Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If you asked your average barista, they would likely say they hated working at a cafe. They would also likely have worked at Starbucks. Lee Felix had strategically picked the lowest profile, hole in the wall cafe he could; and he loved his job.

Sure, learning to orient yourself in a completely new country was incredibly difficult, but he managed to get along. Felix only learned the bare minimum amount of Korean he needed to live through day-to-day life. No, he wasn’t being lazy; Korean was just an incredibly complex language. He was already stressed out of his mind, and he didn’t need one more thing to worry about. He knew how to hold a basic conversation, how to take coffee orders, and how to ask for directions. That was all he needed, really, and people usually gave him grace. They would coo at his fumbled pronunciation, and one shining smile was all it took for them to brush it away; enamored enough by his charm to even leave a tip. He could slip into the background, quietly working to piece back together the shattered remains of his life by himself.

But then there was Hyunjin.

Hyunjin was different from any other regular Felix had. Sure, he still fell victim to The Felix Effect (Hyunjin’s words, not Felix’s), but he insisted on lingering around the register to talk to the barista. Felix was wary at first, hellbent on not making any connections with strangers after how his last “connection” turned out, but Hyunjin was nothing if persistent. He didn’t force himself on the poor boy, but he made it known that he was interested in befriending him. He rambled about anything and everything, even when Felix didn’t respond with much more than noises of interest and nervous smiles. He complimented Felix no matter the subject– from his outfit, to the way he made the drink; even just his smile. He helped Felix with his Korean when he noticed how he struggled with certain orders.

It was this last edition that made Felix realize that maybe, just maybe, there are people out there who genuinely care. The main pastime of theirs became impromptu language lessons, Hyunjin helping the best he could, and Felix was eternally grateful. After over a month of practicing whenever there wasn’t a customer, diligently working with Hyunjin, Felix was proud to say he would consider himself slightly above conversational. However, they were beginning to run into a problem.

Hyunjin twirled the straw between his fingers, eyebrows scrunched as he tried to come up with the right words. He was helping Felix to the best of his abilities, and they had made great progress, but now they’d hit a wall. Hyunjin simply wasn’t very good at English, and it was making it increasingly hard to teach Felix.

“I’m not helping.” Hyunjin whined, dramatically laying his head on the counter, which made Felix giggle. The sunshine boy gave Hyunjin a sympathetic smile, finishing his wipe of the counter.

“It’s okay, Hyunnie, I don’t expect you to know everything.” The blonde assured him, the nickname slipping out with ease after the months of interactions. Hyunjin huffed in response, pouting (which Felix privately thought was adorable), his ears flicking with annoyance. Then he sprang up, startling Felix, nearly causing him to drop the coffee he had begun making for himself.

“Lixie, I know exactly who can help!” Hyunjin gushed, practically jumping with excitement, his tail swinging back and forth behind him. “My pack alpha is fluent in English!”

Felix was intrigued at first, if nothing simply to see what made his friend so excited, but his expression instantly dropped at the mention of a pack alpha. His ears flattened against his head, scent spiking with anxiety, though Felix played it off the best he could. “I-it’s okay, Hyun, I can get an app or something.” He assured him quickly, dropping his gaze. Hyunjin frowned, confused at the sharp change in demeanor. He didn’t know. Of course he didn’t know; Felix never told him. Was your history of being in a pack that was practically a sex cult really something you brought up with someone you only recently started confidently calling a friend?

“I promise he’s really good.” Hyunjin assured him, frowning slightly. “He’s Australian, like you. I’m positive he’d love to help.” He added, hoping to entice Felix. The blonde only picked up on “good”, “Austrialian”, and “help”, but he got the gist of it. The offer definitely sounded good, but he still couldn’t bring himself to be in a pack environment; the wound was still too fresh.

Felix shook his head, avoiding meeting Hyunjin’s eyes, not wanting to see the disappointment he could already smell coming from the other. There were a few moments of silence, Felix resigning himself to the fate of Hyunjin likely wanting to leave, when the brunette spoke up again. “How about my other offer?”

He’d nearly forgotten. A few days ago, Hyunjin came in at his usual time, and they somehow got on the topic of dancing. Felix expressed his desire to take up dance classes again, but was nervous about the language barrier and had no idea where to go. Hyunjin offered to take him to classes he already attended, but the barista seemed nervous at the idea, so he gave him time to think it over.

There was another period of silence, the only sound being Felix’s fingers tapping against the counter, before he finally met Hyunjin’s eyes. “I’ll do it.”

So that’s how they fell into their new routine. Hyunjin still came in to get a coffee (americano, light ice, pink straw) every day, and after work they would both head to the dance studio. It was familiar; comforting. He liked routine. Felix had something, someone, he could rely on, even while his emotional state was in shambles. Another month had passed before Hyunjin brought up the idea of meeting his pack again.

They were sitting on the floor of the dance studio, Felix leaning his head on Hyunjin’s shoulder, both omegas exhausted; the last ones in the studio. Felix’s tail was draped across Hyunjin’s legs, flicking aimlessly. He didn’t know when they reached the comfort level of casual touch, but neither of them complained, so he decided not to dwell on it.

“I asked Chan, he said he’d be happy to help you.” A quiet voice interrupted the calm silence, making Felix look up at the older. Hyunjin’s eyes were wide, pleading, trying his best to convince his friend. Felix shifted in place, looking down at his hands, biting the inside of his cheek.

“I-I don’t know, Hyunnie, it just…I’m scared.” He confessed, beginning to fidget with the hem of his shirt. Hyunjin sighed, wrapping an arm around the blonde, gently running a hand through his hair. “I understand, Lix, but you need help. I can only teach you so much, and you can’t live on barely understanding what me or anyone else is saying. He can make life so much easier.” Hyunjin murmured slowly, dragging the pronunciation of each word so he could understand, but Felix’s demeanor didn’t change. He sighed, pulling away to move and sit across from Felix, taking the younger’s hands. “Look, how about we make a deal? You come over for dinner tomorrow, meet everyone, and just see how it goes. I’ll be right next to you the whole time, and we can leave as soon as you say the word– no explanation needed.” He offered, eyes pleading. “Please, Lixie? For me?”

Felix looked up, meeting Hyunjin’s eyes, his ears twitching nervously. He hated the idea of packs and pack alphas, but…He’d known Hyunjin for months. The lanky omega was always so bright and bubbly; looking well groomed, well taken care of, and always gushed about his boyfriends. Hyunjin wouldn’t lead him astray…right?

He sighed, looking away, and gave a small nod. “Fine.” Felix was barely able to get the confirmation out before Hyunjin squealed, wrapping his arms around Felix and pulling him into a tight hug.

“Oh my god! Yes! I promise you won’t regret it, Lix! They are going to love you!” He gushed, tail wagging excitedly. Felix was startled by the volume, but he couldn’t help laughing, Hyunjin’s joy contagious. Fuck, what had he just agreed to?

Chapter Text

The house wasn’t as imposing as he’d originally thought. His old pack had a mansion, elegant and decked to the nines with unnecessary decor, but so far this was…homey. It was big, sure, but Hyunjin said he had six other pack members. That was a lot of income, and a lot of bedrooms needed.

 Felix adjusted his shirt nervously, wanting to make a good first impression, and looked to his friend. Hyunjin smiled in return, reaching out and taking Felix’s hand in his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, Lix, they’re good people. I already warned them you were shaky on your Korean, and told them to tone down their…everything.” He explained, giving a half annoyed, half fond sigh at the end. Felix tried to smile back, but he was internally terrified. Hyunjin was his friend , he cared about him, but you don’t just shake off the deep trauma you have with something because your dance buddy said it was okay. He’d put on some roll on scent blocker beforehand, not wanting to rile everyone up with how anxious he knew his scent would be. 

“Ready.” Felix assured him, taking a deep breath, steeling himself. Hyunjin squeezed his hand once more, then carefully opened the door. 

“Guys?” He called out, sniffing the air to try and detect where everyone was, the entryway empty. “We’re here!” There was silence at first, which clearly made Hyunjin suspicious, his ears twitching as he strained to pick up a hint of sound. A rumbling turned their heads both towards the stairs, and the tall boy sighed, looking at his nervous guest. “Okay, Lix, I need you to prepare yourself. I told them to go easy, but…You’ll see. I swear they’re lovely when you get to know them.” Felix frowned, confused, but it was quickly revealed to him why he needed the warning. 

People came tumbling down the stairs, nearly tripping over each other, a clash of fur colors, scents, and bodies. The first to reach them was a short, squirrel looking boy with round cheeks, practically throwing himself at Hyunjin. The brunette giggled as this new boy pressed kiss after kiss to his face, wrapping his arms around the orange-scented ball of excitement.

“Hyunjin! You’ve been gone for ages .” He gushed, brown and orange tail swinging back and forth excitedly. Two more appeared downstairs, one shorter but far buffer guy watching curiously, and another tired, cat-like one; both were looking amused by the scene before them. 

“I’ve only been gone for an hour, ‘Sung.” Hyunjin laughed, trying to calm this ‘Sung’ boy as he ran his hands through his hair.

The squirrel looking one ignored the voice of reason, turning his eyes to Felix. “Is this him?” He asked, the boy in question freezing at the sudden attention. Three more people followed downstairs, two significantly calmer, but still watching curiously, and one looking exasperated as he trailed behind. 

“I’m sorry, Hyun, I tried to tell him.” The exasperated one sighed, running a hand through his hair, his grey tail flicking irritably. Hyunjin rolled his eyes fondly, leveling a playful glare at his newfound parasite before releasing him, gently leading Felix away from the crowd that was slowly closing in on them.

“Before anyone does anything, introduce yourselves, like respectable hosts.” Hyunjin commanded, earning a mix of reactions; mostly amusement, though there were some protests of insisting they were good MCs. Felix tried to mumble that it was okay, but Hyunjin squeezed his arm in silent support, so he dropped any objections he had. After a round of names, he learned that the squirrel looking one who jumped on Hyunjin was Jisung. The two that followed behind him were Changbin and Minho (or Lee Know; the older wasn’t picky), Changbin having the black fur, and Lino with the pinkish red. The next two were the youngest, Seungmin and Jeongin, with red-grey fur and sandy blonde fur, respectively. Finally, the one desperately trying to regain control was Chan; the pack leader he had heard so much about. 

“My name is Felix, thank you so much for hosting me.” He murmured, using the most formal speech he knew as he gave a small bow. Chan’s expression softened at that, and he glanced to his side, seeing his pack just staring at the newcomer. He let out a low growl, and they quickly jumped to bow back, which made Hyunjin laugh. 

The lanky wolf clapped, gaining the center spotlight, and he began pointing out pack members as he spoke. “Okay, I don’t want to overwhelm Lix with everyone at once, so we’re gonna break this up. ‘Sung, go with Innie and Minnie to the grocery store.” Jisung whined at the instructions, clearly interested in Felix, but he was silenced with a look from both Chan and Hyunjin. Jeongin, on the contrary, looked relieved. While he held the same curiosity his boyfriends did, he was a bit more reserved. Seungmin and him were towards the back of the crowd, Jeongin’s tail wrapped protectively around the older. The young alpha had sniffed the air early on, frowning when he caught only the faintest whiffs of a scent, murmuring something about it to Changbin. There was a small discussion that Felix was glad he couldn’t pick up on, but it ended with both parties looking satisfied. 

“Binnie, help Lino in the kitchen.” Hyunjin continued on, moving his commanding finger to point at the two. Lino grinned, putting his hand on Changbin’s shoulder, causing protests of ‘he’s going to fry me!’ and ‘don’t be surprised if we’re having pig-rabbit for dinner’ to fall from the alpha. The tall omega laughed at this, clearly unconcerned, but Felix had a few internal reservations about leaving the two alone. 

“Hyung.” The finger was now leveled at Chan, who held his hands up in playful surrender. 

“Me.” He repeated, a warm smile on his face, glancing between the two omegas. 

“C’mere.” Hyunjin continued, giving Felix another reassuring squeeze. Felix tried for a smile back, but he clung close to Hyunjin. Said wolf took Chan’s hand, leading him over to the couch, and promptly sat down. He patted the space next to him, tail swishing back and forth, and Felix sat next to him. There was some space in between, however; the last thing Felix wanted was to upset the pack by cuddling their boyfriend too much. His anxieties, however, were quickly put to an end, Hyunjin wrapping an arm around Felix and practically pulling him into his lap. Felix froze, eyes wide, afraid of how Chan would react. Pack alphas were highly protective, and from his experience, weren’t fond of omegas giving each other attention instead of alphas. 

Felix found himself baffled as Chan sat across from them, a relaxed smile on his face. Okay, so he’s pretending not to be pissed, but is internally two seconds away from breaking. Felix carefully sniffed the air, surprised to find a pleasant, beachy scent, instead of something angrier. He studied the alpha’s body language, eyes lasering on every twitch of the ear, flick of the tail– nothing. Huh. That’s weird. 

“I told you. He’s really sweet.” Hyunjin murmured in his ear, trying to soothe his companion. He then turned his attention to his boyfriend, looking slightly nervous himself. He wanted this day to go well so badly. “So uh– this is who I was telling you about.” The brunette murmured despite the fact that it was obvious. Chan nodded, giving him a proud smile nonetheless. 

“I gathered.” Chan hummed back playfully, tilting his head to catch Felix’s eyes. He waited a beat, studying the younger, trying to figure out what the best direction to take would be. “I hear you’re Australian?” He offers, switching to English, which made Felix instantly perk up. Despite his reservations, it was so nice to have someone who understood him in a foreign country. Korea has been such a whirlwind for him– there was a sense of comfort in knowing he wasn’t the only one. 

Felix’s eyes crinkled at the corners, forming half moons as he smiled back. “I am! I moved here about half a year ago.” He sat up a bit straighter, tail beginning to lightly sway back and forth. Hyunjin squeezed his shoulder, proud of him for stepping up.

Chan looked pleased at how he relaxed, leaning forward in his chair. There was a certain excitement shining in his eyes that Hyunjin’s seen a couple times before… He shifted slightly, Felix looking up at the older, confused. 

“I’ll be right back, okay Lix? Do you think you can sit with Channie?” Felix glanced between the two, nervously picking at his nails. Hyunjin promised he wouldn’t leave his side, but it would be rude to withhold him from whatever he needed to attend to. Plus, Chan seemed nice enough– the fellow Aussie watching him with interest. Felix nodded, flashing Hyunjin a smile to placate him. He returned the look, ruffling his hair, then turned his attention to the two bickering in the kitchen. 

The omega sauntered over, breaking into a fond smile as he watched the scene in front of him. It was incredible, really, how Changbin and Minho could so effortlessly prepare dinner while arguing. Almost like a dance of their own.

“Oh you think you’re so special. I could throw you across the room!” Changbin would start, lightly touching Minho’s waist as he maneuvered around the beta to grab the vegetables. 

“You can’t even throw a paper airplane, let alone a body.” Lino would retort, leaning over Changbin’s shoulder to add spices to the now searing vegetables. “Especially one with this much ass.” He added, grinning, giving Changbin a quick kiss to the cheek as the alpha sputtered.

“Hyungs.” Hyunjin interrupted, turning both pairs of eyes to him. “As adorable as that is, I want you guys to see something.” He motioned the two over, and they crowded around the island. They peered at the Aussie pair on the couch as stealthily as they could, Hyunjin pointing to Chan. “Look. Look at his expression.”

Felix had clearly loosened up, even having scooted a bit closer to the pack alpha. Chan’s eyes were shining, a wide smile on his face, leaning close to the younger. Both of their tails were swaying contently, and Chan had this look…

“Holy shit.” Lino murmured, sharing a look with Changbin. “That was all of what– two seconds?” 

“Maybe less.” Changbin snickered, earning an elbow in the side from Hyunjin. 

“Be serious!” Hyunjin whined, pulling them both down to hide behind the counter. The three sat on the floor, not wanting to interrupt the delicate new bond. “He’s got the look .”

“I’m not denying that, Hyun, but what did you expect?” Lino asked, looking amused, leaning back against Changbin. The alpha immediately opened his arms, scooting to be a more comfortable chair for his sassy boyfriend. “You brought him a cute boy that A) needs his help, B) looks like an angel, and C) is Australian. Of course he’s instantly obsessed.”

“Is that bad?” Hyunjin worried, teeth bothering his lip.

“I don’t think so.” Changbin chimed in, shrugging. “I mean, we all joined the pack in some way.”

“But they just met!” The omega hissed, his ears flattening back against his head. “What if– what if Felix doesn’t…I can’t handle it if everyone gets attached and he runs off.” Lino gave him a look, offering an arm for his stressed partner. Hyunjin sighed, crawling into his embrace, the three practically sitting on top of each other on the kitchen floor.

“You worry too much, Hyunnie.” Lino murmured as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Channie is smart. He’s our pack alpha for a reason, sweetheart. Everything will be alright.” He assured him, pushing out a wave of comforting lavender scent. 

“Besides, he’s your friend, right?” Changbin asked, rubbing circles on the younger’s back. Hyunjin nodded, his expression softening. “Then I’d trust him with the pack, no? I don’t think he’d be a heartbreaker.” 

Hyunjin sighed, a small smile forming on his face. “Yeah…you’re right, hyungs. Thank you.” He replied, kissing Lino’s cheek before moving on to offer Changbin the same treatment. 

“Why are you on the floor?” A new voice asked. Upon looking up, the three were met with the amused face of Chan leaning over the counter. The pack alpha watched them fondly, his tail swinging back and forth, always loving the sight of cuddly packmates. “I think something’s burning.”

“MY STIRFRY!” Lino shot up like he’d been electrocuted, hurrying over to rescue the dinner meal. He shot an accusing look at the two on the floor for distracting him, who simply giggled and hugged each other closer. 

“Why are you on the floor, Hyun?” That familiar deep voice made its way to Hyunjin’s ears, his tail picking up speed as he tilted his head back. 

“More comfortable here.” He insisted, giggling. “Plus, now I can see your cute face from a new angle.” Felix blushed, a pretty pink accenting his freckles, and he crossed his arms in an attempt to look more intimidating. It didn’t work as he intended, though, because Hyunjin just giggled again. 

“Out, pups.” Lino commanded, pointing with one hand, stirring with the other. “Ah– that means you too.” He added as he saw Changbin stand up and start to walk over to resume his kitchen assistance. Felix giggled, covering his smile with his hand as Changbin pouted. Hyunjin stood with the help of Changbin’s hand, brushing himself off. He then sniffed the air, turning a curious look to Felix, lips curving into a smile.

“You rubbed your scent blocker off.” He noticed, catching the wonderful chocolatey scent swirling around the younger, taking Felix’s hand as they left the moody beta to finish up dinner. Felix ducked his head, his ears turning a light pink, giving a tiny shrug.

“Chan asked if he could see what my scent smelled like.” He explained, glancing at the leader, who just beamed in response. “I thought I’d calmed down enough to do it. They feel so suffocating, y'know?" Hyunjin nodded understandingly, not having the heart to correct Felix on his pronunciation, swatting Changbin with his tail when he heard giggles from behind him. Felix must have heard the ‘so cute…’ that Chan murmured beside him, because he turned even redder. 

Hyunjin hugged Felix close, letting out a soft, protective growl. The omega froze, fear seizing his body. You never growled at the pack alpha– especially as an omega. He forced himself to look over at Chan, bracing himself for whatever his demeanor switch would entail. However, Chan simply raised an eyebrow, looking almost impressed by his omega. He gave a nod, holding his hands up, and he tugged at Changbin’s arm, letting the two have some space.

“Whoa…” Felix breathed, his hands clutching Hyunjin’s sweater. “You just–...he didn’t even…I-I don’t understand…” He sputtered, eyebrows furrowed. Hyunjin beamed, clearly proud of himself, and pulled Felix back onto the couch with him. 

“Well I could see you were getting worked up from the teasing.” He explained, absentmindedly carding a hand through the blonde’s hair. “You needed some space, and they were too wrapped up in your beauty.” He grinned, ending his sentence with a soft poke to Felix’s cheeks. The center of attention whined, turning his head to hide from Hyunjin’s teasing gaze.

“What happened to needing a break from teasing?” Felix grumbled, trying to cool his heated cheeks. It was strange, though. People often praised him for his looks, but being called beautiful? Growing up, he was always told that being ‘pretty’ or ‘beautiful’ were compliments reserved for women; a mantra that persisted when he had joined his old pack. Even when his femininity was acknowledged, it was always ‘pretty boy ’ or ‘so delicate for a young man’ . Just plainly being called beautiful…it was simple, yes, but it meant the world to the omega. 

Hyunjin, as if sensing this newfound turmoil in his companion, decided to elaborate on his previous question. “But you were confused about why Chan just walked away, right? I told you, Lix, he’s not like the alphas you knew before.” Felix still hadn’t divulged his past to Hyunjin, but the older was perceptive enough to pick up his nerves around the alphas. “Channie really loves us, and he wants what’s best for the pack. Sure, I didn’t need to do that– it was just the most effective way to get my point across. He’s never been the type to die on the hill of needing respect. I don’t push him all the time, though. My cuteness can only do so much for me.” He added, succeeding in making Felix giggle. 

“I uh…I didn’t understand all of that.” He admitted, looking embarrassed. “But I get your point. I talked to him for a bit, and I can tell he’s sweet, I just…oh, you know how I get.” He sighed, looking up at Hyunjin for approval. 

The omega gave him what he wished for, nodding, a gentle smile on his face. “Right. Hm…how about after dinner we sit down and figure out a good schedule you could meet with Chan on, okay? It’ll come in handy if you keep coming over– trust me.” He laughed, shaking his head. “‘Sung especially, but everyone talks really fast and rambles a lot.”

“Noted.” He agreed, snorting softly. “I think…I think I’d like to come back.” Felix admitted softly, nervously fidgeting with his hands. Hyunjin beamed, hugging the barista tightly, tail wagging excitedly. He didn’t know what else he expected; of course Hyunjin was over the moon. His pack was his everything, so naturally he wanted Felix to like them. 

The pair’s ears twitched, facing the door as someone started fumbling with the handle. “Oh– it looks like Sungie and friends are back.”

Chapter Text

The dinner was pleasant, if not a little awkward. Felix sat in between Hyunjin and Jisung, and he could tell the orange boy was struggling to contain himself. He could smell the excitement and curiosity coming off in waves, but he didn’t ask Felix a single question. If he had to wager a guess, Chan likely gave the packmates a talk about letting Felix enjoy his food without being pestered. He wouldn’t have minded, honestly, but it was for the best. Speaking up now might spark an argument between the alpha and his boyfriends, and Felix rarely understood what was said when Jisung spoke regardless. 

There was another vibe aside from excitement that made the omega a little uneasy. Whenever he was looking down at his plate, he could feel those fox-like eyes he knew to be Jeongin burning a hole into the side of his head. He had been studying the young alpha earlier in the dinner, unable to help his own curiosities. Despite looking relatively relaxed and innocent, the sandy haired wolf had a large cut traveling down the shell of his right ear, nearly splitting it in half. It looked healed over, likely from years back, but there was something about it that tugged at Felix’s heart. A familiarity. The two met eyes, and while the contact was brief, it clicked in his head; his own hand hovering over an old scar across his abdomen. Jeongin appeared to have had a similar bad pack experience, it seemed. 

When everyone was done eating, he gave another bow in thanks for the food, which Minho assured him was unnecessary. The omega couldn’t help but feel bad afterwards, seeing the glares that Lino threw at his boyfriends for their lack of manners. Had he been too polite? Was that possible? Korean formalities were still a mystery to him. Felix then tried to help with cleanup and dishes, and he was all but shoved out of the kitchen by Seungmin.

“Lino hyung would kill me if I let you touch a single dish.” He explained, looking amused. Felix actually understood him quite well– he suspected the younger was overpronouncing his words. Seungmin seemed more quietly perceptive than some of his counterparts, blooming a new appreciation for him in Felix’s mind. 

He was pulled away from his attempts at trying to sneakily help when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Felix glanced back, surprised to see Jisung standing behind him, looking almost nervous? He silently held up a Nintendo switch, gesturing his head to the TV, a hopeful smile on his face. Was he inviting Felix to play…? Apparently, yes, because when Felix gave a tentative nod, he was promptly dragged to the living room. Jisung began rifling through a bag of controllers and game cartridges, so Felix decided to take a seat on the couch. It warmed his heart to see such a display– despite how inconsequential it seemed. Jisung must have realized that every time he tried to talk to Felix, he would only get answers to part of what he said, or vague, nervous smiles. So, instead of just avoiding the younger, he decided to try and bond through the art of video games. 

Once the fellow omega had finished hooking it up to the tv, he held up his hand to Felix, signalling to wait a moment. Felix nodded, a bit confused, but he waited patiently as Jisung scurried off to the kitchen where Chan and Seungmin were doing dishes. There were some quiet words exchanged, Jisung’s brow furrowed in concentration as he talked to Chan. Felix couldn’t help but find it cute– the omega was clearly very focused on his mystery task. When he had returned, he held up the red and blue controllers to Felix. The blonde grinned, selecting the blue one, and patted the spot next to him. Jisung seemed delighted at the invitation, immediately plopping down on the couch, his tail swinging excitedly. 

“I hope you are ready. I am a good gamer.” Jisung teased, but it didn’t get his desired effect as Felix just stared at him. It wasn’t the playful trash talk that threw him for a loop– it was the fact that the older one had spoken in English. “Did I…Did I say it wrong?” He murmured, his ear flicking nervously, switching back to Korean.

Felix snapped out of his stunned stupor, throwing his competitor a wide grin, his tail swishing back and forth behind him. “No. It was perfect.” He agreed, nodding. Jisung smiled back, relieved, and turned his attention to the screen to select a match. Yet again, someone had gone out of their way to make Felix feel more welcome. Felix . Someone they had just met. Simple as it may seem, he’d never felt more loved in his life. Perhaps Hyunjin was onto something when he said his pack was full of incredible people…

“They make me want chocolate covered oranges.” Seungmin whined, watching as the two started playing. “They smell so good.” 

“They fit well together.” Chan agreed, setting the bowl he was holding on the drying rack. There was a period of silence, the pair working with familiar ease as they dwindled the pile of dirty dishes. 

“What words did he ask you to teach him?” Seungmin asked after a while, unable to keep from smiling as he saw the omegas start to playfully elbow each other. 

“A few trash talky words.” Chan snickered, shaking his head fondly. “Sungie already knows a bit of English, but nothing gamer specific. I think he’s trying to learn more, though.”

“Mm. Maybe they’ll benefit each other.”

“If Felix can get him to focus for more than a minute.” 

“It looks like he already has…” Seungmin murmured, nodding his head to the couch. Jisung was making some gestures with his hands, then saying something to his companion. Felix would repeat it back, earning a wide smile and a nod from the older. 

Chan beamed, his chest pooling with warmth. Felix was already fitting in so well with his packmates; the protective alpha in him swelled with pride. His Hyunjin made a good choice, it seemed. “Would you look at that..”

“He’s not the only one who’s a little intrigued by our new visitor…” The beta pointed out, giving Chan a knowing look. The grey wolf ducked his head, suddenly very interested in the cup he was washing. 

“He’s friendly.” Chan murmured back, giving a small shrug.

“You’re blushing.”

“Can it, pup.” He all but growled. Seungmin laughed, clearly unconcerned with Chan’s ‘anger’, nudging him playfully. 

“What? Is it too embarrassing to think you might have a heart?” He teased, flicking the older with his tail.

“I have a heart!” Chan protested, pouting. “It’s not my fault you always run away when I try to hug you.”

“I slept in your bed last night, hyung. Don’t be greedy.”

“Yah! No respect in this household.” The alpha grumbled, swatting his beta back. Seungmin gave a dramatic sigh, using a dish rag to dry his hands. He then leaned over, grabbing Chan’s chin to force the older to look at him, planting a firm kiss on his lips. 

“There. Now stop pouting.” Seungmin chided, a proud smirk forming on his face at the blush that dusted his boyfriend’s cheeks. Chan broke into a smile, his tail swinging behind him as he leaned closer. 

“Aww, Minnie, you do love me.” He teased, his ocean breeze wafting from his scent glands.

“Nope. Nevermind. I’m leaving.”

“Wait– Min, get back here!”

         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was getting late, and Felix knew he should head home. He had an early shift tomorrow– it would kick his ass if he didn’t get good sleep. However…he was just having so much fun . He doesn’t have any friends aside from Hyunjin, and the omega was beginning to get quite lonely. Just being around a safe pack, eating good food, hanging out, playing video games…it did his mental health wonders. He stood up and stretched, wanting to play a couple more rounds, but he really needed to piss. “Bathroom?”

“Ah! Down the hall, second door on the left.” Jisung pointed, cueing up the next match so he could be ready when Felix returned. The blonde gave him a grateful smile, heading in the direction he was pointed to. He slowed his walk, unable to help looking around at all the pictures hung in the hall– he was curious! Sue him! But the lack of focus on where he was going caused him to bump into someone. 

“Oh– I’m so sorry.” Felix rushed to apologize, his eyes widening slightly when he saw it was Jeongin he ran into. The young alpha seemed pleasant, but something about him just unnerved the omega. Felix’s eyes roamed his face, searching for the tell tale signs of annoyance, and he couldn’t help staring at the cut in Jeongin’s ear. He was met with silence, and he flushed, quickly averting his eyes. Shit, he was staring way too long.

“It’s okay.” Jeongin murmured, the ear in question flicking once, twice, before settling. “I know it’s kind of ugly.”

Felix frowned, looking back up, shaking his head. “No, not ugly. It’s…” He huffed, frustrated by his lack of Korean knowledge, typing something on his phone before his face lit up with understanding. “Powerful! It’s very powerful. Shows that you survived something.” He put his arm up, flexing what little muscle he had to emphasize his point.

Jeongin tilted his head, amusement coloring his features. “...Thank you. Maybe you’ll hear the story behind it one day.” He mused, giving the older a small nod before continuing down the hallway. Felix stood there for a moment, processing the conversation, before his bladder swiftly reminded him why he was here. Right. The bathroom.

He played with Jisung for a little while longer, but eventually it was time for him to return home. Minho and Jeongin were in the shower, but the others assured him they enjoyed his company. Felix patted himself, muttering as he checked his pockets to ensure he had everything, when he felt a familiar tug to his sleeve. Jisung had appeared next to him, looking nervous, throwing a glance over his shoulder. Chan was standing a little ways behind him, a fond smile on his face as he leaned against the wall, and he gave his omega an encouraging nod. Jisung turned back to Felix, straightening himself as if preparing for war. Cute.

“Thank you for…hanging out with me. I enjoyed your company.” English yet again– somehow with a slight British accent? Felix beamed, overjoyed by his continued support, nodding his head.

“Thank you for hosting me. I had fun…” He faltered, not knowing the translation for ‘video games'; he wanted to stick to Korean to return the older’s kindness, but that wasn’t exactly a term he had learned to take coffee orders. So, he decided instead to reenact the motions of holding the controller and mashing buttons, making some sound effects with his mouth to go along with it. Jisung laughed, his lips forming a heart shape as he smiled, nodding his head to show he understood. He then raised an arm, almost like he wanted to hug Felix, but stopped, instead offering it like a high five. Felix giggled, hitting his hand against the omega’s, entertained by his mannerisms. 

“As adorable as this is, you need to get home, Lix.” Hyunjin interrupted, pleased by the pink that dusted across both omega’s faces. Felix sighed, knowing he was right, and he turned his attention to the rest of the group, who had gathered around where Chan was standing. He bowed once more, pushing down his embarrassment at the coos he heard in response. 

“T-thank you again. You have a lovely home.” He murmured, turning on his heel, refusing to look at what he knew would be a sea of teasing expressions. 

“Bye, Felix!” Someone called out– maybe Chan? He couldn’t tell. He scurried out of the door, Hyunjin laughing as he followed along. 

“I’ve never seen you so affected by simple praise, Lixie.” He teased, thoroughly enjoying the way the omega ducked his head in an attempt to hide. 

“Just drop me off at home…” Felix grumbled back, his playfully annoyed tone falling on deaf ears. 

          ~

“You were quiet today, pup.” Lino hummed, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over the pair. He gently massaged the shampoo into Jeongin’s hair, making sure to add in an appropriate amount of the ear scratches the younger secretly adored. The alpha took a deep breath, leaning into his boyfriend’s hands, reveling in the warm water running over his shoulder. 

“They all really liked him.” He murmured, his eyes falling shut. He didn’t feel the need to elaborate on the ‘him’– they both knew who he was talking about. 

“Did you not?” Minho asked softly, guiding his head under the stream to wash the soap out. 

“It’s not that. It’s…” He sighed, letting his hyung finish the job before continuing. “Everyone got attached really quickly. He’s sweet, sure, but I just– I don’t get it. They just met him.” Lino hummed, mulling his words over, and Jeongin took the period of thought to switch their positions, getting shampoo for Lino’s hair. 

“Is there a reason you’re so watchful of him, baby?” He prompted, a soft purr rumbling in his chest as his partner began massaging his head. ‘Because I see too much of myself in him.’ The thought immediately surfaced in the young alpha’s mind, but he pushed it down, not wanting to dwell on artifacts of the past. 

“...I know what he’s been through.” Jeongin decided on, careful not to get soap in his boyfriend’s fluffy ears. “It sucks, and I do feel sorry for him, but that means he’s unstable. I don’t like the idea of the pack getting sucked into someone so skittish. I mean– you remember what Seungmin and I were like when we first started coming over. If one thing sent me off, I wouldn’t let anyone near me or Min. I almost fought Chan.” 

Lino hummed, letting the weight of his words sink in. It was true; when they first escaped from their old pack, they were broken. It took a lot of time to get them to relax, and Minho has always been proud of the younger for his progress. “Do you see too much of your old self in him?” Ah. He was always too perceptive for his own good. Jeongin made a small noise of protest, pulling Lino under the water to rinse the soap a bit more forcefully than what was needed.

“Please. I’m not that fragile.”

“I’m not calling you fragile.” Minho retorted, reaching back to flick him in the head. “I swear, you alphas are all the same. So moody. What I’m saying is that he represents a part of you that you’ve worked very hard to repress. Is it so difficult to believe that you’d have a connection to someone who went through a traumatic experience like you?” Jeongin opened his mouth, then closed it, his ears pressing back against his head. Fuck, why did he have to be right all the time? He was quiet for a while, which Lino took as a cue to switch their places again, turning Jeongin to face him as he started lathering the soap across his shoulders.

“...I’m sorry, hyungie.” Jeongin murmured, looking down.

“Mhm. That's what I thought.” He agreed, a smug smile on his face. “Now, quit being pouty, and kiss me. You’re ruining my relaxation time.” The older commanded, earning some grumbling from Jeongin, but he did as he was asked. 

~

The car ride was nice– dancing together revealed the two had similar taste in music, so there was no bickering over the radio. Hyunjin pulled up to Felix’s apartment, looking a little nervous as he put the car in park.

“So?”

“So?” Felix repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Are you waiting for a tip?” He added, hoping to loosen up the suddenly tense atmosphere. Hyunjin laughed, relaxing a bit, rolling his eyes.

“No, dummy, what did you think about the pack ?” He elaborated, watching Felix’s expression curiously.

“Hey! Jisung told me what that meant– it is not a ‘ fond term for silly ’.” Felix protested, pouting, quoting Hyunjin’s words from an earlier conversation. He hadn’t learned the word ‘pabo’ until he’d been called it by Hyunjin when they were dancing. When pressed for what it meant, the older omega insisted it was a fond little nickname. Hyunjin smiled guiltily, shrugging, and he waved a hand at the younger. 

“Just answer the question.”

Felix took a deep breath, leaning back against the seat, folding his hands in his lap. “I really like them.” He admitted, earning a wide smile from his companion. “It frustrates me that I can only say so much without help, but…They’re really nice. I-I’d love to come over more, if they’d let me…” He added, biting the inside of his cheek, a bit nervous. Sure, he had gotten over the fear of meeting the pack, but that didn’t mean they actually liked him coming over.

“Stop that.” Hyunjin chided, playfully swatting Felix’s leg. “They adored you. We’d be happy to have you back over.” 

Felix beamed, relieved, the words slipping out of his mouth without thinking. “It’s a date.”

Chapter Text

Felix is currently sitting on the ground, legs laid out in front of him as Hyunjin presses down on his back to help him stretch. It was the start of their dance class, the pair selecting a spot closer to the back to ease Felix’s nerves, and they had begun discussing the highly anticipated start to the Language Lessons with Chan™ . 

“I’m nervous.” Felix confessed as he attempted to fold himself in half. “What if I’m too difficult a student?”

Hyunjin scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Please. I taught you for months, you know you’re a quick learner.” He grinned, leaning down to the omega’s ear. “I think you’re all amped up because it’s a date. ” He teased, playfully squeezing Felix’s side before letting up. Felix squeaked, his cheeks flushing red, and he swatted at Hyunjin’s legs. 

“Hyunnie!” He whined, flustered, his ears flattening back against his head. A few curious eyes turned to them at the outburst, and he cleared his throat, lowering his tone to a whisper-yell. “Shut up! I told you it was a mistake. I didn’t mean to call it a date.” He hissed, distracting himself by running his hands through the fur of his tail.

“Mmm, but I think you secretly want it to be a date.” Hyunjin countered, grinning, holding a hand out to help his companion up.

“Why are you like this?” Felix sighed, accepting the offer as he pulled himself to stand. “I’m not fluent yet! It was clearly a mistake. Besides– he’s one of your boyfriends. Why would you want it to be a date?” He countered, huffing, crossing his arms. Hyunjin was quiet for a moment, studying Felix’s face, his tail flicking on occasion. His mouth opened to say something, but the instructor had begun speaking, both interrupting and saving the taller omega from answering. Felix tried to get his attention a few times as they were reviewing what they’d done in previous lessons, but Hyunjin would gently shush him, nodding his head towards the instructor. Huh, that’s odd. Dancing has never stopped them from talking before.

The class was physically demanding, but Felix really enjoyed it nonetheless. He could get lost in the movements, temporarily pushing his worries aside. Plus, he got to spend more time with his only friend outside of the cafe. However, today he was struggling to focus, still stuck on Hyunjin’s response– or lack thereof. Why did he seem so okay with the possibility of Felix wanting to date his boyfriend? Did Felix want to date Chan? Did he want to date any of the others? His shoulder bumped into someone beside him, and he murmured an apology, shaking his head. Snap out of it, Lix. Hyunjin kept giving him confused looks, which was expected since Felix was usually quite aware of his surroundings, but he pointedly ignored the silent questions. If Hyunjin wanted to play the fool, so could he.

~

There was a period of awkward silence in the car as Hyunjin tapped the steering wheel nervously, unsure of what to do. Felix was clearly in deep thought about something, looking out of the window, eyebrows knit together as he brooded. The doe-eyed boy had been like this ever since the class had finished. “...It’ll just be Chan and Changbin today.” He decided to lead with, throwing what he hoped was a casual glance over to Felix. Ice breaker successful – the omega had looked up at him. 

“Ah. Any reason why?” Felix asked, shifting to get a bit more comfortable in his seat. 

“The others have work.” Hyunjin supplied, pleased to see his friend a bit more calm. “Well– Minnie doesn’t work today, but he volunteers at an animal shelter whenever he can.”

Felix melted into a smile at the new piece of information, his tail wagging slightly. This was not helping him with mission ‘don’t-fall-in-love-with-your-friend-and-his-boyfriends’ . They weren’t allowed to be attractive and super compassionate. It wasn’t fair. “Yeah? Is he a big animal lover?” 

“The biggest.” Hyunjin snorted, shaking his head. “Lino hyung gives him a run for his money, but Minnie likes all animals, while hyung is mostly enamoured with cats.”

“Interesting…” Felix murmured, a feeling of warmth blooming in his chest. All these people, Hyunjin included, were just so incredible and genuine. He couldn’t help but want to get to know each of them better; what are their habits, what did they like, study their faces… Fuck, was he polyamorus? He’d never thought about it before, really, not given much of a choice in his old pack. They didn’t support any exploration of sexuality– you were there as a vessel to provide more pups for the pack, and that was all. Felix shuddered as the memory of the beating he received for trying to wear a skirt and makeup resurfaced in his mind. What? Do you want to be a chick or something? You’re such a freak! No, he didn’t want to be a girl . He just… never particularly liked being a guy, either. He wanted to dress in whatever way felt right in the moment; just enjoying fashion in the lens of unisex regardless of clothing. The idea of conforming to one of the two genders made him uncomfortable, but he supposed he should just suck it up. You had to be one of those, right? There were nonbinary people, sure, but that wasn’t actually accepted. He couldn’t be that…right?

“Lixie.” Hyunjin’s voice pulled him from yet another spiral. How did he even get on the thought train of gender? The older raised an eyebrow, a curious look on his face, but he didn’t pry. “We’re here.”

“Oh.” He replied quietly, looking out of the car window to see the house in view. He then looked down at himself, now hyper aware of how sweaty he was from dancing. “Uh…”

“You can take a shower, don’t worry.” Hyunjin assured him, getting out of the car as Felix did the same. “We have extra towels and stuff.”

Felix beamed, nodding, then another realization hit him. “Oh– I don’t have any extra clothes with me, though. I was gonna change at my apartment…” There must have been some point in the conversation where Hyunjin suggested they just go straight to the house instead. He probably gave some sort of listless nod as he was lost in thought; something that seemed to be happening quite often today. Oh well– he was starting to like spending time here more than his dingy apartment, anyway.

“That’s okay. You can wear some of ours.” Hyunjin assured him, a wolfish grin on his face. Felix’s eyes widened, his cheeks flushing pink.

“I-I can wear some of you? ” He sputtered, scandalized, his arms wrapping around himself. How do you even begin to unpack that? Hyunjin laughed, shaking his head at the mistranslation. 

“No, Lixie. Our clothes .” He repeated, tugging the shirt he was wearing for emphasis. Felix’s mouth formed an ‘o’ shape as he nodded, looking embarrassed. 

“...Thank fuck those lessons start today.” He muttered, earning another round of giggles from his companion. He’d said the ‘fuck’ in English, but he couldn’t care less at the moment. One of his lessons with Chan will definitely need to be curse words, but that’s for a later date.

As he entered the house, he was immediately greeted with the wide variety of scents. It overwhelmed him the first time, the sheer amount of people, but this was…nice. He liked knowing that smells he could now connect to faces and personalities had left their mark here. Plus, since there were only two people currently at home, the other scents were less overbearing. Chan was sitting at the table, headphones on, closing his eyes as he listened to something on his laptop. He let out a small, annoyed growl, clicking a few buttons before repeating the listening ritual. This new result seemed to have pleased him, the alpha nodding to himself with a small smile. Hyunjin grinned, walking a wide loop around Chan so he wouldn’t be detected, before appearing right behind him, wrapping his arms around his neck. Chan chuckled, pulling his headphones off and tilting his head back to greet his boyfriend. 

“Hello, Jinnie.” He murmured, a fond look on his face. Hyunjin huffed, pouting, resting his chin on top of Chan.

“You’re no fun. I can never scare you.” He grumbled, making Chan laugh again. 

“I can smell you from a mile away, baby! You’re gonna need to do a lot better than just tip-toeing behind me to get the reaction you want.” Chan reasoned, snickering, then he paused, sniffing the air. He tilted his head to the side, expression softening as he saw Felix standing by the door. “And hello to you too, Felix.” 

Said omega flashed him a nervous smile, pulling his shoes off and placing them neatly by the door, then spinning back around to give a small bow. “T-thank you again for your help, hyung…” Chan rolled his eyes fondly, waving the boy off. He then stood up, giving his boyfriend a proper hug; naturally including a forehead kiss. 

“None of that, Felix.” Chan insisted, turning towards him once more, one arm still around Hyunjin. The packmate looked extremely happy at the contact, which was a surprise to no one. It was no secret that Hyunjin adored skinship. “You’re a welcome guest, and a friend. You don’t need to bow or talk formally with me.” Felix opened his mouth to protest, but Chan held a finger up, waggling it like a child. His counter arguments were dropped, and he couldn’t help but giggle at the alpha’s behavior. 

Hyunjin peered over at the laptop, his ears perking up as he saw what was on screen. “Ooo! Were you working on the song, Channie?” He asked, looking at his leader excitedly. The pack alpha glanced down, slowly closing the computer, his ears dusting pink. 

“Song?” Felix prompted, raising an eyebrow. Chan laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, shrugging. 

“Yeah, I like to play around with producing.” He replied dismissively, clearly embarrassed at the topic being brought up. Yet, he said the word ‘producing’ in English; like he knew Felix wouldn’t know the Korean word for it, but still wanted him to understand. Hyunjin scoffed, poking him in the side, making the alpha double over and swat at him. Clearly the English thrown in hadn’t fooled him.

“Don’t let him downplay it. He’s really good at it.” Hyunjin elaborated, shooting a glare at his boyfriend. Chan whined, rubbing his side, a small pout on his face.

“Lix isn’t here to listen to me ramble about music production! It’s our side project. He’s here to learn Korean.” Chan protested, and oh, that was the first time he’s ever used Felix’s nickname. That definitely didn’t do anything to his insides. Not one bit. 

“I think it’s cool.” Felix interjected softly, a small smile on his face, fidgeting with his sweater sleeves. “Are you the one singing in it?” Hyunjin beamed– Felix clearly had given the response he wanted– and he nodded his head, wordlessly urging Chan to explain. 

The grey wolf sighed, cheeks a light pink, and he ran a hand through his hair. “No, I’m not the only one. The whole pack sings in it. Well– some singing, some rapping. Me, Binnie, and Hannie have been working on mixing it just right.” His face lit up as he mentioned his packmates, clearly adoring working with them on something so special. Fuckfuckfuck please stop being adorable . 

“T-that’s awesome.” Felix croaked out, trying to hold himself together. He’d explode at this rate. RIP Lee Felix, death by cuteness aggression because these men were too precious. “I’d love to listen to it when it’s done. I used to do a little singing and rapping– nothing serious, just for fun. But…I understand the love for it. It’s just like dancing. Something I can get lost in, feel it in every part of my body. It keeps me sane.” The words tumbled out of him without a second thought, unable to stop the passion for the arts. Chan’s mouth was agape, staring in awe as Felix seemed to perfectly describe how he felt about producing. The omega froze, taking the staring as criticism, his ears flattening back. “Ah- s-sorry. I just…”

“No no.” Chan rushed to interrupt, shaking his head, his lips curving into a smile. “You described it well. I’d also…” He glanced back at the laptop, and Felix could almost see the gears turning in his head. “I’d like to hear you rap sometime, if you are comfortable.” Felix’s eyes widened, his cheeks reddening. Chan? Wanting to hear him rap? It was best to just start digging the grave he’d have to lie in. 

“M-maybe?” Felix squeaked out, flustered at the very thought. Chan laughed, amused, and finally released his boyfriend, picking his laptop up. 

“You don’t have to make a decision today. C’mon, we can start the lesson in my room.” He offered, tilting his head towards the hallway. Felix nodded gratefully, but hesitated, looking down at himself.

“Ah…I’m going to take a quick shower, first.” He announced, wrinkling his nose. Chan laughed, nodding in understanding. 

“Sounds good. You know where the bathroom is, I assume?” Chan asked, tucking the laptop under his arm. Felix hummed, tilting his head towards the hallway. “Great! We’ll leave some fresh clothes and a towel for you.”  The alpha supplied, and Felix gave a grateful nod, scurrying off to the sanctuary that was the bathroom.

Showering was always his favorite way to unwind. The hot water rolled off his skin, and it did wonders in helping him relax. When got out, he finally assessed the pile of clothes given to him– too nervous to do so before. There was a light pink sweater (they must’ve picked up his affinity for the material) and a pair of black sweatpants. The sweater hung loosely around him, nearly falling off his shoulders, but it was comfortable. He brought his sleeve to his nose, carefully inhaling the scent. Marigold . This must be Hyunjin’s. Felix did the same for the pants before he put it on, surprised to find something different. Lavender. Were these Lino’s? He pushed the idea down, ignoring the warmth that swirled in his stomach as he slipped them on, then exited the bathroom. 

The blonde wolf was walking through the hallway, and was once more caught by the variety of pictures. There were some of Chan, Changbin, and Jisung at various locations; the most prominent being what looked like a small music competition. They were holding a metal together, and god, they looked so young. Young Changbin had much sharper features than the Changbin he knew today, Jisung had more of a bowl cut, and Chan had a beanie on, his hair poking out in tufts. Cuties. There was one with the three plus…was that Minho? He looked far softer than the commanding presence Felix had felt upon interacting with the beta. Further down the hallway, Hyunjin was added to the mix, which was the first time Felix had seen him with short hair. Then, towards the end, the pictures included all seven of them. It was a quiet little insight into how they became the pack they are today, which Felix really appreciated. 

Chan’s room was at the end, it seemed, because the only open room was the last door on the left. The vibes changed as soon as you walked through the door– Chan’s room just oozed comfort. Pillows everywhere, soft lighting and paint colors, and…a concerning amount of water bottles, actually. Did the alpha really need one at every few feet of space? What caught Felix’s eye, however, was the desk in the corner. There was a large monitor, a keyboard, a mixing board, and a microphone setup. Chan seemed to have noticed him staring from the corner where he was waiting because he nodded his head towards it, slight embarrassment on his face. 

“Ah– yeah, that’s where Hannie, Bin, and I record the practice tracks to see what works. It’s expensive to rent out a studio, y’know, so we only do it when we’re satisfied with how the song is structured.” He explained, lounging on his bed, and he patted the space next to him for Felix to sit. The omega hesitated, clearly nervous. This was his first time in an alpha’s bedroom alone since he escaped his old pack…was he really ready for this? Chan’s smile softened, clearly sensing the boy’s nerves, and he pushed out a wave of his scent, hoping to comfort him. Felix took a deep breath, relaxing slightly, and he crawled into bed beside Chan. The alpha made a pleased sound, proud of Felix for taking the step forward. “Right then! Shall we start?”

~

Throughout him and Chan talking, Felix could feel himself get more comfortable. Sure, he’d conversed with Chan before, but the time was brief. Now he really got to know who Chan was as a person, and fuck this is super not good. Not only is Chan a super helpful and loving person; he’s funny, he’s charming, when he laughs his nose scrunches up and it makes Felix want to grab his face and– wow, he needed to pull himself together. He forced himself to look away from Chan, his eyes once again falling to the equipment in the corner. Chan smiled, yawning as he stretched his arms over his head. 

“You know…we have this part at the beginning that doesn’t quite sound right. Would you be interested in trying it out?” The alpha asked, tilting his head. “I feel like it’d be a neat contrast with how deep your voice is.”

Felix hesitated, looking between the wolf and the microphone, fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. He really did want to try– singing was something he really enjoyed. However, he didn’t think he could show his face here again if Chan didn’t like it. “I can teach you the words. It’s in korean, but it’s not difficult. A lot of repeating parts.” Chan interjected, seeming to think the language was the issue. Felix laughed nervously, looking down, his tail wrapping around his torso.

“A-are you sure? I’m not a professional or anything…I only did it for fun.” He mumbled, his hands moving to run through his tail. Chan’s expression softened, and he reached out, putting a gentle hand on Felix’s knee. 

“I’m sure, Lix. I’m not here to judge you. Hell– none of us are professionals either. We’re just messing around and having fun.” The alpha assured him, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Felix flushed, his eyes locked on the hand touching his knee. Wow, that’s incredibly unfair. The nickname and touch combo? Lethal. 

“O-okay.” He agreed, looking up. Felix may have been nervous as hell, but the way Chan’s face lit up when he agreed was worth any anxiety. 

“Great! C’mere.” Chan instructed, sliding off the bed, plopping down in his chair. He pulled up the track, then took out a piece of paper. The older aussie scribbled something down, then handed it to Felix. “Here– these are the lyrics, then the English translation. I’ll play it for you, and you can follow along.” 

Felix nodded, mouthing the words as Chan pressed play. “ Beyond the mountain, beyond the mountain…beyond the river, beyond the river…Beyond the mountains, across the mountains, across the rivers, into the sea…it’s all over and the next time.” Chan nodded along, rewinding it and playing once more for the omega to lock it in. 

“Okay, ready to try?” The leader asked, pushing out a wave of his scent, hoping to ease the nerves radiating off his companion. Felix took a deep breath, nodding. He sat down on the short barstool in front of the microphone, shifting in place a bit, then putting on the headphones. The blonde turned to the other aussie, a fiery determination in his eyes as he nodded. I will nail this rap. I will live up to his expectations. Chan grinned, warmth blooming in his chest, and he pressed play. 

Originally, the rap was quite good, but Chan had mentioned that it didn’t feel right. From what Felix had heard, it sounded very harsh and pointed. Excellent delivery, yes, but in order to impress the older, he needed to go in a different direction. He tried to implement a similar intensity to what he heard before, but less sharp, and he used one of his lowest registers. The deepness of his voice caused a pleasant rumbling in his chest, and while he was softening the tone, he made sure to focus hard on getting the pronunciation right. When he was done, he took the headphones off, his confidence melting away at Chan’s open-mouthed stare. 

“W-was it okay? How did it sound? Actually, don’t play it back. It was probably really bad. Like I said, I haven’t rapped in a while.” The omega rambled, his hands once again fidgeting with his tail. Damn this nervous habit. 

It took Chan a second to reboot, his mind processing what he just heard, and…were his cheeks pinker than before? “No! No, don’t uh–...don’t beat yourself up. It was good. Really good. I just uh…” His tongue darted out to wet his lips, his eyes wide as he studied his laptop screen. “Fuck, Felix, that was…That was perfect.” The alpha laughed, leaning back, running a hand through his hair as he looked at Felix once more.

The blonde blushed, ducking his head, a wide smile forming on his face. “Yeah? You liked it? I-I wanted to change up the vibes a bit…you said it wasn’t fitting right so I just…yeah.” He ended lamely, shrugging. 

“Would you be okay with featuring in the song? As in when we release it?” Chan asked suddenly, his gaze piercing. Felix froze, the words processing in his mind. Fuck. I thought he was just being nice. He actually wants to use my voice?

“A-are you sure? I know you were being nice and all, but…” He trailed off, looking away, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Yes!” Chan assured him immediately, reaching out and gently taking the omega’s hands in his. Felix’s eyes widened, his cheeks blooming a lovely rose color. That’s new. “There’s a couple other parts in the song too I think you’d fit wonderfully. We were planning on releasing this in a few weeks, and I think you’ll round it out in just the way I envisioned.” He gushed, his tail swinging back and forth behind him. 

Felix just stared at him for a moment, trying to form a coherent response. Chan wanted him in the song. Chan wanted him in this project that was very dear to the pack. Him. Felix. The realization tugged at his heart in ways he’d never experienced before. The feeling of being wanted, appreciated…it was almost overwhelming. “Okay.” He found himself nodding; just casually agreeing to something that felt so life changing. Chan beamed, squeezing Felix’s hands before letting go, returning his attention to the laptop. 

“Okay then. Let’s get started.”

~

Recording was difficult, and a tad awkward, but Chan seemed pleased with the product. The alpha informed him that he would need to attend a studio recording session to get better sound quality, but these lines would work as a placeholder. His mind was spinning, but thankfully Chan suggested they take a lunch break. The grey wolf had some errands to run, so he told Felix he could help himself to anything in the kitchen (minus the cheesecake, that was Jisung’s). Felix was grateful to have some time to himself to think, but his plans were thwarted as he found Seungmin already in the kitchen. Oh, he’s home now. That’s fine, Seungmin is sweet. He could handle that. He gave the beta an awkward smile and a wave, which Seungmin returned warmly, commenting on a few lunch foods Felix could try. What he could not handle, however, was Changbin. 

Just as Felix was setting out the ingredients to make himself a sandwich, the alpha walked in. Felix picked up on the lovely freshly-cut wood scent before Changbin entered, but he still found himself frozen in place. The dark haired wolf had clearly just returned from a workout, his skin slick with sweat. His hair hung slightly in his eyes, which he brushed away with a flick of the head. Worst of all, he was wearing a skin tight muscle tee. A muscle tee. Hello?? What about Felix’s health?? His mental state?? 

“Ah, hello Felix.” Changbin greeted, flashing him a small smile as he nodded his head at the younger. Yeah, okay, just say hi like you don’t look like a god right now. Felix made a vague noise in response, mortified at the fact that he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. Changbin gave him a bit of an odd look, but he (thankfully) didn’t comment on Felix’s sudden inability to function. He went to the fridge, muscles flexing as he grabbed a leftover container and some sauces. Felix couldn’t take his eyes off him. 

He heard a snicker beside him, and glanced back to see Seungmin watching him, looking highly amused. “You’re staring, you know.” The beta murmured lowly, not wanting Changbin to hear. Felix faltered, his ears flattening back, and his eyes fell to Changbin again. 

“I’m uh– I’m gonna go eat in the office. Nice to see you again, Felix.” He announced, giving the two a confused look and a half smile before turning and exiting the kitchen. Felix groaned, hiding his face in his hands, burning with shame. 

“I’m so sorry.” Felix apologized, his voice muffled by his hands. Great. Now Seungmin is going to hate me for ogling at his boyfriend. Something cold touched his arm, and he jumped, dropping his hands. Seungmin was offering him a fanta (where did he pull that out from?), still looking just as content as before. Felix took it, confusion clear on his face. 

“You’re okay, Lix.” Seungmin assured him, shrugging, leaning against the counter. “I know he’s hot– that’s why I’m dating him.” He added, a rare smirk appearing on his lips. 

Felix let out a strained laugh, holding the can tightly in his hands. “I-It’s still rude. I shouldn’t stare at your boyfriend.” He mumbled, that familiar antsy feeling rising in his stomach.

“I don’t mind.” Seungmin replied, brushing his concerns away. “I don’t think anyone else does, either.” 

Felix frowned, one ear flicking up, highly confused. First Hyunjin, now Seungmin? What is going on?  “But…why?” Seungmin studied him for a moment, then smiled, standing up from where he was leaning. 

“Eat well, Lix.” He murmured, and with that, he disappeared around the corner, leaving Felix and his gay panic alone in the kitchen. …What the fuck? Why was everyone so okay with him here? Was he being flirted with? Were they just being nice and he’s misreading everything? Why can’t he get a straight answer from anybody? Felix looked down, turning over the soda can in his hand as he contemplated this strange group of people. He eventually gave up on trying to decipher them, sighing, and made his sandwich. 

Felix ate quickly, then located Hyunjin in his room to say goodbye. His fellow omega whined, clearly wanting him to stay. He pushed out a vague excuse of cleaning up his apartment to placate his friend, then insisted he’d just take the bus when Hyunjin stood up to drive him. Felix felt a little bad for the deception, but he really needed time to himself to think this over. It had been an eventful day. 

~

“Bin, listen to this.” Chan tugged his boyfriend into the room, nearly vibrating from excitement. Changbin chuckled, willing to follow his partner anywhere, and sat down in the stool next to him. 

“Hm? What about it? Did you want to remix something?” Changbin asked, tilting his head as he saw the track to the song they’d been working on displayed on screen. 

“Okay…don’t be mad.” Chan started slowly, which made the other laugh, nodding his head for Chan to continue. “You know I love your flow, but remember how we thought your intro sounded a little disconnected? Like it wasn’t the right vibe for what we wanted?”

“Yeah, I remember.” The dark wolf hummed, nodding. “It was really frustrating.” 

Chan beamed, nodding quickly, then he offered the headphones to his fellow alpha. “Put ‘em on. Listen.” Changbin raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and did as he was asked. His jaw went slack as the song played through, his eyes wide. He slowly took off the headphones when it was finished, turning to Chan, who looked ecstatic. 

“...Felix?” He whispered in disbelief, glancing at the screen. 

“Felix.” Chan confirmed, looking happier than he has been with producing in days.

“...Well shit. That couldn’t be more perfect if we tried.”

Chapter Text

Everyone was crowded around Chan’s laptop in the living room, the mixture of excitement and anxiety palpable in the atmosphere. About two weeks ago, Felix had gone with Chan, Changbin, and Jisung (they liked to call themselves 3racha, which Felix found adorable) to the rented out recording studio. Once the four were happy with how it sounded, they mixed it into the rest of the song; thus officially completing it. 

Felix had been coming over at some point every day in the last couple weeks. No matter what he told himself, he just couldn’t stay away. On top of working on his Korean with Chan, he loved being around them, and yes, maybe there was some unresolved gayness there but we’re not talking about that. After a mini panic attack, brief breakdown, and a few episodes of Love Island , Felix could no longer deny it. Yes, he was polyamorus and yes , he was in love with this pack. The realization both terrified and comforted him. On one hand, this was bad. He couldn’t have fallen for them! He’s known them for a month, and sure, they take care of him– but that’s just a pathetic reason to be head over heels. They already had an established relationship, and there’s no way they wanted another person. Eight people is far too many. But seven isn’t? Shut up, voice, I’m trying to be realistic. On the other hand, it was a sign that he was healing. The omega was worried that after what happened with his last pack, he’d never be able to trust again. To love again. At least he wasn’t permanently broken. 

Back to the topic at hand; the song release. They had decided to call it ‘ Miroh’, and were going to release it as a 3racha production, but listed everyone who sang in it. There were many complaints about needing a band name at the least, but no suggestion could satisfy everyone. Now was the time they had agreed upon to release it. Chan had made an instagram post to their handful of followers on the 3racha account, but that was the extent of the marketing they could currently do. 

“Okay…are we ready?” Chan asked, glancing back to gauge everyone’s reactions, mouse hovering above the ‘post button’. There was a sea of nods, everyone excitedly leaning forward, and Chan took a breath. “Alright. It is…posted.”

Well. That was underwhelming. 

While it was incredibly exciting to finally put out their passion project, there was one minor detail. They only had a few followers, so the feedback to the song wasn’t going to be immediate. The pack stared at the laptop, trying to silently will people to it, but it wasn’t working. Lino took initiative, knowing Chan wouldn’t have the heart to pull away from his baby quite yet. “Okay, pups, up you get.” He commanded, standing up and stretching. 

“Aw, hyung!” Jisung whined, pouting, torn between wanting to listen and wanting to sit by the screen. “I want to see what people think!” 

“I know, sweetheart.” Minho hummed, walking over and tugging him to a standing position, pressing a kiss to his head to placate him. “We all want to know how people will react, but it takes time. The more pressing issue is dinner. ” The beta reasoned, shooting a glare to the rest of the group, urging them to pull away as well. There was some grumbling, but everyone eventually stood up– except Chan. The leader had put an earbud in, and was playing the song over and over, his teeth worrying his bottom lip. 

Felix looked to Minho, concerned, the beta sighing. “Just leave him. He’s always like this, it’s impossible to pull him away.” He murmured, giving the back of Chan’s head a frustrated look. Lino then turned to the kitchen, beginning to bark instructions at his boyfriends. Felix hesitated, torn between respecting Chan’s wishes, and wanting him not to worry. His concern for the older won him over, and he slowly approached him from behind, tapping his shoulder. Chan jumped, pausing the song, glancing up at the omega. 

“Oh– hey, Lix. Did you need something?” Chan asked, a soft smile on his face, but Felix could tell he was distracted. 

“Lino hyung said it was time for dinner preparations…” Felix mumbled, fidgeting with his sleeves. Chan sighed, glancing back, running a hand through his hair. 

“I-I know. It’s okay, they…they know how I am. I just need to make sure there’s no mistakes in the song.” The alpha reasoned, looking back to the laptop, his ears pressed back with worry. Felix huffed, crossing his arms. They all worked very hard on that song, and Chan deserved to be proud of it– not sitting beside his computer all worked up. He didn’t want to do this, but it was time for his secret weapon.

 He tapped Chan on the shoulder once more, and the leader sighed, pausing the song again. “Felix I–” He started, but then he faltered, the words dying in the back of his throat. Felix was looking down at him with the biggest, roundest, most pathetic puppy eyes he’s ever seen. His lip poked out in a soft pout, and to add to the dramatics, he had wrapped his tail around his leg.

“Please hyungie? I’d like it if you could join us…” He murmured, confidence growing as he saw how red Chan’s ears had grown. The leader stared at him for a minute, shocked into silence, before he finally sighed. He closed the laptop, forcing himself to look away, and stood up.

“...Fine. I’ll check it later.” He murmured, cheeks now a deep rosy color. Felix beamed, tugging Chan by the sleeve into the kitchen. His plan had worked . Did that mean Chan was…? No, it couldn’t mean what he thought. He was just being nice.

“I brought another helper!” Felix hummed as they entered. Six pairs of eyes turned, Chan refusing to meet any of them. Stunned silence befell the group before Minho finally spoke up, looking highly amused.

“So you have. C’mon, Mr. Tough Pack Alpha . Help me wash and cut vegetables.” He instructed, earning a whine from Chan. Felix giggled, clearly proud of himself, and skipped over to where Jeongin was getting out plates and silverware. The omega had been coming over quite a lot, and with several days of pleading, he was finally allowed to do small things to help with meal prep. 

“How did you do that?” Jeongin asked lowly, looking impressed, handing some chopsticks to Felix. The omega shrugged, his cheeks tinting a light pink, walking with the younger to the table. 

“I just asked him…” Felix insisted, embarrassment beginning to creep in. Jeongin snorted, elbowing him playfully. That was another thing that had begun happening over the weeks– the pack got more touchy with Felix, and vice versa. Felix couldn’t deny it still flustered him a bit, but it made him happy nonetheless.

“Bullshit.” Jeongin retorted in English, making Felix laugh, then he switched back to Korean. “We can never pull him away from that stupid thing. Spill it.”

“I pouted at him.” Felix relented, his ears flicking back, a small, shy smile on his face. Jeongin studies the blonde’s face for a moment, as if imagining the scenario, then he laughs, nodding.

“Yeah, that tracks. He’s a sucker for puppy eyes, but he’s grown immune to ours.” The wolf mused, shaking his head as they laid the dishes out. Jeongin glances over to the mentioned alpha, his eyes softening. They all pick up on the sound of something buzzing on the couch– presumably Chan’s phone– but the pack alpha stays in the kitchen conversing with Minho. “Thank you.” Jeongin murmurs, looking back to Felix.

“Me?” Felix asks, confused, pointing at himself. “What for?”

“For getting him over here.” Jeongin replies simply, laying out napkins. “We worry about him. Channie hyung is strong, but he gets too engrossed in his work. It’s good to get him to ignore it, even for just a little bit.” Felix nods slowly, a small smile appearing on his face. Good. He did good. Meanwhile, in the vegetable corner, Minho was having a grand time teasing his only hyung of the pack. 

“Felix got you away from the laptop.” Lino comments, a shit eating grin on his face.

“I know.” Chan murmurs back, carefully dicing vegetables.

“No one can ever pull you away from it.”

Chan purses his lips, trying his best not to let the teasing get to him. “I know.”

“You left your phone on the couch.” Lino added, having picked up on the faint buzzing that happened ever so often. 

The alpha sighed, closing his eyes. Ah, there it goes. His ears are bright red now. He sets down the knife, turning to give his beta a half hearted glare. “You’re insufferable.”

Lino laughs, his hand finding a place on the small of Chan’s back, pleased to have broken his facade. “Care to talk about why Felix was able to persuade you?” He asked, voice dripping with fake sincerity. Chan growled lowly, swatting at him, trying to mentally will the blush away. 

“Not here.” He hissed, casting a nervous glance to the mentioned omega, but Felix was engrossed in a conversation with Seungmin. Chan looked back down at the now-diced vegetables, scooping them into the bowl to distract himself. “...It’s getting bad.”

Minho snorts, his hand now rubbing soothing circles, expression softening. “I don’t think you’re the only one, sweetheart. We just need to wait a little longer, okay? We don’t want to overwhelm him.” The red head assured, pressing a soft kiss to Chan’s head. The alpha made a small noise of protest, but leaned into the touch despite his reservations. 

“‘M not a child…” He muttered, pouting. Lino laughed, squeezing his side, relishing in the surprised giggle that escaped his boyfriend. 

“Could’ve fooled me.” The beta teased, yelping when Chan nipped at him in return. 

Cooking dinner took a little under an hour, and if anyone wasn’t hungry at the start, they certainly were now. The pack winded down, the excitement of releasing their first song shifting to the backburner. However, their peace was disturbed by a certain pack alpha’s cellular device. 

“Hyung.” Jisung whined, his ears flicking back. “Can you please power off your phone? Or reply to whoever is blowing it up? It’s driving me insane.” He pleaded, a few hums of agreement tacked onto the complaint. Chan chucked, walking over to ruffle Jisung’s hair as the omega sat down. 

“Oh? I thought you wanted me to ignore it.” He teased, earning groans from the table. Chan snickered, clearly pleased with himself, and sauntered over to the couch to grab his phone. Who was messaging him, anyway? He picked up the phone, skimming the notifications, then froze. There was no announcement made, but his scent spiked, alerting the packmates that had started eating. 

“What? What is it?” Lino asked, currently pouring food into Felix’s bowl. The pack alpha said nothing in response, looking like a statue. Jisung and Changbin shared a look, then shot up, scrambling to look at Chan’s phone. The rest of the pack quickly followed suit, Lino and Felix being the last; the omega gave the older an apologetic look, seeing his exasperation at everyone riled up after just calming down, but his curiosities ate at him. 

“Holy shit…” Jisung whispered, eyes like saucers.

“What happened?” Felix asked, finally making his way behind Chan to look at the phone. Youtube was on screen, displaying where they had posted the music along with lyrics. His eyes fell to the view count, which was now– one point five million views? There were currently three hundred and twenty two thousand likes, along with an absurd amount of comments. They had done it. People liked the song– hell, they fucking loved it! This project, granted, something Felix hadn’t been a part of for long, was something so incredibly special, and it had skyrocketed in popularity. Trending number 2 for music for fucks sake! 

“We–” Chan started, then faltered, completely lost for words, staring blankly at the screen. “We did it.”

The alpha’s soft spoken words broke the silence that had befallen them, and the room exploded in conversation. Jisung and Changbin immediately started discussing future songs and what this meant for the group as a whole. Seungmin and Jeongin, who had been two prominent vocalists in the track, held each other tightly, murmuring to each other as they read comments Jeongin had pulled up on his phone. Minho decided to take initiative in helping Chan’s shocked silence, pushing the phone down and planting a firm kiss on his lips. Chan let out a small noise of surprise, but melted into it, his tail swinging wildly behind him. Hyunjin grabbed Felix’s hands, excitement shining on his face, and he spun the blonde around before crushing him with a hug. 

“We did it!” Hyunjin echoed, looking the happiest Felix had ever seen him. The aussie giggled in response, returning the hug, feeling his own tail start wagging. He was a part of something successful. Something that made people he would now consider his closest friends (yes, they were his only friends, but shut up) over the moon with joy. The room was bursting with sounds and scents that a couple months ago he would’ve found overwhelming, but now? Now it felt like home. 

“ Wait! ” Hyunjin gasped loudly, pulling away from Felix just enough to address the rest of the pack. They looked over at him, confused, his voice breaking through the chaos. “We need to choreograph a dance!” 

~

“This is stupid.” Seungmin deadpanned, half heartedly stretching his arms. It had been a few days, the music still skyrocketing in popularity, and Hyunjin and Felix had basically locked themselves in the dance studio in order to put together a choreography. Now they had a loose idea of what they wanted, but needed to work through the logistics of the whole group doing it. 

“It’s actually a really good way to get a full body workout.” Changbin comments, his eyes shining with his passion for fitness. “‘S why they designed things like Just Dance and Wii Sports – so kids could exercise while having fun.”

“Nerd.” Seungmin quips back, Changbin taking the bait immediately as he tugs the beta in by his collar. He murmurs something to his boyfriend, and Seungmin sputters some weak protests as Changbin grabs him by the waist to spin him around, but he fools no one. Even in his short time here, Felix had noticed that Seungmin liked provoking Changbin until the older would manhandle him in response. Seungmin often voiced loud complaints when the pack touched him, but Felix saw that soft underside through the beta’s low, wagging tail. He had a sneaking suspicion the puppy-like boy loved skinship just as much as Hyunjin; simply in a more covert way.

“Hey– focus!” Hyunjin claps, trying to regain the attention in the room. “Lixie intros the song, so everyone is going to make a circle around him while he stands in the middle.” He directs, clapping his hands again when nobody moves. This jolts them into action, and they make a messy circle around Felix. Hyunjin giggles, amused by their lack of formation awareness, and walks around to adjust everyone in the proper slots.

“Okay, it starts with everyone on the ground, then as the beginning builds, you rise and stop your foot.” The tall omega explains, pressing play on the track to demonstrate said movements. He goes through it a few times, watching everyone to make sure he likes how it looks. “Okay– Innie, a little more force with the stomps. Binnie, a little less force. Channie, I know you’re old, but rising from the ground can’t be that difficult.” He points out, grinning when Chan gives him a low growl back, but complies, making more of an effort to seamlessly rise. 

“Min–” Hyunjin sighs, watching the older beta move. It’s stiff, and he looks like he’s holding himself back, his face twisted up in concentration. He makes his way over to Minho, who tries not to meet his eyes. “What’s wrong?” The omega asked gently, a small frown on his lips. Lino halted his movements, turning to his boyfriend with a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. 

“I just want to be sure I get this right, Hyunnie.” He assured him, running a hand through his hair. “I know how important this is for you.”

“Don’t do it for me .” The brunette pouted, crossing his arms. “Do it for you . You used to love dancing, hyung, and you were so good at it.”

The beta purses his lips, his hand hovering at his abdomen. He needed a surgery two years ago– it was sudden and frightening, but the procedure itself went smoothly. Ever since, however, Minho never showed his bare stomach unless they were showering or sleeping, never let anyone touch the scar, and he never danced again. “...That’s different.”

“Min, please.” Hyunjin pleaded, his arm coming up to rest on Minho’s shoulder, trying to throw his boyfriend the best puppy dog look he had. “Just relax . Lix and I love dancing, and I know you do too. Just let it be your outlet.” The beta grunted in response, and Hyunjin sighed, dropping his hand. If they could just help him see…

An idea came to him– stupid and messy, but it just might work. Hyunjin locked eyes with Felix, subtly putting a hand over his heart. Go with me on this. Felix blinked, not giving much of a reaction, but Hyunjin couldn’t do much without making it too obvious. They ran through the song; it was clunky and there were several times where someone stopped because they forgot their part, but the first full run through was complete. Hyunjin moved to the front of the room, trying to amp the dramatics without it seeming too over the top. 

“Okay, that was a good first try, but I need more for the chorus. Look– watch me do it.” He huffed, casting a glance to Felix in effort to signal him of what he was doing. They were the only two who knew the dance by heart at this point, so if he wanted this to work, Felix needed to play along. Hyunjin lightly sang the lead up, then hopped into the dance for the chorus. However, just as he was getting into it, he stopped, faltering. “Uh…was it this…?” He murmured, rolling his arm back, a confused pout on his face. “No…I don’t…hm.” 

Felix’s eyes flashed, understanding washing over him. He moved to the front next to him, shaking his head. “No, no. It was this.” He corrected, trying the move again, but fumbling in a slightly different place. They started again, moving in sync, but it was stiff, and they nearly collided. “I don’t understand.” Felix whined, running a hand through his hair. “We just had it down! I can’t remember it.” 

Lino huffed, agitated, and stalked his way to the front, nudging the two out of the way. “Can’t even remember your own choreography, pups? It’s not that hard. Look.” He grumbled, pressing play on the music and winding to the chorus. The beta stepped back, taking a deep breath, briefly closing his eyes. He then jumped, exploding into the moves, trying to keep it as fluid and energetic as possible. When he was done, he shut off the music, breathing hard, and put his hands up.

“See? Does that jog your memory?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. Hyunjin smiled innocently, reaching back and squeezing Felix’s hand. Minho was back. 

“Ah– it does. Sorry, I’m so forgetful.” He simpered, trying for his best apologetic look. Felix nodded, his eyes softening as he watched the two. Their dynamic was something so special, something he admired greatly. It was a sight to see in action. 

They were in the dance room for several hours, running the moves over and over again. Felix and Hyunjin walked around, occasionally with assistance from Minho, gently correcting the members on their posture. Eventually, the omegas caved to the whining of their victims, and the pack sat in a circle on the ground, planning out their next moves. 

“Ooo! Chan~” Hyunjin called, leaning into the pack alpha. Chan snorted, wrapping an arm around his mate, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, Jinnie?”

“You know how you’re so super strong and you’ve got muscles and stuff?” Hyunjin asked, smiling sweetly at him. Changbin made an affronted noise, but Hyunjin kicked him to silence the alpha.

“Sure.” Chan agreed, his ears dusting a light pink, happy to humor the boy. “What about it?”

“When you’re center and we’re chanting behind you, you should lift up your shirt as you’re singing the ‘I’m okay’ part.” He suggested, eyes shining with excitement. Chan blushed, pursing his lips, suddenly antsy at the spotlight put on him.

“I-I dunno, Jinnie, I–”

“Please?” Hyunjin whined, pouting. “It would entice people to watch it! Hot men dancing around!” He insisted, making Chan sputter. The alpha opened his mouth to protest, but he was cut off by excited shouting from the pack, immediately agreeing with the idea. He groaned, hiding his face in his hands, his cheeks flushed a deep red. 

“I swear, you guys are like stray kids I picked up.”

“OH MY GOD!” Jisung shot up, pausing the chaos momentarily. “That’s it!”

“What’s it?” Lino asked gently, trying to calm the enthusiastic omega. 

“Our band name!” Jisung gushed, jumping up and down. “Stray kids!” 

Chapter Text

Felix paced back and forth in his room, anxiously brushing the fur of his ears as he waited for the text from Hyunjin. He felt bad for constantly using the older for rides, but money was tight and he couldn’t afford to spend it on a bus pass or uber every time he wanted to visit (which was often these days). The dance practice had been filmed and released (they even added a ‘ Stray Kids Hoo!’ in per Jisung’s request)– not the most mind blowing accomplishment, but Felix cherished it nonetheless. He tried his best not to read the comments, knowing how people online always find something to criticize, but he couldn’t help himself. The omega was pleasantly surprised to find most of the comments were about him . He was the ‘deep voice guy’– and people adored it. It did make him feel good about himself, despite the fact that he knew he shouldn’t crave online validation. He was only human, after all. 

Felix’s phone dinged, and he scrambled to pick it up, tossing the fur brush aside. It was Hyunjin, telling him the car was outside. Huh, that’s odd. The car – it made it sound like it wasn’t Hyunjin in it. He shrugged it off, grabbing the small backpack he used to carry his essentials, and headed downstairs. The car’s windows were fairly dark, so he couldn’t quite make it out, but it appeared there was someone already in the passenger’s seat. Okay, that’s fine, Hyunjin probably brought someone along. Felix climbed into the backseat, and was immediately greeted with the smell of lemon bread. Lemons and baked bread? This wasn’t… He looked up, freezing when he saw Jeongin in the driver’s seat, and Seungmin in the passenger’s. 

“Hi Felix.” Seungmin greeted, giving a tiny wave, a sweet smile on his face. Felix waved back, confused, looking between the two.

“Why are you here?” He asked, then his eyes widened, and he hurried to correct himself. “I-I mean– not that I don’t want you two here, I just…I thought it would be Hyunjin.” Jeongin laughed, angling himself to look back at Felix, an easygoing smile on his face. It didn’t fool the omega; he’d been around enough alphas before to read their mannerisms. It had been necessary to his survival in his old pack. While Jeongin appeared relaxed and at ease, his eyes were calculating, scrutinizing Felix. What for, the aussie wasn’t sure of, but he was being tested. 

“Jinnie didn’t tell you? That about tracks.” The alpha mused, shaking his head. “We thought it’d be nice to go to the mall together, just the three of us. The rest of the pack is doing a house deep clean, so it would be kinda boring back there anyway.” 

“Is that okay?” Seungmin asked, shooting his boyfriend a look. “We can go to the house if you want to, just thought this would be more exciting.” He offered, his voice soft. Felix knew Jeongin probably didn’t mean to make it sound like a demand, but he appreciated the beta offering him a way out. Felix smiled, shaking his head as he sat his bag down next to him. 

“The mall sounds great! I was just taken by surprise.” He assured them, relaxing a bit. Jeongin was still acting guarded, but Felix tried not to take it to heart. He knew the young alpha had been through quite a lot, and from what he had gathered, Seungmin and Jeongin were dating before they joined the pack. He had a right to be protective, even if Felix wasn’t much of a threat. 

“Okay then.” Jeongin flashed him another smile, then put the car in drive. “To the mall we go.” 

Felix was feeling more comfortable by the time they arrived, pushing aside the knowledge of Jeongin’s testing of him to simply enjoy the experience. He didn’t go to the mall often, usually using his paychecks for rent or food, so this was a welcome treat. 

“Can we go to Hot Topic?” Seungmin asked, his hand intertwined with Jeongin’s, swinging it lightly as they walked. Cute.  

“I don’t mind.” Felix replied, his tail swaying back and forth, content to follow in step beside the pair. 

“Sure.” Jeongin hummed, steering them in the direction of the store. “I think ‘Sung needed some new pants, anyway.” 

“So do I.” The beta agreed, letting out a dramatic sigh. “The newer puppies at the shelter keep tearing up my jeans.” Felix perked up at this, latching onto the information. Aha! A segway. Mission: ‘Get to know Seungmin and Jeongin Better’ is a go! 

“Hyunnie mentioned you go there. Do you volunteer often?” He asked, genuinely interested. Felix shared a similar love of animals, and he couldn’t deny the idea of volunteering at an animal shelter didn’t sound half bad. Seungmin beamed, that sweet smile spreading across his face as he nodded.

“As often as I can. I’m saving up to go to veterinary school, but for now I just help out when they need it.” Seungmin replied, his tail wagging behind him. “I’m waiting to see if they have an intern position open up. Hopefully they’ll give it to me since they know me pretty well.” He added, his lips forming a soft pout. Jeongin snorted, nudging him playfully, a fond look in his eyes. 

“Stop it, Min. They gush about you there all the time. You know the job is yours as soon as they can take you.” Jeongin chided gently, prompting a pretty pink blush to spread across his boyfriend’s face. Felix giggled, the bickering within the pack always amusing him, and he followed behind as they entered Hot Topic. They spent a good thirty minutes in the store, Seungmin insisting he try on each pair of pants he got, before finally settling on two pairs of black jeans with stars on them, and a crop top. Jeongin was content to just walk around the store, but ended up snagging a pair of earrings with fennec foxes on them, along with the pants for Jisung. Felix had looked around, a couple of things catching his eye, but Hot Topic was always so expensive. 

“Whatcha looking at?” Jeongin hummed, laughing when Felix jumped at the sound of his voice. The omega gave him a confused look, and he repeated the question, sounding it out a bit more. 

“Ah! Well…” His eyes fell to the item in front of him, biting the inside of his cheek. There, hanging on the wall, was the most adorable set of cat arm warmers he had ever seen. They were black, fluffy, and had a paw print right where your palm would be. Felix had never been so instantly enamoured, but he knew he couldn’t justify the purchase. They were cutesy and stupid– not something he should be spending his hard earned money on. “It’s nothing.”

“The arm warmers?” Jeongin prompted, leaning closer to inspect the items. “They’re cute. You should get them.” He concluded, looking back to Felix. The omega shook his head, a nervous laugh escaping him as he pressed his fingertips together. 

“I-I couldn’t. They’re dumb, and I shouldn’t be spending my money on it.” He insisted, but Jeongin’s eyes were still on him. He gestured towards the back wall where Seungmin was walking around, ducking his head. “I’m just gonna…we should leave, if you guys are ready.” He mumbled, hurrying off before he could embarrass himself even more. 

True to his request, they left a few minutes after, bags in hand. Felix peered down into Jeongin’s, and saw jeans, a pair of earrings, and… were those the arm warmers? He looked at Jeongin, confused, and the alpha just shrugged, staring straight ahead as they walked. 

“They’re for you.” He replied simply, as if it was something completely casual that didn’t cause Felix to malfunction. The omega’s eyes widened, his ears folding back, and he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

“Innie…” He protested weakly, making Seungmin snicker. Had he manipulated Jeongin into getting them for him? That’s not what he wanted to happen. He felt terrible.

“It’s best not to argue.” Seungmin interjected, a knowing smile on his face. “He likes to give people things. ‘S his love language.” He explained, getting an elbow in the side from Jeongin. “What? It’s true!”

The alpha huffed, finally looking at Felix, his expression softening. “It’s not a big deal, Lix. They were like– twelve dollars. Just take it.” He insisted, leaving no room for debate. Felix sighed, still feeling guilt eat at him. It was a big deal– it was a big deal to him. People don’t just buy him things out of the blue, especially simply because he had looked at the items. It made him feel…weird. Not bad weird, but…weird. 

They stopped for lunch, Felix insisting he should pay in return for the accessories and the ride, but Jeongin only allowed him to cover the coffee they got afterwards. The trio walked in a few different stores, mostly just to look around, but Jeongin ended up getting a new pair of shoes. Finally, after a few hours, they decided to make one last stop inside Target for some snacks. They were chatting aimlessly, walking around in search of the snack aisle, when Felix stopped in his tracks. There, right before him, was the most beautiful skirt he’s ever seen. It was black, a layer of lace overtop the normal material, and it had delicate flowers all over. He’d never wanted something so bad in his entire life. 

His companions noticed his absence, and turned back around, seeing what was stopping him. They shared a look, then Seungmin stepped forward, placing a hand on Felix’s back. “Do you want to try it on?” The beta asked gently, not wanting to spook the blonde. Felix faltered, and shook his head, his eyes never leaving the skirt.

“I…can’t.” He sighed, his heart clenching in his chest. He really, really, wanted to, but he couldn’t wear skirts. Guys weren’t allowed to wear skirts; his old pack had taught him that well.

“Why not?” Seungmin replied, following the omega’s gaze to the skirt, his expression softening. “It’s really pretty.”

“Flowery.” Jeongin added, nodding. “It suits you. What’s stopping you from trying it on?” Felix faltered, fidgeting with his hands. While their support was nice, was this really okay? He’d been taught for so long that it wasn’t, it simply didn’t feel right. 

“Guys aren’t supposed to wear skirts.” He whispered, his ears flattening back. Understanding dawned on the two, and Seungmin went to correct him before Jeongin stepped in. 

“Why not?” The young alpha asked, raising an eyebrow. “I wear skirts.”

Felix froze, his eyes wide as he finally tore his gaze to look at the younger. Jeongin; sweet, stubborn, protective Jeongin, who had survived a fight with a scar on his ear, wore…skirts? “W-what…?”

“Yeah.” The sandy hair wolf hummed, loosely crossing his arms. “I don’t wear long ones like that, though. They’re usually shorter, and I wear pants underneath. ‘Sung likes some of the longer ones, though.” He explained, his voice even and casual. Felix looked between his friends and the clothing, conflicted. If they had worn something like this without a care in the world, couldn’t he? He was silent for a few long minutes, but Seungmin and Jeongin gave him space to think. Finally, he tentatively reached forward, sifting through the rack for his size, and pulled it down, clutching it close in his arms. He turned to his companions with wide eyes, and they nodded, wearing matching reassuring smiles.

“The changing rooms are over there, Lix.” Seungmin pointed out, gesturing to the wall a few feet away from them. Felix nodded, hesitating, but shuffled off to one of the open rooms. He locked the door behind him, then stood there, skirt in hand, eyes wide as he looked in the mirror. Could he really do this? 

Felix slipped his pants off, then the skirt on, smoothing his hands over the material. It really did feel wonderful– freeing. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, then looked back to the mirror. …Wow. He looked…stunning. The outfit might be better paired with a different shirt, but it was cute nonetheless. It accented his delicate features, made him look softer. He loved it. He stepped outside, nervous, but he needed the approval of his friends; needed to know it was truly okay. When he made it back to them, they were engrossed in quiet conversation. Felix gently cleared his throat to get their attention, ears flicking nervously.

“Is it okay?” He asked softly, fidgeting with the material. Jeongin gaped at him, but Seungmin was quick to react, putting on his signature smile as he stepped closer.

“It’s beautiful, you look amazing.” The beta assured him, gaze fond. “I really think you should get it.” Jeongin snapped out of his stunned stupor, though his eyes were still glued to the omega. 

“Y-yeah. Good. You look good.” The alpha managed to get out, giving a weak nod. Felix beamed, relief washing over him, running his hands over the skirt again and again. 

“I…I think I will get it.” He decided, standing up straighter. Seungmin beamed, ruffling his hair, and gave an approving nod. 

“Go change, and we can check out.” He hummed, giggling when Felix practically skipped away. Seungmin then turned to his boyfriend, a shit eating grin on his face. “You’re staring.” He teased, voice low, walking back over to Jeongin. The younger steeled himself, bringing back his careful facade. 

“I was not. I was just seeing how it looked on him.” He insisted, refusing to meet the beta’s eyes. Seungmin snickered, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him close. 

“You really are such a pretentious bitch.” Seungmin teased, continuing on before his boyfriend could protest. “So today was a success, then?” He added, voice softening. Jeongin took a moment to think, then deflated, leaning into his boyfriend. 

“...Yeah. It was.” Jeongin hummed, a light pink dusting his cheeks. Seungmin kissed the top of his head, pleased, eyes finding Felix as he wandered back to them. 

“Excellent. Let’s go check out, then.” He decided, motioning for Felix to follow them. The omega was quiet for the most part, but he was smiling, holding the fabric close. They neared the counter, when Felix felt a hand on his shoulder. He shivered, his scent spiking anxiously. This wasn’t Seungmin or Jeongin. This was someone new– their hand rough and their scent like metal. He turned around, the other two stopping with him. 

“Excuse me.” The man interrupted, a smirk on his face that made Felix sick to his stomach. “Sorry, I just saw you in that skirt earlier…you looked stunning .” The guy was tall, clearly an alpha from the way his pheremones reeked, and way too close to Felix. The omega took a step back, swallowing nervously, and let out a weak laugh. 

“O-oh…thank you.” He murmured, getting increasingly uncomfortable. Seungmin wrapped an arm around him, grounding him, which Felix was grateful for. 

“If you’ll excuse us, we’re trying to pay and leave.” Seungmin stated firmly, his arm tightening around Felix. The blonde had never seen him look so…stern before. 

“And keep a pretty thing like that to yourself?” The man asked, stepping closer. “C’mon, I can see he’s not marked; he’s not yours. Just let me take him home, I promise he’ll be well taken care of. I’d love to see him in more skirts.” He insisted, reaching out to Felix, his eyes roaming the omega’s body in ways that made his skin crawl. 

Felix opened his mouth to placate him, trembling slightly, though he was used to this. He knew how alphas could be. However, an angry scent invaded his nostrils, like burning, charred bread. Jeongin stepped in between them, his eyes glowing red, and he snapped his fangs at the stranger. 

“Back. Off. They’re mine . Come any closer, and I’ll snap your neck. This is your only warning.” He growled, fists clenched by his sides. Forget Seungmin’s polite sterness– Jeongin was pissed . Felix could only watch helplessly, absolutely stunned by the scene. The man flashed his own eyes back, taking a step closer, but he seemed to realize the mall had cameras everywhere and was crawling with security. He retreated, eyes filled with barely contained rage. 

“Watch your back, pup .” He hissed, giving one last look to Felix before storming off. 

“What an asshole.” Seungmin muttered, clearly frustrated. He then released Felix, giving him an apologetic look, and went to stand in front of Jeongin. “Innie. Look at me.” He instructed, his hands coming up to cup his face. “Deep breaths, baby, okay? Do it with me.” Jeongin was breathing hard, his scent still potent and angry, but he didn’t fight the beta. He glared for a few seconds before giving in, taking in slow breaths in time with his boyfriend. Within a few minutes, he had calmed down, his scent no longer burnt and protective. 

“Are you okay, Lix?” Jeongin asked softly, checking Felix’s body language for signs of distress. Felix was still trembling, clearly shaken, and he cleared his throat, ignoring the tears welling up in his eyes.

“F-fine.” He murmured, trying to pull himself together. Jeongin had protected him. They both protected him. His mind was swirling with feelings, and he could feel his chest constrict, struggling to breath. Jeongin moved to get closer, but Seungmin put a hand on his chest, taking the role instead. He approached the omega carefully, releasing a wave of his lemon scent. It was weaker, being a beta, but he hoped it was still comforting. 

“Hey, hey, don’t cry.” He whispered, wrapping his arms around the blonde. Felix shuddered, practically collapsing in his hold, clinging onto him. Seungmin ran his hands through his hair, quietly shushing him, keeping him close. “You did so good, you know that? That guy was just a dick head.”

“I’m sorry.” Felix choked out, burying his face in Seungmin’s shirt, quiet hiccups shaking his body. 

“Don’t be sorry, sweetheart, it wasn’t your fault.” The beta assured him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Innie just wanted to protect you.” 

“I d-didn’t mean to make him angry.” Felix sniffled, trying desperately to quell his tears. Jeongin came beside him, putting a gentle hand on his back, his smile soft.

“I’m sorry I got angry, Lixie, that guy just…” He took a breath, shaking his head. “I want to see you safe.”

“How about we check out, hm?” Seungmin suggested, looking down at Felix. “Sungie will love your pretty skirt.” Felix took a few shaky breaths, then nodded, pulling himself away from Seungmin. Jeongin gently took the skirt from him, then offered his hand, tilting his head. The omega looked at him with wide eyes, then took it, instantly feeling better at the contact. Seungmin took his other hand, and the three made their way to the register. Jeongin paid for Felix once again, the omega weakly protesting, but he was quickly shushed; Jeongin assuring him he could pay him back another time. 

It was quiet in the car, only the faint sounds of the radio as background noise. Felix stared down at the skirt and arm warmers in his hands, thoughts spinning. Why had Jeongin protected him so fiercely? Why couldn’t he decipher exactly how this whole day made him feel? Why was it Seungmin and Jeongin that took him to the mall? 

They filed out of the car, stepping into the house. Changbin greeted them first with a wave, putting down the rag and cleaning solution he had in hand. Jeongin met eyes with his fellow alpha, then gave a curt nod, his hand resting on Felix’s back. Changbin seemed to recognize what it meant, because he melted into a soft smile, nodding in return. The rest of the pack congregated to the living room at the sound of the door opening, asking about how the day at the mall went. There were lots of voices, Seungmin and Jeongin trying to explain, Chan getting instantly worried and demanding details faster than they could speak, and the others crowding around them. It was too much, too overwhelming, but it was clear the love and care for Felix was the reason for the chaos. The blonde had come to a decision, thoughts finally piecing it together. 

“Guys?” Felix called out, speaking for the first time since they left the mall. “I think I’m nonbinary.”

Chapter Text

Well, wasn’t that an effective way to shut everyone up.

Lino, ever the parent, wrangled everyone into the living room, where they now sat on a circle on the floor. He then plopped himself in Chan’s lap, knowing the pack alpha’s emotions were torn at the admission and news of what had happened at the mall. The beta put out as much calming lavender scent as he could, then nodded to Felix. “Go ahead, sweetheart.”

Felix nodded, fidgeting with the skirt in their hands. They’d seen Jisung and Hyunjin eye it a few times, clearly excited, but the omegas knew now was not the time for fawning over the new clothing. The aussie pressed their pointer and middle finger to their pulse, grounding themself, then they looked up to the group. “I have never felt quite right as a guy. In my old pack, they weren’t open with exploring sexuality or gender. You were there for…a certain purpose, and that was it. But…that was the life I had run away from. That I left behind.” They started, occasionally pausing and looking at Chan, exchanging a few words in English when they didn’t know how to put it in Korean. “Being around all of you…I’ve felt so incredibly welcome. Today I realized that I don’t need to conform to standards set for me in the past.” They continued on, giving a meaningful look to Seungmin and Jeongin sat across from him. “I used to think that being nonbinary wasn’t an option, that I had to pick either girl or guy, but…it feels right. It feels like me. ” 

“I’m assuming this means you want to use they/them pronouns?” Minho prompted gently, a proud smile on his face. Felix had really come so far from when they first met. The omega nodded, looking grateful.

“Please.” They hummed, relaxing a bit. The pack was taking this news much better than they expected. 

“Uh…” Jisung, who was sitting on Felix’s left, turned his eyes to the skirt, unable to help himself anymore. “Can I see?” He asked softly, looking up to the omega. Felix beamed, their anxieties forgotten at the reminder of their new purchase. They nodded, standing up and bolting to the bathroom. They returned a few minutes later wearing the skirt, a pink blush dusting their cheeks. 

“What do you think?” The blonde asked nervously, ruffling the material. Jisung squealed, shooting up, his eyes wide with excitement. 

“Oh my god , Lix! It’s beautiful!” He gushed, Hyunjin joining the two just as quickly, equally ready to fawn over the flowy bottoms. “Spin! Spin!” Felix giggled, warmth blooming in their chest at the welcoming acceptance. They spun in a circle, the skirt spreading out with the wind, earning cheers from the rest of the pack. 

“It looks so good on you. I can’t wait to style you more.” Hyunjin murmured, grinning, looking Felix up and down. “How do you feel about makeup?” 

The omega hummed, biting the inside of their cheek, then gave a shrug. “I-I’ve never really worn any before, but I’d love to try.” This seemed to be the right response, because Hyunjin beamed, rubbing his cheek against the younger’s, his tail wagging excitedly. 

“I’m really glad you found your style, Lix.” Chan interjected, a hint of worry on his face. “But…are you sure you’re okay?” The incident from earlier was not lost on the alpha, still burdened with feelings of needing to protect. 

“I am.” Felix assured him, their smile softening. “Innie and Minnie protected me.” Jeongin seemed to straighten up at this, clearly proud of keeping his pack safe. Seungmin looked up to Felix, a warm smile on his face, and tipped his head in acknowledgement. 

“Our baby alpha.” Changbin cooed, reaching over to ruffle Jeongin’s hair. “So brave!” Jeongin gave a low growl in response, pouting, but the older seemed unaffected as he laughed in response. 

“Jeongin, I’d like to discuss it a bit more with you later.” Chan murmured, giving the youngest a look. It wasn’t that Jeongin did anything wrong, but the details were muddled in the chaos, Chan wanted to be sure he wouldn’t have a problem on his hands as a result. Jeongin nodded, a look of understanding passing between the two, and then the topic was dropped. 

“Can we go, hyung?” Hyunjin asked, holding onto one of Felix’s hands, Jisung holding the other. Chan hesitated, a few reservations in his mind, but Lino pressed a kiss to the leader’s cheek, nodding. 

“Go have fun, pups. Don’t torture Lixie.” He hummed, a fond smile on his face. They were sprinting down the hall as soon as the all clear was uttered, calling out a short ‘ we won’t!’  before they disappeared around the corner.

 Chan sighed, looking at his partner. “Is that a good idea?”

“Stop worrying.” Minho chided, ducking his head in the alpha’s neck, gently scenting him. “Jinnie’s known Lix the longest, anyway. They’re in good hands; Jinnie and Hannie are just excited to have someone to play dress up with.” He added, snickering. 

“I’m right to worry! I mean, getting harassed at the mall after they’re already so fragile, and Innie getting worked up again…” He trailed off, glancing at the mentioned alpha, who had gone into the backyard with Seungmin and Changbin once the conversation ended. 

“They’re not children.” Lino reminded him, pulling his head up to meet the leader’s eyes. Chan sighed, wrinkling his nose, his arm wrapping around the beta. 

“I know that, but they’re still my pack. Well– Lix isn’t, but they…”

“Don’t lie to yourself.” The beta snorted, grinning. “You absolutely see Felix as part of the pack.” Chan pursed his lips, one of his ears flicking back. 

“...Either way, I still want to see them safe.” He argued, letting out his breath in a huff. “And I’m worried Innie went too far.”

“I don’t think he did.” Minho assured him, brushing Chan’s bangs out of his face. “Seungmin was there with him. He’s good at reigning him in, and you know he would’ve told us if anything serious happened.” 

Chan seemed to mull this over for a moment, but he finally gave in, nodding. He then grinned, wrapping both arms around Lino and flopping back to lay on the floor. The beta squeaked at the sudden movement, shooting his boyfriend a glare, who didn’t seem at all remorseful. Minho grunted, shifting to tuck himself in Chan’s arm, laying his head on the alpha’s chest. 

“You haven’t eaten tissues in a while, have you, Channie?”

Chapter Text

The sight before them was almost overwhelming. Hyunjin and Jisung’s makeup collections combined were scattered across Hyunjin’s vanity, Felix plopped on the stool in front of it. They were excited, but couldn’t quite push down those anxieties that lurked beneath. Felix had experimented with makeup before, but it always had to be done hurriedly; tucked away in a closet in order to hide it from their old pack, and scrubbed off just as quick. It was never overwhelmingly good, the colors blotchy and uneven in the dark, but they cherished those rare moments nonetheless. It was the only time they could really be themself. 

“Ooo! I just got this red eyeshadow on my new pallet.” Hyunjin suggested, eyeing the color with interest from his position behind Felix. Jisung hummed, looking between the pallet and Felix, then shook his head. 

“I think they’d look better with cooler tones, no? Or maybe pink if we wanted something more subtly warm.” The orange wolf suggested. Felix couldn’t help the smile that overtook their face– Jisung had used their proper pronouns. Sure, it was simple, and they’d just announced the discovery, but this was the first time they were hearing it spoken from another person. The warm feelings they developed at the words only served to confirm this was the right choice. 

“What are you all smiley about?” The tall omega asked, leaning over their shoulder, wearing a matching fond smile. 

“Nothing.” Felix assured him, trying to calm the giddiness they were feeling inside. “Are all these products really necessary? There’s like…thirty of them.” Hyunjin giggled, nodding, running his hands through Felix’s hair. 

“Trust me, they are. I will say, though, half of the duplicates are because Sungie can’t pick one single shade of blush.” He replied, sending a teasing glance to his boyfriend. Jisung stuck his tongue out in return, pouting. 

“I need a different shade for each vibe, Jinnie. Not my fault you don’t understand color theory.” He huffed, picking up a concealer he thought would match closest with Felix’s skin tone. Hyunjin gave a dramatic gasp, leaning down towards the blonde. 

“Do you see what I go through? I mean, this level of sass is practically terrorism.” He whispered, looking scandalized. Felix snickered, loving the opportunity to witness the dynamic of the two any chance he got. 

“Hey!” Jisung protested, swatting Hyunjin’s arm. “Is that any way to speak about your Head Omega?” The taller rolled his eyes in response, but pressed a kiss to Jisung’s cheek to placate him anyway. 

“I didn’t know you were the Head Omega. I didn’t realize you had a Head Omega.” Felix mused, eyeing the fluffy brushes that occupied a cup in the corner. 

“We don’t– not technically.” Hyunjin corrected, wrapping his arms around the orange ball of energy, his gaze fond. “Sungie just likes to call himself that, and I let him.”

“We so do!” Jisung retorted, carefully adjusting himself and Hyunjin so he could sit next to Felix. He motioned the blonde to turn towards him, and began applying a thin layer of concealer. “If Lino hyung can be Head Beta, I can be Head Omega.” He grumbled, switching the sponge in exchange for his hand to wipe his thumb across Felix’s cheek. Felix wrinkled their nose, leaning back slightly, looking amused. 

“Why are you using your fingers?” They asked, leaning back in after registering Jisung was only trying to help. 

“I want to give you concealer, but I like your freckles, so I’m making sure they’re visible.” Jisung hummed back, looking pleased with himself as he continued working. Felix looked down, a light blush dusting their cheeks, and they nodded. “Trust me, Lixie, we’re not remaking you. We’re just going to enhance what beauty is already there.”

~

Jeongin took a deep breath, his hand hovering above the door handle. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was protecting my pack. Channie just worries too much. He told himself, but it did nothing to ease his nerves. He didn’t think Chan was mad at him, but it was still a possibility. Jeongin had gone a little further than necessary with the death threat, just a heat of the moment spur of feelings. The past couldn’t be changed now, however, so he just prayed Chan wasn’t angry. The pack alpha was scary when he was upset. The sandy blonde shook his head, straightening up, and turned the handle.

 “Hyung?” He called out, spotting Chan sitting on his bed. The grey haired wolf was sitting in the center of his bed, looking calm as he motioned Jeongin to join him. The bed was surrounded by clothes and blankets from when the omegas had last invaded his room, but the alpha never seemed to mind the nesting. Jeongin carefully sniffed the air, unable to detect anger in Chan’s scent, so he climbed up next to his boyfriend. 

“Hi Innie.” Chan greeted softly, pulling Jeongin close to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. The younger didn’t make a show of protesting as he usually would– he needed the comfort right now. 

“Hi.” Jeongin murmured back, fidgeting nervously, his confidence deflating in the imposing presence of his pack alpha. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened? In your words.” Chan offered, pushing out a wave of his calming beachy scent in hopes of helping his mate relax. Jeongin sighed, letting the feeling wash over him, and he nodded. 

“Well…we were walking to check out, and this guy came up and started complimenting Felix. It was weird; I could tell something was up. He stunk of dominating alpha pheromones. Felix was clearly getting uncomfortable, so Minnie tried to politely tell him to fuck off, but the guy wouldn’t drop it. He made some stupid comments about how they ‘weren’t marked’ and we should just let him take them back to his place. I was getting ready to just tell him off or get security, but then he reached out to touch Felix. He was trying to touch one of my– ” Jeongin took a deep breath, feeling himself getting worked up again. Chan nodded understandingly, rubbing circles on the younger’s back, waiting for him to collect himself. “I just– I lost it. I flashed my eyes at him and bared my fangs. Then I uh…threatened to kill him if he came closer…”

“ Jeongin–”

“I know!” Jeongin cut off the rant he knew Chan was about to go on, wincing, curling in on himself. “I know it wasn’t the smartest move. My instincts were getting the best of me. The guy looked like he wanted to fight, but he just walked away and told me to ‘watch my back’.” He finished off, grabbing fistfuls of the fabric of his pants. Chan took a deep breath, willing himself not to blow up on his young alpha. The leader knew how his past was, and he knew how hard Jeongin worked to keep his anger issues in check.

“...Okay.” He breathed, nudging his boyfriend to get him to look up. “It seems likely that nothing else will become of this, but…Innie, you can’t just threaten people.” Whether he was in the right or not, if Jeongin kept throwing around words like this, he was going to meet an alpha that would rise to the challenge. The last thing Chan needed was one of his mates getting into a brawl. Jeongin ducked his head, his ears flicking back, fidgeting with a loose string on his jeans. 

“I didn’t mean to, it just…slipped out.” The sandy wolf mumbled, voice low. Chan nodded, pressing a kiss to the side of his head, holding him close. 

“I know, baby. You did a very good job protecting your pack, okay? I need you to understand I’m not upset with you.” The older assured him, voice firm. “I just worry about you. You’re so brave and resilient– really stubborn. I know you’d do anything for them, but some people can’t be scared off with just words. Sometimes the words lead to even more trouble.” He reasoned, his eyes soft. Jeongin nodded, lifting his head a bit as he leaned against Chan. 

“I understand, hyung. I’ll try not to let it happen again.” The younger promised, tilting his head slightly, trying to get more of his alpha’s scent. Chan chuckled, pulling his boyfriend onto his lap, nuzzling the side of his head. 

“That’s my baby.”

The two lay together for a while, letting comfortable silence fall between them, until their sanctuary is broken by the door being thrown open. Hyunjin and Jisung stood in the entrance, blocking the hallway behind them, practically jumping with glee as their tails swung wildly behind them. Jeongin growled at the intrusion, burying himself deeper in Chan’s neck. The pack alpha simply gave the pair an amused look, tracing lazy patterns on Jeongin’s back.

“Yes, pups?” He prompted, smelling the excitement thick in the air.

“Drumroll please.” Jisung instructed, grinning. Chan gave him a look, which the omega returned. He caved, sighing, and patted his free hand against his leg. “Introducting…” The orange boy made some trumpet sounds with his mouth, then the two omegas pulled apart to reveal the hallway, waving their hands around the new subject. 

“Oh wow…” Chan breathed, his hand stilling on Jeongin’s back. The youngest made some small grumbling noises, annoyed his cuddle time was interrupted, and he turned over to see what the fuss was about. It was Felix standing in the doorway, sporting their new skirt along with a sweater vest Jeongin knew to be Jisung’s and several pieces of jewelry Hyunjin often wore. Their face, however, was what really caught the alpha’s attention. Felix stepped closer, nervously fidgeting with their tail, more details being revealed as the distance was closed. Their eyes had smokey blue eyeshadow, coupled with a small wing and eyeliner on their waterline. Their cheeks were a gentle pink– whether that was from nerves or makeup, Jeongin couldn’t tell. There was a shimmer on their nose and cheekbones, evidently some sort of glitter dust, and they were wearing foundation, but it was artfully cleared away from their freckles. They looked beautiful . 

“I-is it okay?” They asked in a small voice, now only standing a few feet away from the bed. “I told Sung and Jinnie it was too much– I’m not even going anywhere…”

“Fashion is never too much.” Hyunjin assured them, grinning, wrapping an arm around their shoulders as he looked at the pair on the bed. “So? Thoughts?” Jeongin opened his mouth, then closed it, lost for words. He could smell Chan’s scent was much stronger than before, and he knew his own was likely the same. It was becoming increasingly hard to fight the urge to pull the omega into bed and cover them with his scent. The alpha swallowed, nodding, running a hand through his hair. 

“Y-You look great. I just…wow. You look–”

“Magical.” Chan interrupted, pulling Jeongin’s attention back to the pack leader. “Like a fairy.” He was gazing at Felix, stars in his eyes, his ears a delicate pink. The blonde blushed a deep rosy color at the praise, a sweet smile spreading across their face. 

“Really? You think so?” They asked, trying to ignore the giggling they could hear coming from the two omegas behind them. Chan and Jeongin nodded in sync, the grey wolf’s hand tightening its grip on his boyfriend. 

“I’m sure.” Chan affirmed, unable to take his eyes off the omega. “Positively ethereal.” 

Hyunjin looked up from his impromptu gossip session with Jisung, his eyes widening. Felix was sputtering at the overwhelming compliments, clearly flustered, but Hyunjin was more interested in the alphas. They were staring hard, practically drooling, which he would’ve normally found adorable. However, they had discussed expressing certain... feelings towards Felix, and it was meant to be a pack issue to happen at a later time. Minho would kill Chan and Jeongin if they bombarded Felix now. He shared a look with Jisung, then promptly grabbed Felix’s sleeve, tugging them out of the room. “Ooo! Let's go show Minnie and Bin!” He suggested, not leaving any room for Felix to protest as he all but dragged them into the hallway. Jisung lingered for a moment, giving the two a look, shaking his head as he mouthed ‘ tone it down’ before he disappeared around the corner. 

“...Fuck.” Chan groaned, his ears burning red, and he dropped his head back against the pillows. Jeongin sighed, following in suit as he laid back next to him.

“Fuck indeed.”

~

The trio wandered into the main room where, unsurprisingly, they found the rest of the pack. Lino seemed to be rifling through the fridge for something to eat, while Changbin and Seungmin occupied the living room. The two were wrestling, tumbling around the floor, nearly knocking their heads against the fireplace. While the intensity worried Felix, they were put at ease upon noticing the wide smiles both were wearing. This was clearly an activity they enjoyed, and was likely common judging by the lack of concern from the others. 

Hyunjin grinned, looking at Felix and Jisung, motioning for them to wait. He then put his fingers to his lips, blowing out a high pitched whistle. All heads immediately snapped towards them, earning a giggle from the tall omega. “I love doing that.” He whispered, to which Felix replied with a fond roll of the eyes. 

“Ta-da~” Jisung announced, doing jazz hands for added effect. The living room duo immediately stopped wrestling, Changbin’s arm going slack around Seungmin, simply in awe at the beauty before them.

“I see you’re their new model, Lix.” Seungmin mused, sitting up and straightening his shirt, a fond smile on his face. “You look amazing.”

“I’ll say.” Changbin murmured, his eyes wide, a light pink dusting across his cheeks. “ Model is absolutely correct. You look like you popped straight out of a magazine.” Felix giggled, spinning in a circle to show off the skirt once more, feeling dizzy at the amount of love their new style has received. Minho walked over, his eyes immediately softening as he inspected the look. 

“You look incredible, sweetheart.” The beta cooed, giving the other two omegas an approving nod. “You two did great. Seriously.” 

Felix ducked their head, growing bashful at the genuine love thrown their way. This wasn’t simple appreciation– the pack adored them. “T-thank you, hyung…” 

“Anytime, Lix.” Lino assured them, reaching out and squeezing their hand, sporting a sweet smile. “You deserve every word.”

~

“You were way too obvious, Innie.”

“ Me? ” The younger protested, baffled, putting a hand on his chest. “You looked like you would’ve pulled the sun from the sky if they asked you to.” Chan puffed out his cheeks, narrowing his eyes at his boyfriend, obviously flustered. 

“I-I was not …” He grumbled. Jeongin snorted, nudging his side playfully, adjusting himself to slot back into his alpha’s side. “On a different note– the mall was a good idea, then?” Chan prompted, looking down at the sandy blonde wolf. Jeongin pursed his lips, cursing himself as he felt the blush return, but he nodded nonetheless. 

“It was. I think spending time with Felix one on one– well, Minnie too, but still–  helped me get over the…apprehension I had about them joining the pack.” He hummed, his hand rubbing absentminded circles on Chan’s chest. 

“It also helped you develop a crush, apparently.” Chan teased, grinning, hugging the maknae close to his side. Jeongin whined, swatting at him, curling in on himself. 

“I’m so not the problem here. Everyone else is just as whipped.” He grumbled, pouting. The grey wolf laughed, shrugging, his tail thumping against the bed. 

“Hm…I dunno. You did go all protective alpha on that guy for them.” Chan pointed out, a shit eating grin on his face. Jeongin grunted in return, his ears flicking back. 

“That was because they were threatened.” He insisted, blowing the hair out of his eyes. “Besides, Seungmin kissed them. I’d argue that’s way more forward."

“Seungmin did what ?”

Chapter Text

“Oh my god, Jeongin, do not word it like that!” 

“Why not? You did kiss them!”

“On the head , dingus.” Seungmin huffed, exasperated. He could feel the pack instantly relax at the clarification, and he leaned back against Lino, satisfied. “They were stressed and upset and I was trying to calm them down. It was after the guy harassed us in Target.” Chan nodded, relieved, and threw a minor glare Jeongin’s way.

“Innie…”

“I didn’t lie!” The sandy wolf protested, throwing his hands up in the air. Changbin rolled his eyes, tugging the alpha into his lap, Jeongin voicing loud protests at the action before ultimately settling in his new spot. 

“No, but you know exactly how that sounded.” Changbin scolded lightly, his arms wrapped around Jeongin’s waist. The younger grumbled in response, pouting, electing not to debate the issue any more. 

“Okay, well, that is a huge weight off my shoulders.” Chan announced, laughing, putting his arms around the two omegas beside him. “But now that we’re on the topic of Felix, I think we should discuss our next steps moving forward.” The wolf in question had left thirty minutes prior, needing to get back in time for a brief closing shift at the cafe. They had tried to change out of the outfit Hyunjin and Jisung put them in, but the duo insisted they wear it to work (Felix didn’t have a strict uniform they had to wear under their apron anyway). 

“I think we should just go around the circle and express our thoughts on Felix joining the pack.” Lino suggested, carding his hand through Seungmin’s hair. 

“What is this, kindergarten?” Changbin snickered, giving his boyfriend an amused look. 

“Thank you so much for volunteering to go first, Binnie!” The beta replied sweetly, fangs glinting as he gave the dark wolf an innocent smile. Changbin made a face back at him, his ears tinting red, but he knew better than to argue. He took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling to collect his thoughts.

“...I think they should join.” Changbin decided, turning his attention back to the group. “Felix is an incredibly sweet and genuine person, and I believe they’d make a wonderful addition. My only concern is that joining the pack would technically mean joining the relationship as well, and I don’t know if they’re ready for that.” He explained thoughtfully, busying his hands by playing with Jeongin’s tail. 

“And this conclusion has nothing to do with the outfit you saw them in earlier?” Lino prompted, his grin widening. Changbin whined, his ears pressing back against his head. 

“Hyung…”

“Fine, fine, I’ll leave you alone. Thank you, Bin.” Minho relented, pleased, looking now at Jeongin. “Innie?”

Jeongin pursed his lips, looking around the room. He loved his pack, loved the safety in their relationship, and the last thing he wanted was change. However…thinking back to being with Felix and how he’d seen his mates interact with the omega, he was certain he could make an exception. “I agree with Changbin. I like how Felix interacts with everyone, and…how they make me feel.” He mumbled, shifting in place. Changbin cooed at him, leaning in to kiss his cheek, but a low growl from the younger halted his actions. He was already embarrassed enough without the alpha coddling him. 

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Lino hummed, taking pity on his boyfriend, simply appreciating the honesty. “Hannie, you’re up.” 

The omega beamed, his tail swinging back and forth excitedly, sitting up from his previous position of being slouched against Chan. “I absolutely think Lixie should join! I like playing games with them, and dressing them up, and cooking with them, and how pretty they are, and–” He cut himself off, his cheeks heating up as he registered the sea of teasing looks his boyfriends were sending his way. The orange wolf cleared his throat, sinking back down. “I just like them.” He finished lamely, waving his hand around. 

Lino giggled, nodding, his heart warming as he got an insight into the different ways they felt about Felix– somehow all still agreeing on one point. “I gathered.” He teased, glancing over to see who was next. Chan opened his mouth, picking up on the trend, but the beta held up a hand to silence him. “No, you go last. I think we all know how you feel, but I don’t want a declaration of your undying love to sway anyone with concerns about this big change. No one should feel like they have to change their opinions because their lovesick pack alpha wants it.” He instructed, narrowing his eyes at the grey wolf. Chan immediately closed his mouth, a deep red blooming across his cheeks. He didn’t even bother to argue, simply nudging his head towards the omega tucked beneath his other arm. 

Hyunjin giggled, taking the hint, running a hand through his shoulder length hair. “Well, I think my feelings are pretty obvious as well, but I’ll explain it anyway. Ever since stepping into that cafe for the first time, I knew Felix was…different. Special. I instantly felt connected to them in a way I can’t explain. You guys have known them for a few months, and I’ve known them for about half a year. The care they put into every action, the way they just adore life and cute things and…oh, I dunno. What I can say for sure is I feel the same way about Felix that I felt when first meeting you all.” He finished up, a determined look on his face, despite the blush creeping up his neck. “So yes, I’m team ‘join the pack’.” 

Lino stared at him for a moment, silence befalling the room. He felt incredibly moved by the way Hyunjin painted his emotions out so elegantly, putting them on display for all to see. He cleared his throat, nodding, his eyes falling to the beta in his lap. “That was very well worded, Jinnie. Thank you. Minnie? How about you?”

Seungmin nodded, having had ample time to collect his thoughts. “I’d also like Felix to join the pack. I’ve been around them enough to say I know them pretty well. I don’t think we could ever find a more pure soul if we ever wanted another.” Lino’s eyes widened, surprised by the intensity in his tone. He nodded slowly, pressing a kiss to the top of Seungmin’s head, tightening his arms around the younger. 

“Okay, now you can speak, Chan.” He offered, a knowing smile on his face. Chan looked away from the beta, a deep pink still settled on his cheeks. 

“W-well I don’t want to now …” He grumbled, flustered. The beta laughed, shaking his head, thoroughly enjoying seeing the effect Felix had on their leader. Lino stretched his foot out, nudging the alpha’s with his own, his expression softening. 

“Go on, Channie.”

“ You didn’t go.” Chan pointed out, playfully narrowing his eyes at the pink haired wolf. 

“I was going to save mine for last since I won’t be swayed by you, but if you’re too embarrassed I can go first.” He retorted, shaking his head fondly. “I agree with Felix joining the pack. I think we can all say they’ve touched every one of our hearts in certain ways. I love having them around– and not just because they’re the only one who actively tries to be respectful to me, though I do appreciate it.” There were some snickers at the last addition, to which Lino sent minor glares their way, trying to subtly but not-so-subtly hint he wanted that same respect from the rest of the pack. 

Chan hummed, nodding, then gave a dramatic sigh to signal he was ready. “Well…I thought I was hiding it better, but apparently not. Yes, I want Felix to join the pack. Every time they’re around me I just…I feel dizzy. In a good way. They make me feel…good. This– this is the same way I felt when I wanted to bring each of you into the pack.” He admitted, ducking his head. The words held more weight with Chan than it did with any others. Chan was the final say on who joined the pack or not, and everyone in the living room at that moment had been hand selected by Chan. The grey wolf always loved so deeply; with his entire being. He loved all the tiny details about his boyfriends, and there were occasions where he has admitted they are the only reason he keeps going. Felix had clearly made quite the impact. 

Lino nodded, understanding passing through him, and he turned his gaze to the rest of the room. “Well, I think that settles it, then. We’ll ask Felix to join the pack. Jinnie, sweetheart, do you know their schedule for tomorrow?” He asked softly, trying to tamp down the explosion he knew would happen. It did absolutely nothing to help. Hyunjin shrieked, immediately standing up, Jisung following suit. Finally, they were getting another omega. They wrapped each other in a tight embrace, giggling as they spun around, the scent of marigold and oranges thick in the air.

“Holy shit ! Yes yes yes!” Hyunjin squealed, planting a firm kiss against Jisung’s mouth. The other omega made a muffled sound of surprise, but quickly melted into it. Hyunjin held the kiss for a moment before breaking free, turning his attention to Jeongin and Changbin. The maknae’s eyes widened, knowing exactly what was coming. He shook his head, scrambling to run away, but Changbin held him tightly by the waist. 

“Hyunnie.” Lino tried to call, unable to help laughing as Hyunjin got down on the floor and grabbed Jeongin’s cheeks, pressing their lips together. Despite the amount of whining and threats Jeongin uttered leading up to it, he kissed his boyfriend back just as passionately, his tail thumping against the ground.

“Jinnie, baby.” The beta tried again, needing Hyunjin to focus so he could set up a time for Felix to come over. Nope, Hyunjin was kissing Changbin now, the alpha looking extremely pleased to be included in the love-fest. 

“Hyunjin.” He tried a bit louder, the calls falling on deaf ears. Hyunjin had made his way to the pack alpha now, pausing for a moment. 

“Thank you.” He whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Chan’s lips. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” He repeated, now peppering the alpha’s face with kisses. Chan giggled, his ocean scent flowing from his scent glands and filling the room, overjoyed to see his pack so happy. 

“ Hwang Hyunjin .” Lino interrupted, only feeling slightly regretful for doing so. Hyunjin reluctantly pulled away, a guilty smile on his face as he walked over to the chair Lino and Seungmin occupied. He leaned down, taking Seungmin’s chin between his thumb and pointer finger, kissing him gently. Then he pulled away, finally turning his attention to Lino as he cupped his cheeks. 

“Sorry, Hyungie, I’m just so excited.” He murmured, a light pink dusting his face. Lino laughed, any annoyance he had felt building up immediately melting away. 

“Hm…I’ll forgive you if I get a kiss too.” The beta replied, a cheeky smile on his face. Hyunjin laughed, indulging the pink haired wolf, his lips moving softly against his boyfriend’s.

“Thank you.” He whispered once more, his eyes shining as he pulled away. Minho nodded, putting his hand overtop Hyunjin’s. 

“Of course, baby. I love seeing you guys happy. Now– I need Felix’s schedule. ”

~

Felix woke up the next morning to an onslaught of texts from Hyunjin. They had some troublesome customers the night before, and ended up having to stay an hour and a half later than usual because the couple wouldn’t leave . Seriously, are there no manners anymore?  Upon arriving at the apartment, they locked the door and promptly passed out on the bed. The omega woke up disoriented, trying to blink the blurriness of sleep away to read the messages. 

[ Jinnie 🕺]

Felix

Lixie

Hey pretty

Lix why are you never on your phone 💔

Lino hyung is gonna eat me if I don’t get your schedule

Gonna airfry me

Felix snorted, walking over to the bathroom, sticking a toothbrush in their mouth as they texted back. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              [ me ]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Well good morning to you too

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      You’re so impatient

[ Jinnie 🕺]

I’m too drawn to you ❤️ i can’t help it

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              [ me ]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 You’re ridiculous is what you are

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Why do you need my schedule?

[ Jinnie 🕺]

Reasons.

I just need it Lix pleaseeeeeeee

Pretty pleaseeeeeee

With a cherry on top

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              [ me ]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 💀

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    I’m off today, weirdo

[ Jinnie 🕺]

Yay!!!!!

Okay I’ll pick you up at 4

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              [ me ]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Lol why?? I was just at ur place yesterday

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          You’re being all mysterious

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Hyunjin.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Don’t leave me on read you overgrown ferret

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       HYUNJIN

[ Jinnie 🕺]

😊

Felix wrinkled their nose at the phone, sighing as they pocketed it and spit the toothpaste down the sink. Whatever game Hyunjin was playing, he clearly wasn’t going to elaborate. They caught their face in the mirror, groaning when they realized they had fallen asleep with the makeup from yesterday on. Great. Felix dug through the drawers, but couldn’t find any makeup wipes. Why would I have makeup wipes? I don’t own any makeup. Oh well– they needed a shower anyway. It would just take a little extra scrubbing. An hour later, they were showered, dressed, ready to go, and…it was 12:10. Well, what better to pass the time with than watching a couple episodes of trashy reality TV? No one was there to judge them, anyway. 

A knock at the door jolted them back to the real world, pausing as they were nearing the end of the second The Bachelor episode of the day. Felix scrambled for their phone, squinting at the time. 4:00 already? Damn two hour episodes… They snagged their phone, wallet, and mini backpack, moving to answer the knock. Felix could smell the omega before even opening the door, his marigold scent thick with excitement, creeping under the crack. As soon as the door opened, Hyunjin shrieked, pulling Felix into a crushing hug. The blonde laughed, surprised, but returned the gesture, a low purr rumbling in their chest. 

“Hi Lixie.” Hyunjin greeted, finally pulling away, a bright smile stretched across his face. 

“Hi Jinnie.” Felix replied, unable to help smiling back. “You’re awfully wound up. Any special reason why?” They prompted, falling into step beside the taller as they made their way to the car. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy.” The brunette countered, shooting Felix a playful wink. The younger snorted, elbowing their companion playfully, then climbing into the car. 

“You’re such an ass.” Felix retorted, using English just to fuck with Hyunjin. It had its desired effect as the omega whined, complaining about not knowing insults in English. Felix beamed, pleased, settling into their seat. “Just drive, ferret.”

~

As soon as they stepped in the house, they could tell something was…different. While it was common for only a few pack members to be out in the main room, usually having work or staying in their rooms at different times, everyone was out and everyone wanted to be around Felix. It was unnerving, but in a strangely comforting way. Another shock to the omega was the fact that they were being allowed to actually help with dinner. When the preparations started, they nervously walked over to Lino, knowing the beta was the unofficial head of all kitchen related activities. 

“Hyung? I-I know you always say guests shouldn’t have to do chores, but I really–”

“Wash your hands.” Lino instructed, not even allowing Felix to make a case. “We’re having dumplings.” Felix beamed, ecstatic that they were finally allowed to properly assist, quickly scrubbing any germs off their hands. 

“No way! I love dumplings!” They gushed, turning to the beta with a wide smile. There was a pause, Minho glancing over to Hyunjin, something softening in his features. Then he looked back to Felix, raising an eyebrow. 

“Really now? Then let's get to work.” He hummed, a secretive smile on his face that Felix couldn’t quite understand the meaning behind. They elected to ignore how weird everyone was acting, burying themself in their love for cooking. The dinner itself was even stranger. Over the months of Felix coming over, there had been a sort of rhythm established in the table conversation. The pack usually went around in a circle (something that was seeming to be the most effective form of letting everyone be heard) and gave a brief overview of what their day was like. Today, the conversation was incredibly Felix-forward. What had they done today? How was the cafe treating them? How did people like their outfit? What was their favorite color? To top off the weirdness, Chan wasn’t as engaged as usual. The pack alpha sat at the head of the table, and typically made sure to keep his eyes on everyone to ensure the pack was happy and got their share of food. When Felix glanced over to the grey wolf now, he was silently shoving dumplings in his mouth; his nervousness clear in his scent as he avoided eye contact. What the fuck is going on? 

After dinner, Felix was finishing up helping with the dishes (another thing they’d never been allowed to do before) when they noticed Jeongin and Seungmin wander over to the couch together. Okay, that’s fine, they were probably going to watch TV or something. Then Chan and Hyunjin joined them, making almost a half circle as they took the rest of the couch and the armchair beside it. Maybe a pack movie? As they were setting the last plate on the drying rack, Lino, Changbin, and Jisung walked to the living room as well; taking seats on the floor, their backs facing the TV. All that was left open was an armchair sat opposite the one Chan was in, completing the circle. Well, shit. This was the classic ‘we need to have a pack discussion’ formation. 

Felix slowly made their way to the chair, their ears flicking back. The way everyone’s eyes followed them as they walked made the armchair seem even more imposing. They carefully sat down, pulling their knees to their chest. “What? Why is everyone looking at me?” Chan and Lino shared a look, a silent conversation passing between them. The pack alpha’s eyes were pleading, but the beta shook his head, nudging him to speak. Chan took a deep breath, clearly incredibly nervous, interlocking his fingers together as he looked up at Felix.

“Well…we had a discussion last night concerning you.” He started off, voice serious, but his eyes soft. Felix laughed nervously, their hands immediately finding their tail as they tried to calm their rising anxiety. 

“Nothing bad, I hope.” They joked, trying to ease the thick tension in the room. The pack alpha allowed a soft smile, shaking his head. 

“No, Lix, nothing bad. We just had a question for you concerning your future with us.” Chan informed them, confusing the omega even more. My future with them? The hell was that supposed to mean? 

“Oh- uh- ask away, then.” They prompted, flashing the group a nervous smile. Hyunjin reached over and grabbed Chan’s hand, squeezing it in silent support. The alpha seemed to relax at this, straightening up in his chair. 

“We were…we were wondering how you would feel if we said we wanted you to join the pack.” Chan informed them, trying to keep his words as calm as possible. Felix froze in place, the words barely registering. They could smell their scent spiking, and they sunk deeper into their sweater, hoping to smother it. The omega looked around at the pack, each one of their eyes finding each other. They all looked so serious, but there was no way this was real. Felix gave a weak laugh, looking away, their ears flattening back against their head. 

“Hah…you uh…you guys got me. Really funny.” They murmured, internally cursing themself for getting their hopes up. This was obviously some sort of prank– that’s why they were all acting weird. The offer was too good to be true. 

Chan frowned, confused, looking to his mates for help. Had he made it sound like a joke? Hyunjin held a hand up, making his way over to Felix, crouching in front of the chair. “Lix?” He prompted, his voice soft. “Can you look at me, sweetheart?” Felix winced, internally preparing themself, and they forced their eyes up to Hyunjin’s. The brunette beamed, pleased, his hands going to rest on Felix’s knees. “What makes you think we’re joking, Lix?” 

“Because of what you’re offering.” Felix pointed out, trying to keep their emotions in check, their tail beginning to hurt from how hard they were pulling at the fur. “You wouldn’t actually ask me to join the pack.” 

Hyunjin frowned, tilting his head. “Oh? Why not?” Felix faltered, a confusing swirl of emotions growing inside them. Why was Hyunjin doubling down on this? 

“Because you already have a really big pack of amazing people. Adding me would mean you want to…” They paused, swallowing thickly, then shook their head. “And I’m just me. I’m a mess.” 

“I happen to like messes.” Jisung spoke up, a lopsided smile on his face. Felix’s eyes flicked to him, confused. They were really going all in for this weird joke.

“Yeah. Do you think any of us are perfect?” Changbin added on, raising an eyebrow. Yes , Felix thought, but they decided to keep that part private. 

“We aren’t fucking with you, Felix.” A sharp voice pulled the blonde from his thoughts, eyes widening as he realized it was Jeongin. The fox-like alpha was looking at him with the most sincere gaze he’s ever seen. “We genuinely would love it if you joined.” Felix’s thoughts were beginning to shift as he saw the continued serious mood of the room. Maybe a few jokes here and there, but they were holding fast to this idea. And Jeongin? His pack was the most important thing to him, and Felix knew he’d protect it with his life. Jeongin would never joke about allowing an outsider into the pack; he spoke only with direct intentions. 

“Are you…are you serious?” Felix whispered, looking around at the others. They all nodded; Felix unable to find even a hint of sarcasm. Their eyes then met Chan’s across the room, searching his face. The pack alpha’s expression was soft, and he gave a small nod, putting his hand over his heart. Trust me, Lix. 

“Do you need time to think?” Hyunjin asked, his hand still on Felix’s knee. Yes! A part of Felix screamed, banging against their chest. We swore off packs! Never again! They knew it was that terrified omega that fled to Korea, still scarred from their past. Another part of them wanted this more than anything. Finally, a place to call home. Somewhere they felt safe, loved, appreciated. Looking around at the hopeful eyes of these boys they’d met a couple months ago, it dawned on them. This pack was that perfect fantasy they’d always dreamed of. Felix looked up to Hyunjin, a small smile appearing on their face, and they shook their head. 

“...No. I don’t think I do. I would…I would love to join the pack, if you’d have me.” They murmured, the nervous fidgeting calming down. Hyunjin beamed, tugging Felix out of the chair, wrapping them in a tight hug. 

“I promise you won’t regret it.” He whispered back, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Felix’s head. The omega sighed, relaxing into his hold. This was the first time they’d truly felt safe in years. A thump pulled them from their thoughts, and they glanced to their left, seeing Jisung’s wide smile as he joined the hug. Felix giggled, bumping their nose against his. There was another movement– Lino had joined on Felix’s right. Jeongin came up behind them, snaking his arms around their waist as he laid his chin on Felix’s head. Changbin added himself to Jisung’s side, and Seungmin wormed his way in between Hyunjin and Lino. The pack alpha stood alone, simply staring at them, a soft smile on his face, and… were those tears in his eyes? Felix raised an eyebrow, barely able to see him over the ears of the rest of the pack, tilting their head slightly to invite the alpha over. Chan’s face morphed into something more mischievous, his grin widening. Jisung seemed to know what it meant, because as he peaked over, his eyes widened. 

“No– Hyung– Don’t–” The orange wolf protested, shaking his head. Chan snickered, his tail swishing back and forth. He then charged the group, crashing into them as he joined the hug, sending them all toppling over; Felix ending up on the bottom. They gave a dramatic groan, but any annoyance was undercut by the wide smile on their face. Seungmin grunted, sandwiched somehow between Jeongin and Lino, turning his attention to Felix. The beta looked amused– clearly this wasn’t an unusual activity. 

“Welcome home, Lix.”

Chapter Text

The next week and a half was chaotic, to say the least. Chan insisted that Felix move in with the rest of the pack, so the majority of the days were spent helping them pack their stuff up. There wasn’t technically an extra bedroom, but 3racha had said they could part with their in-house studio so Felix could take the room. They would need to rent out a real studio anyway; the boys were hard at work with producing the next album. Felix had talked with their landlady (a lovely beta woman named Lisa), paying out the last of their rent and informing her that they would be moving out. On top of that, Felix had gotten to dress up once again. Chan thought it would be a good idea to release a video introducing themselves and the members individually, so the pack had gotten dressed up and rented a professional camera. It went quite well– the fans seemed happy to be able to put names to faces that had appeared in the dance video. 

Felix looked around their new room, the whirlwind of chaos finally calming down. It was a little bleak since it had only been used as an office, but they could work with that. The omega always had a knack for brightening up a space. Moving in with the pack was different– but a good different. Everyone was far more touchy now, and Felix had been on the receiving end of quite a few cheek and head kisses. No one had tried to kiss them on the lips yet, but they found they were okay with it. The change, while good, was a bit overwhelming at times. Felix hadn’t been in a pack environment for quite some time. They were arranging their stuffed animals on the bed (yes, Felix still had stuffed animals, shut up), when the door was flung open. The blonde could smell the excited marigold, knowing who it was without even having to turn around. 

“Felix!” Hyunjin gasped, quickly coming up behind them, wrapping his arms around their waist. The omega in question smiled, cheeks turning a bit rosy. 

“Hi Jinnie.” They greeted, patting Hyunjin’s arm, giggling when the brunette nosed at their scent gland. Hyunjin was certainly the boldest since making it obvious that they were courting Felix. It made sense, seeing as how they were already kind of touchy and had known each other longer, but Felix couldn’t help those flustered feelings that rose up at every brush, every glance. It was different now. It had intention.  

“I have some news, but don’t freak out.” The brunette continued on, torn between his excitement and his current fascination with Felix’s lovely chocolate scent. His tail was wildly swinging back and forth, occasionally hitting the blonde’s arm, but they didn’t really mind. 

“I feel like you’re the one freaking out.” Felix countered, a fond smile gracing their face as they looked over at Hyunjin. The taller omega forced himself to pull away from Felix’s neck, but still kept an arm around their waist to keep them close. He fumbled for his phone, then pulled up a screenshot, handing the device over. 

“Channie sent this to me. It was an email addressed to us in the Stray Kids business account.” He explained, leaning over the blonde’s shoulder to read along, hugging them tight. Felix nodded along, confused. Why would anyone be wanting to contact them? Why on the band account? They forced themself to stop spiraling and actually read what the email said, muttering the words as they processed. 

“Dear Mr. Bang Chan, I hope this finds you well…I understand you are the pack alpha and leader of Stray Kids…blah blah blah…taken a particular interest in your talents Hwang Hyunjin and Lee Felix–” The freckled wolf paused, looking over at Hyunjin with wide eyes. The boy nodded excitedly, nudging them in return. 

“Keep reading!”

“Okay, okay. Uh…your talents Hwang Hyunjin and Lee Felix…such raw natural beauty– wow– okay. Enclosed with this email is job offers for them both to work under our company as models– holy shit? ” They gasped, looking at their now-boyfriend, lost for words. “I…Is this real?”

Hyunjin beamed, nodding, his scent matching Felix’s as the room exploded in warm, velvety chocolate and elegant, passionate marigolds. “It’s super real! Chan hasn’t replied back yet because he wanted to get our opinions on it, but isn’t this exciting? They want us as models! We can try on all the fancy clothes we want! Plus, it’s good publicity for the band.” He rambled on, toying with Felix’s hair. The omega was half listening, now staring blankly at the phone. A well known luxury brand wanted them as a model. The company saw two videos and decided their face was one they wanted in magazines. How was this even possible? Just a few years ago, Felix had resigned themself to a lifetime of emotionless servitude. Just a cog in the machine for the pack– there to populate and ensure the alpha thrived. Now they had a loving pack, seven boyfriends (a fact they could still barely wrap their head around), and were being offered a high paying job for simply looking pretty. 

“Felix?” Hyunjin called softly, looking worried. They snapped back up at the sound of their name, feeling slightly guilty. The brunette sighed, gently tugging the phone out of their hands and setting it aside; hands coming up to cup Felix’s cheeks. “What’s wrong, sunshine?” Ah. The pet names. It was so lovingly adorable. Did they deserve this? 

“I–...I just can’t believe this is real.” They whispered, their tail wrapping around their legs. “I have everything I’ve ever wanted. A pack, loving mates, and now a modeling offer? It just– it feels like a dream. Nothing I’m deserving of.” Hyunjin tsked, his thumbs rubbing back and forth, dusting over Felix’s freckles. 

“You deserve all of that and more , Lix. You have a pack full of doting mates because we love everything about who you are. Your smile, the way you care so deeply about things, your personality, your sexy ass deep voice…” He listed off, grinning as he saw a rosy blush spread across Felix’s cheeks. The taller gave a brief pause, darting forward to kiss the tip of their nose before continuing on. “And you have a modeling offer because you’re drop dead gorgeous. You’re hard working, caring, and one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. I’m sure once we dominate the music industry, you’ll have so many people trying to get a piece of you, your phone will explode.” Hyunjin assured them, ending the rant with a firm nod. Felix paused, baffled, unsure of what to do. This was the most someone had cared about them since…forever. They turned their attention downwards, fidgeting with their tail as they processed the words, then finally looked back up. 

“I think…I think I’d like to take the offer.” They decided, determined. Whether this felt like a dream or not, it was real. It was real, and it was here, and Felix wasn’t going to let this opportunity at the life they had always wanted just slip away. Hyunjin beamed, content to once again busy himself with the younger’s scent glands.

“That’s my baby.”

~

“You’re a lot calmer than I thought you’d be.” Chan observed, his hands moving to work out the knots in his boyfriend’s shoulders. Jisung gave a noncommittal hum, shrugging slightly, fidgeting with a loose string on his shorts. 

“Well for one, I don’t want to overwhelm them.” He started off, a gentle pout on his face. “I know I can be…a lot. I really want this to work out. I don’t know how the pack, or me for that matter, would handle it if they didn’t want to stay. I don’t want to be the reason they’re scared off.” Chan frowned, slowing his movements to lean over the younger’s shoulder, his ears flicking back. 

“Why would you be too much?” The alpha asked, scooting around so he could face Jisung. The orange wolf sighed, looking down at his lap. 

“I’m always too much. Too loud, too energetic, too–” Jisung was cut off from his self deprecating rant as Chan tackled him, the omega flopping back against the pillows. Chan swung his legs over, straddling his boyfriend, his hands immediately latching onto the younger’s sides, vibrating against his ribcage. Jisung let out an odd squawking noise, squirming to get away, but the pack leader was an immovable force. 

“Hyung!” Jisung whined, giggles slipping out of him despite his best efforts. Chan was wearing a wolfish grin, clearly enjoying himself, but he paused his attack. 

“So– are you ever too much?” The grey wolf asked, raising an eyebrow. Han faltered, his eyes locked onto the hands still resting against his torso, but he held firm. 

“Yes, I can be too much. It’s not beating myself up, I just know for a fact–” Chan shook his head, interrupting the boy by resuming his attacks again, alternating between poking at his ribs and spidering his fingers against his stomach. Jisung devolved into loud laughter, his cheeks turning pink as he weakly swatted at the alpha. 

“Nohoho! O-okay I’m sohohorry!” He squeaked, practically melting with relief when the attacks ceased. Chan snickered, pleased with himself, and he laid down next to the giggly wolf, wrapping his arms around him. He pulled the omega close, pressing a sloppy kiss to his flushed cheek. 

“That’s what I thought. Don’t ever say that you’re too much. You’re absolutely perfect the way you are, and I love you for it. If Felix doesn’t see that in you, then that’s their loss. I highly doubt it will be that way, though. I know part of the reason they’ve worked so hard on their Korean is because of you.” Chan explained softly, his hand now rubbing gentle circles on Han’s stomach. The orange wolf looked over at him, furrowing his eyebrows confusedly. 

“Because of me? Why?” 

“Because they care about you, silly.” Chan replied simply, shrugging. “You tend to talk faster, especially when you get excited, and they want to understand you. They don’t want you to change who you are, so they’re working harder to come to your level.” Jisung was quiet for a moment, processing the information, before he nodded slowly. 

“Well…if you put it like that, I guess I’m pretty alright.” He mumbled, turning to face Chan, burying his face in his boyfriend’s chest. Chan laughed, his hand coming up to card through Jisung’s hair, kissing the top of his head. 

“I’m glad you can see what we see, Sungie.”

Chapter Text

Felix surveyed the ingredients laid out before them, their ears flicking on occasion as they muttered, making sure everything was in order. Chan and Lino had gone to a doctor's appointment, and the rest had ventured to the mall for a shopping trip (minus Changbin, who stayed home to work on the upcoming album). The pack had asked Felix if they wanted to come with, but they had politely declined. There was a lot of change happening in their life, and the omega needed the time to recenter themself. How did Felix do that? Through the art of baking. 

They had just finished washing their hands when they straightened up, the smell of firewood invading their nostrils. The omega turned around, suddenly nose to nose with Changbin; who had been leaning over their shoulder. The dark wolf smiled, evidently a bit embarrassed by his closeness, and he took a step back. “Hi, Lix. What are you up to?” He asked politely, folding his hands behind his back. Adorable . Felix smiled, drying their hands, then gesturing to the ingredients scattered about the counter. 

“Making brownies.” They hummed, reaching to get a bowl from the cabinet. The blonde huffed, realizing the specific bowl they wanted was too high on the shelf to reach. “Hey, Binnie, can you grab the stepstoo–” Felix was cut off as two hands appeared around their waist, lifting them off the ground. They squeaked, one hand going overtop the one on their waist, the other quickly grabbing the bowl. The omega was safely returned to the ground, hugging the bowl to their chest, and shot Changbin look. The alpha laughed, clearly enjoying Felix’s frazzled state. 

“I wanted to be all romantic and reach it for you, but I’m too short.” He admitted, his cheeks tinting a light pink, rocking back and forth on his heels. “That was my next best idea.” Oh. Well, shit. That was even cuter.  

“You scared me.” Felix grumbled, setting the bowl down. They leaned back, pressing a quick kiss to Changbin’s cheek, then immediately returning to putting the brownies together. Their face was likely a deep red, and they just silently prayed the alpha ignored it. Changbin paused, frozen in place, before a wide smile spread across his face. He moved to lean against the counter next to the blonde, who had begun mixing dry ingredients. 

“Do you want a helper?” He asked, watching the omega work with interest. Felix bristled, ready to tell the muscular alpha off. They didn’t need help , they’ve baked countless times. They weren’t some helpless pup that needed to be monitored every five seconds. But then they looked up, catching the hopeful expression on Changbin’s face. He wasn’t asking because he thought they needed to be assisted– he was asking because he wanted to spend time with them. They were dating now, after all. Couldn’t Felix give up the sanctity of baking to allow someone in? The omega huffed, lightly swatting Changbin with their tail, tilting their head towards the sink.

“Wash your hands, then you can.” They allowed, a smile forming on their lips. Changbin beamed, immediately following the directions, thoroughly washing his hands before returning to Felix’s side. 

“What next, brownie boy?” Changbin asked, playfully wiggling his fingers. Felix snorted, a light pink dusting their cheeks as they bumped their hip against Changbin’s. 

“You’re a dork. Grab the egg and separate the yolk from the white.” They instructed, returning to their serious baker mode. Brownies were not to be fucked with. The dark wolf gave a playful salute, carefully separating the bits of the egg. They worked together quite well, Felix soon discovered. Changbin was very good at stepping in where they needed it, and knew what times were for playing around and when they needed to get shit done. The omega saw why Lino often tugged the alpha into the kitchen with him. 

“How are you feeling?” Changbin asked after a few minutes of quiet, busying himself with cleaning up while Felix mixed. 

“Fine. Do I look sick?” They replied, confused, buttering the pan to ready it for the dessert. Changbin shook his head, tossing the eggshells in the trashcan. 

“No– not like that. Just…in general.” He elaborated, his gaze soft. “I know it’s a lot with moving in, especially around alphas.” Ah, there it was. Changbin was more perceptive than the pack gave him credit for, and he certainly wasn’t an idiot. He knew Felix had a dark past. The blonde didn’t respond for some time, pouring the brownies in the pan, adding chocolate chips, and sticking it in the oven. They turned back to Changbin, wiping their hands on their apron (it was Lino’s, actually, and it had cats on it), then straightening up. They held out their hand to Changbin, their ears twitching nervously, but they were determined. Felix was a part of a pack now; they had mates . If there was one thing they could offer in return for this unending kindness, it would be their story. 

Changbin took their hand without question, following behind Felix as he was dragged to their room. Felix sat on the edge of their bed, Changbin following suit. They took a deep breath, their fingers finding that pulse in their neck. You can do this. Changbin is here to support you. They all are. “...I ran away from my old pack.” The omega blurted out, just to break the ice. Changbin nodded understandingly, pushing out a wave of his firewood scent in hopes of calming his partner. 

“I gathered.” He murmured softly, his hand resting on Felix’s knee. The blonde took it in stride, the weight of his hand grounding them. 

“I lived in Australia all my life. I grew up in this pack called Moonvale. ” Even now, years later, the name still sent shivers down their spine; the memories forever haunting them. Changbin stiffened beside them, his scent spiking. Ah, so he had heard of them. It wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility– Moonvale was quite an influential pack in Australia, and Chan had probably mentioned it once or twice before.  “It was fine during my childhood. All the pups were kept separately from the main pack, so I grew up fairly normally. My mom passed away when I was four, and Moonvale kept me around. I was grateful– it was home.” Times weren’t always as horrific as what now plagued the omega’s mind. Felix would argue that before they presented, their childhood was likely happier than most. They were protected, fed, clothed, and got to play with the other pups. It was almost peaceful. 

“Everything changed the day I presented as an omega. I was ripped away from my friends and anyone who hadn’t yet presented. I was then taken to the alpha– Weston.” The name usually struck fear into Felix’s heart; their skin itching and chest constricting with the need to escape. But now? Now their blood boiled. Who was he to think he could own them? Like they were some sort of trophy to be proudly displayed over a round of beers, tossed into the dusty coat closet when not called upon? No. They were more than that. Lee Felix was not some object or plaything for the enjoyment of a sick and twisted man. Their silent cries would be heard.

Changbin squeezed their knee, pulling them from their thoughts. Felix released their grip on the comforter, now realizing their claws were digging holes into the fabric. They looked at the alpha, nodding, taking a moment to collect themself. “I had met Weston a few times before in passing, but he didn’t care much for the pups. That’s what the betas of the pack were for. The alphas protected the pack’s status, keeping Weston well feared, and the omegas were for…breeding.”

“ Felix– ”

“Let me finish.” They interrupted, squeezing Changbin’s hand. The blonde appreciated his concern, but if they didn’t talk now, they never would. The alpha gave a reluctant nod, settling down, allowing Felix to continue. “Yes, the omegas were used for breeding. It was really scary the first time– I was in heat and confused. They threw me into the room with an alpha, then locked the door. It was actually a guy I grew up with, so I was relieved. I thought he could help me figure out what was happening. I pleaded with him as he pulled down my pants, my hands latched onto his shirt. He looked almost regretful for a moment, but it didn’t last long. It was one of the worst nights of my life. My omega side craved an alpha, but I had no idea what to do, why this was happening, or who I wanted comfort from. To his credit, I think he made it as quick as possible. I didn’t get pregnant, but I did have a major anxiety attack, and I dropped. It took a few days for me to wake up, and Weston was angry. That was…that was the first time he ever laid hands on me, I think. ‘ For such a handsome little thing, you sure are useless’ is what he would say to me all the time. He made me try again shortly after, but my heat was over, so it didn’t take that time, either. 

“When my next heat rolled around, I had another panic attack. This very quickly became a fucked up pattern– he would try to put me with an alpha, I would freak out, he would punish me, and so on. On top of that, there were times where I wanted to explore some things about myself. Experimenting with my sexuality and gender, trying different clothes, wearing makeup…Weston was uh…not a fan. There was a very specific image I was told to obtain, and I was not allowed to stray from it. He had…he had finally had enough of me; the night I decided to run. He told me that I was going to be locked in one of the breeding rooms, and I wasn’t allowed out until that stick turned blue. I barely had time to gather what little things I owned, and I was gone. I used nearly all of my savings on a plane ticket to Korea and the cheapest hotel I could find for the night. Luckily, I stopped into the cafe I work at now a day after I used up the last of my funds. The owner is a very sweet omega woman, and I ended up breaking down in the store. It was embarrassing, and my scent probably reeked , but she didn’t comment on it. She bought me a hot chocolate, sat me down, and offered me a job. Her grandson worked there before, but he was leaving for college, so the spot was vacant. I took it, kept my head low, and slowly saved up enough for the dingy little apartment I just moved out of. You uh…you know the rest.” 

Changbin stared at the omega, now seeing his mate in a new light. Sweet, bubbly, polite Felix…they’d been through so much worse than he imagined. Without a second thought, he reached out, scooping Felix up by the waist and tugging them into his lap. The omega made a small sound of surprise, their cheeks tinting a light pink, but they embraced the new position. The alpha carefully nosed at Felix’s scent glands, to which they responded by tipping their head to the side; albeit nervous. Changbin nuzzled into their neck, holding them tightly, a purr starting up in his chest. No amount of words could soothe Felix’s pain, so he hoped he could convey what he felt through touch. He was always more of a man of action, anyway. 

Felix relaxed as the rumblings of Changbin’s purr transferred to them, easing their anxieties. They allowed themself to be given the affection, their eyes fluttering shut as they snuggled into him. “You’re one of us, Lix.” Changbin murmured against their neck, blinking back the angry tears that threatened his eyes. “You won’t ever be treated as less than the angel you are ever again.” 

~

“So…yeah.” Felix finished off, squeezing Changbin’s hand to ground themself. The pack just stared at them, various looks of shock and anger on their faces. The story had gotten a bit easier for Felix to tell, but it had not lost its impact on those who hadn’t heard it. The scents in the room were getting loud – protective, pissed off. 

“I can’t believe you–”

“That’s so disgustingly inhumane. Who in their right mind–”

“When I get my hands on him, he’ll wish he never–”

“I’m about to fly there myself and–”

“ Quiet . ” Jeongin growled, standing up. The room exploded with yeast, the scent commanding respect. Chan’s pupils dilated as he registered it, his inner pack alpha itching to put him back in his place. However, the rational side of Chan trusted his mate, and he simply gave the sandy wolf his attention, shutting his mouth. “You’re all freaking out in the wrong ways. Felix doesn’t need you to rage and gnash your fangs– they need your comfort . Yes, this Weston guy is a piece of shit, and I would enjoy personally escorting him to hell. However, it doesn’t help to pointlessly yell about it. It happened, it sucked, it’s over.” Minho frowned, the way Jeongin brushed it off rubbing him the wrong way. 

“Don’t just bury their trauma in–”

“He’s right.” Felix murmured, speaking up for the first time since the chaos started. They meet eyes with Jeongin, that familiar understanding passing between them. The young alpha had probably been through something similar when he shared his story, and knew he needed to shut it down before it picked up. Felix and Jeongin were two halves of the same weathered coin; tossed carelessly to the road, washed down the sewer, and somehow ended up back on the surface. “I-I appreciate how much you guys care about me, but…I don’t want to sit and stew angrily about things I can’t change. I have you guys now, and I shared this so I can put myself out there. I want to be open with you all– I want to thrive in this life.” 

Seungmin, who was on Felix’s other side, reached over and gently ran a hand through their hair. There was a knowing smile on his face; a simple comfort. He had escaped along with Jeongin, knowing exactly how Felix felt. Their three souls were intertwined in a way words couldn’t convey. 

“We will respect that, Felix.” Chan assured them, his eyes full of such pure love, Felix had to fight not to shy away from it. 

“I have a question, though.” Jisung piped up, raising his hand. Felix giggled, nodding towards the orange omega, amused. 

“Yes, Sungie?” They prompted, far more relaxed now. The talk was over and done with. They had bared their darkest baggage to the pack, rusted chains and bleeding wounds, and they didn’t push them away. This pack loved them in every sense of the word, and the feeling was incredibly mutual. This was everything they had ever dreamed of. 

“Why did Changbin get to be the first person you told?”

“ Han fucking Jisung–”

Chapter Text

“It’s a bit…”

“Suggestive?”

“Well–” 

“I think it’s beautiful.” Chan breathed, staring at the poster in awe. Despite Felix and Hyunjin being somewhat last minute additions, the magazine had scrambled to make sure their photos would be put up at the same time as the others in the spring line announcement. The pack had gone out on the day they’d been told the poster would be put up, and were now gathered outside of the mall to inspect it. This particular picture the magazine had chosen was one that featured both Felix and Hyunjin in it– Hyunjin with his arms draped around the younger, Felix tilting their head up, both looking into the camera. The blonde was sporting a slight pout, while Hyunjin seemed a bit more assertive, a fiery look in his eyes. 

“Of course you would, gay ass.” Seungmin giggled, earning an elbow in the side from Hyunjin. Chan threw a glare at the beta, his ears red, but he made no opposing protests. The tall omega wrapped his arms around Felix’s waist, pulling them close, grinning proudly. 

“We look amazing.” Hyunjin agreed, pressing his nose into Felix’s hair. The blonde laughed nervously, hardly believing the sight before them. Lee Felix was officially a model – and they looked damn near angelic. 

“You two look like naturals.” Changbin assured them, reaching over to card his hand through Hyunjin’s hair. Despite his muscular appearance, the alpha was quite interested in fashion, and had been the most excited (aside from the two omegas themselves, obviously ) about the opportunity. “Looks like the shoot was a huge success.”

~~Two days earlier~~

The room was cold. Not just the temperature– but the walls themselves. They were flat and grey, looming ominously over Felix as they trailed behind Chan. Forget about the walls talking– if they could voice judgements, the world would fall apart at the seams. The omega was worried their companions would behave differently in this professional atmosphere, knowing the usual amount of clinginess wasn’t exactly proper, but Hyunjin had intertwined their hands the second they stepped out of the car. The two now walked closely huddled together, following their pack alpha, who was being led by an assistant. The final room they entered was just as empty feeling as the rest of the building; the only difference being the various backdrops and tripods set up on the sides. Several people, presumably photographers and stylists, milled about, chatting in hushed tones. It somewhat reminded Felix of a library. 

“Okay.” The assistant announced, turning on her heel to face the three, clipboard in hand. Why did assistants always have clipboards? Was it part of the uniform or something? “You two will be modeling the spring line we have coming out in a month. You’ll get your makeup done, be put in the outfits, then you’ll be paired with a couple different photographers. Once you’re done with the shoot, we’ll pick some teaser images and put a rush on editing to get them out in three days at the most. The rest of the pictures will be released in increments leading up to the drop. Do you have any questions?” 

The two immediately looked at Chan, eyes wide. The alpha chuckled, raising an eyebrow, tilting his head back at them. Hyunjin straightened up, putting on a smile, and he shook his head. “None that we can think of.” 

“Excellent.” She hummed, seeming unfazed by the brief exchange. “Follow me, and we’ll get you both camera ready.” 

The stylist was probably very sweet, but the time constraint on the shoot had everyone scrambling. He gave the two a brief nod in introduction, then nearly threw their outfits at them, haphazardly gesturing to the changing rooms before disappearing around a corner. The makeup artists seemed to be similar people of few words, but Felix suspected that was partly because they didn’t want them to talk and disrupt the application. It was fine with them– the day was a bit overwhelming anyway. The hair stylists were Felix’s favorite of the team, serving to lift their mounting anxieties. Hyunjin’s stylist, San, seemed to exude the same artistic energy the brunette had, for lack of a better word. They would exchange quiet words and compliments, seeming instantly comfortable in each other's presence. Felix’s stylist on the other hand, Wooyoung, was incredibly talkative. He bounced around them, chattering endlessly as he fixed their hair. Wooyoung adored everything about the omega, commenting on their freckles and eyes all the way down to their voice and slim waist. Usually all that attention focused on them, their body in particular, would’ve made them uncomfortable– Wooyoung managed to turn it into a relaxing experience. 

Chan hung around, having promised to stay on their first day, but gave the two ample space. He sat in a folding chair the staff provided him, looking a little lost, but supportive nonetheless. The alpha gave them a thumbs up as they were ushered to the backdrops, which made Felix feel a little better. It was such an adorably dorky Chan way of showing love. 

“Okay– have you ever modeled before?” The photographer asked when Felix got in front of the camera, fidgeting with the settings. The omega shook their head, flashing him a nervous smile. 

“Ah, no. This is my first time.” They admitted, their ears flicking back. The photographer grunted, peering at them through the lens, his body language annoyed. 

“Okay, good to know. It’ll slow us down, but I can work with it.” He muttered, finally turning his full attention to Felix. “Just move around in slightly different positions. Don’t be too stiff; pick a semi relaxed pose, then adjust small things about it each time. I’m going to be taking a lot of pictures, so not every one of them has to be a winner.” 

They tried to follow the instructions as closely as possible, but couldn’t shake the awkward feelings in their limbs. If it affected the pictures much, the photographer didn’t comment, which Felix was grateful for. After around ten minutes, Hyunjin was sent over to join them, the magazine wanting some pictures with them together considering this was an Omega line of clothing. The brunette beamed as he joined his partner, looking positively radiant under all the attention. Felix had to resist the urge to kiss him right then and there– it seemed like an inappropriate time, and it would smudge their makeup. 

“Okay…Hyunjin, was it? Can you move slightly behind him?” The photographer asked, squinting as he tried to get the right angle. Hyunjin did as he was asked, his tail flicking irritably. 

“Felix uses they/them pronouns.” The taller corrected, wearing a sweet smile. The guy probably didn’t know any better ( though he should; Chan has discussed it in the emails ), but Hyunjin was still quietly seething. Such a fierce protection of a piece of their identity…it made Felix giddy in ways they know it shouldn’t. 

“Yeah, whatever. Just a bit more to the side– I want him to be center for a few, then you two can flip.” Hyunjin bristled, his ears flattening low against his head, his scent souring. Felix reached a hand back, murmuring some excuses in order to prevent problems, but Chan beat them to any response. Like a ghost, the alpha materialized behind the photographer, putting a strong hand on his shoulder. The guy nearly jumped out of his skin, and Felix could see the moment he registered he now had a pissed off alpha on his hands. 

“You must not have heard.” Chan hummed, his voice sweet, but his eyes flashed dangerously. “Felix uses they/them pronouns, okay? Nothing else. Do we understand each other.?”

“Ah– yes, s-sorry. It’s just really stressful with the magazine pushing for these last minute additions and I didn’t really register–”

“I think you’ve finished up your portion, right?” It wasn’t a question. Chan’s hand tightened on his shoulder, baring his fangs in a toothy smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I think it’s time for the other photographer.” Whatever objections he may have had seemed to die in the back of his throat as he gave a weak nod, squirming out of Chan’s grip and hurrying away. Felix faltered, holding up a hand helplessly, feeling even worse for the discourse that had already begun. Chan shook his head, sending the two omegas a playful wink, looking pleased as the next photographer took to the tripod. 

“Oh gosh– you two are beautiful .” She gushed, her hair bouncing as she gave an excited little hop. She didn’t seem to notice Chan looming over her shoulder, but the alpha gave an approving nod nonetheless. The girl had an overflowing passion for her craft, letting out tiny noises of happiness when she found an angle or pose she really liked from them. Felix found themself praying they’d get her again for the next shoot (If there was a next shoot. The magazine was testing the waters with this one). 

“Okay…” She glanced back, apparently having noticed Chan, then back to the omegas. Her teeth chewed at her bottom lip, her ear flopping to the side as she thought. She walked closer to the two, speaking in a low voice. “That’s your alpha, right?”

Hyunjin and Felix broke into matching smiles, nodding their heads eagerly. “Yep. He’s the best.” Hyunjin sighed, casting a dreamy look to his boyfriend. The photographer nodded, her quiet excitement growing. 

“Perfect! Okay, this is going to sound weird, but walk with me here. I want to get a couple seductive shots, and I want it to be authentic. I want our target audience to know they can feel sexy in these clothes. So – I want you two kind of wrapped around each other, but don’t look at the camera. Look at him , and think about how you’d want to present yourselves to him in that light, okay?” Hyunjin smirked, that mischievous light dancing behind his eyes. He snaked his arm around Felix’s waist, nodding. 

“I think we can do that.” He assured her, glancing down at Felix. The blonde looked nervous, fidgeting with their hands. Seductive? For Chan? They hadn’t even kissed yet. Was this okay? Hyunjin, as if reading their thoughts, leaned down and nosed at the side of their head. “Trust me, Lix, it’ll be okay. Plus, you get to help me make Channie all red, which is one of my favorite activities.” Felix giggled, letting some of the tension out of their stance at the idea. Flustering Chan? They knew exactly how to do that. 

When the photographer gave the go ahead, both sets of eyes turned to the pack alpha. Chan raised an eyebrow, confused, but he gave a small wave in greeting. This is so much fun. Felix felt Hyunjin’s arms drape around them, the weight familiar and comforting. They tilted their chin up, serving Chan the same puppy eyed look that had gotten him to depart from his beloved laptop. Hyunjin grinned, biting his lip, his eyes powerfully conveying the desire. The two were so perfectly showcasing opposite ends of the same concept, the photographer scrambled not to drop her camera. True to their predictions, Chan stilled as he realized what was happening. His face slowly took on a rosy red hue, and his tail began wagging behind him as he stared with wide eyes. Fucking Christ he’s adorable.  

“ Perfect. ” The photographer gasped, her tail picking up speed as well, albeit for slightly different reasons. She moved to stand in front of Chan, making sure to perfectly capture their gazes. “I’m so getting that front cover.” 

~~ Present Day ~~

After the shoot was over, the same assistant from before gave them a rundown of events. The magazine and the clothing brand they were showcasing had their headquarters stationed in Korea, but were both internationally popular brands. She warned them not to be surprised when people started talking about it, especially since Hyunjin and Felix were making their modeling debut. The pictures were sure to spread like wildfire in the fashion community. 

Over the next week, Felix had started to run out of excuses to go out. First their favorite pair of jeans from a certain mall needed to be replaced. Then it was needing to get some fresh air from being in the house all day. They had even whined about needing a new skirt to match their cardigan ( though the black skirt they had matched perfectly ). It was painfully obvious why the repeated trips were happening, because the pack somehow always ended up back at the poster. No one minded the act Felix put up– they all knew how big this was for them. 

Like usual, Felix once again found themselves outside, admiring the sign like it was the first time all over again. It wasn’t the entire pack on his expedition– Only Seungmin, Chan, and Jeongin with them. They didn’t care; all they needed was to see it. Reaffirm it’s realness. They were chatting with Seungmin, the two alphas waiting on boba orders up the street, when they froze in place. There, at the end of the block, was a stark of unmistakable white fur. 

“Seungmin?” Felix asked in a small voice, fumbling for their phone. The beta hummed in response, frowning as they caught wind of the way the omega’s scent quickly turned distressed. They scrambled to search for something, the task proving difficult since their eyes were on the wolf ahead of them, but they couldn’t look away. “Does…does that guy up there look like him?”

Seungmin gently took the phone, squinting his eyes as he looked between the two figures. After a moment, he nodded, handing the phone back. “Yeah, I’d say so. Why? Is he someone you know?” 

“It’s him.” Felix whispered, frozen in horror. 

“Him? Who–” Seungmin’s expression dropped, his ears flicking back as it dawned on him. “Run, Felix. Chan and Jeongin will see us run past the shop, and they won’t ask questions. We need to get out of here before either of them catches wind of this.” He knew the argument would be public, messy, and likely physical– none of them were prepared for that. 

Felix was rooted in the spot, unable to get themself to move. What is it, Felix? What happened to all that macho talk? I thought you were pissed at him. Seems to me like you’re more likely to piss your pants. All the healing they’d done, the weeks of crying and scrounging for the shattered pieces of themself– it all came crashing down. Their brain completely shut down, and they couldn’t do a thing about it. Seungmin growled, tugging at their arm, his worry increasing as the guy turned their way. 

“Dammnit, Felix, I said run !”

Chapter Text

They’d never run so fast in their life.

Felix’s lungs burned as they sprinted, their legs taking quick strides of panic, nearly tripping over themself. Everything hurt and their head was spinning– but they didn’t stop. They could never stop. Pure adrenaline had overtaken their system, tensing every fraction of their body. The omega couldn’t tell if it made it better or worse that Seungmin was equally as frantic, his head on a swivel as he monitored the area around them. 

They stopped for a moment, just a fraction of a second, outside of the boba place the two alphas were in. Seungmin locked eyes with Jeongin through the glass, looked at Chan, then grabbed Felix’s hand– and they were off again. The heavy footsteps that soon followed them frightened Felix at first, but after sparing a glance back (nearly faceplanting again) they saw those familiar grey and tan ears. 

Thankfully, the car wasn’t too far. The pack wordlessly scrambled to get into the car and Chan immediately pressed the gas petal (highly uncharacteristic for the pack alpha– he always checked that seatbelts were fastened before moving). The ride back was stressful and long, but quiet. Only the sounds of panting filled the car as Chan turned down various extra streets, just in case they were being followed. 

The atmosphere was tense, to say the least. As soon as they stepped through the door, Chan put his fingers to his lips, blowing out a high pitched whistle. Within minutes, the entire pack was gathered downstairs, assuming the classic circular formation. The only difference now was that Jeongin refused to let go of Seungmin or Felix. The alpha had pulled his mates into his lap, growling when they tried to move away, and was currently focused on scenting them both. Felix’s mind was still spinning– they barely registered that this was the first time they had scented with a member of the pack. They just sat in Jeongin’s lap, squished against Seungmin, frozen in place. 

Chan was on Felix’s left side, his expression a mix of concern and protectiveness. He brushed the hair out of Felix’s face, using the action to soothe both himself and the omega. “Okay…we’re safe now. What did you two see?” 

The blonde wolf shook themself out of the frozen stupor, wordlessly handing their phone to Chan– the picture from earlier was still on screen. Chan carefully took the phone, studying the picture. His eyes flashed red, his scent becoming noticeably stronger, and he looked back up to Seungmin and Felix. “...No.”

“Yes.” Seungmin nodded, taking a brief pause to nuzzle Jeongin back. The young alpha was getting visibly riled up by Chan’s distress– the exact reason Seungmin had told Felix to run instead of trying to fight. “I saw him with my own eyes; we both did. He’s here, and he knows Felix is here.”

“Wait– who’s here?” Jisung piped up, his eyebrows knit with concern. It would have looked adorable had the situation been different. 

“Weston. My old pack alpha.” Felix murmured, their hands burying in their tail, pulling hard at the fur. Jeongin made a small chirping noise, pressing his nose firmly against the omega’s scent glands, trying to calm their anxiety. The blonde took in a shaky breath, slowly extracting their hands from their tail.

“What? How the fuck did he find you?”

Hyunjin froze, his ears flicking back, his eyes going wide as he met Felix’s across the room. “The spring line.”

Realization dawned on Chan, and he stood up, burying his face in his hands. “ Fuck. The fucking spring– of course. The brand is so widely known, I– Christ, how could I be so stupid?” Jisung stood up as well, his eyes darting around the room, his anxiety mounting. Yes, Chan was the pack alpha, but 3racha was the original foundation of the group. This was Jisung’s pack just as much as it was Chan’s, and he couldn’t stand it when they were upset. The orange wolf straightened up, putting on the bravest face he could, and he placed his hand on Chan’s shoulder. 

“Hey, there’s no need for that. Jinnie and Lixie were excited, and this was a great opportunity. Don’t dwell on what you can’t change. We need to focus on a plan to keep everyone safe.” Jisung murmured, meeting eyes with the rest of the pack members as he did so. The grey wolf was quiet for a moment before he sighed, dropping his hands. His eyes softened as he looked at Jisung, and he wrapped his arms around the omega’s waist, pulling him in. He pressed a firm kiss to the side of his head, then released him, surveying the pack. 

“...Okay. Okay. Minho, Seungmin, can you two look into what the laws are around this? I’m not sure what the legalities are, but if we can get…” ‘ That fuck faced bastard’ is what he wanted to say, but it didn’t seem to be the best way to form a plan of action. “... Weston out of the country without a fight, I want to take that path.” Minho nodded, walking over to where Seungmin sat in Jeongin’s lap. He held his wrist out as an offering to the alpha, and after a few careful sniffs, Jeongin grunted, releasing Seungmin. Minho took the young beta’s hand, his tail wrapping around Seungmin’s waist, murmuring to him as they walked to Lino’s bedroom. 

Chan nodded, pleased, his gaze a special type of dark that Felix had never seen before. He gently nudged Jisung, tilting his head towards the hallway. “Okay, you three go. Me, Bin, and Innie are going to get a game plan together.” Hyunjin was already up when the instructions were given, walking over to Felix and gently pulling them from Jeongin’s lap. Jisung, however, was rooted in the spot, anger flashing over his face. 

“What? No way.” 

“Jisung–”

“We’re not children!” He retorted, his fists clenched by his sides. “Alphas aren’t the only ones who can protect the pack.”

“I never said you were children, Jisung. I’m just saying that–”

“That what? We’re too weak? Too fragile to handle topics like this?” The omega’s scent was souring, the smell of rotten oranges permeating the air. Chan wasn’t fairing much better, his ears low against his head, not liking his omegas trying to challenge him. They were nearly nose to nose, both tails swishing angrily back and forth. 

Changbin stepped forward, putting a hand on Jisung’s shoulder, tugging him back. The orange wolf whirled around, prepared to start on another rant, but Changbin interrupted him. “Sung, calm down. We’re not blocking you out or calling you weak. We need our Head Omega to keep everyone calm, okay? It does us no good to stew in our worries.” Jisung deflated, his eyes softening. Changbin always knew exactly how to handle the two’s bickering . He sighed, walking over to the two other omegas, gently ushering them down the hall. Chan watched them go, his strict demeanor crumpling as soon as they were out of sight. Changbin nodded, reaching up to rub circles on the leader’s back. 

“I know, I know. You did good, Chan.”

~

There were too many emotions in Felix’s head. The anxiety doubled as they entered the room, their eyes darting around. Their hands grabbed at their tail once more, itching to do something. I need…need the pack. Need to fix the pack. 

Jisung seemed to notice this spike, gently nuzzling at the side of his head. “Do you need to nest, Lix?” He asked, his voice impossibly soft. Nesting. Felix hadn’t nested in a pack environment in years. Yeah…yeah. Need to build a nest. The perfect nest. Make everyone happy. They nodded, their eyes widening, locked into a new goal. 

“I’ll go get some stuff.” Hyunjin hummed, and true to his word, he returned a few minutes later with a pile of dirty laundry– each piece thick with a member’s scent. The three worked in tandem, carefully piecing together a nest on the bed. Felix kneaded the blankets carefully, making small noises as they worked. This needed to be perfect. It couldn’t be anything less. Hyunjin and Jisung didn’t complain about the younger’s picky nature, only offering new clothing items when they seemed to reject an object’s placement. 

When they were done, they curled up together, limbs entangled, Felix in the middle. Jisung was purring, the feeling settling in Felix’s bones, slowly calming their thoughts. Hyunjin decided to busy himself with scenting the blond, his arm wrapped around their middle. Felix took a deep breath, centering themself in the moment. You’re safe here. They love you. Your pack will protect you. They looked between their two mates, feeling the unabashed adoration from both sides. 

“...Guys?” They asked softly, their ears flicking back. 

“Yes, sweetheart?” Jisung murmured back, tilting his head curiously. Felix’s tongue darted out to wet their lips, trying to gather their thoughts. There was a lot going on, and they weren’t sure what the future would hold, but…there was one thing they were sure of. They loved their mates with every fiber of their being. 

“Can I kiss you two?” The request was nervous, but hopeful. Jisung melted into a soft smile, nodding, his hand coming up to cup their cheek. Hyunjin pulled his head up, looking more on the excited side. 

“Oh Lix , I thought you’d never ask.” Hyunjin gushed, earning a giggle from the younger. He leaned closer, pausing for a moment, then he pressed his lips to Felix’s. The blonde immediately relaxed, their worries about the action forgotten. They pulled apart after a moment, earning a soft whine from Felix. Why did he pull away? Did I do something wrong? Hyunjin grinned, his eyes sparkling, and Felix’s view was suddenly turned as Jisung tilted their head towards him. He pressed his lips firmly to Felix’s, a protective air around the action. Oh. Oh. This is what polyamory was like? This was definitely what Felix was. As they kissed Jisung, feeling Hyunjin return his attention to their neck, a new understanding came to them. 

Maybe…

Maybe this really was where they were meant to be. 

Chapter Text

The next few weeks were a special type of hell. 

Lino and Seungmin’s research came up empty– Weston wasn’t explicitly stalking Felix and could argue he was just visiting the country, so they had no solid evidence against him. The idea of a restraining order was thrown around, but just as quickly shot down. They didn’t want to bring more attention to Felix’s whereabouts than necessary. The temporary plan the alphas came up with was to simply hide Felix away in the house; only allowing them out as long as it was brief, they were wearing a disguise, and had two members with them at all times. It was working, but Felix was starting to get…stir crazy. 

They know everyone is just trying to help. I mean– it’s the logical course of action to avoid a crazy ex! On top of that, they had just released a new album that was getting the same, if not more, love the first one did. It was incredible to see the love and support, but the increased popularity only served to make the pack more protective of their sunshine. Sweet, sure, but it was beginning to feel suffocating. Felix was becoming more irritable; not wanting to cuddle, snapping more easily, and holing themself up in their room. It was taking a toll on the mental health of the pack as a whole. 

Presently, Felix was baking in an attempt to calm their souring mood. Chan had denied their request to go to the grocery store with the pack, insisting that they should stay behind with Minho and Changbin since the group’s popularity was increasing. Now Lino and Changbin sat at the island watching Felix as they grumbled and angrily mixed ingredients together. 

The two shared a look, then the beta got up, slowly walking around the island to approach Felix. The omega’s ears were pressed flat against their head, and they growled when the older put his hand on their back. Minho removed his hand, raising an eyebrow, and Felix deflated, a soft pout forming on their lips. Changbin took this as his cue to enter as well, approaching Felix from the other side, gentle concern on his face. 

“Do you want to talk about it, sweetheart?” Lino asked softly, gently placing his hand on their back again, rubbing soft circles. Felix narrowed their eyes, looking between the two. They did need to talk about it, but this atmosphere was too…heavy. They needed to break the tension. The blonde’s ears twitched, catching sight of their target. They raised their hand, slapping it over Changbin’s peck, squeezing the muscle. Wow. Hyunjin was right. They really do make good stress balls. 

The alpha’s eyes widened, his cheeks turning pink, and he hugged his arms across his chest when Felix dropped their hand, a scandalized look on his face. This sent Felix into a fit of hysterical giggles, clutching the countertop for support– their stressed emotions bleeding out. Minho just continued to rub their back, an amused smirk on his face as he looked at Changbin. 

Felix finally pulled themself together after a few minutes, a bright smile on their face, a few residual giggles slipping out. “Sorry, I just– they were just there.”

Changbin cleared his throat, looking embarrassed, but pleased with himself. “You’ve been spending too much time with Hyunjin.” He declared, making Felix laugh again. Lino shrugged, eyeing the alpha playfully. 

“I mean, I can’t blame them…” He sighed, his eyes falling to the muscular chest in question. Changbin flushed, straightening up, crossing his arms. 

“B-back to the issue at hand– are you okay, Lix?” He prompted, his voice softening. The omega sobered up at this question, taking a deep breath, staring down into their overstirred brownie mix. 

“...I just feel trapped.” They murmured, their ears flicking back. 

“Did something else happen to make you more upset?” Lino prompted, tilting his head. Felix had been antsy with the idea of having to live like they were in witness protection, but recently they’d become especially snappy. (Chan had nearly lost a hand when he tried to enter the nest without permission.)

Felix made a face, his hands tightening on the counter. They had agreed not to make a big deal out of it, but… “There’s gonna be an event for the release of the spring line with the modeling company. Me and Jinnie were invited, but Chan said I couldn’t go. Jinnie wasn’t uh…wasn’t going to go either. Said it wouldn’t be right if it was just one of us.” 

“Oh Lix…” Lino sighed, wrapping his arms around the younger, pulling them close. This would’ve been their first big event with the company– he knew how special it was to them. Changbin, on the other hand, frowned, his tail giving a confused flick. 

“Why wasn’t this a pack discussion?” He asked, looking to Lino, then back to Felix. Chan never hid things like this from the pack.

“It was my decision.” Felix murmured, shrinking down in the beta’s arms, relaxing as Lino pressed soft kisses to the top of their head. “I didn’t want anyone to get mad at him. He’s just trying to protect me– it just…sucks.” 

The dark wolf huffed, biting the inside of his cheek, frustrated. He hated seeing his mates upset– there had to be a better solution. “We can’t keep you like this forever.” Changbin muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Weston isn’t going to leave on his own if he already flew all the way here to get you years later. We can’t get the police involved without solid evidence, so we need to get the message across. Something that proves to that asshole that you don’t belong to him.” 

Felix snapped up, their eyes widening, scent spiking as a thought came to mind. Yeah…that would work perfectly. “Guys…I have an idea.” 

~

“Mating marks?” Chan repeated, his eyes blown wide, his cheeks blooming a rosy pink. Felix nodded, similarly flustered, but tried to remain neutral. 

“It’s the only way he’d leave me alone.” They affirmed, trying not to squirm from all the eyes they could feel on them. “He never marked me because he said it made my skin impure. He wanted to keep me…marketable.” 

Chan’s face fell, his face contorting with anger. “I’ve never heard a more idiotic, disgusting–”

“I know.” Felix interrupted, their tail swishing back and forth anxiously. “Not the point. Point is, if I had a mating mark, he’d be pissed. If I had multiple– he wouldn’t bother with me again. Me and Hyunnie could attend the spring show.” The blonde rambled on, nervous at the intense look they were receiving. “I’m pretty, but not that pretty.” They added, hoping to lighten the heavy atmosphere. Chan took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, his tail giving the occasional flick. 

“...You know what getting mating marks would mean, right?” Chan asked, lifting his eyes to meet Felix. Of course they knew the general idea, but he wanted to be sure they knew the full consequences of such a choice. He sighed, tugging his shirt off, stepping closer to Felix. The younger blushed, his eyes falling to the leader’s toned stomach before snapping back up to his face. Chan quirked a small smile, but pushed any teasing to the side, gesturing to his neck. There were two prominent bite marks, each over a scent gland, clearly from alphas. Two more surrounded the bite on his left in various places surrounding the gland; two surrounding the one on his right. They were fainter, but very much there. Felix’s eyes widened, raising a hand, then hesitating. The pack alpha nodded, gently taking their hand, pressing it against the marks. “These are a permanent, very intimate thing.” He continued on, his expression soft. “They’d be with you forever. Are you absolutely sure you’d want to do this?”

Felix paused, taking a moment to survey the faces around the room. Jeongin, the stubborn alpha, who’d fiercely protected them despite his reservations, then allowed his guard down to accept them. Seungmin, ever understanding, helping them through their toughest moments. Jisung, the excitable life of the party, taking strides to make them feel welcome and loved at every turn. Hyunjin, sweet Hyunjin, pulling them out of their shell, becoming their first true friend and introducing them to the pack. Changbin, a quieter alpha, but willing to do anything for his mates. Lino, the sassy mom of the group, showering the blonde with love and care. Chan…The pack alpha they used to be afraid of, taking them under his wing with open arms, doing everything in his power to keep them happy. The pack had helped them through so much– improving their Korean, getting the modeling job, even finding comfortability in their sexuality. If these weren’t their soulmates, then Felix was destined to die alone. 

“I’m sure.” Felix nodded, meeting Chan’s eyes once more. The grey haired wolf smiled, clear fondness in his eyes as he watched the younger. 

“Okay then. We can–”

“Us! Us first!” Jisung interrupted, his tail wagging fiercely behind him, grabbing Hyunjin’s hand. The two stood, their eyes locked on Felix, scents blooming excitedly. 

“Ah– calm down.” Chan tsked softly, giving them a playful warning look. “You know alphas go first, Sung.” 

Hyunjin huffed, plopping back down. Jisung gave a dramatic sigh, flopping across Hyunjin’s lap, putting the back of his hand across his forehead. “The patriarchy wins again.”

Chan snorted, shaking his head, turning his attention back to Felix, his hands sliding down to rest on their hips. “It’s customary for the pack alpha to be one of the marks on your scent glands. Are you okay with that?” He prompted, tilting his head. Felix flushed, giddy excitement rising in them. The hard part was over– now they got to be doted on by their mates. They ducked their head, nodding. “Okay. Who do you want on your other gland? Most everyone did Binnie just because he’s a bit older.” Chan asked, his eyes falling to the omega’s neck, already lost in thought. 

“Can I…can I do Jeongin?” They asked softly, glancing back at the mentioned alpha. Yes, Felix loved Changbin, but Jeongin…he was someone they connected to on a deeper level. Chan blinked, surprised, but nodded, a warm smile on his face. 

“Whatever you want, Lix.”

~

Felix laid in the nest, sweaty and panting, staring up at the ceiling. It was cramped, and they were sore, but it was good. Their packmates surrounded them on all sides, barely fitting into the nest, half laying on top of each other. Lino, who was closest to their face, snuggled closer, wrapping an arm around Felix’s bare torso. The omega giggled, cheeks rosy, resting their hands on his arm. 

“You three made such a pretty nest, Lixie.” The beta murmured, nuzzling their cheek. Felix beamed, preening at the praise, their inner omega satisfied. The nest was good. They did good. There were some small murmurs of agreement from the others, but it was lost in the tired haze. The scents in the nest were potent, blanketing the group, leaving some sleepy packmates in its wake. Felix’s eyes fell to his torso, their breath catching in their throat. Minho was beautiful. They reached over, gently running their fingers across the scar on his stomach, making the older shiver. 

“Min? Why do you hide it?” Felix asked softly looking up at the beta through his lashes. Minho sighed, biting the inside of his cheek, absentmindedly rubbing Felix’s arm. 

“...It was a really scary time for me. I don’t like to be reminded of it. Plus, the scar is ugly.” He explained, wrinkling his nose. Felix made an affronted noise, pouting. 

“It’s not ugly.” They protested. The omega grinned, holding eye contact with Lino as they shifted closer, kissing their hand, then pressing their hand against the scar. “It’s sexy.” The older blushed, laughing softly, kissing Felix on the forehead. 

“I’m glad you think so, sweetheart.” He murmured bashfully, looking pleased. Shy Minho? Felix absolutely needed to see more of this. To distract himself, Minho turned his attention to the mating marks; a fresh, angry red on Felix’s skin, but cleaned properly. “Do you think you made the right choice?” He asked softly, glancing over at Felix’s face. 

The omega lifted their head, a blush resting across their cheeks, a giddy smile on their face. “Hyung?”

“Yes, lovely?” Minho hummed back, brushing the hair from Felix’s face. 

“Don’t ask me stupid questions.”

Chapter Text

“You’re sure they’re healing alright?” Seungmin asked, carefully inspecting the bite marks that now littered Felix’s next. The skin was still slightly red with irritation, but appeared to be on the right track. Regardless, Chan insisted they ensure there’s no infections of any kind. Felix was about to have to be lathered in makeup and designer clothes, after all. 

“It seems good to me.” Felix murmured, looking at themself in the mirror. There was an awed expression on their face as they reached up, fingers brushing over the marks. Still there. Still real. Seungmin took a few moments more to peer at them before he relented, giving a small nod. 

“Okay, Lix. Just let me or anyone else know if they feel irritated, okay?” The beta pressed, a worried look on his face. Felix’s lips morphed into a soft smile as they nodded, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on the younger’s cheek. 

“My hero~” They purred playfully, giggling when Seungmin’s cheeks flushed pink. The reddish-grey wolf muttered something about needing to get ready for the show, turning on his heel and hurrying down the hall, his tail rapidly swishing behind him. 

~

“Oh wow.” Wooyoung giggled, circling around Felix as he inspected the new mating marks. The younger flashed him a bright smile, their cheeks rosy as they basked in the attention. Is this what it felt like to show off your mates? This is incredible.  

“It’s not an issue, is it?” Felix asked, nervousness washing over their features, their ears flicking back. “Showing them, I mean.” 

“Not at all.” Wooyoung hummed, busying himself with getting his station prepared. “It’s not customary, per say, but we don’t have any rules against it.”

The omega nodded, their shoulders slumping with relief.  “That’s a relief. It’s–...it’s a personal thing, but I want to be able to have them visible at some point.” Their outfit, from what they heard, did include a light scarf. It put a slight kink in their plan, but at least Felix could still take the scarf off to show Weston if he showed. When he showed. Felix thought bitterly, sighing.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” The stylish assured them, turning on his curling iron, a wicked grin on his face. “Your mates are hot. I’d show them off too.”

One of the event coordinators had to come over and quiet them because of how hard Wooyoung was laughing at Felix’s flustered sputtering. 

~

Freshly styled, dressed, and makeup secured, Felix met back up with Hyunjin. The two intertwined hands as they walked, anxieties momentarily forgotten as they basked in the surreal nature of what they were able to do. The same assistant from before appeared (no clipboard this time, which was interesting) and escorted the pair to the main arena. 

“You’re mostly here to be walking mannequins.” She explained, not sparing a glance back as she talked, her heels clicking against the linoleum floor. “But you’re also here to prove that you were a good choice in contracts. Be friendly, smile, play it up as much as you need to. Be likeable. For now, until more people show up, you can just mill around. Your security team is already ready for you.” 

“Security team?” Felix prompted, squeezing Hyunjin’s hand, a mixture of confusion and relief on their face. A security team was great, but…when had they discussed this? 

“Your alpha insisted.” The assistant explained, her tail giving a small, almost imperceptible flick. “He was…very particular.” 

Hyunjin giggled, glancing at Felix and shrugging. “Yeah, that’s Chan for you.” 

“Ah. Here they are.” She announced as they entered the main room, pointing to the group standing by a table of expensive looking appetizers. Felix’s face twitched, every muscle in their body fighting not to break out into laughter. There, gathered in a loose circle, was the pack– not looking remotely like a security team. Chan was very clearly the pack alpha, giving off quite the intimidating aura when he needed to, so he didn’t need to pretend. However, the rest of the omega’s “security team” was quite…colorful. Jisung was arguably the worst, his outfit consisting of baggy jeans, a piece of cloth that might've once been considered a skirt, and a skin tight crop top with a boob window. Seriously, how had Chan held a straight face while telling the event coordinators this was a security team? The rest of the group wasn’t much better. Seungmin looked well put together, but the top half of his jacket was a vibrant red. Minho and Jeongin were at least somewhat matching, their tops being white and bottoms being darker, but the beta had a traditional wear inspired shirt with a giant gold belt, and Jeongin was wearing a loose tie and a skirt. Changbin was the only one who looked remotely like a body guard; wearing simply black jeans and a tight black shirt that accentuated his muscles (but he was clearly unable to resist accessorizing a little). 

“Of course.” Hyunjin nodded solemnly, his voice tight as he looked over at Felix, both omegas in a similar state of barely-holding-it-together. “Our security team.” 

“How could we have forgotten?” Felix agreed, biting down hard on the inside of their cheek. Holy shit they were so in love with this pack. 

“Oh, you recognize them?” The assistant hummed, seemingly unaware of the battle the two behind her were fighting. “Good. I’ll leave you to it, then. Find me if you need anything.” The two models waved her off, then turned their attention to the sight before them. Hyunjin zeroed in on Jisung, darting over to fawn over the outfit, finally allowing himself to break out into a smile. Felix walked up to Chan, amusement radiating off of them, much to the pack alpha’s dismay. He shifted from foot to foot, his tail nervously flicking around as the younger settled in front of him. 

“I never knew I had such a diverse security team.” Felix mused, their hands coming up to feel the fur of Chan’s jacket, a teasing smile wide across their face. 

“Yes. Well.” The leader pursed his lips, trying to find the words. “I was outvoted.” 

“You’re wearing a jacket over a jean jacket.” The omega pointed out, giggling, giving said piece of clothing a playful tug. Chan bristled, his ears reddening, folding his hands behind his back.

“It’s– it’s our first big band appearance.” He mumbled, embarrassed. “I wanted to look a little nice…”

“You’re ridiculous.” Felix concluded, grinning, leaning up to press a kiss to the alpha’s cheek. Chan melted into a shy smile, looking down at the younger with what could only be described as stars in his eyes. 

“Are you ready, Lix?” The silver wolf prompted softly, eyes roaming Felix’s face. The blonde took a deep breath, nodding. 

“With you guys? I always am.” 

“That’s good, sweetheart.” Chan hummed, pleased, wrapping an arm around their waist and pulling them close. The omega relaxed into the hold, careful not to smear their makeup as they snuggled against him. 

“My big, brave, colorful bodyguards.” They simpered, a playful grin on their face as they glanced up at the leader, enjoying how he flushed. 

“Lix c’mon– don’t tease-.”

~

The majority of the event went off without a hitch. The two omegas could easily flip to a bubbly, social personality, and the big time investors there found them incredibly charming. For the most part, Felix and Hyunjin were just allowed to float around, the pack shadowing behind them. It was especially entertaining for the pair when they saw whoever they were talking to try their absolute hardest not to comment on their “security team”; who looked like they were throwing their own separate fashion show that had absolutely no theme. It was good. However, nothing good can ever last. 

The models at the event had been called up to the makeshift stage to formally show off the outfits. It went fairly well, though Felix was a tad awkward as they attempted to mimic poses some of the others were using. They were then dismissed, and allowed to return home if they wished. Felix had hurried backstage, walking down the hallways with a new spring in their step, elated to have had no issues. Hyunjin promised to catch up, but had paused to talk to Yeji, a member of Itzy that was on stage with them. Whatever, Hyunjin could fanboy all he wanted. They could go home. 

Felix smelled him before they saw him. 

Cinnamon, sickeningly sweet, yet packed with a spice that made your eyes water. They’d recognize that scent anywhere; it had haunted the halls of his childhood home. The fur came next– a flash of blinding white appearing in their line of sight before they even had time to process. Then, it was the pain. Felix yelped, feeling two hands grabbing their shoulders, slamming them against the wall.

“I fucking found you.” Weston hissed, baring his fangs as he leaned close, his eyes wild. “You thought you could hide from me? This is what the fuck you’ve been doing? Playing dress up? Do you have fucking makeup on?” He rattled off in succession, his claws digging into the omega’s shoulders. Felix whimpered, their eyes wide, staring at the alpha. All those feelings– the fear, the betrayal, the hurt– it was all crashing down on them. He was here. It had been years, and yet, Felix was still haunted by him. They could never escape. 

“W-weston.” Was all the managed to get out, their brain working to process again. 

“Damn right.” The alpha growled back, his lips twisting in a smug smirk at the obvious fear on the younger’s face. “Your vacation is over. You’re coming back to Moonvale.”

This, of all things, made Felix pause. A year ago, if Weston had found them, they would have returned without a fight. It was only a matter of time, anyway, so why make the looming punishment even worse? However, a year ago, Felix had nothing to live for. Now they had a life. They had an incredible job, they were part of an amateur band, and they had mates. Mates that they loved more than anything in this world. If Weston was going to take them away, he’d be taking their cold, dead body. 

“No.” Felix said firmly, a scary look of calm coming over their face. Weston’s tail flicked, anger flashing behind his eyes, his claws tightening on their shoulders. 

“No? You don’t get to say no to me, Felix. You’re my property.” He retorted, his scent spiking with possessive anger, nearly making the younger choke on its potency. 

“I am no one’s property.” The omega barked back, fiery anger flaring up inside of them. “I have mates.”

“Mates?” Weston let out a laugh, his eyes filled with mocking amusement. “Very funny, Felix. What– you think there’s a pack that would take you in? After how fucking disrespectful you are? There isn’t an alpha walking the earth that’d use you for anything more than your–”  Felix barely had time to register the potent, angry seaweed scent before Weston’s rant was cut off, a blur knocking into his side, sending him crashing to the ground. 

“Finish your sentence, and you’re dead.” Chan growled, his eyes a bright, flaming red as he sat on top of Weston, gripping the front of his shirt. Weston’s eyes widened, panic taking over his expression at his newfound aggressor. 

“W-who the fuck are you?” He sputtered, trying to writhe out from under the alpha, but Chan held strong. He leaned forward, his ears pressed back in anger as he glared down at Weston. 

“The alpha who doesn’t walk the earth, apparently.”

Weston looked at Chan, then over at Felix, then to the various members that had begun to gather in the hall behind Chan; all looking equally enraged. He barked out a laugh, turning his attention back to Felix. 

“These are your mates, Felix? Really? They don’t love you. They only want another pretty thing for their collection. They’ll never actually–” He’s cut off with a sharp whine, Chan lifting him up by the front of his shirt and slamming him into the ground again. Felix calmly walked over, putting a hand on Chan’s shoulder. 

“I got this. Thank you, love.” They murmured, gently squeezing Chan’s shoulder. The pack alpha relaxed a bit, but held fast to his grip on Weston’s shirt, nodding. Felix crouched down, tugging the scarf off their neck, reveling in the way Weston’s expression dropped when he took in the various mating marks. 

“...They’re fake.” He insisted, though his voice wavered. Felix laughed, looking incredibly pleased with themself, standing back up. 

“You know they’re not.” They hummed, taking in a deep breath, a weight being lifted off their conscience. Weston’s face twisted in anger, a mix of emotions flashing behind his eyes, then he looked back to Chan. 

“I hope you know you ruined something perfect.” He hissed, laying back against the ground, defeated. Chan’s face twitched, his scent betraying the barely concealed rage boiling inside of him. 

“...You’re so lucky we’re working on branding right now.” Chan replied, laughing in a way that sent shivers down Felix’s spine. The pack alpha then leaned close, unblinking. “You will leave Korea. Felix will not be going back with you. You will not bother us again.”

Weston glared back, clearly perturbed at being told what to do by another alpha, but he seemed to realize the position he was in. “...Fine. He’s impure now, anyway.” 

Chan growled, closing his eyes as he composed himself, getting off of Weston, standing up and wrapping a protective arm around Felix. “Let’s go home, Lix.” 

“Wait.” Jeongin interrupted, stepping closer, peering down at Weston, who was wincing as he laid on the floor. He glanced over at Felix, raising an eyebrow. “This is the guy who wouldn’t let you wear feminine shit?” Felix nodded, snuggling into Chan, a disgusted look on their face as their eyes fell to Weston. Jeongin hummed, looking down at the heeled boots he was wearing, nodding to himself. He then leaned down, a wicked grin on his face. 

“Felix is nonbinary, cunt.” 

And with that, he raised his foot, bringing the heel of the boot down hard, directly onto the zipper of Weston’s pants. 

~

The pack filed into the house, everyone looking a similar level of exhausted. They clung to Felix, who looked a mixture of dazed and elated, shuffling to the nest like a zombie. The pack followed behind them, not wanting to let them out of their sight, murmuring soft praises to them. Well, everyone except for Chan and Changbin. The dark haired wolf was ready to follow everyone, but he glanced back, realizing Chan had gone off into the direction of his room. He entered behind the pack alpha, who was standing by his desk, and began rubbing circles on his back. 

“Chan? You coming to the nest?” He prompted softly, his eyebrows knit together. Chan leaned into the touch, sighing, and he shook his head. 

“Not right now.” He murmured, rubbing his face. Changbin raised an eyebrow, his hand stilling on the leader’s back. 

“You adore cuddling with them. Are you okay?” The younger asked, clear concern on his face, studying the pack alpha’s demeanor.  

He gave the alpha a tight lipped smile, nodding. “I’m fine, Bin– really. Just some work stuff.” Changbin didn’t move, looking unimpressed with the weak excuse. Chan sighed, sliding his arm around his mate’s waist, pulling him in for a brief hug. “We’ll talk about it later, I promise. Go spend time with the pack while I sort this all out. It’s been a day.” 

The dark wolf relented, but made a small noise of protest nonetheless. “...Fine. If you’re not out in an hour, though, I’m sending in the cavalry.” 

Chan laughed, kissing his cheek, lightly squeezing his waist before releasing him. “Thanks, Bin.” He murmured, a grateful look in his eyes. Changbin nodded, looking displeased with how the conversation turned out, but he exited the room to give the leader space. Chan let out a breath, practically deflating the moment Changbin was out of sight. His desk chair groaned as he fell back into it– he really did need to get it replaced one of these days. The alpha pulled out his phone, staring at the email, as if rereading it for the tenth time would change reality. 

It was right there. The life they had always dreamed of. JYP Entertainment, the same company Itzy was contracted under, wanted to debut them as their new talent. Park Jin-Young wanted Stray Kids under contract. Them! It was the opportunity of a lifetime– it would permanently change their lives. There was only one problem. It sat on screen; big, bold lettering, practically mocking him.

If [Stray Kids] so chooses to accept, no members are allowed to engage in romantic relationships. If there are relations already established within the pack, members must either break up, or keep the nature of the relationship out of the public eye. Under no circumstances will relationships be made public, as it tarnishes the idol image. 

The pack alpha growled, his ears pressed flat against his head, gripping the phone tightly. Hot, angry tears pricked at his eyes, his scent potent and sour. He hurled the phone at the wall, unfazed as the device let out a crack and clattered onto the ground. Why? Why was there always some sort of catch? Why weren’t his mates just allowed to be happy? Sure, some might argue that it was a small sacrifice to make for such a shining chance, but it wasn’t that simple. Chan loves his boyfriends with every fiber of his being– he would do anything to see them happy. They’re the sole reason he keeps going.  He knew they could hide the relationship, but everyone would be miserable. The pressure, the tension– especially after how fresh the bond with Felix is, he couldn’t bear the thought of putting that on any of them, selfish as it was. 

A knock sounded at the door, breaking the suffocating silence that was permeating the room. Someone– probably Changbin (Or was that Felix? Lino? It didn’t matter. He’d disappointed them all the same) – was talking, trying to convince him to leave the room. Whoever it was, their voice barely registered in the grey wolf’s mind, only serving to worsen his mood. Chan couldn’t bear to face them like this, knowing full well he was in a sorry state. He’d failed them as a pack alpha– as a mate. There was another knock, slightly louder.

…

Chan did not join the pack that night.

Chapter Text

“Of course you’d be distracted enough to accidentally roll your chair over your phone.” Jeongin mused playfully, lazily stirring his bowl of cereal. Chan laughed, shrugging, ducking his head. 

“I can’t help it! When an idea grips me, nothing else exists.” He insisted, his tone bashful. The alpha nearly jumped when he glanced up, finding himself pinned under Minho’s piercing gaze. The beta held the cracked phone in his hand, something almost imperceptible passing between the two. Chan swallowed, falling quiet, and he wordlessly took the phone back. 

“Quite the coincidence.” Lino agreed cooly, crossing his arms as he pinned Chan beneath his gaze. “We’ll have to replace it, then. We can go together– I need new earbuds anyway.” 

“Great.” The leader croaked back, flashing him a weak smile. Fuck. He was not excited to be subjected to the beta’s methods of questioning. 

“Later tonight, then?” He prompted, raising an eyebrow. Even Jeongin had started to pick up on the undertone of tension, furrowing his eyebrows as he glanced between the two. 

“It’s a date.” Chan confirmed, bringing his playful tone back to dispel what had begun to blanket the area. He walked over, planting a soft kiss on the beta’s cheek as he passed, then continued his path of escape from the kitchen. 

Without meaning to, Chan found himself wandering back to their makeshift office– his mind always going to work in times like these. The office was originally supposed to be abolished after Felix moved in, but it ended up simply being relocated to a small storage room they had. It was tight, but it did the job well enough. 

Angry, upset, and anxious, Chan just wanted to have some time to sort himself out. However, upon opening the door, he was greeted with the room already being occupied. Jisung was sitting crisscrossed in his gaming chair, awkwardly angled to fit, glasses perched on his nose, a thin coffee straw sticking out of his mouth, squinting at the screen. Despite the initial disappointment of not being able to have his alone time, the alpha’s heart melted at the sight. Jisung frowned, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air, and he spun around in his chair, beaming when he realized who was behind him. 

“Ah! Hyung! Perfect. C’mere.” He instructed, throwing the straw away in the tiny desk trashcan as he motioned for the leader to come closer. Chan chuckled, shuffling next to his mate, pressing a kiss to the top of the omega’s head. 

“Well hello to you too, Sungie. What’s up?”

“It’s this line.” Jisung started, giving a theatrical sigh, as if his current delima was a debilitating burden. “It’s just not flowing right! I don’t know what to do.” He gave another big sigh, turning to Chan with wide, pathetic puppy eyes. The alpha rolled his eyes, pressing closer as he peered at the screen, mouthing the words as he skimmed them. 

“Like a doll that’s been torn – your inner self will be exposed – in this hard life – it’s not ‘living’, it’s ‘holding on’.” The grey wolf wrinkled his nose, nodding along. “Oh– you’re working on Maniac? Yeah…no, it’s definitely clunky. Good, but a little…off.”

“I don’t know what to do!” The orange wolf whined, slumping down in his chair. “I like the message of it, but I’ve changed the wording a million times and I can’t find one that flows the way I want it to!”

Chan nodded along, chewing at the inside of his cheek as he thought, reordering and replacing words in his mind. “Hmm… how about, like the seam of a torn doll – Eventually, you'll expose your real self – In this not easy life – It ain't ‘live,’ it's ‘holding on,’ yeah.” 

Jisung straightened up, immediately typing the leader's words. He softly sang the portion of the song under his breath with the new lyrics, lighting up when he had finished, turning to the older with a wide, heart shaped smile. “It’s perfect!” He gushed, his tail wagging excitedly behind him. The omega stretched himself up, wrapping his arms around Chan’s middle, pulling his boyfriend into a crushing hug. “Thank you, hyung!”

Chan laughed, sliding his arms around Jisung in return, warmth blooming in his chest at the sight of his excited packmate. “You’re welcome, my love. Anytime.”

The orange wolf giggled, looking up to the leader, then he frowned, seeming to realize something. “Oh– what did you come in here for?” The alpha paused, looking down at his mate, his smile softening. 

“I uh– I think I got what I needed. Thanks, Sungie.”

~

While his brief interaction with Jisung had him in slightly better spirits, the looming threat of having to make a decision still hung in the back of the pack alpha’s mind. Changing course, not wanting to be alone with his thoughts anymore, Chan made his way down to Hyunjin’s room– wanting to check up on him since he’d yet to show his face. 

Upon entering the room, he found Hyunjin standing in front of a canvas– which was half the size of him– a gentle frown on his face. The dark brown wolf twirled his paintbrush between his fingers, trying to figure out what exactly was off about the painting. 

Originally, Hyunjin had wanted to create a sporadic, splatter type painting– something very different from his usual style. The problem was, it felt too structured. He had a few splashes of orange and yellow on the canvas, but it wasn’t erratic enough for the artist. Hyunjin wanted absolute chaos, and none of his efforts satisfied that itch. 

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Hyun?” Chan hummed, appearing behind Hyunjin and resting his chin on the taller’s shoulder. The member in question huffed, taking a brief moment to press his cheek to Chan’s, then waved at the canvas; as if the source of his agitation was obvious.

“My chaos painting isn’t random enough.” 

Chan laughed, inspecting the work Hyunjin had done to the canvas. It looked fine to him, but the younger one was always very particular about his art. “Are you willing to let me try to help you get more…random?”

Hyunjin hummed, looking over the painting thoughtfully, before he gave a small shrug and nodded. “Sure, why not?” 

Chan grinned, delighted, clasping his hands and playfully rubbing them together. “Excellent! Now, pick a color, and put the brush on the canvas.” The omega did as he was asked, selecting a light shade of pink. “Good, good. Now, close your eyes, and begin slowly spotting it across the canvas.” The younger made a face at the request, but did as he was asked yet again, eyes closed as he delicately placed blotches of pink across the canvas. 

“So how do you help me with this?” He asked after a moment, jumping when he felt a pair of strong hands latch onto his sides. 

“Just relax, dear Jinnie.” Chan simpered innocently, a smile stretching across his face, his fingers twitching in preparation. Oh. Oh.

“Hyung–”

“This wonderful idea came to me! Isn’t it just perfect?.” The alpha added on, squeezing the artist’s sides. Hyunjin squeaked, pulling his arm down to try to protest himself, a shy smile plastered on his face. 

“Q-quit! This doesn’t help!’

“Oh but it does!” Chan insisted, guiding the omega’s arm back to the painting. “Keep the brush on the canvas, and keep your eyes closed.”

“Hyung…” Hyunjin whined, his cheeks rosy, but he complied, keeping his eyes close and putting the brush back on the canvas. He took a deep breath in, beginning to swipe it across the canvas. Fingers spidered in his armpit, making him jerk and emit a high pitched giggle. However, the artist kept his brush on the canvas, like he was asked. 

“Very good, Hyunnie.” The grey wolf praised, grinning, admiring how the younger squirmed beneath his hands. This was doing wonders to relieve his stress already. The leader began pinching at Hyunjin’s stomach, laughing along with him when the boy twitched with the effort not to pull away, lovely laughter flowing from his mouth. 

“Yohohou’re m-mean!” The younger protested, his thrashing increasing when Chan decided to vibrate his fingers against Hyunjin’s ribs. There was a pause in attacks, giving Hyunjin a moment to breathe, the artist panting as he tensed– waiting for the leader’s next move. Hot breath, right by his ear, making him shiver. 

“I could be so much meaner.” Chan murmured, his voice low, then he promptly pressed his lips to the younger’s neck, blowing a loud raspberry. Hyunjin shrieked, scrunching up as he tried to throw the leader off. Chan grinned against the dancer’s neck, grabbing hold of Hyunjin’s arm to keep the brush pressed to the canvas as the boy twisted and giggled. 

“Chahahan!” Hyunjin wheezed, trying to make himself as small as possible. The leader laughed, taking mercy, simply pulling the younger into his arms. 

“Open your eyes, Hyunnie.” Chan prompted, nudging him softly. Hyunjin sighed, relieved his torment was over. The canvas was…actually exactly what Hyunjin wanted. The pink spread across the canvas in shaky, sporadic patterns that perfectly scratched the itch the artist needed it to. 

“Wow. It…it actually worked.” 

“I’m pretty smart like that.” Chan agreed, a smug smirk on his face. Hyunjin rolled his eyes, playfully smacking the leader, but he couldn’t help smiling along. Despite his clear embarrassment, he nuzzled the alpha in silent thanks. 

“I like it, hyung. Now I can always think of you when I finish it and hang it up.”

Chan laughed, a soft pink dusting his cheeks as he nodded his head along. “Whatever makes you happy, sweetheart.”

~

“What…in the world…?” Chan muttered, stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide as he stared at the disaster in front of him. Originally, he had been en route to the shower (his little session with Hyunjin had gotten specks of paint in his fur), but Felix’s open door halted all movement. 

A hurricane could’ve blown through their room and it would’ve been less messy. Clothes strewn everywhere, the nest was destroyed, half of their closet ripped down, Felix muttering to themself as they tossed things left and right. Shit, Chan should’ve predicted this. The stress combined with the onslaught of angry scents from the night before was sure to fuck with their pheromones. The alpha sighed, knocking on Felix’s door, careful not to enter without permission. 

“Lix? Are you okay, sweetheart?” Chan prompted softly, leaning in slightly to try and get a better look at the room. Felix whirled around, their ears pressed back against their head, their tail flicking back and forth. “Can I come in?” The leader tried again, holding out his wrist as an offering to the omega. The blonde wolf grunted, shuffling over to Chan, grabbing his wrist and taking a few careful sniffs of the scent. They nodded, tugging him in, refusing to let go of his arm. 

“It’s all…wrong.” They finally spoke, glaring at the mess as if the clothing had personally offended them. Chan nodded along, adjusting the grip Felix had on his wrist to instead hold their hand, trying to be as understanding as possible. 

“The nest felt wrong?” He clarified, tilting his head slightly. The omega nodded in confirmation, a soft pout on their face. 

“Doesn’t feel right. ‘S not good enough.”

Chan frowned at this, gently tugging the younger into his arms. Felix allowed the movement, curling up against the pack alpha, their hands resting on his arm. “Don’t say that, Lix. Any nest you make is good enough.”

The younger growled, tightening their grip on Chan’s arm, their tail bristling. “No. The nest was bad. I need a new one.”

“Right!” The grey wolf squeaked out, feeling the blonde’s claws dig into his arm, nodding rapidly. “Bad nest. Gotcha. Would you uh– would you like help?”

Felix looked up, peering at the pack alpha curiously. They leaned forward, pressing their nose to Chan’s shirt, taking a deep inhale. “I need this.” The omega decided, tugging at the shirt. Chan laughed, a bashful pink dusting his ears, raising an eyebrow. 

“My shirt? Right now?” He prompted, amused. Felix was usually so shy about things like this– it was interesting to see them be so demanding. 

“Now.” They repeated, frowning, tugging at the material. Then, seeming to realize how demanding they were being, they softened, adding a small “please”.

Most pack alphas would probably be annoyed with having a mouthy omega on their hands, viewing it as ‘disrespect’ to their authority. Chan, however, was overjoyed. When they first met, the blonde was afraid to sit on the couch without permission– now they were feeling comfortable enough to so blatantly request something? It elated him. The grey wolf nodded, releasing the younger, quickly tugging the shirt off of his head. Felix made a small pleased noise, taking the shirt, their eyes briefly lingering on Chan’s chest; then they were back to work. Chan helped them as best he could, mostly acting as an assistant to hold things while Felix placed, but it was…peaceful. The alpha had tried to leave when it was done, but Felix growled, tugging him into the nest with them. Chan had simply laughed, happy to curl up with his mate, holding them close to his chest as they drifted off to sleep. 

~

After about an hour, Chan carefully peeled Felix off of him, quietly shuffling out of their room. Not that he didn’t like cuddling with the omega, but the longer he laid there, the more guilt came crawling back to eat at him. He had to do something productive. Producing, working out, cleaning, hell– even grocery shopping would make the alpha feel less helpless. Less like a failure. He really, really, was planning to be productive. However– how can one be normal when Seungmin exists?

There, laying out on the grass, eyes closed as he soaked up the sun, was Kim Seungmin. Gosh, he looked beautiful. One little kiss detour couldn’t hurt, right? He carefully slid the glass door open, stepping outside, not wanting to disturb the tranquil scene. Seungmin, ever observant, quirked a smile, his eyes remaining closed. 

“No.”

Chan sputtered, puffing out his cheeks as he crept closer. “I haven’t even done anything yet!”

“Yet.” The beta pointed out, his tail beginning to thump against the grass despite his protests. “I’m being peaceful and shit. Leave me alone.”

“Why do you hate me?” Chan whined dramatically, crouching down and laying out across the younger. Seungmin groaned, finally opening his eyes, giving the leader a half hearted glare. 

“Get off! This is why I didn’t want you out here.”

“I just want a kiss, Minnie. Is that too much to ask? A kiss from my lovely boyfriend?” The alpha retorted, a wide, goofy grin on his face. The reddish grey wolf grunted, pushing at Chan’s shoulders to try and roll him off, unable to help a smile of his own. 

“Yes. Kissing services are broken until further notice.” The younger deadpanned, making Chan giggle. Seungmin finally managed to push Chan off, but instead of laying back down, he pushed at the older’s shoulder, his smile growing. 

“Oh? We wanna play this game, do we?” The pack alpha prompted, raising an eyebrow, his tail beginning to wag behind him. Seungmin beamed, pushing Chan’s shoulder again, his own tail swinging rapidly. “Okay. You asked for it.” He sighed, then promptly launched himself at the younger. The beta squeaked, laughter falling from his mouth as the two tumbled in the grass, wrestling for dominance. They looked ridiculous– two grown men giggling, kissing, and rolling on top of each other, blades of grass covering them both. 

Neither could bring themselves to care.

~

Chan was tired, covered in grass, specks of paint still in his fur, but dammit, he was going to work out today. Unfortunately, the universe seemed hellbent on ruining his plans, seeing Jeongin already at work in their makeshift garage gym. Well fuck. He looks unfairly sexy. Black tank top, sweat glistening on his skin, muscles flexing as he pushed himself off the ground, the scent of bread thick in the air. The makenae’s mating marks were visible in the low cut shirt, shifting with each new movement…Chan clenched his fists by his sides, biting down on the inside of his cheek as he tried to gather himself. 

Jeongin picked up on the new presence, a smirk forming on his lips as he realized the pack alpha’s dilemma. He sat back on his legs, grabbing his water bottle, playfully quirking an eyebrow. “Problem, hyung?”

The grey wolf huffed, walking over to his packmate, scratching behind the younger’s fluffy ears. “Don’t start, you little brat. You’re lucky I have things to do later.”

“I’m shaking in my boots.” The sandy blonde informed him, a cheeky smile on his face as he leaned into the pack alpha’s hand. Chan rolled his eyes, unable to keep the helplessly fond look off his face. 

“Your cuteness is saving you.” He hummed back, his eyes falling to the abandoned squat rack in the corner, still half loaded. The leader tilted his head, looking back down at the younger. “What made you stop? I thought today was your leg day.”

“It usually is.” Jeongin muttered, a sour look coming over his face. “But the bar is hurting my neck. I did a few other non-bar related leg workouts, but then I got bored and just started doing pushups.” 

The pack alpha thought for a moment, absentmindedly running his hand through the younger’s hair. “You could squat me.” He proposed, stilling his hand.

Jeongin snorted, looking highly amused, raising an eyebrow. “Squat you?”

“Yeah.” Chan hummed, shrugging. “You could carry me piggy back style and squat my weight, that way the pressure isn’t on your shoulders.”

The young alpha had originally brushed the idea off, but at his mate’s reasoning he paused, considering the option. “That…might actually work well.” 

So that’s how they ended up spending the next twenty minutes. Jeongin whined about getting grass on him, but never once suggested stopping the activity. Chan was happy to be near the younger, idly playing with his hair while he chattered on, doubling with helping distract Jeongin from the intensity of the workout. It was…domestic. Nice. 

~

Chan was now covered in paint, grass, sweat, and a wide variety of scents. Gross. He showered, dressed himself in new clothes, and…promptly ducked into Changbin’s room to avoid a certain imposing beta. He knew Lino would be jumping at the chance to question him alone, and he knew he’d be subjected to it the moment he lingered in the common spaces. Besides, he hadn’t checked on the dark haired wolf today. That was excuse enough, wasn’t it?

Changbin was currently cleaning his room, bobbing his head as music played from the small speaker he had set in the corner. He beamed when the older entered, but his smile fell as he registered the anxiety radiating off of him. “What’s wrong?”

God. Not this again. Chan couldn’t handle it today. “Nothing, Bin.” He assured the younger, a tight smile on his face as memories of the night before resurfaced. Changbin made a small noise of annoyance, crossing his arms, his ear flicking.

“Bullshit. You said the same thing last night, and you came out this morning with a cracked phone.”

Chan faltered, his ears pressing back against his head, his eyes widening. Shit. Had Changbin realized what had happened too? They must think he’s so pathetic– a pack alpha losing control of his emotions and throwing things like a child. He shouldn’t even be– 

The grey wolf’s self depreciating spiral was abruptly cut off when he felt a hand settle on his hip. He blinked at the shorter, confused, registering his newfound closeness. Changbin snorted, guiding Chan’s left hand to his own hip, then taking his right hand. “Dance with me.” He elaborated, his expression softening. The pack alpha laughed nervously, his cheeks growing warm, ducking his head. 

“Aw– Bin, c’mon. You know I’m ass at the stupid slow dances.” He protested weakly, feeling embarrassment creep up his neck. 

“So am I.” Changbin hummed back, shrugging. “Who cares? It’s just us in here.”

Chan chewed at the inside of his cheek, chancing a glance up. Changbin was giving him a soft, hopeful expression, patiently waiting for the leader’s verdict. Fuck, he loved the rapper so much it hurt. He gave a dramatic sigh, embarrassed, but nodded nonetheless. “...Fine.”

The dark wolf beamed, incredibly pleased, and took a careful step backwards. Chan followed his movements, tightly clutching the younger’s hand, as if fearing for his balance. Changbin took another step back, and…Chan stepped on his foot. The pack alpha winced, an apologetic look on his face, but Changbin just laughed, completely unbothered. He turned them slightly, this time stepping forward, leaving Chan scrambling to move his own foot in time so as not to get smashed as well. It was more laughing and shuffling in place than anything, but Chan found that his mood had significantly lifted once more. 

The leader was just starting to get the hang of the pattern when Changbin pulled his arm up, twirling him around. He squeaked, stumbling, but he was saved from falling by an arm snaking around his middle. Chan barely had time to process what had happened before he felt himself being pushed backward, bent at the waist. His eyes widened, and he clung to the arms that held him, his mind spinning. 

“Hi.” Changbin grinned, leaning over the older, their faces mere inches apart. Chan flushed– how could he not? It didn’t matter how much time had passed, he was still helplessly in love with this man. Every smile, every teasing jab, every soft touch made him weak in the knees. 

“You’re a dork.” Chan grumbled back, a shy smile on his face. The dark wolf laughed, pleased with himself, capturing the pack alpha’s lips in a sweet kiss. 

“That’s my line.” He chirped back once he pulled away, a look of such love in his eyes it was sickening. Chan faltered, his heart squeezing in his chest, overwhelmed with his building emotions. 

“Y-you know I love you, right?” Chan asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. You have to understand. You need to know why I can’t let this happen to you. To any of you. 

“I know, hyung.” Changbin murmured back, pulling Chan upright, pressing their foreheads together. “I always know.”

~

It was unavoidable now. 

The sun was dipping lower and lower in the sky, and he’d run out of reasons to put it off. That’s how Chan found himself in the store with Minho, despite every nerve in his body screaming that it was a bad idea. The beta was oddly…quiet. There was a long period where they browsed in silence, making small noises of interest at certain objects, but nothing more. The pack alpha could almost relax and enjoy the little shopping date. Almost. 

“So why’d you do it?” Lino finally said, not taking his eyes off the earbuds in his hands, turning the box over. Chan froze, swallowing back the lump that had formed in his throat at the question, praying that the beta didn’t notice the way his hand trembled. 

“Do what?” He asked, only prolonging the inevitable. He knew. Minho knew. There was no use pretending otherwise. 

“You know exactly what I’m referring to, Christopher.” Oh. Chan was in deep shit. 

“I don’t–”

“You know I’m not mad, right?” The pinkish wolf interrupted, finally looking up. The leader gave him a half confused, half anxious look, so he continued on. “I know you wouldn’t do something stupid on purpose, Chan. You’re a very rational person– that’s why I’m so worried. If something is stressing you to the point of damaging your phone…I just want to know.”

So Chan told him. 

He showed the dancer the email, rambling on about why he wanted to desperately accept it and reject it at the same time, fighting to hold himself together because he’d be damned if he was going to cry in a fucking T-Mobile. Minho listened quietly, letting the leader vent his guilt and his emotions without judgement. Then, at the end of his rant, he pulled the older into a tight hug. Chan froze, his eyes watering as he felt everything he’s been bottling up spill over at the simple action. Hands shaking, he returned the gesture, hiding the beginnings of his tears in Lino’s shoulder. 

“How about we go home, hm? It sounds like we have a lot to talk about.” The beta prompted, his voice the softest it’s ever been. Chan sniffled, tightening his hold on his boyfriend, nodding. 

“I’d like that.”

~

Park Jin-young had been expecting a post. I mean, sure, he’d thought he’d get an email back before anything was hinted at, but he understood their excitement. They’re young, and they just got asked to become a talent of one of the biggest agencies in Korea. Something so life changing warranted a little celebration at the least. A smirk played on his lips as he clicked on the notification, seeing a picture of all eight band members beaming at the camera and…flipping it off?

Wait, what?

Jin-young narrowed his eyes, his grip on the device tightening as he finally turned his attention to the caption.

“Hey Stray Kids fans! I know many of you have had questions about getting officially signed and the rumors around JYP following this account recently. Just here to clear things up– we will not be taking the contract offered by JYP Entertainment. Our top priority is each other, and we were informed there would be some conflicting interests with the company due to the nature of our relationship. We will never change who we are to fit the standards of someone else. We’re a polyamorus pack. All seven of these wonderful people are my mates. If you have a problem with that, you can fuck right off <3

Keep an eye out for updates on the album progress! Bye bye~”

A second phone was shattered in two days over the issue of the band. How coincidental.

Chapter Text

Four Years Later…

Felix twisted the ring on their finger, a soft, thoughtful smile on their face. The blonde ran their finger over the engraving– a simple marigold, right in the center of the silver. It was so effortlessly beautiful. 

A pair of arms draped around them, the matching ring falling into view as the hands dangled below their face. They snorted softly, their own hands coming up to gently squeeze the arm. “Hello Hyunnie.”

“Hello, my love.” Hyunjin cooed back, leaning down to nuzzle the side of the shorter’s head. Felix giggled, weakly pushing at him, spinning the chair around to face him. 

“Quit! Wooyoung hyung is gonna get mad if you ruin my makeup.” They whined, pouting. Hyunjin relented, though not looking the least bit sorry, a fond smile on his face as he looked down at the younger. 

“They’re gonna freak out, y'know. STAY." The brunette mentioned, tilting his head to the side. Felix couldn’t help laughing again, their eyes returning to the ring on their finger. 

“They’ll be over the moon.” Felix hummed, a teasing look in their eyes as they glanced back up. “The last two, finally tying the knot.” 

Hyunjin bristled just as the younger had hoped, his cheeks coloring pink as his ears flicked back. “I was waiting for the right time! Don’t tease.”

“I know, I know. You did good. Even if you spoiled your own efforts in the end.” Felix murmured, impossibly fond, taking Hyunjin’s hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. The taller melted at the affection, any and all protests dropped. 

“I still remember their reaction to Innie and Seungminnie.” Hyunjin recalled, shaking his head. Felix snickered, nodding in agreement as they admired their husband’s hand. The idea of marriage in the pack had come up after about a year of the relationship being solidified. Unfortunately, polyamourus marriage was still a big legal mess, so they decided it would be better to pair off and simply refer to each other as marriage partners anyway (Usually, they called each other husbands, but for Felix’s case the pack enjoyed coming up with increasingly ridiculous gender neutral names– the most recent of which being “My Legally Bound Ring Bearer”). Most would’ve assumed Chan would be the first to propose to someone, so it came as a shock to their fans when the first two to adorn the jewelry were the two youngest. It had come up in interviews with nosey reporters, but Chan had simply brushed it off. “I love all my mates– they’re my equals. I don’t need some weak excuse of being the ‘pack alpha’ to feed my ego. They felt it was right, so they did it.” Jeongin had been adorably nervous, running over the details again and again, and he ended up proposing to the older at a baseball game. It was difficult to balance the band, marriage, and Seungmin’s position at the vet clinic, but they managed. They were happy, and that was all that mattered. 

The next pair was Minho and Jisung– truly an adorable sight to see. The beta had gone to great lengths to give the omega the princess treatment he knew he adored, proposing to the younger on a stargazing date after getting cheesecake and pudding. Jisung fawned endlessly over the ring, much to the amusement of the rest of the pack, who had consulted with Minho on the design (Jeongin had done the same when proposing to Seungmin, torn between something simple and getting their initials engraved). 

After that, Chan had proposed to Changbin. Well…sort of. The two had gone on a gym date, then showered up and the entire pack booked a private room at a local upscale restaurant. Changbin had such an odd look on his face as Chan stood up and started giving the tell-tale ‘I love you all so much’ speech. He had scrambled to get up when Chan knelt down, fumbling in his pocket as he mirrored the position, producing his own ringbox. It was one of Felix’s favorite memories to think back on, especially when the two alphas liked to bicker over who proposed to who. 

Everyone knew Hyunjin and Felix would be getting married next. They were quite secure in their relationship, knowing they loved each other, so Felix was happy to wait. It was endearing, honestly, how Hyunjin desperately tried to be subtle; casually asking about what kind of jewelry they liked, favorite places to go, ideal dates. Felix played along, allowing themself to appear clueless. It fooled nobody, but Hyunjin seemed pleased by the effort nonetheless. Originally, the taller omega had planned on some big, sweeping romantic gesture. However, Felix had walked in the house looking adorably soft, a bright smile on their face, and handed Hyunjin a drink. Americano, light ice, pink straw. The blonde had barely begun to ramble about their day before Hyunjin was down on one knee, holding the drink up in lieu of the ring that was stashed in his room. 

“I had stopped by the cafe on my way back from the dance studio. Still remember what you used to get, so I bought one while I looked around. It was busier than it ever was when I worked there, which is good. I’m glad to see them successful. It brings back– what are you doing?” Felix sputtered, their spew cut off as Hyunjin stared at them with wide, watery eyes, kneeling in front of the younger, holding the americano up. 

“Marry me.” Hyunjin breathed, looking positively starstuck, clear adoration radiating off of him. 

“Now?” Felix laughed, trying their best not to cry, emotions tightening their chest. 

“Right now.” The older affirmed, raising the drink a little higher. “The ring is in my room, so just pretend for a sec.”

“What about all your planning?” The blonde prompted, a smile splitting their cheeks. Hyunjin flushed, looking embarrassed at how obvious he had been over the weeks, but he held strong. 

“I can’t wait anymore. Fuck, Felix, I love you so much. Please marry me.” 

So they did.

The pack had taken a few weeks off from band activities for the wedding and honeymoon phase, and were now back with the show to kick off their tour. Felix stood up, stretching, giving a little nod to one of the staff members as they informed they’d be on in five. 

“How many people are supposed to be here tonight?” They asked, glancing over at Hyunjin.

“Forty thousand.” The taller informed them, eyes shining with excitement. 

“Forty thousand…” Felix breathed, letting the information wash over them. The band had come so far– Felix didn’t think they could be happier with life if they tried. Hyunjin held out his hand, grinning, his ring glinting in the dim backstage lighting. 

“Ready?” He prompted, his tail swishing back and forth behind him. Felix beamed, intertwining their fingers.

“With all of you? Always.”