s Omegas seemed to think they weren’t safe to go through a heat. Given everything that was happening and with the current schedule for promotions, the company felt it was necessary to put the rest of them on suppressants to avoid the chance of a cycle starting when they were supposed to be promoting. But when they did start on cycles again, Seungmin wasn’t sure what would happen to Jeongin without Changbin there.
“I’m also mad and Chan-hyung. And…everyone else, I guess.” Despite what they had told Changbin about doing better and trying harder, the first few weeks after they started therapy there were more fights between the seven of them than ever before. Jeongin didn’t hold back when he criticized their hyungs and Seungmin felt it necessary to back him up instead of coddling the others. Which meant that when Jisung yelled at Hyunjin, that everything was as much his fault as it was Chan’s Jeongin reminded him that it was his idea to push Changbin’s boundaries. And Seungmin agreed with him when the Omega tried to argue. He’d told the two young Omegas that if they had used the one brain cell they shared to think about Changbin, then maybe they wouldn’t be in this weird limbo of Changbin potentially leaving the group. And if any of them had listened to him when he told them that something was wrong with their Alpha, they may still have him.
“Seungminnie, Innie…” Changbin let out a strangle gasp of surprise as he looked at them both with such sorrow and anger in his teary eyes that Seungmin wished he hadn’t said anything. He didn’t want to upset Changbin. None of them did. Which was why they didn’t tell him about the problems within the pack. Seungmin had no doubt the Alpha would blame himself for their infighting even though it wasn’t his fault. “Don’t be mad at Chan for this. I made a choice.”
“There’s a lot of reasons I’m mad at Channie-hyung. But even if I’m mad at him, he’s still my Pack Alpha and I love him. Just as I love you, Binnie-hyung.” Jeongin had grown a lot since starting therapy, and he was probably the only one other than Seungmin who had come to terms with the new dynamic surrounding Changbin. He was no longer their Alpha by bond, but they still loved him dearly and likely would never stop. “You can’t ask me not to love you, hyung. I’ll always love you even if you’re no longer mine.”
“We both will. But we also respect your choice not to return to the pack and to find love and comfort somewhere else. And we’re, well at least I’m happy for you.” Seungmin wasn’t sure when he started holding hands with Jeongin, or who had reached for the other’s hand first, but he found comfort in the warmth of the other Beta’s hand in his. Jeongin smiled first at Seungmin, then at Changbin and the pack surrounding him.
“I’m happy too. You deserve all the love given to you by your pack and I’m happy you’re getting it.” Changbin’s tears fell silently down his cheeks as he listened to them. Mingi’s arms tightened around Changbin’s shoulders and Yunho and Wooyoung reached for his hands.
“We’d never ask you guys to stop loving him.” Yeosang said the words so confidently and comfortingly that Seungmin envied his level of calm. Yeosang was the ideal Beta. Level-headed and calm even when tensions were high. When he had stood up to Chan that first time they had packed up some of Changbin’s belongings, Seungmin had admired how easily he had put Chan in his place with just a few words. Not to mention how comforting he was when he’d hugged Seungmin who wasn’t even his packmate and he didn’t have an obligation to take care of him. Even now the smile he offered them was more comforting than any Minho had ever given him.
“We would never ask that of you. But we also don’t want your pack to break up because of this.” Seonghwa added, leaning forward so he could see them better. Jeongin shook his head at Seonghwa’s concern.
“I think this is something we all need to go through to move on. It’s not just about Changbin leaving. It’s about everything wrong with the pack that has been ignored for too long.” And there was too much that was no longer able to be ignored.
“Let’s get out of the hallway, yeah? I doubt this is a conversation we want to have where anyone can overhear.” Hongjoong suggested, as they had to separate to get out of the way for another group to get through the hallway. “Come back to our dressing room with us?”
Seungmin didn’t even hesitate to follow after the pack, Jeongin’s hand still firmly grasped in his. The Beta wasn’t ready to return to his own dressing room, knowing that the others were probably unhappy about seeing Changbin with his pack, if the way the five of them left was any indication. He’d smelled enough of their distress in the last few months to last a lifetime and with the poor ventilation in the dressing rooms, he knew they would be smothered in the scent as soon as they entered. He’d hold off on returning for as long as he could.
Ateez’s dressing room wasn’t unlike their own. It was more organized than their own but knowing what he knew about Seonghwa it wasn’t surprising. Despite his reservations, Seungmin allowed Yeosang to drag him and Jeongin to sit next to him on one of the couches while everyone else piled on the two remaining couches.
“Want to talk about what’s going on?” Hongjoong was giving them the opportunity to get things off their chest or to keep it in, and Seungmin appreciated that. Chan and Minho had a firm belief that whatever happened in the pack should stay in the pack with no need to bring in outside people into their problems. Which was why they’d agreed when Seungmin said they should keep their in-fighting away from Changbin for the time being. But he also knew that nothing would get better if they didn’t have others to vent to who knew how deep the issues went. Changbin would know better than anyone else, and Seungmin knew that he’d told Wooyoung about some of the issues they had. He probably told the others as well.
“Everyone knows that we’ve all made mistakes, but no one wants to talk about them or admit guilt. Not just with Changbin, but in general. No one’s gone through a full cycle in the last eight months, and I know it puts them all on edge but they’re not even addressing it. They’re blaming each other for how things turned out but won’t accept their own faults that led to where we are. And instead of just talking about it as calmly as possible they’re attacking each other.” Seungmin hated the fights more than anything else. More than once he’d thought about just grabbing Jeongin and leaving the dorm until things calmed down, but he knew that was selfish. And it would probably just make the others resent him more.
Jisung and Hyunjin were at each other’s throats more than anyone else and more than once one of the two would throw snide comments towards Seungmin and Jeongin about not being in trouble with Seonghwa the way the rest of them were. As if it was their fault for choosing to respect the hyung they loved so much instead of acting like spoiled brats who couldn’t get their heads out of their asses long enough to think about the other members of their pack. Seungmin hated thinking that way but that was exactly how Jisung and Hyunjin were acting. Like their feelings were more important than the very person who they had hurt.
“I keep hoping that Chan-hyung will apologize for pushing my boundaries and forcing me to participate in his rut just to be part of the pack, but he hasn’t mentioned it once. He hasn’t even apologized for not thinking about my comfort during cycles and leaving it all for Binnie-hyung to worry about himself. I’m afraid of what will happen when the pack starts to go through cycles again if Binnie-hyung isn’t there. I can take care of myself, but sometimes being in the nest is too much for me and I just shut down.” Jeongin was squeezing Seungmin’s hand so hard his knuckles were white, but Seungmin didn’t mind it at all. He knew this was a worry that Jeongin had kept to himself, so he didn’t add fuel to the already blazing inferno that was the pack’s emotions. Seonghwa had a thoughtful look on his face that almost made Seungmin nervous.
“I don’t mean to overstep here but I have to ask. Do you feel safe with your pack right now?” Seungmin really didn’t know how to answer that. At the moment, he wasn’t comfortable going back to his pack, knowing how they were likely feeling. But he also wasn’t sure if he could handle the fallout of leaving them even if it would bring him some peace.
“Yes, and no. I doubt they’d do anything to hurt us but it’s so tense at the dorms or any time we’re not with Binnie-hyung that it’s uncomfortable.” Jeongin had no qualms about answering honestly. Seungmin knew the tension in the dorms affected him more than anyone else and he especially had noticed how much sleep the younger Beta had lost since the fights started. Seungmin had done as much as he could to make sure that Jeongin could get as much sleep as possible, going so far as to cover for him when he needed a nap during the day and sleeping in his bed with him.
“Innie hasn’t been sleeping well.” Changbin had caught them more than once where Seungmin was trying to buy as much time for Jeongin to nap as possible and even helped as well, so it came as no surprise that he noticed how much sleep Jeongin had lost. It did surprise Seungmin that he hadn’t mentioned it to the rest of his pack with how worried Seonghwa seemed.
“If you need a break, you’re more than welcome to stay with us for a bit.” Seungmin frowned at the offer. He had thought about asking them, but had decided that wasn’t a good idea after everything that had happened with Changbin and how fiercely protective the group seemed over him. Which he was thankful for, but he didn’t think it was his place to ask for help when they had done so much for Changbin already. Besides, what would the rest of the pack think if Seungmin ran with Jeongin straight to the pack that had taken in their Alpha?
“We’re offering as friends, not because we are trying to steal you from your pack.” Seungmin almost blushed when he realized how easy it was for Hongjoong to read his expression.
“Although I’m sure Yeosang wouldn’t mind having more Betas in the pack and Jongho would enjoy having someone younger to dote on.” Wooyoung added with an infectious laugh. Jongho rolled his eyes at the comment, but didn’t deny it. Jongho had told Seungmin many times that sometimes he wished he had someone younger to dote on in the pack rather than being the youngest and how much he envied Seungmin for not being the youngest. Yeosang also rolled his eyes and shook his head at the Omega but the smile on his face told Seungmin that Wooyoung’s wasn’t far off.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” It was nice to know that if he did have to leave, if things did get so tense in the dorm that he couldn’t stand it, he would have a place to escape to. Somewhere safe with people who understood what he was going through. Thankfully, no one pushed the offer and Seonghwa quickly changed the subject. Changbin, Seungmin, and Jeongin stayed there until they were informed by Ateez’s manager, Seungwoo, that they would have to return to their own dressing room to freshen up before the last group finished performing.
Seungmin’s lips pulled in a frown when he smelled the distress and upset from his packmates clouding the air when the three entered the room. It was obvious to him that they had been stewing in their distress since they left the hallway. His heart was torn between upset and disappointment that his packmates were so upset, but at the same time irritated and irrationally angry that they couldn’t hold their emotions in long enough to support Changbin. He was still afraid that if they did anything to upset Changbin or make him feel unwelcome, he would leave. And the sad thing was, Seungmin couldn’t blame him if he did choose to leave.
Changbin didn’t say anything as he fully entered the room and moved immediately to one of the chairs for the stylist to touch up his makeup silently. A spike of bitter coffee had Seungmin turning to look directly at Hyunjin who shrunk in on himself at his gaze. Seungmin turned away before he could say anything and moved to get his makeup touched up as well. By the looks of things, he, Changbin, and Jeongin would be the easiest touch ups for their stylist. Felix and Jisung would probably take the longest to fix, as they both had completely ruined their makeup.
Seungmin’s irritation with his pack didn’t go away even after they won the award for the show. When they had gotten home, Seungmin immediately claimed one of the bathrooms to take a shower so he could at least try and relax. The shower could only do so much for him. As he left the bathroom and discarded his dirty clothes, he could immediately feel the tension in the dorm. His irritation came to an all-time high when he walked into his room to see Jeongin curled up on his bed, crying. Someone had made his maknae cry and he would figure out who. Turned out it had been Hyunjin, who had made a comment about Jeongin and Seungmin being incapable of love since they didn’t seem to have any issues getting over Changbin leaving them.
Seungmin’s anger took over as he tore into Hyunjin – and the rest of the pack – about their inability to accept Changbin leaving and joining another pack and how they were taking it out on each other rather than trying to work through their emotions. At some point, he punched Hyunjin when the Alpha tried to argue his own point. Jeongin must have texted Changbin for help because the next thing he knew, Seungmin was sitting in a car with Yeosang and Jeongin and Changbin looking at them from the front seat with a worried expression. He noticed two things. One, his hand hurt. Two, his baby Beta was curled up to his side, still sobbing softly. The older Beta was trying to comfort them both with a calm, soothing voice that eased the remaining rage from Seungmin’s blood.
No one asked them what happened as the four of them walked in. Yunho and San guided Seungmin to one of the couches and sat down. Jeongin attached himself to Seungmin’s side once again and Seungmin couldn’t even bring himself to tease the younger Beta about his clinginess.
“Can hyung take a look at your hand, Seungminnie?” Changbin asked as he kneeled in front of Seungmin and reached his hand out for the Beta’s and waited for Seungmin to offer it to him. It was only as he did so, gently putting his hand in Changbin’s, that Seungmin realized his knuckles were bruised red. No wonder his hand hurt.
“I hit him.” Changbin hummed softly as he shifted so Seonghwa could kneel in front of them as well. The older Alpha gently grabbed the Beta’s hand and began examining it, being as gentle as he could.
“Hyung had it coming. The things he was saying…” Jeongin’s voice was broken with sobs as he trailed off and the idea of his maknae, his baby, being so upset angered him even more. And he was terrified of that anger. He hadn’t even been aware he could get so angry until he learned that Chan had forced Changbin out of their bond. And being afraid of what that anger could bring, Seungmin had done his best to push the anger down and not let it control him. But then Hyunjin went and opened his mouth and asked if they even cared that Changbin had left the pack and that anger came out so strongly that Seungmin couldn’t push it down.
“Nothing’s broken but you should take it easy with your hand for a bit.” Seonghwa distracted Seungmin and Jeongin as he gently let Seungmin’s hand fall back to his lap. “Now, who did you hit?”
“Hyunjin. I punched Hyunjin.” It was quiet for a moment before Changbin started laughing, causing the others to laugh as well. It wasn’t funny. Really, it wasn’t. But Seungmin couldn’t keep himself from laughing too. If it had been any other member of his pack, he may have felt differently but it was Hyunjin. The man was the biggest drama queen in their pack and also one of the biggest troublemakers. More often than not, if an argument started between them Hyunjin was in the middle. And if it wasn’t him, it was Jisung. Seungmin tended not to get himself involved in those sorts of arguments because he’d seen firsthand how out of control they could get. And he knew that Hyunjin was still hurting from losing an Alpha but that was no excuse to attack him and Jeongin for not showing the hurt the same way he was.
“Chan told us.” Seungmin tensed up as Hongjoong informed them he’d been in contact with his Pack Alpha. Chan was going to be so mad at him when he got home. This wasn’t something they ever just left like he did. He needed to apologize to Hyunjin, even if he was still mad at him. He couldn’t just leave his pack the way he did – he’d seen how they all reacted when Changbin left and he never wanted them to go through that feeling again – but he didn’t think he could go back. Panic spiked in his scent and Jeongin pressed against him even more than he already had been. Changbin and Seonghwa grabbed his hands again and gently squeezed, being careful of his bruised knuckles. Hongjoong released a calming chocolate scent to try and soothe Seungmin’s panic.
“He told me what happened. And that he doesn’t want you guys to come home until you’re ready to.” Hongjoong explained further when Seungmin’s panic subsided some. “He wants you to feel comfortable coming home and if you have any doubts, you can call him to talk at any time.”
“I think you two should stay the night tonight and we’ll see how you feel tomorrow, yeah?” Seonghwa suggested when Seungmin didn’t reply. Logically, Seungmin knew that was a good idea. He really shouldn’t go back when he was still angry and upset at Hyunjin. And he wasn’t sure he really wanted to see the Alpha yet. Besides, if he gave himself the time to calm down and then called Chan to talk and see how mad he was, he could prepare for his punishment. At the same time, he wasn’t fond of the idea of imposing on the Ateez pack after all they’d done for Changbin already. He knew they wouldn’t mind, but he didn’t want it to seem like his pack ran to them any time there was an issue. Seungmin definitely didn’t expect to take the Ateez pack up on their offer to give them a break from their pack so soon but he couldn’t deny that he was grateful for them.
“Yeah…” Seungmin agreed even if there was a reluctance to stay with them. The blinding smile Seonghwa flashed at him was enough for him to realize he was worrying over nothing.
“I think we should build a nest like we did the first time Binnie stayed with us.” Yunho suggested as he leaned against one of the walls that led to a hallway. Seungmin went to protest – he knew how important nests were to Omegas and he would never even begin to imagine imposing on an Omega’s nest – when Yeosang shook his head to quiet him.
“Nests are important for all dynamics, not just Omegas. They’re meant to comfort all members of a pack. You may not be our pack but we still care about you and want to comfort you.” Seungmin turned his gaze from Yeosang to Changbin who nodded at him encouragingly. Then he looked at Hongjoong who looked just as encouraging. Mingi and Wooyoung who were sitting on the other couch with San looked excited at the prospect of building a nest for them. Finally, Seungmin looked down at Jeongin who looked just as surprised as he felt.
“It’s okay if you’re uncomfortable with that. I just thought it would help comfort you some.” Yunho stated when they didn’t say anything for a while.
“That’s something that just didn’t happen with that pack. Jisung and Minho didn’t really build nests for anyone besides themselves and Felix did so very rarely.” Changbin explained when Seungmin and Jeongin were still reluctant to agree. “But I can tell you for a fact that being in their nest will make you feel better. Hyung, Mingi, and Youngie make really comforting nests.”
“You wouldn’t mind?” Jeongin asked Hongjoong instead of Seungmin. The Pack Omega smiled and nodded. Seungmin didn’t even have to question if he was being genuine.
“Okay.” Seungmin agreed, still feeling a bit of unease at the Omegas building a nest just for them but accepting that they wanted to do so. As soon as he agreed the three Omegas sprung into action. Seonghwa smiled at him before standing up and walking towards the door.
“Chan packed a bag for you guys so I’m going to meet him to get it. I’ll pick up dinner on my way home.” There was a chorus of goodbyes before the door shut softly behind the Alpha. Seungmin was surprised by that but couldn’t complain.
“Yunnie can you grab some water for them?” Yunho nodded and left while Yeosang shifted so he was facing them more. Seungmin didn’t realize he was still shaking, or that Jeongin was still crying softly until Yunho returned with two glasses of water for them. He handed one to Yeosang to help Seungmin drink while he helped Jeongin.
Yunho shifted to sit on the other side of Jeongin – only having the room because of how close Jeongin was sitting to Seungmin – so that the Omegas had room to work on the nest. Seungmin had never watched an Omega build a nest before – Minho had always been secretive about when he built his nests, and Jisung always insisted on not having anyone other than his fellow Omegas there when he built his nests. Felix never asked anyone to help him nest, and he rarely told anyone when he was nesting – so watching the three work together to spread the blankets and sheets out before taking more blankets and sheets and weaving them together to create the walls of the nest. It was apparent to him that they had worked together so much that they didn’t even need to talk to know what one of them needed or wanted.
“Can you scent this?” Hongjoong was holding a blanket up to Seungmin who blinked down at him in surprise. Yeosang took it from the Omega and held it up to Seungmin’s neck. Seungmin let the older Beta rub the material against his scent gland. A wave of jasmine came from Jeongin and when Seungmin looked down, he saw Yunho rubbing another blanket against Jeongin’s scent gland as well. When both decided the blankets were scented enough, they handed them back to Hongjoong. Seungmin scented blankets alongside Jeongin when they were told to and watched as the three Omegas placed the blankets along the inside of the walls until they were satisfied. When they deemed it ready, Mingi held his arms up to help Jeongin in first, and then Seungmin after.
By the time Seonghwa returned home with two duffle bags and a few bags of takeout, with San going down to help him carry everything up, Seungmin found himself practically melted into the nest underneath Mingi’s weight. When he hadn’t relaxed in the nest even after ten minutes of sitting in it, Mingi took it upon himself to help and draped himself over the Beta and nearly smothered him. It was almost like a weighted blanket that came with a built-in heat source and smelled of citrus. Jeongin didn’t need to be smothered the same way but Seungmin could see he was cuddled between Yeosang and Yunho. Given the fact that he didn’t normally enjoy skinship, it was surprising that he had willingly snuggled into the tall Alpha’s side.
Seonghwa cooed as he set the duffle bags down near the arm of the couch nearest to the door. San moved past them, also cooing, to put the food in the kitchen and sort it out onto eleven plates. Seonghwa and Changbin came in to help him carry it all out. Mingi reluctantly got off of Seungmin when Hongjoong grabbed two of the plates from Changbin but instead of letting Seungmin sit up by himself he pulled him into his lap instead.
Mingi and Hongjoong fed Seungmin his dinner, as Seungmin was almost in a haze from how much Mingi had scented him. To his left, Yeosang and Yunho were taking turns feeding Jeongin who wasn’t nearly as boneless as Seungmin but was happy to be doted on. Jongho had Wooyoung in his lap and the two were happily talking to Jeongin and their packmates while eating.
Seonghwa and San sat with Changbin and ate, watching their packmates interact with the two young Betas. There was still a tension in Changbin’s shoulders that had formed when he had first gotten the text message from Jeongin for help but it wasn’t weighing on him the same as it had earlier. And seeing the way Seungmin relaxed under the doting of Hongjoong and Mingi, Seonghwa felt his own unease dissolve. As soon as Changbin had told them they were on their way back Hongjoong had texted Chan to ask for any details he could provide and Chan had not disappointed. He told them all about how upset most of the pack still was and how Hyunjin had taken it out on Jeongin and Seungmin, causing Seungmin to physically lash out. Hongjoong hadn’t told Seonghwa who Seungmin had punched, as he was working on making sure there was a bed available for the two Betas, but he knew Seungmin hitting anyone was unlike him.
When everyone was done eating dinner and the few dishes were washed up, Seonghwa watched the two Betas like a hawk. Not that he needed to. They weren’t as upset as Changbin had been when he first came to them and his packmates were doing everything they could to comfort the two and distract them from what had upset them. An hour after Seonghwa and Changbin finished washing the dishes and returned to the nest, Seungmin was fast asleep on Mingi. Jeongin was well on his way to falling asleep on Yeosang and as much as Seonghwa worried that either Beta would be uncomfortable with so much skinship, he didn’t make a move to move either. It was nice to see them both relaxed.
“Do you think they’ll be okay?” It was Wooyoung who asked as he and San cuddled up to Changbin. Seonghwa hummed as he looked between the two before nodding.
“Yeah, I think they will. And we’ll be here to help them along the way.” Just like they were for Changbin, even if they didn’t add new packmates. Then again, if they did add new packmates, they would probably have to move. They were running out of space. Satisfied, Wooyoung smiled before turning his attention back to the two young Betas, now both thankfully asleep.
Seonghwa took out his phone and decided to text Chan to give him an update. He told him about how upset Seungmin was about hitting Hyunjin and his panic earlier. Then he told him that they’d touch base in the morning to see how Seungmin felt and if they were both ready to go home. Chan thanked him for taking care of the two and wished them a good night. Seonghwa took one more look at the sleeping Betas, and then one at his own pack before laying down next to Jongho and letting himself fall asleep.