It had been two days since that dreaded photoshoot, and when Niki had asked Jungwon if they could sleep in the pack room together, Jungwon had gladly agreed.

He didn't want to be alone right now, and having Niki's long limbs slung around him, encasing him, one arm slung around his waist, and a leg swung around his legs, almost felt like Niki was holding the crumbling pieces of Jungwon together.

In the middle of the night, however, a hot flash had hit Jungwon.

Niki must have been too warm. It was understandable as the puppy had always acted like everyone's personal furnace.

So Jungwon had freed himself.

When he woke up, only Niki's arm had returned to its koala position.

It was too adorable how Niki had propped his arm behind his head, nusseling into his own elbow. A strand of hair had fallen into his forehead, and his nose scrunched up, every time the fluffy blanket he had cocooned himself in, tickeld his nose.

Jungwon had the strong urge to push the strand away and stare at Niki a little longer.

But another emotion quelled up in him. Coiling in his stomach and sending goosebumps all over his arms.

Protect.

He wanted to protect Niki, make sure no one dared to touch him as the puppy slept so soundly.

It almost felt as if Niki was out in the open, to vulnerable in his current state, that Jungwon got the urge to hide him behind many more layers of fluffy protection. He wanted to wrap him in bubble wrap if he could.

The urge was so overwhelming that Jungwon hadn't even noticed when he had sat up and pulled on his pillow, he had just been sleeping on, up, setting it back down next to Niki's side. His heartbeat was almost erratic now, overwhelmed by the need to keep going.

His blanket followed, and somehow, many other items that were previously hidden in the big boxes in the only closet inside the pack room had made their way onto the bed. Walls of pillows and plushies and everything thick and fluffy were now lining the Maknae in  meticulously arranged patterns.

But it felt like something was missing. Like the most important part was not there yet.

Anxiously, he went back to the closet and took out another box.

Clothing. Multiple hoodies were stacked inside, and only the big black one felt right when they landed in Jungwons hands.

They hadn't been folded, so Jungwon hoped they weren't used, but he also didn't really care.

He had no idea what he was doing, but when guilt tried to surface and he wanted to make sure he wasn't suffocating the puppy in stinky clothes, he lifted the hoodie up to his nose.

He couldn't smell anything wrong on the hoodie, but somehow, as soon as he had buried his face in it, he knew that he needed it. He was almost tempted to try to drown in the soft material.

He hugged it tight, as if it held the answer to all of the questions that had formed in his muddled brain, and only when he placed it right on top of the still sleeping Puppy, did the static in his head stop. His racing heart calmed.

Within one single second, it seemed as if earth had started spinning in its normal speed again. Like whatever demon had just taken over Jungwon was satisfied, the deal done and over.

Jungwon stared at his hands when his body had stopped running on auto pilot. They were shaking now. Disbelieve oozing out of every pore.

He knew what it had looked like if someone had entered the room right now.

He would have looked like his Dad.

Just like his dad, when he used to build him a nest when he had nightmares. Or like Sunoo, when Sunghoon had been sick and he wanted to take care of him. Sunghoon had been beet-red, but still smiling with so much affection in his eyes, when Sunoo was running around like a scared mother hen, he remembered.

Of course, Jungwon told himself. I'm only being a little sentimental. Christmas was around the corner, and his sleepy brain must have been reminded of his Dad. Or maybe his childhood.

He was only building a fort.

A fort. Nothing else.

He repeated this like a mantra as he left the room, not able to will himself to deconstruct his fort, because the simple thought of harming it felt like it would send him into a panic attack.

A Fort

A Fort

Just a Fort.

"Good morning, Jungwon." Jay had startled him when Jungwon had entered the kitchen.

The smell of freshly cooked breakfast was wafting through the room.

"Oh god. Good morning, Jay-hyung!"

Jeongseong chuckled and ruffled Jungwons hair.

"Still a little sleepy, aye?"

"Mhm,"jungwon hummed in response. "Something like that."

"Is Niki up too?" Jay asked as he rummaged through the kitchen cabinets.

"No, he's still out like a light. He was pretty tired yesterday, " Jungwon just replied. He needed coffee.

As he reached the coffee machine and started pressing random buttons in hopes to turn water and pulver into liquid waking-magic, Jake and Sunoo entered the kitchen.

"Morning," they greeted him and Jay.

Sunoo had promptly sat down on Jake's lap, as the other situated himself at the kitchen table, completely unbothered.

It wasn't unusual for his members to rely on physical touch or scenting for comfort, and Jungwon knew that Omegas particularly thrived under regular contact with all of their pack members.

The members always loved when Sunoo required extra affection, especially, but not exclusively, during the weeks leading up to his heat.

For a healthy pack, this meant bonding time and an overflow of happy pheromones. Less fights, less negativity.

This was also one of the reasons why modern packs always valued their Omegas as the safe keepers of their happiness.

"Anyone else want some coffee?" Jungwon asked.

"Me, please. And good morning, Jungwon-ah, " Heeseung had answered instead as he too made his way towards the kitchen table.

"Here you go."Jungwon said as he placed it in front of him. Not looking up once, he turned to Jay, who had already sat down plates in front of everyone and was now filling rice into little bowls. Without another word, he sat down another cup, that he had been careful not to spill, next to him as well.

When Jungwon finally let his gaze lift from the hot beverage, Jay smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you."

Jungwon returned the smile and nodded.

After he got his own cup and placed it on the table, next to Heeseung, he was suddenly pulled down by two hands, landing right in Heeseung's lap.

Arms slithered their way around his waist, and a chin dug into his shoulder.

"Good morning, Jungwon-ah." Heeseung repeated, voice still raspy and laced with sleep.

"G-Good Morning, Hyung." Jungwon just dumbly stuttered, a little shaken by the sudden movement.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." Heeseung chuckled into his ear and then turned his head slightly towards jungwons face, nosing at his neck.

Even though Jungwon wouldn't be able to tell on his own, he still knew that, with how Heeseungs head was now buried into the dip of his neck, he was scenting the puppy so intensely, that every other grown wolf he was going to meet today would know, Jungwon belonged to Heeseung's pack.

Jungwon stiffened at first, but when he felt an annoyed huff of air against his skin, he let himself melt into the oldest arms, whose chest in turn rumbled in satisfaction.

While Omegas always felt the need to keep and protect the peace of the pack, Alpha's took the protection part even more literally. They felt the instinctual urge to scent mark their members to ward off outsiders and also to keep the members themselve satisfied.

If a wolf knew his belonging, he knew his pack was nearby. He was automatically calmer.

Of course, betas and Omegas could also religiously scent their pack members as a sign of affection and belonging. But when you wore an alphas scent, other alphas knew not to cross their territory or their pack.

And Jungwon did feel calm, and all the panic that had taken over him that morning had kind of disappeared into thin air. What was he so shaken by again?

It really didn't seem to matter, as Heeseung held him.

Had scenting always felt this good?

He could have sworn it used to not effect him at all. But now his head felt a little floaty, his thoughts slow, and a comforting shiver of warmth ran through him as he leaned a little deeper into Heeseung.

Heeseung huffed as he twisted his head slightly. Then his head lifted, still staring into the directions of jungwon's face. His brows were furrowed now, and a calculating look within his gaze.

"What?" Jungwon asked.

But Hesseung just tilted his head in question, as if he was analysing every detail of Jungwon's expression.

He leaned in to smell jungwons hair and let his nose lead back down into Jungwon's neck once again, as if he was searching for something.

When he came back up, he seemed to not have found what he had been looking for.

"I thought you smelled weird for a second.  I- have you made any new friends yesterday?" Heeseung asked, concern in his eyes.

"An Omega by any chance?" He continued.

Jungwons eyes widened a tad. "No, I was with you guys the whole day. Maybe it was a new staff member that you smelled?"

Heeseungs frown just deepend, and he thightend his arms around the youger's waist a little.

"Sunghoon, can you go wake up Niki? Breakfast is done."

Jungwon didn't know when Sunghoon had entered the room. But when he remembered his nes- Fort! When he remembered his Fort, he stiffened in Heeseungs lap and suddenly felt like no one should ever go near it without him.

"NO!" He interrupted a little too fast and too loud, almost growling. "I'll do it, I'll go wake Niki."

Jungwon sprang out of Heeseung's hold, who loosened his grip, when Jungwon started shouting so suddenly, and ran to the pack room before anyone could react.

After a few soft knocks on the door, he entered and saw the Puppy laying there, snugg inside of his FORT,  just like Jungwon had left him.

Carefully, he found an opening in the mountain of blankets and pillows and cautiously made his way inside, next to Niki.

"Niki-yah," He whispered, lightly pressing against the youngest shoulder. "You need to wake up now. Breakfast is ready."

A grumble followed, and slowly one eye opened after the other.

"Jungwon-hyungie?"

"Mhmm," He hummed in response. "Come on, everyone is waiting." 

This time, Jungwon didn't hesitate to brush aside the strand of stray hair on Niki's forehead.

After a few more coaxing words, they made their way to the kitchen together, where everyone was already seated.

"Good morning." Niki had grumbled eyes still only half opened before plopping down on the chair next to Heeseung.

Jungwon gladly sat across form him to avoid any more questions.

Everyone had greeted him back, some smiling like Sunoo, Jake and Jay, the others intently looking at Jungwon instead, who was avoiding meeting any gazes as much as possible.

He did not know the aswers to their questions either, and their stares weren't helping the shame he felt for his more than weird behaviour either.

"When did you come to the pack room, Sunoo-hyung?" Niki asked after everyone had started eating.

But sunoo just looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?"

"When did you come to the pack room, and why did you leave again?"Niki repeated as if that was elaboration enough.

Jungwons blood ran cold. Had Sunoo seen how Niki had slept?

Sunoo shook his head, still unsure what the Maknae was asking.

"Niki, I really don't know what you mean. I wasn't even in the pack room last night?"

Jungwon released a breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding.

"Of course you were." Nikis brows now furrowed, as he got a little irritated.

"Why are you being weird. I just wanted to say thank you. "

Now everyone was confused.

"Uhm.. and what exactly ...did I ...do?"

"You're really making me say it, hyung?" Niki looked annoyed at this point.

"The nest. Thank you. Thank you for making the nest. I hadn't slept that well since I was in Japan." He now explained slowly, as if to make sure Sunoo was able to keep up.

Niki almost looked like he regretted saying it now.

Jungwon's whole body froze in fear.

It was a Fort

Just a pillow fortress.

A Fort.

"I- I really don't..." Sunoo stuttered, and Sunghoon spoke up.

"Niki-yah, Sunoo didn't leave his room once last night."

Now it was Nikis turn to look confused.

"But, I woke up in a nest? It was so fluffy and cosy. Like all of the bedding is still on the bed. Basically, the whole closet. Jungwon saw it!"

"Niki, that - that wasn't a nest." Jungwon forced a chuckle. "I just- felt like building a pillow fortress. You know, like I did when I was a little puppy." He didn't look at anyone but Niki.

A huff of disbelief was heard and Jungwon tried not to shrink any further into his seat.

"A pillow fortress?" Jay asked. "And you didn't ask us to join?" He was obviously trying to diffuse some tension.

"I was bored and it was too early for breakfast." Jungwon said apologetically, one hand scratching up and down his thigh underneath the table in a self soothing motion, the other playing around with the food infront of him. Jake cooed at the mental image of a baby Jungwon.

"Well, if you're fortresses all look like that, you can build me one anytime you like, Hyung."

Niki concluded "and still, thank you." He added for good measure.

"You're welcome" jungwon said very slowly.

"But... i think Heeseung hyungie needs to scent another hoodie later..." Niki then said.

"Huh?" The person in question asked.

"You know.. because Jungwon used it for the Fort."

Heeseung stared at him, Jungwon could feel it without even lifting his head.

The black hoodie, the one Jungwon couldn't help but add to the pile of materials, had aparrantly been Heeseung's.

"Why did you-" He stopped himself.

"Okay, I'll just put another one there later."Heeseung said amiciably, not understanding what was happening, but trying to be as non-judgemental as possible.

To all the others, it seemed as if the soon to be alpha had tried to scent their puppy with their packs scent, just like Heeseung himself just had done to Jungwon. And it kind off made sense, they guessed.

"Thank you, I didn't know it was yours, sorry Hyung." Jungwon breathed out.

Jungwon however, was scared. He couldn't deny it anymore.

And he wasn't stupid.

But right now he really wished he was. For the sake of his group, his career, his future and his pack dynamic he really really wanted to be wrong for once. And he wanted it to be a random piece of clothing and a childishly build pillow fortress.

But when he called his mother that afternoon to talk about their plans for the christmas break, the fortress in his mind finally crumbled into pieces.

"I'm so excited to come back home, things have been a little weird lately."

"Oh Honey, your dad and I really miss you. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little headache from the schedule, I'm taking care of myself, I promise" He had meant to stop talking after that. He hadn't meant to spill all of his worries to her then and there. But the sound of her voice that he had missed so dearly, that gave him so much comfort, made it inevitable. The words about that mornings events fell from his lips like a waterfall.

"Honey, I think we need to talk when you come home."  His mother just said as Jungwon had finished.

She knew. Jungwon knew, she did.

"Do me a favour and stay around Sunoo a little more for now. His presence should be good for you. Whatever you do, stay away from Heeseung and Jake. We don't need them to trigger any surprise presentations." She paused, her voice and insructions clear and strong.

"And baby, you know I love you, right? No matter what."

After the call, Jungwon had closed his eyes and leaned against their bathroom sink, tears rushing down his cheeks, hands balling into fists in his hair.

How was he going to break this to his members?

His hand came up to hold his mouth shut as his now laboured breathing gave way for a sob.

He couldn't. Not in this industry. Not with his image. Not when everyone around him expected him to be the picture-perfect leader.