Chapter Text
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Wooyoung could feel his phone vibrating with notifications. He opened it up to see messages telling him that he was the last one and that they were waiting for him. Fuck. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the bus to roll to a stop.
He jumped off the bus, barely even waiting for the doors to open, and sprinted towards their dorms. He and San had split up earlier, wanting to go to two of Seonghwa’s favorite shops. Wooyoung had gone up to the pastry shop an hour away, while San headed for a restaurant in the opposite direction. He adjusted the bag tucked under his arm, trying not to jostle its contents too much while still trying to run as fast as he could.
Wooyoung could feel his phone vibrating with notifications again. Dammit. Just two more minutes, and he would be there.
His hands were shaking so much that he almost dropped the keys, taking up more precious seconds as he tried to unlock the door. Eventually, he succeeded and they both barrelled through the doors, kicking their shoes behind them as they ran towards the open bedroom door.
“I’m here,” Wooyoung panted, clutching the bags in a white knuckled grip. “How is he—oh.”
“How do you think he’s doing?” Yunho snapped, his usual smile nowhere in sight.
Hongjoong frowned. “Yunho.”
“Sorry, sorry. It’s just—he was taking forever!”
“I know,” Wooyoung said, feeling like his voice wasn’t his voice. “I—I’m sorry.”
Seonghwa stared blankly at them, blinking slowly. His head lolled slightly side to side, and the only reason he was upright was because Mingi was sitting right behind him. He was practically a marshmallow with how many layers of clothes he was wearing, not to mention the blankets tucked around him, but his cheeks were still pale and the occasional shiver still wracked through him.
They had all taken classes on drops—it was a part of any self-respecting school’s curriculum because of how dangerous it could become if it wasn’t detected and fixed quickly enough—and Seonghwa was displaying all the textbook signs of it. Another pang of guilt shot through Wooyoung. He should have noticed that something was wrong the second Seonghwa walked into that practice room, pale and stuttering. But he didn’t, and now they were here, with an omega that was so deep under that he didn’t even seem to recognize his packmates around him.
He quickly shrugged his thick outerwear off, kneeling at the edge of the bed. “Hey there, my pretty hyungie,” he said, unable to stop his voice from wobbling. “You’ve got a very pretty nest right there. Can I—Can I come in?”
Seonghwa just stared at him, unresponsive. Wooyoung’s heart hammered against his chest. Please, he thought. Don’t say no. Please.
But after what felt like hours, Seonghwa nodded—very slightly, but it was still a nod!—and Wooyoung immediately climbed in, trying not to jostle the carefully arranged nest. Seonghwa was already leaning on Mingi, San and Jongho curled up on either side of him. Everyone was close by, and their pheromones were thick in the air as they tried to get Seonghwa to regain some sort of coherency again.
Wooyoung crawled over to the open space between Seonghwa’s legs, and gently lowered himself down until he was laying on top. Seonghwa immediately latched onto him. Wooyoung couldn’t even mind the tight grip he had on his biceps. His heart felt like it was being squeezed worse.
His mind ran through all the things that were drilled into him as a young pup. They had the entire pack here now. There was a warm nest with all of their packmates’ clothes. The scent of their combined pheromones was so thick in the air that he almost choked on it when he first came in, but Seonghwa was barely reacting.
That in itself was a problem. Seonghwa was normally so sensitive with these things, and seeing their omega melt into a puddle of contentment was a great source of pleasure for all of them. Even Seonghwa’s favorite snacks and drinks were just an arm’s length away. What else could they possibly need? Wooyoung’s mind raced.
What if Seonghwa never—what if their precious omega—
Seonghwa groaned, his eyes fluttering open. “...Youngie?”
“Here,” Wooyoung said, snapping to attention. The tension in the room was palpable, every member watching the interaction with hawk eyes. “I’m here, baby,” he breathed.
Seonghwa’s eyes landed on him and Wooyoung cooed gently, trying to keep the dazed omega’s attention from wandering. “Hey there, pretty flower.”
Seonghwa opened his mouth slowly, his nose wrinkling. He made an aborted noise.
Mingi was immediately at his elbow, a juicebox in hand. “Drink, little flower.”
Seonghwa did. Yeosang shuffled over with a plate of cut fruit, feeding Seonghwa in between sips. Time passed like that, each of them taking turns feeding their omega with carefully prepared snacks. Color had started returning to Seonghwa’s face again, but his eyes were still a little unfocused. He wasn’t all the way up yet.
When it was Wooyoung’s turn, he carefully pulled himself out of Seonghwa’s arms, heart aching at the soft noise of distress that Seonghwa made. San and Yunho immediately came to comfort him, giving Wooyoung a chance to quickly grab the pastries he had bought.
“Wooyoungie,” Seonghwa whined. “Too far.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Wooyoung said, laughing softly at the pout on Seonghwa’s lips. “I was just getting this for you, darling.”
Seonghwa peeked into the bag, gasping in surprise. “Is that—”
“Yes, it is.” Wooyoung grinned. He presented the artfully packaged pastries with a flourish. “Ta-da! I got your favorites!”
The smile on Seonghwa’s face faded. “But…that shop is more than an hour away.”
“I know,” Wooyoung said.
“That’s really far.”
“It’s really not that far. It’s worth it if it’s for our precious omega.”
Seonghwa’s lip quivered, and Wooyoung immediately paled. “What’s wrong?”
“‘M a bad omega,” Seonghwa said. “Sorry.”
Yunho growled. “Don’t say that about yourself, flower. No one here thinks that. You know we all love you.”
Fuck. They had messed up so badly. Wooyoung knew he wasn’t the only one with guilt swirling in his gut.
“Hyungie,” San said, voice tinged with sadness but filled with a firm conviction. “We’re so sorry for everything. You never should have gotten to this point—we were the bad ones for letting this happen to you, not you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Seonghwa still didn’t look convinced, but San kept trying. Eventually, he must have said something right, or with the right tone, because Seonghwa started relaxing again. “Still,” he mumbled, looking at Wooyoung. “I—that day—in the practice room—”
“I know,” Wooyoung said. He had to close his eyes at the wave of emotion that bowled over him. Grief. Guilt. Anger. “Pretty flower, it’s okay.”
It’s not what he wanted to say. He wanted to grovel at Seonghwa’s feet, wanted to tear his chest open and present his bloody heart on a silver platter in hopes that Seonghwa would see it and accept that he was being absolutely sincere in his apology. He would do anything, but he knew that Seonghwa would never ask that of him—of any of them. He never would, even though they practically tore him to pieces with their carelessness.
Silly, silly omega, Wooyoung thought, pressing in closer. He would give their precious omega the entire world, but that’s not what Seonghwa needed. Right now, Seonghwa needs his packmates. He needed to be assured that they still loved him and that they weren’t going to throw him away and that none of those negative thoughts swirling in that pretty head of his would ever come true. None of them.
“I really didn’t mean it,” Seonghwa mumbled. “I wasn’t trying to be naggy or controlling.”
“I know, darling,” Wooyoung said. “You were feeling so awful, weren’t you?”
Wooyoung paused, waiting for Seonghwa’s hesitant nod.
“And you just wanted some help, right?” Another nod. Wooyoung pressed kisses all over Seonghwa’s face. “And I’m so proud of you for coming to us for it. What a brave omega, coming to your stupid alpha even when you were hurting so bad.”
Seonghwa giggled at the wet smacks. The sound made some of the tension in the room dissipate. “Not a stupid alpha.”
“Oh, he is,” Yeosang piped up, scoffing a little. “Let me tell you something, gorgeous. This idiot here thought it would be funny to prank us with some very salty cookies. He left them on the table, just like that, for everyone else to choke on.”
Seonghwa looked at them with wide eyes. “...w-what did you do with them afterwards?”
Yeosang rubbed his hair affectionately. “I threw them away, of course. I didn’t want anyone else eating them and getting sick.”
“But I also—my cookies—I saw—”
“Oh!” Wooyoung said, grinning. “Yeah, I got back before anyone else did and ate them all.”
“Wooyoung!” Mingi whined exaggeratedly. “You never said anything about that part! I can’t believe we missed out on Hwa-hyung’s cookies.”
“Should’ve been faster,” Wooyoung said, voice lilting up. “But I was so sure you guys would like the little surprise I left behind.”
“You brat, wait till I get to you later.”
Wooyoung stuck his tongue out. “Hehe.”
“Oh,” Seonghwa breathed, watching them bicker. “Oh.”
Wooyoung couldn’t even feel the slightest bit of remorse at Yeosang and Mingi throwing him under the bus like that, not when the last of the tension had finally disappeared from Seonghwa’s body. He did, however, feel a pang of guilt as he spoke about leaving a little present behind. He really didn’t, and they would explain that all later once Seonghwa was safely out of his drop.
“Flower?” Yunho said. He pulled Seonghwa into his lap, ignoring Mingi’s protests. “Is there anything wrong?”
“No,” Seonghwa said, clinging tightly to Yunho’s neck like a koala. “‘M just really happy right now.”
“I’m glad.” Yunho laughed, and if Seonghwa weren’t so deep under, he would have noticed the tense undercurrent running through the sound. Everyone else could, though, and they knew exactly what caused it.
Wooyoung shared a glance with Hongjoong as Yunho cuddled Seonghwa, the message clear. He was doing much, much better. But he still wasn’t all the way up. Seonghwa nosed at Yunho’s scent glands, and an idea popped into Wooyoung’s mind. He knew exactly what Seonghwa needed to remember his place in the pack right now.
“Sweetheart,” he cooed, crawling closer once again to drape himself across Seonghwa’s lap. “How come you’re giving Yunho-ah all the attention?”
Seonghwa’s eyes curved. “Do you want cuddles too, Wooyoungie?”
“No,” Wooyoung pouted. “I want something more.”
He could feel Yunho frowning from above him. “Wooyoung,” he said, tone light but his flashing eyes sending a warning. “What are you doing?”
Wooyoung resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn’t stupid—okay, maybe he was, just a little bit—but even he wouldn’t fuck a dropped omega. That’s not what this was about!
“What else do you want?” Seonghwa said.
“Well,” Wooyoung said, dragging out the syllable. “Since Yunho-ah got all the cuddles, it’s only fair that I get some bites, right?”
Seonghwa’s gasp wasn’t the only one that rang out in the room. Wooyoung just waited, grin still firmly on his face. “Oh,” Seonghwa said, already breathless with excitement. “I want to, but are you sure? The stylists aren’t going to be happy—”
“I don’t care what they think,” Wooyoung said. “They can figure it out later. But right now, I just want to show off all the pretty marks you give me, gorgeous.”
Seonghwa just sat there, unmoving. Wooyoung sat up and opened his arms. “What are you waiting for?”
That seemed to be the only invitation that Seonghwa needed. He lunged forward, the force of it knocking Wooyoung flat on his back. He pressed his nose against Wooyoung’s scent glands. After a few licks, the sharp nips started.
He didn’t know how long they lay there, Seonghwa littering his claim all over Wooyoung’s neck and shoulders. He lost track after the first dozen and was content to stay there for however long Seonghwa needed, but his packmates had other plans.
“Hyungie, that’s not fair,” San whined. “When is it going to be my turn next?”
Seonghwa looked up, a flush high on his cheeks, his eyes were a little dazed—but it was a good dazed.
There it is.
“Sannie,” Seonghwa said, licking his lips. “Okay, okay, your turn.”
And so he started again. Wooyoung shuffled away, switching spots with San, and watched as red marks started blooming all over San’s neck too. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yunho and Mingi playing rock-paper-scissors to see who would be next.
The cycle continued, Seonghwa very obviously getting more and more pheromone drunk with each pack member. By the end of it all, he had to be maneuvered into Jongho’s lap, giggling, his limbs not even wanting to cooperate anymore. Of course, that didn’t stop him from marking Jongho like he did everyone else; he just needed a little more help with it.
“Okay,” Hongjoong said, clapping his hands together. “Now that you’ve finished marking all of us, it’s our turn now.”
He growled playfully and pounced on Seonghwa’s limp form. “Joongie,” Seonghwa laughed, quickly dissolving into soft sighs as their head alpha latched onto his neck.
If things went right, he would be so high on their scents that he wouldn’t be able to speak. Anticipation built in Wooyoung’s gut. He caught Yeosang’s eye and held his fist out. He would need all of his luck and brainpower to win against them all in rock-paper-scissors.
(He ended up losing all the games and being last place, but he couldn’t quite muster up any annoyance at the results—not when he could see Seonghwa lose all traces of coherency under their lips.)
—
Seonghwa lay in the middle of their bed, surrounded by all the blankets and clothes that they helped him arrange into the perfect nest. He was shirtless, and so the fruits of their labor was on clear display. They had marked him so thoroughly that there wasn’t a single clear patch of skin left. Their stylists would have a field day. None of them cared. Nothing was more important than their omega. They should have never forgotten that fact.
“Thank you,” Seonghwa mumbled, drooping into the bed. “Best alphas ever.”
“No need to say thank you, baby.” Wooyoung’s heart practically melted in his chest at the sight of Seonghwa looking at them so sleepily. “You’re the best omega ever.”
“How did we ever get so lucky with you, hm?” Yunho said.
Seonghwa giggled, clearly more than a little out of it.
Wooyoung sniffed the air carefully, checking for any signs of distress. There was none left, but he couldn’t quite relax yet.
“Wait,” Jongho whispered. The entire room froze. “Do you hear that?”
Wooyoung strained his ears and heard a faint rumbling. “Is he—”
“He’s purring,” San said, awed. “He never does that.”
Wooyoung could count one one hand the number of times that he’s heard Seonghwa purr. The sound released all the tension Wooyoung held in his body. They did it. He laughed incredulously. The sound made Seonghwa purr harder.
Hongjoong scrubbed a hand over his face, a bright grin on his face. “Oh my god,” he said. “We’re never letting him out of our sight. Never.”
That was a statement that they all agreed with. And while Seonghwa was now clearly out of subdrop, they probably also just sent him straight to his omega space so they wouldn’t be able to talk about everything that they needed to talk about. Not to mention that the omega was exhausted.
The cookies. Wooyoung winced at the thought of having to explain that particular white lie.
The neglect—and that’s what this was. The only reason that Seonghwa had ever gotten this bad was because they weren’t doing their jobs as packmates. They weren’t paying attention. He didn’t even want to think about what could have happened if Minho hadn’t called. Wooyoung made a mental note to send him something as a thank you.
The list of things they had to do after this seemed practically endless but right now, with a purring omega radiating contentment in their nest, it was easy for Wooyoung to push those thoughts away. Tomorrow, he will grovel some more.
He watched the rise and fall of Seonghwa’s chest and quickly slipped into sleep himself.
—