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cuddlepilefics · 1 year

Text

Grumpy alphas need lots of love

Fandom: Stray Kids

Alphas: Chan, Minho, Jeongin

Beta: Seungmin

Omegas: Changbin, Hyunjin, Jisung, Felix

When Jisung woke up, the bitter scent of anger hung in the air, making the rapper afraid of leaving his dorm room. He had never witnessed Chan being that angry and wondered what may have caused the alpha's mood to drop like that but didn't dare to go and find out.

As time passed, the pack learned that Chan wasn't the only alpha, who tended to get grumpy when sick.

OT8, emeto, omegaverse, pack dynamics

~28k words

No one’s POV.:

Jisung had slept in quite late, taking advantage of their rare day off, but as soon as he opened his bedroom door to go and grab a late breakfast, he froze. A bitter scent hung in the air, obviously alpha but it smelled really intimidating and negative, so the rapper barely dared to leave his room. Jisung thought that it might have some faint similarities to Chan’s scent but considering the oldest was the most patient alpha he knew and rarely ever got angry, this was certainly a first. Sure, he had witnessed the Aussie stressed, upset and frustrated before but never to this extend. Closing the door as quietly as he could, Jisung sat back down on his bed and pulled out his phone to text Changbin. A few moments after he had sent the text, there was the lightest of knocks at his bedroom door before the older rapper slipped into the room. “Good morning”, Changbin smiled, taking a seat next to his dongsaeng, “You don’t have to hide. Chan-hyung is in his room.” – “Do you know what’s up with him? He smells scary”, Jisung frowned, shuddering. The other just shrugged, admitting: “I only saw him for a few minutes this morning, when I ate breakfast. He was a little grumpy and only gave me a curt nod. We didn’t exchange a single word. It was weird.”

Weird was an understatement. This was not the Chan either of them knew, the calm and collected leader, who’d always put on a smile in order to reassure his dongsaengs, no matter how tired he was. All they knew was that the alpha smelled very… wrong. Hyunjin apparently had come to the same conclusion, fleeing to the other dorm to have breakfast with the rest of the group and to avoid the odd situation at his own dorm. None of them had any idea, how bad of a night their pack-alpha had had. Chan had already been nursing a headache throughout the previous day but it hadn’t been much more than a nuisance and the thought of sleeping in on their day off had helped him power through the day. When the alpha finally shut off his computer though, he had to realize that it was already far later than he had thought. Not like he would’ve been able to leave earlier, needing to finish editing the track he had been working on but he wanted his bed even more now. Pressing the balls of his hands into his eyes, Chan scrubbed at them to try and force them to stay open long enough to get back to his dorm. The rest of the pack was already fast asleep when Chan clumsily kicked off his shoes and stumbled to his room, collapsing on his bed without even bothering to change his clothes. Now that his task of getting home was completed, he was out instantly.

Maybe Chan should’ve changed his clothes, he realized when he woke up barely an hour later, disoriented and incredibly sore. His head felt so heavy he struggled to lift it off the mattress but the waistband of his jeans dug uncomfortably into his tummy, making the alpha groan in discomfort. For a few minutes he just lay there, contemplating what was worse, moving or staying in his uncomfortable clothes. He eventually had to accept that he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep if he didn’t put on something comfy, so huffing in frustration, Chan forced himself up against the heaviness weighing him down. The alpha’s limbs were leaden and his head pounded, making him question his decision to get up. Stumbling dizzily, Chan caught himself on the handle of his closet door and grabbed a pair of sweatpants. Already drained, he plopped down on the edge of his bed and sluggishly pulled off his jeans, replacing them with the sweatpants before crawling under the blanket and going right back to sleep.

The next time the leader woke up, his head pounded mercilessly, making him groan. Massaging his temples, Chan sat up and glanced at the clock. It was still pretty early and considering how late he had gone to bed, there was no way he’d get up this early on a day off. Figuring he might catch a few more hours of sleep if he took some painkillers, the Aussie dragged himself out of bed again. The way to the bathroom seemed endless but he managed and also collected a water bottle and protein bar from the kitchen. His stomach already felt funny and he didn’t want to cause himself more pain than necessary by taking the pills on an empty stomach. As Chan sat down on his bed again, he had to take a moment to breathe. He had started to feel a little lightheaded on his way back to his room and was waiting for the sensation to disappear. Clumsily fiddling with the protein bar, he eventually managed to rip open the packaging and despite having close to no appetite, he forced himself to take a big bite. The faster he ate, the faster it’d be over. When Chan tried to swallow the sticky substance, he choked, a sharp pain scraping his throat as he coughed. His hand trembled and he barely managed to uncap the water bottle but was eventually able to rinse down his protein bar. No, he had no desire to finish the rest of the bar, eyeing it in distaste before placing it on his bedside table. His throat still stung as he downed his pills and laid back down.

Despite his best efforts, Chan didn’t manage to go back to sleep and just lay there, taking in the mess that was his body. By now, he was pretty sure that he was running a fever. At least, that would explain the headache, dizziness and muscle aches. The Aussie couldn’t help but grow upset. They had a day off and he had made plans to spend it with his group. With how busy all of them had been, they had only seen each other while working but he hadn’t had any opportunity to give his dongsaengs the snuggles they usually craved. Chan couldn’t even remember when he had last scented his omegas, feeling like the worst pack-alpha for neglecting his mates like that. A low growl rumbled in the alpha’s chest, making him cough. Weakly propping himself up on his elbow, he tried to catch his breath and winced. His throat burned and his head pounded when he sat up to have a few sips of water.

Chan set the water bottle back down with a little more force than would’ve been necessary but he wasn’t only upset anymore, he was downright mad. How could his body betray him like this when he just wanted to spend a nice and cozy day looking after his pack members and catching up on quality time with the boys? Now, while the others would most likely end up in a huge cuddlepile in one of the living rooms to catch up on comfortable pack-time, Chan would have to keep his distance, if he didn’t want to get any of his dongsaengs sick. The longer the alpha lay there, stewing in his frustration, the angrier he became. Realizing his mood would only keep getting worse if he allowed himself to dwell on his thoughts, Chan sighed and got out of bed. He wasn’t hungry but maybe he could make himself some tea. It might help his throat some and even if it didn’t, he’d have a task to focus on for a little while.

After accomplishing his mission of making tea, Chan turned to find Changbin grabbing himself breakfast. With his throat still on fire, the older decided against using it and only nodded as a greeting before taking his tea and fleeing back to his room. He couldn’t have his friend see him drink tea because it would immediately give away that something wasn’t right. Chan didn’t even know why he was trying to hide how bad he felt. He’d have to tell his group eventually, otherwise they’d get too close and too touchy and end up catching whatever he had managed to come down with or they’d feel hurt by him avoiding their company, which would be just as bad. As the leader waited for his tea to cool to drinking temperature, he allowed a few silent tears to fall, not realizing how that zapped even more energy from him. Before he could even have a single sip of his tea, he had cried himself to sleep.

Changbin had finally managed to coax Jisung out of his room and convinced the younger omega to have breakfast. While Jisung still felt a little intimidated, Changbin was mainly worried. Chan didn’t smell right in the slightest and his behavior this morning was odd too, the rapper knew he should check on his hyung. First, he’d keep Jisung company though. He could tell the younger still felt on edge and he could totally understand why, the tension still thick in the air. Before Jisung had finished his breakfast though, their front door opened quietly. Changbin and Jisung both watched curiously as Felix slowly peeked into their dorm, frowning: “Hyunjin was right, it smells scary here.” – “Good morning, Lixxie”, Changbin chuckled opening his arms for his dongsaeng. The dancer smiled, running up to his hyung to get his good-morning-hug. “Is everything alright with Channie-hyung?”, the Aussie asked carefully, sniffing the air again. While Jisung anxiously chewed on his bottom lip, wondering the same thing, Changbin offered: “If you keep Sungie company, so he doesn’t have to eat alone, I’ll go and check on him.” – “Aren’t you scared?”, Jisung worried, studying his hyung. The older shook his head, humming: “It’s Chan. He’s not scary and he has never given us any reason to be scared of him, hm? He’s probably just upset about something, so I’ll go and see if it’s something we can fix and if not, we’ll just give him lots of hugs till he’s not upset anymore.” – “Hugs make everything better”, Felix agreed, taking a seat next to Jisung, while Changbin got up to check on their pack-alpha.

Chan dazedly lifted his head when he heard his bedroom door open. He had always been a light sleeper but he recognized the scent and knew there was no threat, so he just dropped his head back onto the pillow as Changbin approached him. “Good morning, hyung”, the rapper hummed as he took a seat on the edge of Chan’s bed, “Though, today isn’t really a good morning, is it?” Keeping his eyes closed, the leader tiredly shook his head and held back a wave of fresh tears. The room was still pretty dim, so Changbin couldn’t see the alpha’s face properly but from his behavior, he could tell the older was exhausted. Laying down alongside Chan, the rapper rested his forehead against the other’s shoulder and asked: “What’s wrong, hyung? You smell really angry and I know you’re not someone to get angry easily.”

Not wanting to start crying again, Chan took a shuddering breath. He was grateful that Changbin had laid down with him, not liking it when others looked down on him when he was already feeling helpless. “Are you okay? You feel pretty warm to me”, the omega hummed softly, when it didn’t seem like his hyung would say anything any time soon. Pulling away from Chan’s arm, Changbin reached up to feel the leader’s cheek instead. It wasn’t only damp with tears but also feverish. Gently drying the tears with the cuff of his sleeve, the rapper guessed: “You’re sick, aren’t you?” Chan nodded defeatedly. “I wanted to spend our day off finally having some quality time with the pack”, the alpha rasped, his voice barely above a whisper, “Now I can’t because if I do, everyone else will catch it too.” Comfortably laying back down, Changbin didn’t seem all too concerned about that and only asked: “Let’s work with what we’ve got for now. How long have you felt sick?” – “Had a bit of a headache yesterday but last night it really hit me like a train”,Chan groaned, covering his face with his arm, successfully hiding the fresh tears of frustration. Changbin could tell though and calmly hugged the alpha’s waist, whispering: “You think it might be the flu?” Painfully clearing his throat, the older nodded and weakly sat up to cough.

“Should we go to the living room? You can lay down on the couch and maybe we can watch some movies with the others”, Changbin offered, handing the other his water bottle. After forcing down a few sips, Chan frowned: “I really don’t wanna get anyone sick *sniff* besides, I’m no fun right now.” – “Hyung, you’re always with us, no matter how little fun we might be. Do you really think we only appreciate you when you’re fun and upbeat?”, the omega sighed, “We care about you and if you’re afraid about contagion, we can keep the skinship to a minimum but we missed spending time with you. Outside of work I mean and you don’t deserve to be lonely, while already being sick. I highly doubt any other us would complain about having a quiet day and we can take things as slow as we need to, hm?” The only response he got was a hoarse sob, that Chan had desperately tried to muffle against the sleeve of his hoodie. The alpha had so desperately tried to stay somewhat put together but his mate’s words had struck his heart making his already cracking façade crumble completely. Changbin didn’t mind though, comfortingly rubbing his hyung’s back. He knew how strong Chan always had to be for them. The alpha deserved a break from being strong too and the rapper wouldn’t dare judge him for having his weak moments.

“Lixxie is here by the way”, Changbin smiled, “He got worried that you might be upset when Hyunjin told him you smelled scary.” – “I-I smell scary?”, Chan stammered worriedly. He couldn’t imagine having made his dongsaengs feel afraid of him. “Not necessarily scary…”, the omega said slowly, searching for the right words, “A teeny-tiny bit intimidating maybe. Like a grumpy alpha…. Come on, let’s show them you’re not angry.” Though Chan was still hesitant, he let Changbin pull him out of bed. Swaying for a moment, the leader clung to his friend’s broad shoulders as the younger steadied him, cooing: “We can take it as slow as you need, yeah? You tell me when you feel ready to move.” After Chan took a few deep breaths, the dark spots faded and he gave a tentative nod, linking his arm with Changbin’s. It took them a while to make the short walk from the alpha’s bedroom to the living room but they were in no rush.

Felix’ head instantly shot up when he heard the shuffling footsteps coming down the hallway. “Hyung!”, the omega gasped, shocked at their alpha’s rough appearance. Chan winced as the other’s volume aggravated his headache. Forcing a smile for his dongsaeng, the leader rasped: “G’morning Lixxie, hey Sung.” – “Wow, you sound awful”, Jisung commented nervously, “What happened to you?” – “’M sick”, Chan admitted, lowering his head in shame. By now, Felix had made his way over to them and wrapped his arms around the alpha’s waist. The oldest wanted to tell him no, tell him to keep his distance but he couldn’t. For one, his legs felt even weaker now that he had been on his feet for a while, so having a second member supporting his weight was highly appreciated. And two, he couldn’t resist his Aussie brother. Felix’ touch instantly broke down the walls the alpha had built, causing a tear to spill from his eye.

Noticing how Chan’s legs started to tremble from the strain, Changbin guided them to the couch, where the older weakly collapsed into the cushions and groaned when the impact sent shockwaves of pain through his skull. The alpha felt cold, small hands on his flushed cheeks as Felix brushed away the tear and felt for a fever, surprised by just how bad his hyung was burning. “Your fever’s pretty high”, the omega cooed, “Might explain why you smell so weird. On the other hand, you smelled angry, not as much anymore but still…. Are you mad, Channie-hyung?” Drawing in a shaky breath past his chapped lips, Chan bit down on his bottom lip to hold back more tears and gave a tentative nod. Felix affectionately stroked the alpha’s cheek to soothe him and hummed: “You wanna tell us why or who you’re angry with or should we drop the topic?” – “M-My body”, Chan mumbled barely audibly, “’m angry at my body.”Taking a seat next to the leader, Felix wrapped his arms around the other’s shoulders and nuzzled his face against his mate’s collarbone. The omega purred softly as he scented Chan, making his hyung’s heart go all mushy, the anger dissipating quickly.

“You didn’t have breakfast yet, did you?”, Changbin asked, hesitant to interrupt his friends’ sweet moment. Felix sat back up, giving his hyung a worried look. Shaking his head, Chan sniffled: “Tried a protein bar a few hours ago but it hurt my throat and my tummy doesn’t feel good anyway, so….” – “Do you want to try eating again or…?”, the rapper offered but Chan shook his head. Remembering how intimidated he had felt that moment, Jisung snuck out of the dorm to find Hyunjin and explain what was really going on at their dorm. When the two made their way back to their dorm, the rest of their pack had decided to tag along as well. It was always Chan watching out for and protecting them, so now they would be there to comfort and care for him. Minho had to suppress a growl when the other alpha’s angry pheromones hit him the moment he stepped foot into his friends’ dorm. Sometimes, the dancer really hated his alpha instincts reacting so strongly and defensively even when it came to Chan and Jeongin, the other two alphas in their pack. On the other hand, those instincts would keep his dongsaengs save, so he didn’t feel like he had a right to complain, and he knew that Chan and Jeongin sometimes struggled with the same things, so lots of communication and bonding time helped the pack function smoothly.

“Hey”, Minho smiled sadly, as he crouched in front of his only hyung. Chan’s glossy eyes met his and Minho could see the tension on the other’s chest melt away. For Chan it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest, the moment he saw Minho there. He knew he wouldn’t be able to protect his dongsaengs right now, should he need to, so knowing the other was there to protect their pack and keep everyone safe allowed the oldest to give in to his body’s demands for rest. Closing his eyes, Chan breathed: “Hi.”– “Sungie told us”, Minho informed softly, watching the leader lay down as soon as Felix got off the couch, “What do you think you managed to come down with?” – “Flu probably”, the older hummed lowly, painfully clearing his throat, “Hit really suddenly during the night.” Minho nodded in acknowledgement, carding his fingers through his hyung’s messy curls. “Do you guys have enough medicine here or should I check our dorm?”, the dancer offered, looking up at Changbin and Hyunjin. The rapper had just returned from the bathroom and wordlessly held up two boxes of medicine, stating: “We have painkillers, fever-reducers and nausea medicine. I don’t know if we need cough syrup but if so, we don’t have any.” – “Okay, I’ll check our dorm later but for now, it sounds more like a sore throat than a cough, right?”, Minho accepted, shooting Chan a questioning look to which the older nodded, too tired to force himself to speak.

Just when Chan was about to drift off, Hyunjin gently nudged him, smiling: “We made you some tea, hyung.” – “Thanks”, the alpha whispered, glad that his dongsaeng felt reassured enough to be back in his presence again. Thinking that he had scared his mates away, had broken Chan’s heart. The dorm soon grew quieter as the leader drifted in and out of consciousness. He didn’t really manage to sleep though, it felt more like floating half-there and half-gone. When Chan sat up to regain his orientation, he realized how his dongsaengs had dispersed, only Jeongin sitting in a beanbag close to the couch. The maknae noticed his hyung’s confused look and got up to sit next to the other. “Where’s everyone?”, Chan frowned, always worried when one of his mates was unaccounted for. Linking his fingers with Chan’s, Jeongin ran his thumb in circles over the back of the other’s hand and hummed: “Minho-hyung went over to his dorm to see if they have more supplies, we might need to take care of you. Seungmin’s making soup for whenever you feel ready to stomach anything.” The beta gave a small wave when Chan glanced towards the kitchen, making the oldest smile. “I know that Hyunjinnie-hyung, Jisung-hyung and Felix wanted to gather some nesting supplies, so they can make the living room all cozy for movie marathons and what not. Changbin-hyung’s probably supervising them”, Jeongin smiled, thinking about the amazing large nests the omegas had built on previous occasions. The maknae loved when the entire pack would get cozy in one of those nests for some quality-cuddle-time, too bad he never managed to built a nest. Felix had once tried to teach him but soon had to accept that it simply wasn’t in his dongsaeng’s blood. That didn’t mean that Jeongin wouldn’t find one of his omega-hyungs to help him arrange his bed to somewhat resemble a nest. Sometimes that was exactly when the youngest needed to fall asleep, not caring whether an alpha was supposed to feel that way or not.

Chan eventually dozed off with his head on Jeongin’s shoulder, while the younger gently ran his fingers through his mate’s sweaty curls. He didn’t even hear the rest of the pack return, the omegas dumping large heaps of pillows and blankets onto the living room carpet. Minho and Changbin carried the coffee table into a corner, so their dongsaengs would have enough space for their nest and could get to work right away. Minho had collected a bottle of cough syrup and a bag of cough drops from their dorm, along with two bottles of sports drink in case Chan’s stomach was still bothering him later. For now, the oldest luckily managed to sleep and Jeongin sat patiently scrolling through social media afraid he’d wake his hyung if he moved the slightest bit.

The next time Chan opened his eyes, it was to a cold sensation on his face. “You’re okay, just go back to sleep”, Changbin whispered. He had helped Jeongin shift the leader into a flat position, allowing their youngest to use the bathroom. On his way back, Jeongin had brought a cold washcloth, that Changbin gently dabbed against Chan’s burning skin before draping it across his forehead. The older sighed in content as the cold cloth soothed his headache. When Changbin pulled away, the alpha grabbed his wrist, rasping: “Did everyone have breakfast?” He was afraid his dongsaengs might forget about their own needs because he had messed up daily routines. “All of us had breakfast, hyung”, the rapper hummed crouching down to eye level, “The kids are all taken care of and Seungmin finished the soup a little while ago, so if you feel like having a late breakfast let us know, yeah?” – “I-I think I could try”, Chan contemplated, “Not really hungry but I could do with another dose of painkillers.” Changbin nodded, brushing the backs of his fingers against the other’s flushed cheek, commenting: “Not surprising, your fever hasn’t improved at all. I’ll go and get you a bowl of soup.”

Sitting up was a struggle but Chan had eventually pushed his sore body up and leant back against the cushions. He sniffled as the change of position made the pressure in his sinuses shift. Seeing their pack alpha was awake, Hyunjin joined the older and took a seat next to him on the couch. The dancer patted Chan’s back when the oldest choked on a held-back cough. With his throat burning, Chan leant his elbows on his knees, desperately gulping in air as he continued choking. Hyunjin slipped his arm across the alpha’s chest when the older was catching his breath but swayed. Gently pulling Chan back to rest against the cough cushions, the younger rushed to fetch his hyung some water. “Thanks”, the Aussie breathed, when Hyunjin handed him the glass. With Chan’s hands trembling badly, the omega needed to support the bottom of the glass, afraid the leader’s grasp would slip. The cool liquid soothed Chan’s abused throat a little and he closed his eyes to treasure the feeling, only opening them again when he felt the couch dip next to him.

Changbin had returned with soup but glancing at the alpha’s hands, decided against handing it to his hyung. Offering the spoon to Chan, the rapper smiled: “I’ll hold the bowl for you, just try to eat as much as you can. Your body needs the energy to fight this flu.” Giving a tired nod, the leader accepted the spoon and shakily lifted it to his lips. His stomach growled but he couldn’t tell whether it was hunger or if the organ disapproved of him eating. Chan managed to force down half of the soup and didn’t even spill any, despite almost dropping the spoon once. Somehow, the small amount sat heavily in his stomach, making him feel uncomfortably bloated. “Done?”, Changbin asked softly, when the alpha grimaced. Nodding, Chan slipped his hand under his hoodie and palmed at his tummy to try and soothe it. Hyunjin seemed to notice as he handed the older two pills, worrying: “Your tummy not happy?” Quickly downing the pills, Chan shook his head and tried to hold back a queasy hiccup. “Don’t really wan’ anything in me right now but everything hurts, so…”, the alpha muttered, drawing his legs up to his chest.

With his head resting on his knees and eyes closed, Chan didn’t see how Hyunjin left and returned with a bucket not much later. He placed the bucket next to the couch, in case Chan’s stomach wouldn’t calm down. Feeling his stomach in his throat, the oldest didn’t dare to lay back down, so Jisung traded places with Hyunjin and gently traced shapes on his mate’s back. Chan released a breath, he didn’t even know he was holding, his muscles relaxing under the rapper’s affectionate touch.

“The others were wondering if you wanted to have a movie marathon”, Jisung hummed, glancing at his omega friends working hard to make the perfect nest for them. Blearily picking up his head, Chan sniffled: “I dunno if I can actually watch it ‘cause my eyes an’ head hurt but…. Think the background noise would be comfy.”Playing with the hair at the nape of the alpha’s neck, Jisung agreed: “Your eyes look really tired and irritated. Aww, hyung, you really look like you need cuddles.” That statement caused Chan to break into tears, Felix instantly rushing over when he heard the hoarse sobs. “We can’t cu-cuddle”,the pack-alpha choked out, “I don’t want- …want you guys to feel this shitty.” Cuddling up to Chan’s side, Felix held back his own tears and whined: “We’ve been working together throughout the past week and interacted with the same people. No matter who you might have caught this from, we were probably already exposed.” – “True”, Jisung supported, “Besides, you never worry about your own safety when one of us is sick. You cuddle us anyway and we will cuddle you anyway.” Chan only cried harder at that. He knew he should keep his mates safe, should tell them not to, but he couldn’t. Everything hurt and his emotions were all over the place. He was really craving some cuddles.

Their nest was almost finished and Jisung went to help Changbin and Hyunjin make a few last adjustments, while Felix calmly scented Chan’s arm. Jeongin sat close to the omegas, doing his best to memorize how the nest came together. Minho and Seungmin had started preparing hot chocolate for everyone, also making another cup of tea for Chan as they figured he wouldn’t be able to stomach anything sugary right now. The beta was carefully transferring the drinks into mugs, while Minho went to check on the two Aussie’s. Chan’s tears had slowed but he looked awful, eyes glossy and swollen. His unusually pale face splotchy and lips chapped. Sweat was beading on his forehead, so Minho offered: “Hey, you wanna go and wash up, maybe change into some less sweaty clothes? You don’t look like you could rest comfortable like this.” – “Too tired, ‘s too difficult”, the oldest slurred, scrubbing at his face. “Hey, don’t do that”, the dancer frowned, catching Chan’s wrists, “I’ll go and fetch you a fresh hoodie, just so you can feel a little less sticky, or would you prefer a t-shirt?” – “Hoodie please. ‘s kinda cold”, Chan replied with a shudder, hugging himself the moment Minho released his wrists.

Seungmin quietly gathered the rest of the pack and handed out the hot chocolate, when Minho returned with a hoodie for Chan. The leader struggled to pull his sticky hoodie over his head, so Felix helped him tug it off. Lifting his arms, caused Chan’s stomach to cramp up and make him wince. The two dancers could easily hear the angry gurgle, as their mate fought the urge to curl up. Minho quickly picked up the discarded washcloth and wiped his hyung’s chest and shoulders with it, so he could at least feel somewhat refreshed but get it over with as fast as possible as to not torture him for longer than necessary. Goosebumps spread on Chan’s skin and he was grateful when Minho guided his arms into the sleeves and smoothed the dry hoodie down his back to make sure his skin was covered properly. The oldest hummed in content, finally feeling warm again as he pulled the cuffs of his sleeves to cover his hands.

“You wanna cuddle in our nest?”, Hyunjin asked softly, studying the alpha’s tense expression. With the nausea rising, Chan bit his lip and shook his head. Moving wouldn’t be a good idea right now. As the pack calmly settled around him, they asked him what movie he’d like to start with but Chan rasped: “I’ll hopefully fall asleep anyway, so you guys choose.” – “Let’s pick a Disney movie. You like those, don’t you?”, Changbin offered, picking up one of the blankets that weren’t essential to their nest. The rapper scented it before passing it on to Jeongin, who sat closest to him and did the same. Once everyone had scented it, Minho draped it around Chan’s shoulders, the leader instantly relaxing. Enveloped in his pack’s scents, Chan felt so safe and at ease, he couldn’t help but grow drowsy again. The scents also helped dull the nausea a little, so he eventually dared to lean into Minho’s side, the dancer stroking his hair to lull him to sleep. Chan still witnessed the first twenty minutes of ‘Finding Dori’ before nodding off.

Minho tore his eyes away from the screen when he felt Chan move next to him. The leader struggled to his feet, earning a questioning look from Minho. “Bathroom”, Chan whispered, surprisingly sounding much calmer than he felt as he pulled the blanket around his shoulders like a cape. Minho contemplated following his hyung to make sure he didn’t fall over on the way there, seeing how the older staggered and caught himself against the wall. In the end, the dancer decided against it. He was an alpha too and could imagine Chan not wanting to have his independence undermined. Instead, he sat up just a little straighter, ready to help the leader back to the couch once he was done. When ten minutes had passed and Minho still hadn’t heard the flush, he decided to go and check on the older. Gently rapping his knuckles against the wood, he waited for a reply but got none. Knocking a little harder, the dancer warned: “If you don’t tell me you’re fine, I’m coming in now.” All he got was a strained cough, so he tried the door, surprised that it was unlocked.

Minho growled when he opened the door and was hit with a wave of aggressive pheromones. It was so strong, he barely registered the underlying stench of vomit. His heart dropped when he spotted Chan curled up against the bathtub, his hands tightly fisted in his messy curls, pulling his hair. “Hey, stop that”, Minho scolded quietly, dropping to his knees next to the older. Stroking his fingers over the backs of Chan’s hands, the dancer hummed: “Hyung, you’ll make your headache worse. Deep breaths, hm?” He eventually got Chan to loosen his grip and gently took his hyung’s hands in his, squeezing them lightly. “Let’s calm down, okay?”, Minho tried, studying the leader. He was startled when Chan growled at him. The oldest had never done that and to be honest, Minho was scared. That changed immediately when they made eye contact though. Tears were streaming down Chan’s face and the younger realized the growl had been from pain and desperation, not anger though Chan was definitely angry too.

Sighing, Minho wrapped his arm around Chan’s shoulders and lifted a corner of the blanket to wipe his hyung’s tears. “You’re feeling worse, aren’t you?”, the dancer cooed, glancing at the toilet. Chan nodded defeatedly as he bit his lip to keep from either crying or growling. Comfortingly squeezing the Aussie’s shoulder, Minho frowned: “Why are you so angry, hyung?” – “Why does my body hate me so much?”,the older forced out between gritted teeth, his voice cracking painfully. ‘Maybe because you never allow it to sleep’, Minho thought but held his tongue. Feeling Chan’s forehead, Minho sighed: “Your body doesn’t hate you, hyung. You were just unlucky and yeah, I know that this isn’t how you had wanted to spend your day off but you need to stop getting mad at yourself for falling ill. It’s entirely human and also out of your control, so getting mad isn’t going to make anything better, if anything, it’ll make things worse.”

Minho sat with Chan for a while but the older didn’t get sick again, so Minho eventually flushed the toilet. “You think you’re done here?”, the dancer asked, smiling when his hyung nodded, “Alright, you wanna brush your teeth, while I go and get you some water?” Though Chan was exhausted, he allowed his dongsaeng to pull him to his feet. Sitting on the closed toilet lid, the leader accepted his toothbrush and tiredly scrubbed at his teeth, while Minho slipped out of the room. He needed to lean against the younger for support when rinsing out his mouth. Easing Chan back down, Minho handed him the water and had him take a few careful sips. While the older was already close to dozing off, Minho gently brushed his sweaty bangs out of his face and felt his forehead, humming: “Let me take your temperature. I have a feeling it’s only getting worse.” Chan only gave a sleepy hum of acknowledgement but turned his head to allow the other access to his ear. Minho clicked his tongue when the device beeped, the reading pretty high. He studied his hyung for a moment and realized he was still shivery, so taking away his blanket would be a cruel move, especially after the entire pack had scented it.

“Let’s get you back to the living room”, Minho breathed, wrapping his arm around Chan’s waist, “Maybe you wanna lay down in the nest now. It looked really cozy and the boys have been obsession over making it as comfortable as possible.” Getting up on trembling legs, the oldest leant heavily on Minho and relied on the other to keep him from toppling over. Chan’s head pounded and he stopped dead in his tracks as his vision faded. Hearing Minho curse, Changbin was by their side in an instant. Supporting their hyung from either side, the two quickly dragged him the last few meters to the living room and made it just seconds before the leader’s legs gave out. Chan groaned quietly as Changbin laid him down in the nest in the living room. The omega kept one hand on Chan’s shoulder the entire time, so he could feel his presence, using the other hand to motion for Felix. Though he wasn’t entirely out, Chan could barely comprehend his situation, flashing hot and breaking into a sweat as the room spun around him. The scent of his pack enveloped him, the only sense of comfort as every fiber of his body burned, his head pounding and eyes stinging.

Chan inhaled sharply, when something cold touched his forehead, bringing back his focus almost immediately. Holding the icepack in place, Felix soothed: “You’re okay. Just take a few deep breaths and the dizziness should fade soon.” – “Mmmmmh, hurts”, the alpha slurred, his eyes still screwed shut. “What hurts, hyung?”, Felix frowned as he cupped Chan’s flushed cheek. Furrowing his brow, the older tried to express when he was feeling but it was tough. Chan brought his hands up to cradle his head, muttering: “Everything.”He drowsily opened his eyes when he heard Minho set down the bucket next to the nest. They made eye contact, the younger promising: “Just in case, you probably won’t even need it.” Chan wasn’t so sure about that. His stomach was still in knots and although he was pretty certain, that he didn’t have much in him, he wouldn’t want to challenge fate.

With a heavy heart, Felix laid down by Chan’s side, lightly holding the icepack in place, so it wouldn’t slide off. He gave Jeongin as sad smile, when the maknae cuddled up to Chan’s other side and nosed at their hyung’s shoulder. None of them had expected they’d be spending a rare day off like this but at least they had Chan with them and the leader wasn’t hiding away in his room. Sure, they were taking a risk but it was a risk that Chan himself had taken time and time again. It was just so foreign to see their strong and seemingly invincible leader in such bad shape. It didn’t take long for Hyunjin and Jisung to join their mates in the nest, while Minho, Changbin and Seungmin discussed their next steps. With how sick Chan was, there was no way he’d be recovered in time to attend their schedule the following days, so Minho decided to step up and call their manager. The alpha might have stretched the truth a little to the point where their manager was so concerned about contagion, that he promised to arrange for all of the boys to have some more time off to care for their leader and make sure they themselves stayed healthy too.

Changbin and Seungmin watched over their sleeping pack, Seungmin being the first to notice Chan waking up. The leader was panting, terrified eyes meeting with Seungmin’s as he took a deep breath, the scents of his dongsaengs’ grounding him. Seungmin quietly snuck up to the nest, not wanting to wake any of the others. “Hey”, he whispered, reaching out to brush his hand against Chan’s arm, “You okay?” The alpha gave a small nod, wincing: “Jus’ a nightmare. Ugh, my head hurts.” – “I’m pretty sure you’re dehydrated, hyung”, Seungmin hummed, offering the older a hand to help him out of the nest, “Sit with Changbin-hyung for a bit and I’ll go fetch you something to drink.” Chan stumbled into Changbin’s embrace, the omega helping him over to the couch, where they sat down together. The oldest was resting his head on Changbin’s shoulder, while the rapper rubbed his back. When Seungmin returned, he was carrying a steaming cup and smiled: “It’s just some broth, so hopefully your tummy will accept it well. There’s no rush, just sip it slowly and see how you feel.” Chan nodded sleepily before lifting the cup to his lips.

Feeling cold now that he wasn’t all cuddled up with his mates, Chan wrapped his fingers around the cup to warm them and closed his eyes. The broth seemed to settle his stomach, at least a little, the angry churning easing up. “Chan, you awake?”, Minho asked carefully. The older hummed in confirmation, though his eyes remained shut. Crouching down in front of the leader, Minho smiled: “I just spoke to our manager.” That announcement suddenly had Chan wide awake, the realization that he’d need time off of work to recover only hitting now. “Relax”, the dancer chuckled, “We got our break extended. All of us have a few more days and we’ll see how you’re feeling by then and if you need more time. For now, the rest of us will be staying with you. Oh, you’re drinking something. That’s good! How does your stomach feel?” Chan’s shoulders relaxed and he shrugged: “Think the broth’s settling my stomach. It still feels meh, but I don’t think I need to be sick. Not yet, at least.”

With four of the members still sleeping comfortably in their nest, Minho soon turned on the TV again. Keeping the volume low, they watched “Big Hero 6”. Chan rested against Changbin’s side, slowly nibbling the crackers Minho had brought him while Seungmin curled up next to him. The beta was rare so openly affectionate but Chan definitely enjoyed it when he was, tangling his fingers in the younger’s hair. His heart fluttered when Seungmin started to purr quietly. It was something that had only happened on a couple of occasions because it meant the boy let his guard down completely, so Chan smiled as he finished his cracker and kept indulging the beta with headpats.

Chan hadn’t even noticed how his eyes fluttered shut again as he drifted off against Changbin, so he was surprised when he woke up later to an empty living room. He wasn’t entirely alone though. Changbin had stayed with him, looking up from his phone when Chan sat up and looked around in confusion. “Good morning, hyung”, the rapper chuckled, smoothing down Chan’s hair that was sticking out in all directions, “Just kidding, it’s late evening.” – “Hnnngg, …where’s everyone?”, the leader groaned as he tried to stretch his sore muscles. Gently massaging the alpha’s neck and shoulders, Changbin explained: “They’ve been asleep for quite a while, so Minho-hyung woke them and they’re having dinner right now.” – “Aren’t you hungry too?”,Chan frowned, feeling guilty that his dongsaeng was stuck with him. “I’m okay”, the rapper denied, “I can eat something later. How are you feeling, hyung?” – “My head doesn’t hurt as much, so it probably was dehydration”, Chan shrugged, rubbing his face, “’m really sore and tired and no amount of sleep seems to fix that. My throat hurts a little when I swallow or speak but it’s alright and I don’t feel as nauseous anymore, though I wouldn’t wanna put anything in my stomach that might change that.” Nodding in acknowledgement, Changbin hummed: “Maybe you could try some plain rice later, so you can have another dose of medicine before the night. If you want, I could run you a cool bath to see if that helps with the aches?” – “Jus’ need some help, walking to the bathroom”, the alpha rasped, “’m not dizzy but my legs feel funny. Not sure if it helps with the aches but I’m so sweaty it’s disgusting” – “Alright, hold onto me and if you start to feel faint, please give me a warning”, Changbin pleaded, helping the oldest to his feet.

Their walk to the bathroom took them a while but Chan was happy he made it without fainting, despite his legs growing wobbly as they got closer to their destination. Changbin eased the alpha down to sit on the rug and started to fill the tub with water, humming: “What do you wanna wear after your bath? Maybe something light, so you don’t overheat.” – “My grey sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt?”, Chan requested uncertainly, “Can we keep a hoodie close though? The chills suck.” – “Sure, we can”, the rapper agreed, dipping his hand into the water to check the temperature before dropping in a eucalyptus bath bomb. When the tub was filled, Changbin asked: “Can I leave you without you drowning?” Chan gave a sleepy nod, that wasn’t exactly a reassurance for the omega but he accepted it. “Alright, you can get in and I’ll grab you a fresh set of clothes”, Changbin stated, getting back to his feet before helping Chan up too. The alpha sat on the closed toilet lid as he sluggishly peeled off his clothes. He winced when the movement pulled on his muscles but it was nice to not have damp fabric clinging to his skin for a while.

Chan sighed as he lowered himself into the water. It was just warm enough to not cause him chills but eased the burning sensation on his skin. Hopefully, it’d lower his fever a little so he’d feel more like himself later. The alpha laid back and let the water soak his hair the cool sensation on his scalp relieving some of the pressure in his skull. Allowing himself to just float for a bit, Chan relaxed and had to remind himself not to fall asleep. Somehow all he seemed to be able to do today, was sleep. The scent of eucalyptus was quite intense and before long, Chan had to sit up as his breath had started to hitch. Pitching forward with a throaty sneeze, the alpha winced and massaged his throat, giving a scratchy cough afterwards.

When Changbin returned with his hyung’s clothes, he found the older dozing with his head resting on the side of the tub, so he wouldn’t drown. Combing the wet curls back, the rapper whispered: “Do you want me to wash your hair for you?” – “Could you?”, Chan breathed, sleepily lifting his head. “If you let me use conditioner too”, Changbin teased, picking up the bottle of shampoo, “You’ve been dyeing your hair a lot recently.” Squirting some shampoo into his hand, he spread it on the alpha’s wet curls and gently massaged it into the other’s scalp, careful not to get anything into his eyes. Chan relaxed into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut. He usually skipped out on the conditioner as he couldn’t be bothered when only having a few minutes to shower but he wouldn’t argue with Changbin when the rapper was so gentle, applying the product to his damaged hair.

Chan shuddered when he got out of the tub and quickly bundled up in his towel to hopefully stop the chills before they could really start. When he plopped down on the closed toilet lid, Changbin grabbed a small towel and rubbed the alpha’s hair dry. The rapper was relieved when he made eye contact with Chan and his hyung’s eyes looked a little clearer than they had all day. Sure, they were a little swollen and the older looked incredibly run down, but the feverish gloss wasn’t as evident anymore. “You wanna try to have a bite for dinner? I’m sure everyone will be eagerly waiting to give you cuddles but once you’re trapped in that pile, there’s no getting out of it”, Changbin asked with a small laugh, remembering the struggle it always was to get out of a nest with a whole pack trying to get their dose of snuggles in. Chan seemed to have the same though, chuckling quietly to himself. When the leader agreed to try eating a little, Changbin left him to change and went to the kitchen to prepare a small bowl of plain rice, hoping it’d go easy on the alpha’s stomach and him getting sick earlier might have been a fluke.

Feeling refreshed, Chan found the energy to walk to the kitchen on his own. He waved at his dongsaengs fixing the nest as they settled in the living room. Felix shot him a wide smile and waved back, while the others were too occupied to notice him. In the kitchen, he found Changbin and Seungmin, who decided to keep their hyung company, so he wouldn’t have to eat alone. Changbin placed a small bowl of plain cooked rice in front of Chan and gave him a sympathetic smile when the leader hesitated. The oldest was determined though and taking his time, managed to finish all his food. When he was done, Changbin took the bowl to the kitchen and Seungmin placed a cup of lukewarm tea in front of Chan, handing the alpha two pills. The alpha struggled, barely getting the pills past his swollen throat but he really wanted to feel better already. Now that Chan was fed and medicated, he already started to feel a little more alive, though he knew that it mainly was a mind-thing as there was no way the medicine had kicked in already.

The other members had since split up between the two dorms and taken their turns showering, so they could have a sleepover. Minho, Felix and Jeongin collected their pajamas for the night, bringing Seungmin’s along too. Though they disliked the circumstances, they were glad to be able to spend some time as a pack once again, without having to work. Hyunjin had taken Felix to his room to show the Aussie his most recent painting, while Jisung had attached himself to Jeongin, the maknae affectionately scenting his hyung as they sat on the couch, waiting for their hyung.

“Yah! Don’t steal my squirrel”, Minho warned as he found his dongsaengs scenting each other on the couch. Purring loudly, Jisung made grabby hands for the dancer to join them. Minho crouched in front of the pair and smiled when the omega leant against his chest, nosing at his hyung’s scent glands. Jeongin linked his fingers with Minho, a wide smile spreading on the maknae’s lips while Minho switched between scenting him and scenting Jisung. The second oldest felt his heart flutter as Jeongin wasn’t usually this affectionate with him. The youngest alpha always eagerly scented the omegas of the group, sometimes he scented Seungmin too though the beta wasn’t that enthusiastic about scenting. Rarely was Jeongin okay with Chan or Minho scenting him, probably feeling belittled when the older alphas did it to him but right now, it was just what he needed. Jeongin didn’t know why he felt so clingy right now but considering they didn’t tease him for it, he’d just enjoy it while it lasted.

Chan smiled affectionately when he saw his donsgaengs so comfy but couldn’t hide the longing in his eyes. Noticing that, Changbin took the leader’s hand and pulled him along. Chan still didn’t want to get his face that close to his mates but faintly scented them by rubbing his wrists against their necks. Jisung’s delighted purrs filled the air but what really made Chan’s flutter, was when he picked up on a much quieter purr. Changbin kept his eyes closed as the oldest scented him but with his hand against the rapper’s neck, the alpha could feel the vibrations and smiled. He knew as the oldest omega in the pack, Changbin was a lot tougher than his dongsaengs but secretly still enjoyed it when Chan and Minho cared for him like this. Always making sure that the younger omegas received the amount of comfort and affection they needed to strive, Changbin’s own needs often ended up on the back burner, so knowing this, Chan took his time to scent the other thoroughly. He had planned to spend this day off caring for his mates and make sure his dongsaengs got the amount of affection they needed from their pack alpha, so he wouldn’t let his sickness stop him from fulfilling his duties as a leader.

After two more movies, the group had gone to sleep in the big nest in the living room. As much as Chan yearned to join his pack, he had opted to sleep on the couch. For one, it didn’t feel right to sleep in one large pile with his dongsaengs while being sick, though he had already been quite careless as the day had progressed, and two, the alpha may have been able to keep his dinner down but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t queasy and it would be better to have an easy escape route to the bathroom, should he need it. They had pushed the couch closer to the nest, so Chan had his arm dangling off the couch and Felix slept half sitting up against the couch, hugging his hyung’s arm. The other members lay piled on top of each other, limbs tangled. Glancing at the nest in darkness, Chan couldn’t even tell where one of his mates ended and another began.

He had been watching the nest for close to an hour already, struggling to sleep after sleeping for most of the day. Plus, the leader had developed an annoying cough, that he fought to suppress, so he wouldn’t keep the others up. At some point, Chan had staggered to the kitchen to take some of that cough syrup, Minho had brought from their dorm. His eyes watered as he squinted at the label and tried to figure out the right dosage. Sniffling, the Aussie scrubbed at his face and tried again. He didn’t even notice someone sneaking up on him.

Minho had woken up not long ago and heard his hyung rummaging around in the kitchen. When the oldest didn’t return after a while, Minho detangled himself from the cuddlepile, careful not to wake any of the others, and went to check on their leader. Chan startled when the dancer rested a hand on his back, relaxing when he realized who was there with him. “Was jus’ gonna take some medicine”,Chan rasped before clearing his throat, “’s kinda blurry, d’you know how much I gotta take?” – “Hang on”, Minho hummed, taking the bottle from his hyung. He read over the label before pouring some into the measuring cup and handing it to Chan. The older thanked him quietly before knocking it back, grimacing at the taste. They made their way back to the living room, where Minho hugged Chan good night before laying back down next to Jisung, the rapper sleepily snuggling up to him. Chan plopped down on the couch massaging his temples before laying back down. As soon as he hung his arm over the edge of the couch, Felix reattached himself to the alpha’s arm. It was truly impressive how the boy’s instincts could sense Chan’s presence while deeply asleep.

Though Chan didn’t really manage to fall asleep, he allowed himself to drift, embracing the floaty feeling, the sleepy haze that dulled his discomfort a little. He was only brought back to focus, when he heard a frustrated whine coming from the nest. There was some shuffling but he couldn’t see who was awake. It took another grumpy huff for Chan to recognize the boy by his sounds. It seemed that Jeongin was trying to get up but was stuck under the limbs of the other pack members. Chan quickly got to his feet, approaching the side of the nest. Crouching next to the younger, Chan brushed the maknae’s bangs out of his face. He cringed at the way the hair stuck the his dongsaeng’s sweaty forehead and cooed: “You trapped, pup?” – “No shit, Sherlock”, Jeongin huffed, again trying to free himself, “Some help maybe?” Though stunned by the younger’s reply, Chan rushed to help detangle Jeongin’s limbs and shift Hyunjin off of the boy’s legs. No sooner than he was free did Jeongin clamber out of the nest, stumbling once he was on his feet. His legs tingled from the blood returning to them and the shift caused his head to spin, so the maknae sat down on the carpet a few steps away from the nest.

Worried, Chan crouched next to him, rasping: “You okay?”– “Too hot”, Jeongin panted, fanning himself with his hands. While his dongsaeng sprawled out on the floor, trying too cool off, Chan went to the kitchen to fetch the younger a glass of cool water. Taking a seat next to Jeongin, the leader gently nudged his arm and cooed when the boy hazily blinked up at him. “Have some water, pup”, Chan instructed, waiting for Jeongin to sit up. When he did, the maknae gratefully accepted the drink and muttered: “Sorry, just got overheated for a moment.” – “Mhm, I can imagine. You look all sweaty”,Chan smiled sympathetically, watching his dongsaeng chug the water in one go. When Jeongin was confident he could stand without losing his balance, he hummed: “I am all sweaty. Is it okay if I use your shower?” – “Yeah, of course”, the leader encouraged, “Go ahead, try to cool off a little.” – “Um, hyung… My clothes”, Jeongin muttered, not really feeling like going over to his own dorm to collect a change of clothes. Chan seemed to realize that too, chuckling: “You know where my closet is, just help yourself.” The younger’s face brightened at that and he hurriedly thanked the other before getting to his feet.

Jeongin barely managed to suppress a groan, finally understanding why Hyunjin generally preferred to nest on his bed. He tried to stretch his arms and shoulders a little as he made his way to the bathroom, wincing at how sore he felt. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad, had he not somehow ended up at the bottom of their pile, with who knows how many members pilled on top of him. His head was starting to hurt too and Jeongin got concerned that he had sweat to the point of dehydration, which seemed highly likely when he took off his shirt and realized just how soaked it was. He’d make sure to have another glass of water before laying back down later. First, he’d take a nice cool shower to get rid of the sweat and be less sticky. Then, he’d make use of his privilege to steal some of his pack-alpha’s clothes. Maybe he should shower extra-cold, so he could put on one of Chan’s large hoodies without instantly getting overheated again.

Finding nothing wrong with his plan, Jeongin showered pretty cold. He secretly loved wearing Chan’s hoodies but was usually too proud to ask for one, which the omegas of the pack did frequently. Now he had the perfect excuse to borrow one, so he’d surely not miss out on it. By the time Jeongin stepped out of the shower, he was chilled all the way through, shivering as he grabbed a towel to wrap himself in. He had to fight to keep his teeth from chattering but had no regrets. His hyung’s hoodie was entirely worth the temporary discomfort. What Jeongin hadn’t planned on though, was Chan’s concern when the maknae returned to the living room shivering. The boy had pulled the sleeves over his hands and was hugging himself as he tried to warm up. To Chan the only logical conclusion was that he had gotten his dongsaeng sick. The rapid change from feeling too hot, the sweating and now the chills. Plus, it had come on so fast during the past hour. This had to be the same thing that had wrecked Chan the previous night.

Jeongin felt guilty and a little ashamed as his sick hyung fussed over him, trying to assure the older: “I’m really just cold because I took a cold shower. I promise I feel fine otherwise and I’m sure I’ll warm up in no time.” Though Chan remained doubtful, he accepted that explanation. They weren’t so sure about Jeongin returning to the nest though. Sure, he’d be warm in no time but the hoodie he wore now was a lot thicker than what he had been wearing before, so he’d inevitably overheat again. “You can stay here with me if you want”, Chan offered quietly, “It’s not the same as a nest, I know that, but I’m pretty sure my fever is high enough to warm you up too.” Jeongin nodded, trying not to seem too eager as he curled up in the leader’s arms. He had missed this. With how busy they were, he had only gotten the occasional hug from Chan when they greeted each other to head to their schedule. No matter how much Jeongin pretended to hate the skinship, he also craved it from time to time and right now, for some reason he really, really needed it.

Chan smiled fondly as his dongsaeng cuddled up to him and was satisfied that the boy’s shivers soon let up. While Chan stayed up for a little while longer, unable to fall asleep, Jeongin was out pretty fast. Wearing his hyung’s hoodie and having the older hug him, the makane was fully enveloped in his mate’s scent, which made him incredibly drowsy. He didn’t even notice how he started to rub his cheek into Chan’s chest and gently kneaded the material of the leader’s shirt. Chan noticed though, lightly running his fingers through Jeongin’s damp hair. It was sweet to see their youngest so affectionate as that wasn’t often the case. Jeongin was always so insistent on his independence and didn’t like to seem too soft. Sometimes Chan worried that the maknae’s secondary gender made him feel pressured into seeming strong and invincible, despite all of them being more than willing to dote on their youngest.

The two members that Jeongin was the most affectionate with were Minho and Felix. Minho because he was another alpha, so Jeongin didn’t feel like he had to be strong for him and sometimes allowed himself to let his guard down around the second-oldest. Unlike Chan, Minho didn’t have the responsibility for an entire pack on his shoulders, which was what usually stopped Jeongin from opening up to their leader. The oldest already had so much on his plate that Jeongin didn’t want to bother him. Despite being the youngest, Jeongin was adamant about Felix being everyone’s favorite baby. That didn’t mean he was jealous of the omega, feeling the same about the Aussie as the rest of the group. It was easy for the maknae to be affectionate with Felix because the other was naturally cuddly and he didn’t have to worry about being teased for taking care of the older. Except for his voice, Felix really was the perfect omega, all soft and caring, always up for snuggles and really good at nesting. It was only natural for Jeongin to feel protective of him. In the beginning, Chan had felt hurt that the youngest would always choose his Aussie brother over him but realized he’d be all the same if their roles were reversed. The leader figured that them both being alphas further strained their relationship but watched Jeongin seek out Minho for comfort, which always sent stabs of jealousy through his heart. Chan’s only comfort was Minho’s explanation that Jeongin cared too much about their leader, that he didn’t want to bother him with his problems. No matter how many times Chan insisted that Jeongin could always come to him with any worries he might have, the maknae still tried to avoid it, which made these rare soft moments between the two of them even more precious.

With the young alpha snuggled against his chest, Chan had eventually drifted off too and managed to get a few more hours of fitful sleep. Jeongin seemed so peaceful in his arms, the leader couldn’t help but scent the boy gently, making sure not to wake him. As the other members woke up one by one, Chan shushed them quietly, wanting their youngest to get as much sleep as possible after last night’s incident. Felix sat up straighter, cutely rubbing his eyes with his fists before sleepily blinking up at the two alphas on the couch. Why did they have to cuddle without him, when all Chan would give him was his arm to cuddle with. “Good morning, pup”, the oldest whispered, reaching out to pet Felix’ hair. That was enough to cheer the omega up and he happily nuzzled into Chan’s hand. Stretching his arms, Felix yawned: “Why did Innie leave the nest?” – “I think he ended up at the bottom of the pile and started to overheat”, Chan replied quietly, brushing a strand of hair out of Jeongin’s face, “When I helped him get out, he was all sweaty and I think he was lightheaded too. He took a cold shower to cool off but he stayed with me after that.” - “Aww, poor pup”, Felix cooed, lightly running his fingers down the maknae’s arm, “How are you feeling, hyung? Did you manage to get some sleep?”

The question had taken Chan by surprise and he needed to think for a moment before replying. He had wanted to say he was fine and honestly, he had been convinced that he was, his sole focus on their youngest, but now that Felix forced him to pay attention to his own body, the leader realized that he was far from fine. “I don’t know”, Chan shrugged, “Achy an’ tired but it’s okay.” Rolling his eyes, Felix got to his feet and rested his small hand against his hyung’s forehead before clicking his tongue: “Your fever’s still pretty high, so maybe stop downplaying the way you feel, hyung.” He refrained from pointing out that cuddling their dongsaeng had probably made it worse because he knew Chan always craved affection from their maknae but rarely ever got it. “I-I genuinely didn’t pay attention”, the alpha defended himself, trying to take note of every sensation, “I guess, now that you say it, my head an’ throat still hurt an’ my eyes are a little irritated, probably from the fever, but that’s ‘bout it. No big deal.”

Minho had been listening in on their conversation and offered: “Do you want me to take Innie from you, so you can get up and have some water?” The angry glare, Chan shot him was enough for the dancer to defensively raise his hands as the oldest tightened his hug, pulling Jeongin even closer. Chan couldn’t help but feel possessive. Usually it was Minho that Jeongin sought out, so no, Minho couldn’t have their dongsaeng this time! Still looking angry, the leader hoarsely growled: “You won’t take my pup!” - “I wasn’t going to take your pup from you, hyung. Would you drink the water if I brought it to you and you wouldn’t have to let go of Innie?”, the second-oldest tried, afraid Chan would put his own needs on the backburner to make sure everyone else’s needs were covered. Relaxing at the reassurance that no one was going to take the maknae from him, Chan gave a hesitant nod and watched the younger wearily as he got up. He still wasn’t going to completely let his guard down in case it was a ruse and Minho would come back to steal Jeongin.

Shaking his head at his hyung’s possessiveness, Minho went to the kitchen and poured the older a glass of water. When he returned to the living room, Chan was nosing at Jeongin’s scent glands, while Felix scented his wrist. It was times like this, that Minho remembered just how much their pack-alpha too was depending on their affection. As he quietly convinced Chan to take a break, just long enough to sit up and have a few sips of water, Changbin and Seungmin passed them, heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the pack. Hyunjin and Jisung were the only two still curled up in the nest, limbs tangled with each other. The pair looked so cozy cuddled together like that. They had grown even closer since the dorms were separated and Hyunjin moved in with 3racha and Minho wasn’t entirely used to seeing the two of them so all over each other. The alpha could still remember how the pair had hated each other’s guts during the survival show. Even after they had formed a pack, they still rivaled for the three alphas’ affection. It seemed their differences had taught them to understand each other and by a long shot, be each other’s source of comfort.

Chan coughed softly as he handed the glass back to Minho. Swallowing had irritated his throat and he struggled to fight back the cough, so he wouldn’t wake Jeongin, who rested against his side. With his eyes watering, Chan finally accepted Minho’s help shifting the maknae off of him and stumbled towards the bathroom. His head swam the moment he got to his feet but he didn’t want to wake his dongsaeng, so he let Felix take his place on the couch. Halfway to the bathroom, Minho caught up to Chan and wrapped a steady arm around the leader’s waist, keeping him from losing his balance.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Chan broke into harsh cough, choking on air. Afraid his hyung might fall with how shaky his legs seemed, Minho made the older sit on the closed toilet lid and gently patted his back. The leader’s eyes watered and in the bright bathroom light, Minho could see how they were still glossed over. “Ow”, Chan groaned as he massaged his throat. Using his sleeves, he scrubbed his face and tiredly looked up at Minho, who reached out to feel the other’s forehead, frowning: “You feeling okay? You look really, really pale.” The older shrugged, slipping one hand under his shirt to palm his middle. “The water isn’t really settling well”, Chan admitted quietly, unable to suppress a queasy burp, “Not sure it’ll stay down for long.” He soon broke into a sweat as he shakily moved from the toilet lid to the floor. With his mouth already watering, Chan’s heart started to race. This couldn’t be happening. Minho sympathetically stroked his back and flipped the toilet seat up, watching the other wince and shuffle closer to the toilet.

“I-I don’ -I don’t feel good”, Chan whimpered before lurching forward with a gag. Taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub, Minho brushed the leader’s curls out of his face and promised: “You’re okay. Just get it over with and you can go lay back down again.” The older shook his head, screwing his eyes shut tightly as he fought his stomach. His throat was way too sore for this. The battle was soon lost when his stomach turned again. A single tear dripped from Chan’s lashes as he heaved, only able to bring up a small watery trickle. No surprise, he hadn’t eaten much last night but hopefully that meant, he’d be done soon. Forcing a cough, Chan tightly grabbed onto the edge of the bathtub and retched up another mouthful. His throat strained as his stomach tried to turn itself inside out. Watching his hyung struggle, Minho got up and fetched a small towel, which he ran under the tap. The dancer wrung out the excess water and folded the cold compress up before draping it across the back of Chan’s neck, humming: “Just try to take a few deep breaths, hyung. There’s nothing for you to bring up, so we need to try and settle your stomach before your throat is completely wrecked.” – “Already is”, the oldest choked out, his voice cracking painfully before cutting out.

After ten more minutes of torturous dry heaves, Chan was able to catch his breath, curling up on the bathroom rug as his stomach cramped. Minho kneeled beside him and used the damp towel to clean the leader’s face. Brushing away the tears and wiping the sweat off of Chan’s brow, the younger worried: “You want us to take you to a doctor? I’m pretty sure you’re getting dehydrated and your fever is barely improving, not even with medicine.” Chan kept his eyes screwed shut and shook his head the tiniest bit. His head was pounding from the strain making it difficult for him to grasp a clear thought. “I-I’ll try drinking something soon”, the oldest promised, his voice shot, “Just don’ wanna move right now.” – “That’s okay”, Minho assured quietly, “I’ll go and fetch you some water and a sports drink, so we can see what settles better. You okay for now?” Chan nodded, hugging his painful middle as his dongsaeng got to his feet and shuffled out of the bathroom, thankfully turning off the light, so it’d stop assaulting Chan’s eyes.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t Minho, who appeared by Chan’s side next. Apparently, Jeongin had started to give Felix an attitude, not pleased by waking up with someone other than he had fallen asleep with. Sure, it was confusing but there was no need to act out because of it. The tone he had used when talking to the omega was completely unexpected, considering the intense soft spot he usually had for the other. Felix had been taken aback, going from cuddling his youngest dongsaeng to arguing with him in less than two minutes.

Felix hadn’t meant to break like that but he couldn’t hold back his tears at the harsh treatment. Once Hyunjin had led Jeongin away to try and get him to cool off, the Aussie started crying, needing a thorough scenting from Minho in order to calm down. While Minho sat in the nest with Felix in his lap, letting his comforting alpha pheromones soothe the boy, Changbin had retrieved a bottle of sports drink and refilled Chan’s glass with water before heading to the bathroom. “Hyung?”, the rapper asked softly, crouching next to the leader. He had decided against turning on the light and instead left the door slightly ajar, so he could see. Sniffling quietly, Chan turned his head towards his dongsaeng to show him he had heard him without having to talk. Changbin squeezed the alpha’s shoulder and helped him sit up, whispering: “Do you think you can stomach a few sips? If so, water or sports drink?” – “I think, I’ll try the sports drink”, Chan breathed, hoping the dizziness would improve once he managed to get in some electrolytes. Nodding, the rapper uncapped the bottle and handed it to Chan, who accepted it with a trembling hand.

They sat together in the semi-darkness for a while, Changbin wanting the oldest to sit upright for a while before they’d try getting him to his feet, afraid the leader would faint if they took it too fast. Chan tiredly rested his head on his mate’s shoulder, occasionally drinking a few small sips before losing his eyes and waiting for his stomach to calm down. The omega let him rest, brushing the backs of his fingers against the other’s flushed cheek. “Do you want me to help you to your room? I think the others are about to have breakfast and I’m not sure you want to be around food”, Changbin hummed. When Chan picked up his head and gave a small nod, the rapper got to his feet and offered the older both of his hands, pulling him up. The alpha’s head spun and he was grateful for Changbin’s hands on his arms. With the younger’s support he managed to get halfway down the hallway before being hit with a wave of pheromones that clearly expressed upset. It was weird because it was a blend of both Felix’ and Jeongin’s scent. Had something happened? Before Chan could ask Changbin what was wrong, Jeongin passed them, having traded Chan’s hoodie for one of Hyunjin’s t-shirts. The leader was quick to pull the maknae into a hug, unable to bear knowing the boy was upset and he hadn’t been there for him. If only Jeongin hadn’t been so sweaty. Shoving Chan away, the youngest complained: “Hyung off! You’re too warm.” Chan froze in his spot, feeling his heart break as his dongsaeng huffed and made his way to the kitchen, completely unaware of the tears spilling down the leader’s face at the rejection as Changbin led him to his bedroom.

Gritting his teeth, Jeongin made his way to the kitchen to grab a bite for breakfast. He was faintly aware that his mates wanted to have breakfast together but he wasn’t in the mood and even considered heading back over to his own dorm. By now, the alpha regretted sleeping in the nest with the rest of the group, something he usually loved doing but considering the nest had been built on the living room carpet, it was a bit harder than expected, leaving his muscles stiff and sore. The nests his hyungs built on their beds were so much comfier but to be fair, they were never spacious enough to fit that many members. Seungmin found the youngest searching the kitchen for food and offered him some friend eggs, reminding him that they’d all be ready to eat soon. Brushing the beta off, Jeongin found a bottle of banana milk and grabbed an apple. He was surprised when Jisung stood in front of him pouting: “You don’t wanna eat with us, Innie?” The maknae shook his head, wanting to walk off but Jisung blocked his path. “No, hyung”, the alpha growled, “No, I do not want to eat with you.” Frozen in shock, the rapper didn’t put up any fight as Jeongin pushed past him, biting into the apple even though he wasn’t really hungry.

“It’s okay, hyung”, Changbin promised, helping Chan settle on his bed and stroking the pack-alpha’s back, “Innie didn’t mean to be that harsh. He just woke up in a bit of a mood today and has been cranky ever since.” The older nodded in acknowledgement, wiping his eyes on his sleeve but the tears still kept falling. He shouldn’t have been so surprised, knowing that Jeongin hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep but his reaction had been so uncalled for. Was that also why Felix smelled so upset? Sniffling back another flood of tears, Chan rasped: “What about Lixxie? He didn’t smell right.” – “Innie vented his frustration at him the second he woke up”, Changbin sighed, “I don’t think moving him while he was asleep was a good idea to be honest. Jeonginnie let his guard down around you and expected to also wake up with you. Waking up in someone else’s arms must have been a shock. I’m pretty sure he’s just a bit rattled by the experience and the lack of good sleep makes it worse. He’ll come around eventually.” The leader nodded sadly. “Minho is with Felix, who is probably just as shaken because he had expected a calm morning with lots of cuddles, not being growled at this early in the day and especially not by Innie. Baby-bread doesn’t act like that with Felix”, the rapper continued, “Don’t worry though, Minho and I have it handled. We can deal with a grumpy pup and once the others accept that it’s nothing personal, they’ll be a lot calmer too.”

Once Jeongin had finished his apple, he reached into his pocket, grabbing the painkiller he had snuck from the kitchen counter. He hated his tendency to get headaches whenever he ran on too little sleep and though he had technically slept rather long, it wasn’t a good rest. The ensuing headache was the only reason he had gotten himself some food at all, not wanting to upset his stomach by taking something without at least a snack in his tummy. Rinsing the pill down with a large sip of his banana milk, Jeongin snuck a hand under his t-shirt and rubbed his rumbling tummy. He regretted eating that apple because it wasn’t like there was still much harm he could’ve done by taking the pill on an empty stomach. The organ already churned angrily after he had listened to Chan being sick, shuddering at the memory as the sound replayed over and over in his head.

Maybe going back to his own dorm would be for the best, at least till the pill took effect. He doubted he’d be able to keep it down if he had to listen to Chan throwing up again and he really needed it to stay down, otherwise his mates’ chattering would drive him up the walls. That was the thing, Jeongin never dealt well with headaches, despite having them pretty frequently, always getting more sensitive to noise and a little cranky in general. He could still smell how hurt Felix felt and his heart did ache a little for the omega, already regretting how harsh he had been. Maybe he should just lay down at the other dorm for a while, maybe get some more sleep and return once the risk of him snapping at the others was a little lower.

In the end, Jeongin decided to stay. The other members were currently having breakfast, meaning the living room was considerably quiet when he curled up on the couch. He was too sore to go back to the nest besides, he had probably lost the privilege of being allowed in the second he spoke to their youngest omega the way he did. Luckily, it seemed like Chan had fallen asleep in his room, so the risk of Jeongin getting sympathy sick was low, for the time being at least. As the boy lay there, slowly growing drowsy again, a shiver ran down his spine. He was the only one walking around in only a t-shirt, so it was no wonder he felt cold but he had been so hot earlier. Squirming in discomfort, Jeongin found Chan’s blanket. They had all scented it for the older last night and it still faintly smelled like the pack, so Jeongin eagerly nuzzled his face into it. The scent was so comforting, especially when he knew he couldn’t go to any of the others for comfort after being so grumpy towards them. Tiredly spreading the blanket over his shivery body and hoping the group would take a while to finish their breakfast, the maknae closed his eyes again and allowed himself another nap.

Figuring their dongsaeng’s mood would improve once he had had enough rest, the other members didn’t dare disturb the boy. Changbin, Jisung and Seungmin had settled in Jisung’s room and decided to continue a drama the three of them had been watching recently, while Minho and Felix had followed Hyunjin to his room, where the Aussie was showered with affection by the other two dancers. He had calmed down after breakfast but his mood remained gloomy. Though Felix had accepted that it hadn’t been anything personal, the rejection had still hurt. Chan felt similarly. He was supposed to take another nap, which was why Changbin had left him to rest, but he somehow couldn’t sleep. Remembering how bitter Felix’ scent had been, the alpha waited for the dizziness to fade, so he could make it out of bed without collapsing. He really wanted to check on his dongsaeng. Chan had figured they were still in the living room, so he sluggishly rolled out of bed and shuffled down the hallway. It was quiet outside of his room but Jeongin’s similarly bitter scent hung heavily in the air.

Chan realized that Jeongin must be in the living room and went to check on the maknae, finding him asleep on the couch. The blanket had slipped to the floor, so the leader wasn’t too surprised to find goosebumps on Jeongin’s bare arms. Hoping for the younger to get the rest he needed, Chan carefully picked up the blanket and scented it. Jeongin had seemed fond of his scent the previous night, so maybe he’d find some comfort in it now too. Once the blanket was thoroughly scented, Chan spread it over the boy’s sleeping form and made sure it was nicely tucked around his shoulders and arms, so he wouldn’t feel cold. After that, the leader quietly made his way to Hyunjin’s room. Felix loved to stay there with his fellow dancer, so he figured the younger would be there. Maybe Hyunjin was showing him some of his paintings to cheer him up. Unsurprisingly, he could already hear Felix low voice through the door and knocked gingerly. Minho was the one to let him in as Felix sat in Hyunjin’s lap and had the other omega play with his hair. Walking Chan to the bed, where he sat down next to the pair, Minho asked: “What are you doing out of bed, hyung? Are you feeling better?” Felix got out of Hyunjin’s lap to hug Chan, so the leader stroked his back and tried to control his pheromones in hopes of comforting the younger Aussie. “They still smelled upset, so I wanted to make sure everything’s okay”, Chan admitted, ignoring the other question, “Innie’s asleep, so he should hopefully cheer up later, and Lixxie seems to be getting all the cuddles, so he should be fine soon too, hm?” Felix nodded eagerly, rubbing his cheek against the alpha’s shoulder.

The four of them sat for a while until Chan seemed to grow drowsy and more out of it than before, so Minho offered to take him back to his room. “I haven’t even been out of bed for long”, the oldest grumbled, “How can I feel so drained from doing nothing?” – “Hyung, your body is working hard to fight off the infection. That’s not doing nothing”, Hyunjin argued, shooting the alpha a soft smile, “It’s nothing shameful to rest when you need it, especially when you’re give the opportunity.” Chan sighed, knowing the younger wasn’t wrong, no matter how frustrating it felt to need so much rest. “Hope you feel better soon, Channie-hyung?”, Felix beamed, his chocolatey scent sweet as always, when Minho walked the oldest back to his room. Once he was sure Chan had everything he might need, the dancer stopped by the living room to check on Jeongin. The maknae was still asleep but not very deeply. He seemed restless and startled awake when Minho got closer. “Hey”, the dancer smiled softly, “You okay?” – “’m fine”, the youngest grumbled. Being confronted with another alpha, he had immediately pulled up his walls. There was no way he’d let his hyung see him weak.

With Jeongin’s scent souring even further, it didn’t take long for Changbin to slip out of his room to check on him. The rapper walked in on the two alphas glaring at each other and quickly stepped between the two of them, earning a growl from Jeongin. “Yah! No growling and no fighting”, Changbin warned, “Neither of you.” Minho only looked at him with his brows furrowed, still confused by the maknae’s sudden temper. Jeongin on the other hand gave the rapper a challenging look, a low growl rumbling in his chest. Shaking his head in disappointment, Changbin sighed: “I don’t know what we’ve done that upset you but considering you seem to have a problem with literally any of us, you might want to go to your room, so we don’t end up bothering you.” Seeing that the rapper seemed to have Jeongin handled, Minho headed to the kitchen to get some distance between the maknae and himself. Jeongin shot his hyung a death glare and nodded. “Not like I’d want to be around you anyway”, the alpha spat, taking Changbin by surprise. Where was the Jeongin he knew? Shaking his head, the rapper frowned: “Are you okay?” The younger pushed past him though. “I’m fine, fuck off!”, Jeongin huffed, determined to get to his own dorm, so his friends would stop getting on his nerves. Taking a deep breath to calm his own rising frustration, Changbin turned to join Minho in the kitchen when he heard a dull thud.

Jeongin’s head had been pounding from the strain of simply being on his feet and Minho’s presence felt like a threat, the older alpha way too close for comfort. With Changbin disappointed in him too, the maknae saw no other option than to flee to the safety of his own room, even if that meant that he’d have to go to the other dorm. His vision swam and he had to brace himself against the wall as he struggled to remain on his feet, staggering down the hallway. Jeongin had almost made it to the front door and bent down to put on his shoes, when his vision darkened and his legs gave out.

Changbin spun around instantly, cursing under his breath when he saw Jeongin’s crumpled form by the door. He should’ve known, deep inside he had known. Something had to be seriously wrong for the maknae to act the way that he had. Having heard the thud and Changbin’s curse, Minho too rushed from the kitchen. Kneeling next to his dongsaeng, Changbin announced: “Hyung, he’s burning up.” – “Probably caught the same thing as Chan”, the dancer frowned, “Should’ve know something was up. He wasn’t acting like himself at all.” Crouching next to Jeongin, Minho shook the boy’s arm and called: “Innie? You hear me?”

It took a moment but Jeongin eventually stirred. His vision was still dark, his ears ringing as he couldn’t tell up from down. Everything seemed to spin, making his stomach turn. “Ssh, stay down, pup. You just fainted”, Changbin shushed when the younger whimpered, keeping a steady hand on the boy’s shoulder. His words fell on deaf ears though as Jeongin struggled against his hand, his heart racing. Minho soothingly cupped the maknae’s flushed cheek, promising him that everything would be fine and that he just needed to take it easy for now. With his head pounding, Jeongin kept fighting his hyungs, sitting up in a panic as his stomach lurched. His hand shot to his lips and Minho was quick to wrap his arm around the younger’s shoulders, so he wouldn’t collapse back onto the floor. Gasping as sick spilled out between Jeongin’s fingers, Changbin rushed to help his hyung prop the boy up. “It’s okay, pup”, Minho promised, his voice soft, “You’re okay.” Tears dripped from Jeongin’s lashes as he choked up his meager breakfast, struggling to remain upright as the floor seemed to move underneath him. He relied heavily on his mates’ support to keep him from slumping over.

Patting Jeongin’s back as the boy coughed, Changbin cooed: “It’s okay, Innie. We got you. Hyungs got you. Just breathe for now.” The youngest’s chest hitched with a sob as he slumped into Minho’s side. “I-I’m sor-sorry”, Jeongin sobbed, slurring his speech the slightest bit, “I-I don’ feel good.” – “We know, pup. It’s okay”, Minho promised quietly, brushing the boy’s sweaty bangs out of his face. Changbin kept rubbing his back to help him calm down. If he worked himself up, he might make himself sick again. They waited for Jeongin to catch his breath before Minho asked: “Let’s get you cleaned up, hm? Do you feel like you’re done for now?” Giving the tiniest of nods, the maknae looked at Minho, his eyes glossy with fever. “Do you think you can stand if we help you up?”, the dancer worried. Unsurprisingly, Jeongin shook his head. His legs felt like jelly and his head still spun. “That’s okay”, Changbin comforted when he saw the younger’s bottom lip quiver, “I’ll carry you to the bathroom and we will run you a nice warm bath.”

With Minho’s help, Changbin scooped the maknae up. Jeongin whimpered at being moved as his body ached and stomach rolled. He doubted he could throw up again, barely having had anything in his tummy to begin with, but the discomfort was still there and the back of his throat felt funny. Changbin was as careful as he could possibly be, his movements slow and controlled as to not cause his dongsaeng anymore pain. Cradling his soiled hand close to his body, Jeongin weakly clutched the rapper’s shoulder with the other, afraid of falling despite knowing his hyung would never drop him. His fever-muddled brain couldn’t comprehend why Changbin was there. Why he’d help him when Jeongin hadn’t been anything other than mean today. Hell, he had even made Lixxie cry, so for any member to be talking to him at all was confusing. “Can you lift your arms for me? Let’s get that dirty shirt off of you”, the rapper hummed when he had settled the young alpha on the bathroom rug. Though his muscles burned, Jeongin tried his hardest to comply, muttering apology after apology to the point where his words blurred together.

Once Changbin had removed his dongsaeng’s vomit-stained t-shirt, he gently rested his hands on either side of the boy’s face, forcing him to look at him. “Innie, we know you didn’t mean it”, the rapper promised, “I know you don’t feel well, Minho knows you don’t feel well and the rest, the rest is mainly confused why you were acting so out of character. We aren’t mad and they aren’t mad either. We are all just worried because you wouldn’t tell us what was going on with you.” – Didn’t know wha- was goin on with me”, Jeongin slurred tiredly, though he was relieved that his mates weren’t mad. As Changbin filled the tub with water, he hummed: “Well, at least, we have figured that out now. It seems you caught whatever Channie-hyung has but it’s okay, we still have some time off and both of you will be fine in no time.” Jeongin only gave a sad sniffle in reply. Time off or not, this still sucked. “You can get in in a moment, while I fetch you some fresh clothes. Is there anything specific you wanna wear?”, Changbin asked as he turned off the water. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, the maknae whimpered: “Can- Can I have one of Channie-hyung’s hoodies?” His voice cracked pitifully making him seem far younger than usual. Running his fingers through the boy’s hair, Changbin promised: “I’ll ask him but I doubt he’ll say no.” None of them would dare say no to their pup. “I’ll be back in a bit”, the rapper smiled, leaving Jeongin to get into the tub and wash up.

After cleaning up the mess, Minho quickly informed the rest of the group what was going on. All except for Chan that was, the leader sleeping soundly in his room, a sight that none of them had seen in a while. That didn’t mean that he didn’t wake up when Changbin slipped into his room. Sleepily blinking up at the rapper, Chan rubbed his face and tried to collect himself. “Hyung, can I borrow one of your hoodies?”, Changbin asked quietly, smiling when the alpha nodded without hesitation, “Thanks, go back to sleep, hyung?” Instead of going back to sleep like the omega had requested, Chan sat up and yawned: “What’s going on?” Grabbing on of the leader’s hoodies, Changbin sighed took a seat on his hyung’s bed and ran a hand through his hair. It was obvious that he felt stressed, which worried Chan. “It’s Innie”, the rapper sighed, “He’s been so grumpy because he’s sick. Your symptoms are identical, so you two probably caught the same thing.” Now, the leader was wide awake. No wonder his pup had been so cranky. If they had the same thing, Jeongin had to feel absolutely awful. Seeing Chan try to get up, Changbin was quick to place a hand on his shoulder and frown: “Stay in bed, hyung. Minho-hyung and I have it handled. Innie’s taking a bath right now, so I’ll go back to check on him. He requested one of your hoodies when I asked him what he wanted to wear, so how about you scent it for him?” The oldest nodded eagerly, taking the clothing item from his dongsaeng. Once he had scented it thoroughly and handed it back to Changbin, he requested: “Please wake me if you need me. I wanna be there for Innie too.” – “Of course, I will, hyung”, the rapper smiled, “Try to get some more rest for now, yeah?”

Once all members were updated on Jeongin’s condition, Minho slipped into the bathroom and crouched next to the tub. Jeongin, who had just been floating in the lukewarm water, drowsily glanced up at the other. “Hey there, pup”, the dancer chuckled, “Do you want hyung to wash your hair for you?” Struggling to sit up, Jeongin nodded and yawned: “Please, my arms are so sore.” – “Mhm, I bet they are. You gotta be pretty achy with a fever like that”, Minho cooed, reaching for the shampoo. Gently massaging it into the boy’s scalp, Minho looked up when the bathroom door opened and Changbin quietly slipped in. He placed a stack of clothes onto the sink and smiled: “I got you a pair of Hyunjin’s sweatpants and one of Chan’s hoodies just as requested.” Making eye contact with Minho, the rapper added: “If you’ve got him, I’ll go and make more tea. Pretty sure we’ll need it.” – “Yeah, we’re good. Thanks, Binnie”, the older agreed, reaching for the showerhead to rinse the shampoo out of Jeongin’s hair.

Changbin was glad that Jisung, Felix and Seungmin joined him in the kitchen, so he wouldn’t be stuck in his thoughts. Being the head-omega of the group, the rapper always worried about his mates and two of them falling ill stressed him out. Not because he didn’t think they could handle taking care of two people, he knew they could, but rather because he always felt deeply for the people around him and watching two of them suffer hurt his heart. Felix noticed Changbin’s tense shoulders and wrapped the older in a back hug. Releasing a breath, he didn’t even know he was holding, the rapper leant back into his dongsaeng’s chest. “They’ll be fine”, the Aussie hummed lowly before nuzzling his face against his hyung’s neck, scenting him lightly. The tension in Changbin’s muscles slowly melted away and he was able to focus properly on his task again. Jisung busied himself with fixing the nest as the blankets had gotten a bit messy with so many members sleeping in it for the night. Checking the fridge and kitchen drawers for light snacks, Seungmin noted that they were running out of crackers, so he refilled the rice cooker to ensure they’d have plain rice as a light meal for their friends to eat before taking medicine. When he was done, he informed Changbin he’d be heading out to get more crackers and sports drinks, maybe also pick up some more medicine, so they’d be all stocked up for the days to come.

Hyunjin had gone to check on Jeongin too and was glad he had because the poor boy had felt so dizzy upon sitting up, that it had taken both Minho and Hyunjin to maneuver him out of the tub. “Tummy doesn’t feel good”, the younger warned sluggishly, burping into his hand. Suppressing a curse, Minho quickly flipped up the toilet seat and Hyunjin helped him get their dongsaeng situated in front of it. They barely made it in time for Jeongin to retch up a thin trickle of stomach acid. The burning sensation in his throat was enough to bring the boy to tears again and Hyunjin gently combed his wet hair back with his fingers. Minho carefully draped the towel around Jeongin’s shoulders and rubbed his back through it, promising: “You’re okay, Innie. Deep breaths, hm?” He knew the boy had barely eaten anything and whatever might have been in him, he had already thrown up earlier, so this should be over quick. And it was, though it didn’t feel quick at all to Jeongin. His head pounded as his stomach uselessly clenched, trying to force something out that wasn’t there. By the time the heaves died down, he was spent. The two dancers made quick work of getting their dongsaeng dressed and the boy eagerly snuggled into Chan’s sweater, deeply inhaling the leader’s scent before Minho helped him use some mouthwash to get rid of the vile taste on his tongue. As Hyunjin picked Jeongin up, the maknae whimpered softly: “I-I wan’ Channie-hyung, please.”

“Let’s go and see if he’s awake”, Hyunjin cooed, carrying Jeongin out of the bathroom and down the hallway to their leader’s room. The maknae carefully opened the door as to not wake Chan should he be asleep. The oldest of course wasn’t asleep. The thought of him sleeping while knowing one of his dongsaengs wasn’t well was ridiculous. Naturally, he’d lay awake thinking, worrying. Seeing this, he was quick to sit up when he spotted Jeongin in Hyunjin’s arms and patted the spot next to him as an invitation. This was all Hyunjin needed to settle the maknae next to Chan. “Aww, my poor pup”, Chan rasped, opening his arms for Jeongin, who instantly snuggled up against the Aussie’s side, “I’m sorry, I got you sick too, Innie.” The youngest tiredly shook his head, arguing: “Don’t think it would’ve worked that quick. We probably caught it from the same person.” At least, that was what Jeongin would insist on, knowing his hyung would feel so much worse watching him suffer if he believed it had been his fault. “Can we cuddle, hyung?”, the maknae asked quietly, almost ashamed by requesting it but he craved some affection right now.

While Chan cuddled Jeongin, slowly easing the younger into a light slumber, Hyunjin joined the rest of the group. Seungmin had just returned, so him and Hyunjin sorted through his shopping bags, restocking the kitchen cabinets with light snacks and laying out medicine for later. Thanks to Felix, Changbin was a lot more at ease and when Jisung had finished fixing their nest, they had even managed to make their hyung laugh again. Once the rapper had finished making the tea, Minho poured two cups and went to Chan’s room. Quietly cracking the door open, the dancer discovered that Jeongin lay still in Chan’s arms, so he snuck in quietly and placed the cups onto the nightstand. Shooting his mate a grateful smile, Chan mouthed: ‘Thanks.’ Then the leader turned his focus back on Jeongin’s damp hair, smoothly running his fingers through it. He had missed holding his pup and though they had cuddled a bit last night, it had been rather cramped on the living room couch. Sometimes, Chan wondered what had become of the sweet boy they had gotten to know pre-debut. Ever since Jeongin had presented as an alpha, he had been feisty and savage, challenging boundaries and teasing his hyungs. Maybe Seungmin was a bad influence, the vocalist as savage as ever, raising their youngest to grow up just like himself. Was that a bad thing though? Chan surely didn’t think so, he loved all of his dongsaengs with all their funny little quirks.

One of Jeongin’s quirks was kneading. It always helped him calm down, which was why he had small squishy keychains attached to all of his bags and a few different stress balls on his bedside table for when he felt too anxious to sleep. The boy didn’t think his group was aware of the full extend of his habit though. When Jeongin slept, he often ended up kneading his pillows or blankets. It was embarrassing because he was a full-grown adult but acted like a pup. His group didn’t think so. They of course knew how important it was for their youngest to self-soothe, recalling all the times he had dozed off in a waiting room before performances, still kneading his keychain even in his sleep. That was why Chan internally cooed when he noticed Jeongin’s hand twitch in his sleep. Bunching up the corner of his blanket, Chan gently slipped it into the maknae’s hand. The boy made a soft noise in his sleep, squeezing the fabric before cuddling even closer to his hyung. ‘Adorable’, was all the leader could think, tracing shapes on the younger’s back. It had been way too long since the two of them had had some quality time and even though the circumstances were rough, Chan at least got to hold his pup again.

Chan himself had gotten close to drifting off again, when Jeongin stiffened in his arms, startling the leader. Glancing down at the boy, the leader found tears streaming down his dongsaeng’s face. He though the boy might have a nightmare and shushed him softly. Jeongin’s face contorted in pain, his knuckles turning white where he clutched the blanket as his breathing grew increasingly labored before cutting off. Oh no, not the cramps! “You’re okay, Innie. Try to breathe through it”, Chan whispered, lightly dabbing the tears away with his sleeve. Tensing up even more, Jeongin shook his head in desperation and gasped: “’t hurts s-so bad!” A sob tore from his throat and Chan’s hand went up to gently knead the overly tense muscles at the back of his dongsaeng’s neck. “I know, pup. Hyung knows”, he cooed, his heart aching, “Deep and steady breaths, so your muscles can relax. It won’t get better if you hold your breath, baby.”

Sniffling softly, Jeongin eventually started breathing regularly again, although a little shallow, once the cramp eased up a bit. Chan felt the boy’s forehead, despite having no judgement of temperature himself. He wanted to get the younger a hot water bottle to soothe the pain a bit but was afraid of making his fever worse. As if the heavens had heard Chan’s prayer, the door creaked open and Jisung popped his head in, having smelled the maknae’s distress. “What’s wrong?”, the rapper frowned, taking a seat on the edge of the mattress. He studied Jeongin’s pale face, brushing a lone tear away. Barely holding back more tears, the younger whimpered: “Tu-tummy hurts… bad.” – “Cramps”, Chan hummed, carding his fingers through the boy’s hair, “Could you check how bad his fever is? I wanted to go and get him a hot water bottle but he still feels a little warm.” Jisung nodded and rested his palm against Jeongin’s forehead, biting his lip. “He still feels pretty warm”, the rapper hesitated, “Let me go get a thermometer, yeah?” The maknae gave a pathetic nod and buried his face in Chan’s chest as Jisung got to his feet and slipped out of the room.

To Chan’s surprise it was Changbin, who returned, holding up the thermometer. “Let’s see”, the rapper hummed, carefully inserting the device into his dongsaeng’s ear. When it beeped, the rapper clicked his tongue and mused: “I mean, it’s certainly high but if the pain’s that bad…. I think you can have a hot water bottle, at least for a little while. We have to check your temperature frequently though.” – “Mhm, jus’… please make it stop hurting so bad, hyung”, Jeongin cried, hiding his face as he roughly scrubbed the tears away. Chan caught the boy’s wrists and gently guided his hands away from his face, shushing: “You’re okay and it’s okay to cry.” – “Alright, should we get you to the living room?”, Changbin offered, wanting to keep a close eye on their maknae. Giving him a hot water bottle would be a risk but he should be fine if they monitored his temperature and made sure he wouldn’t overheat. Jeongin slowly shifted off of Chan and sat up, trying to scoop to the edge of the bed, so he could follow Changbin to the living room.

Just as Jeongin tried to straighten up, another cramp tore through his stomach, causing him to double over again, screwing his eyes shut. Tears spilled down his cheeks as Changbin eased him back onto the edge of the bed, rubbing his shoulders to distract him from the pain. Chan scooted closer, running his hand up and down the maknae’s back. “I’m going to carry you there, okay?”, Changbin hummed, when Jeongin’s face seemed to relax a little and he opened his eyes. Sniffling softly, the boy hesitated. This was humiliating. He was a grown adult, he could walk. Sensing the youngest’s conflict, Chan offered: “You could go ahead and prep him a hot water bottle and I’ll carry him to the living room once he feels ready to move.” – “As long as I can’t be sure that you manage to walk down the hallway without falling over yourself, you are not carrying anyone anywhere”, Changbin deadpanned, taking a seat next to Jeongin, “It’s okay, pup. We’re in no rush.”

Giving Changbin a sad smile, Jeongin closed his eyes and leant into the rapper’s side. As he was slowly getting drowsy again, he could hear Chan argue with Changbin in a hushed tone, the pack-alpha sounding slightly offended. “No, hyung, because first of all, you’re sick and could get hurt and second, I will not risk you dropping my pup and have him get hurt”, the rapper sighed. Chan stared at his mate in disbelief, growling: “He’s still my pup and I would never drop Innie.” A small smile spread on Jeongin’s lips despite the pain and exhaustion. He usually did trust Chan not to drop him but if the leader felt anything like him right now, it already be impressive if the oldest managed to get himself to the living room, let alone someone else, besides, the maknae really didn’t want to risk Chan hurting himself in an attempt to carry him, so he tried to speak up and agree with Changbin but the pair wasn’t done yet. It was entertaining to hear the older two get all possessive, insisting that he was their pup, but he was still hurting and doubted he’d manage to get to the living room himself.

“Hyungs, my tummy still hurts”, Jeongin winced hesitantly, instantly catching their attention. Squeezing the boy’s shoulder, Changbin cooed: “I’m sorry, hyung got carried away. Let’s go and get you your hot water bottle.” The younger gave a shy nod and held on to Changbin’s shoulders as the rapper carefully scooped him up. He didn’t miss Chan’s betrayed look as he pouted at Changbin. “Hyung, come on. Let’s be realistic, hm? If you feel that energetic and steady on your feet, why don’t you come with us? The two of you can cuddle on the couch and I’m sure there are a few members who’d gladly keep you company”, the rapper sighed as he turned towards the door. All he got was a challenging look from Chan, so carrying Jeongin to the living room, he left Chan to sulk on his own.

Jisung was the first to notice them and shot Changbin a questioning look, holding up the empty hot water bottle. The older nodded, so Jisung set about starting the kettle. Hyunjin and Felix quickly made their way over to the pair. “Do you want cuddles?”, Felix asked softly, glancing towards their nest. It was an omega’s safest place, perfect to nurse a sick, young pup back to health. Craving affection, Jeongin nodded slightly, so Changbin climbed into the nest with his dongsaeng in his arms. The three omegas settled in comfortably around the maknae, releasing calm and comforting pheromones that made the boy drowsy. Minho and Seungmin glanced at their mates confused. Was Chan asleep? Their leader wouldn’t part with Jeongin that easily. While Jisung filled the hot water bottle and headed towards the nest to give it to his dongsaeng, the two decided they should probably check on Chan.

Passing the nest, Minho and Seungmin cooed. Jeongin had cutely curled up around the hot water bottle, his face so much calmer now though they weren’t sure whether it was the hot water bottle or his mates’ affection soothing the pain. The maknae lay in Changbin’s arms, Felix resting against the rapper’s side, so he could easily play with their youngest’s hair. Laying on the Aussie’s legs, Hyunjin drew shapes on Jeongin’s arm, while Jisung had the boy’s feet in his lap, lightly resting his hands on his dongsaeng’s ankle, so he could feel his presence. It seemed like the perfect time to spend some quality time as a group, considering how much Jeongin seemed to need his pack’s love right now, so Minho and seungmin should better collect their leader too. To their surprise, Chan was awake when they went into his room to check on him. How had the leader willingly parted with Jeongin. Chan lifted his head when he heard his mates approach and Minho was quick to realize, the older had not parted with Jeongin willingly. “Hey hyung”, Seungmin smiled, though it was a little forced with the tension thick in the air. The beta was usually a steady neutral when things got out of hand, so he had instantly taken the initiative talking to Chan, figuring it would only get worse if Minho, another alpha took charge. “Don’t you want to join us for cuddles?”, the second youngest continued, “You should suffer all by yourself, hm?”

At first, it seemed like Chan wasn’t going to reply at all but he eventually rasped: “’m not suffering.” – “You’re not?”, Minho frowned, raising an eyebrow. Glaring at the dancer, Chan repeated: “No, I’m not. What do you want?” – “We wanted to ask you if you wanted to join the rest of us for cuddles. That’s what I asked already but I’m figuring you don’t?”, Seungmin intervened. Exhaling slowly, Chan shook his head in defeat. Still, they could sense some longing in the Aussie’s eyes. To be honest, he didn’t look the slightest bit better to Minho and Seungmin. Deciding to be brave, Minho took a seat next to his hyung reached for his hand. It still felt pretty warm to him, so he gave it a light squeeze and softly asked: “What’s wrong, hyung?” Chan only shook his head and remained, glancing at his lap. Though he tried to somewhat turn his face away, Minho could see him bite down on his bottom lip hard. When the first tear fell from his lashes, Seungmin sat down on his other side and rubbed his back.

“I-I wouldn’t dro-drop my p-pup”, Chan sobbed, his voice cracking painfully. Squeezing his hand, Minho agreed: “You wouldn’t drop your pup, hyung. You’re way too protective to let anyone get hurt, hm?” The leader nodded, glad that someone finally saw the truth. “Bi-Bin said I’d – that I’d drop, I-Innie”, he admitted, his trembling hand reaching up to wipe at his eyes, “And then -then he jus’- just took him away.” Minho and Seungmin made eye contact, realizing that all of this was a misunderstanding. Seungmin could feel Chan’s fever through his shirt, so he was stunned when the oldest continued: “I wouldn’t drop him. I’m not even dizzy anymore, I feel fine.” Furrowing his brows in confusion, Minho hummed: “And he didn’t offer you to come along?” Still upset at the rapper, Chan shook his head but the others could see through his lie. There was no way, Changbin wouldn’t have asked him. The truth was, when Chan had tried to get up to follow them, he had felt faint and opted for sitting back down. That left him with no way of being with his youngest dongsaeng, which was inacceptable.

Realizing that two of his mates were now here taking care of him, Chan grew even more upset, mainly at himself though. Maybe Changbin was right and he couldn’t properly take care of Jeongin right now but that meant that he had to make sure the other members would be there to take care of their youngest. Right now, he was doing the exact opposite, making Minho and Seungmin take care of him and keeping them from being with Jeongin. Forcing in a deep breath, Chan tried to regain his composure. “Well, since we don’t want you sitting here on your own, suffering or not, do you want to come with us?”, Minho offered, glancing at Seungmin. Maybe it’d be best to just distract Chan for a while as it seemed the obvious fever was messing with his emotions. Why he hadn’t wanted follow Jeongin to the living room still remained a mystery to the. When the leader nodded, Seungmin asked: “Alright, what do you feel up for? Maybe you could start with having some food because you haven’t really eaten in a while since you’re not dizzy anymore, maybe your stomach will tolerate it now.”

Chan’s stomach dropped. He realized that if he wanted them to believe that he was recovered, he would have to play it off well but if he managed to do that, they’d turn their focus to Jeongin, who obviously needed their care a lot more. “Mhm, I really do feel better. Sure, I’m still tired because I didn’t sleep that well and my voice’s a little scratchy but…”, the leader lied, trying to seem enthusiastic about eating while his stomach turned at the mere thought of it. Not wanting to argue with their hyung when the older was so insistent about something, Minho and Seungmin got up and waited for Chan to do too.

Against his better judgement, the leader got to his feet and straightened up, hoping his mates didn’t notice how hard his hands were trembling as his vision darkened around the edges. They didn’t, too distracted by Chan’s complexion turning even paler. It made the feverish flush on his cheeks stand out more and Seungmin wondered when the older would own up to the way he felt and just go back to bed or let them help him to the living room. Minho knew though, that as an alpha, Chan would be too proud to admit to his lie and would most definitely see it through to the end if he didn’t pass out somewhere in between. The dancer chatted nonchalantly with Seungmin as the three of them made their way to the kitchen but kept a close eye on Chan, who didn’t seem as steady on his feet as he claimed to be. Frantically wiping at his eyes and cheeks, the leader tried to remove any evidence that he had been crying, not wanting the rest of the pack to know. He almost toppled over from doing so while walking as the ground seemed to move under his feet but was proud when they reached the kitchen without any incidents.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Chan leant against the kitchen counter and tried to play off just how shaky his legs felt. While Seungmin gathered some food for Chan to choose from, Minho tried to have a casual conversation, making the oldest believe his act was still strong. Having heard them in the kitchen, Felix carefully clambered out of the nest and rushed over to check on Chan. The alpha forced a smile as Felix joined them asking him how he felt. While the leader tried to swallow the lump growing in his throat at having to lie to the omega, Minho replied: “He said he’s feeling better, so we’re just finding him something to eat before he can come cuddle too.” Chan inwardly cursed the other alpha, the pressure to keep up his lie even higher now. “Oh”, Felix claimed, a little surprised but happy, “Glad you’re feeling better, hyung. Innie was asking for you but I think he already fell asleep.” That statement made the leader’s eyes sting again. His pup had needed him and he hadn’t been there.

“Here, do you want some rice, crackers or a slice of toast?”, Seungmin smiled, laying out the options. Feeling his throat tighten, Chan looked at the beta and stammered: “I-I think I’ll go with- with the rice.” His throat was still on fire and he doubted he’d even be able to swallow the toast. Nodding, the younger scooped some rice into a bowl and handed it to Chan, who shakily made his way to the dining table to sit down. Minho joined the older and handed him chopsticks, watching his hyung worriedly. Wanting to spend time with Chan now that he was better, Felix took a seat beside the leader and happily chatted with Minho about a choreography they had been working on. Nervously poking at the rice, Chan eventually lifted the tiniest bite to his lips and chewed very slowly. Having something in his mouth already felt so wrong and he could feel his stomach turn but he saw no way out of it now. “Are you okay, hyung?”, Felix asked worriedly, “Your tummy is pretty loud….” – “Mhm, it’s just rumbly because it’s empty”, the older lied but his tone was flat and Felix too slowly started to have his doubts. Yet, Chan kept eating, no matter how long it would take for him to finish his rice, he would do it, his mates would believe him that he was fine and they could all take care of Jeongin together.

That was easier said than done though and Chan’s determination slowly crumbled when he realized the bowl was still half full. Slowly breaking into a sweat, the alpha lowered his chopsticks and took a deep breath. The rice sat heavily in the pit of his stomach and he doubted he’d get another bite down. Felix worriedly rested his hand on Chan’s leg when the older placed down his chopsticks and closed his eyes, fighting for self-control. Resting his head in his hands, the leader took a few shaky breaths. He couldn’t do this. “Hyung, it’s okay if you’re not that well yet”, Minho hummed sympathetically but Chan shook his head. He was fine and he would somehow finish his food, he just needed a moment. When his mouth started to water, the leader pressed a tight fist to his lips, what little color he might still have had draining from his face fast. No matter how hard he fought it, Chan couldn’t hold back a gag, startling his friends.

“Sink!”, Minho urged, realizing the bathroom would be too far away. Clamping his hands over his mouth, Chan struggled to his feet and stumbled, glad that Felix caught him and helped him stagger towards the kitchen sink. His stomach lurched and he barely managed to lean over the sink in time as the rice rushed up his throat. Felix gently patted his back when the older coughed but helplessly looked at Minho. Hadn’t the older said he felt better? Minho was by their side in an instant, quickly wrapping his arm around Chan’s waist after seeing the leader’s legs tremble. Chan clutched the counter so hard, his knuckles turned white, as his throat strained with a forceful retch. His throat felt shredded yet he just couldn’t seem to stop trying uselessly. He barely managed to bring anything up besides the few mouthfuls of rice he had just forced down, cursing himself for going against his better judgement. Even when he was mostly empty, Chan kept coughing, the strain making his head pound and bringing tears to his eyes. It was hard to really get a full breath of air in, his stomach cramping up before his lungs could fill up.

“Try to breathe through it”, Felix whispered, a steady hand on Chan’s back as the alpha grew more worked up. He was hurting and he couldn’t breathe, his lungs not cooperating. Every cough threatened to make him sick again and he just couldn’t handle it anymore, feeling overwhelmed. The leader looked up with tears in his eyes when Minho nudged his hand, pressing a glass of water into it, which the older shakily lifted to his lips. Chan rinsed his mouth a few times before taking a small sip to help him stop coughing. It took a while but the fit eventually tapered off, the leader progressively slumping into Minho’s side as the second-oldest did his best to keep his hyung on his feet. Felix kept rubbing Chan’s back, while the leader sipped some water, but the omega was spooked, anxiously looking at Minho, praying the older had the situation under control because he himself surely didn’t.

The ordeal had zapped what little energy Chan may have had, leaving the oldest shaky and faint. His hand trembled, the water swishing around in the glass as his grip threatened to slip. “N-Need sit”, the leader slurred weakly as he set down the glass. Noticing how unfocused his eyes were getting, Minho hurriedly wrapped his arms around his hyung and lowered both of them to the floor. He propped the older up with his back against the cabinets, instructing: “Deep breaths, you’re gonna be fine. Just focus on catching your breath.” Panting, Chan tried but his vision was growing progressively blurry as he drew his legs up to his chest and rested his forehead on his knees, so he wouldn’t fall over. Felix crouched next to him and comfortingly messed with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Talk to us, hyung. What are you feeling?”, the omega hummed, praying their hyung wouldn’t faint on them. Drawing a shaky breath, Chan muttered: “Dizzy. Thought- I-I thought, I’d faint but it’s getting better. Now, I just- I just feel really, really dizzy.”

When it seemed that Chan was in the clear, Minho got back to his feet and rinsed out the sink, the leader tiredly leaning against his leg. Felix continued to mess with his hyung’s hair and stroke his back, noticing how the back of the alpha’s shirt clung to his skin. Chan was burning, sweat running down his temples but at the same time he felt chilled to the bone. Seungmin watched them and went to get a fresh shirt for the alpha when he realized how much he was sweating. When he passed the nest on the way to the bedrooms, Seungmin noted with relief that at least some of them were able to rest well. Hyunjin and Jisung were completely knocked out, holding on to Jeongin, who slept peacefully in Changbin’s arms. They had been lucky that Jeongin had slept through the entire incident because if he hadn’t chances were high it would’ve set the maknae’s stomach off too. The rapper too seemed to be asleep, though he had merely been dozing and had listened to Chan being sick again. Holding the sleepy bundle in his arms, Changbin felt his heart ache. At least in his own eyes it would’ve been his job to be there for Chan, yet he was trapped and couldn’t get out of the nest.

“Hyung, do you feel okay enough to move?”, Seungmin asked quietly, “I fetched you another shirt ‘cause yours is completely sweat-through.” – “Thank you”, Chan sniffled before struggling to take his sweaty shirt off. Minho and Felix helped him as the sticky fabric clung to his skin and winced in sympathy as the leader shuddered. It seemed his fever was getting worse and now he didn’t even have anything in his stomach, so he could take some medicine. Seungmin guided Chan’s hands into the sleeves and carefully pulled the fresh shirt over the alpha’s head. He felt sorry that he couldn’t get the older a hoodie with how shivery he still was but was worried about his fever. Chan didn’t seem to fond of moving still, so Minho, Seungmin and Felix sat on the floor with him, as the leader tiredly rested his head on Felix’ shoulder. Watching the older worriedly, Minho hummed: “Why did you say you were feeling better, hyung? See where pretending you were got you.” A tear ran down Chan’s cheek and he wiped it away with his sleeve. “I-I want to either take care of Innie or have you guys take care of Innie for me but now you’re sitting here with me”, the leader whimpered, “You shouldn’t, I’m fine but my pup needs to be taken care of.”

The three sat in stunned silence before Felix frowned: “What are you saying, hyung? You’re not fine and we wouldn’t just leave you here by yourself. Innie is taken care of and sleeping soundly, just like you could if you weren’t so stubborn.” – “Lix is right”, Minho whispered, reaching for Chan’s hand, “I get why you would try to protect our youngest but hyung, here are still six healthy members. Don’t you think we can split up and take care of both of you? Yes, Innie is sick and needs to be taken care of but so are you and although you might manage to get by on your own, you deserve to be taken care of all the same.” He gave Chan’s hand a comforting squeeze as more tears dripped from his lashes but this time the leader didn’t bother to wipe them away. A chill ran down his spine, making Seungmin sigh: “I know you don’t want to move, hyung, but come on. We can get you somewhere more comfortable, your bed, the couch, the nest,… anything is better than the floor. You’re not going to feel warmer if you stay down here.” – “It’s okay, we won’t let you fall. I know it’s tiring but it will be worth it”, Minho promised, running his thumb over the back of Chan’s hand.

After some more prodding, Chan eventually had to agree to move, even if it was only because he felt so cold. His bedroom was out of question pretty quickly though, the distance way too far for his sore legs to cross. Leaning heavily on Minho and Seungmin, he managed to shuffle into the living room, where Felix helped him settle into the nest next to Changbin and Jeongin. “Hey”, the rapper whispered, reaching out to cup Chan’s cheek, “You know, I was just teasing, hyung. You always take good care of all the pups but you need to see your own limits instead of spreading yourself too thin, hm? We are here to help too, it’s not all on your shoulders. We’re a pack and we help each other. Yes, you’re leading us and we are glad to follow your lead but we’re still in it together.” The leader gave a small nod, resting his head on Changbin’s shoulder. It was still pounding and the omega’s calm presence seemed to soothe the pain a little. Maybe that was why Jeongin slept so peacefully. There was this safe aura enveloping the nest, no wonder it had knocked Hyunjin and Jisung out too. Chan wondered if this was all Changbin’s doing, the rapper having pretty strong pheromones considering he was an omega. It was shocking how calm and soothing Changbin always seemed to be when interacting with his pack. From the outside, he seemed intimidating and well, he could be if somebody threatened his dongsaengs but that didn’t happen often Chan’s glare usually stopping potentially dangerous people dead in their tracks. His pack knew him better though, his dongsaengs not in the slightest intimidated by him. They truly enjoyed roughhousing with their mate, who somehow was so in control of his strength that no one ever ended up hurt. Changbin was their steady rock, a secure presence to rely on, when things seemed to spiral out of control.

Deeply inhaling his dongsaengs’ pheromones, Chan wasn’t only exhausted anymore. A comfortable sleepy drowsiness had settled over him and when the other members joined them, he couldn’t even lift his head from Changbin’s shoulder anymore. Felix purred softly, curling up between his mates. In his sleep, Hyunjin’s hand found Felix’ and the Aussie linked their fingers before closing his eyes. Chan gave a content hum when Seungmin draped a blanket around his shoulders, trying to show his appreciation towards his dongsaeng despite being barely awake. The beta smiled, carefully tucking the edges of the blanket in. Gently caressing the leader’s cheek, Changbin whispered for him to finally go to sleep. Chan weakly reached out and took Jeongin’s limp hand into his, unintentionally causing the boy’s kneading instinct to start back up. A faint smile played around Chan’s lips as his youngest dongsaeng lightly squeezed his fingers. Surrounded by his pack, with his pup right beside him, the leader followed Changbin’s instructions and fell into a peaceful slumber.

“H-Hyung…. Hyung, please…” Chan woke up to Jeongin tugging on his sleeve. The maknae had tears streaming down his face and seeing this, Chan was suddenly wide awake. “Ssh, I got you, pup. Hyung’s got you”, the leader cooed, “What’s wrong, hm?” Choking on a sob, Jeongin whimpered: “H-Hurts.” The older felt his heart break and helped Jeongin shuffle out of Changbin’s arms. The rapper had long since fallen asleep like the rest of the pack, all of them falling prey to the warmth and dozing off. If only Jeongin’s cramps hadn’t returned with a vengeance. He had woken up not too long ago and tried to just breathe through the pain but it was impossible. “Do you feel sick too or just cramps?”, Chan asked softly as his dongsaeng curled up in his arms. The younger shrugged. Nothing felt right about his stomach but he didn’t know if he needed to be sick. Lightly sniffing Chan, Jeongin breathed: “Cramps an’ – fuck ow! – And tummy’s- tummy’s icky overall.” The boy gasped in pain, his grip on the leader’s arm tightening. More tears spilled down his cheeks and Chan was surprised that none of the other members had woken up by now.

When the cramp let up for a moment, Jeongin panted and weakly melted into Chan’s embrace. “Do you want me to rub your tummy or would touching it make it worse?”, the Aussie offered quietly. Instead of a verbal reply, Jeongin took his hand and guided it under his shirt. Afraid of hurting his pup more, Chan lightly drew circles with his palm, his hand only grazing the younger’s skin at first. The maknae sniffled tiredly, burying his face in Chan’s chest as the leader gradually increased the pressure, making sure the other was still comfortable with it. Jeongin’s stomach gave an audible growl before the boy tensed up, biting the cuff of his sleeve in an attempt to stay quiet. Gently tracing his hand over Jeongin’s tight middle, Chan whispered: “You’re okay, Innie. Try to breathe, hm?” The younger desperately shook his head. He couldn’t. It just hurt so bad, he couldn’t do anything but try not to cry out loudly. “I know, pup”, Chan cooed, pressing a light kiss to the crown of his dongsaeng’s head, “I know it hurts but you’re doing great. Just hang in there.” He kept tracing circles on Jeongin’s tummy and simultaneously rubbed his cheek against the other’s hair, lightly scenting him for comfort.

“Hyung, I- I don’t feel good”, Jeongin sniffled after about ten minutes. The cramps were slowly fading but they had wracked havoc on his poor stomach. His mouth was starting to water as the nausea grew. Brushing the younger’s bangs out of his face, Chan hummed: “Want the bucket?” Jeongin contemplated it for a moment but his friends were finally sleeping too after taking care of him and Chan and he didn’t want to wake them. “Bathroom?”, he requested, though he wasn’t entirely sure how he’d get there. Looking at the younger in surprise, Chan asked: “Do you think you can stand?” Jeongin gave a tentative nod, so the leader shifted him out of his arms and they both got to their feet. Clambering out of the nest, Jeongin almost knocked himself over but Chan was surprisingly steady on his feet and caught him. It seemed the adrenalin of watching his pup hurt was enough to help him function. Hunching over, Jeongin hugged his sore middle, while Chan linked their arms and slowly guided him to the bathroom. The maknae weakly sank to his knees on the rub and slipped his hand under his shirt to palm at his tummy. His throat still felt odd, like he was close to gagging but it didn’t seem to happen soon.

Chan gave Jeongin’s back a short rub before grabbing a washcloth and running it under cool water. He gently brushed the younger’s hair back with his fingers and dabbed the cool cloth against the boy’s forehead, cleaning away the sweat. “Close your eyes for me, pup”, Chan instructed quietly before wiping away Jeongin’s tears. The younger gave a tired sniffle as he curled up against the bathtub, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his chin on his knees. Folding the washcloth, Chan draped it across the maknae’s neck and whispered: “Do you want hyung to get you some water? Maybe we can settle your stomach if you have a few sips?” Jeongin shook his head the tiniest bit. He didn’t want water. He didn’t want anything other than for all of this to stop.

Taking a seat next to his dongsaeng with his back against the bathtub, Chan tried to ignore his aching heart. He knew all to well how the younger was feeling and wished he could take it off of him. Jeongin leaned into Chan’s side and rested his head on the leader’s shoulder, closing his eyes. His stomach gurgled and he bit his lip at the discomfort, relaxing when Chan’s hand took a hold of his and gave it a light squeeze. Surprisingly, Jeongin managed to doze off after a while. Glad the boy was able to rest for now, Chan didn’t dare to move no matter how much his muscles were protesting their position. The floor wasn’t all that comfortable but he’d stay there all night if it meant Jeongin would get a chance to sleep off his illness. Considering how sore he felt, it was no wonder that Chan didn’t manage to drift off like his dongsaeng. The leader tiredly looked up and lifted one finger to his lips, when the door creaked open and Jisung slipped into the room. He had woken up not too long ago and found the two alphas missing from the nest. When they didn’t return after a few minutes, the rapper had decided to go looking for them.

“What’s going on?”, Jisung whispered, taking in the pitiful sight in front of him. Stretching his neck, Chan yawned: “Innie had really bad cramps and woke me. He felt like he needed to be sick, so we came here. Nothing happened and he fell asleep.” – “Aww, pup”, Jisung cooed, glancing at their youngest, “Should we get him back to the nest?” Furrowing his brows, Chan contemplated it but worried: “He’ll probably wake up if we try to move him and I’m so glad he’s sleeping for now.” The rapper nodded. Sleeping was probably the best thing for Jeongin right now, so they shouldn’t disturb him. “How are you feeling, hyung?”, Jisung asked softly. Giving the younger a small smile, Chan hummed: “I’m okay, I mean, achy all over and stuff. My head hurts but my stomach feels okay.” – “That’s good. You’re probably dehydrated, so your headache might improve if we can change that”, the younger smiled, “Since we’re going to hang out here for a bit, let me grab some stuff.” Chan only nodded tiredly, knowing there was no use in telling Jisung ‘no’. He knew he couldn’t do anything to stop the rapper and he wouldn’t listen if the older told him to go back to sleep, so why waste the energy trying.

Chan was surprised by how long Jisung was gone but maybe his perception of time was messed up. When the rapper eventually did return, he handed Chan a steaming cup, humming: “I heated up some broth, so you get the electrolytes too. Hope it’ll go easy on your stomach.” – “Thank you, Sung”, the alpha breathed, wrapping his hands around the cup. His fingers had felt a little cold, so this was nice. Jisung had also brought a blanket, which he spread over his friends’ legs, tucking it up around Jeongin’s shoulders. Luckily, the boy didn’t even stir. Admittedly, it was getting a little cramped in the bathroom with three of them settling in but Jisung didn’t want to leave his friends to their own devices.

Chan slowly sipped the broth his donsgaeng had brought him and relaxed as it helped him warm up from the inside. He wasn’t trembling with chills yet but being away from the nest and the warmth of their mates did leave him feeling rather cold, despite Jeongin’s feverish body pressed up against his side. Jisung could tell his hyung was feeling uncomfortable but he knew the older would be too stubborn and protective to risk waking their youngest in an attempt to get them somewhere more comfortable. “Hyung, I know it’d be risky for me to carry Innie back to the nest but maybe we could carefully trade spots. I can see that you’re hurting and if this is going well, Innie will hopefully sleep for quite a while. A while that you will be unable to shirt your position”, the rapper offered, “I’ll hold his head and shoulders, so you can slip to the side and I will take your spot.” – “I’m okay”, Chan disagreed but the pain was obvious in his tense expression, “It’d be too risky.” Jisung hadn’t expected for his hyung to go along with his idea, so he wasn’t upset but he had still wanted to offer.

After a while though, Chan seemed to change his mind. His muscles were on fire and it took him immense self-control to keep from squirming in pain. When he pleadingly glanced at Jisung, the rapper knew exactly what he wanted to ask but didn’t dare to. Taking the empty cup, Jisung whispered: “Let me refill this for you and then we can switch.” Chan nodded gratefully at the prospect of being freed from his position. He was glad the broth had settled so well, though he wasn’t sure he could handle another cup. Not long after Jisung had disappeared, he slipped back into the bathroom and placed the cup onto the sink before crouching in front of his mates. He carefully slipped his palm between Chan’s shoulder and Jeongin’s cheek before gently wrapping his arm around his dongsaeng’s shoulders and giving Chan a nod. The leader slowly pulled away and once he was sure Jisung had a secure grip in the maknae, he smoothly moved aside. Rolling his shoulders, Chan sighed in relief. He felt stiff and everything hurt but he could move again.

Chan got to his feet and tried to take over from Jisung as smoothly as he could, so the rapper could sit down. At some point, Jeongin stirred and picked up his head, so Chan let go of him, while Jisung quickly sat down next to the younger. “Ssh, go back to sleep, pup”, the leader shushed, guiding Jeongin’s head towards the rapper’s shoulder. Jisung purred softly, hoping the sound would keep his dongsaeng calm. It somehow worked and yawning cutely, Jeongin went back to sleep with his head on the omega’s shoulder. Before Chan could sit down, the rapper reminded: “Your broth.” Nodding in acknowledgement, Chan grabbed the cup and sat down, placing it next to him. The leader stretched his neck and shoulders, trying to rid himself of some of the tension before taking a small sip from the cup. His eyes stung from the exhaustion and fever, Jisung’s soft purring not really helping him stay alert.

“It’s okay if you want to go back to the others and lay down, hyung”, the rapper encouraged but that was no option for Chan. Shaking his head, the alpha argued: “He got confused and upset when I wasn’t there when he woke up, so I won’t sneak away from him again.” – “That’s okay too”, Jisung smiled, taking Jeongin’s hand and drawing slow circles with his thumb. He chuckled to himself when the younger started squeezing his hand, the boy really was a pup at heart no matter how grown up he insisted to be. Stretching his legs out in front of him, Jisung used his free hand to pat his thigh and offered: “You wanna take a nap here with Innie? I’m not going anywhere.” Though tired, Chan gave a small laugh at that and after taking a few more sips, he placed down his cup and curled up on the bathroom rug, his head on Jisung’s thigh. The rapper had started to purr again as he ran his fingers through Chan’s messy curls, making the alpha drowsy. “You’re comfy”, the leader slurred, his eyes drooping as Jisung’s nails lightly scraped his scalp. Under the omega’s soft touch, Chan was out like a light within minutes.

It hadn’t taken Jisung long to fall asleep himself, the feverish warmth of his mates making him drowsy. Jeongin had eventually let go of his hand and instead grabbed his sleeve, bunching up the fabric between his fingers. When he woke up close to two hours later, the youngest felt flustered. He hadn’t meant for his hyungs to see his kneading. Well, maybe they hadn’t because it only started after they fell asleep? Glancing at the two sleeping figures, Jeongin couldn’t help but wonder how they had ended up there. Considering his fingers were still tangled in Jisung’s sleeve, he gave the rapper a little tug. Expectedly, nothing happened. Jisung had always been a rather heavy sleeper. Whining softly, Jeongin nudged the other’s arm and this time the rapper at least moved a bit, so he repeated his action. “Hmm?”, Jisung groaned, opening his eyes for a moment. Seizing his opportunity, Jeongin tugged on his sleeve again and whispered: “Hyung!” – “Huh, yeah? Wha’s wrong?”, the rapper slurred, opening his eyes though he was still a little bleary. “What are we doing here?”, the younger questioned, still confused by the setting. Sitting up straight, Jisung rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck. He rubbed his face and yawned: “Having a sleepover, what does it look like?” When Jeongin pouted, he added: “You felt like you needed to be sick but fell asleep instead and we wanted you to stay asleep, so we couldn’t move you and just decided to join.”

Jeongin had more questions but both of them froze when Chan stirred. The leader eventually sat up and looked at them questioningly. “Everything okay?”, Chan hummed, his voice thick with sleep. He had an easier time waking up than Jisung, relieved to find his head not hurting as much as it had before. It seemed he had really been dehydrated because he felt less dead now and carefully reached out to smooth Jisung’s messy hair down. The rapper yawned, explaining: “Innie was confused how we ended up here.” – “Oh”, Chan frowned, surprised that his dongsaeng didn’t remember, “How’re you feeling, Innie?” The younger shrugged, avoiding Chan’s eyes. Fiddling with his sleeves, Jeongin admitted: “My tummy seems okay but…. Everything hurts, my head hurts and it’s mushy. I feel… slow. Like thinking… it’s hard.” – “Do you feel confused, pup?”, Chan asked gently, his voice soft and understanding. It was enough for a tear to drip from the maknae’s lashes. He didn’t know why he was so emotional but something about the haziness in his mind made him feel vulnerable. Jisung wrapped his arm around Jeongin’s shoulders, pulling him into his side.

After pressing the backs of his fingers to Jeongin’s forehead, Jisung hummed: “Still feverish but not too bad. How do you feel, hyung?” – “Better? I don’t know”, the leader shrugged, “My head hurts but not as bad. I’m still as achy but I feel more alert and not dizzy at all.” Jisung motioned for him to come a little closer and felt his forehead. “You too are still pretty warm but your eyes don’t look out of focus anymore”, the rapper stated. Chan nodded, adding: “My stomach feels alright and the broth stayed down. Maybe Innie’s dehydrated. Would explain why his brain is ‘mush’ even though his fever isn’t that bad.” – “Probably”, Jisung agreed, nuzzling his face into Jeongin’s hair, scenting him, “You wanna try and sip some broth too, Innie? Might help with the headache.” Jeongin shrugged, breathing: “I can stop if my tummy’s not happy about it, right?” – “Of course, you can”, Chan cooed, while Jisung continued to scent their youngest, “I really feel like it helped me feel more like myself, so maybe just getting some fluids and electrolytes into you could already make a big difference.” With the promise of not having to force himself, Jeongin agreed to at least try but wanted to enjoy Jisung’s affection for a little longer.

When he was ready to move from their position, Jeongin was facing another problem. Every fiber in his body burned and he doubted he’d be able to move at all. His legs shook when Jisung helped him to his feet and Chan was quick to support his other side. Whimpering, the maknae clung to his hyungs. His arms burned but he still held onto them, desperate to stay on his feet. Jisung was quick to scoop the boy into his arms, afraid he’d fall. When the rapper saw the protest in Chan’s eyes, he hummed: “Hyung, why don’t you go ahead and already warm up some broth for him?” At that, the leader nodded and rushed out of the bathroom, leaving Jisung to shake his head. He understood that as the pack-alpha, Chan felt especially protective of Jeongin and wanted to be the one taking care of him but he was still sick himself, despite feeling a bit better. The fever was still there and he should strain himself too much too early, especially not when there were other members who could help them out. It seemed Chan really needed to have a task, as his mind would otherwise convince him that he was useless and his pack didn’t need him. That was complete nonsense but the alpha often felt like he wasn’t enough for his dongsaengs, not good enough as a leader.

Jeongin nuzzled his face into the crook of Jisung’s neck while the rapper carried him. They could already hear the clattering of cups from the kitchen and wondered how no one else had woken up from it. Glancing at the nest, Jisung came to realize that all of them had woken up but didn’t want to interrupt Chan, who seemed on a mission. When the rapper saw the time on the clock in the kitchen, he paled. It was night and all of them had slept through the light afternoon and dinnertime. How could a whole pack have such messed up sleeping patters? Jisung carefully placed Jeongin into one of the seats at the kitchen table, the maknae instantly drawing his legs up to his chest. Making eye contact with Jisung, Minho smiled and joined them. The dancer ruffled Jeongin’s hair and cooed: “How you feeling, Innie?” The maknae shrugged, resting his head on his knees. “He has a bad headache and is pretty out of it. We figured he’s probably dehydrated so, he’ll try to have some broth”, Jisung explained, resting a comforting hand on Jeongin’s shoulder. Minho nodded and motioned towards Chan, raising one eyebrow. “He had two cups of broth earlier and said he feels better, though still a little feverish. Seems a lot more functional though, so I’ll believe him when he says he has improved”, the rapper smiled, Minho’s smile mirroring his.

“Gosh, I can’t believe I slept through dinner, like… How many hours were that? Too many to still be considered a nap, huh?”, Minho laughed, “We’re such a mess, all of us.” – “That’s not a bad thing”, Changbin said softly as he walked up behind the dancer. The other members had decided to give them some space, especially after Jisung said Jeongin was out of it. They were afraid of overwhelming their youngest when he was already so vulnerable. “We have a very strong bond, so it makes sense for certain situations to affect the entire pack”, Changbin explained with a soft smile, “Chan and Jeongin were okay for the time being and it was only convenient for everyone to get some sleep. That way we could restore our energy in case things got more chaotic or serious later on, making it impossible to sleep then. It’s an evolutionary thing, helping packs survive.”

Minho looked at Changbin with wide eyes. He had always known that the rapper took his position as head-omega very serious but he wouldn’t have expected the younger to be that well educated, it made him feel stupid in comparison. “Hey, pup”, Changbin cooed, crouching next to Jeongin. The younger looked at him with glossy eyes, too tired to even lift his head off his knees. Cupping his dongsaeng’s cheek, the rapper smiled: “Today has been a lot, hasn’t it?” Jeongin nodded. The omega’s voice was so calm and soothing, filled with understanding. “You’ll feel better soon, hyungs will make sure of that. Just hang in there, ‘kay?”, Changbin hummed, stroking the maknae’s flushed cheek. That was when Chan joined them with a steaming cup of broth. “Here, Innie. Just try taking small sips”, the leader instructed softly, “You can always stop if it doesn’t feel right. There’s no pressure.” Jeongin nodded, sniffling softly. Maybe Chan was right and he’d feel better afterwards. At least, the leader seemed to be doing better, so hopefully it would work for him too. With trembling hands, Jeongin accepted the cup and even managed to lift his head but was afraid he’d spill the hot liquid on himself if he tried to lift it. Picking up the boy’s struggle, Changbin took the cup from him and blew on the steaming broth before holding the cup to his dongsaeng’s lips. Jeongin took a tentative sip, relaxing as it warmed him from the inside. “Good job”, Changbin whispered, “Another one?” Once his dongsaeng had taken another sip, the rapper placed the cup down to give him a break.

Sniffling softly, Jeongin forced a smile and admitted: “Feels kinda nice. At least on my throat.” – “Yeah? That’s good”, Changbin smiled back, “Just try to take it slow, so your tummy doesn’t get overwhelmed.” While the rapper took his time feeding Jeongin the broth, Minho walked up next to Chan, quietly informing the leader that he’d be heading out to pick up dinner for the rest of the group. Their daily routine had been completely thrown off and none of them were in the mood to cook, so the dancer would get takeout for whoever was able to stomach it. Minho quietly asked the members what they felt hungry for and when he had everyone’s orders, he headed for the door. Rushing after the alpha, Felix quickly put on his shoes. “You shouldn’t have to go alone, hyung”, the Aussie beamed, making the older smile. The boy was just too pure. While the two were gone, the others tidied up the living room a bit. It had gotten a bit messy with the entire pack spending most of their time there and it would be difficult to feel peaceful in such a chaotic environment.

Seungmin stood in the kitchen ready to lay the table for when Minho and Felix would return with their late dinner, when Jeongin finally finished the last few sips of his broth. It hadn’t upset his stomach like he had feared it would but he had admittedly taken it pretty slow. “Do you want to lay back down? I don’t think you wanna be around when Minho-hyung and Felix return with food”, Changbin asked once Jisung had taken the empty cup to the kitchen. Jeongin only shrugged uncertainly. He didn’t really have the energy to do anything other than lay back down and get some more rest with how badly his head was still hurting but he wasn’t exactly looking forward to going back to their nest. That was a first for Jeongin but right now, his muscles were too sore. Rubbing his face, the maknae requested shyly: “Couch please?”

After a moment of shocked silence, Chan furrowed his brows, frowning: “You okay?” Jeongin remained silent. “What’s wrong, pup? You’re not acting like yourself”, Changbin asked softly, glancing at the nest. The maknae would always choose the nest whenever one of the omegas offered him to stay in one with them. Though his mind still felt slow, Jeongin knew he couldn’t tell his hyung that he didn’t want to stay in the nest. That was an incredibly hurtful thing to tell an omega and he knew his mates had built it for all of them to be comfortable. Changbin seemed to know what was on his dongsaeng’s mind though and hummed: “We shouldn’t have built it on the carpet, hm? You’re too achy, aren’t you?” At that, Jeongin broke into tears and buried his face in his hands. “I-I’m sorry”, the boy choked out, afraid he had hurt his hyung’s feelings with the rejection. “Why would you be sorry, pup?”, Changbin whispered, stroking the younger’s back, “We don’t want you to be in pain, so please, choose wherever you feel the most comfortable. If you want, you could also stay in my room. A bed would probably be better than the couch. The couch always leaves me achy, no matter how healthy I am.” The omega wasn’t wrong, their couch really wasn’t the most comfortable but Jeongin was still uncertain. He didn’t feel like invading Changbin’s privacy.

“How about I build a small nest on my bed? You can be all cozy for the night and we’ll be close by in case you need anything? I’ll stay out here in the living room for the night anyway and I know you love our nests”, Changbin offered. He had always found it endearing how eager Jeongin was to join any of them in their nests whenever they offered. The maknae thought he was discreet about it but to his mates it was obvious, so Changbin was sure the younger himself was far more heartbroken over not being able to go back to their nest than any of the omegas felt about the rejection. Jeongin’s hesitation and the conflicted look in his tired eyes told the rapper all he needed to know. He made eye contact with Hyunjin, the dancer smiling: “I got him, hyung. You can go ahead and collect some material. We’ll fix the nest later, so just grab what you need.” Changbin nodded gratefully, getting up and making his way to the living room. “Binnie-hyung will build a really cozy nest for you”, Hyunjin hummed, running his fingers through Jeongin’s hair, “Let me help you wash up a bit, so you can rest comfortably. Maybe we can also get you a different shirt, you’re sweating quite a bit.” – “Want Channie’s sweater”, the younger breathed, pouting up at the leader. Chan almost combusted at his dongsaeng’s cuteness and promised: “I’ll fetch one for you, pup. Go and wash up and I’ll be there.”

While Chan rushed to his room to pick out one of his softest sweaters for Jeongin, Hyunjin carefully picked the maknae up. Once the dancer had carried his dongsaeng to the bathroom, he settled the younger on the rug. With the boy still a little dizzy, he propped the younger up against the bathtub before helping him take off his shirt. Hyunjin took a washcloth and wet it with lukewarm water. Already having felt a little cold before, Jeongin instantly shivered as soon as his shirt was off and he frowned when his hyung approached him with the washcloth. They had previously stuck to cold water in order to bring his fever down, so he wasn’t looking forward to the cold touch. “It’s warm”, Hyunjin cooed, when he noticed the other’s frown, “Don’t worry, pup. Let’s get this over with quick, so you can put on Chan-hyung’s sweater and lay down.”

The dancer had made quick work of washing Jeongin’s face and wiping down his back and arms. While he patted the other down with a towel, Chan joined them, carrying an oversized sweater. The leader’s heart broke when he watched the youngest shudder, so him and Hyunjin carefully slipped the sweater onto their dongsaeng before they helped him to his feet. Stumbling a little, Jeongin clutched his hyungs’ arms and was glad when Hyunjin picked him up again. Sure, it was humiliating but he was too exhausted to care. “Let’s find Changbin-hyung, hm?”, the dancer smiled, when the younger nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck. Jeongin tiredly sniffed him, relaxing as he inhaled the omega’s sweet scent. The trio quietly joined Changbin in his room and Jeongin gave a shy smile when he realized the rapper was almost done with the nest. It was already an honor for an alpha to be invited into an omega’s nest but to have a nest built specifically for them was a whole new level and Jeongin couldn’t help but wonder how he could be lucky enough to be that loved by his pack.

“Hey, you ready to go to sleep?”, Changbin asked softly once he had arranged the last blanket. Fighting back a yawn, Jeongin nodded cutely, making his hyungs coo. Hyunjin placed him down in the center of Changbin’s bed and Chan stepped forward, taking the maknae’s face into his hands. Gently kissing Jeongin’s forehead, the leader whispered: “Good night, pup. Don’t hesitate to wake hyung should you need anything, yeah?” – “You can wake any of us”, Hyunjin added, stroking the young alpha’s hair, “We don’t mind, we just want to be there for you, so you can get better.” Once the two had bid Jeongin goodnight, Changbin took a seat on the edge of the bed and watched his dongsaeng curl up between the pillows and blankets. Gently running his fingers through the maknae’s hair, Changbin smiled: “They are right, Innie. We’ll be in the living room, so really close by. You can just yell if you need anything, okay?” The younger nodded, so Changbin got up and turned to leave. He was stopped immediately when Jeongin quietly called his name. “Hyung, can you scent me?”, the boy requested, the rapper’s sweet pheromones were always so soothing and maybe he wouldn’t feel as lonely if the scent lingered for a little longer.

Changbin complied in an instant, wanting Jeongin to feel as comfortable as somehow possible. Minho and Felix had already returned and the rapper could hear the clattering of plates from the kitchen. Sure, he felt pretty hungry, yet he took his time. Affectionately scenting his dongsaeng at a slow pace, Changbin purred softly and watched how the younger’s eyes started to droop shut. Jeongin tried to stay awake just a little longer to soak up as much of the affection as he could but he was unable to resist sleep creeping up on him. When the rapper was sure Jeongin was asleep, he covered him with a thin blanket and snuck out of the room to let the boy rest. To his surprise, Chan had joined the rest of the pack at the dinner table. Though he only had a bowl of plain rice in front of him, the smell of food didn’t seem to bother him, so maybe he’d really be able to keep something other than just broth down. The pack-alpha shot Changbin a smile when the younger took a seat and accepted the plate Minho handed him. It felt like the chaos was slowly dying down, things going back to normal. Having a meal together with most of the members present surely felt like a step in the right direction, even if it was an odd time to have dinner.

Considering they had spent most of the afternoon sleeping, it came as no surprise that none of the members felt remotely tired after they finished their meal, so after washing up, they settled back into the nest in the living room and prepared to watch a movie. Though Chan’s fever still lingered, he had been able to keep down the small serving of rice and sipped a cup of ginger tea, while Jisung and Seungmin discussed different anime they had wanted to watch for a while. The leader easily drowned out their bickering, not really caring what they were going to watch. His mind was mainly with Jeongin sleeping soundly in Changbin’s room. It felt so wrong to Chan to leave their youngest all alone when he was sick but maybe some undisturbed rest was just what the maknae needed.

Chan startled when something cold touched his neck and Minho chuckled: “Relax, hyung.” The dancer had brought a cold washcloth and draped it across the back of Chan’s neck. “Since your stomach seems to be doing better and you’re already working on getting rehydrated, so I figured we could try and get your fever to break”, Minho explained, taking a seat next to his only hyung. Nodding slightly, Chan breathed: “Thanks, Min. Hope Innie’s doing okay too. It’s been quiet, so I don’t think the broth he had is giving him any trouble but…. It’s hard not being with our pup.” – “I know, hyung, I know”, the younger sighed, guiding Chan’s head down onto his shoulder, “Changbin and Felix already plan on checking on him periodically, so don’t worry too much.” The leader acknowledged it with a hum, relaxing as he leant into Minho’s side. The cold cloth seemed to ease the lingering headache or maybe the medicine he had taken after their late-night dinner was starting to kick in but either way, Chan felt better than he had in a while and he was content to just sit with his group while the opening of an anime played.

Though Chan hadn’t felt sleepy, he drifted off about halfway into their movie, his head resting on Minho’s shoulder. Just like they had promised, Changbin and Felix took turns quietly sneaking out of the nest to check on Jeongin. In the early morning hours, Felix had been able to sweettalk his dongsaeng into nibbling a few crackers and taking some medicine. After that, the Aussie had draped a cold washcloth over Jeongin’s forehead and petted his hair till the boy went back to sleep. When he returned to the living room, Seungmin was standing over Chan and Minho, carefully trying to insert the thermometer in the leader’s ear without waking him. “Seems like his fever finally broke”, the vocalist whispered, placing the thermometer on the coffee table before shooting them a smile. At least one of their sick mates was recovering well. It was already close to sunrise when the rest of the pack finally went to sleep too curled up around each other.

Hyunjin awoke close to noon, when someone tripped over his leg. The dancer sleepily looked up and smiled, watching Jeongin climb over the sleeping bodies of his hyungs to curl up next to Chan. In his hands, the maknae clutched one of the blankets from Changbin’s room, gently kneading the fabric as he nuzzled his face into the leader’s side. Seemingly sensing the presence of their dongsaeng next to them, Changbin started to purr, the low sound waking Felix. When the omega noticed Jeongin, he quietly made his way over to the boy, running his hand down the other’s back. Jeongin sleepily lifted his head to look at Felix, giving the dancer the chance to feel his forehead. “Good morning, Innie”, the Aussie whispered, “You feeling okay?” The younger nodded, still drowsy and not nearly awake enough for a conversation. Cuddling back into Chan, Jeongin closed his eyes and went back to sleep while Felix traced shapes on his back.

When Felix had last checked, Jeongin had still felt pretty warm to the touch, which unsurprisingly didn’t change after he cuddled up between the rest of the members. Chan felt flustered when he woke up to find the younger snuggling against him, the other members slowly waking up too, cooing at he adorable sight. “Good morning”, Changbin yawned, “How’re you feeling, Chan-hyung?” The leader shot him a smile, humming: “Pretty normal, maybe even a little hungry.” – “Mhm, your fever broke last night, so you should regain your energy over the next day or so”, Changbin mused, his eyes scanning over the rest of the pack. All of his mates seemed to be safe and okay, the omega relaxing as a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders. He reached over to feel Jeongin’s forehead, commenting: “Still warm but nearly as bad as before. Is it just me or does his skin color also look a little healthier than yesterday?” – “It’s not just you”, Jisung denied, “Innie’s not so awfully pale anymore and the flush on his cheeks is fading.” As if he had heard his name, Jeongin lifted his head and blinked at the rapper. “Good morning, pup”, Chan cooed, smoothing the maknae’s hair down, “How’re you feeling?” The younger only yawned before nuzzling his face into Chan’s chest, clumsily scenting the leader. Pressing a kiss to Jeongin’s disheveled hair, the oldest let him continue his scenting and enjoyed the warmth of his pack for a little while longer before they would try getting some porridge into Jeongin, so he too could regain his energy soon.

#stray kids #skz #fanfic #fluff #comfort #sickfic #fanfiction #sick #emeto #omegaverse #abo #a/b/o #a/b/o dynamics #jeongchan #angst #angst with a happy ending #skz angst #one shot

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linwritesskz · 10 months

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Crushes in the classroom - Jeongchan fic

6.2k word, fluff, teacher AU, romantic.

Summary: Both Chan and Jeongin are teachers at the same school and unbeknownst to the other they have both been crushing on the other.

Jeongin was running late, he knew that, but he just had to make a stop at the local coffee shop to pick up an iced americano and an iced tea for Chan. He knew the other man did not like coffee in any form, which Jeongin didn’t understand at all. How can you be a teacher and not like coffee? Jeongin really didn’t understand, but he didn’t want to question Chan about it. He knew would get a long spiel about how coffee was not good for you in big quantities.

As he arrived at the school, he looked at his watch and realised he had managed to make it on time. He even had a little spare time to maybe have a short chat with Chan before he had to go to his own class. He broke out in a big smile at the thought, since the small talks he had with Chan were one of his highlights. Don’t get him wrong, he liked his other colleagues, but none of them made him feel the same way that Chan did and he just enjoyed the other man's company a lot.

He walked up to the main doors, slowly pushed them open, and, careful not to spill the beverages, headed straight for where he knew Chan would have his first class. Jeongin was humming a familiar tune as he knocked on the door and waited for the other man to call him in.

“Come in,” Chan shouted from inside the room and Jeongin pushed the door open. “Oh, goodmorning, Mr.Yang,” Chan said with a smile as he looked over at Jeongin. Jeongin pouted at him.

“I have told you many times that you can just call me Jeongin, Chan. You don’t need to be formal, when the kids are not here yet,” Jeongin said to him and walked over to the desk, where the other teacher was setting his stuff up for his first class.

Chan, as a science teacher, was one of the few teachers who rarely moved around the school. Instead, the students came to his room, as the sciences rooms had to be separated from the other rooms because the science equipment couldn’t be moved. Being a korean teacher, Jeongin didn’t have the same luxury.

As Jeongin reached Chan's table, he held out the cup of ice tea he had gotten for the other man silently. Chan looked up at the movement and his face morphed from its neutral state to shock as he realised that Jeongin was holding out the cup for him.

“Oh, is that for me?” he said with a small smile. Jeongin nodded as Chan took the cup from him and took a small sip from it. He looked up at Jeongin with a big smile, which made Jeongin’s cheeks heat up and look down at the floor.

“You really shouldn’t have done that, Jeongin, but thank you and it is my favourite as well,” Chan said as he continued to take sips from the drink with a small smile on his face.

“Well, I was already at the coffee shop and knew you really like the ice tea from this specific place, so I couldn’t help myself getting one for you as well, no need to thank me, Chan,” Jeongin said dismissively and took a sip out of his own drink.

“Well, thank you for it still,” Chan said with a smile. Jeongin smiled back at him. Then he pulled up a chair to sit by the table, enjoying the silence and the small noises Chan let out while he was preparing things for his first class. Jeongin looked at what he was doing and wondered, what it was about. He’s never been much of a science person, always enjoyed languages and the more artistic subjects more, so he had no idea what Chan was preparing at all.

“What are you preparing for your class?” Jeongin asked, as he looked at all the stars that were spread over the table.

“I’m planning on having the kids set up a tent with me and then we are going to go into the tent and place the stars on the inside to emulate the night sky and try and make as many constellations as we can in the time we have,” Chan started explaining enthusiastically as he was gesturing around at all the stars and the roll of black fabric that was standing up against the wall. Jeongin nodded along as Chan continued to explain. “I’m obviously going to be making some real constellations, that the students then have to try and name and answer if they are specific for this time of year.” “Are there constellations you can’t see all year around?” Jeongin asked in surprise, since he had no idea about this.

“Yes, loads. The stars are stationary, so as the earth travels around the sun, some constellations are only visible during the summer or the winter,” Chan explained with the biggest smile on his face as he loved to talk about the night sky and all the stars in it. Jeongin tried his best to follow along as Chan continued to explain it all, but he felt more and more lost in the explanation as he didn’t know much about the night sky at all. Instead, he ended up just sitting there and staring at Chan in wonder over all the things he knew about the night sky.

They were so completely in their own world, that they hadn’t noticed the set of big eyes staring at them from the door and the sudden loud voice shouting.

“WHAT IS MR.YANG DOING HERE, MR. BANG??”

Both men flew up from their chairs in surprise and looked over to the door, where one of the students was standing and just staring at them in confusion. Neither of them had noticed the student arriving and at that moment Jeongin also realised that he had to run over to the regular classrooms for his own first class.

“Oh Shi-Oot,” Jeongin exclaimed, nearly swearing in front of the student. He quickly collected all his things and, with a quick goodbye to Chan, ran out of the room. When he arrived at the room where his own class was located, he had some time to collect himself before class actually started, as luckily only a few students had arrived so far. As he slowly got out the books he needed for the day's lesson, he thought about how caught up he got in Chan’s talking, that he didn’t even notice his surroundings and had embarrassed himself in front of the student.

Why did Chan have such an effect on him, he wondered to himself as he placed his books on the table. He sat at his desk, the quiet noise of students slowly milling into the class, chatting with each other and ignoring their teacher, providing background noise as he spaced out. Suddenly the bell rang loudly, pulling Jeongin out of his thoughts with a small jump and a loud gasp. All the students looked at him with big eyes and wondered what was up with their teacher. As Jeongin tried to collect himself over the shock, one of the students slowly stood up.

“Are you okay, Mr. Yang?” she asked quietly and looked quizzically at the teacher. All the other students nodded and looked at him.

“Yes, I’m fine, Ryunjin, was just caught up in my own head for just a moment,” Jeongin said as he stood up and got ready to start the class. As he picked up his book to turn to the page they have gotten to, something fell out from between the pages.

It was a small cut out of a star.

Jeongin looked at it for a long time, completely spacing out again as he thought about his conversation with Chan earlier that morning, about the stars and the universe and how he had just sat there and took in everything the other man had talked about without knowing anything about it.

“Mr. Yang?” a little voice said again.

“Yes, sorry, class. Now let's continue with the reading from yesterday,” Jeongin said quickly as he picked up the star and tucked it quickly into his pocket. He turned back to the front of the class and started the lesson as if nothing had happened. All the students looked confused at each other, but just shrugged their small shoulders and took out their books to start their reading.

As the day progressed and Jeongin moved from class to class, he kept coming back to his morning with Chan and how the other man had affected him. He kept drawing a blank on why it had happened and what the other man had done to even have that effect on Jeongin. As he reflected on it, he realised that this was not the first time it had happened either. He suddenly remembered more and more times, where Chan had seemingly put him in some sort of trance, while telling him about some obscure science fact that Jeongin did not understand and probably would never understand.

Jeongin took a deep sigh, looked down at his watch, and saw that they were closing in on lunch time for the kids. He moved back to his first classroom and the class he had that morning. He was the assigned classroom teacher for them and had to sit with them while they had their lunch before recess. He put his hand in his pocket and felt a small piece of paper, which he then pulled out.

Oh, it was the star from earlier that he had found in his book. One of Chan's stars. He smiled at it and tucked it back into his pocket for safekeeping, reminding himself to hand it back to the other man before the day was over. Once he arrived at the classroom and made sure all the kids were properly seated and had started their lunch, he sat down at the desk and pulled out his own lunch he had prepared yesterday. Just as he started eating, there was a knock at the door and everyone looked up in surprise, since none of them were expecting anyone else to come to their classroom.

“Come in,” Jeongin shouted as he stood up to move towards the door to see who had come to the class, fully expecting a student who might have gotten lost, despite having counted all his students and none of them were missing. He did not expect Chan to enter the classroom with a small smile on his face and a bag in his hand.

“Hi, Mr. Yang, I just came to see if I could possibly join you and your class for lunch, seeing as I don’t have a class to overlook today,” Chan said with a smile and gestured to the bag in his hand that contained his own lunch. Jeongin looked at the man in wonder as he couldn’t believe he had come to eat lunch with him, little him, like Chan could have picked any of the other members of the staff, but he chose Jeongin. A light blush started to rise on Jeongins cheeks as his thoughts started to drift.

“Mr. Yang?”

Jeongin was abruptly brought out of his thoughts by the other man saying his name as he blushed profusely and stammered out an answer.

“S-su-sure, you can join us for lunch, Mr. Bang,” Jeongin finally got out as he pulled up a chair for the other man, so he could sit at the desk with him. Chan sat down and pulled out his own lunch and started to dig in. As the two men sat and ate in silence, Chan looked at some of the papers Jeongin had placed on the table, that he was planning to look over while the kids were out in the schoolyard for recess. He reached over and pulled one of the sheets over to him and started reading it.

“What is this about?” he asked and turned the paper over towards Jeongin. He looked down at it and saw it was one of the short stories he had assigned this class to write over the weekend.

“Oh, it was a writing exercise I had the students do over the weekend, where they had to write a little story about an animal they had met and use as many descriptive words as they could,” Jeongin explained as he pointed out the different words that the student had used without saying them out loud.

“Oooh, that seems like a fun and creative little exercise,” Chan said with a smile as he read what the student had written and chuckled at it. He put the paper down again and picked up another one and looked it over, smiled and continued to do this with a couple of more papers. All while Jeongin was just sitting there and looking at Chan like he was the only person in the room and no one else but them existed.

“A lot of these are really good and funny. You got some really creative students, Mr. Yang,” Chan said and looked over at Jeongin with a massive smile, which made Jeongin blush and look away just nodding along to what Chan was saying.

They continued to chat about different topics and just being in their own world, neither realising that a whole classroom of small eyes was looking intensely at them and between each other, wondering what was going on between their two teachers.

“Mr. Yang? Mr. Bang?” one of the students asked out loud, making the two men jump and turn around in their chairs. They looked at the class with wide open eyes, remembering at that moment that they weren’t alone in the class, but were in fact being observed by twenty small kids. They both blushed and Jeongin spoke up.

“Yes, Jooyeon?” Jeongin asked the little boy.

“I’m sorry for asking, but are you and Mr. Bang dating?” the little boy asked and looked back and forth between the two men. Both of them looked in bewilderment at the boy and to each other and back to the little boy again, completely taken by surprise by the question, that neither of them knew what to say at first.

“Uh, Jooyeon, that is not a very polite thing to ask someone,” Chan finally managed to get out and looked over towards Jeongin, who was just looking down at the table with a completely red face and didn’t know what to say to what the little boy had asked. Chan reached his hand over to check if Jeongin was okay. Just before his hand touched the other, Jeongin jumped up and exclaimed.

“Time for recess. Pack your things and get your clothes on and off to the yard with you guys,” Jeongin said in a haste and started ushering the kids towards the door. All of the kids looked in confusion at Jeongin, but did as he said and started to follow him towards the yard, where the teacher, Felix, who had yard duty was waiting for them.

“Hey Jeongin, thanks for bringing your class,” Felix said with a kind smile, looking up at Jeongin. His smile faltered a bit and he asked, “Are you okay? You are quite red in the face.”

“Oh that is probably ‘cause we asked him and Mr. Bang if they were dating,” Jooyeon said with a smile as he looked up at Felix.

“Oh..” Felix said and looked back up at Jeongin, who had turned even more red in the face than he was before. Felix smirked at Jeongin with a glint in his eyes and mouthed to him that he would be asking about this later. Jeongin spluttered over that and just turned around and walked fast back towards his classroom. As he arrived at the classroom he hurried in and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it for a moment and looked up at the ceiling with a deep sigh.

“Are you okay?”

Jeongin looked towards the voice in surprise, having fully expected Chan to have left the room and gone back to his own classroom. But no, he was still sitting by the desk and looking over at Jeongin with questioning eyes. Jeongin sighed, walked over to the table, and sat down beside Chan again, placing his head in his hands.

“I’m so sorry for that, Chan. That was so inappropriate of Jooyeon to ask and I’m going to have a proper word with him later about not asking those things, since it is just not okay to ask, especially your teachers,” Jeongin said in a hurry. He didn’t even dare to look over at Chan to see his reaction to what he was saying, continuing to sit with his head in his hand and trying to reflect over what the little boy had said, and if there was any truth to it.

Did he have feelings for the other man?

Was that why he got flustered around him and lost in his train of thoughts, when the other man was talking?

Was that why he would listen to anything the man was talking about even though it didn’t interest him in the slightest?

Chan was just sitting and looking at the other man, while he was clearly deep in thought, and didn’t know how to approach him or ask him what was going through his head.

“Should I leave, Jeongin,” he asked quietly. Jeongin looked up at him in confusion, as if he had completely forgotten the other man was still there. He looked at him for a bit and shook his head.

“No, sorry, I just got lost in my own thoughts for a moment,” Jeongin said. He shook his head at Chan and smiled as he composed himself. He turned towards the other teacher and just smiled at him, trying to push his thoughts to the back of his head, deciding he was going to think about it later and just enjoy the moment with Chan before they had to go back to their classes.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Chan asked slowly as if trying to assess the situation and figure out what Jeongin wanted.

“NO,” Jeongin said with a blush and turned away from the other teacher and looked out of the window. “I don’t really wanna talk about it right now, sorry, Chan, can we just talk about something else?” he asked and turned back to the other man. Chan just nodded at it and they fell silent again just looking around awkwardly, not knowing how to start a conversation again.

They ended up just sitting in silence for the rest of the break and only glancing at each other from time to time, too scared to start the conversation again, as neither of them knew how to approach the subject that was going through both of their heads.

As the bell rang and signalled that the break was over, Chan stood up and packed his things together getting ready to go back to his class. That made Jeongin look up at him and want to say something, but he just didn’t know what to say until he remembered the star he had in his pocket from this morning.

“Chan!” he said and reached into his pocket and held the star out to the other man. “This ended up between my books this morning and I thought you might want it back as it might be important to the thing you were doing with your classes this morning,” he continued and turned his head away, avoiding any eye contact with the other man.

Chan took the star and looked at it. Then he decided to hand it back to Jeongin, told him he could keep it as a keepsake, and decided then and there to be a bit bold.

“You can keep it and it can remind you of me, when you look at it,” Chan said with a slight blush to his cheeks as he looked at Jeongin like he was expecting some kind of response from the other man. Jeongin just sat still for a moment and looked up at Chan with a similar blush to his face as he took back the star with a small smile and a thank you, not knowing what else to say.

“Well I need to get back to my class, so see you later, maybe?” Chan said as he scratched the back of his head and let out an awkward cough.

“Yeah, see you later, maybe,” Jeongin replied, absent-minded as he looked down at the star in his hand, as if it had all the answers to the many questions that were floating around in his head. He didn't notice that the other man was still looking at him, until he let out a sigh and walked away. It was first when he heard the door close behind him, that Jeongin looked up again and stared at the closed door. He wondered if he should run after the other man and try to talk to him, but he couldn’t get himself to do it.

He looked back at the star, let out a deep sigh, and held it close to his heart as he closed his eyes and thanked someone that he had a free hour before his next class to sit and think about what this all meant to him. But his calm was rudely interrupted by a knock on his door and someone walking in.

Jeongin looked over to the door, saw Felix standing there with the biggest smile on his face and sighed deeply, knowing what was coming. He put the star down on his table and turned fully to the other man.

“What do you want?” he asked and looked at Felix.

“Oh, you know exactly what I want, Jeongin. I want answers to that little thing that Jooyeon mentioned when you came with the kids to recess,” Felix said with a bigger smile as he walked over to the table and sat down on the chair that Chan had occupied earlier. Jeongin let out a deep sigh. He wondered for a moment if he should just try and deny everything or if he should actually tell Felix what he was feeling, and maybe get an outside perspective on the whole thing.

“I don’t even know where to start, Felix. I’m so confused about all this and I don’t even know how I feel about Chan to be honest,” he said with a deep sigh. He slumped further down in his chair and looked out of the window, as he didn’t want to look at Felix and see what his reaction was to what Jeongin was saying.

“But what are you feeling about it? Like what is going on in your head to be exact?” Felix asked. Jeongin sighed and looked over at Felix, then put his head in his hands and sighed again.

“All these questions are just floating around. Like why am I feeling flustered every time Chan talks to me and why do i feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest, when he looks and talks to me? And why is everything he does just affecting me in some way and I just want to do everything for him without him asking. Like I went out of my way this morning to get him the specific tea he likes from this specific coffee shop and he didn't even ask me to do it,” Jeongin said. He took a deep breath as he continued to try and explain what was going on to Felix.

“And like every time we sit and talk, I feel both comfortable, but also like there is some kind of tension between us that I just can’t explain and it is slowly driving me crazy and I don’t know what all this means,” he finished and looked up at Felix, who was just sitting and listening to him talk.

Felix took a deep breath.

“Do you want my honest opinion, Jeongin?” he asked.

“Yes, please, I really do, because I don’t know what any of this means,” Jeongin answered him.

“Okay, here is what I think is going on and that is that you like Chan,” Felix started. Jeongin rolled his eyes at that, because obviously he liked Chan, they were colleagues and he enjoyed hanging out with the other guy.

“I know what you are thinking and what I mean is that you like him more as a friend and that you might have a crush on him,” Felix said, looking straight at Jeongin with a soft smile and a tilt to his head. Jeongin looked at him and couldn’t believe what Felix was saying to him.

Did he really have a crush on Chan?

Is that why he was feeling like this?

Jeongin ran his fingers through his hair and stared in bewilderment at Felix. He didn’t even know how to respond or what to say to what Felix was telling him.

“Jeongin, can I ask you something?” Felix said slowly and Jeongin nodded slowly.

“Have you ever thought about kissing Chan and spending more time with him outside of work hours?” Felix asked.

Jeongin looked at him with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe Felix had the audacity to ask those things, but the more he thought about the questions, the less he could deny that those thoughts had for sure passed his mind. He couldn’t argue with Felix on it. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t figured it out himself.

“Oh my gosh, I do have a crush on Chan,” he slowly said and looked at Felix with wide eyes. “What the hell am i going to do about it?” he asked in a small voice and looked down at his desk again. Felix let out a sigh and looked at Jeongin with so much care and sympathy in his eyes.

“My honest answer to that is just to talk to Chan about it, I don’t think he is going to reject you, since I have seen how he looks at you sometimes and how often he brings you up, when I talk with him,” Felix said and smiled at Jeongin.

“Really? He talks about me?” Jeongin asked in surprise and looked up at Felix again.

“He does and sometimes it is really sickening to listen to, because he will just go on about something silly you did that to everyone else would be seen as so insignificant, but to Chan hyung it was like the greatest thing ever. He is honestly so smitten with you, it makes me feel lonely at times, even though I do have a boyfriend myself,” Felix said with a laugh as Jeongin turned a deep red and looked away.

Jeongin didn’t even know what to say to that as he looked out the window. He started thinking again about everything Felix just told him and he just didn’t know how to go about it. Did he have the courage to talk to Chan about this, now that he knew what it was that was going on with him and he knew that there was a possibility that Chan was feeling the same as he was feeling?.

“How do I ask him about it? Please help me, Felix, I have never asked anyone out before or asked anyone if they also have feelings for me,” Jeongin said in a desperate tone as he turned back to Felix and looked at him with big pleading eyes. Felix sighed and put his hands on the table reaching for Jeongin’s hands.

“I don’t have much experience myself, since it was Hyunjin who asked me and confessed to me first, but I know you just have to go for it and give it a chance, even if it isn’t easy to do,” he said/ He took Jeongin’s hands in his and looked at him with a smile, trying to reassure the other man that it was okay to feel this way and that nothing bad was going to happen if he took the chance.

“Yeah but it is just gonna be hard,” he said back to Felix. Felix just looked back at him in pity and patted him on the shoulder.

“I believe you can do it, now that you know what is up and you know he won't reject you,” Felix said to him with a smile. Jeongin looked sceptical at him and just sighed and shook his head.

“Anyway, should we maybe talk about something different?” Felix said with a smile and leaned back in his chair.

Jeongin looked over at him and nodded. Felix promptly started a long tale about something his fiancé, Hyunjin, had done the other night, which had frustrated Felix endlessly. According to Felix, Hyunjin just didn’t understand why Felix was so upset over it, which had, evidently, ended in a small argument.

As Felix continued to tell his story, Jeongin tried to listen along and nod at the appropriate times in the story. But he couldn’t help his brain drifting back to a certain science teacher and how in the hell he was going to approach asking him out. He knew it wasn’t going to be easy and the likelihood of him chickening out of asking him was very high, and nothing would come of it. And if Jeongin was honest with himself, that outcome would make him sad, now that he knew what it was he felt for the other man.

“Jeongin, are you even listening to what I’m saying?” Felix said with a pout.

“Huh? Oh, I’m so sorry, Felix, I just got lost in my own thoughts again,” Jeongin said rather sheepishly. Felix sighed and shook his head.

“You got to talk with him later, please Jeongin or else this will eat you alive. I’m obviously not going to pressure you, but I would just highly recommend it,” Felix said with a pleading voice and just as pleading eyes. Jeongin rolled his eyes at the other man's antics.

“I will try to talk to him later, though I will not make any promises at all. I will try and that is it,” Jeongin said in a stern voice and glared over at Felix, who raised his hands in defeat and shook his head. Jeongin knew that Felix wanted to say more on the matter and he was ready to stop the guy in saying more, but just then the bell rang, indicating that the free hour was over and Felix had to go back to his own class.

“Just think about it, Jeongin,” Felix said before he walked over to the door and gave Jeongin a pointed look, which made Jeongin roll his eyes and shoo the other man away. Felix sighed and walked out of the door with a small goodbye.

The rest of the day went fairly uneventful for Jeongin as he had two more classes to teach and then he was done for the day. None of the kids gave him any more trouble, but he could see some of them whisper between themselves and look up at him from time to time, when they should be doing their work. He decided not to call them out on it and let it slip for now, as he didn’t have the energy to discuss his crushes with a bunch of 10 year olds, which was also highly inappropriate.

As the last class wrapped up, Jeongin felt the nervous feeling rise in his body again as he realised that he would have to talk to Chan very soon. He kind of hoped that the other man would go straight home after he was also done wrapping up, but knowing Chan he most likely wouldn’t and he would come and check on Jeongin as he did that every single day.

And right on cue, just as the last student was leaving the room, Jeongin heard a knock at his door and there stood Chan with a small smile. Jeongin felt the blush rise in his cheeks as he locked eyes with Chan and turned away fast, uttering a small “Come in” to the other man.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Jeongin, but I do have something I really want to ask you,” Chan said with a slight hesitation to his voice. Jeongin whipped his head up so fast and looked at the other man with wide eyes.

“I actually also have something to ask you, but you go first,” Jeongin replied and started to fiddle with his hands. Chan approached Jeongin and for a split moment hesitated before he reached his hand out and took Jeongins hand in his. Jeongin felt his heart start racing as he looked down at their hands and couldn’t believe that Chan was actually holding his hands. Chan cleared his throat and started to speak.

“So, I know this might be a silly thing and might be all in my head and maybe also Felix getting to me about this, but I just feel like I have a special connection with you and I keep getting butterflies in my stomach when we talk and just hang out between classes or before and after school,” Chan started/ He looked down at their hands and then up at Jeongin again before continuing.

“And again, I don’t know if it is just me reading something wrong into it or if there is actually something there and I don't really want to make anything awkward between us as that would break my heart if I lost this precious friendship we have for a silly crush I have on you,” Chan said with a flush and looked away. Jeongin gasped at Chan's confession and looked at him with big round eyes.

“You have a crush on me?” Jeongin asked timidly. Chan nodded and started to talk again.

“I do, I’ve had one for quite some time, but I haven’t been sure if you felt the same, but after this morning and lunch, and after Felix knocked some sense into me before I got over here,” he said with a small chuckle and continued.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to get at is that I want to ask you on a date and I do hope you will accept it or else this will be really silly and I hopefully haven't ruined our friendship,” Chan said in a hurry. He looked down at their hands again as he fiddled with Jeongins finger and turned them over in his hands.

Jeongin stared at the other man in disbelief.

Chan had just asked him out.

Jeongin couldn’t believe what he heard and kept staring at the other man. Chan looked more nervous the longer Jeongin was quiet.

“Oh gosh, I have messed it all up and read the situation completely wrong, I’m so sorry I asked you! Oh gosh, I have really done it now. Oh gosh, I’m just going to leave now, I’m so sorry,” Chan said in a panic. He dropped Jeongin's hands in a hurry and started to turn around to leave the room.

Jeongin snapped out of his own thoughts as Chan turned around and in a panic grabbed the other man's hand to pull him back.

“NO! I’m so sorry for not saying anything, you have done nothing wrong, I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing, as I wanted to ask you the exact same thing, Chan,” Jeongin said in a hurry and caught Chan's eyes, so he could see he was sincere about what he was saying.

“Really?” Chan said.

“Really,” Jeongin confirmed with a blush as he intertwined his fingers with Chan and looked at him with a soft smile. They stood there for a while and smiled at each other with a soft smile, until Chan let out a little chuckle.

“I guess Felix was right after all and that I didn’t have to worry,” he said with a soft smile.

“Yeah, he said the exact same thing to me,” Jeongin replied and they both laughed at how Felix had given them both the courage to ask the other out.

“Well, I guess we have to find a day where I can wine and dine you,” Chan said with a wink. In a brief moment of courage, he leaned over and gave Jeongin a small kiss on the cheek and smiled at him.

“I guess we have,” Jeongin said in a low voice, but he couldn’t contain his smile and smiled brightly at Chan.

“Now we need to get out of here, before they start locking up the place,” he said and started to pull Chan towards the door. While they walked out of the door and out of the school, they both had a good feeling about all this and couldn’t wait for the next chapter of their life to begin.

#stray kids fanfic #my work #jeongchan #bang chan #yang jeongin #fanfic #fanfiction #skz fanfic

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