Their promotions were going strong, as was their pack. With the new arrangement, the worries all dissipated into thin air as, whenever Jungwon sat next to the others, he was all smiles and giggles as long as they weren't in work mode.

No growling, no glares and no more headaches, at least the hyungline thought.

Sunoo and Jungwon could be entangled on the couch, watching their drama, and if anyone of their pack would suddenly come and take the older away, there was no more protest then the occasional "but he's waaarm".

Their plan had succeeded. Jake was so glad his plan had proven to be a solution instead, and Sunghoon and Jay enjoyed the ease of tension. They never wanted to have a 'talk' with any of their members again, if it could be avoided.

Heeseung, though confused, was happy too. There was no bad blood between him and the leader. 
Just Niki felt a little weird about the situation. He didn't know what had conspired between his pack mates, but he understood that something was still weird about Jungwon.

Their leader had been and was still acting weird. He had always been more cautious about his surroundings, much more aware of things than his Hyungs gave him credit for. 

But it only hurt him to know they knew something he didn't, when he wandered around the halls one night, trying to find a midnight snack in the kitchen. The youngest had stopped before he reached the door, however, when he heard voices.

The prankster he was, the only right thing to do in the middle of the night if his pack decided to get snacks without him was to prank them, obviously. 

Ready to burst through the door with a loud yell and wild hand movements, to give them a good scare, Niki hid.

But before he had the opportunity to jumpscare them, he finally registered the words that were said.

"So he hasn't like... growled at you or something? He's completely fine with it?" It was Jay's voice.

"Nothing. He's been coming to me a little more often lately, so I guess it's a good sign."Heeseung answered.

"So your alpha is fine with his?" Jay again.

"Yeah. I guess. There's no.. I don't know we didn't like try to fight or anything like I did with Jake in the beginning. It kind of calms him, I think." 

"Well that's great!" Jake paused "I don't feel anything either. No 'get out of my territory' type of shit."

"I don't think it'll be long at this point. He's been showing so many signs." Sunghoon spoke up this time.

Niki was confused at first, but he quickly realised that what ever 'It' was that heeseung was referring to, it had to do with Jungwon's presentation. 
This confirmed Niki's suspicion.

He knew something was up from the time Jungwon came home looking like a train wreck. No, actually, he knew something was up when he saw Jungwon in the car, completely exhausted. Or when he couldn't look anyone in the eyes that morning after Niki and him had slept in their 'fort'.

He had noticed the dodging and avoiding, and he had noticed the clinginess and the protectivness when Jungwon had sat next to him for almost an hour after he came home, or when Sunoo was removed from Jungwon's field of vision a little too fast. 
He saw how Jungwon had looked across the room, acknowledging every exit, leaving rooms after all the others and making sure everyone had everything they needed all the time. 
Niki knew exactly how many times he had forgotten to eat breakfast before practice, because he wanted to sleep in, only to have Jungwon hold a protein bar right under his nose before his stomach could complain. 

Niki saw it all. 
But some things didn't add up.
Like this meeting his Hyungs held at the ass crack of dawn.
Or why Jungwon's eyes had clung to Heeseung a little more lately. Almost like he was afraid sometimes.

Niki didn't scare his Hyungs that night. 
Instead, he went back to his shared room and flopped down on Sunoo's bed, deciding to sleep next to his most unproblematic Hyung for the night.

The next day, Jungwon was called into a meeting at the company. As their newest release had been doing especially well, their company had a few request for interviews and variety shows. It wasn't anything unusual, but it meant more work. More people. And more cameras. A few weeks ago, the newly presented Omega had loved those things. It meant interacting with fans. It meant gifts and a lot of food.

But the stabbing feeling in his gut whenever they confronted him with "how much of a great alpha" he will make and how "they can't wait for him to present" kind of ruined it for him. 

As the meeting ended with a kind pat of his manager on his shoulder who told him to go on towards the practice room, and join his members in their dance practice, Jungwon's hands had started sweating uncomfortably. 

He was anxious and he had no idea why his body was reacting to the mental stress so heavily but as he made his way down to the practice rooms, he took a slight detour to one of the bathrooms to reapply his scent neutraliser. He probably didn't need to, but it felt like a safety blanket. A coping mechanism when he really wished for Heeseungs warmth.

It was ridiculous, honestly. Jungwon was aware that he sounded like one of those disgusting teenage novels about the poor little omega who was just waiting for an alpha to save them and wife them up. 
And it started to embarrass him to run to Heeseung at every inconvenience. He was a seasoned idol, a leader. 
He understood, he was also socialised to need a pack, like every other wolf, but this was getting a little too much to be normal pack bonding. Heck they weren't even really bonded. Not yet.

Jungwon hid the bottle in his bag once more and proceeded to the room. 

As he finally arrived and broke the news to his members, a thought came up.
Why hasn't he ever gone to Jake? 

Why had his Omega never craved for Jake to hold him and scent him the way he did with Heeseung? If it was simply a subgender attraction dynamic thing, why had he not thought about Jake like that? 
He only now noticed how he never stopped what he was doing just because he got a whiff of Jake's scent.
His Omega hadn't even treated him any different than how he had treated Niki. 
An eligible, objectively attractive alpha, in his pack. And Jungwon felt nothing.

So instead of going to Heeseung to calm his nervous energy that had accumulated over the course of the day, he went to sit next to Jake after dinner, while Sunoo had found solace in Sunghoon's arms, smiling widely as he got his dose of affection.

"Hyung?" Jakes's response was immediate  as he whipped his head around to face Jungwon, eyes wide open in a curious but happy expression.

"What's up?" As he said, his arms already opened, as if he was used to constantly codling his dongsaengs.

As Jungwon settled in Jake's embrace, he thought about the best way to test his theories. He needed to know if Jake could make him melt like that. If maybe all of the others could make him melt into a blissful blob. But most of all, he needed proof that Heeseung was nothing special. At least not like that.

But as the right words didn't seem to come to mind, he just shifted around and tilted his chin up, head leaned to the left. His eyes were still fixated at Jake and prompted him to come closer with a little head movement. 
His throat and neck were completely on display and Jungwon felt a little weird and vulnerable as Jake stared at him for a second.

Sunoo was staring too.

But Jake regained his composure quickly and after one more questioning glance, moved to scent the leader.

Jungwon couldn't say he didn't love it. He did intensely enjoy the feeling of close skinship with his Hyung. 
And he did melt, slumping forward a little as the woody scent surrounded him. 
His Omega preened at the feeling of being loved. As the minutes went on, his head was floaty, and Jungwon felt more like a cat instead of a wolf as he felt like he could start purring any second. He felt contend and something in him still wanted to bite Jake and mark him, but only to pack bond.

But instead of feeling his heart rate picking up, his breath getting caught in his throat and the need to jump the man in front of him, he only felt sleepy. It felt like home, like hiding into a blanket and relaxing all his muscles. Like taking off makeup and shoes after a long day. Jake gave him comfort.

But it wasn't the same. It couldn't even compare.

Jungwon tried to ignore the treacherous sting in his heart at the realisation and closed his eyes to let his worry float away.

He must have fallen asleep because when he opened his eyes again, he was lying in his bed, a blanket over him that smelled suspiciously like vanilla cookies, like Sunoo had purposely rolled around in it just before it was placed on top of him.

Despite the blanket, he still smelled intensely like the youngest alpha and Jungwon felt giddy being wrapped up in his pack's scents like he was right now. He didn't even need to spray his scent neutraliser. And Jungwon loved it. He loved to be able to forego the tedious process and the icy cold mist against his neck and his wrists. 

A look towards his alarm clock told him that it was time to get up. The others wouldn't be bothering him for another hour, but the last few weeks he had fallen into a routine and he knew that someone was waiting for him, like always before their schedules. An interview today.

He was right, Heeseung was patiently waiting for Jungwon to arrive for their morning scenting ritual, sitting on his bed scrolling through his phone while looking completely unbothered.

The scene was so familiar at this point that it had conditioned his brain to unconsciously smile whenever he saw the oldest lazing around like that.

"Good morning, Heeseung-hyung" Jungwon greeted dutifully, smile still on his face as he still felt great from how he woke up that morning.

"Morning" Heeseung hummed "someone's happy." 
Jungwon nodded, still cheerful, and Heeseung set his phone aside to straighten his back and pat his thighs, promting Jungwon to get comfortable.

Somewhere over the past weeks, heeseug had gradually moved Jungwon closer to him until jungwon ended up sitting in his lap instead, facing Heeseung now. It was faster and easier access, as the older had mumbled, doe eyes staring up at Jungwon as the Omega was pearched on his lap.

So Jungwon had adapted and basically straddled his thighs now. It wasn't the weirdest position they have ever been in, considering the many times their choreography demanded them to be laying on top each other or swing around in funny ways, so they never really complained. 
Not that Jungwon wanted to as Heeseung grasped his hips in a steadying grip.

As always, Heeseung's eyes found Jungwon's, waiting for a nod of permission before he burried his face into the younger.

Right as he did, the grip on Jungwon tightened and arms sneaked around the small of his back to pull jungwon flush against his chest.
That was something Jungwon definitely wasn't used to and he squeaked slightly upon impact and tried to push himself up again as a low but deep rumble was felt against Jungwon's whole body. 

Heeseung started sneering against Jungwons neck, teeth lightly scraping his skin as he spoke: " Why do you smell like Jaeyun?" 

Goosebumps lined his skin as his body buzzed hotly with desire to feel his Heeseungs teeth against his neck again.

"Why. Do you. Smell. Like Jake?" His voice didn't sound the same as it did just minutes before.

Jungwon gulped. " He scented me before I fell asleep." 

An unhappy noise escaped Heeseung as the pheromones around Jungwon increased immensely, overpowering every trace of Jake in Jungwon's pores.

His hands clenched around Heeseung's shoulders. 

Oh this was a completely different story from earlier. 
The hot waves pulsing through his veins, the thumping of his heart against Heeseung's and the shiver than ran down his spin whenever lips brushed his skin.
While Jake had felt like home, Heeseung felt like paradise. And Jungwon felt like a sinner in forbidden territory. 
All his brain could think about as he was pressed against his oldest hyung was to claim said territory. 
To bite into the soft tissue on Heeseung's shoulder and pull him even closer.

A wet stroke hit his skin as Heeseung had started to employ all the heavy duty tools for scenting. His tongue pressed wet kisses into Jungwon's scent glands, getting rid of every possible trace of foreign marking, as Jungwon whimpered, unable to stop the sounds escaping him. 
"Hyung!"

Every nerve in his body was on fire.
Oh god, what was happening to him?

Jungwon didn't know how long he let Heeseung continue the administrations to his sensitive skin, but as Heeseung slowly came back up, leaving little kisses up to underneath Jungwon's ear and along his jaw line, Jungwon felt like if he kept going, his hormones would burst through any suppressant barrier and produce slick everywhere. And his makeup noonas would definitely have something to talk about.

So he loosened his grip on the oldest shoulders and gently cupped his jaw instead, pulling Heeseung out of his marking frenzy to look at his face instead.

His dark brown eyes looked completely black, darkened and hazy as Heeseungs eyes met Jungwon's. His face almost ducked down again, pushing against Jungwon's hand lightly as the older huffed, brow furrowed.

"Hyung?" Jungwon persisted.
As Jungwons voice rang through to Heeseungs, the older stopped resisting and took in every detail of his leaders face instead, so close in front of him.

"Heeseung-Hyung? What's gotten into you?" 

"Why didn't you come to me?" He answered with another question instead. 
"You always come to me. Why did you go to Jake? Why did you smell like Jake?"

"What do you mean? Hyung, you said it yourself, we're pack." Jungwon said softly, still a little too close to Heeseung, his ragged breath brushing against his cheek. 

"I-" He paused, as if biting back whatever he wanted to say.

"Don't. Don't go to him. Please, come to me." 
Heeseung said this with so much conviction and desperation that it stunned Jungwon.

Unsure about how to react to the plea - it didn't sound like an attempt to try to forbid the leader from doing anything, or controlling who he was around-  Jungwon just kept staring. 
It didn't just affect Jungwon this much, huh?

He almost felt euphoric to know he wasn't just hallucinating and this weird tension wasn't just his Omega playing tricks on him.
Heeseung felt it too.

As they stared at each other silently, the distance between them diminished bit by bit. 
And as Jungwon's eyes betrayed him and wandered down along heeseungs nose to his lips and quickly back up as he realised what he was doing, the bridge between them finally closed.

 The pair of lips that was previously attached to his neck was now dancing with his own, hands pulling each other in again, none of them fully aware of what they were doing right now, at 7 am in Heeseung's bedroom.

One kiss turned into 3, turned into 5 as groans were heard echoing through the room and Jungwon's hands tangled in the short hair of Heeseung's neck, balling into fists slightly before spreading his fingers through the silky strands.

He could taste the toothpaste on Heeseung's lips, but the kiss was anything but controlled and clean.
It was messy and uncoordinated, and the way Heeseung's teeth slightly pulled at Jungwon's bottom lip which in turn made him hiss in pleasure.

Jungwon felt the pressure of heeseungs hand against his hip, pressing him even further into his lap and then carefully making their way under the hem of Jungwon's shirt.

The very moments the tips of his fingers met hot skin, Jungwon and Heeseung jumped apart, staring at each other, eyes widened in horror.

Their lips were red and puffy and their breath laboured. The hair on Heeseung's head looked as messy as the situation they had just gotten tangled in and Jungwon's neck felt more sensitive than ever before.

Heeseung opened his mouth as if to say something, but it closed again just as quickly. Lost for words, they gaped at each other for what felt like a little eternity before Jungwon blinked repeatedly and backed away slowly, hand clasped over his mouth.

In his head, nothing but curses broke the silence. No single intelligent thought about what had just happened making itself known.

"Jungwon- I." Heesungs voice cracked, eyes still wide, and as Heeseung reached out a hand towards Jungwon, he only stepped back further, not trusting himself to keep away from repeating that same mistake again otherwise.

"Jungwon, I'm so sorry" Heeseung tried again. 
Jungwon shook his head. Heeseung had nothing to be sorry about, it was Jungwon who should say sorry. It was Jungwon who had been lying constantly and thinking about his Hyung in ways he shouldn't. It was him, who willingly sat in their oldest lap and practically forced Heeseung to scent him because he couldn't even handle everyday life normally without a breakdown.

Tears lined Jungwons eyes as he realised how much he had fucked up. 
"No." Jungwon said, shaking his head again, backing further and further away. "I'm sorry."

The pretend alpha puppy had just kissed their pack alpha. Or their alpha had just kissed their pretend puppy alpha.
More tears rushed to his eyes and Jungwon couldn't fathom how messed up this was.

" I'm so sorry, Jungwon. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have done that. Oh God." Both Jungwon and Heeseung were panicking, the relaxed and lazy heeseung from when jungwon entered his room entirely replaced by a bewildered and confused version.

"I... this never happened." Jungwon rubbed his hand over his eyes as if it could whipe the scene from his mind forever.

"Let's forget this ever happened, please." 
Jungwon didn't want Heeseung to ever think about him weirdly. He couldn't handle the thought of Heeseung remembering him in a negative light. And making out with his second youngest band member, a puppy utterly smitten with Sunoo, as they thought, on his bed, was anything but normal.

Heeseung was ridden with guilt. He felt sick when he thought about how he practically smothered the leader and then even kissed him, when he wasn't looking at him, completely out of his right mind, just because he smelled like his bandmate and pack member. 
Oh god he felt awful. 
He didn't understand himself and his sudden need to act all possessive towards the young wolf in front of him. He never felt like this before.

He nodded helplessly and reached out for the Omega again, this time hugging him as softly as he could, careful not to touch his skin or hold him too tightly, scared he could break in his arms.

Jungwon stood perfectly still, still dumbfounded. 
He was glad Heeseung wasn't disgusted by him and endlessly grateful that even though the unspeakable had just happened, Heeseung still cared so much about Jungwon, that he would try to comfort him in the softest embrace.
 It was insane too him, that Heeseung was still willing to hold him and a tear rolled over his cheek as he once more realised how kind-hearted his Hyung was. 

And another followed as he realised how much more that made his heart ache because maybe he was just a little bit in love with Heeseung, and maybe that was the real reason why his heart leaped at the sight of him, raced at the smell of him and exploded in his touch. Maybe the sole reason he was unbothered by all the other wolfs he had ever encountered was because he this wasn't something to do with his dynamic, but only with Heeseung himself.

 And maybe, maybe that thought crushed Jungwons heart into tiny pieces as he knew that he could never have him, because he would have to hide behind the fake facade he had carefully started to install around himself for as long as he lived in the eye of the public. 

He returned the hug and grieved for his stupid little heart.

Then he let go, and separated from the older.
"I think i should go make breakfast." His voice sounded a little hoarse.

Heesung nodded and stepped back. But then he hesitated " Jungwon-ah, maybe you should.." He pointed to his neck and reached behind him to the bed before he held a blue hoodie towards him. "Here." 

Jungwon took the clothes wordlessly and pulled it over his head "Better?" He asked as he fixed the hood and tied the strings into a bow, to ensure the sides of the oversized material wouldn't slide down and reveal the red blotches that decorated his skin. 

"Better." Heeseung confirmed, eyes lingering on the now hidden spot before adding " I'll come get breakfast in a bit, I think I'll go wash up first."

He didn't want to follow Jungwon into the kitchen right now, he needed to organise his thoughts. 

Jungwon left the room that was filled with awkward tension and proceeded to make coffee and food.
Images of lips on his flashing before his eyes everytime he blinked.

For the rest of the day, during their interview and their practice, Jungwon sat next to Sunoo and Jay.

He avoided being close to Heeseung, but something also held him back from finding comfort within Jake's arms again, despite the fact that he knew Jake could also make him forget his worries. 

Instead, he took to engaging Sunoo in conversations about everything he could think of and Sunoo gladly ate all the attention up and redirected his thoughts as he felt something was off about their leader.
He laid his head on Jungwon's lap during their break and poked his sides when their instructor wasn't looking at them.

He held his hand behind their other member's backs as the interviewer asked Jungwon once again about his lack of presentation.

Sunoo stayed close to their leader, and Jungwon couldn't be more grateful for a friend like him.

However, completely caught up in his own head, Jungwon hadn't realised that not only he was acting strange, but so was Sunoo, who was unusually clingy and warm at his side.

He hadn't even realised that the vanilla cookie blanket Sunoo had encased him in the night before lacked his usual undertones of roses and warming spices.