Chapter Text
Hongjoong wasn't quite sure when he fell asleep. All he knew was that he woke up with itchy eyes and a sore throat, no doubt from how much snot he'd sniffed up while crying. He couldn't even find it in himself to be embarrassed assed for his meltdown. He was already entirely embarrassed rassed by how much of a disappointment he was as a parent.
He used to think he would and could do anything as long as it meant Minjae was okay.
The harsh reality was cold and painful.
He really had tried to make it work. He had used three of his personal days at work just so he could commit to his apartment hunt. Each tour he took, though, ended in disappointment. They were either more expensive after amenties were factored in or his credit wasn't good enough. Given how many times it had been run in the last two weeks, it was no wonder.
Hongjoong had even given up yesterday and gone back to the first apartment he toured. It would have to work just long enough for him to find a better place. He had planned on apologizing to Seonghwa and would beg, if that was what it took, for him to watch Minjae for the few days it would take Hongjoong to deep clean the apartment.
He hadn't thought to call ahead, too many sleepless nights and a whirlwind of emotions in his head to think clearly. So when he arrived, Minjae's hand gripped tightly in his own on the cracked sidewalk, he was hardly aware enough to feel the shock.
Red tape was slapped across the main entrance, "CONDEMNED" printed in big, bold lettering. Hongjoong almost laughed at the irony.
So he resigned himself to looking again tomorrow, even if it was Sunday. Somewhere had to be available. So, he buckled Minjae back into his seat and set off to find a safe place to park for the night.
Like every other time he even considered living in his car, the possible dangers filtered through his mind like poison. Only his back windows were tinted, and the tint was hardly dark enough for privacy. Anyone could cup their hands around thier eyes and see him and his cub. There were also a hundred different ways to break into a car. There were plenty of people in Seoul with that kind of knowledge and the willingness to follow through.
On top of all of that, winter temperatures were below freezing at night. He had plenty of blankets shoved in the back of his car, although not enough to keep him and Minjae properly warm since he had needed to pack all of their clothes and any essentials from the apartment.
Just the thought of the two of them cramped into the back seat, Minjae shivering in Hongjoong's arms despite their shared body heat under their blankets, broke something deep in Hongjoong's chest. His omega whimpered pitifully, wrecked at the very idea of their pup suffering because they couldn't protect him.
He spent a long time in a parking lot near the train station. Minjae was napping in the back seat, bundled up in his coat and snuggling into his favorite fluffy blanket. Hongjoong just stared ahead as the rest of Seoul carried on with daily life. Trains passed by with a low rumble in and out of the city. People walked past his car talking excitedly about their plans for winter break. A plane ascended into the sky in the distance, likely more people traveling for the holidays.
He didn't truly break until the sun had set and the city lit up. The usual lights were glowing brightly, casting a yellow haze into the sky that blotted out the stars. Tonight, they were accompanied by the incandescent glow of christmas lights. Trees along sidewalks and in parks had strings of lights hanging from their branches. Storefronts on nearby streets had themed wreaths on the doors and christmas trees in their windows.
It hit Hongjoong that he would be making his cub spend Christmas sleeping in a car, shivering at night instead of dreaming about opening Christmas gifts together or listening to Minjae giggle as Hongjoong burned another batch of sugar cookies. He couldn't buy his son any of the gifts on his list or maintain the magic of Santa Claus bringing him something special.
Maybe Hongjoong could convince himself it was the fear of ruining Minjae's Christmas that finally pushed him to the breaking point. In reality, he knew the truth. He knew he was a failure as a parent. Even if sleeping in the car was better than sleeping out in the elements, exposed to the weather and the harsh realities of the world, he had still failed.
The only saving grace was that he had one option to keep his cub warm and fed, under a roof where people liked him and cared about him. Even if it put Hongjoong at risk of losing everything, at least Minjae would be cared for.
The drive to the pack's house felt like it took hours. Minjae woke up halfway there, uncharacteristically quiet in the back seat. Hongjoong couldn't help but feel guilty knowing that his cub was so tired because of him. The last few days of school before winter break had been so rough for Minjae, dealing with his classmates and picking up on Hongjoong's barely suppressed anxiety. Another thing Hongjoong had done to distress his poor cub.
"Omma? Where are we going?" Minjae asked when they were a few minutes away, sounding like he was still half asleep.
"We're going to Apha Seonghwa's house," Hongjoong said quietly, trying to hide the slight tremor in his voice.
"Is it about the fight?" Minjae asked, audibly more curious.
"Sort of. Omma needs to apologize still, doesn't he?" Hongjoong asked.
"Only if you're ready. Ms. Kim says it takes time." Minjae yawned then. Hongjoong caught a glimspe of him gently combing a small hand through his tail, a soothing habit.
Hongjoong couldn't clearly remember what had happened after Wooyoung opened the door. His eyes burned and his head felt swollen from how much he had been crying. He just knew he had done one thing right by bringing Minjae to the pack. At the moment, he couldn't find it in himself to be scared that the pack might use Minjae against him or take him away. He just knew Minjae was safe, warm, and fed. Happy, too, probably.
He took a moment to look around the room he was in. It very faintly smelled like the pack, but currently smelled like him and Minjae. Although he couldn't see or hear his son anywhere in the room, the duvet he was under was saturated in his cub's scent. Like he had slept next to Hongjoong all night. It was confirmed by the rumpled pillow on the other side of the bed and Minjae's fluffy blanket tucked close to Hongjoong's face.
The rest of the room was serene in the early morning sunlight. It filtered through the cream colored curtains, casting light onto the wood floor and white chevron rug. A wooden dresser was pressed up against the white wall, accented with off-white flower wallpaper. There was a door next to the dresser that most likely opened to a small closet.
Hongjoong took a deep breath and rolled over, eyes following the yellow fairy lights hung over the headboard of the bed. There was a lamp on a wooden accent table right next to his head, identical to one on the other side of the bed. There was an armchair with a stack of blankets stacked on it on the other side of the table. Shelves lined the wall behind the chair, decorated with succulents and little picture frames full of warm smiles. Another door was cracked open along the same wall, probably a bathroom if this were a guest room like Hongjoong assumed—and hoped—it was.
In the corner where the bathroom wall met the wall with the door to the hallway sat a cozy looking rocking chair. It was plush and draped with a beige colored blanket that looked too soft to be real.
And sitting in that rocking chair was a little girl, eyes wide and little brown bear ears twitching.
Hongjoong stared for a moment, brain too mushy to quickly comprehend what he was seeing. He knows this little girl, although vaguely. She was dressed in purple pajamas, the long shirt sleeves and pant legs almost too long for her. Her black hair was braided back, but was frizzy from sleep with some wayward strands pulled from of the braid. She had chubby cheeks, still round with baby fat. Her brown eyes were big and almost sparkled as she stared at Hongjoong like he was a magical mystery to solve.
Hongjoong stared for a moment longer before swallowing and clearing his throat. "You're Seoyeon, right?"
She didn't say anything, but her round ears twitched forward curiously. Seoyeon was the youngest of the pack's kids, and she was generally quiet unless one of the other kids was playing with her.
Hongjoong was at a loss. He was nervous about being alone with the pack's kids, especially their youngest. Yes, they had trusted him with the kids before, but that was out of necessity. He couldn't say how they would react now after he had collapsed on one of their alphas and cried until they let him sleep in their bed.
Whether it be lucky or unlucky, he wasn't alone with the cub for too long.
"Kelly? Honey Bear, are you bothering Hongjoong-ssi?" Jongho pushed up the door and walked in with a pout on his face that looked too cute to be real. Hongjoong had to scrape his brain to remember the time Minjae told him Seoyeon's omma called her Kelly.
"Minjae's omma?" Seoyeon asked, her voice high and sweet like a bell.
"Yes, that's Minjae's omma." Jongho picked her up easily and nuzzled his nose into her cheek until she was giggling. "Honey Bear, do you remember what omma said about going into room's without asking?"
Seoyeon blinked and pouted, strikingly similar to Jongho. Her hand fidgeted with the collar of Jongho's sweater and she frowned as she thought. "Don't do it?"
"That's right, good job, Honey. Did you ask Hongjoong-ssi before coming into his room?" Seoyeon shook her head, her round ears angled down and hidden in her dark hair. Jongho hummed, "Okay, so do you remember what to do when you do something wrong?"
Seoyeon looked at her omma with the same pout, eyes wide. Jongho nodded towards Hongjoong, his eyes gentle. Hongjoong could smell the faint scent of omega pheromones, subtle and encouraging. Seoyeon looked at him and said softly, "I'm sorry, Hojoong-ssi."
"Thank you, Seoyeon-ssi," Hongjoong said quietly, a bit baffeled by the domesticity.
"Good job, Honey Bear. Can you copy omma? Say Hong-joong?"
"Oh, it's okay. You don't need to do that." Hongjoong's face flushed with heat.
"We do. We like getting our friend's names right, don't we Kelly-yah?" Jongho swayed with her, making her smile.
"Yes, Omma," Seoyeon giggled.
"Can you say Hong-joong?" Jongho asked slowly.
"Hong-joong," Seoyeon repeated back. Jongho smiled and pressed a series of loud kisses to her temple. It made her squirm and squeal in his arms.
"Good job, Honey Bear. Why don't you go see if you can wake up Eta Sangie? I think Apha Yunho is holding him hostage." Jongho set her down and she took off out the door, her feet thudding lightly against the floor down the hallway. Jongho looked at him after a moment and offered him a kind smile. "How are you this morning, Hongjoong-ssi?"
"I'm fine, thank you." Hongjoong kept his head bowed where he now sat on the bed, no doubt looking a mess with his post-cry face and hair. "I'll be out of your hair soon, I swear. I'll find an apartment today,"
"You really don't need to stress yourself out about it today. It's crazy out there right now with everyone trying to get places for the holidays and the snow coming in." Jongho cautiously sat down in the rocking chair, like he didn't want to scare Hongjoong. As if Hongjoong would even protest. This was Jongho's home, not his.
"Snow?" Hongjoong frowned. Jongho nodded his head with a hum.
"A huge snow storm is moving in. Hwa-hyung and Wooyoung-hyung are out shopping right now. We'll probably be snowed in for Christmas, so they're getting groceries, stuff for Christmas, and last minute gifts for the kids." Jongho was watching him closely, like he was waiting for Hongjoong to make a mistake.
"I'll find somewhere soon, before the snow. I don't want to burden you during Christmas." Anxiety shot through him like a bolt, but he didn't have another choice. He couldn't risk overstaying his welcome, and he knew that staying over Christmas would do just that.
"Christmas is about helping people and being there for others, right? Just say it's us doing our good deed if it'll make you feel better. You and Minjae shouldn't spend Christmas without a place to stay warm and relax." Jongho sounded so sure of himself when he spoke. The way he said it didn't sound like he thought Hongjoong couldn't provide a home for his cub, although Hongjoong surely proved how incapable he was.
"Are you sure? Christmas is for your family, I don't want us to intrude." Hongjoong felt so small. His omega was relieved and exhausted, the thought of not being so on alert and stressed taking a weight away from it and Hongjoong. Another part of him was on alert and terrified that this was the trap being set.
"Hongjoong-ssi." Jongho's tone made Hongjoong look up, jaw clenched and shoulders hunched close to his chin. Jongho's expression was serious, but warm. He looked so sure of himself. "You and Minjae are welcome in our home as long as you need. Believe it or not, we're really happy to host you both especially during Christmas. The people in this pack have a thing for making sure our guests are happy and cared for."
"You say it like it's a threat." Hongjoong hadn't intended to say it out loud, but the joke slipped out. His ears pinned back against his hair and his eyes went wide, knowing he had overstepped. But then-
Jongho laughed, smile widening to show the gums of his teeth and pushing his round cheeks up until his eyes were crinkled closed.
"Trust me, by the time Hwa-hyung gets done with you, it'll feel like one. He was born for hospitality. It's like he can't go an hour without doting on one of us. We can usually distract him with one of the kids," Jongho said with an overly fond smile, his scent subtly bursting with adoration. After a moment, Jongho sighed.
"Listen, Hongjoong-ssi," Jongho started, making Hongjoong's ears perk up in alert. "I want you to know we aren't helping you out of pity or thinking you aren't capable of taking care of Minjae. The kids love him and think of him as one of their own, so we do too. And that courtesy extends to you, if you want it. We take care of our community."
Hongjoong couldn't speak for a moment. It was a lot to think about, especially knowing how easily this could be another trap to lull him into compliance. It was easier to control someone who was comfortable. But looking at Jongho, seeing the sincere look on his face, it made Hongjoong stop and really consider that there was truth in Jongho's words.
"Okay, how about this: omega to omega, with no dumb alphas saying stuff without thinking, I promise we just want to help you and make sure you and your cub have a good Christmas." Jongho waited a moment before smirking mischievously. "And you have my explicit permission to yell at any of my alphas who overstep. They need to be humbled sometimes, Mingi-hyung and I get pretty soft with them sometimes."
Hongjoong couldn't help but laugh, albeit quietly.
"I'll try to keep that in mind. Thank you, Jongho-ssi," Hongjoong said softly.
"You're welcome, Hongjoong-ssi." Jongho stood up and stretched his arms out, groaning loudly. "Now, I'm hoping San-hyung was able to finish breakfast. I left Mingi-hyung alone with the kids and he falls for their pouts too easily. I'm assuming that's how Kelly snuck away while I was helping San-hyung with his pancakes."
"Her pout is pretty lethal," Hongjoong admitted, cautious of overstepping.
"Oh, you have no idea. And I think she's figured out how to use it against the hyungs. It doesn't work on me, you can't top the original pout. I don't know whether I should be proud or terrified of the power she knows she holds." Jongho sighed heavily, but he was still smiling fondly. He nodded to the bathroom door before stepping towards the hallway. "Yeosang-hyung put some clothes in the bathroom. There's soap, towels, a toothbrush, and toothpaste on the counter. One of us can help you bring your stuff inside later."
"Thank you, Jongho-ssi. It means a lot." Hongjoong admitted quietly. Before Jongho could leave, Hongjoong perked up. "Where's Minjae? Is he okay?"
"He's okay. Inhye asked him to build a blanket fort with her and has only let Yunseo and Seeun in. She claims she needed another girl and Seeun is Minjae's best friend, so he's allowed in. I've never seen that girl so passionate about her friendships until Minjae." Jongho shook his head.
"I'm thankful for her and Seeun. They're both amazing friends to Jae-yah." Hongjoong smiled at the warmth in his chest. He couldn't help but adore the kids for how loudly they cared for his cub. Minjae deserved friends like that.
"Take your time, Hongjoong-ssi. We'll take care of Minjae." There was a squeal from somewhere downstairs followed by an exasperated huff that sounded suspiciously like Mingi. Jongho took a deep breath and stepped out the door. "I better go make sure they haven't locked Mingi in their blanket castle. They have a tendancy to play Save the Princess from the Tower with him. He's surprisingly easy to lock up."
Jongho left without another word, shutting the door behind him.
Hongjoong took a moment to breathe. He wasn't sure how to feel. He almost felt too numb to really feel any feelings he knew he should. He was so terrified of packs and alphas, scared of the control both exerted over others. He knew he had gotten lazy around this pack, but it felt okay. That almost scared Hongjoong more than the fear he had known for years.
He could push the fear aside for now because he knew Minjae was safe. He would still hunt for apartments on his laptop later, even if he couldn't leave the house because of the impending snow storm. He would be as small of a burden as possible for this pack.
First, he needed to shower and wash yesterday's tears away.