Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It starts on a Thursday evening. Ten is sprawled out on the living room couch, iPad set up in front of him, drawing mostly because he’s procrastinating on an assignment. It’s a rare night he isn’t in the studio until 10 PM, grinding out prints, so he plans on taking full advantage. 

The TV is playing some reality dating show, something more akin to garbage than actual content, but Dejun had gotten him hooked over the weekend, and now he’s addicted to this shit. How far the mighty have fallen. 

Kun is out, for once, so the apartment is remarkably quieter than usual. No gentle piano or frustrated sighs or humming or the smell of magnolia and ginger that usually accompanies his alpha roommate. It’s out of character for someone like Qian Kun to be out at 9 PM on a school night, but Ten supposes that even nerds like Kun have fun, sometimes.

If Ten is put off that he wasn’t invited along, that’s no one’s business but his own. 

It’s been one long, long week, which is why he’s content being snuggled up on the couch with Leon and Louis pressed in on either side of him. Levi is off somewhere else, doing god knows what. Midterms are a pressing matter and Ten has been stressed out of his mind with keeping up with projects and working on his BFA thesis. His exhibition is in a month and he doesn’t have everything he’d like to show for it, not yet. He’s probably driven Kun crazy with how strung up he is about it, spending nights and early mornings at the studio and cranking out work in the only way he knows how. 

Speaking of Kun…

It’s creeping closer to 10 PM when Kun gets home. He’s fumbling with a takeout bag as he steps out of his shoes in the hyeongwan, making a beeline for the kitchen. Passing by Ten completely, not saying a thing. He must be wearing a scent patch, because his scent is suspiciously muted, but what Ten can smell is soured ginger, in the way it only is when Kun is stressed out about something. 

Ten stares after him. 

There is a chance that his roommate-slash-best friend is going through things, perhaps, as Ten assumes that being an engineering student isn’t a walk in the park (not that he would know). But Ten can count on one fucking finger the amount of times Kun has come home and not immediately gone to him, saying hi, asking him about his day. Kun has an uncanny ability to place him in the apartment, find him, and instantly start bothering him. 

“Um, hello to you too?” Ten watches his retreating back, mildly offended. Okay, maybe not mildly. More like very.  

“Oh, Ten!” Kun exclaims, poking his head out of the doorway to the kitchen. “Sorry, didn’t see you. Did you eat?”

Ten blinks. 

Qian Kun is a weird guy. He’s a twenty four year old who wears sweater vests and has the energy of a dad who’s stuck paying off his kid’s college tuition and more often than not, he is juggling an absurd amount of responsibilities across campus that literally no one asked him to do. He’s an alpha who gets genuinely angry just about never, is so mellow that he’s usually mistaken for a beta, is even roommates with an omega like Ten (who everyone knows, very well, is the kind of omega that most alphas wouldn’t want to play house with, with his bull headed nature and refusal to bend to an alpha’s will). But Ten has known him for four years now, has seen Kun in about a hundred different ways, and none of them have come close to this.  

Flustered, red-faced. A guilty little expression stretched across his features. 

Hello? What the fuck happened to him?

“Yeah, I ate…” Ten says very slowly, rising from his spot on the couch to go inspect whatever virus his roommate must be coming down with. “You left the, uh, oxtail in the fridge. Thanks.”

“Mhmm,” Kun hums, putting his food away, which is even weirder because he’s not berating Ten about lunch, if he had eaten anything more than a protein bar (he didn’t), if that freshman alpha who’s been getting on his nerves is still bothering him (he is), if he’s talked to any of the kids today (only Yangyang).

Kun without any of his Kun-isms is fucking weird. Ten is a little scared. 

“Did you have a lecture?” he asks. Because usually on Thursday evenings, both of them are at home, binging a show or cooking a feast that bleeds over into the weekend, or something like that. 

“Uh, no,” Kun says. “I was hanging out with Johnny.” And for some explicable moment, goes even redder. 

And, hey. What?

Kun and Johnny are friends, he supposes, but for them to hang out… one on one… is strange. To say the least. Their connection is through Ten, as both of his best friends; not as their own, separate, best friends. A very irrational pang of jealousy rises up in Ten’s chest, one that he has to stamp right back down. 

“You were with Johnny,” Ten repeats. Just to be extra certain.

Kun is avoiding his eyes. “Yup.”

This is the weirdest way they’ve ever interacted with each other, which is saying a lot because the way they met was by Ten spilling his coffee on Kun on their first day of freshman orientation. Kun isn’t stoic - he is often impassioned about the oddest of things and can get riled up pretty easily if you know just what buttons to push - but he doesn’t get flustered and red over a hang out with fucking Johnny Suh.

Ten wonders, a little distantly, if he’s red because he’s drunk. Not that Kun is the type to go out drinking on Thursday nights, but you never know. Midterms are coming up, after all. 

So Ten asks: “Did you drink?”

Kun looks vaguely scandalized, naturally, like the accusation is an insult. Which, for Kun, it would be. “On a Thursday? Chittaphon, who do you think I am?”

Ten snorts. He follows Kun to the living room, where he sets down his bag and pulls his laptop charger from the wall outlet. This, at least, is normal. Both the offense and the routine.

“Your face is red,” is what Ten points out. “You’re only ever that red when you drink.”

Kun doesn’t look at him. “Yah, I’m not red,” he says. Even though he is. “Just a little under the weather.”

Ten slinks back onto the couch, watching, a little disturbed. Kun’s rut is still a good couple weeks off and it’s a little late in the year to be feeling under the weather. But again, Kun is a weird guy. Who knows what his immune system is like.

Ten, feeling perturbed and very weirded out, doesn’t push like he normally would. “Um, okay,” he says. “Whatever you say.”

On a normal day, Kun would be concerned about that, Ten conceding to him. Not when there’s usually some healthy amount of animosity between them, the classic push and pull that makes them oddly good friends. Ten knows he’s feisty, and Kun has no such qualms about said feistiness. But Kun is decidedly not concerned, not today, just gets all of his stuff together and huffs out a hurried good night, Tennie, don’t go to bed too late.

Kun goes to his room. Doesn't even linger, or bug Ten about his activity in the kitchen, or come over to pet the cats, or ask him about his day. Doesn’t peek over his shoulder at what he’s working on. Doesn’t offer to hang out. Just saunters to his room and closes the door behind him. 

Ten blinks. There usually aren't closed doors in their house, not when the cats like to wander from room to room, not when Leon likes to spend nights with Kun and Kun has always been a cocky asshole about the fact that Ten’s cat likes Kun more than him.

It’s… it’s fucking weird. 

Ten stares after him, a little confused. Did someone replace his roommate with a clone when he wasn’t paying attention? What the fuck is going on?

Soured ginger still hangs in the air. Ten balances it out with his own scent, saffron and jasmine. Normally his and Kun’s scents mix together naturally, but it gets a little stale when the stress in Kun’s scent is so heavy. Ten has to open a window and air the room out. 

It freaks him out immensely, enough so that for once in his life, he doesn't pry. 

Maybe even someone like Qian Kun has off days. 

-

Inexplicably, the weirdness continues. Kind of. 

Around Ten, Kun goes back to being perfectly normal. But whenever Johnny gets brought up in conversation, he has started to go bright red and find a way to choke on air at even the sound of his fucking name. 

Ten does not know what to do about it.

He texts Johnny: did you do something to Kun????

Johnny texts back: I’m innocent :)

And Kun is being Kun - is doting, takes his father role towards their friends a little too seriously, spends his nights doing homework instead of going out. Which should make Ten feel… he doesn’t know. Relieved, maybe? Satisfied? Content?

It’s off-putting, is what it is, to see level-headed Kun go red-faced at the mention of Johnny, who for all intents and purposes, lives a life completely separate from Kun. There’s little to no overlap between them if you take Ten out of the equation, besides the fact that Johnny DJs at Kun’s favorite bar.

(But even then, Kun is a fucking wine drinker. He isn’t going out to bars, he’s watching Jay Chou concerts with his feet in Ten’s lap, cuddling with their cats and being pretentious about whatever bottle of red he picked up from the store.)

So what the fuck is going on? Ten has no idea. Both of them are elusive and he’s too busy to dwell on it for too long, despite the fact that this new weirdness takes over what little part of his brain isn’t dedicated to projects and assignments. Ten presses as best he can, but Qian Kun’s stubbornness is infamous, so he learns nothing. And so life moves on. 

It’s a late night in the printmaking studio because Ten, once again, is swamped. It’s nearing 11 PM and he’s in the middle of monotype. He’ll probably be here until early morning, alone until god knows when. No one else ever stays as late as he does.

He’s hunched over his plate when he smells Kun before he sees him. Mellow ginger.

“You came here to bother me?” Ten asks, not even looking up. “Isn’t it past your bedtime, old man?”

Kun visiting is not a rare occurrence, not even a little bit. Ten gave him the studio code last year, and Kun will often come on nights when he’s less busy, just to hang out. To watch. He thinks it’s fascinating, apparently, the whole printing process. Though Ten supposes that it makes sense for a little STEM boy like Kun to be so fascinated by something as archaic as a printing press. 

“Yah, what are you talking about,” Kun chides. There’s his familiar heavy footsteps before he slides into the empty seat next to Ten, scent growing warmer, more fond. “I brought food, you workaholic.”

That gets Ten’s attention. He looks up, blinks at him. “You brought me food?”

That isn’t rare either. Kun feeds everyone and anything who needs it, Ten in particular. And the alpha is acutely aware of Ten’s penchant to forget about dinner once he’s found himself in the Zone while working. 

Kun smiles, holding up tupperware in a plastic bag. It’s one of their containers, the kind Kun’s mom sent them in the mail last year. “You didn’t eat, didn’t you.”

It’s not a question. They both already know the answer.

Ten juts his chin out. “I’m innocent.”

Kun just grins, as if that’s the answer he was expecting, fondly amused at Ten’s attempt to instigate instead of just telling the truth. Because being honest is boring, and when you’re friends with someone who nags as much as Kun does, it’s better to keep your unhealthy eating habits to yourself.  

“Alright, well, you need to eat,” Kun says. Thankfully not chiding him. Not this time, at least. “So let’s eat.”

Food isn’t allowed in the print studio, so they saunter off to Ten’s personal studio, full of his painting supplies and prints and current projects. A loom sits in the corner of the room, abandoned after Ten had given up on his latest weaving. Ten pointedly ignores the thing, chucks off his apron, and pulls out two stools for them to sit on at his desk. 

“Nice drawings,” Kun comments idly. He points to one that’s been hung up on the wall. “I like that one.”

Ten rolls his eyes. He already knows it’s the charcoal drawing he did of Kun a while back, the one Kun mentions on every time he visits him. Maybe it’s narcissism, who knows, but Kun has always been supportive of his art, almost to an aggressive extent, so he lets it go.

“Thanks, ge,” he says. “What’d you bring me?”

“Tom yum,” Kun says. He sits down, leans down against the desk, chin propped up on his hand. “Your mom’s recipe.”

Ten grumbles, but is secretly pleased. “I knew she was gonna send that to you even after I told her not to.”

Kun is still smiling. “Just eat it.”

So Ten does.

It’s good, obviously, because Kun’s food is always good. He’s the only alpha Ten knows who can genuinely cook, who is genuinely good at it. Ten is useless when it comes to anything besides shredding chicken breast to feed his cats. It’s another non-traditional thing about their sub-genders, paired along with their personalities. One of his exes used to joke that Ten was meant to be an alpha in another life, with how demanding he is.

Kun has no such qualms about that. Kun, because he’s a fucking weirdo, prefers Ten like this. Loud, eager to rile others up, teasing. Even the other alphas they’re friends with, including Johnny, get fed up with it sometimes. Ten doesn’t know if it’s because he’s mean or because it offends their inner alpha. But Kun only ever takes it in stride, giving back as good as he gets. 

There is quite literally no other alpha on this planet Ten would let cook for him and provide for him besides Kun. Kun is the only one who deserves it.

“It’s good,” Ten mumbles. Hates to admit it, but Kun’s cooking is closer to his mom’s than his own is.

“I’m glad you like it,” Kun grins. Smug as all hell. 

Ten hates Kun and his stupid cooking ability. He hates the stupid smirk he gets whenever Ten is nice enough to compliment him. He hates that his roommate-slash-best friend is the only alpha Ten has ever met who is worthy of his compliments.

“I hate you,” Ten grumbles.

Kun laughs. It’s oddly melodic, very Kun. “I know,” he says.

Ten tries to not feel smug that Kun only laughs like that around him. 

-

Johnny Suh has been a catalyst for many things in Ten’s life, but this is a new one. 

They’re at the hipster cafe near campus, because Johnny works as a barista in the mornings since he’s a completely pretentious asshole about coffee in the most annoying way possible. Like the fact that he has a fancy espresso machine at home but has yet to purchase a bed frame, for example. He’s that kind of annoying. 

“Uh-oh,” Johnny says in greeting the moment Ten steps through the door. “You need something strong, don’t you?”

Ten, who has been spending late nights in the studio and is fueled by nothing except caffeine and spite - and is distantly aware that his dark circles have recently been making their debut on his face, much to his disdain - agrees.

“Please,” he complains, slumped against the counter. “Save me.”

So Johnny makes him a coffee that has enough espresso shots in it to kill a Victorian child and hands it over, promising that it’s on the house today (bless his heart). Coffee tastes like heaven when you’re knee deep in a sixty hour work week. Ten sighs in satisfaction once he’s taken a sip.

Little mercies.

“You look so tired,” Johnny comments idly, wiping down the counter. “How’s your thesis? Still struggling with it?”

And just like that, the peace and tranquility Ten feels from the caffeine entering his system is shattered by the mention of the very exhibition that is currently ruining his life. He groans. “Don’t even ask. I’m meeting with the department head tomorrow. On top of everything else, he thinks I should go to grad school.”

Johnny grins, looking up at him. “Ooh, grad school. In Korea?”

Ten shrugs. “Well, I’m not really based anywhere else…”

It’s something he’s been mulling over, recently, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s interested in talking about it. After all, who could imagine that - Ten? In grad school?

It’s… complicated.

Ten is interested in art - of course, he’s getting a damn degree in it - but teaching has also been his calling for as long as he can remember. Whether it’s for dance lessons or showing demos for freshmen or whatever he gets roped into doing, he’s always loved teaching, always loved facilitating an environment for others to learn in, has always wanted to take it to a professional level. So grad school is… an option. An expensive option, for some time down the line, but an option nonetheless. 

As much as he doesn’t think he was meant for academia, not at all, he is very secretly pleased by the idea of “Professor Lee.” Or whatever version of his name he decides to use. 

“I can kinda see it,” Johnny grins. “You, like, in glasses. A cardigan. Maybe a polo?”

“Are you insane?” Ten asks, viscerally offended, like, immediately - a cardigan? A fucking cardigan? “I’m bright and youthful, not forty fucking years old!”

Ten has worked hard on his image, however people choose to take it - slutty? A little bit. Scandalous? To his mom, certainly. Over the top? Of course! That’s his whole brand!

But the idea of wearing a cardigan over a button-down… slacks, even… it makes him shiver in disgust. Never in a million fucking years. 

Johnny laughs. “Sorry, I don’t know what art teachers wear. But you can’t wear those low-cut numbers anymore.”

He gestures vaguely at Ten’s chest, which may or may not be a little bit on display at this current moment in time. So what? The V-neck looks good on him! Who cares if the V is a little low cut?

“Absolutely no cardigans,” Ten huffs out, mostly because he can’t argue against what Johnny is saying. He has a penchant for showing skin and everyone is aware. “And no polos either. Not as long as I’m still alive.”

Johnny puts his hands up in surrender. “Nothing wrong with being modest, Tennie.”

Ten rolls his eyes, mostly because Johnny loves annoying him and riling him up in the most effective ways possible. There’s no one else who knows how to get on his nerves so easily, not even Kun. Which is saying a lot. Because Kun and Ten spend about 20% of their time together arguing. 

Ever since they met during freshman year orientation for international students, he and Johnny have been thick as thieves. Stuck together like a piece of gum to the sole of your shoe. For a long time, you couldn’t see Johnny anywhere without also running into Ten. Or you wouldn’t see Ten in the studio without Johnny in his ear, blabbering about his newest hyperfixation, which used to change by the month.

Nowadays, they’re too busy to stick to each other like glue anymore. But the spirit is still there. 

“How’s Kun?” Johnny asks, humming as he makes an americano. “Is he still putting up with you?”

Ten glares. Johnny has that self-satisfied smirk on his face that Ten hates. It makes him look like an asshole.

“He puts up with me perfectly fine, thank you,” Ten bristles. “In fact, I think he’d wither away and die without me.”

No one asked, but in Ten’s opinion, he’s the only thing that keeps Kun alive and thriving. Without Ten, Kun wouldn’t have any friends to keep him humble. He’d be like a machine, churning out homework and papers without anyone fun in his life. When Ten’s around, Kun gets the privilege of witnessing what the true pinnacle of human achievement is like: getting white girl wasted on Sundays and terrorizing the underclassmen with your problems and being a beautiful, general nuisance to everyone.

Yeah, Ten is certain that he's the only thing keeping Kun together.

Johnny just hums, still smiling. “Poor Kun.”

Rude. Ten would like to point out that Kun, actually, is doing just fine. He’s been a little stir-crazy over midterms, but that’s not unusual at all. He tends to lock himself in the apartment and study his little heart out during exam season. 

“I’m a gift to this world, you know,” Ten politely reminds him. “Kun is blessed to have me in his life. I’m the gift that keeps on giving.”

“Yeah, sure, Tennie,” Johnny grins. “Are you guys still doing the, like, married couple thing?”

It’s crazy how sometimes someone will say a sentence and you hear something else entirely. Because Ten is pretty sure that Johnny - his dear best friend, platonic love of his life, and one of the only tolerable male bisexuals that Ten knows - wouldn’t say that. Ever.

“Repeat that?” Ten asks with a smile. Because he is nothing if not lovely and accommodating. 

Johnny’s grin is wicked. “You. Kun. Married couple.”

Ten’s smile drops.

It’s not anything no one has said before, because some of their friends are under the impression that Ten and Kun have the energy of an old married couple. Which is fine, if you’re into that kind of thing, which Ten is not. As far as he’s aware, he and Kun aren’t doing anything besides suffering their way through their last year of undergrad together. Let alone being… married. Not at all.

No, they have a relationship that’s more akin to… reluctant allies. Constant squabbling and complaining and taking petty revenge by using up the last roll of toilet paper. Nothing that constitutes as marriage. 

“I,” Ten says very slowly, “have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Johnny is still grinning. “I’m talking about the thing where Kun is like your alpha and the kids are like your pups but you don’t talk about it because you don’t want to admit that you like him.” He says it like it’s no big deal. Like it’s a completely normal thing to say to someone, like it isn’t at all weird and wrong and strange and did Ten mention weird?

And Johnny looks so disgustingly satisfied with himself too. 

Ten stares at him. What. The. Fuck.

Okay, so maybe him and Kun take on a vaguely parental role in some people’s lives, namely and pretty much only Yangyang, and sometimes Dejun when he’s going through things. But Kun isn’t his fucking alpha. Not even a little bit. And the kids aren’t his pups, either! They’re fully grown adults!

“I… I don’t like Kun!” He says, because that’s the thing he’s getting stuck on, for some reason. “Kun isn’t my alpha! I’m just the only omega in his life!”

Johnny hums. “That’s not helping your case.”

Ten is… offended, a little bit. Because what the fuck is this accusation? Of… of him and Kun? Doing what? Being mates?

Ten’s stomach tumbles at the thought. Fuck. What the fuck.  

“I guess he’s, like, attractive. If you’re into old men.” Ten tries and fails to take the reins of the conversation. Johnny is grinning with all his teeth, watching Ten dig his own grave and lie in it. “But I don’t like him like that! And I don’t think Kun likes, like, anyone.”

In Ten’s opinion, that’s some pretty fucking solid logic, mostly because it’s true. The last time Kun dated anyone was Junhui, during their freshman year, and there hasn’t been anyone since - or at least no one besides that one pretty beta girl last year who was so into Kun that it was embarrassing, and it ended in Kun having to block her number and avoid her at all costs. Ten had thought for a while that maybe those relationships were so traumatic that he never wanted to try again, but Kun and Jun are still, like, best fucking friends. So probably not. 

Ten has always assumed that Kun’s romantic interests were tied to his fascination with planes and his engineering homework and that’s it. Which is a safe assumption. Because in order to maintain his 3.8 GPA, Kun has to be somewhat in love with his homework. 

“So you don’t like him,” Johnny says. “Even though he’s, like, your perfect alpha.”

The perfect alpha is a long stretch, but Ten can suppose that maybe that’s true if we’re getting real technical with it. Kun can cook. He can provide. He’s nice to omegas. He doesn’t care about boisterous personalities.

He’s handsome. Handsome enough. He’s nice and sweet and kind and…

Wait. What?

“I don’t!” Ten defends himself. Because it’s true. Because what else would he say? What else is there to say?

He doesn’t like Kun! And Kun doesn’t like him!

Kun is like a grandpa in a twenty four year old’s body, and he goes to bed early on Saturdays, and he is what Ten often considers to be the bane of his life. They are best friends, almost begrudgingly, and even if they weren’t, Ten still wouldn’t like him. Because it’d be weird and it wouldn’t make sense. 

Kun is… Kun. He’s not, like, an option. He’s just there. He’s always been there, and probably always will be, and Ten has never needed - nor wanted - anything more than that. And that’s how things work.

“Really?” Johnny asks.

“Really!” Ten insists. Because it’s true. Because it’s the one truth he knows, the only thing genuine about his life, the only safe thing he has; his very platonic, non-romantic, painfully normal relationship with Kun.

“So if he dated someone,” Johnny asks, eyes narrow, “you wouldn’t care?”

And, hey. Ten’s heart comes to a shuddering stop, for half a second, before he can hear his blood roaring in his ears.

Hold on. 

Wait a second.

What?

Ten and Kun have been friends for what feels like forever, but never before has Ten ever thought about Kun and dating in the same sentence, not really. Kun, whose ruts involve a whole lot of laying on the couch and complaining about his head instead of watching porn. Kun, who has never once brought anyone home. Kun, who stays up when Ten goes out in order to make sure he gets home safe, who makes them food, who is nagging and attentive and doting, who scents Ten if he needs it, who feeds his cats, who gets perfect grades, who has a beautiful smile, who could one day find someone to mate-

Who could do all of those things for someone else, the person he decides to date. Because surely even Kun will date, one day.

Ten stares at Johnny, who is smirking, suddenly feeling like he’s missing the big picture. His stomach feels like it has fallen out of his body, cramping and nervous. 

Kun, dating. Kun, kissing someone. Kun, digging his teeth into someone’s neck and leaving a mark, mixing their scents, leaving his claim-

Ten doesn’t like Kun, not like that. And Kun doesn’t like him. And even though they are best friends and roommates, one day Kun will find someone whose scent he likes, someone he will mate with, someone who will give him pups-

Ten wants to throw up. For some reason.

“I don’t see why it would be an issue if Kun dated someone if you don’t even like him,” Johnny says, a knowing look on his face. “I mean Kun is an eligible bachelor, he might even be into someone right now-”

That sets off a major fucking panic alarm in Ten’s head, for some reason. Because him and Kun have next to no secrets between them. If Kun liked someone, Ten would be the first to know. But then he thinks about Kun tiptoeing around him on the couch, going to bed without a word, keeping Leon out of his room…

He feels nauseous. 

“He’s not,” Ten says, voice trembling, for some reason. “He doesn’t like anyone.”

Johnny hums. Smiles. “But he could.”

And there’s the catalyst. It cracks open in his mind, consumes it whole, consumes him until he can’t breathe.

Does Kun like someone? Does Kun like someone? Does Kun-

“He doesn’t,” Ten insists.

“But if he did,” Johnny says, low and patient, “there’s nothing you could do about it.”

Ten doesn’t like being wrong. He doesn’t like hypotheticals. He lives in the moment, all of the time. But this is a hypothetical that stares him down in the face, demands for attention, screams until it is heard. Kun liking someone else more than he likes Ten, spending time with someone else, taking them on dates, choosing them, switching his priorities from wine nights with Ten to going out with this unnamed person-

Johnny still has that stupid look on his face and Ten feels so fucking nauseous and every scent, every sensory input is too much, too real, too overwhelming. His flight or fight instincts are kicking and screaming in his chest, rising up until he can hardly breathe. All at the thought of Kun dating, Kun finding a mate, Kun with someone else, Kun, Kun, Kun-

What the fuck is going on?

-

Ten does what he does in all times of peril, which is go right to Kibum.

He ends his date with Johnny as quickly as he can, mood thoroughly soured, and races across campus to the art building to seek refuge. Forgoing knocking on Kibum’s office door like a polite member of society, he lets himself right in. As his favorite dongsaeng, Ten is the only one with the privilege to do so. 

His mentor, hunched over his laptop, immediately spins around to glare at him.

“What do you- oh, Tennie.” His scent goes from ticked off to pleased, immediately, citrus going sweet. “I should’ve known it was you, you smell awful.”

Ten groans, because he didn’t even realize it, but it’s now occurring to him that people were giving him odd looks as he ran across campus and - when he feels at his neck, there’s no scent patch there. Fuck. “Yeah, sorry, I guess I forgot to put patches on this morning.”

He flops down onto the futon couch Kibum keeps in the corner of his office as ungracefully as he can. His life is in shambles. 

Kibum is the closest thing Ten has to a proper adult in his life. He’s his college mentor, gay guru, the only other omega he knows who is capable of shutting down weird alphas and still look cute while doing so. Since Kibum is the head of the fibers department on campus, his office is their go to place to hang out, or talk shit, or have breakdowns, or whatever the day brings them. Usually talking shit and having breakdowns. 

“You need some patches?” Kibum asks, digging around in a desk drawer. “I grabbed some yesterday, I think I brought them…”

“Please,” Ten says, a little pathetic and whiny because if anyone is gonna give him a safe space to peacefully be a pouty brat, it’s Kim Kibum. He throws Ten a patch, which hits him square on the forehead.

“Oh, oops,” Kibum snickers, not sounding very sorry at all.

Ten grumbles. “Thanks, hyung.”

He unwraps the stupid scent patch and slaps it right over his neck. Overripe saffron goes muted, less visceral and pungent. Kibum frowns at him, concerned. 

“What has you smelling like that, honey?” Kibum asks. “Is it that freshman alpha again? I can talk to admin about it.”

It’s true that there’s been a freshman alpha in the department who’s been bothering him, saying that his alpha wants Ten’s omega so bad. Which is gross and disgusting and the most annoying thing on the planet. But Ten has a handle on it - carries around Kun’s scent like it’s his own, has reported the kid numerous times, and has no qualms on drop kicking the little shit if it progresses any further. 

And yet, that’s the least of his worries right now. As is the norm for Ten’s trainwreck of a life. 

He sighs, closing his eyes. “No, Johnny just said something stupid. And it… I don’t know. It freaked me out.” Which is simplifying things, considering he nearly had a panic attack in that stupid cafe, but there’s nothing wrong with keeping things brief. 

Kibum blinks at him.

“But Johnny always says stupid things,” he points out. “And it’s never anything to freak out over.”

Which is true. Unfortunately. 

Johnny is an alpha who can come across as scary if you don’t know him. Tall, wide shoulders, intimidating look in his eyes when he’s concentrated on something. But he’s truly incapable of hurting a fly and usually any of the harmful things he says are said in good faith.

But still…

“I guess it was just, like, extra stupid,” Ten whines. Mostly upset because nothing that Johnny says should ever cause him this much distress, not really. “He, like, was talking about Kun, and how I supposedly like him even though I don’t, and how one day he’ll get a proper mate, and I just-”

“Wait, hold on, pause.” Kibum cuts him off, sounding confused. Ten opens his eyes to look at him. “What do you mean you don’t like Kun?”

His words seemingly echo in the room. Ten wonders, distantly, if all of his friends decided to play a prank on him today. 

“Um, why would I like Kun?” Ten asks, equally confused. Hoping to god that this is all one cruel joke. 

Kibum stares at him. “Is Kun not your boyfriend?”

And, well. Silence stretches between them. 

It’s not uncommon for people to ask Ten if he’s dating Kun, especially when it’s other students. When he goes to parties and people ask where his boyfriend is, they’re usually surprised when Ten tells them that he’s actually single. It doesn’t help that Kun’s stupid alpha scent is usually sticking to him like a second skin. 

But Kibum, who has known him for years? Who is one of Ten’s closest friends? Who probably knows Ten’s social security number, at this point, because Ten would have zero qualms about giving it to him if the older man asked for it?

“Kun and I aren’t…” Ten says very slowly, sitting up onto his elbows. He tries to go about this as calmly as he can, just in case this is something all of his friends planned for him. Remember when we asked Ten if he was dating Kun and he cried? Yeah, that would not be the look.

“I’m not dating Kun,” Ten says. “Nor have I ever dated him. As far as I’m aware.”

Kibum’s eyes are wide. He looks so, so confused. 

“Is it like a friends with benefits situation, then?” He asks, tilting his head. “Or are you not labeled? Or-”

And hey, what? What? How does one see Kun and Ten together and think ah, they must be friends with benefits?! How does one see Kun and Ten together and think anything at all!

“We’re nothing but friends!” Ten exclaims, face red. “Friends and roommates! You’ve met him!”

“Yeah, I met him and I thought that “roommates” was code for boyfriend, ‘cause he totally acts like your alpha, Tennie,” Kibum says. “You weren’t out, yet, when I came over. I thought you didn’t wanna tell me.”

Which, okay, is a wild thing to hear. That Kim Kibum would look at Kun and Ten and think that they’re… together. As boyfriends. Maybe even mates. 

“Kun isn’t my alpha!” Ten cries. “He- he doesn’t act like it, either! We’re friends!”

“But you- you talk about him all the time?” Kibum points out. “And you live together, and he cooks for you, and you go on dates-” Kibum is cut off by his phone ringing. Huffing, he picks it up and yells into the receiver: “YAH, CHOI MINHO! What’d I tell you about calling me while I’m at work-!”

Kibum immediately gets distracted by his husband on the other side of the line, as he always does.

Ten covers his face with his hands and groans.

Johnny’s teasing is one thing, but how could Kibum - his most trusted comrade in this cruel world - think the exact same thing?! His relationship with Kun is totally normal! Perfectly platonic!

Sure, he supposes that Kun maybe acts a little like a provider. And maybe, just maybe, Ten sometimes reciprocates by making sure the apartment is clean and tidy. But there’s nothing actually weird about that, is there? That’s a completely normal thing for roommates to do! 

And their “dates” are platonic, in every sense of the world. Usually they sit on opposite ends of the couch and watch a movie together, wine in hand. With a little cuddling involved, maybe. But only maybe! And it’s never on purpose! It’s only because Ten’s a touchy guy!

Is it so weird for an omega to be close with an alpha? Alphas and omegas can be close and not want to fuck each other! 

“Sorry, this idiot forgot when he was supposed to take time off for my damn heat, I can’t believe him,” Kibum shakes his head when he hangs up the phone. “Never mate an alpha who makes working out his whole personality, I swear the only thing on his mind is the fucking gym.”

That’s rich coming from Kibum, who brags about his husband like he’s getting paid to do so (which makes sense, considering no one in their right minds would possibly disparage Choi Minho), quickly followed by complaining about said husband until he loses his voice. Ten will never quite understand how the two of them managed to cross paths, let alone forge their relationship into romance, but he’s heard from Kibum that it took decades and a lot of yearning. And it’d be a lie to say they aren’t the perfect match. 

“But you said that his arms were his best asset,” Ten points out. “And that Minho hyung’s knot is-”

“Alright, let’s not!” Kibum cuts him off, face red. As if he isn’t plenty graphic on the regular. “Nice try, trying to act like you aren’t the one living with an alpha who’d be courting you if you let him.”

That’s a low fucking blow if Ten has ever heard one. Because not only is that not true, it’s ridiculous! They may be friends, but Ten would be the last omega Kun would want to court. Sure, Kun enjoys their bickering, but there’s no way he’d ever be interested in mating with an omega like Ten, who is loud and opinionated and bossy. Kun would want someone light, delicate, easy to get along with.

Ten pretends like his heart doesn’t clench at the thought. 

“That’s not true,” Ten defends himself. “I’m not his type! And even if I was, all that stupid alpha ever does is think about school!”

“Honey, I’ve met him like once and he was looking at you like you hung all the stars in the sky,” Kibum argues. “You asked him to make khao soi and he caved, like, instantly.”

Ten goes red. Mostly because he didn’t realize they were so blatant about that. 

Kun isn’t supposed to play favorites, except he totally does, and his favorite is definitely Ten. Ten decides where the group eats out (except for when the kids whine for hotpot and it’s 5 against 1 and Kun has no choice but to give in), Ten decides what meals Kun is going to make for the week, Ten decides what they’re watching on movie nights, Ten is the one who gets Kun to cave and let him get another cat. 

But isn’t that because they’re best friends? Isn’t that what best friends do?

He’s never been as close with an alpha as he is with Kun, living together and sharing everything. But he’s pretty damn certain that their relationship is as platonic as it gets, sub-genders disregarded or not. And even if it wasn’t, there is no world in which someone like Kun is interested in someone like Ten. 

Right? He never would be… right?

(Why the fuck does Ten’s inner omega whine so disappointedly at the thought?)

“I can see why your scent is so confused, now,” Kibum says sagely. “Tennie, I love you. But this is the dumbest you’ve ever been.”

Ten frowns. He’s not dumb.  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ten says. “You’re not making any sense.”

Kibum just smiles. Like he knows something that Ten doesn’t.

“I think you’ll be able to figure it out,” he says. “One day.”

Which, okay, is cryptic enough. But Ten can read between the lines. Kibum thinks that Kun is in love with him (or the other way around or both ways at the same time), which isn’t true. Johnny thinks that Ten is in love with Kun, which also isn’t true. He’s fighting a losing battle because his friends think he likes Kun and they’re fucking wrong.

He doesn’t like Kun, and Kun doesn’t like him, and he regrets ever being friends with these people in the first place. They all want to make him miserable and confused and tired. The last thing he needs in the whole fucking world is people questioning his and Kun’s relationship, which is ultimately the most stable thing in Ten’s messy life.

He doesn’t need an alpha! Especially if that alpha is Kun!

“You,” Ten accuses, “want me dead.”

It’s the only explanation he can come up with. This is a late April Fool’s joke and his friends all decided to be oddly coordinated today. Annoying idiots, all of them. 

Kibum snorts. Turns his desk chair back around, opens his laptop back up. “You’re worse than I was, honey. But I’m sure you’ll realize it soon enough.”

Ten disagrees, but Kibum is sold on the idea, and there’s no changing his mind. Talk about stubborn. Johnny and Kibum together is a force that is plenty capable of ruining his life. Fuck them. 

Ten groans, burying his face into a nearby pillow, wishing the earth would swallow him up whole. How annoying. 

-

Despite the inner turmoil and stomachaches he suffers at the idea of Kun with a partner (for some reason; a reason that Ten is not going to mentally unpack), things go back to normal. As normal as they can get.

Ten, mostly, forgets about his friends’ accusations, writing them off as stress-induced hallucinations, because the whole situation makes no sense otherwise. He forces himself to not think about it, which is easy when the thing you’re trying not to think about is the last thing you want to think about. Kun certainly makes the process easier, by showing no romantic inclinations towards anyone, as he always does, buried up to his nose in studying and keeping Ten fed and nagging at everyone in their friend group to actually work hard for midterms. 

He is a little bit distant, perhaps. A little bit guarded. He’s spending less time around Ten, more time by himself. Staying up at the library instead of at their dining room table. He brings Ten food at the studio, sometimes, but doesn’t hang around, not recently. Drops it off and smiles a little awkwardly and flees. 

It’s weird. It’s not a Kun-ism, that’s for sure, and Ten is damn near at his wit’s end trying to stay afloat with all the… the recent accusations. And with Kun being weird, on top of all of that?

Ten has to try his hardest to not dwell on anything. At least they still have their family meals with the friend group. 

“Open up!” Comes Yangyang’s voice early on a Saturday morning, knocking viciously on the door. Ten, sprawled out on the couch, does not answer. Kun sticks his head out of the kitchen and gives him an expectant look. 

“Are you gonna answer that?” Kun asks. “He’s gonna do that until we let him in.”

Ten has no such desire to let the hellspawns into his home. He gives Kun his best pleading puppy eyes. The kind that he knows works. 

“Ten,” Kun sighs.

“Please?” Ten asks. “Gege?”

There’s a muscle in Kun’s jaw twitching as his eyes flicker between Ten and the front door. His hands are still soapy from whatever he was doing in the sink and he looks like a fucking idiot but Ten still feels weirdly fond as Kun turns back around, sighing as loud as he can. 

“Fine!” He announces loudly, huffing and puffing. “Lazy boy!”

Ten grins, victorious, as Yangyang pounds on the door again, this time joined by Dejun’s very distinct “KUN GE!” Kun swears as he wipes his hands on a kitchen towel and stomps on over to the door. 

“Yah!” He yells. “We’re gonna get noise complaints again! How many times do I have to tell you lot to-”

Ten laughs as Kun throws the door open and four bodies tumble in. Yangyang falls almost directly into Kun’s arms like he was leaning on the door, Dejun held back by Kunhang’s hand clutched onto the back of his jacket and Sicheng’s clutched onto Kunhang's. It can’t be any colder than fifty degrees outside, yet Yangyang is throwing off his padded jacket like they left him out on a cold winter’s night. 

Full of drama, just how Ten taught him.

“How long does it take to open a door?” Yangyang is whining already, shoes off and launching his body at the couch to land directly on Ten. “We almost died out there. And Dejun won’t stop singing that stupid New Jeans song.” 

“Hype Boy is not stupid!” Comes Dejun’s incredulous voice from the hyeongwan. Ten snorts a laugh as Yangyang buries into his side and groans. Despite his constant yelling that Ten is (1) not his dame and (2) not worthy of his affection, he seems hellbent on acting like he’ll die if he’s not constantly clinging on. 

“How about we all take a deep breath,” Kun offers, shutting the door with a sigh. “Just one big, deep breath.”

“We already tried that,” Sicheng supplies unhelpfully. “And we learned that Kunhang can’t hold his breath longer than eight seconds.”

“Hey!” Comes Kunhang, this time, and Kun stalks back to the kitchen, grumbling in that old-man way he often does. Something about stupid kids who need new parents. Dejun crowds in on Ten’s other side, and now he’s being sandwiched. 

“Ge, hold me,” Dejun bemoans. “I haven’t seen you in a week. I’ve been wasting away.”

“There, there,” Ten grins, holding both dongsaengs in his arms. “Everything’s gonna be okay.” 

Kunhang rather ungracefully falls wayside onto the part of the couch that isn’t covered in their sandwich, pulling at Dejun’s feet. Sicheng has wandered off to go track down the cats, who all scattered at the noise of this morning’s ruckus. 

“How are you guys doing?” Ten asks, just to be agreeable. He can hear Kun clattering together dishes in the kitchen, as he insisted on making breakfast for everyone. He may as well play the part of a good gege if Kun’s going to, like, provide an entire meal. “How’s Renjun, Yangie? Made any moves?”

“Any moves?” Yangyang asks, sounding properly scandalized, which is what Ten was kind of going for. “What does that mean? You’re too old for that vernacular!”

Ten doesn’t need to remind Yangyang that they are, in fact, only three years apart in age. God forbid Yangyang acknowledge the fact that Ten and Kun aren’t actually withering, decaying corpses, but young men in their early 20’s who just so happened to have fostered a couple of international students in the meantime. 

“They kissed at a party this weekend,” Kunhang supplies. “Yangyang freaked out and spilled his drink everywhere.”

“Why would you tell him that!” Yangyang screeches, face red. “That was supposed to be a secret!”

“Everyone saw it,” Dejun whispers to Ten. “Jungwoo told everyone.”

“I saw it on an Instagram story,” Sicheng adds, from Ten’s bedroom. “Jaemin’s, I think.”

“Aw, Yangie, that’s so cute,” Ten coos. “Was it good? Was he nice about it? You didn’t get hard, right?”

“Kun ge!” Yangyang shrieks, trying to wrestle out of Ten’s hold and failing. “They’re bullying me!”

Ten laughs and hangs on to the little baby alpha as he wiggles on the couch. Kun pops his head out of the kitchen and stares them down, disapproval clear as day on his face. Inevitably, what he finds is a scene that isn’t a rare occurrence, not at all, and you can tell by the rather fatherly frown on his face. 

“Does he deserve it?” Kun asks in a level voice. Less of a reprimand and more of a genuine question. 

“Yes,” they all chorus. Kun shrugs like well, if you deserve it, what am I to do? which makes Yangyang frown so hard, he looks more like a kicked puppy than a twenty year old. Kun just heads back into the kitchen, humming, like none of this is his problem. 

And, well. If things devolve further from there, Ten is confident in saying that it’s all Kun’s fault.

After a little more family-friendly bullying, in which Yangyang calls them all old and stupid (Dejun’s offended gasp could be heard all the way in China), Kun makes them all come and eat. He’s set the table and everything, putting everyone’s food onto their plates himself. It’s an alpha thing, as far as Ten is aware. They may not be a proper pack (not yet), but it’s customary for the pack alpha to do all the serving at mealtime. 

The omegas Ten and Dejun first, and then Sicheng, and then the baby alphas, Yangyang and Kunhang. Kun is supposed to serve himself last, but Ten usually just takes the initiative to do it for him once he’s too busy to pay attention. 

“Thanks for the meal, ge,” Dejun says sweetly, as he always does, because he’s an ass-kisser. The rest of them grunt their affirmatives.

Kun smiles. A satisfied little thing. “Dig in.”

The food is good, as always. Ten isn’t ever particularly hungry in the mornings, but he dutifully eats when Kun keeps his plate full, just because it makes Kun grin a little wider. And while it’s normally Ten’s job is to make Kun’s life as miserable as possible, it is oddly fulfilling to see the dumb alpha so pleased over something so small like his not-yet-pack eating his food. 

(Again, if it were anyone else, Ten would never give them the satisfaction. But Kun works for it, deserves it, and is worthy of a compliment every now and again. 

But not too many. Gotta keep that ego in check.)

“School going well?” Kun asks the kids once they’ve gotten a good deal of food down. “Studied hard for midterms?”

“My heat hit, so I’m taking them next week,” Dejun chirps unhelpfully. “Extra study time.”

In sync, Ten and Kun both turn to look right at Kunhang, who reddens.

“I helped, obviously,” he mutters. “I haven’t taken mine yet.”

“I bombed Chemistry but got Chinese in the bag,” Yangyang steam rolls right over them, apparently disinterested in talking about Dejun’s heat and whether or not Kunhang was there to help him through it. How in the world a fluent Mandarin speaker was allowed to take Chinese is still a mystery to them all. Apparently it’s because Yangyang “technically” hails from Germany. “My professor said I did great.”

Kun has a look on his face like he regrets asking at all. Ten laughs. 

“Great is better than failing,” he nudges Kun with his elbow. “Better for his GPA.”

Kun concedes, visibly holding his tongue, as Sicheng tells them about his interpretative dance midterm. Ten pats him on the thigh, an award for his silence. Yangyang’s confidence is a delicate thing. 

Despite the fact that these meals happen weekly, at this point, the chaos never manages to die down. Kunhang and Yangyang get into an argument about the new COD game almost immediately, where Dejun chimes in only to rile them both up even further. Kun and Sicheng lean into a conversation about the show they’ve both been following, while Ten watches with barely disguised fondness. It’s a dysfunctional family, but it’s his all the same. 

“Say thank you to your gege!” Ten chides them all as he clears the table and the lot of them pile back onto the couches in the living room. They chorus their thanks and it’s funny seeing Kun look so obviously delighted at such a simple gesture. Must be an alpha thing. Whatever hormones give you a knot must also make you into a simpleton. 

“Thank you, Ten Ten,” Kun says sweetly when Ten brings the cleared plates to him in the kitchen. He’s in a good mood about the get-together, clearly. A complete 180 from the Kun who’s been holed up in the library, studying for the past two weeks. Not like the Kun who has been avoiding him, either. This is Ten’s Kun, the right Kun. 

“Mhmm,” Ten hums, leaning against the doorway and watching as Kun watches each dish by hand. They do, in fact, have a dishwasher. Silly stubborn man. 

Neither of them have to say anything more. Words are rarely necessary between them. So Ten goes back to the living room, lands across Kunhang’s lap, demands for his kids to tell them everything that’s been going on in their lives, especially the embarrassing things. 

When Kun joins them, he slides under Ten’s legs, puts his feet on his lap, hand curled around his ankle. Doesn’t say much. Just kind of sits there and smiles.

It’s easy to forget about the weirdness when Kun acts like his Kun. Tired, a little grumbly, easily placated by the pile of bodies on his living room couch. The Kun who acts like a single dad who works two jobs but is actually just the head alpha of their college friend group. The Kun who tends to Ten while complaining, bemoaning his life, all while he secretly enjoys doting anyway. The Kun that is Ten’s favorite.

It almost feels like the recent chaos of his life is a thing of the past, as Kunhang wriggles out of Ten’s grasp to chase Yangyang around the living room, yelling about some kind of bet they had on League that he obviously lost. Dejun flops onto Ten’s lap, giggling about their antics. Sicheng has a look on his face like he’s considering asking them to stop, but is secretly enjoying the ruckus. Kun is still smiling. 

It’s not the worst thing in the world. Not at all.

-

Ten maybe should have seen Johnny’s invite out for drinks to be suspicious when the alpha texted him: You. Kun. Me. At Lucky’s. 7 PM SHARP!!!!!! But alas, Ten hadn’t.

If he had known what was in store for him, he would’ve turned down the offer. Called in sick, or whatever the friendship version of that is. 

But he and Kun are, indeed, at Lucky’s at 7 PM sharp. Their usual bar, where the drinks are relatively cheap and just snobby enough for Ten’s taste. Kun has wine in one hand, the other tapping on the table. He looks nervous. More nervous than usual. He’s dressed up, a little bit - bomber jacket over top of an old t-shirt that maybe, kind of, highlights his shoulders.

Not that Ten has noticed. Not at all. 

Kun dresses up when they go out, sure. He’s a respectable member of society. But he almost looks like he genuinely tried today, the hint of something on his eyelids, his hair swept back, wearing the one single pair of artfully ripped jeans that Ten had gifted him two birthdays ago.

It sets Ten on edge. Who is Kun dressed up for? And can it please not be anyone, actually?

“Are you okay?” Ten asks, not because he’s someone who gets concerned about Kun, not really, but because it’s kind of freaking him out to see Kun… he doesn’t know. Trying? For once? And being nervous about it?

“Yeah,” Kun says. The barest hint of a smile on his face, as he squeezes Ten’s hand. “Sorry.”

Ten isn’t given enough time to properly ponder on what he could’ve possibly been apologizing for.

“Sorry I’m late!” Johnny is chirping, appearing out of nowhere, sliding into the booth next to Kun. “Markie and I were working on a demo, I lost track of time. Did you order already?”

“Uh huh,” Ten deadpans, unimpressed. Johnny is dressed up, too. That stupid button up that hands low on him, shows off his chest. The pair of pants that make his ass look fantastic. If Ten had known they were all slutting themselves out tonight, he would’ve worn more than a tank top and sweatpants. It’s been a long week, okay?

(There’s nothing worse than the two bisexuals out-dressing the gay man. Ten sips on his tequila soda and sighs. 

Fuck. He must be losing his touch.)

Johnny just grins. He sends Ten a wink. The kind of wink that’s code for I have something to tell you and you’re gonna lose your mind. 

Which is… alright. 

Now that Ten is thinking about it, he can admit that this invite, perhaps, was a bit odd. It’s strange for the three of them to go out together without Taeyong or Jaehyun in tow. It’s weird for the three of them to go to a bar and not, say, Ten and Kun’s apartment, where they can get drunk on red wine and eat whatever snacks Kun has decided are his favorite this week. 

But then:

“Got you a beer,” Kun tells Johnny. “It should be coming out soon.” Which is a normal way for the two of them to interact with each other. 

But then:

Johnny is smiling, leaning in towards Kun, cooing: “Aww, Kun Kun, thanks.”

And hold on. Pause.

What the fuck was that?

As far as Ten is aware, Johnny and Kun are close. Close enough. They’re friends. Sure. But never anything more than like… bros. Bro-friends. But Ten knows when Johnny’s flirting because he’s seen it happen a million fucking times, knows when his voice goes low and saccharine sweet that it means something.

So why the fuck did he just use it on Kun? With a fucking nickname?

Specifically Ten’s nickname for Kun?

Ten stares. 

Kun smiles back at Johnny. It’s easy, light hearted. Nothing overt, but Kun is rarely overt except for when he’s trying to hide something. But right now, he is relaxed. Easy. A little pliant. Lets Johnny put an arm on the seat behind him, and Ten is just realizing how fucking weird it is that Johnny is sitting next to Kun and not him.

Maybe it’s been a long week, and maybe Ten is running on four hours of sleep, but things are decidedly weird. Too weird to ignore.

Ten clears his throat. “How’s Mark?”

Seems simple enough, really, to talk about Mark. Considering that Mark is one of his babies and everyone at this table would die for him, no questions asked. Johnny just shrugs, though, not entirely interested. Even though Mark is, like, one of Johnny’s favorite things to talk about, to the point where Ten has, in the past, banned the mention of the kid entirely. 

“He’s okay. Helped me with this mix I’ve been stuck on,” Johnny then grins, turning to Kun. “What’s going on with you?”

WHAT THE FUCK?

It’s like being underwater and watching sunlight stream down through it. Like a distorted image. Kun and Johnny leaned in close, more comfortable together than they’ve ever been before, looking at each other like Ten isn’t even there. And Ten’s brain is screaming that something’s wrong, because he can’t think of a single time in his life where Kun has elected to pay attention to Johnny instead of him.

Except he is. Ten didn’t even know that Kun could do that, ignore him. Because he’s never done that before. And yet he’s looking right at Johnny, looking at him like there’s a little secret between them, and Ten very rationally wants to rip them apart. Wants to squeeze himself in there. Wants to know what the fuck is going on. 

He zeroes in on Johnny scooting in closer. Kun does not move away. He is fidgeting - embarrassed? - but he is not moving away. If Ten did that… if he cornered Kun like that… he’d probably move away. Right?

Right?

Kun isn’t a tactile guy, but he’s not shy either. And yet Ten can recognize the shyness on him, right now, a little more timid than usual. And it makes him wanna bare his teeth, growl out, because since when was Kun timid? Kun, mild mannered except for when Ten riles him up. Kun, who has the authority of an alpha deep within him. Kun, soft, who scolds his cats and complains about Ten not eating proper lunches and nags and nags and nags, who-

“You,” is what Ten ends up saying. “Both of you. What’s going on.”

It’s not a question. He stares as both of them turn to him, like they’ve only just remembered that he was there. Normally Kun would, like, at least be playing footsies with him underneath the table, just because he knows it pisses Ten off. But now there is a distinct lack of dirty sneakers against his calves.

“I invited you out tonight,” Johnny says right to Ten, “because we wanted to tell you something.”

Ten looks between them. He is staring. His heart is beating in his chest, fast and scared, a thought that he refuses to acknowledge starting to creep in on his mind.

“What,” Ten’s voice croaks, “are you talking about.”

Johnny grins. No, he doesn’t grin, he smirks. And the worst part is that Ten knows what that smirk means.

I know something you don’t. I got what I wanted. There is something that belongs to me that you’ll never get to have. And I got to it first.

Johnny leans in towards Kun, just the tiniest bit, and it’s hardly anything at all. But Ten notices anyways, but then Ten is thinking over everything, but then it’s all clicking into place, and Ten’s world, very abruptly, stops.

He knows that tone. He knows what it means when two friends sit down in front of a third friend like this. He knows what those smiles mean, that flirty tone, the fond look. But he’s underwater, and he’s drowning, because why the fuck would it happen with Johnny and Kun.

We wanted to tell you something, he says. We.

Ten looks to Kun, helpless, who is looking away. A foreign kind of expression on his face. Ten has never seen that look on his face before.

It scares the shit out of him. 

“Johnny,” Kun says. He sounds nervous. “Tonight?”

Johnny is grinning. “When else? It’s already been weeks-”

Kun, for some reason, goes red. Ten stares. This is not His Kun, who does not go red when Johnny Suh speaks. This is much more reminiscent of that night a couple weeks ago, when Kun walked past him on the couch, barely saying a word, red after hanging out with Johnny…

For some inexplicable reason, Ten’s heart drops to his ass.

Oh no. No.

Absolutely not.

“You guys…” Ten says, voice shaking. Half convinced this is a cruel joke, because why shouldn’t it be? “You guys-”

Kun isn’t looking at him, he is looking down at his lap, ears red. Johnny’s arm is still stretched out behind him. They’re so close, they’re practically touching. Ten is going to throw up. 

“So it’s a long story…” Johnny starts to say, and then he says something else, but Ten isn’t listening.

Ten has never thought about Kun and romance before, not together. Only as two separate entities. It always felt like a forbidden thing, Kun and romance, Kun in love. He has never bothered to understand why it felt taboo to him. Or why it made him feel so uncomfortable. But he sees the look on Kun’s face, the small fondness on it, the fondness that Ten maybe, once upon a time, thought was reserved for him and him alone.

And it’s like getting hit with a fucking train, the second before the crash, as Johnny’s arm comes around Kun’s shoulder and tugs him into his side. 

“We,” Johnny says, “are together.”

Ten would like to say that he has a completely normal reaction to this. He would. But his brain is running a million miles an hour and Kun’s hand is sliding into Johnny’s, fingers interlacing, and this is when it occurs to him that this is not, in fact, a very ill-informed joke, or a dream, or a nightmare. This is real, and this is the last thing he ever fucking wanted, this is Kun and this is who he likes and it’s fucking Johnny-

It dawns on Ten, in an instant, what this means. His best friends. Together. Kun with someone. With Johnny. They’re together.

Panic is rising in his throat and it tastes like bile, it tastes like fear, it tastes like the thought that Ten refuses to give a voice to that’s been eating away at him for weeks. Kun’s distance, Johnny’s confrontation in the cafe, Kibum’s certainty that Kun likes him. Except Kun doesn’t. Except Kun is with Johnny. Except this is like every terrible nightmare of his coming to life all at once.

Blood roaring in his ears. His heart racing. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god-

“WHAT,” Ten screams, the loudest noise he has ever made in his entire life, “THE FUCK?”

Chapter Text

The rest of the night is a blur for a multitude of reasons.

The first reason is because both Johnny and Kun look perturbed (okay, perhaps that was warranted) at his outburst. And Ten can admit after the fact that, yeah maybe he should’ve expressed support for his two dearest friends finding comfort in each other, and perhaps he should have calmed down after his initial reaction, and he probably should have at least told them congratulations. Or something.

Ten does not tell them congratulations.

What he does is stare them down with incredulous disbelief, as they look back at him with matching confused expressions. 

(“We’re together,” Johnny repeats, like maybe Ten didn’t catch it the first time. 

Ten caught it perfectly fine.)

And to be abundantly clear, Ten Lee likes to think of himself as a level-headed guy. Like, sure, he maybe has a penchant for dramatics. And yeah, he likes to indulge in gossip just as much as any other well-adjusted gay man. And he can admit that sometimes he is prone to behavior that some people (Sicheng) describe as being like “a rodent with mania.” But this is all to say that Ten is about as normal as it gets. Everyone has faults, after all.

But there is a chance - a tiny, small, barely-there inch of a chance - that he does not react to this news in a level-headed way. Because as he stares at his best friends’ hands sitting intertwined on the table, there is nothing but shame and anger running through him.

White-hot, boiling in his blood. Burning in his veins. 

Kun, of course, is the one who catches on first. It’s probably his scent. He’s weirdly attuned to it.

“Ten,” he says, disgustingly gentle, like Ten is a pup who needs to be comforted. Like Ten is nothing more than a ditzy little omega who can’t take care of himself. “Are you-”

Ten isn’t listening. He looks down at his hands clenched in his lap, just for a glance. 

He doesn’t even have a justified reason to be angry, not really. Surely this kind of thing happens to a lot of trios of best friends. But Ten can’t help but feel angry, and even a little bit guilty, and most of all, utterly and completely betrayed.

Did they not trust him? Did they not think he was worthy of knowing? Did they hide around him because he wouldn’t be able to handle it? Because they knew he would behave in the exact way he is behaving right now?

“How long has it been,” Ten says, voice low, cutting off whatever Kun has decided to ramble about. He stares at Kun when he says it, because he’s much more reactive to Ten when he’s upset.

He falters under Ten’s gaze, of course. Kun, who always meets him blow for blow, but is still always the first one to cave. 

“About three weeks,” he mutters. “Give or take.”

Ten was expecting it, but it still stings. Three weeks puts them perfectly at the night where Kun came home red-faced and flustered. The night where he shut Leon out of his room and didn’t even bother to ask Ten about the kids. The night where Ten saw a version of Kun he didn’t like, for the first time in his life.

Three weeks. Three weeks! That’s twenty-one fucking days where they had been together and decided to only not tell him anything, but also consciously hide it from him. 

Not to mention Johnny’s stupid interrogation at the coffee shop. His accusations, his pushing, the way his words made Ten doubt his own feelings. He didn’t care about Ten’s feelings, did he? No, he just wanted his blessing. Or make sure no one would be in his way. Or some other fucked up shit.

Congratulations, Johnny. You got what you fucking wanted.

“Well, alright then,” Ten says haughtily. His vision is spinning, a little bit, from the stupid tequila soda. There’s no time to remember not to drink on an empty stomach besides the times where you drink on an empty stomach. His scent is soured with stress, with anger, with embarrassment, so much so that people at other tables are starting to send them looks. “Good for you two, I guess.”

Johnny stares him down. Raises an eyebrow. Why in the world he was expecting a different, more chill reaction from Ten, he has no idea. In what way is this an alright thing to do? To corner him like this? In public?

“Ten?” Johnny asks. “Why are you mad?”

Ten can name a billion fucking things to be mad about with this… this whole situation. Whatever you want to call it. White-hot ire burns in his veins. It feels a little bit like embarrassment. What does Ten have to be embarrassed about? He isn’t sure.

He has to get out of here. Ten Lee is not someone who retreats with his tail between his legs, but his scent is too upset to pass off as anything other than completely and utterly mad, and the eyes on them from other people in the bar are making his skin crawl.

“I’m fine, Jonathan, maybe I just trusted my two best friends to tell me that they were dating,” Ten seethes. He stands up - a little unsteady. He pushes Kun away when he reaches out to put a hand on Ten’s back. Stupid, stupid alpha. Ten hates him.

“Ten,” Kun says again. “We didn’t mean to, it just-”

“Well too bad, you did it anyway,” Ten growls at him. “You hid it from me for three weeks, told me at a gross-ass bar, and tried to convince me that I’m secretly in love with Kun, which thanks, really made me feel like shit, Johnny.”

Johnny and Kun are both looking at him with wide eyes. Kun turns to Johnny. “What did-”

“Your boyfriend made sure there was no competition, is what he did,” Ten sneers. Johnny has the decency to look embarrassed, at least. “Congrats, hope you’re fucking happy with yourself, because you already said it anyways. Whatever happens, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

For a moment, a flash of pure fucking glee ripples through him when he watches Kun’s face fall. But then the ire starts feeling a lot like shame and guilt, and Ten is too emotionally constipated to unpack that right now. 

Ten’s stupid little inner omega hates disappointing Kun. Hates it when he’s sad. But that’s the consequences of his actions, or whatever, he deserves it. Fuck his biology. Alphas are all the same. 

“Look,” Johnny says slowly. “Tennie, it’s just that-”

“It’s fine, no take-backsies,” Ten cuts him off. He kind of feels like crying, for some reason. He puts on his jacket - one of Kun’s, stupid idiot, it smells like him - and frowns at them both. “Good luck, or whatever. You deserve each other.”

And then Ten is stomping off, a little tipsy and upset and very, very heartbroken. He does not see the way Johnny and Kun look at each other: not affectionate, but utterly confused.

-

If Ten goes to Kibum in times of peril, he goes to Sicheng in emergencies. Especially ones that are related to Kun.

Sicheng is what Ten would consider to be well-adjusted. He has the phone numbers of adults they can trust, has multiple hot lines on speed dial, owns a car. He has talked Ten down from countless meltdowns, took Dejun to the emergency room when he broke his arm, that one time, and was the one who scheduled the group trip to Busan when they were all burnt out and depressed during finals last semester. Just to name a few. 

Sicheng is good. Sicheng fixes crises.

This is definitely a crisis. 

Ten dials Sicheng’s number as soon as he’s out of the bar, pissed and seething. He’s so, so tempted to throw Kun’s jacket in the trash because the thing smells so damn familiar; he doesn’t only because he knows that Kun got it from his dad. It’s a nice one. Expensive, high-end, meaningful. Ten has no idea why Kun always lets him wear it if it means so much to him. 

Well, whatever. Kun is the worst person ever and Ten owes him nothing. 

Ten stands on the curb, shivering a little in the spring nighttime air. Hongdae bustles around him. At least no one approaches him, probably because of his scent. 

Sicheng picks up, of course. On the third ring, like he always does.

“Ten hyung?”

Ten had planned to approach this conversation like a normal person, but that plan flies out the window the second he hears Sicheng’s voice. He crumbles immediately.

“Sicheng!” He’s wailing. “My life is over!”

“Um, hello to you too?” is how Sicheng responds. He sounds tired and bleary over the phone. Ten probably interrupted his naptime. “I thought you were out with Kun ge.”

At the mention of Kun - god, Ten hates him so much! - his eyes well up. The kids always make fun of him for how easily he cries, how emotional he gets over the littlest of things, despite his aggressive personality. But this is a big thing. It feels like a really big thing.

“I was,” he tells Sicheng in a watery voice. “I was with him and Johnny.”

Ten is upset. He doesn’t want to talk about it, but he also needs to, and he also needs someone to tell him that he’s not actually insane and that this whole setup was as awful as he feels like it was. Especially coming from Johnny and Kun, his two best fucking friends! How dare they!

“Is everything okay?” Sicheng asks. He hears rustling on the other side of the line, can picture Sicheng sitting up in bed with his bedhead and puffy face. “Did they do something? Is ge with you?”

“No, I left,” Ten says, the tiniest bit petulant. “They had news to share with me, and it pissed me off, so I left.”

“Oh,” Sicheng says. He’s probably waiting for Ten to elaborate. “They had news? Like… together…?”

“Together,” Ten affirms. “They’re together.”

Sicheng says nothing. Ten sniffles. Maybe Sicheng wasn’t picking up what Ten was putting down, maybe he’s being too vague, maybe it’s not obvious because why the fuck would Kun and Johnny be an obvious pairing?

“Sicheng,” Ten says, voice wobbling, “Johnny and Kun just told me that they’re dating.”

It sounds ridiculous even as he says it, but it’s the evil, evil truth. Silence stretches between them. It lasts so long that Ten has to double check that he didn’t hang up on accident.

He frowns. “Hello? Did you hear me? I just said-”

“Is this supposed to be a prank?” Sicheng asks in a flat tone. “At least come up with something interesting-”

“I’m being so serious!” Ten yells into his phone, a little pissed. “They took me to a bar and sat me down like I was a child and it was giving parents explaining to their kid how babies are made, they were all ‘it’s been a few weeks and we thought you should know-’”

“You’re not joking?” Sicheng sounds shocked, confused, a little scared. “Johnny and Kun? Johnny and Kun?”

“Yes!” Ten yells. People on the sidewalk are giving him looks. “Johnny and Kun are fucking dating and they didn’t tell me!”

God, he’s so upset. So, so upset, and so tired, and so sad and angry. Tears are welling up in his eyes. It makes him feel small, vulnerable, stupid. Him and his dumb feelings. 

“They- they’re dating. It’s been three weeks, apparently? And Kun was acting weird, and this whole time I was asking him what was wrong, and he always said it was nothing. And Johnny had even asked me, two weeks ago, if Kun was my alpha, because apparently we act like we’re married-” Sicheng makes a vague choked-off sound “-but it didn’t even matter if I was in love with him, because Johnny already had Kun, and Kun likes him, and they’re holding hands and probably kissing or whatever-”

“Oh my god, I’m so confused,” Sicheng says. “Why are they dating? Kun doesn’t even like Johnny!”

He should be satisfied to hear someone agree with him on this ridiculousness, but instead it just makes him so, so bitter. Ten didn’t know. Sicheng didn’t either. Kun didn’t want anyone to know.

“He lied, I guess,” Ten mutters. He scuffs at the sidewalk with his shoes. “You can’t trust alphas. They’re all liars.”

Sicheng’s voice is strained on the other side of the line. “I guess you’re right,” is the only thing he has to say in response. 

Kun and romance are apparently things that can exist in tandem, and the thought kind of makes Ten feel sick to his stomach. And it really doesn’t help that his brain is convinced that they’re a bad match, that Kun is too good for Johnny - because Johnny is great, sure, but he’s not Kun - which makes him feel even sicker. Where are these feelings coming from? Does he have the right to even be thinking these things?

(Sicheng didn’t even know, and Sicheng knows everything.)

(What the fuck is going on?)

“Is it bad?” Ten mumbles, a tear or two spilling down his cheek, “That I don’t feel happy for them? Am I a bad person for not wanting them to be together?”

Sicheng sighs. Long-suffering. Tired. This is why Sicheng is for emergencies. Because you can wake him up from a nap all tired and grumbly and a little too sane for them, sometimes, but he’ll lend a hand anyway. 

“I don’t know, hyung,” he says. “I kind of feel the same way.”

They don’t talk for much longer after that. They have nothing left to say. 

-

Ten spends his weekend wallowing.

He goes home and packs the essentials and his three cats into a taxi, ending up at Kibum’s. The last thing he wants is to be surrounded by Kun’s stupid alpha smell. Kibum lets him in, no questions asked, once he sees Ten’s red-rimmed eyes. Minho makes up the guest bedroom. The three of them watch Real Housewives for the rest of the night. 

“Ten-ah,” Minho says, bringing nesting supplies into the guest bedroom. “These are clean, so they shouldn’t smell. Want any?”

“Can you guys scent them, actually?” Ten asks in a tiny voice. “Just because… um… you know…”

“Got it!” Minho salutes, as passionate as ever. “Kibum-ah! Come here and help your pup nest!”

(“Not a pup!” Him and Kibum both yell at the same time.)

The next day, Kun is blowing up his phone as Ten gets some screenprinting done in the studio. There’s a lot of I’m sorry and I don’t really understand, please talk to me, and at least just let me know where you are so I don’t think you’re kidnapped? Ten replies with a very curt: with my hyungs. 

Kun doesn’t text him again after that besides a simple thank you, stay safe.

Ten hates how doting his stupid roommate is. How he cares. Anyone who cares should’ve known not to keep such a big secret from him for three weeks. It’s so out of character that Ten feels the betrayal more than he really should, can feel the ache of it down in his bones. It’s so much worse coming from Kun than anyone else.

Kun may be annoying and old and grumbly, but he knows Ten better than anyone else does. He knows what his triggers are. There was a time last year when Kunhang had a big prank planned for him in the middle of the busiest week of his life, and Kun had told him it was coming so he wouldn’t have a meltdown at the surprise. Kun is the one who lets him know when something’s bothering him so his angry scent in the apartment doesn’t upset Ten’s omega. Kun is the one who tells the kids to back off when Ten is having a hard day. Kun is… you know. The most annoying guy on the planet, who just so happens to also be sweet and a little too knowledgeable about what Ten needs.

So as far as Ten knows, Kun is not the one who would bring him to a public place to tell him something that would be so shocking, at the very least, if not also just straight-up world-altering. He would know to do it at the apartment, surrounded by familiar scents, would know not to corner him without a warning. Ten hates being cornered. It makes him come out scratching and biting. Makes him go on the defense.

(So even if it was Johnny’s idea, Ten doesn’t really understand why in the world Kun would just go along with it. That doesn’t seem like something Kun would do. Not his Kun.)

It doesn’t make sense.

He knows, somewhere deep down, that they didn’t upset him on purpose. That maybe they were just easing him into things. But then he thinks about Kun at the library instead of at home. Johnny calling Kun his alpha. His scent, soured and upset and bitter. How no one bothered to comfort him through the last few weeks, almost as if they wanted to upset him on purpose.

So he stays mad at them anyway.

Kibum makes pasta for dinner when Ten comes back from a long day of printing and washing out screens. Minho picks up a chocolate cake for dessert (if Ten ever wondered why Kibum would marry someone like Choi Minho, he’s certainly not wondering now), and they all sit in a pile on the couch while watching trashy TV yet again. Ten gets a little scent drunk on the combination of two older, comforting alpha and omega scents surrounding him on either side. Citrus and bergamot and Ten’s own jasmine. Kibum has to drag him to bed.

(He dreams about Kun, sitting on the couch, Leon on his lap. Dream Kun asks him how his day went. Scents him. Makes him eat. Tells him that it’s going to be okay.)

(Ten wakes up feeling so, so nauseous, guilt eating at his stomach for a reason that he can’t explain.)

There’s a text waiting for him from Sicheng: are you still mad at Kun ge? He’s pouting everywhere and driving me insane!! and Ten texts back: he deserves it, give me a few more days. Sorry.

Sicheng: You would think that you killed his family, he’s so damn sad!! God!!

Sicheng: I had to show him pictures of Leon so he wouldn’t start crying!!!

Ten has the heart to feel bad, at least, but simultaneously does not have the heart to feel bad enough to forgive them. Especially Johnny. 

But he will be dealt with. 

“Even if you don’t like Kun,” Kibum says to him offhandedly while making breakfast, “I think your omega is rather attached to him. Maybe that’s why it hurts so much.”

Ten frowns. “I’m not, like, possessive, though. He’s not mine, he’s just, you know… Kun.”

His face feels red. For some reason. He stares at his feet while Kibum chuckles.

“Instincts work in mysterious ways, Tennie,” Kibum says. “Just give them a chance, okay? Alphas can’t help it. They’re all a little dumb.”

“Yah!” Minho says from the dining table, clearly offended. “That’s not what you were saying last night-”

“Not in front of the child!” Kibum screeches, running over to assault him with a spatula. “Shut up!”

Ten watches them chase each other around, laughing their asses off. He ignores the pang of jealousy in his chest. It’s easier to pretend like it’s not there at all.

-

Come Monday morning, Ten has gotten over his misery. He is now seeking vengeance. 

What’s the point in being sad over two alphas? Whether they’re his best friends or not? They’re the worst! And there is a very distinct pain in his sternum that he’s decided to ignore. But whatever! Who has time for pain when revenge is in order?

He decides that he needs to make a plan. He needs to regroup. Gather resources. Build his power. Find allies. Forge bonds. Collect an army out of his most loyal subjects, form a strategy, strike when the time is right. In which he will-

“Is it me,” Kunhang says, “or are the vibes in here kinda off?”

Ten has the three kids in his studio. They’re sitting in a circle on the floor (he didn’t have enough chairs) with the lights off (he’s going for a specific mood). He was admittedly cryptic about their reason for meeting in the text he sent to their secret group chat that Kun doesn’t know about, mostly created to lament about their problems without all the nagging they usually get in response. It was vague and maybe, perhaps, a little bit threatening, but they all came anyway, and isn’t that what matters at the end of the day?

“It’s just you,” Dejun says dismissively.

“No, the vibes are horrendous,” Yangyang agrees.

“This is not about vibes,” Ten cuts them all off, even though it definitely is, and he gives himself a pat on the back for pulling this off so well. “I’ve called you all here because we have gotten ourselves into a situation regarding your dear Kun ge.”

Three pairs of eyes blink at him. 

“Situation…” Kunhang echoes.

“Kun is not my dear anything,” Yangyang frowns. 

“Did you finally kill him?” Dejun asks with an alarming amount of empathy. “Did we come here to hide the body?”

“Not yet!” Ten says, perhaps a little too cheerfully, letting them all digest the word yet. If today is a “rodent with mania” type of day, that’s no one’s business but his own. “But it is a situation. A dire one. And I need you to all be informed.”

The three look suspicious, yet simultaneously unbothered. Maybe if this were a more rare occurrence, his theatrics would have a bigger impact. Ten doesn’t like being predictable.

So he decides to just rip the bandaid right off.

“Kun and Johnny,” he announces, “are dating.”

He says it with all the drama he can muster, like it’s a deep, dark secret, like it’s gossip that’s potentially life-ruining (which it kind of is? Because it’s kind of embarrassing for Johnny and Kun to be dating each other). His delivery is impeccable. His expression reserved, yet subtly smug. Like he worked hard for it. Like this is all they need to know.

He was expecting hell to break loose. It does not. He was also expecting for everyone ti be shocked at his words, on their knees, begging that such isn’t so. That doesn’t happen either.

The three young adults just look at him like he’s lost his damn mind.

“Uh oh,” Yangyang mutters. “Time to send him to the home.”

“April Fool’s day was weeks ago,” Kunhang points out.

“Hyung,” Dejun asks with wide eyes. “Are you feeling alright?”

Ten stares at them. Because hey! What the fuck! Why aren’t they reacting!

“I’m being serious!” He says, voice raising in pitch. “They told me on Friday! At a bar! And maybe I got a little upset about it! And you all need to know, because this changes everything, and I need to get revenge on Kun right now, and-”

Yangyang starts laughing, like this is a super funny joke, and Ten is a little alarmed that this is so silly to them. That everyone is taking on this news like it’s an ill-informed prank. Like, sure, this whole situation is definitely coming out of left field, but is it really so impossible to the point where everyone else in their lives is also in disbelief?

Yeah, he’s pissed at Johnny and Kun, but is it really that crazy to everyone else? That they would be together?

“Your delivery was good,” Dejun pats his hand, “but the lie has to be believable, ge.”

Ten’s neck burns red-hot with embarrassment. It doesn’t help that Kunhang is also laughing, now, like he’s finally caught onto the joke. Since when did his kids all become so fucking condescending? He taught them better than this!

“I’m literally not lying!” He screeches. “They took me out to a bar and broke the news like I was their kid, or some shit, and then I got mad and left, and now I’m mad at both of them, and I need to figure out how to get vengeance, like, immediately.”

The three of them aren’t laughing anymore, but they still don’t look convinced. Holy shit. What’s wrong?!

“Why would Kun ge date Johnny hyung?” Kunhang asks. “Like, seriously. He’s not his type.”

Yangyang snorts. “Right? We all know his type, and Johnny hyung is definitely not a twink with anger issues. Or a cat obsessed freak. Or an omega who likes to tell people what to do. Or-”

“Yangyang!” Dejun shrieks. He flies at him, covering his mouth. “Don’t!”

“What?” Yangyang frowns, wriggling out of his grasp. “Everyone knows already.”

Inexplicably, this is the moment where three heads turn to all stare directly at Ten, various levels of guilt etched across their faces. Kunhang the most so. Dejun isn’t faring any better. Yangyang’s expression slowly goes slack when Ten just stares back.

“What?” Ten asks. “What does everyone know?”

He watches as all three of them look at each other, guilt multiplying. Yangyang’s face goes white.

“Oh, fuck,” he says. “Are you telling me that you don’t-”

“So Johnny hyung is dating Kun ge!” Dejun cuts him off. He claps his hands. Smiling. “Isn’t that so weird? Not that I don’t believe you, hyung. Let’s call ge to find out!”

Ten watches, oddly confused, as all three of them scramble for their phones, typing furiously. He hasn’t even processed, yet, the conversation they just had. Or what Yangyang was trying to say.

Something about Kun’s type? Why would the kids know anything about Kun’s type?

His thoughts get cut off by Dejun’s phone ringing with Kun’s stupid Jay Chou answering jingle. Kun picks up after a few seconds.

“Hello?” he asks. Ten pretends like he doesn’t yearn, just the tiniest bit, to see him, when he hears Kun’s stupid voice. “Dejun? What’s up?”

All of them stare at Dejun, who at the very least looks vaguely confident about this decision. He clears his throat, gives Ten a pointed look, and starts speaking. 

“Hi, ge!” Dejun’s voice is syrupy sweet. “Ten ge just said something a little funny and we want to check in with you. Are you dating Johnny hyung?”

There’s a second where no one says anything. They’re probably all expecting Kun to laugh, or ask what’s going on, or scoff. But then Kun’s sigh is audible.

“I am,” he says. A little sadly. But he says it nonetheless.

No one reacts for a full couple seconds, but then his words dawn on all of them. Dejun drops the phone. Yangyang looks as if he’s just been punched in the face. Kunhang screams: “WHAT?”

Ten wishes he could feel smug about being right, but he’s mostly just upset again. 

“Yeah, I mean, it’s not a big deal,” Kun says. “It’s been a few weeks, and-”

“WEEKS?!” Dejun screeches, and-

“I told you!” Ten seethes. “I fucking told you!” and-

“Oh my god,” Yangyang says. “I don’t want Johnny as a parent. Break up! Break up right now, holy shit-”

“It’s real?!” Kunhang wails. “Are you kidding me, ge, what are you even doing-”

That’s when all hell breaks loose. 

-

Perhaps there is something to be said about Ten’s personality, given the fact that he has a much easier time riling them up than he has calming them down. It takes a good thirty minutes of Kun apologizing and giving incredibly vague answers about why in the world he would date Johnny Suh before Yangyang stops looking murderous and Dejun stops hyperventilating. Kunhang is faring the best out of all of them, but it mostly just seems like he’s dissociating.

“Should I come over?” Kun asks. “Do you want me to explain anything or-”

“No!” Ten and Yangyang shout at the same time. Which, yeah, makes sense. Lest this devolve into a fistfight. Yangyang is pissed, for a reason Ten isn’t completely sure about, and while Ten has his own hang-ups regarding the Johnny-Kun Predicament, the last thing they need is Yangyang lunging at Kun’s throat.

Kun would win, of course. But Yangyang doesn’t know that.

The baby alpha’s scent is burning, smoking pandan and a hint of bitter vanilla. Yangyang still doesn’t have the best control over his scent, so Ten rubs his wrist across Yangyang’s neck with a sigh. For a kid who says he doesn’t need Ten to act as his dame, he sure doesn’t act like it. 

Yangyang’s shoulders droop and he untenses his fists. Curls into Ten’s side with a huff. 

“Just-” Yangyang says, voice almost a growl. “Just stay away. Stop being an idiot.”

Ten clicks his tongue. Half annoyed, pinching Yangyang’s cheek. Because he knows that tone was meant to provoke Kun’s alpha. Neither Kunhang or Yangyang ever let their alphas voices slip, not really (not that they’re supposed to), but Kun always reprimands them all the same. You may be an alpha, didi, but I’m still your gege. 

But Kun just sighs. Doesn’t take the bait. 

“Alright,” he concedes, sounding a little defeated. “I’ll leave you guys alone. Come talk to me when you can be mature about it.”

Yangyang cowers, a little. Kun’s disapproving tone is just as effective as ever, of course, no matter how much Yangyang insists it isn’t. Dejun bites his lip, looking between the phone and Ten. 

“Ge, I think, umm…” Dejun tries. “I think we’re just a little confused. Is all.”

Kunhang grunts in agreement. He’s laying sprawled out on the floor, looking like the life has left his body. Ten runs a hand through his hair, mostly in sympathy. Kunhang’s threshold for emotional damage is pretty low. Always has been. 

“We can talk,” Kun says. “But your hyung is tired, yes? Do you and Yangyang want to talk to me privately?”

Ten is a little surprised, both at Kun’s acknowledgement of his existence, and also at the way Yangyang jumps up immediately at the offer, dragging Dejun and the phone into the hallway. Suspiciously eager, for someone who’s upset at Kun. 

“Yah!” Ten yells after them. “Be nice!”

Dejun gives a thumbs up and chases out after Yangyang. Kunhang’s scent sours, a little bit, as the door shuts behind them. 

“You could go too, you know,” Ten points out.

Kunhang shakes his head, sitting up, leaning into Ten’s side. “No. I’m kinda angry too. And I respect Kun ge too much to ask him any questions.”

Ten hums. He’s confused, a little bit, at the… explosive reactions. The anger. Maybe Ten was upset because his friends didn’t tell him about their relationship, sure, but the kids’ anger clearly isn’t about that. It’s about something else, something Ten is unaware of, and some part of him is a little scared to ask what. 

Something that Kun knows about, already. He wouldn’t have been so nice about it otherwise. 

Kun hates being ganged up on, even though it happens all the time. He rarely snaps, but he gets hot-tempered when the little alphas get too bossy, when they push back too hard. It’s partially biology, partially age hierarchy. But the Kun that Ten knows would’ve snapped at being told to break up with his boyfriend. Would’ve all put them in his place. Would’ve reminded them just who their pack alpha is, and why of all people, he’s the one in charge.

Except he didn’t. He accepted their criticism in the most resigned way possible. Kun is mellow, but he is not someone who backs down. Not ever. 

And yet he did. And everyone knows why except for Ten. 

“You guys know that you don’t have to be so angry at Kun, right?” Ten sighs. “Silly or not, the man can date who he wants. It’s not really our business.”

Kunhang shrugs. “But we’re pack, right? And he hid something, and Johnny would change the dynamics, and…”

That’s an excuse if Ten has ever heard one, because the kids all know Johnny. They’ve been around him as long as they’ve been in uni, have hung out with him a million times. They never complained when Johnny would tag along with Ten to family dinners, or join them at bars.

Kun dating Johnny wouldn’t really change their pack, either. Well… besides Kun’s scent, maybe, but Ten can’t really imagine Johnny scenting Kun head to toe like you would to an omega. Perhaps the presence of another alpha could be unsettling…? But Kun and Johnny haven’t even really started courting, they’re only dating, so it’s not like he’d integrate into the pack or anything…

This whole thing is making an already weird situation even weirder, but Ten, for once, is not going to push. His life is in shambles as it is. A voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Kibum says the less you know, the better.

So Ten just hums. 

“Yangyang gets so cute when he gets mad,” he comments, changing the subject, leaning his head on Kunhang’s shoulder. “He always starts acting like he only just presented.”

“Yeah, well, you know how protective Yangyang is, sometimes. I think he just doesn’t want Kun ge to break any hearts,” Kunhang shrugs. “You know, since it doesn’t really make sense why he’s dating Johnny at all.”

Sure, Yangyang gets protective, but usually only over Ten, for a reason that probably has to do with their pseudo-parental relationship more than anything else. Ten has taken him under his wing and Yangyang pays him back by growling all pathetically at anyone who gets too handsy at clubs, which Ten pretends isn’t just the cutest little thing in the world, mostly because Yangyang is so skinny that any other alpha could snap him like a twig.

Ten can’t imagine a world in which Yangyang is worried about Johnny, but hey. Maybe they have a secretly close relationship Ten doesn’t know about. Or whatever else it could be. 

He snorts anyhow. “Kun breaking Johnny’s heart? That’s funny.”

As far as he knows, the only heart Kun has ever broken was his mother’s when he sent her money for Mother’s Day instead of going back home to visit, swamped with his internship. Kun doesn’t exactly go around breaking hearts. 

Ten misses the odd look Kunhang sends his way. “I don’t think he was talking about Johnny hyung.”

Eventually Dejun and Yangyang come back into the studio, a little more calm, but their scents are sour. Ten doesn’t ask them what they said to Kun, or what Kun said to them, mostly out of self preservation.

Their pack doesn’t have any big secrets. If it’s important, they’ll tell Ten themselves. So Ten coats them all in his scent and forces them into a group cuddle until he has to get back to work.

The three of them cling onto him for the rest of the day, which makes him feel slightly better about this whole thing. Dejun and Kunhang were both Kun’s friends before they were Ten’s, but Yangyang is undoubtedly Ten’s baby, and it makes him feel a little happy, at least, to watch his normally touch-averse baby alpha follow him around like a shadow. 

“Are you trying to make me feel better, Yangie?” Ten asks him with a self-satisfied grin. 

“No,” Yangyang insists, multiple times. “I’m just, like, hanging out.”

“Mhmm,” Ten hums, unable to help his smile, as he inks up his plate. 

Being surrounded by his pack’s scent and slightly protective pheromones puts him in a good mood. He treats the three gremlins to dinner (all they ever want is fucking hot pot, of course), and it makes him feel a little less insane about… you know. This whole thing. Kibum is also letting him stay for the week, since he feels extra bad about the idea of sending Ten home to an alpha he’s uncomfortable around.

Not that Kun is a threat (which Ten insists on and Kibum agrees). But it’s just to be safe. You never know what can happen when emotions run high and instincts take over, even with someone like Kun, who keeps his inner alpha on a short leash. 

So Ten insists to the three of them that he’s fine by himself, just a little sad. He may or may not play up his misery for them, just a tiny bit, so he can get a good group hug and scenting out of it before they all head off for the night, quietly purring when Dejun happily nuzzles into his neck and their scents set his mind at ease. But that’s no one’s business besides his own.

“You promise everything’s okay?” Yangyang asks, a little petulant, before he third wheels Dejun and Kunhang back to the dorm. “You promise we shouldn’t go beat Kun ge up?”

Ten laughs. “Ah, you kids are so mean to your poor gege.” He ruffles Yangyang’s hair. “I’m fine, baobei. Get home safe.”

-

Ten is not moping.

It’s been four days of no Kun. The kids’ scents helped considerably, but as they fade on the walk home, his sour mood comes back. He is perfectly fine, really. Just peachy. But even Kibum’s citrus and Minho’s bergamot isn’t nearly as comforting as his pack’s. 

He wakes up on Tuesday in a vile mood, petulant and grumbly. Fuck this shit. 

It’s just maybe sort of the fact that he hasn’t gone this long without Kun’s scenting in… so long. So, so long. He’s kind of clawing at his walls without the familiar ginger hanging onto him. He should’ve fucking brought one of Kun’s hoodies with him, but he was too angry to consider carrying around the alpha’s scent with him. Yet Ten knows for a fact that Kun is moping around the apartment, and it’d be too obvious if he were to sneak in now. Not when Kun can smell him from a mile away.

People on campus have started to gravitate towards him, too, without Kun’s scent clinging onto his skin. The weirdo freshman alpha nearly touched him the other day, only stopped by a beta classmate standing between them and using her body as some makeshift scent barrier. The kid never tried to do that before, touch him. Ten had apologized to her endlessly, guilty that he doesn’t have his normal alpha scent to at least keep freaks at bay, but she had only shaken her head and offered to report him to the department head the next time she saw him. 

So not only is Ten without his pack alpha, he is a walking magnet for freaks who like the smell of an unmated omega. 

Fuck this! Qian Kun is the worst alpha in the world!

“Just text him, at least, it’s so obvious that you miss him,” Kibum groans. He’s driving the both of them to campus. Ten, ever the passenger princess, just sits there and looks pretty. “You’re staring all longingly at your phone and even Minho can smell how fucking distressed you are.”

“‘M not distressed,” Ten pouts. He’s wearing about a dozen scent patches because his stupid scent keeps giving him away. Not that they help much. If your scent gets too out of control, the damn things are nearly useless.

“Um, yes, you very clearly are,” Kibum complains. “You smell all, ‘oh my god, alpha, I miss you, come back to me alpha, what will I do without you, wahhhhh, I’m just a little baby omega-”

“I do not!” Ten whines. “Absolutely not!”

“I can smell it from my office, sometimes, when you’re in the studio,” Kibum insists. “May as well be in heat, Tennie.”

Ten groans. It’s so stupid, because he and Kun aren’t even like… you know. You know. But they’re basically pack, and pack has to stick together, and it’s already been about four days since he’s last smelled magnolia and ginger, and…

“It wouldn’t kill you,” Kibum says a little more kindly, “to just give him a chance.”

Ten stares out the window and pouts for the rest of the drive.

He gets through his day by wearing one of Minho’s shirts, which carries the scent of not only a mated alpha, but an older, more protective one. Both Minho and Kibum had insisted, and while Ten would much rather smell like Kun’s ginger or Yangyang’s pandan or Kunhang’s cedar, he actually prefers the way people give him a wide berth the whole time he’s on campus. 

Never would a mated omega share their alpha’s scent with another omega, but Kibum has always been oddly protective in that way. Ten holes himself up in his studio after class and paints until he feels a little delirious from the scent of linseed oil.

He’ll take what he can get, at this point. 

Ten’s chowing down on a sandwich for lunch when Johnny texts him. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering that he and Johnny have never stayed mad at each other longer than a few days, which has more to do with the fact that Johnny would rather die than be upset at a loved one than it has to do with Ten’s penchant for holding grudges for up to months at a time.

He feels a little guilty that Johnny is always the one to apologize first. But he definitely deserves it this time. 

John-yah: Tennie……. I’m sorry…….

John-yah: It has occurred to me that I’m stupid 

John-yah: Don’t be mad at Kun, be mad at me

Ten can’t help his smile when he reads the messages. As always, Johnny wants to take the fall. What an idiot.

Ten: You already know that I will be as mad at Kun as I want 

Maybe he’s being a brat on purpose, but there’s nothing wrong with making your friends squirm. Besides, it’s impossible for Ten to stay mad at Johnny for too long. He’s the only exception. 

John-yah: :( 

John-yah: I’m sorry for everything, I’m stupid

John-yah: I’m sorry for insinuating that you liked Kun T_T I was just worried that I would be getting in the middle of things in case you guys secretly liked each other

John-yah: Everyone has asked me if I’m a homewrecker these past few days!!!!!

Ten laughs. The idea of Johnny being accused of homewrecking on the university’s campus is hilarious. Especially since Kun is so widely beloved by all of their international student friends, and Ten is… well. Widely beloved in general. 

Ten: You? A homewrecker?

Ten: Yahhhh that’s so funny

Ten: People say that as if Kun wants to be my alpha. lol

John-yah: Well what I was saying about the married couple thing wasn’t a lie, Ten Ten

John-yah: You carry his scent and you’re together like 24/7

Ten ignores how his stomach flips. Because getting butterflies over something like that would be so… unbelievably stupid. And weird. And unnecessary. Because Kun isn’t his anything besides, like, best friend and roommate and a pain in his ass. 

Yeah. Right? Kun is just the worst.

Ten: Aww don’t be jealous

Ten: We’re just pack

John-yah: JEALOUS?? >:(

John-yah: He’s MY alpha!!!!!

Ten also has to ignore the very gross feeling in his chest when he reads that last text. But it’s true, after all.

Kun is Johnny’s.

Ten: Alright gross

Ten: No one else wants him he’s all yours

Ten: Well Dejun had a super disgusting crush on him a few yrs ago but we’re not allowed to talk about that

Ten: Just don’t be weird to the pack, the didis are sensitive

John-yah: Ahhhhhhh look at you being so sweet to the pups ^_^

John-yah: I’ll be careful, Tennie. Already heard about Yang-ah. He may weight like 50 lbs but I’m sure he plays dirty once he gets your hands on you

Ten feels weird. He’s glad, of course, to be at least somewhat over his anger. Because he loves Johnny to death and would probably die without him around. And would definitely die without Kun around to feed him. 

But it’s still kind of… just strange. This whole thing. He’s still struggling to wrap his head around the idea of Kun and Johnny as one entity, together. Hell, even the idea of Kun being in a relationship with anything other than his physics textbook is still bizarre as fuck. 

He doesn’t even want to think about Kun as someone who, like… fucks. Or is intimate with anyone. Not with his sweater vests and cuffed jeans and chunky dad sneakers. Especially since the horny part of Kun’s rut cycle lasts about a day, and he spends the rest of the time grumbling about his fever and trying to coerce Ten into cuddling him. Most alphas spend that time bitching and moaning about their knots. It’s hard to see Kun as someone like that. 

(Ten fiddles with his phone, face burning at the idea of Kun having a knot.

For some reason.)

Ten: I think the pack was just upset you guys didn’t tell us

Ten: Well mostly me but don’t let that go to your head

Ten: I’m mostly mad at Kun. He should’ve known better. Stupid idiot

John-yah: It was my idea, don’t be mean

John-yah: Kun’s miserable without you

Ten: Well he better be!

Ten rubs his eyes. Hearing everyone talk about how sad Kun is without him around would’ve made Ten prior to the Johnny-Kun-Predicament happy, probably. Would’ve made him overjoyed to know that Kun suffers without him. After all, how could Kun ever live without him? Qian Kun needs Ten Lee for everything!

…But now he mostly just feels guilty. And a little ashamed. 

He felt so responsible for Kun before, but now Kun has someone else to take care of him. Not to mention the fact that Johnny is about a million more times more capable than Ten is of taking care of someone.

Especially someone like Kun, who Ten can hesitantly admit deserves to be taken care of well, at the very least. 

God. He’s an idiot. 

John-yah: Tennieeeeeee

John-yah: I’m not gonna get in the middle of you two

John-yah: Because I’d rather not have you maul me in my sleep

John-yah: But even your pack alpha needs love. Of the platonic kind. He’s wearing your scent like someone died and he misses the cats and he’s gonna imprint on Mark at this rate if Yangyang doesn’t go give him a hug

Ten: May as well imprint on Mark then

John-yah: Back off my Markie!!! Your alpha needs your pups!!!

Ten huffs out a sigh. Even if Kun isn’t forgiven, Yangyang at least needs to play nice. Kun is an idiot, but he adores all of them to death. He’s probably going crazy without any of the kids trying to break into the apartment to hound him down for meals and scenting. 

The thought of Kun alone at the apartment, without even the cats to keep him company, tugs at Ten’s stupid omega. 

He groans.

Ten: Give me a few more days. Tell him to grovel. And there better be some food in that fridge.

Ten: I’ll only survive until Friday without him but he doesn’t need to know that

Ten: ^ THAT’S A THREAT BTW IF YOU TELL HIM YOU’RE DEAD

John-yah: Of course :)

Ten: I’ll tell Yangie to behave but that boy does what he wants and whatever happens isn’t my fault 

Ten: Thanks Johnny

Ten sighs. Turns off his phone. Puts it down on the table.

It’s oddly overwhelming to talk about all of this so suddenly. Kun and Johnny together. Their pack dynamics that have always just operated as unspoken rules. Ten acknowledging the role he plays in everyone’s lives, even though he likes to pretend that he’s more of a gay wine aunt than he is a pack omega. 

But they’re talking about it, and perhaps it needs to be said. Ten hates emotions. So fucking much. 

His phone vibrates when Johnny texts him back. 

John-yah: You know that if you had asked me not to, I never would’ve dated Kun in a million years

John-yah: He was yours first

John-yah: And you’re my best friend

John-yah: You know that right?

John-yah: Kun will always put you above everyone, to be honest. And I like him, but if you also wanted him to break up with me, we’d end up okay with it. Everyone adores you, Tennie. I’ll never hide anything from you ever again.

And god, Johnny is such a dumbass. 

He doesn’t need to say it. He doesn’t need to make excuses for Ten’s sake. How could he be the one to ask them to stay apart? It’s not his place, it never was. Johnny may have been an asshole when he said that, but he was right. 

Ten smiles, a little wobbly. His heart clenching.

A little touched. A little sad. 

Ten: Don’t be an idiot

Ten: Kun is your boyfriend, I’m just his roommate

Ten: I’m sorry for being so mean when you guys told me. I promise that I’m happy for you. It was just a lot to take in. No more secrets

John-yah: No more secrets!

John-yah: You could be as mean as you want and we’d always forgive you

Ten: Lmao sounds like that’s something you need to work on

John-yah: Hmmm no

Ten: Ugh I love you stupid sexy idiot

John-yah: Omg stop I have a boyfriend

John-yah: I love u too Chittaphon MWAH MWAH MWAH MWAH MWAHHHHHHH

Ten is nice enough to not get mad over the fact that Johnny called him Chittaphon. He sends a heart emoji and puts down his phone, sighing.

He’s happy for them, really. He is. He just needs a little more time. There would be nothing worse in this world than living a life that Johnny and Kun weren’t involved in. Even if it means he has to deal with them as a couple, even if it means less Kun quality time, even if it means he has to share.

There’s a sense of dread, deep within him, that Ten pointedly pretends isn’t there. He doesn’t have the right. He never did, he never will. 

Ten isn’t Kun’s, and Kun sure as hell isn’t Ten’s.

It’s time to stop acting like a helpless, scorned omega and get his shit together. It’s time to be a good friend. It’s time to yell at Yangyang and get a smile on his face and figure out the least pathetic way to ask Kun to scent him when he goes back home. 

The less he thinks about it, the better. 

-

Ten goes back on Thursday night. He knows Kun will be home. Kibum asks him a million times if he’s sure, if he’s certain, if he feels safe.

“Yes, eomma, I’ll be fine,” Ten grumbles the third fucking time Kibum scents him out of anxiety. “It’s just Kun, for god’s sake. What’s gonna do? Nag at me until my ears bleed?”

Minho stifles a laugh from where he’s lurking in the doorway, keys in hand, ready to drop Ten off. Kibum has been ordered to stay home, lest he come up with a new excuse for Ten stay (which ranges from worries about his safety to insisting that Ten can stay with them to act as their practice for child-rearing, for whenever they finally decide to have pups). Apparently, he’s in the needy part of his cycle. Oops. 

“God forbid I worry about you!” Kibum pushes him towards the door, offended. “Go take care of your stupid alpha. You’re the worst house guest ever.”

(Tennie, he texts Ten on the drive over. I miss you so much. If Kun hurts you, I’m sending Minho to kill him.)

(Yes, hyung, Ten texts back. But I’m pretty sure all Kun wants is to see the cats.)

He’s a little on edge as he keys in the door code and herds the cat crates quickly through the door. Minho drives away once he’s inside, Ten waving him off. The apartment is eerily quiet. Smells like Kun, if not a little stale.

Maybe Kun’s out moping, Ten muses, but then a second later Kun’s bedroom door opens and he’s poking his head out. Looking at Ten’s bags on the floor, and then the cats trailing over to him, and then Ten looking back at him.

“Tennie?” Kun asks. Voice hoarse. “You’re home?”

He looks like shit, which is admittedly kind of gratifying, and Ten’s not really sorry to say it. Kun’s wearing the baggy Jay Chou concert t-shirt he got in high school that he only wears when he’s too lazy to look like the functional adult he always insists he is. Bags under his eyes. Hair a mess. Eyes wide, a little hopeful.

Ten, feeling oddly embarrassed, cracks a smile. Kun. Home. The two of them. 

It’s a strange thing.

“I’m back,” Ten says. Simple as that. “Come here.”

Kun is looking at him a little like he’s a ghost as he pads across the living room, hesitantly taking Ten’s hand when he holds it out to him. Ten grins, pulls him in. Kun gets so skittish at the oddest of things.

“I’m-” Kun starts. “Ten-ah, I’m really-”

“Just shut up and scent me,” Ten rolls his eyes.

He and Kun don’t normally hug, or cuddle, unless they’re maybe wine drunk or sad or stressed out of their minds. But it doesn’t feel weird, oddly enough, to pull Kun into a hug. Their miniscule size difference makes itself known as Ten shrinks into Kun’s arms and burrows his head into Kun’s shoulder, letting ginger go from sour to fragrant. Kun folds him in, a little shaky, as he circles his arms around Ten’s shoulders and holds him close. 

Ten’s heart settles its anxious rhythm once he can hear the sound of Kun’s breathing in and out, steady as ever. Their scents mix together again. They’re rocking together in their living room after a week apart, and they’ve never done that before, but somehow it feels like the right thing to do now. 

“You smell weird,” Kun mumbles. “Kinda…”

“That’s probably Minho hyung,” Ten hums. “He’s been scenting me to keep weirdos away.”

Ten swears that Kun makes a noise that is dangerously close to growl, except definitely not (Ten must’ve imagined things?), because Kun doesn’t growl. The only time Ten has so much as heard Kun use his alpha voice was the time Dejun got groped on the subway and he had to handle both scaring the guy who did it away and also hold Yangyang and Kunhang back from lunging at him with their teeth bared. 

Yeah, Ten must be imagining things. Kun may be their pack alpha, but he’d never growl over something like Minho’s scent. 

(Not that Ten would hate it if he did, but that’s a thought he refuses to explore.)

“It’s…” Kun’s voice sounds slightly strained. “It’s just a little weird on you. Different. Sorry.”

Ten laughs. He noses into Kun’s neck.

“Just scent me then, you knothead,” he chides. “You never complain when I reek of you.”

Kun grumbles, a little, but complies. Nuzzles into Ten’s scent gland and runs his lips, very briefly, against it. They’ve done this together a million times, and yet a shiver runs down Ten’s spine anyway. Must be the lack of proximity confusing his omega. He supposes now he has a new excuse to go around smelling like ginger. 

(Ten ignores the image that pops up in his head, of what it would be like to be scented properly. Nipped and marked. The way Kunhang marks Dejun. 

The thought only lasts a second. Not even. But it’s weird and unusual, because Ten hasn’t wanted to be marked by an alpha, like… ever.

Maybe Ten’s omega is needier than he thought, if he’s conjuring up thoughts like this. How annoying.) 

“You smell happy,” Kun mumbles.

Ten pinkens. Bristles at the implication. “Well. Maybe I’m not gonna tell you that I missed you, but it’s not an awful thing that I’m back.”

That gets a laugh out of Kun, at least. He pulls back, putting a little space between them, which is probably a good thing because Ten’s a little scent-dizzy and the fact that his omega whines at the loss of Kun in his arms is something that doesn’t need to be dwelled on. 

“So what you’re saying is that you were dying without me,” Kun grins. He leans down, picks Leon up from ground, who’s been batting his paw at Kun’s pant leg. “Oh Leon, you missed me, didn’t you? You were so sad without your baba? Stuck with your tiny, evil appa?”

“What the hell,” Ten frowns, and Kun ignores him completely, nuzzling his face into Leon’s fur. His best friend prefers a fucking cat over him. “He was just fine with me, thank you very much.”

“Yah, but Commes des and Garcon are so mean to him,” Kun chides. He glides over to the couch, flops down with the cat in his arms. “Those big, scary dogs. Good thing you’re home, Leon-ah, hm?”

Ten sits down next to him, arms crossed and a little huffy. Kibum’s dogs are perfectly fucking nice to his cats, never mind the fact that they’re small enough to fit into Kibum’s favorite Chanel bag, and Ten kind of feels offended on their behalf. It doesn’t help that Kun is too busy cradling Leon to his chest to pay him any attention.

Not that Ten needs attention, okay? And especially not from Kun!

“And why are you moping, Ten-ah?” Kun laughs. “God, you really wilt if no one coddles you for even a second.”

“Shut up,” Ten grumbles. He shoves his face into a pillow. “You’re awful.”

Kun, for once, doesn’t bite back. Just chuckles to himself (which is honestly worse than continuing to argue and is probably the reason why he does it). The apartment smells like the two of them again, like Ten never left. Kind of makes him sleepy. So Ten just props himself up on an arm and watches Kun give each of the cats a proper cuddle, which only Leon really seems to like. 

“I’m sorry, you know,” Ten finally says. “For, um. Freaking out. And being mean.”

Kun hums. He doesn’t look over, just stares down fondly at Levi nibbling on a finger. 

“It’s alright, Ten,” he says. “I’m sorry too. You were right, we shouldn’t have done that. You’re my best friend. I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark.”

Ten’s omega preens, which he conveniently ignores. He feels a little bit pleased about the way Kun says I, not we. Even though he maybe shouldn't.

Kun’s best friend. Kun’s. 

Too bad. He likes the sound of it. 

“‘S okay,” Ten says, embarrassed, slightly vulnerable. Normally he’d be teasing, instigating, a little mean. But it’s been almost a week and Kun smells like home and doesn’t really want to be mean about any of this. “I was just shocked, I guess. Maybe a little scared. Not a bad thing.”

“I see,” Kun says. Voice low, quiet. So, so quiet. 

Normally he’d ask Ten to elaborate, but he doesn’t ask any more questions. Just smiles down at the cat and smells like blossoming magnolia, cooking ginger, like Ten’s best friend and very secretly his favorite person. 

“I told Yangie to be nice,” Ten says. “I don’t really know why the didis got so mad. It’s… it’s not a big deal. I’m happy for you.”

Kun chuckles. It’s as light as air. “Ah, don’t worry about me. We talked it out. Yangyang worries about his hyungs, is all.”

Kun doesn’t elaborate either. It’s a strange thing.  This isn’t the same as the times when Ten and Kun dance around each other because they’re pissed or stressed or soured at the idea of the other’s scent. It’s something uneasy, maybe a little delicate. Unfamiliar. 

Ten doesn’t ask, even though he wants to. He doesn’t pry. He doesn’t wonder about the secret that everyone seems to share besides him, mostly because a part of him is terrified of knowing the answer.

He thinks about Kunhang’s face in his shoulder. Yangyang’s protective, you know. He doesn’t want Kun ge breaking anyone’s heart. It doesn’t really make sense that he’s dating Johnny at all.

(He thinks about himself, a little exasperated, laughing. Kun breaking Johnny’s heart?)

(He thinks about Kunhang, quietly. I don’t think he’s talking about Johnny hyung.)

“Are you happy with him, Kunnie?” Is what Ten asks instead. “You glad about it? You and Johnny?”

It’s not what he wants to say, really. But he should ask, at least. As a friend. Because he’s Kun’s friend. His best friend. 

Ten watches Kun tilt his head back, closing his eyes. He must be tired.

“I think I am,” is what Kun replies. “You know me. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.”

It’s a non-answer. And Kun has an expression on his face that Ten has only ever seen once before, in the second before Johnny broke the news. When Kun had stared at Ten like he wanted him to understand something, something easy to grasp, like it was just another one of the millions of ways they’re able to communicate without words. 

But Ten hadn't understood then. Doesn’t understand now. Can’t bring himself to ask. 

Qian Kun, after all, is a strange guy. It’s probably nothing to worry about.

Chapter Text

From there on out, Ten’s life is inexplicably different in just about every single way. 

Well, inexplicable might be a stretch. Because there are the obvious things - Kun and Johnny are now joined at the hip, always together, much to Ten’s disdain. They’re essentially a package deal. Ten Lee has never in his life wanted to come home to the sight of Johnny Suh sprawled out on his couch, head in Kun’s lap, stupid alpha espresso scent in the air. And yet it’s become a regular occurrence. 

No, the inexplicable part is how Ten feels about it. Which, long story short, isn’t great.

Perhaps it’s a little irrational of him to be so upset about it, but it’s hard not to be when Johnny is intruding in on his Kun time. Like, yeah, jealousy is a disease and Ten is sick, but it’s not like he’s ever had to share Kun before, really. Kun has his own friends and generally is liked by everyone, but no one else has ever decided to monopolize his free time like Ten does. And Ten likes it that way. It’s their system, it’s how things work.  

Yet suddenly Kun Time has become a two-for-one special that Ten hasn’t asked for and it’s getting on his damn nerves.

“Tennie, are you up?” Kun asks through his door, even though it’s already open. He pokes his head in when Ten grunts his affirmative. 

“Breakfast is on the table,” he says. “And so is tea. And the cats are fed.”

Ten, who was in the middle of pulling on an unfortunately tight pair of skinny jeans, looks up at his roommate. Because usually Kun says something like come eat, I’m hungry, get it before it’s cold and you’re late for class. Or yah, I made you this food, come eat with me, I know you won’t have breakfast if I leave you to your own devices. But what he says then is… decisively not any of that.

Ten blinks at him. “Um. Alright. Are you going somewhere?”

Kun smiles a little sheepishly, scratching at his neck. “Johnny wanted to get coffee before class.”

And look, Ten can understand that when two people are dating, they spend time together. Obviously. But Ten-and-Kun-breakfast-time is a ritual. It’s their thing. And Johnny knows that, because Ten’s told him a million times that he won’t hang out with him until after he and Kun have eaten breakfast together and spent an hour shit-talking people they hate. Ten can’t help the way his scent sours, bitter jasmine. 

“Oh. Okay,” he says, avoiding Kun’s eyes. Never mind the fact that you can hear the bitterness in his voice.

Because it’s fine that Kun has stopped bringing him dinner at the studio, and it’s fine that their wine nights are cut short, and it’s fine that Johnny hangs around the apartment. But Ten was kind of hoping that he’d at least get to have one thing with Kun left, the most precious part of their routine together.

But apparently not.

“Is something up?” Kun asks, because of course he does. His pheromones come out all gentle and soft, trying to soothe. “I can cancel if you want me to. I know we normally eat breakfast together.”

So he knows that Ten is upset, and he knows what he’s upset about, and yet he’s doing it anyway. The irrational thought is something Ten has to stamp deep, deep down. The last thing he needs is to start a petty argument over Johnny. So Ten just plasters a pained smile onto his face and shakes his head.

“No, go hang out with your boyfriend,” Ten says. “I’ll just be here.”

Kun looks a little bit hesitant, is wearing an expression like he doesn’t know whether or not to listen. The evil part of Ten is happy that he can stress Kun out with just his scent; the normal part of him is just bitter that it’s only taken a few weeks of dating for Johnny to be prioritized over him. 

Though Ten knows that he probably should’ve seen that one coming. You know what they say about hindsight and all.

“If you’re sure…” Kun says slowly. “Let’s eat together tomorrow, okay? I’ll make pancakes.”

(And Qian Kun, of course, will always go the extra mile just to cheer him up. What an idiot.)

“It’s fine, Kun,” Ten manages a tired smile. “Just go.”

Kun nods, once, hovering a little bit before he’s backing off. Loud, heavy footsteps amble towards the door. Ten can hear the cats puttering around him as Kun chides them “Yah! Stay inside!” and then the door’s clicking open before slamming shut with a heavy groan. 

It’s nothing to be upset over. Ten has no right to be upset. He’s only Kun’s best friend and Johnny is his boyfriend.

-

(But even so. It doesn’t feel great to eat alone.)

-

“Oh, god. You kind of look horrible,” is what Sicheng says as a greeting when they meet at dance practice, which absolutely doesn’t bode well for Ten’s anything. “What happened?”

Ten sends him a look, because he knows what happened. 

“This is the face of someone who comes home to see Johnny Suh every night,” Ten grumbles. “His stupid, stupid face. Every single night.”

“Ah,” Sicheng says, with the air of someone who has just made a significant epiphany. Which doesn’t suit him, being a know-it-all, because sweetheart Sicheng is Ten’s favorite Sicheng. And yet. “Kun ge abandoned wine nights?”

Ten just scowls in response. 

He’s been trying to get out of the apartment more and more, hence the reason why he’s even here tonight. Dance has always been one his favorite things, but the demands of art school kind of eliminated any free time for club activities in the past year. Yet he had a rare night off tonight and would rather die than come home to see Johnny and Kun sucking face or whatever it is that they do together. Not that Ten wants to know. 

So.

“If I have to third wheel them one more time,” Ten says with full earnesty, “I’m killing them and then killing myself. Honest to god. It’s the worst thing in the world.”

Maybe he’s being a little dramatic about it, but anyone who has to witness the coupling of Qian Kun and Johnny Suh would feel the same way. Mostly because the way they fit together is a little bizarre, like, visually. The height difference and then the clash of their aesthetics and then Kun’s dad energy with Johnny’s vague fuckboy charisma. Not to mention that Ten’s been getting grossed out by Johnny’s scent always hanging around in the apartment, even when Johnny isn’t even there.  

It’s never bothered him before, but Johnny has also never been stinking up Ten’s home before, so. You know. There’s a first time for everything. 

(Ten just misses it smelling like him and Kun, and only him and Kun. And occasionally Yangyang. Though most of the pack gets drowned out by ginger and magnolia and whatever it is that Kun’s cooking. Which Ten is secretly happy about.)

“Aww,” Sicheng frowns, patting him on the back. “Sorry, hyung.”

Ten sighs, leaning into the touch. Thank god for Sicheng.

“It’s fine,” he mutters. “Just wanna forget about those stupid alphas.”

Sicheng leaves him alone after that, not willing to sour Ten’s mood any further, which Ten is thankful for. It’s still early, so there’s not many people around yet, mostly just freshmen whom Ten has never met before. So he keeps to himself. 

He goes through his normal stretches and warm ups, his body a little more tired and strained than he remembers it being before. That’s probably his fault, with the hours he spends hunched over his copper plates in the intaglio studio. The series he’s been working on for his thesis is huge and intricate as hell and just the first line etch had him complaining about his back to anyone who will listen because the studio tables are at a weird height and are definitely not built for him to be leaning over them for ten hours a day. 

This must be what it’s like to get old. 

“Ten-ah!” 

Jun’s entrance is explosive, as it always is, hair mussed up in several directions and looking a bit frazzled. Not an uncommon sight for him, though Ten still has no idea what he could possibly be going through that makes Jun look like he’s constantly waking up on the wrong side of bed. A side effect of being friends with Kwon Soonyoung, perhaps. Jun jogs over to Ten, dumping his bag on the floor. 

“Hey, Junnie,” Ten manages a smile. “It’s been a while. Sorry for showing up out of nowhere.”

“It’s fine, I was thinking about texting you and begging you to come back, but Kun said you were busy,” Jun says. He plops down next to Ten and smiles. “How have things been? Sorry I haven’t been around for dinner.”

“‘S fine,” Ten shrugs. Jun is only ever this talkative when he gets excited about something. And he’s slightly scared about what he could possibly be this excited about this time around. “I’m managing.”

Jun nods empathetically. While he comes off as quiet and relaxed to most people, there’s a distinct type of insanity hidden in the depths of his personality that comes out in the confines of the dance studio and his equally insane friends. Ten wouldn’t say they’re close enough to each other for him to completely understand Jun, not in his entirety, but he’s getting there. 

“We missed you here, so feel free to come whenever you have the time,” Jun says. And then, with the slightest hint of an evil grin: “Though I’m sure you’re having a great time third wheeling Kun and his new boyfriend.”

There it is, the thing he’s so excited about. He was probably just aching to bother Ten about it. He can only groan in response, slumping over defeatedly.

“That’s exactly why I’m here today, I can’t take it anymore,” Ten says. “They’re the worst, actually.”

“Did you know that Kun didn’t tell me, I had to find out from Chenle?” Jun smiles, and it’s only a little bit bitter, though mostly amused. “He said, ‘Kun ge is dating Johnny hyung!’ and I thought it was a prank at first.”

Ten frowns. “Yeah, everyone thought it was a prank. I still don’t get it.”

It makes sense that their pack can’t see the idea of Johnny and Kun together, but it’s intriguing that even outsiders like Jun can’t see it either. And Jun is Kun’s best friend, knows so much about him that even Ten calls him up when he can’t remember Kun’s brand of toothpaste when he’s at the store, because god forbid he asks Kun himself.

And then there’s the fact that Kun didn’t tell Jun about Johnny. So weird. 

“Do they seem alright?” Jun asks him, expression softening a little. “Like. Does Kun seem happy?”

Ten doesn’t even know what to say to that, because he genuinely doesn’t know. “I think so,” he says. “Kun is… well, he’s Kun. The same as ever.”

Jun sighs. “That stubborn man. He liked someone for the longest time, but I guess he’s trying to get over it now.”

And… huh.

Ten stares at him.

It takes a minute for this information to sink in, especially after Ten has spent so long convincing himself that Kun and romance can’t even exist in the same sentence. Kun liked someone? This is news to him. Kun hasn’t so much mentioned anyone in a romantic context in Ten’s presence for years now. Not since he and Jun dated and it ended in the most anti-climatic way possible (Jun liked someone else and Kun wasn’t invested in the relationship enough to get him to stay). 

It’s odd. To think about Qian Kun liking someone. Butterflies in his stomach, blush on his face. Would he try to get their attention? Ten can’t imagine that. Kun is a sweetheart, but he’s not exactly suave. And sometime he can be a gloating know-it-all. And his taste in rom-coms is shit. And he’s a mouthbreather, sometimes, which gets so fucking annoying. How could Kun possibly get anyone’s attention when he has so many flaws that no one except for Ten ever seems to tolerate? 

Ten tries to imagine the type of person Kun would like. There’s next to no similarities between Johnny and Jun. Jun is pretty, lethally elegant, a beta. Johnny is all sharp angles, has an annoying boyish charm to him, an alpha.

He can’t imagine Kun’s type. Can’t imagine it at all.

“Who did Kun like?” Ten asks. Which, okay, maybe he shouldn’t have asked. But c’mon, the temptation. “Do I know them? Are they an omega?”

Jun only grins. It’s a little sinister. “Not telling.”

And, well, that’s the answer he should’ve expected. Kun isn’t a secretive guy, but he’s not exactly an open book either. Though it does sting a little bit that Kun liked someone and didn’t tell ten. Ten could’ve set them up!

(Though the idea of Kun dating an unknown person still scares him. Even worse than the idea of him dating Johnny. He’s not quite sure why.)

“So mean,” Ten pouts, though it’s largely ineffective when Jun is grinning at him like a happy cat. “I wanna know too.”

Jun stands up. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out one day,” he says. He holds his hand out for Ten to take, which he does. Jun pulls him up. “You know Kun. He’s not great at keeping secrets.”

Jun sounds certain of himself when he says this, but Ten isn’t so sure. For someone who isn’t great at keeping secrets, Kun sure has been keeping a lot of them recently. 

-

Ten likes to think that he’s doing a pretty good job at convincing himself that everything is just fine. 

Things are weird at home, of course. And Johnny and Kun are as insufferable together as they’ve always been. But he tries to hang around his other friends as often as he can, following Yangyang and Dejun around campus and getting dinner with Kibum and even getting Doyoung to hang out with him. 

So basically, things are fine. Perfectly fine. 

“Honey, you look miserable,” Kibum coos at him, stroking over Ten’s hair when he comes back to his office from a meeting to find Ten laying sprawled across his couch, pouting after another morning of Kun abandoning him for Johnny. “Is this about your alpha again?”

It’s not Ten’s fault that his omega is so sensitive and sends his scent smelling hurt and abandoned and betrayed whenever Kun ditches him for his boyfriend, but it’s seriously starting to affect his mood. Even the other alphas on campus who have been trying to not-so-subtly court him have been avoiding him, because his scent airs out sad, sad, leave me alone, sad.

“He’s not my alpha,” Ten grumbles. “He’s not my anything.”

Kibum clicks his tongue. “And yet you want him to be.”

Ten doesn’t know what to say to that.

He doesn’t even like Kun in that way, honest-to-god, but he still feels so hurt about it. He doesn’t want Kun to be his alpha, but he wants Kun back. He wants them to smell like each other again. Ten had to go into Kun’s room and steal a hoodie to get the stupid alpha’s scent on him, because he’d rather die than ask Kun to scent him outright when they barely ever see each other anymore. Ten’s omega is miserable and it’s not fair because it’s not like Kun is even his.

They still have family dinners every Saturday and Kun still cooks meals for him and he still feeds the cats and he’s still Ten’s best friend. But Ten has to share him and he doesn’t want to, and it’s so, so unfair. 

“It’s okay to like him, you know,” Kibum says, rubbing his wrist over Ten’s neck, soothing him with sweet citrus. “And I’m still not convinced that he isn’t in love with you. I know a whipped alpha when I see one.”

“You’re delusional, hyung,” Ten grumbles, but lets the older omega scent him until his eyes are heavy anyways. “You’re the worst.”

“No, your alpha is the worst.”

“Yeah, him too.”

Even so, his sour mood continues. He spends as little time in the apartment as he can. Kun has picked up on it, of course, although he’d have to be an idiot not to, considering you can smell the bitterness in Ten’s scent. It’s not often where Kun bends over backwards to accommodate Ten, not without complaining about it, but recently he’s gone the extra mile. Made him Thai dishes every night, cleaned the cat litter, scrubbed the kitchen down until it was spotless, the list goes on. And yet it makes Ten’s scent even more sour, because his omega is convinced that the perfect alpha is right in front of them even though (1) Ten doesn’t even like him like that and (2) Kun isn’t his.

“Ten-ah,” Kun raps on his door one night. Ten is curled up in bed watching Queer Eye, because the only cure to his mood is watching straight men suffer. “Tennie.”

“What?” Ten croaks out. A little bit petulant. 

Kun pokes his head in, smiling apologetically. “Sorry to bother you. It’s just that it’s Thursday, today, you know.”

He doesn’t elaborate further. Ten sits up and blinks at him. Head reeling with Kun being vague and weird and very un-Kun-like.

“So what?” He asks. Mildly scared of the answer, like it’ll be something insane.

But to his relief: “So it’s wine night,” Kun grins. “Wanna get tipsy and watch a concert?”

Ten stares at him. Kind of confused. Because Kun is offering their favorite activity in the world, because Kun is making time for him, because they haven’t hung out in a week but Kun is dangling an olive branch out to him anyway. His omega screams yes, yes, say yes, yes, and his brain is screaming No! Make him work for it! Make him sorry!  Don’t give in! and Ten doesn’t know which instinct to listen to, which voice of reason, because he just missed Kun a lot-

“Wine night?” He asks in a small voice. “What kind?”

Kun is still smiling. “Your favorite.” 

So his omega wins out, apparently, because he ends up on the couch while Jay Chou plays on the TV and Kun pours him a glass of wine. Fuck. So much for having a backbone. 

“I didn’t agree to Jay Chou,” Ten grumbles, but accepts his glass anyway, secretly pleased when Kun lets him cuddle just ever so slightly into his side. Just so they’re pressed together, hip to hip, thigh to thigh, Kun’s shoulder within snuggling distance. 

“We can change it,” Kun offers. “Though I’ve never seen this one before and I was kind of looking forward to watching it together-”

“It’s fine,” Ten grins, not even bothering to pretend to be upset. “This is fine.”

And if Kun is bothered by his flippantness, or Ten’s sudden willingness to engage in his Jay Chou obsession, he doesn’t show it. Just smiles back at him. 

As much as it’s been a pain in the ass, Ten is happy that he’s had the mind to air out Johnny’s stupid scent every night. Mostly because he and Kun are both letting out gentle waves of pheromones and jasmine and ginger, scents curling together and making the apartment smell like home. An hour passes by just like that, and there are three cats strewn across their laps and Ten is tipsy off of a suspiciously fancy red and is having the time of his life, but then Kun retrieves cake for him! He got Ten cake.

Not the grocery store kind either, but from the stupidly fancy bakery in Gangnam that Ten is fond of. 

“Kunnie,” Ten coos. “Stop being so sweet, you’re making me blush.”

He curls into Kun’s side, nuzzling his cheek against Kun’s shoulder. His scent goes sweet, floral, outrageously pleased. 

“Ah, you,” Kun bats him away, ears burning red. “Just eat it.”

So he takes a bite and laughs when Kun makes him eat the whole thing, because somehow Kun has noticed that he’s been eating less recently from the stress. Ten’s omega, of course, is ridiculously happy. He’s been craving time with his best friend, actual alone time. Time where Johnny isn’t hanging around, or his scent in the air, time where it's just the two of them alone in the apartment. 

He would never admit in a million years that he misses Kun, except he does. Except everyone already knows, no matter how much Ten tries to convince them otherwise. So he eats his cake and leans into Kun’s side, gets drunk on the wine and their combined scents, smiles happily whenever the alpha laughs at one of his stupid jokes.

Though, of course, good things never last. Kun’s phone ringing is what interrupts them.

Kun, a little sheepish and scent souring, picks it up off the coffee table. Tean swears he wasn’t peeking, but he’s not surprised when Johnny’s name flashes on the screen. Kun answers his phone with the tiniest bit of a grumble.

“Johnny?” He asks, voice level and even-toned. “What’s-” He pauses. “Ah. Tonight?”

Ten strains to hear what Johnny is saying on the other side of the line, but he can’t make any of it out. 

“But I’m with- Ten’s here. We’re hanging out,” Kun says, strained. “Yah, you should’ve told me before. I’m already tipsy.”

Johnny says something else. Ten can hear his laugh.

Ten curls up into himself, feeling a little bit embarrassed. For some reason. Maybe because it was easy to pretend like Johnny didn’t even exist when he and Kun were curled up together, scents intermingled. And then he just feels guilty. 

He doesn’t know why he’s being so greedy about Kun. Not when Johnny is his best friend.

Fuck. 

“Could we take a raincheck? Is it really that bad?” Kun asks, sounding a bit annoyed. And then after a pause, he sighs. “Okay, sure. Fine. I hear you, I’m coming.” And then with a tired laugh. “Yes, jagi-yah, I’m on my way.”

It takes Ten a second to realize what’s happening, as Kun hangs up the phone and turns to him with a strained smile. He’s kind of tipsy and scent drunk from being in the proximity of Kun’s scent after so long apart.

But then Kun’s saying, “Sorry, Tennie, Johnny needs me at a show.”

And Ten, a little bit helpless: “You’re leaving?”

He doesn’t mean to sound so pathetic when he says it. He doesn’t even mean to say it in the first place. After all, it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things - Johnny is his boyfriend. Kun has his obligations to him.

(Except it’s already been weeks since the last time they did this, and Kun is already abandoning him. Again.)

“Ten-ah,” Kun says, gentle. “Ten. I’m sorry.”

It’s the tone Kun reserves for when the kids are upset and they need the pack alpha to take care of them. It’s the voice Kun reserves for when he’s speaking to small animals and pups. It’s the voice Kun reserves for when Ten is being an idiot and Kun has to soothe him back into being normal, into being strong, into being himself.

The emotions rise up in him so quickly. Hot, angry, ashamed. Mostly ashamed.

“‘S fine,” Ten says, a little bit gruff, ignoring the tears springing to his eyes. He untangles himself from Kun, sending the cats scattering. He gets up from the couch. Picks up his wine glass. “It’s fine, go have fun.”

“Ten,” Kun is saying. “Do you want me to stay? I can call him and-”

“No, go,” Ten waves him off, the anger seeping into his voice. “He’s your boyfriend, yeah? So just go.”

He knows he sounds bitter. He knows he sounds upset. But he can’t fucking help it, not when Kun can’t even hang out with him for two hours without them being interrupted, not when he can’t even have Kun to himself for a night, not when he gets so upset even though he doesn’t have the right.

Kun sighs. Runs a hand down his face. “Tennie,” he says. “You know I’ll stay if you want me to.”

(And the worst part is that Ten does.)

Johnny is Kun’s boyfriend, but Kun still makes Ten breakfast. Still feeds the cats and lends Ten his shirts. Makes him dinner and leaves notes on the counter. What was it that Johnny said? Kun will always put you above everyone else.

And Kun would. He probably would. They haven’t seen each other in weeks, but Ten also hadn’t asked him to stay. He never does. Kun is the one who always has to do it.

(And Ten certainly isn’t going to start now. Not after everything. Not when Kun isn’t… you know. His. Whatever that means.)

“Just go, Kun,” Ten says, wiping at his eyes. “Your boyfriend needs you.”

He doesn’t stay to hear what Kun says in response. He stalks over to his room and slams the door. It’s childish and petty and he feels so fucking embarrassed and ashamed but if he stayed any longer, what would have happened? Kun staying home? Cuddled into Ten’s side meanwhile Ten knows that it’s his fault that Kun has to choose at all? Kun isn’t his alpha. He isn’t his anything. He’s his friend.  

Fuck. Fuck. He’s an idiot.

Ten buries into his sheets. Hears the front door open and close. What the fuck is wrong with him?  

-

“Your omega sounds like a piece of work,” Dejun says unhelpfully. “But it also sounds like you like Kun ge.”

Talk about stellarly unhelpful advice. 

Ten has been avoiding Kun like the plague over the last three days, mostly in self preservation. Ever since wine night. Calling over the pups was a last ditch attempt to get his bearings over his weird, traitorous feelings. Well, also because Yangyang is Ten’s emotional support and Dejun is the least judgemental omega Ten knows and Kunhang is just always there (and Ten loves him for that). 

When he told them about his recent… afflictions, however, he was expecting more sympathy. 

“I don’t like Kun!” Ten insists for the millionth time that day. “My omega just likes his scent, or whatever. It has nothing to do with me.”

“But I thought the reason we have instincts is to listen to them,” Kunhang points out. “That’s why fated pairs are a thing. Because your inner gets drawn to that person.”

“Well surely my instincts are wrong,” Ten groans. “I don’t like Kun.”

“But your omega does.”

“But that’s not the point!”

Seriously, Ten’s life is going down the shitter. In the days he hasn’t seen Kun, his omega has been going haywire. Whining constantly for their favorite alpha and their favorite scent. Not that Kun is Ten’s favorite alpha, because he’s not, because alphas are stupid and gross. But it seems like Ten’s omega hasn’t gotten the memo. 

“Back me up, Junnie,” Ten pleads, almost pouting. “Tell these alphas that they’re mistaken.”

Dejun’s lips fall into a flat line. He avoids his eyes and scratches at his neck.

“Well…”

Okay. Fuck this. Fuck this so hard. 

“Come on, we can’t all be driven by instinct!” Ten complains. “You and Kunhang didn’t just get together because your omega told you to!”

But to his surprise, Dejun shrugs. “I mean, it kinda did?” He smiles, though it’s a little bit of a grimace, probably because Dejun acts like he’s being held at gunpoint every time the Dark Ages are mentioned. AKA pre-Dejun-and-Kunhang. Back when he would foam at the mouth whenever Kunhang would say his name and Ten had to be the one to force them together. “Like, I saw him and I liked him, yeah. But then my omega went berserk the first time I smelled his scent, and it was all ‘that alpha’s mine.’”

Kunhang puts a hand to his heart, touched, because he’s a simpleton. “Aw, babe.”

God. They’re so gross. Why does he even bother to ask?

“I mean, generally you’re supposed to listen to your omega, hyung,” Dejun says gently. “It’s silly, but your instincts know best, you know? It tells us when we’re in danger, but it also tells us when we’re safe. When we find an alpha we can trust…”

“Well I trust Kun,” Ten frowns. “But I don’t like him.”

Dejun just shrugs.

Yangyang, who has been playing mobile games on his phone this whole time, finally looks up from where he has his head in Ten’s lap. “But you and Kun ge are like…” he gestures vaguely. “I don’t know. You’re kinda perfect for each other in a really gross way.”

“Kun ge gets protective over you, sometimes,” Kunhang agrees. “He doesn’t do that for anyone else.”

“Ge’s alpha is probably drawn to you like your omega’s drawn to him,” Dejun adds. “You just don’t know it.”

Ten doesn’t even have the energy to point out why they’re all wrong. Him and Kun are compatible in the same way enemies are compatible. In the way a married couple secretly hates each other. In the way Batman and Joker definitely have a thing.

But not… it’s not like him and Kun have a thing. They’re fucking roommates.

If Kun’s alpha liked him so much, surely he would’ve acted upon it by now. It’s not like Ten has ever been unattainable, they’ve lived together for two years. But Kun is only begrudgingly respectful in the way that one only is if they harbor platonic feelings for you. Kun doesn’t even blink twice when Ten steps out in his skimpiest outfit. He’s not overwhelmed by Ten's scent when he’s in heat, doesn’t cry for him when he’s in rut, nor does he ever push the boundary of their relationship whenever the opportunity just so happens to present itself.

He’s just… Kun. 

Kun, who waits up late for him. Kun, who brings him food. Kun, who is kind to everyone. Kun, who his omega has decided is the perfect alpha. No matter how much Ten disagrees. 

(Kun, who is dating someone.)

“This is so stupid,” Ten grumbles, dragging his hands down his face. “This is so, so stupid.”

Even in a world where Ten does like Kun, Kun would never go for him. Not loud, abrasive, smart-mouthed Ten. Not an omega who can’t cook and doesn’t want pups. Not someone you couldn’t bring home to your parents because then you’d disappoint them. Kun could have anyone else. He could do so much better. 

And Kun’s also dating Johnny. Though that’s just another bitter pill to swallow on top of the mountain of bitter pills he’s already swallowed.

“You’ll figure it out, ge,” Dejun pats his knee. “I mean your omega could be wrong. I guess. Or maybe Kun ge is madly in love with you and has been this whole time.”

Kunhang nods. “Maybe dating Johnny is a coup.”

“Or maybe ge’s just stupid,” Yangyang pipes up.

Ow! Their baby yelps when Ten pinches his ear. Hyung! Though it sets Ten at ease, just a little bit, to have his pups on his side. Even if they need a talking to about respecting their elders.

His omega is just wrong. Everything will be fine.

-

Ten is walking in the caf when he smells Taeyong in the air and immediately takes a fucking U-turn, because if there’s anyone you desperately need in times of high stress, it’s Lee Taeyong.

Sure, the kids are fine, and Sicheng is… well, Sicheng, and Kibum is basically a mother figure. But Taeyong is someone you can trauma dump on and get solid advice from, meanwhile the rest of Ten’s friends are either one or the other.

So when Ten cranes his neck above the crowd of people waiting in the lunch line and sees Taeyong’s shade of aqua-blue hair, he goes in for the kill.

“Taeyongie!” Ten shouts, grinning when Taeyong turns to him and smiles.

“Tennie!” He shouts back. “Hi! I haven’t seen you in weeks!”

Lee Taeyong is like if you took the biggest loser in the world and the coolest guy in school and trapped them in the same body and oh my god, Ten has missed him so much. He barrels into Taeyong’s open arms because in the weeks they’ve been apart, his life has gone to shit. 

“You wouldn’t believe what’s gone on in the past month,” is all Ten says. “Are you hungry? Wanna hangout?”

“Yeah, sure, let me grab something,” Taeyong pats his head as he pulls away.

Ten salutes. “I’ll get a table.”

So about five minutes later, Ten’s mood has improved significantly, because Taeyong is letting him talk all the shit he wants about whomever he wants to. Taeyong chews thoughtfully on his tteokbokki and nods at all the right places. 

“Kun and Johnny, huh?” He makes a face. “That’s… interesting. To say the least.”

Ten groans. “Yeah, I know, right? But I have no choice but to be supportive and third wheel them. I’m so sick of it.”

He’s stopped avoiding Kun outwardly, ever since his conversation with the triplets, but that doesn’t mean things have necessarily been chill between them. Besides small talk, Ten has been fleeing the room every time they’re left alone together, lest Kun inquire about his feelings. Because if Kun asked him, outright, why Ten was so upset about him and Johnny, he wouldn’t have an answer for him.

Or at least not an answer that either of them would like. 

It doesn’t help that Kun is the same as ever. Helpful, active in the kitchen, feeding the cats, suspiciously patient. Though that doesn’t mean it will take much more to get him to crack. Ten has always had a knack for hitting Kun where it hurts, even if he doesn’t necessarily mean to. Has always been able to wear Kun’s never-ending patience down into something thin as paper. It’s only a matter of time.

Though Johnny has been around the apartment less, but that just means Kun is out more. Which is maybe a little bit better than having to witness their relationship first hand, especially since there’s no more coffee scent stinking up the apartment, but Ten’s omega is just as agitated by the apparent lack of Kun as ever before. Fuck. It’s so stupid. 

“Aww, I’m sorry, Tennie,” Taeyong says, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “It must suck.” 

Ten hums, sipping on his shitty cafeteria coffee. “Yeah, it sucks, but it’s not the end of the world. I’ll probably get over it eventually.”

He says that because it’s the adult, mature thing to say. Since it would probably be frowned upon to voice to Taeyong that he kind of wishes the two of them would break up already. And that Johnny needs to stop hogging Kun. And that Kun needs to go back to the monogamous relationship he has with his schoolwork and never date anyone ever again. 

Or whatever he’s been thinking. 

“You poor thing,” Taeyong frowns. “I can’t imagine it. Especially since I know that you like Kun and everything.”

And, okay, hang on.

The accusation doesn’t come across as anything new, not after the couple weeks he’s been having. Not with the kids and Sicheng and Kibum and even Johnny, that one time, in his ears. But Taeyong is… well, he’s a lot more observant than his other friends. His nose is sharp, and he can sniff anything out of anyone’s scent. So he catches onto things. Is able to read people. Would probably be able to figure out whether or not Ten was in love with his roommate. 

But. But the thing is-

“Except I don’t,” Ten says patiently. “I don't like Kun.”

Taeyong tilts his head. Stares.

“Um, but I thought you did?” He says. “You have the entire time I’ve known you. I could’ve sworn you’ve had a crush on him since freshman year.”

It’s a bold accusation. And again, it’s not anything he hasn’t heard before. Yet even so, the claim sinks in, deeper than anything the kids have said. Because Taeyong has seen them over the past four years, had been a big reason why Kun and Ten ended up becoming friends in the first place, had been the only person to encourage them to move in together (he was the only one of their friends who wasn’t convinced that they’d try to rip each other’s throats out, which only ever came close to happening).

“But I don’t,” Ten says, a little bit weakly. “I don’t.”

Taeyong blinks. “Really? Whenever you guys are in the same room, I can smell it on you. It smells like love. Blooming jasmine.”

Ten stares at him, a little helpless. It is nothing new. Nothing revolutionary. And yet Taeyong can smell it on him, always could. Has smelled it in his scent for four years.

It’s nothing revolutionary, it’s not. But then a memory slams into Ten like a train, and it is in the next moment in which Ten’s world screeches to a sudden, eerie halt. 

Hold on.

-

If Ten had to try and find the source of his affinity for Qian Kun, it wouldn’t be an easy task. Of course there was the infamous Coffee Spill on their literal first day of uni, in which Ten landed square in Kun’s dorky and capable arms. And there was the Move In at the beginning of their junior year, in which all of their loved ones doubted that the two of them could, in fact, live together (which they were right about, at first). And there’s all the tiny, microscopic moments from over the past four years, which range from the first time Ten had to admit in a game of truth or dare that fine, Kun is his best friend and not his mortal enemy, to when Kun made tom yum with Ten’s mom’s recipe for the first time. A million little instances where Ten had looked over at Kun and thought okay, yeah, he’s my person. 

And yet.

Ten can admit that he’s repressed a lot of things over the years, most of which have to do with his slowly developed disdain for romance. A lot of butterflies and tingles that have been pushed to the back of his mind in order to keep focus on things that matter: his degree, his cats, not an alpha. But there is one memory that Ten had forgotten about entirely, solely because he compartmentalized it so well that he wasn’t even aware that it ever happened, not anymore. 

It was right after moving in together. 

Louis and Leon fell into his lap by coincidence, when a sunbae says he knows two cats that need a home. Ten had fallen in love immediately, of course. Had begged Kun to let him bring them home. Kun, who loved cats, had agreed, albeit hesitantly. He was probably another person who thought that Ten was largely incapable of taking care of anyone other than himself, considering how bad he was at even the most basic forms of self care, such as eating three meals a day and drinking the proper amount of water. And yet he had agreed anyway. They pooled their money for supplies and a cat tree they found at a thrift store. Kun had been the one to clean the damn thing from top to bottom, mostly because of Ten’s germophobia. 

They took care of the cats together, but they were, undoubtedly, Ten’s. Louis and Leon were under his name, under his care, both on paper and off of it. Not that he particularly likes the idea of being referred to as an owner, but that’s what he is. Kun, for all intents and purposes, is just along for the ride.

And yet.

Ten remembers, clear as day, the memory itself. It had been a late night in the studio, finishing a lithography final. His back was aching from being hunched over the stone plate. It couldn’t have been any earlier than 2 AM, and yet Kun was awake when he crept into the apartment. He was talking to the cats. He hadn’t noticed Ten’s arrival. 

“Louis, yah, stop whining,” Kun is cooing, draped over the back of the couch. “It’s so late. You need to come to bed, hmm? Get your beauty sleep?”

Ten stood frozen, in the hyeongwan. Had stared at Kun’s wide shoulders in a uni-branded sweatshirt, his messy hair, his loose sweatpants low on his hips. He had never heard Kun’s voice like that before. How low and sweet it was. He was talking to the cats, sure. But he hadn’t known that Kun could sound like that. 

“You miss your appa, I know, but we need to sleep,” Kun says. He sounds so fond. “I miss your appa too.”

It was the first time Ten had ever heard those words come out of Kun’s mouth. Even when they’re apart on school breaks, when Ten goes back to Bangkok and Kun goes back to Fujian, they had never said I missed you upon their return. Sometimes they hug. And scenting is still a new thing between the two of them, especially since they’ve started to form a loose pack with Sicheng and Dejun and Kunhang and that one gangly freshman Ten has taken under wing, Yangyang.

Ten is still getting used to their combined scents in the apartment. Is still getting used to the way it smells like home, is getting used to the way it slots something peacefully in his chest, is still getting used to ginger twinged with jasmine. 

And yet Kun missed him. He missed Ten, who drives him crazy with his 3 AM manic cleaning and hatred for grocery shopping and nagging. Who gets on his nerves and is the only person against whom Kun argues back. Who is loud and sometimes clingy and has the tendency to be hot and cold when things stress him out.

His omega, for some reason, whines with want.

Kun stands up straight, coming around the side of the couch to hoist Louis in his arms. Leon slinks around his feet, probably jealous. “I know you don’t want to sleep with me, so let’s get you to Tennie’s nest. You’re just like a pup. Wanting your appa’s scent.” Ten, for some reason, hides against the wall when Kun turns around, walking towards the bedrooms. “Ah, Leon, you too. Sleep with baba tonight.”

Ten’s eyes go wide. Kun has never referred to himself as their baba before.

In hindsight, it makes sense. Kun takes care of them as much as Ten does. He feeds them in the mornings, and sometimes at night when Ten can’t get home until late. He’s taken them to the vet a few times. He’s a little better at getting them into their crates when they need to go out, he bought that baby sling Ten uses to take Leon with him on walks, he’s the one keeps track of food expenses.

But still. Kun as their… as their baba. As their parent.

It makes it feel real. Like Kun is a permanent fixture, not just his college roommate. Not just a best friend. Something more.

Kun’s heavy footsteps travel down the hallway, fading into the distance. He’s humming - Jay Chou, naturally, he’s fucking obsessed - and Ten can hear him opening Ten’s bedroom door first, before tiny cat footsteps make their way inside. And then he’s going to his own room, saying “goodnight, babies.”

He doesn’t shut his door. Just in case the cats decide to go to him, even though they have yet to want to sleep outside of Ten’s bed.

And Ten, for some inexplicable reason, falls to his knees in the hyeongwan. Takes a deep, shuttering breath. His heart pounding at a million beats per minute. Holy shit, he remembers thinking. Holy shit.

If Ten tries to recall this memory without thinking too much about it, this is where it stops. Him, half-relieved that he hadn’t been caught. Half giddy, excited to use Kun’s baby voice for blackmail, although he never did. And probably never will. But it lingers in the back of his mind, just in case.

But if Ten really, really, tries to remember, it didn’t quite go like that at all.

He had sat on the floor. His shoelaces untied. The apartment was pitch black and yet he had sat there. Not moving an inch. His blood was roaring in his ears, his heart pounding, something completely foreign and unnameable in his chest.

They were warm feelings. His scent had gone cloyingly sweet, bleeding through the scent patch, so it’s a wonder how Kun hadn’t smelled him when he arrived home. Kun has always been able to pick him out of a crowd based on scent alone. Even in nightclubs, even at uni rallies, even on Halloween in Itaewon. He can smell Ten, track him down. Found you, he always says. And sometimes: You smell good.

It never means anything, not really, and yet it occurs to Ten as he kneels in the hyeongwan with a hand to his heart that he wants it to mean something. He wants the guy who sees his cats as his own and feeds him food from his home country and grumbles about Ten’s cleaning habits yet never asks him to stop anyway to mean it when he says I found you, Tennie, could smell you anywhere, you smell good tonight. And I made you some food, do you want some? It’s your favorite. I know you didn’t eat a proper lunch. And Ten-ah, do you want company in the studio tonight? It’s boring without you. I’ll bring food.

It’s probably not the first time Ten has ever felt in love with Kun. Definitely not. Because Kun, who is kind and patient and sometimes mischievous and probably secretly forty years old, is meant to be loved.

But it had crashed into Ten like a car crash, that night. The thought that he has spent the past two odd-some years repressing, so much so that he’s forgotten about it entirely.

Oh my god. I love him.

-

“Ten?” Taeyong his shaking his shoulder. “Tennie, are you okay? Sorry, did I break you? Do you need me to-”

“Holy shit,” Ten says, a million things playing back to him at once. Kun on the couch, textbook in his lap. Kun’s lips around the rim of a wine glass, eyes crinkled in a smile. Kun, beeping in the code to Ten’s studio. Kun, bringing him souvenirs from Fujian. Kun, asking Ten to form a pack with him. Kun, not asking him to be the pack omega, but saying it’s yours if you want it. Kun, grinning when Ten had said And what? Give the role to Dejun? Who do you think I am?

“‘Holy shit?’” Taeyong asks, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t-” Ten says, before he’s even done thinking. Before he can say anything else. “I didn’t know- I never realized-”

“Are you having a panic attack?” Taeyong asks him, eyes wide. “Do you want me to call someone?”

“Oh my god, I’m an idiot,” Ten is rambling. He stands up, staring back at Taeyong. “Oh my god. I literally love him. I have for years.”

Taeyong blinks. Not untensing all the way, but raising an eyebrow in concern. “Oh,” he says. “I thought you were going through something, don’t scare me like that-”

“Fucking hell, I’m so dumb,” Ten says. He grabs his food tray. “Um, sorry, hyung. And thanks. But sorry.”

“Okay?” Taeyong asks. “You’re not dumb, and I think maybe you’re not the most stable right now, so if I were you I’d maybe-”

Ten doesn’t hear the rest of what he’s saying. He’s too busy sprinting off.

It’s like waking up from a long, eerie dream. Everything coming back into focus. The haze of memories sharpening into 4K resolution. Ten’s affection for Kun which had long-formed into some kind of vague obsession sometime between the Coffee Spill and the day Kun had followed him on Instagram. The ache he had felt when Kun had dated Jun, the relief he felt when they broke up. Ten’s refusal to think about Kun in the context of romance, in the context of sexuality, because if he peeled back the memories of all of the romantic and sexual escapades he’s embarked on in the past four years, he would see Kun’s wide shoulders and easy smile at the forefront of all of it. Sure, Ten attracted bad alphas. And he hated all of them. But maybe that’s because there was an alpha he already wanted.

Because there’s Kun, who is a good alpha, good boyfriend, good lover. And then there’s Ten, who is obsessed, for allegedly no apparent reason, with Kun and his dedication to his GPA. Because how would Qian Kun and romance exist in tandem if the romance didn’t involve Ten? How could it ever? What would Ten do if it did? If it didn’t?

Fuck. Fuck, he’s so stupid.

He can feel his omega whining in his chest, as he tears into the art building. Can remember how it mutters in his ear when they’re out at bars and he sees an omega talking to Kun. Can remember the tone of the normally sweet, if not whiny, voice in his head, vicious, he’s mine, he’s mine, he’s mine. And how that thought had not felt wrong to think. And Ten had been convinced that those were platonic feelings. And it was always there the whole time.

His omega has never wanted anyone except for Kun. And Ten has never wanted anyone except for Kun either.

Perhaps there are people under the impression that someone like Ten Lee would want someone who is cool and hunky and devious in all manners in the word. And perhaps, if you had asked Ten twenty minutes ago, he would have agreed with them. 

But he smells like Kun, lives with Kun, spends all of his time thinking about Kun, who is dependable and kind and forgiving, who puts up with Ten’s antics, who is patient even when he shouldn’t be, whose hackles rise at the teasing but never so much as growls. Kun is gentle, the only thing gentle in Ten’s life. Kun is safe. Kun is everything. And Ten, deep, deep down, is now realizing that he could never want anyone else.

Kun had marked him, in a way, when he had caught Ten in his arms after the Coffee Spill. It was nothing visible, nothing outright. But the whiff of ginger had sent his mind and his omega reeling. Had claimed him, without either of them realizing. Had been the thing keeping Ten tethered to him this whole time. And Ten could have disregarded the mark, could have fought against being tethered, and neither of them would have noticed.

Except he never fucking wanted to. Being tethered to Qian Kun is the easiest thing in the world.

He thinks about Kun with Jun, Kun with Johnny. The way Ten’s stomach had lurched the first time he saw Kun scent someone else. He thinks about the viciousness of his omega, of his mind, that only ever comes out when it has to do with Kun. His heart, the way it screams. He’s mine, he’s mine, I belong to him, he’s mine.

Ten is sure that he’s attracted many stares and caused a hell of a scene by the time he makes it to Kibum’s office. His scent is going haywire with want and jealousy and giddiness, and most of all, love. Which is why he throws the office door open. Does not knock. Ignores the fact that Minho hyung is here, apparently, and has Kibum pushed up against the edge of his desk, face in his neck.

“Ten!” Kibum screeches. “God, would it kill you to knock, holy shit-”

“I love him,” is what Ten blurts out, eyes wide. “Hyung, I love him.”

The next moment is slow as molasses, as Minho and Kibum separate (albeit reluctantly) and stare back at him. Shock is not written all over their faces. They already know, as everyone else does, as everyone except Ten has this whole time. They do not have to ask who. They do not have to ask anything at all.

“Oh, Tennie,” Kibum says. Slowly. Calmly. “Finally.”

It’s the next moment when his life goes from slow motion to the speed of sound. Fast. Furious. Cruel. Loud, deafening, roaring in his ears:

I love Kun. Finally.

And that’s when Ten bursts into tears.

Chapter Text

Ten is aware that his life is far from stellar, but the last thing he hoped to be doing when he woke up this morning was having a mental breakdown in Kibum’s office. And perhaps there is shame to be felt in the fact that this is far from the first time Ten has broken down in front of Kibum and Minho and it certainly won’t be the last. But the thing about Ten is that he’s aware that this is all just par for the fucking course, because apparently he has the worst luck in the world. Given the facts of his newest revelation and all. 

So.

“Ten-ah,” Minho coos, and Kibum is immediately crossing the threshold of the office to pull him into a hug, and Ten lets him, because when it’s 1 PM in the afternoon on a random Tuesday and you realize that you’ve been deeply in love with your best friend for literal years, you don’t get picky about being coddled by your friends/pseudo-adoptive parents. 

Case in point: Ten throws himself into Kibum’s arms and wails into his neck and is overall deeply uncool and unchill about this whole thing. Which is probably to be expected but is still remarkably not his finest moment. 

But it’s not like that’s his fault, okay?

Because now that Ten is thinking about it, it’s all suddenly clear as day. This is obviously Kun’s fault! Seriously! Any well-adjusted omega would fall for an alpha who was handsome and good at cooking and easy to tease, so it was only a matter of time before Ten fell into Kun’s trap of… being good looking and way too caring and suspiciously mentally sound.

He had no fucking choice!

“It’s not fair!” Ten wails, because honestly, the last thing on his mind is self preservation. Although Minho tugs them all into the room and very politely closes the door so no one passing by can see Ten have a melt down in a very well-respected university instructor’s arms. Good on him. 

“It never is, Tennie,” Kibum sighs, stroking his hair. The single inch of height the older omega has on him isn’t doing much to make this whole thing comfortable, since Ten is bent down at the neck and kind of awkwardly folding himself into Kibum’s frame, but that’s not really the problem right now. “Love is never easy.”

“It’s all Kun’s fault!” Ten whines. “Obviously I’m in love with him! Who wouldn’t be! He’s perfect!”

Well perfect might be a bit of a stretch, considering Kun is also sometimes the most annoying person Ten has ever met, but again, not the problem. 

“Ah, you poor thing,” Kibum coos. “It’s always the alpha’s fault, isn’t it?”

At least Kibum always gets it. Even though he’s old and sometimes cringe and - ugh - a millennial. Minho makes a vaguely offended sound and the both of them shush him. 

“Don’t act like you aren’t the worst of them all,” Kibum scolds him. “You wouldn’t know what a vegetable was if it wasn’t in your protein shake.”

“All alphas are dumb,” Ten bemoans.

And Minho, because he’s great, just sighs in defeat and plops down on the couch. “Well don’t mind me,” he mumbles. “By all means.”

Ten just sticks his nose in Kibum’s scent gland, rubbing his face there, and keeps crying.

It’s overwhelming. Not just the Realization, but the rush of emotions that come along with it. Emotions that Ten has been subconsciously suppressing for years on end, rushing out at him, hitting him at full force. Because the idea of Kun usually gets Ten’s heart racing to a certain degree, yes, but that’s mostly in irritation. And resigned fondness. And all other incredibly platonic things.

But now Ten is yearning with a very pathetic kind of longing that makes his heart feel like it’s going to fucking explode. An ache he can feel deep down in his bones. Because Kun is… Kun.

Gorgeous. Likeable. Kind to a fault. Unable to hold a grudge to save his life. The embodiment of a middle aged man in a twenty four year old’s body. Older by mere weeks but still takes it when Ten calls him hyung. Cooks Yangyang meals when he’s homesick. Goes all the way to Hongdae just to pick up Ten’s favorite cake. Cares for the cats like he’s their dad, sends updates to Ten’s mom when it slips his mind, is the victim of bullying by most of their friends and yet still cares for them all deeply, is surprisingly strong and can be deceptively coy, at times, is funny in a loser way, makes sweater vests look hot, is-

Well, you get the idea. 

Kun has always been Ten’s idea of the perfect alpha - the perfect anyone - despite his claims otherwise. Mostly in a hypothetical sense. If it was me and Kun at the end of the world, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. Except now it’s real, his feelings are real, and it’s fucking terrifying because Kun is Kun.  

Perfect. Unattainable. Dating someone.

What the fuck! This isn’t fair at all!

And it’s not like Ten would ever want to be a homewrecker, god forbid, or wish ill-intent upon Kun and Johnny’s relationship (although he already has, but that was for strictly platonic reasons, making it entirely different). He’s just someone who’s in love with a guy who’s already taken and just so happens to also be his best friend and now he has to live with that until he dies.  

“Oh my god,” Ten is groaning. “I’m fucked, I’m so fucked, everything is over, my life is over-”

Because it is. Because he lives with Kun, comes home to him. Eats his meals and shares his wine and sometimes cuddles with him on the couch - platonically! - and has to watch him and his boyfriend go out together - his boyfriend being Ten’s other best friend. God, he has such bad luck. 

“You’re fine,” Kibum reassures him. “You’re fine, your life is fine, nothing is over, Tennie-”

“How will I face him now?” Ten wails. “How will I face either of them?”

How can he ever look Kun in the eyes ever again, knowing that he’s actually deeply attracted to his stupid face and stupid smile and even the way he smirks when he pulls off a magic trick (even though magic is for losers and Kun is so, so, so deeply uncool)? How can he share an apartment with him? Kun has always been able to read his scent, the undertones of it, would be able to smell the affection in him from a mile away.

Oh, god. Kun would smell it. Would smell it on him before he could ever even see it on his face. He would know.

One whiff of blossoming jasmine and he’s done for.

“I think you might be catastrophizing things, just a little bit,” Kibum says, which is rich coming from the most dramatic person Ten knows personally (which is saying a lot - Kim Doyoung, after all, is one of Ten’s best friends, just about as insane as it gets, and yet Kibum clears him by a mile). “How about we take a deep breath? You only realized that you’re in love with him, like, a second ago.”

“But-” Ten whines. “But everything is ruined-”

“Nothing is ruined, Ten, gosh,” Kibum strokes up and down his back, letting out calming pheromones, sweet citrus filling the air. “It’s not like you fell in love with him overnight. It’s not anything new for you. You’re just… aware of it, now.”

Which is… true. Like, factually. But it isn't something that makes this whole thing less traumatizing. 

Ten knows he’s pouting. He knows he’s pouting and he probably looks like a kicked puppy as he pulls away from Kibum and looks up at his hyung with wide eyes, his sad scent leaking into the room, but he can’t help it. Everything sucks.

“I realized that I was in love with him, like, two years ago,” Ten says. Sniffling as he says it. “When we adopted the cats. But I just repressed it. And then all of a sudden I just…”

(It’s funny, because there wasn’t even a real trigger for the memory, not really. Taeyong is surprisingly persuasive, yes, and could probably convince Ten of anything with that smile of his, but the accusation wasn’t anything new.

And yet it had sent the facade of the past two years crumbling right down before Ten’s very eyes.)

Kibum’s expression softens. “Tennie.”

God. Ten feels like such an idiot. 

He pulls away and flops down on the couch next to Minho, who lets him slot into his side. Minho lets out his scent slowly, in little waves, calming and soothing. Familiar bergamot twinged with Kibum’s sweet orange. 

The combination of the two scents smells like home. Not home home, not without Kun’s ginger, but something similar. It makes his shoulders relax, untensing. Ten goes all loose and pliant as Kibum comes on his other side and slides an arm around Ten’s shoulders.

“It’s been two years and I’ve only just realized,” Ten says. “Because I’m an idiot.”

He’s still sniffling. He looks down at his lap and lets the combined scents of his hyungs wash over him, soothing and calm. 

“You’re not an idiot,” Minho says gently, apparently having now realized that the two omegas have moved on past insulting every alpha to walk to earth and are now willing to hear his opinions without feeling instinctual animosity. “I didn’t know I loved Kibummie until we were twenty-five, and we met when we were fourteen.”

“But you guys were, like, always meant to be,” Ten frowns. “Like a fated pair.”

Kibum and Minho are the couple Ten has never been more certain are just meant for each other. They have similar personalities yet completely opposite dispositions in life, and clash in just about every which way. But it works for them, makes them work even better. And they’re also disgustingly in love.

There’s no Minho without Kibum, and there’s no Kibum without Minho. That’s how it’s been for as long as Ten has known them, and that’s how it’ll always be. 

Yet both Minho and Kibum huff out laughs at the term fated pair.  

“I mean, that’s hardly true,” Kibum says. “We chased each other for over ten years. All while thinking it could never be mutual and dating other people and ignoring our feelings.”

“It’s harder when you’re meant to be than when you aren’t,” Minho says. “Because you’re convinced it’ll be easy and perfect, but it actually isn’t.”

Kibum squeezes him close. “I think you and Kun are a little similar to us. Being a good match and being bad at being honest.”

Ten thinks about Kun. The idea of Kun and him.

Ten has always been perfectly fine with being alone. He grew up seeing himself as being a bad match for most of the people he was surrounded by. He’s well-loved on the surface. His feisty personality caused contention more often than it didn’t. But things weren’t all that bad. 

And yet things changed when he met Kun, became his friend, and ultimately ended up revolving around him like Kun was the sun. Because here’s someone who takes the unsavory parts of him and turns them into something pleasant, here is someone who matches Ten jab for jab, here is someone who sees all his flaws and loves him anyway. Loves him more than surface level. Like a genuine, true best friend. Like Ten’s other half. Someone he probably couldn’t live without, at this point. 

Because there’s Ten and his fear, but then there’s Kun, who got coffee spilled on him and yet still decided to be Ten’s friend. Kun, who never treats him like he’s a dumb omega. Kun, who offered a pack to him. Kun, who lets Ten and the kids bully them no matter how sulky it makes him. Kun, who puts up with Ten no matter how stand-offish and crabby he gets, no matter how much he snaps, no matter how much he wants to bite.

Kun, who is nice, who is perfect in most ways, who is handsome enough to have anyone he wants. Who could do so much better than Ten, who has a boyfriend, who could never like him back in a million years. 

They’re too different. Ten is too different. 

Ten tries not to sulk and fails. “No, it’s not the same. He doesn’t like me in the way I like him.”

And sure, Ten can repress his feelings about his best friend and roommate for two years. And sure, Ten can act like everything is normal and platonic between them in the time since then. And sure, Ten is great at pretending like nothing about his feelings have ever changed. But he can’t deny that what he feels for Kun isn’t normal, or casual, or anything less than a vaguely unhealthy obsession. Even on a base level.

After all, his omega has already decided everything for him. 

(Mine. Mine. That alpha is mine.)

“So pessimistic,” Minho scolds.

“Yah, have some faith, Tennie,” Kibum nudges him. 

As much as they can try to cheer him up, it’s hopeless. Someone like Kun doesn’t like someone like Ten. Someone like Kun deserves more than what Ten could offer him. Deserves everything. Ten could hardly give him anything.

Someone like Kun dates someone like Johnny and has a perfectly fine relationship without worrying about whether or not his omega roommate is in love with him. Because why should he ever be under the impression that what Ten feels for him is anything beyond platonic and honest? Not when Ten has never once expressed interest. Not when Ten has sworn off dating an alpha ever again. Not when Ten is his best friend, the person he’s supposed to trust the most, the one person who’s not supposed to have feelings for him.  

God, he’s so stupid. Betraying Kun and his own feelings on top of that. Ten closes his eyes. Wipes at his tears.

“‘S okay,” he says with a resigned sigh. “I’ll be fine.”

-

Ten is not fine.

After he calms down from his mental breakdown and has the foresight to apologize for interrupting Minho and Kibum’s alone time, whatever they were doing (“just learn how to knock!” Kibum scolds him with a red face), he drags his feet back to the apartment, where he locks himself in his room and doesn’t come out for the rest of the day. The cats take turns snuggling with him as he watches a kdrama and pointedly ignores the growing pile of work he should be doing instead. 

(Because when you’re struck with a crisis, schoolwork is deprioritized! That’s the natural order of things!)

Ten can smell Kun when he gets home, because apparently being in love with him isn’t enough, and his omega has decided to be disgustingly in tune with Kun’s scent on top of everything else. The ginger floating in from the living room makes him yearn like a lovesick pup. Ten has never worn scent patches around the apartment, not since they’re so uncomfortable and Kun doesn’t mind it when Ten’s jasmine blares into their shared space, but he slaps a few on just as a precaution. They’re largely ineffective when Ten gets too emotional, but it never hurts to goddamn try.  

“Tennie,” Kun knocks on his door shortly after he arrives. “You’re home? Did class get cancelled?”

Because of course Kun has his schedule memorized. And worries for him the second he strays from it, although Ten is flighty on a good day and noncommittal on a bad one. Which only makes it more obvious why Ten would be attracted to someone like Kun, who starts his day with a goddamn to-do list and ultimately balances out Ten’s insanity. 

But you know what they say about hindsight…

“Yeah,” Ten calls out to him, voice muffled because he’s shoved his face into a pillow. Mostly as to force himself to not immediately throw the door open and leap into Kun’s arms, because his inner omega is fucking unhinged, yearning and yearning and yearning to scent, get close, be held, whine for affection. 

Kun takes his answer as an invitation to poke his head into Ten’s room. He pauses at the sight of him curled up in bed, cats surrounding him on all sides. 

“You okay?” Kun asks. “You seem… um…”

“‘M fine,” Ten mumbles. Leon, the traitor, immediately leaps off the bed to circle around his Baba’s feet. “Just not feeling the best.”

He sneaks a glance at Kun. Who is looking at him with clear concern on his face, but that’s probably just because he’s a chronic worrier and frets over all of the pack like he birthed them himself, Ten included. Not that Ten likes the connotations of that thought. 

As least his scent isn’t blaring out want, yearning, alpha, come here, scent me, come closer, come here, come here, come here-

No, Ten’s omega fights for control, fights to make its intentions clear, but Ten keeps it firmly under wraps. Though his scent is soured in the process. 

“You sure?” Kun asks. “I can make soup. Whatever you need.”

And yeah. Of course he would offer that. Because no matter how loser-ish and lame Qian Kun is, he’s a sweetheart, and Ten had no choice but to fall in love with him. Obviously.

“I’m okay,” Ten says, having to fight off a smile even though his heart is making him yearn and long and whine for affection. “It’s just my cycle, I think. Acting up because it’s spring.”

Kun seems to accept this explanation, even though it’s shaky at best. He nods.

“If you say so. I’ll make soup anyway.”

Ten gives a thumbs up in response, and then has to fight back an honest-to-god whine when Kun grins at him before leaving the room. Both because he’s so handsome and because his omega is crying alpha, come back! The cats trail after him because they’ve caught onto the fact that it’s nearing dinnertime, and Baba seems more likely to feed them than Appa is. Because of course Ten’s kids take after him - their lives revolving around bothering Kun and begging for him to feed them. 

Ten burrows under his covers and fans his face, knowing that he’s bright red. He knows that he probably would’ve instantly crumpled had Kun pushed him anymore. Would’ve blurted out I realized that I love you today, and I’ve been in love with you for years, and I want to kiss you. God forbid he let any of that out. It was a close call.

So naturally he comes to a forgone conclusion over the course of the next few hours, as Kun force feeds him soup and Ten has to pretend like he isn’t secretly preening under the attention, a confession right at the tip of his tongue the whole time.

He has to avoid Kun. 

(Obviously.)

There are some people, perhaps, who could come up with a better solution. Or a more kind one. But unfortunately for Ten, he’s not exactly in the most stable of minds, nor the most reasonable. Because his omega yearns for Kun Time and his heart yearns for Kun Time and every inch of his being yearns for Kun Time, but his brain knows best. And that best is to avoid him all while acting like nothing is wrong.

So over the next few days, he starts with little things. Ten is aware that he’s not the subtle person in the world, but he’s a good enough actor to make a performance out of it, just enough to not be blatant. He eats meals with Kun, but avoids hanging out with him. Cooks family dinner with him but limits the amount of time he spends in the apartment overall. It’s mostly out of self preservation, because Ten’s omega is almost violent in its affection. Constantly yearning to scent the alpha, douse the apartment in jasmine, submit to him. Which obviously is not a great look for him, and would definitely be crossing some kind of unspoken boundary that he and Kun have between them as omega-alpha roommates. 

So Ten avoids Kun and likes to think that he’s doing a pretty damn good job at it. 

“You’re up to something, aren’t you,” Dejun accuses when they meet up for lunch the next week, sans Kun. “Ge has been moping in the studio all week. You did something.”

“Me?” Ten asks, feigning shock. Which apparently isn’t as effective as he thought it’d be, because Dejun’s eyes only narrow and Kunhang snorts in response. “I haven’t done anything!”

“He looks like you divorced him and took all the cats with you,” Yangyang agrees with a surprising amount of compassion, despite the fact that he is similar to Ten in that he is someone who pretends like he doesn’t care about Kun even though (1) Kun is his dad-uncle-older-cousin-grandpa hybrid despite Yangyang’s unending refusal to admit otherwise and (2) Yangyang clings onto Kun like a baby at even the best of times. “And then he bought me lunch, right? I didn’t even have to manipulate him into it. But then all he did was ask me if something was up with you.”

Ten just frowns. It sounds like Kun is just being Kun. And so he says, “seems like a him problem.”

Yangyang makes a face. Kunhang smiles in a very strained way, looking pointedly over at his boyfriend. “Told you.”

Dejun scowls. And Ten doesn’t know what to do, exactly, because Dejun is his sweetest kid but also the number one Qian Kun defender on the fucking planet. There’s some kind of hero worship going on there, possibly. Ten never bothered to figure that one out. “I don’t know if you’ve finally realized you’re in love with him or whatever, but it’s getting to the point where he smells sad, like, all the time. Seriously.”

And Ten, to his credit, doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t confirm or deny, stays completely silent. Though maybe his behavior does enough to convey his guilt, as he chooses to avoid all eye contact, because Yangyang stops chewing on his tteokbokki and places his chopsticks down on his tray with a loud clang.

“Holy shit?” He asks. “You did something crazy, didn’t you?”

“I did not!” Ten barks, a little offended. “I just, like, maybe came to a realization or two. Recently.”

Three heads turn to stare directly at him. Triplet expressions of burning curiosity. 

“A realization…” Kunhang echoes. 

Dejun blinks. “I was joking about you being in love with him, you know-”

But then Ten is scratching at his neck, staring up at the ceiling, ears red, and all hell breaks loose.

“HOLY SHIT?” Yangyang screeches in English. “Really? Actually? Seriously?”

“I was joking,” Dejun says faintly. “I was joking-”

“Oh man, hyung,” Kunhang looks a little giddy. “I thought you were gonna deny it forever.”

“Shut up, all of you!” Ten shouts, red faced. Never mind the fact that they’re attracting stares from other people in the caf at the commotion in a mix of English, Korean, and Mandarin. Kun would scold them, if he was here. We have to be polite, he always says. Polite to the point where we don’t make a bad name for international students.

Well, unfortunately for Kun, his pack is particularly unhinged.

“No, what the fuck! What the fuck!” Yangyang is shouting back, reaching across the table to take Ten by the collar and shake him. “You finally realized! And you didn’t tell us!”

“Hyung,” Dejun says, with wide eyes, sounding utterly betrayed. “Hyung.”

And Kunhang, the traitor, is laughing.

“It’s not a big deal!” Ten insists, even though it admittedly is. “I’m being completely normal about it!” Even though he isn’t.

“Uh huh,” Yangyang says, hands letting go of his shirt and backing away with a shit-eating smirk. “And I’m sure that’s the reason ge has been so happy recently, because you’re being so normal about it.”

Ten puffs out his cheeks, sighing. “No, I am. I’m just…” He pokes at the egg in his bibimbap. “I’m just avoiding him, a little, that’s all. Just a tiny bit.”

That, apparently, is not something that pleases any of his packmates. They all make expressions of complete and utter pain. Some kind of silent communication passes between them as they share looks. Ten doesn’t even bother to try and decipher it. The triplets always seem to know something that he doesn’t.

Though to their credit, there is maybe an attempt at trying to be gentle when Yangyang speaks next. “Well it’s not that we thought you’d cope with it well, but…”

“Not that anyone did,” Dejun adds. “But-!” 

“But what?” Ten asks them, narrowing his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

Yangyang just mimes his lips zipped shut, throwing away the key. Self preservation clearly in his best interest. 

“I think what Yangie means,” Kunhang says, putting a hand over Dejun’s mouth when he goes to open it. “Is that we were hoping that when you realized, it wouldn’t, like... um…”

“Ruin everything?” Yangyang mumbles.

“Make ge sad!” Dejun says through Kunhang’s hand.

“Well, we’ve all seen how Kun ge has been the past week, is all,” Kunhang placates, which is odd, because Kunhang doesn’t placate. “And maybe you shouldn’t take it out on him? Not that we all aren’t happy for you.”

Ten blinks at them. Kunhang lets go out his boyfriend’s face when Dejun bites him, hissing out a swear. Yangyang is back to eating his food, albeit with judgement clear in his eyes. 

“I’m not…” Ten says slowly. “I’m not taking it out on him. I’m just…”

Avoiding him at all costs? Being only friendly enough where my true feelings can’t be revealed? Refusing to be vulnerable with Kun for the first time in my life?

The kids can clearly see where his head’s at, because they’re all leveling him with unimpressed looks. Not very effective on Ten, not anymore, but the pity is still evident.  

“He’s sad, hyung,” Dejun says. “I know it sucks because he’s dating Johnny hyung and all, but…”

But you can’t avoid Kun. That much is obvious. Fuck.  

Ten sighs. Frowns, breaking the egg yolk apart. 

“Yeah…”

“Ah, but it’s not like Kun ge is the sharpest tool in the shed either,” Kunhang butts in. “He probably wouldn’t even realize that you’re in love with him. He didn’t know Dejun liked him either.”

“Heng!”

“I’m just saying,” Kunhang puts his hands up in surrender as Dejun pouts at him. “You weren’t exactly subtle, Jun Jun.”

That, at least, makes Ten smile. Because yeah, Dejun had a puppy crush on Kun for like a month during his freshman year and Kun was too dumb to notice it until Ten pointed it out like a year later. Remember when Dejun was in love with you, before we set up him and Kunhang?

When Dejun was what? Kun had blinked. With who?

You know, Ten had said. In love with you. 

Kun had not, in fact, realized. Let alone remembered. For someone who can be annoyingly perceptive, he tends to miss the things that are right in front of him. 

“Yeah,” Ten says. “I guess. It’s just hard when my omega wants to profess its love to him every time we’re in the same room.”

Yangyang grimaces while Dejun makes a face of understanding - as the only other omega in the group and also as the most chronically down bad person Ten knows. 

“I get it,” he says. “When your omega is really obsessed with someone, it gets…”

“Horny?” Kunhang asks, chewing on bulgogi. 

“No!” Dejun smacks him on the shoulder. “It gets emotional.”

“Sounds terrible,” Yangyang comments. “When you’re an alpha, you just get horny.”

Ten and Dejun exchange a very pointed look. God, they’re surrounded by knotheads on all sides. 

“Just-” Dejun starts, sending Yangyang side eye. “Just go easy on him. He doesn’t know you like him, hyung. You know. Be normal.”

That’s rich coming from Xiao Dejun, of all people, considering the fact that Ten once witnessed him have to take five shots before even having the courage to ask Kunhang for his number, but alas… 

“Yeah, because Ten ge is so good at being normal,” Yangyang mutters.

“I believe in you, hyung,” Kunhang says. “Unlike some people.”

“And that’s why you’ll always be my favorite,” Ten says, and ignores Yangyang’s squawk of protest. “Don’t worry about me, guys. I got it all figured out.”

Kunhang and Dejun exchange a nervous look, which Ten pointedly ignores. He’s got this in the bag.

-

Ten, perhaps, may have oversimplified things. 

Letting Kun take over his life again isn’t the hard part. No, it’s easy. Just as the kids predicted, Kun went back to his normal, insufferably loser self once Ten stopped avoiding him like the plague. It was for the betterment of the pack, too, if Dejun’s grateful texts are anything to go by. Apparently Kun is a better study buddy when he isn’t moping everywhere he goes.

Kun makes the both of them breakfast, still. Dedicates Thursday nights to Ten, separate from whatever plans he makes with Johnny most other nights. Sometimes will even visit him in the studio, though those instances are rarer than ever before.

No, Kun is perfect. Ten is the hard part.

He ambles out of his room one morning to see Kun standing in the living room, cradling Leon to his chest like a baby as he coos at him. It makes his heart pound. He comes home to Kun in his PJs, watching a documentary on their TV with an absurdly intense kind of ferocity. His omega whines at the sight. Kun’s dimples pop out when Ten compliments his cooking during Saturday family dinner, smiling as he squeezes Ten’s knee. Ten wants to die.  

You get the idea. He’s losing his fucking mind.

His omega is the worst. Constantly whining for Ten’s favorite alpha, constantly wanting to be scented. Purring when Kun slides his wrist across Ten’s scent gland, literally. Ten literally purrs. It’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to him. Kun laughs like it’s funny and Ten goes red and calls him an idiot. 

And it doesn’t stop there.

He’s taken to stealing Kun’s hoodies whenever he leaves them around the house. Has taken to wearing them. No one comments on it, and Ten should maybe feel ashamed about how unabashedly obsessed he is, but wearing Kun’s scent is the least he can do to sate his omega and himself. Never mind that Kun is literally dating someone, for christ’s sake. He’s just glad that Johnny isn’t another omega. The last thing Ten needs is directly encroaching on their relationship. 

It’s my cycle, Ten says when Kun asks. It’s my cycle, and you’re the pack alpha, so. 

It’s a lie, and Kun should know because he knows Ten’s heat schedule, but he lets Ten do it anyway. 

It’s not Ten’s fault that Kun is such an enabler. Kun is the one who feeds him and fucking provides and serves Ten before he ever serves himself. Kun is the one putting on Ten’s favorite romcom and giving him a glass of his favorite wine. Kun is the one who is so frustratingly perfect and domestic, and it’s all his fault that Ten’s omega has latched onto him so aggressively.

(Which also makes it his fault that Ten himself has followed suit, has the constant urge to stick to Kun like a leech in a way that isn’t instinctual at all, but what his heart yearns for.

Stupid, stupid alpha.)

“Are you coming down with something? Your face is red,” Kun points out one night, as they’re cuddled in a very platonic way on the couch, watching the new episode of Ten’s favorite kdrama. “You’ve been red a lot, recently. Have you been feeling sick?”

Ten stares at him, a little shocked by how dumb Kun is for someone so smart. Pretty much everyone else in his life has caught on to the fact that Ten’s been infatuated with something over the past few weeks. Even one of his professors who he’s close with had asked if he got a boyfriend recently, because of how hard he’s been blushing every time a text from Kun pops up on his phone. 

Thank god for Qian Kun’s complete inability to read people outside of scents. 

“I’m just a little run down, is all,” Ten says. “Stressed with my thesis and everything. You know how it is.” Which is a lie. A believable one, but still a lie. 

And yet:

“It’s because you don’t eat properly, I swear,” Kun says, because he’s the biggest nagger in the world. “You need to eat proper lunches! And drink as much water as you drink coffee!”

It’s fucking ridiculous how Ten’s omega revels in Kun’s concern, as if Kun isn’t like that to literally everyone. So he stares at his roommate with a dumb smile on his face as Kun talks about calorie intake and protein and fiber, because he’s a nerd and Ten’s in love with him.

“Thank you, mom, really,” Ten finally cuts him off when Kun starts talking about all the empty Redbull cans Ten leaves in the recycling. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

It comes out a lot less sarcastic than usual. A little more fond than he’d like to admit. But Kun is an idiot, so he just rolls his eyes like Ten has insulted his favorite Jay Chou song. 

“Aiya, you’d wither away and die without me,” Kun says. He’s frowning, brushing Ten’s bangs back behind his ears. “I parent you more than Chenle, sometimes, and Chenle doesn’t even know what vegetables are.”

Ten pouts. “Don’t compare me to that gremlin.”

Kun grins, pinching Ten’s ear. “Then don’t be a brat.”

Ten has to ignore the thump-thump-thump of his heart pounding in his chest, face heating up again. Because Kun is so close, his face so fond, everything about him so casually beautiful as always. 

Ten is unusually aware of Kun’s hands on him. Fingers brushing against his jaw as he pokes his cheek and then pulls away. He misses the touch immediately.

“I’m never a brat,” Ten says in a small voice. A little bit weaker than intended. 

Kun smiles at him. “No, you’re not. Not to me.”

And it’s the worst thing in the world, having Qian Kun smile at you while he holds you close. Having the person you love in proximity yet so far away. Hearing the affection in Kun’s voice, wanting it to mean more.

So Ten buries his head in Kun’s shoulder, hiding his face. Omega whining, having to blink back tears.

He’s really fucked, isn’t he?

-

Ten likes to pretend like he isn’t pining like a lovesick fool, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

“You’re thinking about ge, aren’t you,” Kunhang asks with a surprising amount of awareness when they meet up for coffee later that week. “You’re smiling again.”

Ten is a little offended, mostly because Kunhang is his yes-man and is not supposed to stir the pot. And the fact that he was, in fact, thinking about Kun in his silly little sweater vest and zip-up hoodie combo has nothing to do with anything. Nothing at all.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ten grumbles, picking at his shitty Starbucks croissant. “I don’t think about Kun.”

Which is blatantly a lie. Obviously. But it’s not as if Kunhang doesn’t already know that.

“I honestly think it’s kinda cute,” Kunhang muses. “Normally you get so disgusted by romance. But Kun ge is making you soft.”

Ten scoffs. “I’m not soft. I’m rock hard.”

A high school-aged girl at a nearby table sends them a weird look. Ten ignores her. 

“But there’s nothing wrong with being soft,” Kunhang points out. “There’s nothing wrong with being emotionally available.”

Ten squints at him. “Who taught you that?”

Kunhang grins. “Dejun. Because he makes me soft.”

Ten gags and throws his empty coffee cup at his head. Kunhang is officially no longer his favorite child. 

It doesn’t help that Ten is so fucking obvious about this whole thing. Because while he’s able to wear a stone-hard mask of indifference - usually - it seems like it’s impossible when it comes to his feelings for Kun. His friends are constantly teasing him with knowing glances whenever they catch him staring off into space and blushing. It’s the worst. No crush has ever made Ten act like this, like he’s a fucking schoolgirl; there are times when he catches himself kicking his feet and going red at just the mention of Kun’s name. 

No wonder he repressed this shit for so long. It’s a fucking disaster.

Ten likes to live his life with an air of mystery around him. Likes to make people think who’s that guy, what’s his deal? He can’t be mysterious when his face is immediately giving him away. Giving away the fact that he’s an idiot in love. 

Being in love is probably the most overrated thing on the planet, Ten is certain. Because he’s in love and he’s certainly not having a good time. 

Because ultimately the worst part of this whole thing is the fact that he can’t talk to either of his best friends about it, lest he upset the balance of his relationships with them, his home life, and the entirety of everything he knows. Johnny is always the first person he turns to when he catches feelings, because he’s Ten’s favorite person to bitch with. He’s also relatively good at coming up with plans (of the seduction variety). Not telling Johnny about a crush feels like a fucking crime.

He hasn’t even been able to hang out with him, making excuses that he’s been busy, because he’s afraid that he’ll let things slip the second he sees his best friend. Guess who I’m in love with? Your boyfriend!

Yeah, absolutely not.

And the fact that the whole pack knows about it sans their head alpha feels a little bit sacrilegious in itself. Sicheng, of course, had caught on immediately. Had texted him: Yangyang told me that you’re in love with Kun ge but I’ll be the first to say that I told you so. Because while Sicheng is a sweetheart, he’s also a know-it-all. So their whole pack is innately aware that something’s up, meanwhile Kun sits at the head of their kitchen table and watches them make eyes at each other with a confused smile. 

Ten’s a little afraid - okay, very afraid - that it’s only a matter of time before he finds out. None of them, Ten included, are good at keeping secrets from Kun. The kids especially. All Kun has to do is turn his Disappointed Father™ stare on them and they crumple like a house of cards.

So Ten counts his blessings and tries to keep his shit together.

It’d be so, so much easier if Kun was as annoying as Ten claims he is. Because besides stomping around the house and shutting doors kinda loudly and oftentimes being relentless with his nagging, there isn’t much to complain about. Kun literally feeds him two meals a day. Kun literally fathers his cats. Kun literally is handsome and kind and perfect and it’s the worst fucking thing in the world, because if only he just sucked, this whole thing would be so easy.

Ten has never had any problems with getting over alphas who were handsome but unkind, or sweet only on the surface, or knot-for-brain idiots. But Kun, unfortunately, is none of those things. He’s kind of amazing. 

So, yeah. Ten is pining like a lovesick fool. 

He sits in his studio and daydreams about Kun’s dimples when he smiles. About Kun’s hands on the piano. About the soft hum of his voice. He floats through life with his omega thinking alpha alpha alpha and his brain thinking Kun Kun Kun. He lives in a world in which his life is a pseudo-domestic fantasy with the alpha of his dreams but never anything more, and there’s nothing he can do about it. 

Kun comes home smelling like espresso. Kun smiles when Johnny calls him on the phone. Kun is… Kun. Doting and beyond attentive to the person he’s dating. The person who isn’t Ten. The person who will never be Ten. 

And Ten tries not to be bitter about it. Really, really tries. 

-

Ten should’ve known what little luck he had would run out one day. Johnny corners him two weeks into the Revelation, and Ten is doing just as bad as he started out doing.

And just for the record, it’s not from a lack of effort. He has spent all of his free time and remaining brain cells trying to not pine after Kun like a reasonable person, but apparently neither his heart nor his omega have gotten the memo. His yearning has reached truly disastrous levels. The only reprieve Ten has is that he’s busy enough with his thesis show to actually have a proper excuse to spend more time out of the apartment, away from Kun’s scent.

(Though he’s wearing one of his sweaters. But that’s not his problem.)

Ten is hunched over a copper plate when Johnny sneaks in. It’s only 3 PM in the afternoon, but he’s somehow the only person in the print studio. Ten doesn’t even realize there’s an annoyingly tall alpha standing over him until there’s a tap on his shoulder and nose is filled with the scent of coffee and smelly alpha musk. 

“Tennie.”

“What the fuck!” Ten shouts, flinching, because he wasn’t expecting to get forcefully taken out of the Zone, zeroed in on his line etch. Which, okay, is still an abnormal reaction to have, but it’s not like Ten has ever genuinely claimed to be well adjusted. 

But then he realizes that it’s only Johnny, and not, like, a weird stranger touching him. Thank god. He puts a hand to his chest, huffing for his heart rate to calm down.

(But then he’s panicking again, because why the fuck is Johnny here! Of all people! Ten was avoiding him for a reason!)

“Woah, you okay?” Johnny asks, eyebrow raised in concern, hands raised up in surrender. “Didn’t mean to scare you, Tennie, sorry.”

It’s annoying, how tall and gangly and out of place Johnny looks in the etching studio. Like a suspiciously placed American tree. Ten shakes his head.

“No, I was just focused, it’s all good,” Ten tells him. He sets down his scraper and etching needle and fully turns around in his chair, staring Johnny down. He’s dressed more casually than he usually is on a work day, though he’s still wearing a dumb jean jacket like the 90’s kid he is. Ten tries to manage a smile, at least. “What’s up?”

“I haven’t seen you in years, that’s what’s up,” Johnny says, taking Ten’s smile as an invitation to make himself at home and plop down in the stool next to him like he’s allowed to be there, although technically he isn’t. “You’re so busy. I’ve missed you.”

“Ah…” Ten trails off, trying to not appear nervous, which he most certainly is. Because he’s been avoiding Johnny for the sole purpose of keeping his dignity intact, and now that said dignity is on the line, he doesn’t exactly feel great about it. “Sorry. It’s my dumb thesis.”

Johnny just shakes his head. “Don’t worry about me. How’s your thesis going? Can you show me anything?”

And at least Johnny’s eagerness to see his work is a welcome reprieve. It gives him an excuse to leave the room and take a second to breathe, gives him something to talk and think about other than Kun. So Ten nods, standing up, wiping his hands on his apron.

“I’ll grab some stuff from my studio,” he says. “Hold on.”

Ten walks briskly to his studio, grateful that Johnny didn’t decide to follow. Luckily his best friend’s laziness prevails over curiosity. He closes the door shut behind him, breathes in and out slowly. Inhaling for four beats, holding for seven, exhaling for eight. Trying to keep it together.

Because realistically, he doesn’t have anything to be afraid of. It’s just Johnny, and if Ten has been able to hold himself back from telling him anything over the past few weeks, he can surely survive one brief encounter with him. Surely.

Yeah. Right. It’s just Johnny.

So Ten runs through the breathing exercise a few more times and then uses a clean glove to pick up a few finished prints from his desk, exiting the room with an air of confidence that he doesn’t really feel, but tries to exhibit anyhow.

“Sorry, got distracted,” Ten says with a grin as he sets down his finished etchings. “This is all I really have so far, right now I’m working on more large-scale things…”

“Lemme see,” Johnny makes grabby hands, contrasting the delicate way he holds the paper when Ten passes them over. “Oh, wow, Ten.”

Ten has been nervous about his exhibition, his thesis as a whole even more so. Making art about being queer in East Asia isn’t exactly a welcomed topic by most public spaces. And yet his program head had fallen in love with it and had defended Ten’s plans at all levels, even when the university had expressed concerns over his work being vandalized once it was on display. Which is a worry for the future and is the reason why Ten makes a habit of making prints in editions. So far he’s done a few relief prints, a large aquatint, and a few different lithographs. 

“Do you like it?” Ten asks, a little nervous, although Johnny has always been his biggest supporter. “I know it’s not the most profound art…”

“Shut up, you’re the most talented person I know,” Johnny grins over at him. “Ten, these are amazing.” He sets the prints down on the table and flicks him in the forehead. “Insecurity doesn’t suit you. Don’t say stuff like that.”

“I’m just being honest,” Ten pouts, batting him away, although he’s secretly pleased that Johnny likes his work. “I’m nowhere close to being done and I think it’s all slowly killing me, but I’ve worked hard on all of these.”

Johnny shakes his head. “I remember you told me how much time it takes to make stuff like this. I’m really impressed, Tennie.”

Ten can’t help his satisfied grin. “You mean it?”

Johnny makes a face. “Duh.”

And, well, if there’s anyone Ten can count on, it’s always been Johnny. So he laughs and slides back onto his stool and stacks his prints back up into a neat pile. He’s only gotten feedback from fellow artists, so far. It’s valuable to hear the opinions of people who aren’t as hyperfocused on the creation as much as the outcome. 

“Kun’s been complaining, you know, that you’re never home,” Johnny says. “He worries so much, god, it’s insane.”

And Ten can’t help the way he perks up. Because yes, he knows that Kun worries about him, to almost a concerning degree, but it’s reassuring to hear it from other people. Especially when those other people are Kun’s boyfriend.

And he does not feel smug about it. Not at all.

“Kun worries about everyone,” is what Ten says, waving him off, mostly to stop himself from getting delusional about it. “He gets overprotective about the pack.”

“I think he gets overprotective about you,” Johnny says. He doesn’t sound bitter about it. He’s smiling. “You two talk about each other nonstop. Like, it’s obvious why I thought you two might be a thing.”

It shouldn’t, but the reminder does sting, just a bit. That his and Kun’s obsession with each other is mutual and yet the romantic feelings are not. “Ah,” Ten says. His grin drops but he tries to manage a smile. “Yah, don’t be jealous. Have things been going well?”

Johnny’s eyes crinkle. “Yeah. They have been.”

So Ten sits there and listens to Johnny talk about Kun. How patient, kind, and loving he is. How Kun asks him if he ate, will bring him leftovers. Will stop by work just to talk to him. Will hangout with him even if he’s busy. He’s so attentive, Johnny says. It freaks me out sometimes. If I need something, he already has it before I can even ask.

Ten’s smile goes strained. He knows the feeling.

He knows what it’s like to be doted on by Kun to the point of ridiculousness. Knows how great it is to be close to someone as kind and loving as he is, nagging and other annoying habits aside.

Ten wants to feel happy for him. So, so badly. Really tries to.

But he can’t, because he feels awful all of a sudden. Guilty. Ashamed.

Which isn’t anything new, except he knows he deserves it this time. Because despite the Revelation and all the chaos that has come with it, Ten has been harboring a teeny, tiny secret from everyone. Including Sicheng, yes. Something he doesn’t have the courage to tell anyone. Mostly out of fear. Mostly out of embarrassment and shame.

It goes like this: 

Despite everything, despite how much he loves his friends, he’s been genuinely, truly convinced that Kun and Johnny wouldn’t work out. Honest to god. To the point where his brain is insistent on it. Like a mantra.

They won’t work out, they won’t work out, they won’t work out-

And yeah, it’s a horrible thing to think about his two best friends, whether he’s in love with one of them or not. And yeah, he feels terrible about it. But Johnny, as kind as he is, isn’t always a ready-to-settle-down kind of guy. And Kun, even kinder, is nothing but.

So it’s not completely insane that Ten would think that maybe, just maybe, they would break up. And maybe, just maybe, he would get a chance. As awful as the thought is. As awful as he is. No matter how bad of a friend it makes him. There’s a part of Ten who has deluded himself into thinking that maybe Johnny and Kun’s relationship wasn’t 100% certain. Like maybe he would one day wake up and it’d be like it never happened at all. That’d they crash and burn, and Ten would have to pick sides, although both Johnny and Kun are the types of people who are friends with their exes. He couldn’t help it. The idea seemed too good to be true. 

But now, listening to Johnny talk, he knows he has absolutely no chance. 

The fondness mirrored in Johnny wakes him up. Slaps him in the face. He can’t pretend like Johnny doesn’t like Kun back. He can’t pretend like Kun is another one of Johnny’s flings. He can’t pretend like what they have isn’t real, isn’t legitimate, just because Ten’s omega has had a subconscious claim on Kun for years without him even realizing.

No, the truth is bitter. The truth is what stings.

Kun and Johnny are good for each other. An odd match, sure. But a good one.

They’re for real. Kun spends week nights out with him at gigs. Johnny goes to Kun’s boring-ass engineering socials that even Ten would never touch with a ten foot pole. They’re a couple, more of a couple than Ten could ever hope to be with Kun, and what hurts the most of all is the shame he feels over the fact that he had ever wanted anything else in the first place.

What kind of friend is he, for hoping that they wouldn’t be happy together?

(He clenches his fists. Plasters on his best demure omegan smile. Prays to god that Johnny doesn’t catch on.)

Johnny, of course, is too busy raving about his boyfriend to notice Ten’s inner turmoil. “He’s kind of the perfect alpha, and it makes me look bad in comparison,” Johnny is saying. “Our scents don’t mix super well because we’re both alphas, but he isn’t possessive or anything. Every other alpha I’ve dated has been so damn jealous about everything.”

“Sounds like Kun,” Ten agrees. It sounds a little forced, a little strained, but Johnny either doesn’t notice or ignores it. Ten tries not to think about how he walks around reeking of Kun and their home and their combined scents but Johnny, Kun’s actual boyfriend, doesn’t. “That must suck, though. To, uh, you know… not be able to seem claimed or anything.”

It’s the truth. Maybe it’s his omega instincts, maybe it’s because Ten has the tendency to be a little possessive - okay, a lot possessive - but the thought of not being able to smell like his alpha would drive him insane. Alpha mates’ scents can mix after they bond, but not often otherwise. Ten can’t imagine how awful that would be to have to wait until mating to wear your partners’ scent. 

Johnny just shrugs. He takes a pointed look at the oversized sweater hanging off of Ten’s frame, under his inky apron, the one that smells uniquely of ginger and magnolia. “It’s not the worst thing in the world. I mean, yeah, it sucks. But he’s still mine, at least.”

It’s not even an accusation, not really. Johnny doesn’t even look upset that Ten basically smells like Kun more than he smells like himself. But Ten looks away, ears burning. Feeling a little like he’s been caught, even though he hasn’t been; and even if he was, he would probably deserve the guilt it makes him feel.

“Yeah,” Ten says, voice a little hollow. “He’s still yours.”

He’s lucky that Johnny isn’t possessive. He’s lucky that Johnny is his friend. Had Kun’s boyfriend been a stranger, they wouldn’t have taken too kindly to an omega parading around their alpha’s scent like he’s Ten’s. Even Kunhang wouldn’t want Dejun to go around reeking of Kun and wearing his clothes, and they’re a pack and Kun is their head alpha - it’s his job to keep scented items with all them when they’re in their cycles. 

(Well. That’s something they all are supposed to do, and do gladly. But Kun especially as head of the pack.)

It’s like getting ice water dumped on top of your head, this new sobering thought. Because if Johnny had been a stranger, Ten would’ve been found out weeks ago. Would’ve caused problems. More problems than he already did. All of which he wasn’t really proud of to begin with. 

Fuck. 

“I’m just lucky,” Johnny says, glossing over Ten’s mellow tone. “I was able to lock down someone like Kun. I mean, who wouldn’t? He’s the perfect alpha.”

Well, yeah. No shit. No disagreements there.

But then Ten remembers that he’s supposed to be the person who teases Kun, pretends he’s gross. “Kun’s alright, I guess,” Ten shrugs, picking at a loose thread on his apron. “You could probably do better, but…”

He’s not sure if he actually sounds indifferent or if he’s just hoping that he does. The disinterest isn’t as convincing as it normally is. So Ten avoids Johnny’s eyes, a little bitter. Mostly just afraid. 

“Yeah, cause how could I forget,” Johnny says, and you can just hear him rolling his eyes. “You don’t like him and you never will, blah, blah, blah. Not that I’m taking your opinion seriously, Tennie, no offense. But I got him in the end, so.”

I got him in the end. There’s nothing you can do about it.

He’s mine, he’s mine, he’s mine, he’s mine-

Ten blinks back tears. “You did.”

He’s not sure how he holds it together after that, but thankfully Johnny doesn’t hang around for much longer. He has things to do, places to be. Ten doesn’t ask him to stay. He’d much rather be alone to deal with the rising panic and shame crawling up his throat. He hugs Johnny goodbye, squeezing him tight, promising to hang out soon. Unsure if he’ll actually keep that promise or spend the next few weeks hiding away in his studio again.

He’s such an idiot. 

Ten tries to go back to working, but it’s hopeless because his mind is absolutely scattered, thoughts going in every which way. But there’s a class who comes into the studio shortly after Johnny leaves, so he’s swift to take the opportunity to pack up his stuff and get out of their hair. Is quick to send the professor - one of his favorites - a strained smile. Is quick to flee to his studio and wallow in his misery by himself, giving up on his work for the day, his art taking a backseat to his pain. 

He quickly walks down the hallway to the senior studios and opens his door, shutting it behind him. Closes his eyes. Lets himself cry. 

He’s such an idiot.

How could he so clearly ignore the obvious? Kun is taken. He’s taken and he’s dating someone and one day he’ll mate someone and add them to the pack. Kun isn’t even an option - he’s completely unavailable. He’s not Ten’s, he never was and never will be, and yet his omega still hasn’t gotten the fucking message. 

Alpha, it whines. My alpha.

Shut up, Ten thinks. Shut up, shut up, shut up-

Alone in his studio, white-hot tears of shame trailing down his face, he slumps against his door and stares up at the ceiling. He must be the worst friend in the entire world. Here he is, pining over someone he can never have. Someone who has always been off limits to him but someone he wants all the same. God, what good could ever come out of this? Waiting until Kun and Johnny break up, or even worse, watching them be together forever? Letting the bitterness rise in his chest until he ends up resenting Kun or Johnny - or worse, himself?

Ten is careful to not let tears get on any of his prints as he puts them away and curls up in his desk chair, smelling like a sad, pining omega underneath Kun’s scent of ginger. Smelling like the worst, most pathetic, most jealous omega in the world. Why the fuck did this have to happen to him? What’s wrong with him? Why did he have to catch these stupid feelings?

It’s not okay. It’s not okay at all.

He’s being so unbelievably unfair to his best friends by yearning after one of them and hoping that they’ll break up. He’s being the worst friend, the worst roommate. And yet what’s even worse is the idea of losing Kun, the idea of living without him. What would he do if Kun found out about his feelings? What would he do if Kun told him to stay away? If he moved out? What would the cats do, without their other dad? How would Ten feed himself? How would the pack survive if Kun kicked out their pack omega out of disgust? What would the kids do if Kun disbanded it entirely?

His stupid crush has the potential to ruin every single thing that Ten treasures in his life. Has the potential to go nuclear, rip everything he cherishes to shreds. His pack, his friendships, his home life, everything he has built up to be his in Korea. Everything he has.

How could he ever let it get this far? How could he ever let it get this intense? He should’ve nipped this in the bud years ago.

He can’t even blame it on Kun, anymore, because Ten was the one who should’ve had the hindsight to see his attachment to the alpha for what it is - anything besides platonic. He should’ve been able to see this coming from miles away. He should’ve been the one to be brave enough to address his feelings in the first place.

And yet he hadn’t. He repressed it, let it simmer unattended, got closer to Kun and only more obsessed in the meanwhile. What was he thinking? It’s enough as long as I’m close to him?  

Yeah, right. It’ll never be enough for him.

If Ten had processed this two years ago, things would be different. He could already be resigned to the fact that Kun was out of his league. He could’ve moved on. He could’ve accepted the fact that Kun isn’t his and never will be. But he didn’t do any of that - he didn’t even know about his feelings in the first place - and now they’re so close to graduation, too busy for anything besides each other, and it all feels so tender and fragile to the point where Ten can barely breathe.

What was he thinking? What was he thinking?

Was his omega hoping that one day Kun would just fall in love with him? See him for the very first time, be able to ignore all his flaws to love him more deeply? That’s the kind of shit that only exists in movies. There is no day in the future in which Kun falls for him. Not in this world. This is the world in which Kun is in a loving, mutually beneficial relationship, and Ten just plays the part of his best friend and roommate. Nothing more. Nothing less.

They’re pack. Not officially, but they’re pack. They’ve decided to stick together forever with their dumb little friends and whatever Sicheng has going on. Kun has taken on his role as Ten’s alpha in the sense that he’ll protect him as a friend and leader, not anything more than that. Not in the way Ten wants him to. In the way he has apparently wanted him to this whole time. 

Fuck. Fuck. 

Ten doesn’t want to watch Kun be courted by someone else. He doesn’t want to see Kun mate with anyone else. But he has no choice, does he? It’s either this or no Kun at all. And Ten doesn’t think he could survive without Kun. 

(And neither could his cats. But mostly him.)

He can deal with his omega’s whining, and he can deal with the bitterness. But he can’t deal with a world where he doesn’t come home to ginger hanging in the air and Kun’s stupid dimples. Kun’s stupid smile. Kun’s stupid everything.

Kun is so, so stupid. But Ten is even stupider.

And it seems like such a simple thing when he says it in his head. Don’t fall any more in love with Kun. Keep it to yourself. Stay in his life in any way you can.

And yet. Ten thinks about what they say about the best laid plans. 

Fuck.  

But he’s left with no choice. It’s his only option. Ten will keep the fact that he’s in love with Kun a secret, even if it kills him. Even if he dies trying. Even if it’s the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. All that matters is that Kun is happy. He never wants to see Kun have to suffer from his feelings. 

What else could he possibly do besides give everything he has to try and keep being by Kun’s side? This isn’t the world in which Qian Kun loves Ten Lee. This isn’t the world in which Kun is his. This isn’t the world in which Ten gets to have anything other than Kun’s scent and his piano playing muffled through their shared bedroom walls and wine nights on the couch with three cats sprawled across their laps.

Ten likes to think he’s an adaptable guy. And so he will take whatever he can get, even if it’s hardly anything at all.

Chapter Text

“There’s something wrong with Kun ge,” is how Yangyang greets him when Ten picks up his phone call. Ten, in the middle of brewing tea, wasn’t expecting to receive this kind of SOS after Kun went off with the kids for a study session at their favorite cafe. “He smells like shit. He’s whining for you.”

Ten blinks, confused, for about half a second. But then he turns to the calendar hung up in the kitchen and sees, in bright red sharpie: KUN’S RUT. Labeled in all caps for next week. It had slipped his mind with the chaos of his recent revelations and various attempts to keep some semblance of normalcy around Kun. A smidge of distance where there normally isn’t any. He’s not sure if anyone has picked up on it yet.

“It’s probably his pre-rut,” Ten says. His mind flickers between several thoughts: HOW THE FUCK WILL I SURVIVE THIS? and he probably smells so good and gotta get alpha home now. Ten’s mouth goes dry. He licks his lips. “Is he… um…”

“He’s scenting all of us and clinging onto Dejun like he birthed him and scruffed Kunhang when he growled, so,” Yangyang reports, a surprising amount of cheer in his voice. “And before you ask, I’m being very well-behaved.”

That makes Ten crack a smile. “Yeah, you are. Where’s Sicheng?”

Yangyang hums. “Complaining about the smell.”

For as mild as Kun’s ruts are, his scent is notoriously potent. Ten is damn near immune to it by now, but it bothers even their packmates. Mostly because it smells like Kun’s trying to suffocate them all with ginger.

So if they’re in a public place…

“Alright, I’ll come get him,” Ten says, just the tiniest bit exasperated. Mostly because this phone call could’ve only been headed in one direction, and that direction involves Ten dealing with their stupid alpha while the rest of the pack pretends like they helped too. “But honestly, if you guys avoid him for the rest of pre-heat, he’ll spend it crying his eyes out. Be nice.”

“Yes, eomma,” Yangyang chirps. “We’ll be nice to baba.”

Ten curses as Yangyang hangs up the call with a loud, self-gratified cackle. So much for being well-behaved. He chugs his tea down before rushing over to the hyeongwan to get his shoes and coat on.

Looks like he’s got an alpha to rescue.

-

Ten is sure that most omega-alpha roommates’ primary problem would be working out how their cycles operate within proximity to each other. After all, when potent pheromones run high, there’s bound to be some issues. Especially if both parties are unmated.

But weirdly enough, Ten and Kun have never had that issue.

Prior to the Revelation, Ten had considered his biggest blessing in life to be the fact that Kun always has little to no reaction to his scent. When they first moved in together, Kun spent the first few cycles crashing at Sicheng’s place, but when he didn’t attempt to stake any kind of claim on Ten during pre-heat, and then later did nothing more than dutifully bring him food and water during his actual heat, they had both agreed that Kun was allowed to stay in the apartment during Ten’s cycle - with his bedroom door locked, of course. Most people, when they hear about this, worry about Ten’s safety. How could he let an alpha near him when he’s in heat? And unmated one at that? But truth be told, Kun’s reactions to most peoples’ hormones is rather subdued, the most extreme Ten’s seen from him being plugging his nose and wincing when there’s strong pheromones in the air in public. And again, that’s an extreme case. Kun is unbothered to the point where Ten could probably be riding his knotting dildo on the fucking couch and he wouldn’t do anything besides remind him to drink water. That’s how composed he is.

It’s something that Ten’s omega is no doubt disappointed about, now that he’s realized his true feelings, but is still a blessing nonetheless. The pack mostly figures that Kun’s duties as head alpha override his instincts, but Ten has never even heard of an alpha who’s hardly affected by an omega in heat, let alone to the extent Kun is. It’s partially why Kun will always triumph over any other alpha that Ten knows - knotheads, all of them. If it weren’t for his alphan scent, Ten probably would’ve thought Kun was a beta when they first met. 

And that’s not to say that Kun isn’t incredibly alpha-like when it comes down to it, he’s just not so outright about his raging hormones like most other alphas are. He has a temper - it’s not very hard to rile him up, especially when you’re often doing it on purpose like Ten is. But he’s never outwardly angry, only just stomping around the house and shutting the fridge doors loudly. Kun never even lets the frustration bleed into his scent, never even so much as growls, never really does anything that outright shows that he’s their pack alpha (besides scruff the pups when they get too rowdy or give them disapproving glares, which are both much more effective than any kind of growling). He never raises his voice. He never uses his scent on them. He never uses his alpha voice on them, either. He doesn’t expect submission from anyone, not even the pack omegas. 

That’s probably why, for all intents and purposes, Kun’s rut is what most people would consider to be… a little odd. To put it lightly.

His pheromones are potent, yes, and Ten as an omega is certainly affected to some degree. But the thing is that even when Kun is in the throes of rut, his scent doesn’t blare knot, knot, knot. No, not at all. It’s normally something like please come cuddle me, I want to scent you, can we snuggle on the couch and watch a movie? Like, dead fucking serious. Kun spends a single day locked in his room with what Ten can only assume to be a fleshlight, and then spends the remaining two days of his cycle on the couch with the cats, demanding that Ten and their other packmates stay wrapped up in his arms.

It’s unconventional, to say the least. Ten hadn’t even believed that an alpha could have a cycle like that until he saw it with his two eyes. After all, who would? How could such a thing be believable unless you live with it?

But it’s true. Seriously. A couple months into living together, Ten watched Kun spend a single day in rut, scent the whole house top to bottom, and then proceed to nag the entire pack into cuddling with him for an entire weekend. And it’s been like that every cycle since. 

So yeah. Kun’s rut is a ridiculously easy thing to deal with. Especially for Ten, who is the usual object of Kun’s affections. 

(That is, unless you have feelings for Kun, of course. Which Ten does.)

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice you were in pre-rut,” Ten grumbles. They’re on the couch. Kun has been stuck to his side since the minute he caught a whiff of Ten’s jasmine entering the cafe, much to the entire pack’s delight (and Ten’s horror). Hence the fact that Kun has Ten tucked into his side as they watch a new season of drag race.

“It didn’t hit until…” Kun pauses to do the mental math. “I dunno. Not until we got to the cafe. And I didn’t notice anything until Kunhang growled at me to get off of Dejun.”

Ten clicks his tongue. “So you scruffed him?”

Kun stiffens. “He growled at his alpha.”

Ten bites back a grin, lest he gets Kun all pouty and grumbly about his pack making fun of him. He’s much more susceptible to mood swings during his cycle, which tends to trip all of them up, considering Kun is their favorite person to make fun of. Ten doesn’t plan on ever telling Kun how often he has to censor Yangyang during his cycle. Mostly because it’s his own fault that Yangyang has such a snarky mouth on him. 

Kun sends him a sideways glance.

“I can see you laughing,” he accuses. His arm, around Ten’s shoulders, squeezes him closer. “You think it’s so funny that the didis bully me, don’t you?”

“I do not,” Ten says, relaxing his expression into a very neutral frown. “They’re so mean to their gege, aren’t they? Poor Kun ge. Such a victim.”

And because a pre-rut Kun is easy and simple-minded, that gets him to relax. He lets go of Ten’s arm. “Yeah,” he says. “Everyone’s so mean.”

Ten grins when Kun isn’t looking. What a simpleton. 

It would probably traumatize most people if they knew that the serious, frighteningly kind, ineffable Qian Kun became so puppy-like in pre-rut. Like, genuinely, he acts like a pup. Clingy, pouty, slightly demanding. Sicheng likes to say that pre-rut Kun is more of a maknae than a hyung, and he wouldn’t be wrong. Especially not when it comes to Ten. Because pre-rut Kun seems to think that Ten is both his butler and personal chew toy. Or… scent toy? Eh, whatever. You get the idea. 

Case in point: Ten has to bargain with him so he can get up to use the bathroom and get them something to eat (“I’ll cuddle in your den if you let me feed you!”) and as always, it’s a complete 180 from usual doting, overbearing Kun. Unfortunately enough, Kun during his cycle isn’t any less stubborn than usual: meaning that he’s the worst in the world. He doesn’t let go of Ten until Ten promises to sleep in his bed every night until his rut starts.

Which, great. Is bound to only cause more problems. Given Ten’s current predicament and all. 

Because here’s the thing:

None of this is unusual for them, given their cycles and how they deal with it as both packmates and roommates. Kun takes care of Ten during heats in just about every way except the sexual kind. Ten lets Kun suffocate him with ginger and magnolia during his ruts, letting himself be Kun’s glorified body pillow until his cycle subsides.

However.

Things are different, now, for a plethora of reasons. The main one being the fact that Ten is sickeningly in love with Kun. Which, yeah, everyone knows by now. But his feelings change everything, because now his omega is about a million times more susceptible to the subtle changes in Kun’s scent. And when his smell is as potent as this - as demanding as this - he feels his resolve crack. Especially when Kun is all but forcing him to sleep in his den, because god forbid the alpha go three nights without a packmate to cuddle with. Ten is half-tempted to ask one of the kids to do it instead, if not for the fact that that task is usually Ten’s job, and Kun would sense something wrong from a mile away if Ten were to try and get out of it. He would probably throw a fit if Ten said no. Or, even worse, use that pathetic wide-eyed look on him until Ten cracks. 

It wouldn’t be an issue if Ten felt even a tiny bit normal and totally-not-obsessed about his roommate, but the issue is that he is. Obsessed, that is. His omega is taking every gentle swipe of their wrists together as an invitation, every tender “Ten-ah! Come eat!” as permission to yearn more and more. If alpha didn’t want us, his omega reasons, then why is he so kind? Why does he scent us? Why does he smile like we’re his favorite thing?  

He’s our pack leader! Ten tries to tell himself. It’s his job!

(Too bad his omega is incorrigible. But perhaps that is Ten’s fault for letting his omega grow to be so stubborn. Oops.)

And at the end of the day, his and Kun’s relationship would be considered to be pretty unconventional by nature: if not for the fact that they are an alpha and omega who treat each other as equals, it’s definitely not the norm for people of opposite sub-genders to care for each other so intimately during their cycles without any kind of mutual sexual release involved. Which therein lies the second issue:

Kun is dating someone.

Because sure, this whole thing is normal for them, both with their pack hierarchy and how Kun has established the dynamics within said pack. Not to mention that Ten is, perhaps, not the most well-versed in how relationships between alphas go, and maybe it’s not unusual at all that Kun hasn’t so much mentioned his boyfriend after several hours of needy pre-rut. But he knows that most couples, whatever their sub-genders may be, elect to spend their cycles together. And knowing how Johnny feels about that type of thing, historically, makes it safe to assume that he would want the same. Which means that Kun wouldn’t need Ten so much. Which means that there will be someone else taking care of him.

Ten should probably feel relieved that he won’t have to spend the next week glued to Kun’s side, lest he get a whiny alpha complaining in his arms, but his omega can’t help but cry at the idea of being apart from Kun.

God, he’s such an idiot. 

Wouldn’t it be better that way? To be apart? Like, yeah, Ten has been taking care of Kun through his ruts for several years now, but it’s not like he was bound to that duty forever. Surely their roles were slated to change the day either of them landed a significant other - what person, after all, would be okay with their mate drenched in their roommate’s cycle pheromones? Especially ones of the opposite sub-gender? Especially when they’re as close as Ten and Kun are, who tend to constantly toe the line of non-sexual intimacy but still intimacy nonetheless, once hormones get involved?

Not to mention the fact that Ten should feel grateful that he gets a week off from Kun’s needy scent, a scent which drives his omega crazy and sends his heart clenching in his chest.

So it’s a forgone conclusion, right? He should be relieved, right?

(Of course he’s not. The idea of anyone else taking care of his alpha gets his scent souring. Despite the fact that said alpha isn’t even his.)

Ten distracts himself by scouring their fridge for sustenance that doesn’t require any use of the stove, and luckily finds some leftovers Kun cooked for family mealtime two days ago. He heats up two portions - is it almost dinner time already? - and delivers them to his pouting ge on the sofa, whose eyes light up when Ten returns. He becomes so… puppy-like, during his rut. And like a teddy bear. Ten’s heart skips several beats in succession.

“Thank you, Tennie,” Kun says with a genuine smile, as Ten hands him a bowl. He pats the seat next to him. Ten obeys, sliding back into his side, trying not to preen when Kun lays an arm back around his shoulders. “Ah, this looks good. Who taught you how to cook?”

Ten can see his smug smirk in his peripheral. He pinches Kun’s thigh.

“Bad alpha.”

It’s a joke, really. Just as it always is. But to his surprise, Kun only pouts. Uncharacteristically docile. 

They eat in relative silence, undercut by the TV on a quiet volume in the background. Kun is always a little less talkative during his pre-rut. Not subdued, exactly, but less loud. A lot lazier and definitely a lot more clingy.

Ten has always hated how cute he found it. How endearing he thinks it is to see his normally level-headed alpha roommate turn into a pouty little pup during his cycle. Ten has never seen an alpha be cute before, not before he met Kun. And he isn’t proud to admit that he even thinks Kun is cute in the first place. But alas, it’s a little late in the game to pretend otherwise. 

“How many days do you think you have left?” Ten asks, once he’s finished his food. He puts his bowl on the coffee table and sprawls his legs across Kun’s lap. “Your pre-rut seems kind of intense, this time around.”

“Maybe one or two, three if I’m lucky,” Kun shrugs. “It feels kind of… I don’t know.” He settles a hand on Ten’s knee, a comforting weight. “I’m more out of it than I normally am. It usually doesn’t hit this hard.”

Ten hums. Lets Kun run a hand up and down his calf, over and over again. It’s true that normally Kun’s pre-ruts last much longer, with much less intensity, but he’s clearly more hazy-minded than usual. He watches Kun lean his head back against the couch cushions, closing his eyes, just leaning into Ten’s weight atop of him.

“Should I ask Johnny to come over, then?” Ten asks. “So he can take care of you?”

It’s not that he actually wants to know, not really, but it’s the right thing to ask, really. Especially since Johnny most likely doesn’t even know that Kun’s in his cycle yet. As far as Ten’s aware, only their pack knows so far.

But then, to Ten’s surprise, Kun just shakes his head. 

“Nah,” he says. “We’re not sharing ruts or anything.”

And… okay. What? Ten stares at his roommate. Tries to process the idea of two alphas not wanting to be with each other during their ruts and comes up with absolutely nothing. Johnny? The horniest guy around?

“What?” He asks. “Why not?”

The shock must be audible in his voice, because he watches as Kun lazily blinks over at him. Tilts his head like a confused puppy. “Why should I? All I need is you and the pack. I think I’d get upset if there was an alpha here.”

And while the explanation makes sense in theory, Ten isn’t quite getting it. He thinks about Johnny, who spends all of his weeknights with Kun. Who doesn’t mind about not being included in the pack. Who can’t scent his boyfriend properly but is proud that Kun is his all the same.

They don’t want to share cycles?

“But you’re dating,” Ten says faintly. “And when you’re dating…”

“Ah, Tennie, ‘s not a big deal,” Kun says. He squeezes his knee. “Really. I have the pack and I have you. Yeah, he’s my boyfriend, but I think I’d feel better if he wasn’t here.” And then Kun smiles over at him. “No offense.”

As if Ten would be offended on Johnny’s behalf.

“You’re sure?” Ten asks slowly. And even though Kun has already said so, he just needs it repeated for him. 

“I’m sure,” Kun confirms. He settles back down into the cushions. Plays with the cuff of Ten’s sweatpants. “If I come out of rut to see you and the pups on the couch, that’ll be enough for me. I’d rather be surrounded by my pack than anything else.”

And, well… that’s that. 

Ten drops the subject after that, mostly out of self preservation, because the last thing he wants to do is tick off a hormone-addled Qian Kun. Though it doesn’t change how fucking confused he is about the whole thing. Why wouldn’t Kun want Johnny around for his rut? Aren’t their inner alphas yearning for each other? Wouldn’t Ten only get in the way?

Kun acts rather nonplussed about the whole thing. Falls asleep, purring, as Ten flips through TV channels and sends his best friend a not-so-subtle side eye until Kun’s snoring. Sure, Qian Kun is a weird guy, but this is a whole other level of weird. Johnny definitely is not the kind of alpha to leave his mate to their own devices during their cycle, and Ten didn’t think Kun would be either. He tries to make it make sense in his head and his mind can’t seem to connect the dots. 

Sure, Kun always seems content with just being surrounded by the pack during his ruts. He’s never so much as even expressed a desire to spend it with anyone. And he’s never tried to entice the fertile omega who lives with him, nor any of the people who fawn after him on campus, or any of his past partners, but still…

Doesn’t it go against an alpha’s biology? To not have a hole for his knot? To not spend the week growling in someone’s ear, trying to breed? Why does Kun think he’ll be better off alone? 

It feels like Ten’s missing a part of the big picture. He just can’t seem to figure out what, exactly, it is.

Why does it always feel like Kun knows something that he doesn’t?

-

Despite Ten’s reservations and the rational part of his brain telling him otherwise, he listens to Kun and attends to his every need as he gets closer and closer to his rut hitting.

Things aren’t abnormal, exactly. It’s standard for them to take time off of school during each other’s cycles so they can care for one another. But considering the fact that Kun scents Ten so thoroughly he’ll probably smell like him for weeks, and demands Ten sleep in his bed, and won’t even let the omega out of his sight, all while having a very territorial alpha boyfriend, it’s a little…

Well. Ten doesn’t know how to feel about it. 

After Kun’s pre-rut hits, the next two days are spent being wrapped up in each other - a fact that Ten both loves and despises. He wakes up on Monday morning tucked firmly in Kun’s arms, face in his neck, and may or may not shamelessly take a deep inhale of ginger and magnolia, never mind the fact that it’s all Ten’s been able to smell for two days and counting. He’s a little giddy that his own scent bleeds into Kun’s, what with the furious scenting and all, but so does the rest of their pack. The didis had come over last night to hand over scented clothes and get in one group cuddle session before the worst of it hit. Kun had spent the evening curled around Yangyang like his sire, and then scenting both Dejun and Kunhang until they reeked. Sicheng doesn’t have much of a scent to speak of, but had stayed by Kun’s side when asked to. All while Kun refused to let Ten out of his sight. 

So now Kun’s bed is saturated with scents of the kids via their hoodies and blankets strewn over everywhere. Although Ten’s scent is the most prominent of all, still - Kun always asks for a whole laundry load of his during his cycle. 

If Ten had thought that would change with Kun’s new relationship, he was sorely wrong.

He had talked over Kun’s decision to spend his rut boyfriend-less to Sicheng, who seemed equally confused but much more supportive. If he wants you and not Johnny, what’s the issue? Never mind the fact that Ten’s traitor heart and evil inner omega is convinced that this all means something. Even though it doesn’t. Mean something, that is.

Because he’s spent the past two days in crisis from sheer proximity to his potent alpha roommate. It’s hard not to. Especially not when Kun rubs the inside of their wrists together, and clings onto Ten like being touchy is something that they normally are (which they aren’t), and whines if Ten so much as leaves him alone for two minutes to take a shit. 

Kun stirs awake just as Ten tries to extract himself from his arms. Ten knows he’s awake the second that the alpha’s scent blares out come back, come back, come back. His omega almost buckles until the force of it, but then Kun is untangling them and scrambling back against his pillows. 

“Oh, fuck,” he groans, hand to his forehead. “Ten-ah, you should probably go. I think it’s coming on.”

“Already?” Ten asks. He tries to pump out comforting pheromones, but it only makes Kun wince. “Do you- do you need anything? From me?”

He watches as a plethora of emotions dance across Kun’s face, most of which look vaguely pained. But then Kun is swatting him away, is curling up onto his side with another groan, is smelling like an alpha in rut.

“You smell so fucking good, you can’t ask me that,” Kun says, voice so low it’s almost a growl. “Fuck, Tennie. Please.”

Ten freezes. He’s never heard Kun sound like that before, voice nearly a growl, low like he’s in pain. Normally his ruts are so gentle. Normally they hit him so lightly, he doesn’t even notice that Kun is in the throes of it until he shuts himself in his bedroom with a strained smile. But his scent is potent, is suffocating, is making Ten want to kneel at his feet and present his nape and submit, submit, submit. 

“Ten,” Kun says again. Groans it, almost growling. “Chittaphon.”

“Yes, alpha?” Ten asks. A little out of it. Doesn’t even know what he’s saying. 

“Leave,” Kun hisses. “Fuck. Please.”

And Ten, because he’s a good omega, listens to his alpha.

He crawls out of the bed and leaves the room. It isn’t until he’s shut the door behind him that he realizes what happened - what almost happened. He almost submitted. To Kun. Damn near tried to, definitely wanted to. He never knew his omega was so susceptible to Kun’s scent, not after spending so many cycles exposed to it. And Kun hadn’t even so much asked him to do anything out of the ordinary, not compared to their usual.

Ten thumps his back against the door, knees weak. Tries not to let out a horrified screech at the revelation of it all.

Fuck.

His omega runs haywire. Alpha doesn’t want us and need to help alpha. Which is disorienting because those are thoughts that Ten has never thought even once in his life. And Kun hadn’t even done anything. Hadn’t asked him for anything. But his words play like an echo in Ten’s brain: You smell so fucking good.

It couldn’t have been Kun who said that. It must have been his alpha.

A thump comes from inside Kun’s room, and then a long, drawn-out groan, and Ten realizes with pink cheeks that he definitely should not be lingering here anymore. The thought is a little sobering, gets him away from Kun’s room and into his own. He plops down onto his bed, right into his nest, and tries to not think about how he smells a little like Kun’s arousal.

Spicy ginger. Blossoming magnolia.

Holy shit.

Ten’s omega yearns and yearns and yearns, but he doesn’t give in to any… urges. Because that would be gross and unfair and definitely crossing a boundary. And so he gets up to take a shower, letting hot water cascade down him, scrubs most of Kun’s scent off of his body. There are notes of it that still remain, mostly because Kun has been scenting him so thoroughly that it’d be impossible to wash away, but at least he doesn’t smell like horny alpha anymore. Thank god. 

When Ten’s done in the bathroom, he goes right to the kitchen. Prepares them both breakfast - some sloppily-made eggs that look more scrambled than fried - and places it by Kun’s door, along with a giant water jug they keep for their cycles. Kun is hopefully lucid enough to retrieve it when his ongoing wave subsides, because he usually is, but Ten has also never seen Kun like this before. Has never seen him so… so…

So needy? Desperate? So alpha-like?

Ten stands at the Keurig, making himself a coffee. He purses his lips. Tries not to worry.

It’s normal for most people to go through rough cycles every now and again - after all, most of Ten’s are pretty brutal. But Kun has never so much as growled at anyone, not even during his rut, so it’s a little weird that he came so close to doing so earlier. He had held himself back, but still. It’s Kun.  

He’s not worried about his own safety, not really - there’s an alpha grade lock on his bedroom door that Kun installed himself a couple years ago, on top of the fact that all the alphas in the group know how to overpower each other when it comes down to it, even though both Yangyang and Kunhang are thin as sticks. Kun had trained them himself, taught them how to throw off an alpha in rut. Ten could call either one of them if he thought Kun was dangerous.

But he’s not scared, is the thing. He doesn’t feel threatened at all. Not even with Kun’s scent so heavy in the air that his own omega had come whining to the surface.

No, that’s the scary thought. Not what Kun could do to him, but what Ten could do to himself. What he was willing to do if Kun had just asked.

He probably would have submitted to him. Would have let Kun claim him. The only thing stopping him was Kun.

God. Who knew his omega was so fucking horny?

So Ten keeps himself busy for the rest of the day. Leaves Kun food and water. Gets some work done as he sits on the couch and listens to Kun’s door open and close every now and again, the scent of sizzling ginger filling the apartment, when he retrieves his food. Thank god he’s in a right enough mind to keep himself fed. Ten keeps the windows open. Tries not to yearn. Tries not to listen when his omega whines for the rutting alpha just a door away. Tries not to keep his ears open for the noises coming from Kun’s room. Tries not to think about what Kun is doing in there.

He’s successful, somewhat. Able to keep most of his thoughts at bay. He can only hope that Kun’s rut won’t last for much longer.

-

The kids come over the next afternoon, mostly out of concern.

Kun is still in his room.

“I thought he never lasted more than a day,” Dejun frowns, curled up on the couch. “Is it normal? For someone so un-horny to suddenly be the normal amount of horny?”

Yangyang makes a face.

“I’d really not like to think about what ge is doing in there,” Yangyang says. “Like, maybe he’s just really into a magic trick. Or he’s gotten really into a new song. Or he’s super passionate about his math homework-”

A loud growl reverberates from Kun’s room. Well.

“It’s probably fine,” Kunhang says, though he doesn’t sound like he really believes in that. “Maybe he’s just finally, like… normal? Instead of… whatever he usually is.”

“A teddy bear,” Ten says forlorning. “He’s normally like a teddy bear.”

Kunhang sends him a sideways glance, though not a polite one. “Yeah,” he says. “That.”

All of them are unsettled about the whole thing. They had debated sending Dejun in - considering he’s mated and therefore immune to Kun’s pheromones, maybe he could get a sense of what was going on. But then when the kids all got close to the door, they all turned up their nose at how pungent the smell was. Dejun doesn’t really like any rut smells that don’t belong to his alpha, and so that was that. Leaving them back at square one.

And, look, this wouldn’t be weird if this was happening to literally anyone else. 

Kunhang, after all, has very stereotypical ruts. Don’t-come-near-my-omega and growling-at-other-alphas, that type of thing. Yangyang is similar, mostly. He gets cuddly at the tail end, but his last the proper amount - up to a week. Whereas Kun is normally through his pre-rut and his actual rut in a week and a half at most, which is extremely abnormal for most alphas. Extremely abnormal for most people. Ten himself is normally in pre-heat for nearly two weeks, his actual heat an entire week on top of that.

It’s not often that their Kun ge leaves them at a loss for what to do, but it still leaves them confused anyhow.

“I’m worried,” Dejun says, biting at his bottom lip. “Do you think we should call a doctor? Ask a professional? None of us know what Kun ge is like in a long rut. We don’t know how to help him.”

“We could consult Reddit,” Yangyang agrees sagely, whipping out his phone. 

“Not Reddit,” Kunhang bemoans. “He’ll kill us if he ever finds out.”

“Not a great idea,” Ten agrees, despite the fact that he’s the first one to encourage Yangyang more unhinged ideas, usually to the rest of the pack’s dismay. 

But Yangyang’s eyebrow only arches. He gives them all his best unimpressed smirk. “Can you think of any better solutions?”

(And much to Ten’s horror, they cannot.)

“Twenty four, five-nine on a good day, probably vanilla…” Yangyang types out twenty minutes later. “Um. Has a boyfriend. Is cringe all around. Probably is secretly forty years old.”

“I don’t think they need to know that,” Dejun says. “Include the important things.”

“Yeah, talk about how good he is at mala,” Kunhang nudges him. “And how he doesn't use Tiktok.”

Ten watches them, a little worried. Not because the doesn’t have faith in his dongsaengs, or because they’re not all smart and perfect just the way they are, but because they instantly got sidetracked while writing a fucking Reddit post. A Reddit post about Kun. 

The triplets squabble over it for a good twenty minutes, hunched over Yangyang’s phone, before they present the final result to Ten, who warily takes the device from their hands and reads through it. 

The post reads as follows:

My (24M) pack alpha is really horny and I am scared.

My pack’s head alpha (24M) is like if a grandpa was reincarnated into an engineering student who likes Jay Chou and probably has never seen a pair of boobs in his life. He has a hot boyfriend but it’s not very convincing. His mala is great. HE WEARS SWEATER VESTS. The craziest thing he’s ever done is drink wine straight from the bottle. 5’9 on a good day btw.

Ten looks up from Yangyang’s phone to send him a stare. “Never seen a pair of boobs?”

Yangyang shrugs.

Anyway. Normally his ruts are super easy and mellow and he acts all clingy and never spends more than a day with his knot but right now it’s already been two days and we’re all terrified because we didn’t know he knew how to be horny. There’s growling coming from his room??? HE DOESN’T GROWL! EVER! Again, think grandpa energy. Really, really big grandpa energy. What the fuck would you do if your grandpa was horny? Seriously????

“I dunno about how this is worded,” Ten says slowly.

“It gets better,” Kunhang assures him.

His boyfriend isn’t helping him through his rut. They’ve been dating for like two months and his bf is also an alpha. He’s normally really clingy to all of us, but we’ve never seen him act like this. He’s never territorial. Never!!!! But he scent our pack omega so much that it almost made us throw up. Dead serious. Please help us. We think our alpha is broken and we don’t know how to fix him. And we’re too broke to go to the doctor. 

P.S. If you ever see this, ge, it was Yangie’s idea!!!

“Wait, who the fuck wrote that part at the end?” Yangyang snatches the phone from Ten’s hand. “Kunhang!”

“No, that was me,” Dejun says, dodging when Yangyang swipes at him. “Don’t act surprised, it literally was your idea.”

“He’ll never see it-”

“You know Kun ge uses Reddit-”

“Okay, posted,” Kunhang says, who has Yangyang’s phone in hand, somehow. “Now we wait to see what the people have to say.”

The three of them only delve into even more squabbling, but Ten watches with a keen eye as replies slowly filter in.

isimpforjaychou: sounds like he has taste

q7662e781: What the fuck do u mean ur pack alpha never growls??? WHAT???

helllllfireeeee: literally said it yourself this guy is dating another alpha, he’s probs broken

queen_of_seoul_: he’s going through a normal rut are you guys like 5 years old?? pls take a biology class lmao

internetgremlin: he sounds fucking hot lol why wouldnt his bf want to help him

ghjkshdsgj: If his mate isn’t with him, that’s probably why he’s acting weird. But it sounds like he has a thing for your pack omega lol

“These people are all mean,” Yangyang frowns. “I’m not five! I’m twenty years old!”

“You’re the one who suggested we go to Reddit,” Kunhang points out. And then yelps when Yangyang takes a chomp on his arm in retaliation.

“Some of the replies have a point, though. Maybe we should ask Johnny hyung to come over?” Dejun suggests. “Maybe his ge’s alpha is upset that his mate isn’t here.”

Ten, similarly, is stuck on the last comment. 

Ignoring the latter part of the reply (although his omega is very pleased by the observation), he thinks about it. Really, really thinks about it. The only two things that make this rut different from the others is that (1) Ten is now in love with him (which is something that Kun has no idea about, as far as anyone knows), and (2) Kun has a boyfriend. A boyfriend who is not with him, who probably should be.

But hadn’t Kun himself said that he didn’t want Johnny here? Even when he was deep in pre-rut?

“I dunno,” Ten says slowly. “He said he didn’t want Johnny to come over.”

“But maybe his instincts do?” Kunhang shrugs. “I mean, they’re dating. And alphas are pretty picky about who they date. I can’t imagine that Kun ge would date Johnny hyung unless his alpha really wanted him.”

“Yeah, I mean, Kun ge isn’t the most self aware guy, either,” Yangyang adds.

Ten shrinks back into the couch. Purses his lips.

“But he said no when I asked,” Ten says. “If I asked Johnny to come, wouldn’t it be kind of…”

He trails off into silence.

The thing is that Ten is pretty damn proud of himself for being so close to a stand-up alpha like Kun, to be cared for by someone like him. They are roommates, yes, and best friends, sure, but the trust between them has been long-established by carefully following each other’s boundaries. They might bicker and pull on each other’s pigtails, but they always listen to each other. And considering Kun’s extra layer of authority as pack alpha, going against him over something this serious is pretty much unthinkable.

And yet…

“Kun ge isn’t in his best state of mind, though,” Dejun points out. “He’s never been like that in his pre-ruts before.”

“He’s never been so clingy,” Yangyang agrees. “Maybe it’s ‘cause he missed his boyfriend.”

Kunhang is frowning. “I don’t want to see ge in any more pain.”

Ten bites the inside of his cheek. Because they all have a point, manipulative as they may be. It distresses all of them to see their pack alpha in pain, Ten and Dejun even more so, being omegas. And while Kun doesn’t smell overwhelmingly upset, it’s not the usual blooming ginger filling the apartment. No, this is more like ginger being fried. Burnt, overcooked. Another growl comes from Kun’s room and Ten glances over at the hallway, helpless, like his dumb alpha roommate would come out and tell him to not listen to the kids, Tennie, they’re evil! What did I say on Saturday! I don’t want Johnny here!

But this is all just so unusual. So unlike Kun, it’s a little scary. Their head alpha is always so consistently reliable to the point where most of them can depend on him like a real parent, like he birthed them himself, and to see someone who normally has such hair-trigger control over his urges succumb so violently to his instincts…

“Ge,” Dejun pleads, puppy-eyes wide. “Please help him?”

Ten doesn’t know, exactly, if they are all aware of what they’re doing, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective. He sighs and takes his phone out of his pocket and goes right to Johnny’s contact. 

“You guys,” he mutters, “are the worst.” Ignores it when the kids let out a collective cheer, just starts typing furiously. 

(You taught them to be like this, Kun’s voice nags in his head, which Ten pretends not to hear.)

It doesn’t take much effort for him to come up with a ruse. After all, this is all based on real events. And it’s not like Johnny Suh has ever been very hard to crack, once enough pressure has been applied. All alphas are basically wired to bend to an omega’s every whim - especially an omega like Ten. 

Ten: I’m worried about Kun

Ten: He’s acting weird

The kids huddle around him, draped all over the couch, as he sends his messages and waits. Only about thirty seconds have gone by before he gets a reply. 

John-yah: ????

John-yah: Is he okay???

“You have to sell it harder,” Yangyang encourages, cheek smushed into Ten’s shoulder. “Make it sound desperate.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Ten tells him, “it’s like you don’t even know me.”

Ten: His rut is rlly abnormal

Ten: Normally he doesn’t knot for longer than a day

Ten: It’s been two days already

John-yah: Ah his cycle is probably just weird 

John-yah: That sounds normal

“No one gets it,” Dejun frowns. “No one understands how dire this is.”

There’s a voice, at the back of Ten’s brain, wondering how in the world Kun and Johnny have been dating for almost two months and yet Johnny has no idea what Kun’s normal cycle is like. Had he even known that Kun was in rut? 

Yangyang nudges at him to reply, and he tries not to dwell on the thought. 

Ten: But for Kun it’s rlly weird!!!!!!!!

John-yah: Ten-ah that really doesn’t sound abnormal for an alpha, why are you so worried??

And look, Ten gets that maybe Kun’s cycle is just abnormal to begin with. Fine. Sure. But why is no one concerned that it’s suddenly different? So much more intense? Especially when it’s happening to someone like Kun - they should all be worried. 

“We’re losing him,” Kunhang murmurs. “He’s not getting it.”

“More!” Yangyang insists, shaking Ten’s arm. “Lay it on thick!”

Ten swallows, his mouth dry. Thinks idly about what to say next before he resumes his typing. 

Ten: The whole pack is rlly worried T_T

Ten: We’ve never seen him act like this

Ten: We don’t know what to do without our head alpha T_T

John-yah: He’s just going through rut!!!!

John-yah: You kids are so worried for nothing

Ten: But what if something’s wrong!!!!

Ten: But what if he’s hurt!!!!!!

“If this doesn’t get him, I’m telling Kun ge to break up with him,” Kunhang says cooly. 

Dejun nods. “Same.”

There’s a minute where Johnny’s typing bubble pops up and then goes away, and then pops up and goes away again. Contemplating, maybe. Ten stares at his phone. 

John-yah: He’s not, Ten, really

John-yah: Do you need me to help in any way? Want me to bring him to a doctor?

“Do it!” Yangyang urges him. “Hook, line, sinker!”

Ten knows that there is no world in which Johnny Suh wouldn’t agree to do him a favor, especially if it involves Kun. He also knows just what to say to make the alpha give in. He’s so easy.  

Ten: Come over

Ten: Help him through his rut!!!!

The four of them hold their breaths.

John-yah: Oh absolutely not

John-yah: He’ll kill me

The four of them let out a collective groan. 

Ten: But you’re his mate!!!!!

John-yah: I’m his BOYFRIEND and we don’t spend ruts together lol

John-yah: I seriously think he’d try and bite me if I entered his den

Ten: Pls pls pls pls

John-yah: !!!! Ten !!!!!!

“We gotta get him to break,” Yangyang says sagely. “Let’s bring out the big guns.”

“What’re the big guns?” Dejun asks. 

Ten bites his lip as his thumbs fly over his keyboard. “Hold on. I’m working on it.”

Ten: But you’re his alpha

Ten: We’re just his pack

John-yah: I’m his BOYFRIEND!

Ten: He smells so strong the didis can’t go near him

John-yah: Wtf are you playing at seriously

John-yah: Ten

Ten: PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

John-yah: Yah

John-yah: Stop

John-yah: Seriously

They all groan again. 

“How the fuck could he resist his boyfriend in rut?” Kunhang asks. “Like, seriously.”

And yeah, that’s certainly the question of the hour. Ten frowns down at his phone. “I know. I thought it’d be easy.”

Alphas are biologically wired to fuck (no offense, Johnny), which means that for most of them, ruts are just opportunities on a silver platter to have nasty, nasty sex. Given the fact that Johnny doesn’t mind taking it up the ass, either, Ten can’t think of a single reason why they wouldn’t spend a rut together.

It was probably Kun’s idea. Right?

But why?

Ten closes his eyes. Taps his fingers on his knee. Channels his inner manipulator, the part of him who is Johnny’s best friend, the part of him who always knows just what to say to get the alpha to fold. 

He thinks.

This is what he knows: Johnny is an alpha. He gets territorial, though not as much over Kun. He likes mated scents. He’s a romanticist. 

Johnny is proud to be Kun’s boyfriend, almost to a disgusting degree (not that Ten doesn’t get it, though). He likes to brag. He likes leaving claims. He’s a simple-minded alpha, at the end of the day. So very different from Kun and his normally subdued pheromones. Johnny burns hot, on fire, when he’s aroused; when he wants something. He’ll go after it until he gets it.

Ten thinks. Something as incompatible as alpha-alpha relationships have never stopped his best friend before, not even for a second. Not even when they should. Johnny is easy going, but he is also passionate, is also annoyingly determined about certain things, is someone who will beat something to the ground if he likes it enough. He’s a lot clingier than he’d ever admit to, and even though he’s dating someone as mild-mannered as Kun, he’s still susceptible to his instincts-

An alpha dating another alpha is still an alpha.

“Got it,” Ten says, frown flipping to a grin. 

Ten: He was talking about how good I smell >_<

Ten: I dunno maybe because I’m an omega he wants me in his den?

Ten: He growled when I left

Ten: And know how Kun doesn’t growl!!!!

John-yah: ????

He knows that he shouldn’t, deep down. He knows that going down this line is deeply manipulative and unfair to both Johnny’s and his own feelings. But he can hear Kun growling from his room, can smell the need in the air, and his omega is urging him: say it, say it, say it. 

“Oh my god,” Yangyang breathes, fingers digging into Ten’s arm.

“Ge,” Dejun says, stars in his eyes, shaking Ten’s shoulder. “You’re evil.”

Ten: He smells good

Ten: If you don’t want to help him, should I do it?

John-yah: Ten

Ten: Sometimes I ask for him during heats but he’s always resisted

Ten: So it’d probably be fine

Ten: Right???

John-yah: Yah wtf are you saying

Ten: I can go help him if you won’t

Ten: Even though I’m an omega

Ten: And you’re an alpha

John-yah: Ten.

John-yah: Seriously

John-yah: Stop being a brat

“Don’t say it,” Kunhang says, terrified, gripping onto his arm in horror. “Don’t say it, ge’s gonna kill you, it’ll be so mean-”

Ten’s lips curl into a wide grin.

Ten: Gege always says he doesn’t mind it when I’m a brat :)

“Holy shit, hyung,” Yangyang laughs. “Holy shit.”

“I didn’t know you could be so scary,” Dejun says, smushing his cheek against Ten’s. “Or that you would steal alphas. If you even come near mine…”

“Aiya, you guys are too much,” Ten says, rolling his eyes. He pinches Dejun’s ear. “I have no interest in your alpha. No offense, Kunhang.”

Kunhang shivers against him. “None taken, ge.”

John-yah: Okay fine

John-yah: OKAY FINE

John-yah: I’m coming over don’t touch him seriously

John-yah: You’re the worst I hate you I hate you

John-yah: So fucking manipulative

What was it that Yangyang said, again? Hook, line, sinker?

They all break into cheers when Ten shows them the new texts. It took a good deal of mental warfare, but they did it. Ten should probably feel bad, but he doesn’t. Mostly because it means they can fix whatever is wrong with Kun. He ignores the overwhelming sense of vindication in his chest, the kind that makes him feel drunk on power.

Ten: :)

John-yah: I’m serious if this goes badly you owe me

Ten: Everything’s fine

Ten: He just needs his alpha

Ten: Right??

John-yah: YOU OWE ME SO BAD

The four of them are probably disproportionately happy about this whole thing, considering that they are not only going against Kun’s wishes but also manipulating Johnny into also going against Kun’s wishes, but that’s a problem for them in the future. After all, will Kun really complain when the presence of his alpha makes him feel better? 

Ten’s omega whines that he can’t be the one to comfort Kun, but he knows he’d rather have Kun feel normal than anything else. The scent of burning ginger leaves him uneasy - leaves all of them uneasy. This is, after all, for the betterment of the pack. And Kun always says everything he does is for the betterment of the pack. 

And besides. This’ll go just fine. Right?

-

It doesn’t take Johnny long to come over. 

The doorbell rings around half an hour later, and they all pile into the hyeongwan to greet him. He looks a little frazzled. His apron still on, like he was in the middle of a shift. 

“Welcome,” Ten greets him cheerfully.

Johnny sends him a glare. “You guys are so in trouble.”

Johnny doesn’t even step fully into the threshold of the apartment before they can all hear Kun’s bedroom door squeaking open. The house fills with ginger, magnolia, burnt herbs. Everyone including Johnny turns their noses up. Ten isn’t so affected. His omega preens at the scent. 

“Go to him,” Yangyang nudges Johnny’s back. “C’mon.” 

Johnny sends him an exasperated look before he’s stepping forward and calling out: “Kun-ah.”

They are met with a growl.

The noise has the hair on the back of Ten’s neck standing up, because Kun has never made that noise before. It’s deep, threatening. Not the kind, sweet, doting Kun ge that they all know and love. It’s different from the growls they’ve been hearing from his room for the past day - those were all sounds of pleasure. Of his rut speaking for him. But this is mean and menacing on purpose.

Kun has never been mean or menacing on purpose. 

Dejun blinks. “I’m sorry, what just happened?”

Kunhang’s eyes are as wide as saucers. “Did he just…?”

“Was that Kun ge?” Yangyang sounds horrified.  

Something is extremely wrong. 

Ten frowns. He beckons the pack to step back into the apartment with him, and Kun doesn’t growl. But then when he has Johnny do the same, the growl starts up again. It’s such a curious thing. He does it over and over again until Johnny has taken about four steps into the apartment, and Kun is growling so loud that the didis all look terrified out of their minds. None of them knew Kun was capable of sounding so threatening. Like he’s on the offensive, ready to attack. 

What the fuck?

Ten motions for everyone to stay still as he edges closer to the hallway, close enough for Kun to smell him. Almost immediately Kun’s growl softens into a purr.

What the fuck?

“What’s going on?” Yangyang stage-whispers, definitely loud enough for Kun to hear. 

Ten turns to him and shrugs. “I have no idea.”

Ten has spent enough ruts in Kun’s presence to read his scent, even when it’s burning like this. Even when his pheromones are screaming go away, go away, go away. The closer Ten gets, the more magnolia blooms in the undertones. The more the burning fades. His steps creak on the hardwood floor, and Kun can smell him as clear as day, and yet there’s no reaction other than come here, omega, come here. Ten thinks about Johnny still standing at the doorway to the kitchen. And yet Kun is calling out for him.  

“Kun?” Ten calls, as he stands at the entrance of the hallway. 

The answering voice is low and quiet, but familiar all the same. “Tennie.”

Come here, his scent asks. Come here.

And so Ten goes. 

He turns the corner and sees Kun standing in his bedroom doorway. He looks exhausted and rumpled, hair everywhere and bags under his eyes. Staring Ten down the second they’re in each other’s sights. His eyes aren’t red, as rutting alpha’s usually are. Just a boring shade of black-brown. 

He still smells… well. He smells strong. 

“Alpha,” Ten says, without meaning to. And then, “Kun-Kun.”

“Why’s he here,” Kun murmurs. He holds a hand out for him. Ten, obedient, steps into his space, his nose filling with his alpha- no, Kun’s- scent. Kun holds his wrist gently, as he breathes him in. “Fuck. You smell like him.”

The ginger is still burning, but the magnolia smells like fresh spring air as Kun’s fingers wrap around Ten’s wrist. He doesn’t smell like he’s in rut, exactly, but he smells like he’s coming down from it. Which is so fucking weird, because wasn’t Kun so clearly still in the throes of it just a half hour ago?

Ten feels a little helpless, as Kun holds him with a gentle, but firm grin. Squeezing him. This is… unusual. To say the least. This behavior reads as something between Kun feral in rut and the clingy post-rut Kun as they normally know him to be. Ten has never seen him like this before. Has never been touched like this before. 

The rest of the pack is peeking around the corner of the hallway, staring. Ten sends them a look as Kun rubs his wrist against his neck, smothering him in ginger.

What the fuck! Yangyang mouths.

Help me! Ten mouths back.

“I thought I told you I just wanted the pack,” Kun mutters. His scent lathers onto Ten immediately, as if it never left. Not aroused, but something spicy and pleasant all the same. “I didn’t want an alpha coming into my den. Coming near my pack.”

“We thought-” Ten says, voice quiet and fragile as Kun noses at the scent gland on his wrist. “Your rut is being weird. We thought it’d help if your alpha came over.”

“I told you I didn’t want him,” Kun says. His voice is low. “He’s not my alpha.”

“But-” Ten’s voice cuts off as Kun tugs him in closer, one hand on his wrist, the other on his waist. Ten is ashamed by how easily he goes when Kun gently pulls him in. He brings his nose to Ten’s neck. “But you-”

“God, you’re good,” Kun mumbles. “Better when you don’t smell like him.”

“Kun-”

“Don’t want him,” Kun says. His voice edges on a growl. “Just want you and the pups.”

The sound of his voice sends Ten’s head spinning. His words echoing in his head. Just want you, just want you, just want you-

“Yah, I told you guys this would happen!” Johnny calls after them. Ten completely forgot he was here. 

Kun buries his face into Ten’s neck. Throat letting out a little menacing growl, less threatening but still a warning. He spreads his scent everywhere, almost to a suffocating degree. 

“I’m gonna-” Kunhang says. “Should I tell him to go?”

“Yeah,” Ten says, a little dizzy. “Yeah, sorry, hold on-”

There’s a little commotion as the kids sneak back into the foyer, probably to deliver the news. There’s the low sound of Johnny’s voice, and then the door opening and shutting. And then three familiar scents flood his nose as the kids surround them on every side. 

“Kun ge,” Dejun whines. “You smell awful.”

“Stinky,” Yangyang agrees. 

“All of you, come here,” Kun says. His voice is still low. They all listen, of course, to their alpha. Kun clicks his tongue as he rubs his wrist over all of their necks. Drowns out everyone’s scents with his own. “How could you guys worry so much. I’m fine, yeah? Just need you kids and gege’s just fine.”

Yangyang pouts as Kun buries into his neck, but compiles all the same. “But you were being weird.”

“Aiya, you baby,” Kun says. He manages a smile, even though he looks exhausted. “I’m fine. Come cuddle with me on the couch. Don’t wanna smell him in my house.”

His words set all of them on edge, though Kun doesn’t seem to notice. Yangyang’s eyes are wide as Kun drags him to the living room. 

Kunhang sends Ten a glance. Is he talking about his boyfriend?

Dejun nudges Ten in the side. What should we do?

Ten frowns. Don’t even ask.

Kun migrates over to the sofa, and so they follow. And so they just listen and try to ignore the elephant in the room. Obeying their Kun ge and pretending like this all is a very normal thing for them to be experiencing. 

It’s weird. Ten tries to think through what the fuck just happened as he, Dejun, and Kun pile on the couch as the baby alphas air the place out dutifully, opening windows and the front door. Wasn’t Kun just in the middle of his rut? How is everything just suddenly fine, him mostly lucid? Kun purrs as he holds his pack’s omegas in either arm, cheek smushed against the top of Ten’s head. Pumping out his usual post-rut pheromones, comforting and soft and alpha, alpha, alpha.  

Ten’s head is a bit dizzy. He thinks about Johnny, who is Kun’s boyfriend. How Kun had growled at him until he left. How Kun had snapped out of his rut the second that Johnny entered the apartment. How Kun’s first instinct was to scent them all head to toe. 

It’s weird. Very un-Kun-like. Extremely un-Kun-like. The least like-Kun that Kun has ever been.

Yangyang and Kunhang join the cuddle pile once Kun deems the apartment smelling good enough. Yangyang sprawls across all of their laps and Kunhang nudges himself in on Dejun’s other side, holding his boyfriend by the waist as Kun purrs out his contentment. 

This is weird. This is so, so weird. 

He can’t think much after that, drunk on alpha pheromones and the mixed scent of his pack around him. Ten just sits there, dazed, letting his alpha scent him. Wait, no- not his alpha. It’s Kun. Just Kun. Kun is not his alpha. 

“You smell good,” Kun says into his shoulder. “You smell like me.”

Ten doesn’t keep track of what happens after that.

-

The rest of Kun’s rut goes by smoothly.

It’s like nothing ever happened. He’s back to his usual self in no time. Doting, nagging, albeit a bit clingy but that’s not abnormal either. He even makes them food that night, surprisingly lucid considering how out of it he’s been over the past two days. Ten sneaks away to send Sicheng a long-ass voice to speech text about the whole thing, which Sicheng replies to with “?????” and “KUN GE DID WHAT???”

Within two days, Kun is completely back to normal, and it’s like literally nothing ever happened at all, and that’s how the whole pack sans-Kun ends up gathered in Sicheng’s living room. 

“I need someone to tell me that I hallucinated the past week,” Kunhang says, face buried into a throw pillow. “None of that could have been real.”

They send each other looks, which all hold varying degrees of wariness, none of them looking very hopeful. Again, it’s not often that their Kun ge is the one who leaves them at a loss for what to do. That’s normally Yangyang’s job, whose favorite excuse is “I’m still going through puberty, ge.” Or Ten, who causes chaos more often then he tries to dissuade it, much to Kun’s dismay. Hell, even Sicheng is more prone to causing disharmony in their pack, what with the way he has the habit of sleeping with his eyes open and scaring them all half to death when he secretly falls asleep mid-conversation. 

It doesn’t help that Kun, post-rut, is completely back to his usual self. He’s gotten over his clinginess, he’s still endlessly doting, he’s still a nagger more than anything else. Making food, making sure they’re doing their homework, keeping the normal respectable distance between himself and Ten, acting like nothing happened during his rut at all. Whether or not that’s a good thing, Ten still isn’t really sure… 

“I mean, we may as well just say the thing on everyone’s minds,” Yangyang says. “Apparently Kun ge is a freak.”

That makes them murmur in agreement.

“How could he have growled at Johnny hyung?” Sicheng asks. He’s sipping tea and looking very, very confused. “I thought that as long as your inner alpha likes someone, it doesn’t matter what their subgender is.”

He’s right. He’s so, so right and that doesn’t make any of this any less baffling. 

“What was it he said to you, hyung?” Dejun nudges Ten. Who has draped himself over Yangyang like his baby alpha can protect him from the inevitable discomfort of this conversation, as they all (minus Sicheng) bore witness to Kun’s… unusual behavior towards him after the fact. 

“Ugh. He said that Johnny wasn’t his alpha,” Ten groans. “And he just wanted me and the pups.”

They all share a collective moment of silence. Letting that one soak in. Wondering how in the world an alpha could ever say such a thing. 

“Weird,” Sicheng mumbles.

“Weird as fuck!” Yangyang says. “So fucking weird!”

“Do you guys think there’s any chance that maybe Kun ge’s alpha doesn’t want Johnny?” Dejun asks, like that’s a reasonable thing to speculate about, given Kun’s… well. Everything. “I mean, why else would he have reacted like that? Maybe their alphas don’t get along.”

“But then why would he be dating Johnny hyung at all?” Kunhang points out, extracting himself from Sicheng’s pillow. “Why would an alpha date someone their inner alpha doesn’t want? It makes no sense.”

Sicheng frowns. “I mean, why is Kun dating Johnny?”

None of them know the answer to that.

It’s been two months, and yet Kun and Johnny’s relationship has yet to progress from anything more than casual dating. They’re not in the honeymoon stage, exactly, but something gentler. None of them have ever seen them kiss. Or touch in any way except hello and goodbye hugs, for that matter. And it’s not weird for a couple to go slow, but it’s weird when it’s Johnny and Kun. Neither of them are exactly shy types, nor conservative in any way. Ten still recalls seeing much more of Jun’s ass than he ever wanted to when Kun was still dating him. 

They had never expressed interest in each other before the day they told Ten they were together. And, okay, maybe Ten isn’t the best at social cues. But he’s pretty damn sure that he would’ve been able to see attraction like that coming from a mile away, especially when it involves his best friend and the guy he’s been subconsciously obsessed with for four years, whose scent he can read like his very own.

Whenever he tries to put the facts together in his mind, none of it fits together. Like a jigsaw puzzle with mismatched pieces. 

Ten purses his lips. He’s spent the past few days trying to find reasoning in Kun’s actions, the whole rut playing in his head on repeat, but he’s struggled to find even a smidge of an answer in all of this. Why was Kun’s rut so weird in the first place? How could he react like that to the person he’s dating? He hadn’t known that Kun even knew how to growl like that; deep and menacing and alpha-like. 

It’s so weird. Because sure, he knew that Kun would act in order to protect the pack; he’s their head alpha for a reason. But he never thought that Kun would ever feel threatened enough to ever have to, let alone when said threat was his own boyfriend.  

(And yet Kun had growled. Had growled so threateningly. Hadn’t calmed down until he scented Ten. Made the didis air out the house and pile on top of him.)

(Since when did Kun know how to be anything besides clingy and annoying and sometimes disgustingly sweet?)

“Just thinking about it makes my head hurt,” Ten complains. He buries his head into Yangyang’s thigh. “We should just pretend like it never happened.”

This, apparently, is something his pack doesn’t agree with, as they all hum their dissent. Yangyang, because he’s an angel wearing a devil’s costume, pats Ten’s back in consolation. That’s why he’ll always be his favorite. 

“It’s kind of funny, isn’t it?” Dejun points out. “He stopped growling when he saw Ten hyung.”

Which… okay. Is true. Technically. 

“And he was weird throughout his pre-rut, only calmed down when Ten ge picked him up,” Kunhang agrees. 

And alright, that’s also technically true, but not entirely unusual. So Ten doesn’t know why Kunhang feels the need to point that out. Or where this line of conversation is going. 

“I mean, we all knew that Kun ge’s alpha likes your omega, ge,” Sicheng nods along. “Maybe he thought his omega was being threatened?”

And. Okay. Hold up. Ten sits up and stares at him. What?

“I’m not his omega.” He says slowly. When none of them even blink at him: “I’m not.”

He’s met with silence. 

What the fuck?

“Well, we also thought Johnny hyung was his alpha, but we were proven wrong,” Yangyang says. 

“And we thought ge didn’t know how to growl, but he almost made Yangie shit his pants,” Kunhang nods sagely. 

Ten, at least, has the foresight to roll off of Yangyang’s lap when the baby alpha lunges at Kunhang with a screech of “I did not! Take that back!” Kunhang cackles, dodging his grabby hands. Dejun pulls Ten into his side, his sweet pheromones letting out gentle, soothing waves.

Ten finds himself relaxing in his hold, shoulders untensing and hackles going back down. He sags into Dejun’s shoulder. 

“But Kun doesn’t see me like that,” he says faintly. “We’re pack.”

Dejun shrugs. “I mean, have you and Kun ge ever even been normal around each other?”

Ten’s ears go red. He turns his face into Dejun’s neck and refuses to answer that question. 

Kun has always given him vaguely special treatment, yes, but Ten always figured that was because of their best friend status. And maybe a sense of parental pity that many people in Ten’s life tend to feel for him. Kun is always kind to everyone, even when he doesn’t have to be - Ten is no different. He just got lucky and ended up being Kun’s roommate. He got to him first. That’s all.

And while Kun never even so much as gives other omegas the time of day, he still ended up dating Johnny, for reasons that none of them are quite certain about. And Kun seems happy about it. Well, happy enough. He’s not the type of person who would date someone just for the fun of it. Ten is, like, 98% sure that Kun would rather kill himself than do anything out of obligation. It’s why he’s such a good pack leader. He doesn’t care after them because he thinks he has to, it’s because he wants to. Because he loves them, chaos and all. No matter how much he complains.

Again, this whole thing is weird - extremely fucking weird - not to mention aggressively out of character for consistent, relentless, reliable-to-a-fault Qian Kun. Who never so much as raises his voice, not even when he’s pissed and seething, who keeps his anger hidden until his body has to speak it for him. Who is stubborn as a mule and still lets the kids and Ten do whatever the fuck they want to him, even if he ends up whining about it later. Who keeps them all fed and treats Ten’s sons like they’re his own, who scents all of them when they’re in their cycles, who acts like he birthed their entire pack personally. 

But, honestly, have him and Kun ever been normal around each other?

(Never. Not even a little bit.)

Kun has always edged on the side of too doting than what is normally acceptable for a pair of omega-alpha friends. He provides, to a degree where most people assume he’s Ten’s mate right off the bat. And while most of his actions can be attributed to him being their pack alpha, Kun has been like this since the day they met, long before the didis came around. Ten tries to make sense of it in his brain. Yes, he’s not normal about Kun because he’s madly in love with him, but then why is Kun so weirdly adamant about Ten?

After all, Kun is dating Johnny. Is dating someone. Someone who he doesn’t want to spend his ruts with. Which is even weirder.

He knows the kind of alpha Johnny is. A little possessive. Clingy. And Kun, as far as he’s aware, isn’t. Which is fine, but it doesn’t explain why they’re together. Is it looks? Neither of them are shallow enough for that. Is it the sex? But then why label it as dating? It’s clear that their alphas aren’t really drawn to each other - Johnny had said it himself, hadn’t he? Their scents don’t even mix. Compatible pairs, regardless of sub-gender, would mix their scents easily. Kun, high on instincts, had even growled at Johnny to get out of his house, despite letting the alphas of the pack invade his space all they wanted. Most territorial alphas would growl at any alpha, pack status or not. And yet Kun had only growled at Johnny.

(It’s weird. So, so fucking weird.)

Ten tries to imagine a world in which Qian Kun, plainfully average and yet also remarkable in every way, would date someone his alpha holds no affection towards. Because Kun has always been genuine to a fault, annoyingly true to himself. He still chides Ten over it, sometimes, about going for people he actually truly wants. But does Kun truly want Johnny? Does Kun’s alpha know something the rest of them don’t?

Ten’s mind races and races, trying to make sense of this all. Why would Kun date someone his alpha doesn’t want? Why is Kun dating Johnny in the first place?

What the fuck is going on?

Chapter Text

Ten spends the next week of his life in a bit of a daze.

It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong happening, despite… you know. Everything. And it’s not like anything is exceedingly different from the norm, either. Everyone is their usual selves. Everything is going fine. Ten is doing alright.

It’s just that Kun is… well.

Outwardly, he’s the same as ever. Nagging, a little too doting, quick to rile up once Yangyang gets on a roll with his teasing. He still cooks, he still looks after the cats, he still cares for Ten maybe too much, considering their status as alpha-omega roommates and everything else. But there’s something. Something is different. 

Ten wouldn’t have noticed if not for the fact that he’s kinda-very-much obsessed with Qian Kun and everything about him. Because if there’s one thing that Kun is, it’s consistent. Reliable. Nothing about him ever really changes. Every day of his life is roughly the same, down to the hour. He’s dependable because of how fucking consistent he is, how he never makes you worry, how he resilient he is in his ability to adapt to anything. But nowadays, there are little things. Tiny, microscopic things.

Kun has been waking up later. Says he can’t sleep. This, coming from the guy who never gets any less than nine hours, is a bit bizarre. He’s also a little more clingy with the cats. Pouts if they won’t give him affection, which happens often and always has. He’s been asking Ten more questions. Where are you going? What have you been working on? Can I visit you at the studio? He never actually visits, but he’s asking a lot more than he used to. Sometimes he looks like he’s going to follow through but then his face falls when he gets a text on his phone. That’s usually followed by him going out to see Johnny. Ten still has no idea what in the world those two do together.

Is it the sex? It can’t be. Not every night. Not to the point where Kun looks annoyed when his phone rings.

It’s odd. Really, really odd.

Ten isn’t always the most observant person, namely because he spends most of his time wrapped up in his own bullshit, but he always pays attention to Kun. Who has been a little more touchy since his last rut. Not anything major. A brush against Ten’s shoulder, rubbing their wrists together even though Ten already smells like him, hovering over his waist when they almost run into each other in the kitchen. It’s not that Kun isn’t touchy, normally, he’s just not normally touchy with Ten. If you can count these fleeting moments as being touchy. 

He’s also more irritable than normal. Not mad, exactly, because Kun gets actually mad just about never, but he’s quick to explode in his own way when the pack starts teasing him. Shutting the fridge door loudly, stomping all over the apartment, returning to his room to play his keyboard at max volume. He calms down when Ten tells him to calm down, which is even odder, because usually that makes him more mad. But now all Ten has to do is give him a stern “yah, stop it,” and he gets a sheepish smile in return. Qian Kun is not the type to apologize first, usually, because he only ever disagrees with someone when he really means it. He and Ten have always been equally stubborn - apologies never come from either of them until they come to a mutual understanding. But he’s quick to concede these days, even if he shouldn’t, and it’s honestly freaking Ten out.

Well, it’s freaking all of them out. The kids, specifically, because Yangyang keeps getting scared when Kun comes back from his very adult-like-temper-tantrum and doesn’t even lecture, just apologizes for getting upset. It’s a very odd thing to not get a lecture from their pack leader. It’s a very odd thing to see Kun apologize at all. 

Because normally they deserve the lectures. Yangyang and Ten both are in the habit of pushing Kun to his limit, and Dejun is easily goaded into joining them, and sometimes Kunhang will even throw in a quip or two. Kun is a target, and it’s not really fair to him - at least, not all of the time; sometimes he deserves it - but he’s the target nonetheless. And yet he’s the one apologizing. 

Ten doesn’t quite know what to make of any of this. 

After the fiasco of Kun’s rut, he’s been… well. Not distant, really, because Kun would catch on immediately. But he’s been more subdued, and he blames it on his cycle, which Kun accepts at face value. For some reason. He’s been more observant, trying to analyze Kun to the best of ability, looking for an explanation for all of this. He doesn’t have much luck. Clearly the rut was a trigger for something, but Ten can’t figure out what. 

It has something to do with Johnny. And Ten can’t figure that out either.

What’s clear to see is that Kun and Johnny’s alphas aren’t compatible. If it wasn’t the rut that gave it away, it was the scenting. Kun will come back late at night smelling like his boyfriend, but it gets washed away as soon as he’s in the shower. As if Johnny’s scent was nothing more than a cologne. Ten’s scent drowns his out no problem. And it’s not that alpha scents are more potent, exactly, but an alpha in a stable relationship should have pheromones eager enough to block out the smell of a lonely, unmated omega. 

And yet. Kun smells like jasmine more than he smells like espresso. Carries Ten’s scent around on him like a branding. Ten doesn’t know how to feel about it. 

Kun’s behavior certainly isn’t helping anything. He doesn’t really act like someone in a relationship. He doesn’t bring up Johnny when they go out with Doyoung and Taeyong, not until the omegas ask. He doesn’t wear his scent, or at least, not by choice. He knows that the reason Johnny doesn’t come over is because his scent bothers Ten, but it’s also weird that Kun would be so agreeable with Ten’s demands to keep the other alpha’s scent out of their house. It’s weird that Kun hasn’t tried introducing Johnny to the pack. It’s weird that Kun is in a relationship at all. 

Ten stares at Kun’s back as he works over the stove. Eyes narrowed. Pondering. Ignores Leon nipping at his feet.

Hmm.  

“You have that look on your face,” Kun says, a little cryptically, when he takes a glance back at Ten. Who, okay, is maybe being a little suspicious; hanging by the counter (unusual behavior) and watching Kun with a level of scrutiny that is usually unheard of when it comes to whatever goes on in the kitchen (even more unusual behavior). 

And yet:

“What look?” Ten asks. Even though he already knows. 

But Kun shrugs. Says, “you look like you’ve got something on your mind.” And even though he could, he doesn’t elaborate. Like always. 

You’re on my mind, Ten wants to say. I’m thinking about you. I’m always thinking about you.

He doesn’t say that.

It’s not that he and Kun don’t talk about deep things, because they do. But they’re both the kind who tend to keep their emotions to themselves. There are times when Ten will confide in Kun, and Kun will confide in him, sure. But a good amount of their relationship is teasing and banter and arguing and sitting in silence together. Or, Kun sitting in silence while Ten goes on and on about his current projects. But never anything too personal. They aren’t in the habit of prying things out of each other.

So it’s not that Ten is surprised, necessarily, that Kun asks. But he’s surprised that Kun seemingly wants an answer. He looks back at Ten with an expectant look on his face. Curiosity. A little bit of concern. 

And… okay. Okay, fine.

“Just thinking, is all,” Ten says, equally cryptic. “As one does.”

Unsurprisingly, Kun turns back to the stove. Probably unsatisfied with an answer like that, given the way his shoulders tense. There’s his Kun ge, all huffy and puffy over not getting what he wants. And Ten knows that maybe he should at least throw the alpha a bone, but he also knows that Kun probably thinks he’s been so slick with all of the weird behavior, lately. Probably thinks that Ten hasn’t noticed. Because he’s an idiot with a knot for a brain. 

“‘Just thinking’...” Kun mumbles. “Mhmm...”

Ten steadies himself against the counter. Manages a smile. There’s his Kun, ticked off by Ten’s non-answers. Which could… well. Which could give him an opportunity to have a little bit of fun.

So:

“It’s nothing to worry about,” is what he says. “It’s just that there’s this alpha…”

He watches the muscles in Kun’s shoulders. He doesn’t tense. He doesn’t untense, either. He keeps as still as a statue, ramrod straight. 

“An alpha,” Kun echoes. “Are they annoying you?”

Ten hides a smile behind his hand. “No. It’s a junior in my department. I think I might be kinda interested in him.”

There’s no outward reaction, but Ten can see the way Kun stiffens. The way he falters as he stirs the soup on the stove. The way his shoulders rise. It’s kind of funny, because it’s not like Kun is his alpha, nor wants to be his alpha, yet this is exactly how Ten was expecting him to react. Especially after the drama of his rut.

Has Kun always been so secretly possessive over his pack members?

(Or is it just you, a suspiciously Sicheng-like voice says in his head. Which Ten ignores.)

But Ten can see Kun turn off the stove. Whether or not the soup is actually done, he’s not quite sure. He sees Kun turn around to face him. Looks him in the eye. 

“Is he a good guy?” Kun asks. “Does he seem nice?”

Ten shrugs. Smiles a tiny smile.

“He’s nice enough. Doesn’t seem to like that I smell like you, but…”

He trails off. Watches Kun’s pupils widen before he’s sliding his expression back into something casual, normal, more apt for a pack leader. Watches Kun turn sharply back to the stove. Watches him turn the burner back on. 

“Oh,” Kun says. “I see.”

Ten could drag this out, truthfully. Could exploit the protectiveness that Kun so often hides, but he obviously feels, deep down. He could. But he isn’t here to play tricks. He just wants to figure out what’s going on. Just wants to get his Kun back.

“Well, I don’t really like his scent, either, so I probably won’t go for it,” Ten says nonchalantly. “And it’s not like I’m gonna ask you to stop scenting me either, so.”

Kun doesn’t untense, but there’s the slightest bit of relief in his frame. Wide, alpha shoulders that let out a breath. Relief for what? Ten doesn’t know. It doesn’t give him any answers to any questions he has. But it reaffirms that something is different.

“Well, that’s good,” Kun says. His voice is noticeably level. Even-toned, calm. “You shouldn’t just go for an alpha who’s ‘nice enough.’ You should go for someone perfect for you.”

Ten just hums. Watches Kun’s back, the massive expanse of it. He’s not a particularly big guy. A little on the shorter side. But he’s fit, and stocky, and he’s clearly an alpha if you really look at him. Thick waist. Strong arms. Tension underneath the surface of his skin.

You’d be perfect for me, Ten muses. You’d be perfect for me if you wanted me back.

But he doesn’t say that, of course. Just smiles and watches the flex of Kun’s shoulder blades under his t-shirt.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Ten reminds him. “You know what I always say - all alphas are knotheads.”

Kun chuckles. Doesn’t say much after that. Ten watches his shoulders untense all the way until the soup is done and it’s time for them to eat dinner, in which they will sit across from each other at the table and argue over reality TV with their ankles hooked together and grins on their faces. 

Sometimes it really does feel like Kun is his alpha, and not Johnny’s. But that’s a silly thought to have.

-

“We can’t keep doing this,” Dejun says. “There’s no way he’s not catching on.”

“He won’t,” Sicheng says, suspiciously resolute. “He thinks we’re teaching Ten how to play Valorant.”

A moment of silence.

“There’s no way he-”

“He bought it immediately.”

They’re all back in Sicheng’s living room, which has become the base for Operation Figure Out What’s Wrong With Kun. Ten hadn’t been eager to share his findings with his pack, given how easily they crack under Kun’s demands for honesty whenever he finds out that they’re up to something, but it’s recently gotten too much to ignore.

And it’s not like Ten is in the habit of keeping things to himself. Not to mention that spending all of his free time in Kibum’s office, complaining, wasn’t doing him much good.

So.

The pack’s reaction to Ten’s little experiment regarding Kun was… explosive, to say the least. As in, Dejun had screamed and nearly thrown up everywhere in excitement. They’re all convinced that this is a sign that Kun’s feelings for Ten are returned, conveniently ignoring the casual little fact that Kun is, actually, in a relationship. 

But it’s not like their delusion isn’t partially Ten’s fault. He kind of raised them to be like this. 

“Okay, so maybe ge’s a little stupid,” Yangyang says. He’s sprawled across the couch, laying over both Dejun and Kunhang’s laps. “We already knew that. We love him for it.”

“Stupid enough to date Johnny hyung, yeah,” Dejun huffs.

“Definitely a little stupid,” Kunhang agrees.

“Okay, now we’re jumping to conclusions,” Ten cuts in, ignoring it when all of his packmates turn to stare at him because alright, Ten may or may not be the designated master of jumping to conclusions. But nevertheless, he persists. “Let’s not act like Kun isn’t into Johnny or anything, because he clearly is.”

“So into him,” Sicheng drawls. “Like the way he growled at him during his rut, clearly wants to spend time with you, got jealous of another alpha-”

“Well when you say it like that, it sounds bad,” Ten grumbles. Draws his knees up to his chest, ears pink. Because they’re not wrong, exactly, but when you phrase it in that way… it almost sounds like Kun wants him back. Which he doesn’t.

Sure, maybe his packmates have convinced themselves that Kun is harboring secret requited feelings for Ten, but none of that changes the fact that Kun literally has a boyfriend. A boyfriend who so happens to be Ten’s best friend. And it’s not like Kun would date Johnny unless he liked him in some way or another, especially since Ten himself has been available pretty much the entire time they’ve known each other and Kun has never once indicated any interest… 

“Well, I’m pretty sure they’re gonna break up soon,” Dejun says unhelpfully. “I mean, it doesn’t even seem like ge wants to date him.”

“Yeah, or Johnny will break his heart once he realizes that ge likes someone else,” Yangyang muses unhelpfully. “Or break his heart in general. I didn’t think they’d even last this long.”

Which… okay. Are some more wild conclusions to be drawing. And yes, again, Ten may be the master of jumping to conclusions. But come on! Guys! They need to have faith! Not to mention that there’s also maybe a tiny part of him that’s a little offended on Johnny’s behalf, being his best friend and all. But that’s also not his main concern right now.

“No one is breaking anyone’s heart!” Ten insists, not really used to being put in the position of The One With Common Sense. “Really!”

His pack, for the most part, just looks unimpressed. Ten is a little peeved that somewhere along the line, they mastered their judgemental expressions. Took it right out of Ten’s own playbook. 

“I can tell whenever Johnny is the one texting Kun ge because he started sighing,” Dejun points out unhelpfully. “But when it’s you…”

“He smiles,” Kunhang says solemnly. “Smiles and gets all giggly.”

Ten has a really, really, really hard time imaging Kun as even remotely giggly. He narrows his eyes at them. Squints really hard.

“No he does not.”

“Except he kind of does,” Sicheng says, which is awful because unlike their other packmates, Sicheng is not a liar. “He complains to me, sometimes, about how often Johnny asks him to go out. But he never complains about you.”

And Ten turns to look at him, exasperated, because that’s a load of bullshit if he’s ever heard it. “Yes, he does! He complains all the time!”

Because it’s true. Ten has a talent for getting on Kun’s nerves, and Kun never lets him live without hearing it. Because Ten is the most annoying person Kun has ever had to deal with, and that’s something he takes pride in. Because no matter what, even if Kun can’t be Ten’s, his attention, at the very least, belongs to him.

It’s a lot like pulling pigtails, maybe, and Ten isn’t exactly proud of himself for that, either. But he’d rather die than stop, at this point. 

And yet:

“But he only complains to your face!” Dejun supplies, which, again, is stellarly unhelpful. “He doesn’t complain behind your back.”

Ten stiffens. Because it’s true, but also it doesn’t mean anything, really. It couldn’t. “That’s because he respects me. As a friend and a roommate.”

Kunhang grins. “So he doesn’t respect Johnny hyung?”

They… they’re doing this on purpose! Trying to get him to admit to something that isn’t even true! Ten throws a pillow at Kunhang’s stupid, big head. Dumb alpha baby. Dumb, dumb baby alpha!

“That’s not what I mean!”

Unfortunately, the pack just devolves into giggles. Even Sicheng, the traitor. Ten glares at all of them. 

“Guys,” he complains. Attempts to put some authority into his voice (as pack omega, surely he has some authority), but to no avail. “Guys.”

“We’re just pointing out the obvious, ge,” Yangyang says, slowly and very patiently. A smile on his face. Like he’s talking to a child. As if Yangyang isn’t the secret twelve-year-old of the friend group.

Everyone else looks at him similarly. A little smug (Dejun), a little concerned (Kunhang), a little bit amused (Sicheng). Ten cowers under their gazes, a little embarrassed.

Surely they can’t all believe themselves. This is Kun we’re talking about, after all. Who is more like a prudish old man than anything else, who still scolds Yangyang for talking with his mouth full, who has a fucking boyfriend.

But even so…

It’d be impossible to ignore the obvious, which is that something is up. Something is wrong. Kun hasn’t been himself, and Johnny has something to do with it. And it’s not like Johnny would ever force Kun to date him against his will, and it’s not like Kun would ever date anyone out of obligation. But they’re dating, anyhow. And they don’t seem to be entirely happy about it, anyhow. And ever since Kun’s rut, something has been off. There is truth to what the kids are saying. Not entirely. But there’s some truth in there.

Ten thinks about Kun, standing over the stove. Wide shoulders. Back stiff as a board. The way he tensed when Ten brought up another alpha. Mild-mannered, self-righteous Kun, who is territorial just about never. And yet Ten could’ve swore there was something in his scent…

“I don’t know,” Ten frowns. He hugs a pillow to his chest. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

He misses the looks the kids send each other as he buries his face in the pillow. 

“Me neither, ge,” Dejun says. “Me neither.”

The worst thing about all of this is that the kids kind of have a point. Whether or not Kun is into him (he’s not), there’s certainly something going on between him and Johnny. And it’s not like Kun is the type to stay with someone once things start going downhill. Which they have been, ever since his rut. Kun is the type to cut his losses when things get to a certain point - he’s dependable in that way. So Ten can’t imagine a world in which he and Johnny stay together long term, not if things can so easily go sour. Not if Kun's rut - his biology - gets in the way. 

But Kun is also a romantic. He tries hard for the people he really cares about. He wouldn’t give up on anyone he loved, not so easily. Does Kun love Johnny? Ten isn’t sure. He doesn’t think so. But Kun has also proved him wrong before. The past few weeks prove that maybe Ten doesn’t know anything about his pack alpha. 

For four years, Ten has never really had to worry about Kun before. Maybe he gets too sucked into his studies, on occasion, and will let his social life fall to the wayside when he’s busy. Maybe he will sometimes get snappy when there’s a lot on his plate, maybe he sometimes will pick up bizarre, expensive hobbies on a whim, maybe there are times when Kun is suddenly inconsistent and it scares him shitless. After all, what do you do when the most predictable person you know becomes unpredictable? Ten has always been able to see Kun’s next move from a mile away. It’s how they work - Kun balances out his inconsistency. Kun is the more reliable thing in his life. Kun never changes.

And yet. 

Kun and Johnny as a pair was unexpected to begin with. The way things have progressed is, somehow, even more unexpected. Everyone else is convinced that they’re going to break up, which Ten can maybe-kind-of see happening, sure. But he’s worried about Kun’s heart. How will consistent, reliable Kun recover from heartbreak? How would Kun survive if he stayed?

“If it got bad, Kun would break up with him, right?” Ten turns to Sicheng when he asks this. “He wouldn’t stay?”

Sicheng shrugs. “I’m not sure, hyung. Kun ge is full of surprises. I really hope he doesn’t, but…”

None of them say anything after that. They’re all thinking the same thing.

What in the world will Qian Kun do next?

-

If Ten didn’t have a bit of an obsessive personality, recent revelations would probably be easier for him to digest. But alas, he does not.

It’s his pack’s fault, first and foremost, for putting the idea in his head. They should really, really know better. They should’ve figured that Ten would get fixated on Kun and Johnny’s hypothetically inevitable break up. They should’ve foreseen the way Ten clings onto it. Because even if he can’t have Kun, at least Johnny won’t. Right?

(It makes him feel like the worst person in the world, but it’s not like he’s proud about it. Sorry, Johnny.)

Because the thing is that Ten loves the both of them, obviously. They’re his best friends, the people he’s relied on the most throughout college, the pair of people he’s closest to. But the longer that they are Johnny-and-Kun, the more desperate Ten grows to see them apart. It’s an ugly kind of jealousy that eats him alive. The nastiest kind. Ten never saw himself to be a jealous person, nor a possessive one, but he was clearly wrong.

It fills him with shame, when Kun comes home from Johnny’s and washes his scent away in the shower and lets Ten drape himself over him, rubbing their wrists together. It fills him with guilt, as he buries his nose in Kun’s scent gland and takes the rare chance of proximity to wrap his arms loosely around Kun’s shoulders. It makes him feel like the worst friend alive when Kun wakes him up in the mornings, feeds him, smiles when Ten purrs in satisfaction. It feels like Kun is his. Except he isn’t. Except he isn’t.

It eats him alive, this obsession. Torn between feeling ashamed when Kun picks up Johnny’s calls and vindicated when Kun smiles at him over the rim of his wine glass. They’ll break up, won’t they? Won’t they? And Kun may not be Ten’s, but at least he’ll be nobody’s. Right? 

Right?

It’s not that Johnny is a player, or a fuckboy, or any variation of the word, but he’s not the most consistent person in the world. He likes it when things are casual. Likes it when he can be friends with his exes while still finding new people. He’s easy-going and non-committal. Kun is not. Kun is not any of those things. Kun is an all-or-nothing type of guy. And yet they have been together for two months. And yet the dam has to crack eventually. It has to. Because how would an alpha like Johnny - a little possessive, hackles raised - date someone like Kun? Who growls at him during his ruts? Who frowns when he calls? Who washes his scent off and lets his omega roommate scent him until the espresso has completely faded?

Ten feels like he is betraying them, the both of them, when he is consumed by these thoughts, but it is the truth. Johnny will break Kun’s heart. That, or Kun will leave him first.

And either way…

He tries not to dwell on it, because fixating on such things makes him an awful person and an even worse friend. But sometimes he can’t help it. He goes out to lunch with Johnny and Kun. He sits across from them. They don’t touch besides Johnny’s arm resting over the seat behind Kun, who pays him no attention once Ten starts talking. And it’s not like Johnny seems to care. He is on his phone a lot. Kun does not ask him what he’s doing on his phone. It’s a lot like before they ever started dating, when they were just three friends. In which their trio largely revolved around Ten. In which the alphas paid him most of the attention, friends with each other but not being very close despite it all. 

Ten hooks his ankles with Kun’s. Reaches across the table to slap him on the shoulder. No one pays it any attention. No one acts like it is anything unusual. He rubs his wrist against Kun’s, smearing his scent on his skin, before he parts with the couple. Johnny doesn’t even bat an eye. The nonchalance makes him want to push more, but he never does. Because no matter how much he likes Kun, they’re in a relationship. And he respects that.

But sometimes… sometimes, he wants to. Push, that is.

There are times in which Kun is an emotional dead end. A large, looming wall. It’s not that he hides his emotions, but as pack leader, he tends to put the didis first. Including Ten. And it makes Ten wonder, sometimes, what he’s really thinking under all of that self-assuredness and nagging. Does he worry about himself? About Johnny? Kun does not confide in him. Ten does not ask him to. But it makes Ten wonder. 

He never has worried about Kun before, not really. He’s never had to. But it’d be a lie if he said that he wasn’t a little worried. 

Sometimes, in his head, the facts start stacking up. Has he ever seen Kun and Johnny kiss? No, not even once. What coupley things do they do? Hug each other in greeting. Go out for drinks. Does Kun ever bring Johnny up? Not unless someone else does it first. Does Johnny ever bring Kun up? Not since those first couple times, not really, and not at all since the rut. Does Kun scent him? Johnny never smells like anything besides himself. Kun smells like Ten. Does this all mean something?

God, he hopes not. But he wants it to anyway.

He worries. The kids tell him not to, but he worries. He worries for the both of them. They’re both amazing alphas, amazing friends, great partners. Johnny may be wishy-washy, but he doesn’t have a cruel bone in his body. So the guilt makes a home in his sternum, as he tries to not think of all the ways in which this will end horribly; horribly and in his favor. A way in which Kun becomes his. Which is the worst kind of thought he has ever had.

It’s a Thursday night. Ten is pleasantly buzzed on a fancy new red wine Kun picked up in celebration for the semester almost being over. There’s only a few weeks left until Ten’s thesis exhibit, and he’s been running himself ragged. Their lives have been consumed by school, nervous with graduation on the horizon. Even Chenle, who insists that Qian Kun could never be a father figure to him, has stopped by their apartment to see if Kun was still alive after an exam had him holed up at home for several weeks. The didis all stopped by. It gives Ten a reprieve away from his obsessive thoughts. 

But once he’s back home, alone with Kun, they start filtering back in. 

Kun is lax against the couch, head tipped back as a documentary plays on TV. Ten feels bad for how exhausted he is, their legs tangled up together as Leon makes a home on Kun’s lap and Louis and Levi chase each other around the coffee table. 

“You okay?” Ten asks. He might be a little more tipsy than he thought, because Sober Ten wouldn’t ask that even if he wanted to. “You look a little…”

“Dead?” Kun cracks an eye open, smiling a little. “Ah, I’m fine. Just tired. Sorry. I should stay awake for you.”

For you. Ten’s traitorous heart thumps in his chest.

“I already knew that old men fell asleep in front of the TV, so you have nothing to worry about.” Ten aims for a joke, but his tone falls flat. Maybe he sounds concerned, maybe he sounds tired, too. He isn’t sure. His eyes follow the slope of Kun’s nose, his side profile, watching the Adam's apple in his throat bob up and down as he swallows. 

“Yah,” Kun chides. “You’re so mean to me.”

It’s not even half as accusatory as he usually sounds once the kids start ganging up on him. Not even half as sincere.

Ten smiles. “I’m not.”

He watches Kun, as his eye shuts back closed. As he sighs. “No,” he says. “You’re not.”

But you are, Ten’s brain reminds him. You are. You imagine his boyfriend breaking up with him. You imagine his heart being broken so you can be the hero who picks up the pieces. You hope for it, don’t you.

Ten’s smile fades.

The guilt is nothing new, especially not over the past couple months. He just never really had a name for it until recently. He wonders if Kun would hate him if he knew the evil, bruising circuit of thoughts in Ten’s head. How desperately he believes in it. Believes in a world in which Kun becomes his. 

He kind of hopes Kun would hate him. He probably deserves it. 

“Do you ever wonder, Tennie, if you’re happy?” Kun asks all of a sudden. He looks sleepy, but his voice is a quiet murmur as he speaks. “Do you ever have to stop and ask if you’re doing the right thing? Or if maybe you’re putting work in for something that you’ll never get?”

It comes out of left field. Ten can’t help but stare at him. 

“Why?” He can’t help but ask. “Did something happen with Johnny?”

He doesn’t mean to ask it, because he knows that even if that were the case, Kun would never tell him. He’s always been secretive about relationship stuff, probably always will be. But Ten still wants to know. He always wants to know.

Do I have a chance, his traitor brain begs. Do I have a chance, do I have a chance-

“Not really, no,” Kun says. He sighs. “I’m just- ah. I don’t know. Sometimes I just wonder if I’m doing the right thing or if it’s all hopeless. Do you have worries like that?”

Ten, not really knowing what to make of an answer like that, licks over his dry lips. Mouth dry.

“I do,” he says. “A lot of the time.”

Kun doesn’t pry, because Kun doesn’t pry, but he nods in understanding. A tiny, minute thing. A bare trace of acknowledgement.

“And how d’you handle it, Tennie?” Kun asks. “How do you have hope?”

Ten wishes he knew what he was asking about. He wishes he and Kun were the type of people to share their worries with each other. He wishes that Kun was his alpha and Ten was his omega and they could say what they mean without empty wine glasses in their hands, wishes they could touch outside of the context of being tipsy or needing to scent each other, wishes that this conversation meant more than what he knows it really means. 

“I don’t know,” Ten says in a quiet voice. “I think a lot of my hope is… hopeless I guess.” He lets out a sharp exhale. “But it’s nice to dream, sometimes.”

And Kun just huffs out a quiet, tiny laugh. Not in amusement, not really.

“It is, isn’t it.” He says. “My dreams are kind to me.”

There’s not much to be said after that. Kun dozes off from the wine in his hand. Ten watches him sleep for a little bit before he stumbles off to his room, face burning in shame. They are not talking about the same things. There is no world in which Kun is his. And yet Ten wishes there was, anyway.

-

He dreams, that night. Big, wandering hands; gentle and firm. A kind face. A voice low at his ear.

“I love you, Tennie,” the Kun in his dream says. “Did you know that? I’ve always loved you.”

-

Ten wakes up. Stares at his ceiling. Wanting things he shouldn’t have. Feeling the cruelty he deserves. Kun calls him for breakfast. They sit at the table. Kun smiles at him over his coffee.

Did you know, Ten wonders. Did you know that I love you? Did you know that it’s always been you? 

-

Ten should’ve figured that the catalyst would be his pack.

They’re all over at the apartment. Ten and Kun’s. Kun is out for the night, at some engineering thing he was required to go to. Ten offered to tag along, solely because of how miserable Kun looked at the idea of going, but he said it was fine. Told Ten to invite the pack over, watch a movie or something. So Ten did.

They are not watching a movie. 

“Ge, you cannot be serious about this!” Yangyang groans as he snatches Sicheng’s phone from his hand. “Why did you even write this? No one cares about your GPA, they’re trying to get laid!”

“Dejun told me to make it like a resume,” Sicheng says, arms crossed and a little offended.

“Like, a resume for dating,” Dejun complains. “Not a job resume.”

Safe to say, they have a lot of things to say about Sicheng’s Tinder profile. 

These kinds of things are more fun to do when Kun isn’t around, because then their alpha starts inquiring about the people they’re meeting, and if they’re doing it in safe ways, and if there’s protection being used, and it puts a real damper on their shenanigans once there’s an old man in the equation. Hence…

“Here, lemme show you,” Ten says, elbowing his way over to the middle of the couch, so everyone can lean in over his shoulders. “Watch the master at work.”

He opens the app he hasn’t used in a good eight months. He’s been removed for inactivity, so he signs in and starts a new profile. Ten, 24. Gay. Cat lady, artist, Gossip Girl extraordinaire. Come talk to me :)

“A smiley face would be too slutty for Sicheng,” Kunhang points out. “Maybe something more subtle.”

“You guys are so picky!” Ten chides. But he still changes it to: Come talk to me!

He shows them the proper way to set up a dating profile: best picture first. A solo shot, obviously. A group photo to show that you have friends. A few selfies, maybe pictures of hobbies. At least one silly picture so people know you have a personality. It’s been so long since Ten has done this shit, but it makes him laugh when the didis argue over which full-body pictures Ten should include. Whether they should be sexy or not. Are you looking for something casual or something serious?

“This is just for Sichengie, I don’t even want matches!” Ten tells them. But it’s still entertaining to see his likes start flooding in. Taeyong bought him a year-long subscription for his birthday as a gag gift, so he can see all the people swiping right on him. None of them are stellar options - not, at least, compared to Kun.

“Let’s go through them,” Yangyang says with glimmering eyes. “Please, ge, I wanna troll them so bad.”

Ten lets them go crazy with it, not caring in one way or another how they fare. 

He passes his phone over to Dejun, who takes it with shaking hands, as if he’s just been gifted with the most expensive present in the world - access to a sexy twink’s dating profile. Never mind that two of them have been in a committed relationship for nearly two years and Yangyang has an insufferable, but still cute, crush on Renjun. He’s been making seldom progress, according to the updates his dongsaengs provide him, but Ten still has faith that one day his baby alpha will be able to properly make a move on the guy he likes. 

“It’s really not that big of a deal,” Sicheng groans into Ten’s side once the kids are properly distracted. “I only made an account because you all told me to.”

“But it’d be sweet if you found someone, anyway, Sichengie,” Ten coos at him. Sicheng isn’t in the habit of being coddled, especially since he tends to be more adult than he and Kun are, sometimes. But he always curls up to Ten and pouts over stuff like this. “Or it could just be a fun thing that you try once. You never know.”

Sicheng pulls a pained face. “Ge, no.”

Ten grins. “Ge, yes.”

(So Sicheng relents, eventually, handing over his phone.)

Ten makes some adjustments to his profile. Adds his height, definitely. Includes that he he’s big into trying new foods. Finds better pictures of Sicheng than the ones he chose, ones that show off his height and his broad shoulders and his cute, pretty-boy smile. It helps that Sicheng has no preferences orientation-wise, for either primary gender or sub-gender, so making his profile neutral for all types of people is easier than what Ten does (which is try and attract hot alphas). 

Having no preferences is definitely better than being attracted to Qian Kun and only Qian Kun. Definitely.

“Ah, but why did you mention dance,” Sicheng says, making a face. “The last time I told someone I danced, they asked if I worked in a club.”

“They did?” Ten asks, delighted. “That’s perfect, then. It’s a great opener.”

“It’s not,” Sicheng despairs. “Don’t make me do this.”

Ten does, in fact, make him do it. They start swiping.

The dating pool of Seoul hasn’t changed much since Ten was last active on dating apps. A lot of big, buff men who have little to say about themselves other than how they want a breedable, submissive omega. There’s a lot of tiny, dainty omegas looking to get topped. People looking for heat and rut partners, even though there’s entire apps dedicated to that already. Betas are more normal, of course, but Sicheng doesn’t seem to be interested in any of them.

“I feel bad,” he whines. “I’m just judging their looks.”

“Sometimes people have bad bios, and you have to resort to judging their looks,” Ten says with the infinite gay wisdom he has gained over the years (and from Kibum). “Look, she looks nice. She’s a business major, too.”

“Her bio says she’s into pegging,” Sicheng mutters.

Ten raised an eyebrow. “Why? You don’t want to be pegged?”

He watches Sicheng’s face go red as he swipes right. 

“Ge, this is a fucking gold mine!” Yangyang says gleefully, all three kids' heads knocking together as they hover above Ten’s phone. “You have so many alphas who want you! And we’ve gotten so many knot pics!”

“Yangyang has told all of them that they look infertile,” Kunhang tells him. “And that they should spend their ruts with a fleshlight.”

“That’s my boy,” Ten grins, leaning over to ruffle Yangynag’s hair. “Keep doing that. And while you’re at it, tell them that it’s obvious they’re on hormones. No one should have knots the size of their head.”

The didis salute him dutifully. Eager to deliver what their ge asks them to do.

God, if Kun was here, he’d kill all of them. 

While his kids all have fun on Tinder, Ten floats off to the kitchen. It’s the cats’ dinner time, so he fills their bowls and makes sure the water fountain is still running. Kun left them food in the fridge, an amalgamation of leftovers and some fried chicken that Yangyang begged him for. Ten heats it all up, humming as he gets plates and utensils out. Dodging the cats nipping at his ankles. Checking the sticky note Kun left on the counter about how long each thing needs to be heated up for. 

He’s in the middle of rehydrating some frozen rice when Yangyang screams: “Ten ge!” from the living room. Thinking that someone could’ve died, Ten is immediately poking his head out of the kitchen and staring at them. 

“What?” He asks. “Who’d you kill?”

But Yangyang is pointing down at his phone, which all four of his packmates are staring at. Their faces are white as sheets. 

“Think you might wanna see this,” Kunhang tells him. “It’s… um.”

Ten sighs. What in the world did these kids get themselves up to.

They all make way for him to beeline straight for his phone on the coffee table. They all stare up at him as he holds it up to his face and squints at it. They all give each other looks when Ten’s eyes widen at what he sees.

“What…” Ten croaks. “What the fuck is this.”

It’s a Tinder profile. Full of familiar faces. Johnny, 25. Barista. American. Looking for something casual. Let’s get coffee!

Ten puts his phone down. Stares at his pack, who are staring right back at him. Waiting for him to make the first move.

His jaw opens. Closes. He stares. 

“Johnny is… he’s…”

“Cheating on Kun ge,” Dejun whispers. “He’s fucking cheating on Kun ge-”

And the dam has burst open, finally - all hell breaks loose.

Chapter Text

Ten and his pack, who are all known for being extremely well-adjusted people, have very normal reactions to this new revelation.

“Screenshot that shit!” Yangyang shrieks. “Receipts! We need the- we have to-”

“Oh my god…” Kunhang looks faint. He lays out on the ground. “We can’t-”

“How dare he?!” Dejun roars, taking the phone from Ten’s hands, taking a million screenshots and typing with fury. “On Kun ge! Our defenseless old man! How dare he-”

“Let’s sit down,” Sicheng says, surprisingly level-headed. He comes to Ten’s side, who is frozen in place. Thoughts moving as slow as molasses, though not nearly as smoothly. “Let’s just-”

Ten blinks. It’s like everything’s moving in slow motion. He tries to wrap his head around… well. Anything, really. The idea of this all, the idea of Johnny- of him-

“Johnny’s cheating on Kun,” Ten mutters. “Huh.”

It doesn’t feel real. It shouldn’t. Johnny would never, not in a million years, not even if it was life or death. Ten knows this for a fact. He knows Johnny. Johnny is his best friend.

But the facts are laid out, right there on his phone. It doesn’t even feel satisfactory. It just feels… well.

This is what he wanted, right? Proof that he wasn’t just imagining things, proof that those two weren’t meant to last. But he didn’t want it like this - he hadn’t expected it to turn out like this. How could it? Johnny is an angel. Sometimes overbearing, sometimes more alpha-like than Ten would prefer, but he’s a sweetheart. Not a cruel bone in his body. And yet…

“Dejun,” Ten calls. “Let me see it again.”

Dejun is surprisingly docile when he comes over with Ten’s phone. Mostly just looking upset. He hands it over and Ten takes it from him, staring back down at the profile. Dejun has sent a message that reads: YOU CHEATING WHORE!!!!!, which he ignores. He swipes through the photos. 

Johnny is an experienced dating app user. Ten knows this already. He sees his own tricks reflected back at him - best picture, solo shot, group photo, pictures of hobbies. Him with a cup of coffee. Him in the kitchen. It’s Johnny. It’s definitely Johnny. No question about it. But the truth… well. It rings rather hollow. It doesn’t feel vindictive. It feels terrible.

Ten expected himself to be raging - which he is, deep down - but he mostly just feels betrayed. Because sure, he’s in love with Kun, but Johnny is his best friend. The guy whom Ten knows and loves more than anyone else in his life. The Johnny he knows would never do this. The Johnny he knows would never dream of hurting anyone, let alone on a level like this.

But he has, hasn’t he. The proof is sitting in his hands. Laid out for him, bare. As plain as day. This is Johnny, and this is not the Johnny that Ten knows. Maybe he never knew him at all. But it is Johnny all the same. 

“Hyung,” Yangyang says softly. “Hyung, we have to tell Kun ge.”

His pack is looking at him expectantly, turning to him for guidance. Which makes sense, he supposes - he’s the pack omega. Kun’s second-in-command. Older than all of them. Not always motherly, but close enough. 

“Kun-” Ten’s mouth is dry. He thinks about Kun, at the engineering program fundraiser, none the wiser. Having no idea about what they’ve just found out. “He-”

“We should confront Johnny,” Dejun says fiercely. Always so protective of his pack, that one. “He can’t get away with this. It’s not fair to gege.”

They’re right. Of course they are. There’s still that hollow feeling in Ten’s chest as he turns to Sicheng, pleading for help with his eyes.

“It’s your choice,” Sicheng says. “You’re the one who knows them best. But if Johnny is really cheating on Kun ge…”

Ten is exhausted at the very idea of any kind of confrontation. Not when he’s faced with something so shocking, world-altering at the very least. His insides feel scrambled. A little bit queasy. He picks his phone back up and stares down at it.

For Kun’s sake, he reasons. For Kun’s sake, you have to…

The kids settle down around him as Ten goes to his text messages.

Ten: What is this

Ten: [img sent]

He attaches screenshots. Stares blankly down at his phone. Not sure if what he’s feeling is real or not. Not knowing what to expect. 

Because logically, he doesn’t expect Johnny to respond right away. It’s a Friday night and he’s probably out at a gig. But he also kind of needs him to respond. He needs an explanation, whatever it may be. Even if it’s just an excuse. Ten wouldn’t mind hearing an excuse. Not that he’d believe him, but he’d appreciate the effort anyhow. 

But Johnny responds within the minute.

John-yah: FUCK

Ten blinks down at his phone.

“What…” Dejun says very slowly. “What kind of response…”

John-yah: Where are you

John-yah: Let’s talk

Ten: At my place

John-yah: Where’s Kun?

Ten reads the messages over and over again. There’s not… there’s not any real panic in them. They’re awfully level-headed.

“We can’t tell him,” Yangyang says. “What if he talks to ge first?”

“He can’t,” Dejun insists. “We need to call him.”

“Do you think ge would believe Johnny over his pack?” Kunhang asks. He’s crawled up to join the rest of them, arm slung over Dejun’s waist. “Do you think Johnny would lie to him?”

They’re all looking at Ten again, who doesn’t have an answer for them. Sicheng squeezes his hand. The group’s pheromones, which had become potent and bitter and angry during the earlier chaos, have gone subdued. Pumping out soothing scents. For both each other’s sake and their own. 

“I don’t know,” he says. “I really don’t know.”

It’s the truth. If Johnny is capable of cheating on someone, what else could he be capable of? Ten feels like he doesn’t even know him, at least not anymore.

“I’ll call Kun ge. He needs to know,” Sicheng says, floating up to the hallway. And then, looking around at them all: “and maybe I’ll open some windows too.”

Ten knows this can’t be easy for any of them, let alone Sicheng, who has always been Kun’s best friend and main support. But he remains calm and neutral for the sake of the pack. For the sake of Ten and his feelings.

“Okay,” Ten mumbles, looking down at his phone. “Okay.”

Ten: Kun is out

Ten: Just come here

John-yah: I will

John-yah: Give me 15

Ten stares down those words. Tries to digest them. Wonders how he could possibly wait another 15 minutes for the truth. 

Ten: I hate you

Ten: We all do

He doesn’t know if he means it, yet. Maybe one day. Maybe the betrayal is enough to overturn the four years of fond memories between them.

But Johnny responds: 

John-yah: I know

Ten doesn’t know what to make of that, either. What to make of any of this. The kids start arguing about the merits of having Kun with them for the confrontation, start arguing if they should tell their other friends or not, start arguing over if this means everything’s over. It must, they reason. Kun would never take this from anyone. Never in his life.

Ten sits there and stares at his front door. Turns his phone off and sets it down at the table. He has Johnny’s location. He does not track him. Johnny is a liar, but Ten knows that he means what he says when he tells the truth. He has to, right? Earnest Johnny, who is always honest to a fault?

Ten doesn’t know anymore. He doesn’t know anything.

He sits there and waits. And waits.

-

True to his word, Johnny knocks on the front door within 20 minutes.

The scents of the pack all go haywire. Full of animosity and ire. Sicheng, who simply says Kun has been notified and is on his way and little else, curls up with Ten on the couch. Dejun sits at their feet, growling the second they smell Johnny outside the door. Yangyang and Kunhang go to answer it, hackles raised. 

It’s tense, to say the least. As Johnny toes off his shoes and says to them: “I need to talk to your hyung.”

“You can talk to all of us,” Yangyang seethes. Kunhang is holding him back by the hoodie sleeve. It’d be easier if Kun was here - Ten isn’t as good at controlling their wild baby alphas. But it’s not like he’d really try and stop them if they lashed out right now, not if Johnny deserves it.

But Johnny concedes, of course, as he always does when someone is upset with him. “Okay, then,” he says. “I’ll talk to all of you.”

It’s tense as Johnny enters the living room and kneels at the edge of the carpet. No one says anything for a long, long time. Yangyang and Kunhang each go to bury themselves into the pack omegas - not that those two could ever take on an alpha like Johnny, but their instincts say otherwise. So Ten is sandwiched between Yangyang and Sicheng and stares as his best friend of four years bows his head down.

There is something besides the numbness beginning to pull at his spine. Anger, maybe. He’s not really sure. 

“So,” Kunhang prompts. He’s not a confrontational person, not in the slightest, but he has the tendency to take on the role of problem solver if Kun or Sicheng aren’t around to do it first. He doesn’t like sitting in anger. And since Sicheng is currently holding Ten’s hand in a tight grip, trying to keep him steady…

“So…” Johnny echoes. “I see that you’ve all found my Tinder account.”

There’s a very visceral reaction to that comment. Dejun’s scent goes rancid, sour and upset, and all three alphas in the room all recoil in response. Johnny’s face twists up into a grimace while Yangyang covers his nose. Kunhang rubs his wrists over Dejun’s nape, smothering his scent with something less… volatile. Ten runs a hand through Dejun’s hair.

“Yeah, we found your Tinder account,” Dejun snarls. Both Kunhang and Ten hold him back when he starts moving towards Johnny, hackles raised and teeth gnashing. “We found out about how you’re going behind Kun ge’s back and cheating on him ‘cause you’re- ‘cause you’re not good enough for him, ‘cause you’re upset he gives Ten hyung more attention than you-”

“Dejun!” Ten scolds, scandalized. Because yeah, they all have the right to be upset, but that’s… that’s out of line. The comment about Kun and all, especially after the events of the last rut. Ten pulls at Dejun’s ear and tsks. “Come on. Don’t say that.”

“‘S not like he doesn’t deserve it,” Yangyang says under his breath.

Kunhang gives Ten an apprehensive look. A lot like are you really sure about that?

The three of them have always been aggressively defensive when it comes to the pack, considering they’re a group made entirely of foreigners in a country they don’t technically belong to. There have been things said about them on campus. Xenophobia and the like. It’s always slid right off of Ten’s back, but the kids all take it to heart. And sometimes Kun’s insistence that they all need to behave in order to keep a good reputation only makes it worse. Rebels, the lot of them.

Ten tries to be the level-headed one, right now, which is largely useless because you could say that his best friend cheating on his other best friend is a matter that concerns him more than anyone else, never mind that Ten is in love with the guy who got cheated on. The kids are riled up and Ten’s scent only does so much without their alpha leader here to keep them in line. What would Kun say? What would Kun do?

It’s not that Ten doesn’t have authority in the pack, because he does - the kids are more scared of making him mad than they would ever be of an angry Kun, largely due to Ten’s ability to hold grudges for up to months at a time. But he’s never been one to put himself in the position of leader unless he has to. Which he should, really, right now, except he’s looking at the twisted expression on Johnny’s face and wondering how it possibly could’ve ever come to this. 

How could this have happened? After everything?

Sicheng, who is always just able to read his mind, squeezes his hand and relents. “Just tell us what’s been going on,” he says. He doesn’t sound angry. Sicheng rarely ever does. But it’s probably out of respect for Kun more than anything else - it’s not like he’d ever bow his head to an alpha, let alone one who has betrayed his best friend. 

“We know what’s been going on,” Yangyang insists. “He’s-”

“Yangie, stop,” Ten scolds. He puts his hand over Yangyang’s nape; threatening. The last thing a grown alpha wants is to be scruffed by their pack omega. “All of you, listen.”

The three kids look like they have a lot they want to say, but they keep quiet anyhow. Ten tries his very best to pump out his own soothing pheromones despite his own trepidation and anger. 

Johnny looks at all of them, like he’s waiting for more interruptions. But when all of them keep quiet, he starts speaking. “I know it looks bad,” he begins, which is the understatement of the century. He says it slowly. Placating; classic Johnny. “But honest-to-god, you know I’d never cheat on Kun. Seriously.”

It’s an excuse. None of them want to hear any excuses. Dejun starts growling again and Ten quiets him with another pinch to the ear. 

“Then what was it?” Sicheng asks with a steely look. “How is it not bad?”

Ten’s grateful for their beta, because he doesn’t trust himself to ask the question. They watch as Johnny glances back at the door, just once before turning back to them. 

“It’s a long story and I really didn’t want you to find out this way,” Johnny says. “But Kun and I-”

The front door slams open, followed by the scent of burning ginger. Their pack alpha stands in the hyeongwan, breathing heavy and looking a little… well. Mad isn’t quite the word, because Kun never looks mad. But he doesn’t look happy. They’ve never witnessed him smelling like this, scent overcooked and burning and charred. 

All at once, everyone in the pack goes docile at the scent of their head alpha flooding the room. Johnny turns back to Kun.

“Hey-”

“What’d you tell them?” Kun asks. He yanks off his shoes and the stupid tie he had spent a good twenty minutes on tying before he left, the one he insisted he didn’t need help with, Tennie, seriously. He comes into the living room, hands on his hips. He… he doesn’t look pissed, despite the scent emanating from him. Maybe just annoyed. Like the kids pulled another prank or they got his order wrong at his favorite restaurant. But his scent burns, burns, burns.  

“Nothing yet,” Johnny says. “I was going to tell that we’re in an open relationship and-”

And, well, that’s news if they’ve ever heard it. Immediately, there’s a rise from the pups in the pack as Ten stares at his two best friends in disbelief and minor horror. 

“You’re in an open relationship?” Dejun asks, mouth agape.

Kunhang makes a face. “Since when were you non-monogamous?”

Yangyang stiffens by Ten’s side. “How could you-”

“That’s enough,” Kun sighs. He doesn’t even use his alpha voice, not even close, but they all snap their mouths shut to listen anyway. His scent is still so potent, hanging in the air. Even Sicheng, who is rarely sensitive to scents, makes a face and sets off to go open a window. Again. They watch as Kun sits down next to Johnny, also on his knees, looking exhausted. “That’s not- we can just end it here. No more of this shit.”

Ten doesn’t know what he means by that, exactly. As in… breaking up? Ending their relationship? Except Johnny doesn’t even… he doesn’t look upset.