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Chan glances to the side of the room, fingers rubbing gently at his ear as he wars with the rising blush bound for his cheeks. He clears his throat.
“I imagine it would be more comfortable coming from you,” the other says, “since you’re his alpha. But if you’d rather, I could call him in here tomorrow and have a chat then.”
While Chan isn’t too thrilled to have to sit Jeongin down and have this conversation himself, he still wouldn’t rather that, actually. “No. No, it's okay. I’ll talk to him. Thanks for letting me know before any other decisions were made.” Chan smiles half-heartedly at the man across the desk before seeing himself out of the cramped office.
It’s not an unreasonable ask. It’s true that Jeongin has been having issues lately. That either Chan or the other members have been needing to correct him and redirect his hands much more frequently than they’ve ever had to before. Not that they ever had to before.
The other members all had their own issues at some point during their presentations– Minho had become a bit more territorial and possessive over the members, Felix had become more touchy and direct with his want for skinship, Jisung had suffered from intense mood swings that would occasionally have him in tears for hours if not consoled. But none of the other members, whether presenting as an alpha or not, had an issue with keeping their hands out of their pants.
When this problem first presented itself, it was only happening within the dorms. A little weird, maybe, but acceptable to an extent. During pack movie night, everyone curled up somewhere on the couches or the floor, blankets and pillows strewn around. A member might notice Jeongin, eyes focused intently on whatever movie was playing, hand subconsciously squeezing himself overtop of his sleep shorts or boxers. They would tease him gently and Jeongin would grumble in return before settling back into a comfortable position amongst the others, hand placed elsewhere.
It started happening more frequently within the dorms, and before long, the others found themselves needing to keep hold of Jeongin’s hands more often than not while in the public eye, lest he be caught by the prying eyes of fans or the incriminating lenses of news and tabloid cameras with his hand between his legs. In the studio, the practice rooms, during a fanmeet where Chan was confident that Jeongin would be able to keep himself under control until he caught sight of the younger’s hand slowly trailing downwards and had to leap forward to catch it before anyone else noticed. He made a joke out of it, tried to play it off as himself being a touch starved hyung who couldn’t wait to hold the baby’s hand. He hoped that nobody else noticed.
The company noticed.
Chan stands outside of the dorm, his plans of staying at the company to work longer in the studio shoved aside after having been called into the manager’s office for a discussion. He hesitates at the door for a moment longer considering exactly what he is going to say to the younger before finally keying in the code and stepping inside.
He makes his way down the hall towards Jeongin’s bedroom one foot at a time. With the threat of the younger being sent on hiatus for behavioural issues looming over his head, Chan forces his hand up and knocks twice on the Jeongin’s door.
“Come in.” His voice is muffled from the barrier in between them.
Chan nudges the door open slightly, popping his head through the crack before slipping the rest of his body in. “Hey, Innie.”
Jeongin is sitting at his desk, his computer on and open to some program that Chan doesn’t care enough about to look at too closely. Jeongin spins around in his chair and watches as Chan settles down onto the edge of his bed, feet planted firmly on the floor, and pats the space next to him. “C’mere.” Chan tries to give a comforting smile.
“Hyung, what’s up?” Jeongin asks as he mindlessly obeys Chan’s request, crossing the short distance between the desk and the bed to sit next to him.
”So,” Chan starts, trying to recall the script that he had planned for himself between the time that he left the manager’s office and now, sitting down on Jeongin’s bed. He’s not uncomfortable with the idea of discussing sex, or sex-adjacent topics, and he knows that Jeongin isn’t either— the younger presenting alpha having been a menace at even the best of times during the earlier days of his presentation. But this isn’t a conversation where one of them is going to end up face down, both high on pheromones and pleasure.
Those conversations aren’t embarrassing. But this conversation is. And the last thing that Chan wants is to be the cause of Jeongin’s embarrassment. And so while it's true, Chan isn’t going to bluntly tell him that enough people at the company have taken notice of his wandering hands that if it persists any longer, he will be sent on a long-term hiatus on the basis of inappropriate behavioural issues.
“I’ve just noticed that you’ve been grabbing at yourself a lot lately,” his gaze pointedly shifts down for a moment before returning to Jeongin’s face, “and I was wondering if there is something going on?”
Jeongin stutters for a moment and looks away, his ears pinken. “Hyung, I-I don’t–”
“Hey,” Chan says softly, reaching out to pet at Jeongin’s knee, “you’re not in trouble.” Technically. Kind of. White lies are okay sometimes. “Talk to me.”
“It’s just kind of uncomfortable.” Jeongin doesn’t turn back to face Chan.
That makes sense. It is kind of uncomfortable. Jeongin can have that.
“Like, it doesn’t feel right,” he continues. He risks a glance back in Chan’s direction, blush blooming high on his cheeks. “Kind of hurts or whatever.”
Oh.
“Hurts?”
Jeongin nods.
“Why?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Jeongin nearly whines, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Okay.” Chan contemplates their options for a moment. “Okay, can hyung take a look?” Jeongin looks at him silently, gears turning as he considers Chan’s request. “It's not supposed to hurt, Innie. So I can have a look now, or if you’d rather, I can schedule a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and he can do it then.” Chan smiles and pats at Jeongin’s thigh. “It’s just me, yeah?”
“Okay, yeah. Fine.” Jeongin stands up and moves in between Chan’s spread legs, hands working to undo his belt.
Once Jeongin’s belt is undone, Chan helps him shimmy his jeans and boxers down his thighs until he is left exposed.
Uncomfortable. Jeongin wasn’t lying.
At the base, emerging from the thick dark hair up onto the skin where his knot would be when swollen, is a rash almost bruise-like in colour. Streaks of dull purples and blues alongside minor scratches and small irritation bumps.
"Baby, have you started knotting yet?" Chan looks up, trying to meet Jeongin's shifting eyes.
While Jeongin is far enough into his presentation that his designation as an alpha is obvious, he hasn’t yet reached the final point where he will experience his first rut. The point at which a new alpha will begin knotting varies; some knot early into their presentations while others experience their first knot and their first rut simultaneously. Jeongin had become a bit withdrawn sexually since his issues first developed, so whether he has begun knotting or not is unknown to the members, Chan included.
They had all just thought that Jeongin was having fun exploring himself on his own, discovering all of the ways that he is changing as he gets closer and closer to the day where he will be a fully presented alpha. Chan should have known that something was wrong. Guilt sits heavy in his stomach.
“I don’t know.” Jeongin shrugs his shoulders. “Kind of? Maybe?”
It’s reasonable for a new alpha to not be able to tell if they are pumping out emotional or desire-induced pheromones. It’s reasonable for a new alpha to not be able to tell if their fangs have dropped without looking in a mirror, not recognizing the tingling pressure in their gums for what it is. It’s even reasonable for a new alpha to not be able to tell when they are growling lowly, not recognizing the rumbling sound as being their own until their attention is brought to it. But not being able to recognize a bulbous knot swelling before their eyes? That’s not so reasonable.
”Jeongin.” Chan leans back slightly so their eyes can meet. “What do you mean you don’t know?”
“When I, you know.” He moves his hand lewdly in the air, looking away from Chan’s eyes again. “It starts to feel too sensitive, so I just stop touching it.” Jeongin leans into Chan, gently pressing his bare skin against Chan’s thigh, seeking comfort from the older. “The base, I mean,” he clarifies.
“Innie.” Chan almost sighs, but he can’t do that. He’s trying to be supportive. “You can’t do that, pup. It’s not healthy to not allow a knot to pop fully, especially when it’s your first one. That’s why you’ve developed this rash, baby.” He grabs the waistband of Jeongin’s boxers and pulls them back up onto his hips before doing the same with his jeans. “It’s a brand new feeling, so it’s going to be a little weird or sensitive, but you’ve gotta let it pop, yeah?” Chan rests his hands on the waistband of Jeongin’s pants, thumb brushing lightly over his bulge. “And then this rash will clear up and you won’t feel so uncomfortable all of the time.”
“Okay, hyung.” Jeongin agrees, eyes trained down on the floor.
“Is there anything else you wanted to say?” Chan asks. His hands find their way to Jeongin’s sides and he tickles lightly, smiling up at the other, hoping to see the younger smile back. “Hm, baby?” He teases as he pulls Jeongin closer, hands continuing to poke and prod his sides, and brings his mouth closer as a threat to nibble on Jeongin’s stomach, eyes still trained up on the younger’s face.
Jeongin finally meets his gaze and chuckles before attempting to squirm out of his hold. Satisfied with his reaction, Chan eases off and stills his hands on Jeongin’s hips. “It’s an easy fix. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Jeongin grunts in place of a proper reply, but Chan’s too relieved to pay it too much mind.
“Come watch a movie with hyung before the others get back.” He stands from the bed and pats Jeongin’s butt reassuringly. “I’ll go get things set up, you just come out when you’re ready,” Chan says as he slips through the bedroom door, leaving it open behind him.
Chan finds himself on the couch with a lapful of pup a few moments later.
The other members trickle in throughout the duration of the movie with Changbin being the last, bursting in through the front door as the ending credits roll, calling out for help with the overflowing takeout bags in his arms. “I brought dinner!”
“Took long enough,” Jisung mumbles, taking a bag from Changbin, “I thought I was going to die.”
“You could’ve made yourself something if you were that hungry, Sung.” Chan voices from his spot on the couch, Jeongin still curled up on him. Chan pats at Jeongin’s back to warn him before shifting him off of his lap and onto the couch before he makes his way into the kitchen to set the table.
“Who wants extra?” Changbin asks as he sets the bags down on the table. “Jisung doesn’t get any.”
“Hey!” Jisung’s mouth gapes and his eyes widen in offence. “Hyung!”
Chan feels Jisungs eyes on him, the younger wanting his support, but Chan just shakes his head and begins unpackaging the food and setting it in front of the others who are sitting at the table.
Realizing that he’s on his own, Jisung throws himself at Changbin, wrapping his arms around the other’s neck and giving him the best puppy eyes that he can muster. “Hyung~,” he singsongs, “Sungie is sorry. Thank you for bringing us food.” He looks up at Changbin, not blinking, clearly trying to conjure up some tears to complete his begging.
Changbin giggles, satisfied. “Ok, ok, go eat.” He plops Jisung into the closest empty chair.
Jeongin finishes eating first, shoveling spoonful after spoonful into this mouth. “Hyung, can I go to bed now?” He asks Chan quietly.
“Of course, pup. Remember what we talked about, yeah?” He ruffles Jeongin’s hair, not saying anything about the light blush that bursts across his cheeks. He watches as Jeongin rinses his plate in the sink before vanishing down the hall and into his room. “It was a big day. He’s probably just tired,” Chan says as he’s met with several questioning glances. Nobody else needs to know about the talk that he and Jeongin had, or about what he’s sure Jeongin is about to do. Even if they are pack.
When Chan went to sleep that night, he expected to wake up in the morning to the sight of a happy Jeongin eager to tell him the exciting news that he popped his first knot. Or, more realistically, a text from said boy with some variation of “done” or “nice” or even just a thumbs up. What he didn’t expect was to wake up to the sounds of a panicking pup stumbling into his room, now coated heavily in a sharp, souring stench.
“Innie? Baby, what’s wrong?” Chan wipes the sleep out of his eyes and fumbles to switch on the lamp beside his bed.
“Hyung,” Jeongin quietly sobs, stumbling closer to the bed and crawling straight into Chan’s outstretched arms.
“Shush, baby, it’s ok. Hyung’s here.” Chan rubs up and down Jeongin’s back. Jeongin’s head is tucked into Chan’s neck as he mouths heavily at his scent gland, trying desperately to soothe himself with the calming pheromones that the older alpha is pumping out. Chan tries to ignore the hardness pressing into his thigh from between Jeongin’s legs. “Does it hurt?”
Jeongin nods, prying his mouth away from Chan’s scent gland for a moment. “I-I tried to, you know, and I just— it just— I can’t do it.” Another sob escapes before he can start licking and sucking at Chan’s neck again.
“Do you want hyung to help?”
A nod. “Please.”
“Of course, baby. Hyung will always help, you just need to ask.” Chan continues rubbing Jeongin’s back with one hand while the other comes up to massage at the other’s smaller, still underdeveloped scent gland. Even though it still hasn’t reached full development, stimulating it can bring some relief to the distressed pup, and, Chan hopes, slow down the production of the sharp, panicked scent that Jeongin had pumped into his room. “Once you settle a little more, okay?”
A couple of minutes later, Jeongin’s sobs settle to the occasional choked hiccup, and his scent reigns back in, Chan’s comforting scent filling the room instead. “Let’s sit like this,” Chan says as he maneuvers Jeongin so that he is sitting between Chan’s outstretched legs with his back to Chan’s chest.
Despite Jeongin's panic and meltdown, he’s managed to stay fully hard. His boxers tented, a wet patch proudly announcing where the tip rests.
Chan runs his hands up and down the insides of Jeongin’s thighs before settling one hand between his legs and running his fingers up and down the length of the underside of Jeongin’s clothed dick. Even through his boxers, Chan can feel the start of Jeongin’s knot, tight at the base.
“Hyung,” Jeongin whines, “don’t tease.”
“I’m not teasing.” Chan kisses Jeongin’s temple before shoving his boxers halfway down his thighs. Jeongin does the rest, squirming around to kick his boxers down off of his legs, his hard dick bouncing around as he moves. He must’ve been at it for a while before he deemed it useless and tearfully slipped into Chan’s room. The tip, so red that it almost looks angry, glistening with precum, some spilling down over the shaft. At the base, under the irritated skin, his knot has barely begun to form, still only slightly thicker than the rest of the shaft.
Chan takes him in his hand with a light grip and stokes once before swiping over the head, collecting some precum to ease the slide. He strokes again, trailing down lower this time, wrapping his fingers down around the small knot and squeezing lightly. Jeongin mewls, his head throwing back over Chan’s shoulder and a leg stretching out from its prior bent position, but he otherwise remains still. “Good boy.” Chan rewards him with a kiss to his neck, mouthing at the sensitive gland.
Chan continues to work his hand over the length. Swiping over the head every few strokes to collect more precum, reaching down lower to stimulate his knot.
Jeongin is leaking steadily. The room echoing with the lewd wet sounds of Chan’s motions. Chan stills his grip for a moment and focuses his attention under the head, watching as another bead forms on the tip.
As Jeongin’s knot continues to swell, he becomes more restless. His legs can’t decide if they want to be bent or straight, his hips move erratically, unsure of whether they want to chase Chan’s grip or avoid it, and his arms flail out, grabbing at Chan’s forearm and thigh.
“Hyung, hyung, I can’t,” Jeongin sobs as Chan begins to focus more attention on stimulating the swelling knot. He tries to squirm away but Chan holds him still with an arm around his waist.
“Almost there, baby. Just stay still.” Chan trails kisses up and down the sides of Jeongin’s neck. Chan continues to stroke him with one hand while he leaves the other to focus on massaging his knot. “You need to do this.” Chan lets him assume that the only reason he needs this is because he is an alpha— alpha’s need to knot.
Jeongin’s eyes overflow with tears and he cries as he tries, and fails, to sit still. “Hyung, it hurts. It's too much.” He chokes on a sob. “Plea—” He gasps. His pleading is interrupted as Chan trails a few kisses from the side of his neck to the back and bites down, scruffing him.
He bites hard. Not hard enough to break skin, but not far off. There is definitely going to be an obvious mark left behind for everyone to see, but Chan can’t find it in himself to care. He likes the idea of others seeing. Of others knowing what he did. He took Jeongin’s first knot and he has the evidence to prove it. He bites down harder, Jeongin whines.
Jeongin leans back against Chan’s chest, completely pliant. His eyes are lidded, and his mouth hangs open slightly, every gasp, whimper, and moan flowing out freely. A few tears continue to slip silently out of the corners of his eyes as he becomes more overwhelmed with Chan’s unyielding grip around his quickly swelling knot.
Chan wants to tell him how good he is being right now, lying back and letting his alpha take care of him. He wants to tell him how well he is taking it, Chan’s hands working mercilessly over his shaft and knot, encouraging it to pop. But he can’t. He has to keep Jeongin still. Chan rumbles deep in his chest instead, hoping that Jeongin’s alpha understands what it is that he can’t say.
Jeongin rumbles back. It’s light and weak, but Chan hears it as clearly as his own.
Chan doubles his efforts. His one hand refocuses on the sensitive spot right below the head, while the other pulses strongly around Jeongin’s knot.
Finally, Jeongin’s knot pops and he cums. He cries out louder than Chan thought that he’d be able to while still being scruffed, and his body stiffens and shakes as his cum shoots up onto his chest and stomach, and pools around Chan’s hand and his own thighs.
Chan wraps both hands around Jeongin’s knot, surrounding it in a comforting pressure as he continues to pulse his grip, milking it. He releases his hold from Jeongin’s scruff and licks the irritated area. His alpha rumbles, pleased to see his teeth marks clearly indented in Jeongin’s skin.
“Ah hyung,” Jeongin whines and grabs Chan’s wrist, stills his hands.
“How do you feel?” Chan hooks his head over Jeongin’s shoulder so that he can get a better look at the mess of cum covering the younger.
“Good,” he whispers, closing his eyes and relaxing his head back against Chan. “Tired.”
“I bet.” Chan chuckles. He slowly eases the pressure off of Jeongin’s knot before releasing it fully, not wanting to cause any pain from suddenly removing all stimulation. Once his hands are free, he grabs the hem of Jeongin’s shirt and pulls it off, using the cleaner parts to wipe off his own hands as well as Jeongin’s thighs and softening dick. He tosses the shirt somewhere onto the floor to be dealt with in the morning.
Chan moves Jeongin from between his legs to the space on the bed next to him, and the younger immediately curls up into his side. They should really shower, and, knowing how much cum must have landed on the sheets, Chan really should change them, but he’s happy to let those be tomorrow’s regrets. He pulls the younger closer, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Goodnight, Innie.”