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#bbs polyamory
i had forgotten about bleeding butterflies part 14!!!! omw to read it right now.
but girl… i was thinking about a drabble 👀 for the ceo fic, namjoon or someone eating y/n out in the kitchen before they leave to an important meeting
DON'T FORGET TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF IT! I'm a needy writer atm.
So you wanted a drabble and I ended up writing a mini chapter 🤦🏽‍♀️ although I tweaked it a little, I hope you don't mind.
Warnings: smut, jealousy, oral (female receiving), maknaes causing their usual shit.
Namjoon’s head hangs low, his back hunched as he looks at his hands sadly.
“Did someone die?” You ask the room, half seriously half trying to lighten the mood.
The other CEOs look away from you, trying to hide their expressions from the lead CEO but inadvertently from you too.
“Babe what’s wrong?” You ask Namjoon, dropping your things at the door and kneeling beside him so you could see his solemn expression. Worry drummed through your veins as you take it in, you can’t breathe.
“The copying machine died,” he says completely heart broken
You inhale deeply in shock… what? The copying machine you wanted to throw down the stairs on your first day working with them? Finally, it died? Hallelujah! You glance at the other CEOs, finally noticing the amusement in their eyes that they were hiding so as not to offend Namjoon.
Soon you find yourself struggling to hide the same expression, bowing your head to the floor in an attempt to conceal it. You felt terrible for him, you did, he had some sort of weird affection for the bane of everyone’s existence at the company, but honestly you were slightly tempted to work for them again now you knew it was dead. 
“Should we hold a funeral?” Taehyung mutters under his breath to Jimin, audible enough for you all to hear along with the shorter CEO’s snicker. 
Jin gives them a half hearted glare of warning, expecting them to be considerate when Namjoon looked like his whole world came crashing down. 
“It may not mean anything to anyone else,” he sighs. “But it was the first thing I bought for that company.”
“Aww Joonie,” you rub his knee in comfort, pouting up at him with all the sympathy you could muster. It was cute, the way your ex boss and now boyfriend who could command a room with a breath looked so distraught over something so trivial. 
“It’s the sentimental value,” he further explains as if trying to justify his sadness, eyes imploring for you to understand him when the others were ridiculing him. 
“I know Joonbug,” you rise from your crouching position, arms around his neck as you embrace your soft hearted boyfriend as you sit beside him. 
“You know Kitten, I was really sad about it too,” Yoongi says emphatically, drowning his tone in pity. You look at him amused, arms still encircled around Namjoon who decides to bury his head in your neck, shaking your head at his attempts to gain your attention. 
“I bet,” you say, knowing exactly what he was up to. 
“I was really sad about it too,” Jimin tries to play the same game. 
“You just laughed at Hyung’s pain,” Jungkook calls him out, earning an elbow to his side for the comment. 
“Did you have a good day at work, Sunshine?” Hobi asks as Jin sighs at the youngest three, now bickering amongst themselves.
“Mmmm,” you say before yawning, tiredness setting into your bones as you play with Namjoon’s hair. “Had a lot of stuff to catch up with.”
Your eyes narrow at the troublesome trio, it was your first day back at work from the holiday and your managers were not sympathetic to your sick leave at all. All three of them grin back at you with no remorse, slight guilt of course, but no regrets whatsoever. 
“Why is it when you three play your games the rest of us have to deal with the aftermath?” Yoongi grumbles in thought, hating that you were probably overworked today. 
“As if you don’t play any games yourself hyung,” Jimin retorts, personally offended, glaring at him. 
“Games, I might point out, we’ve kept secret for you,” Taehyung’s deep timbre is uncharacteristically serious, annoyance spiking at the accusation. “Despite the fact you rat us out at every opportunity.”
Yoongi looks sheepishly away, unable to defend himself as the others look between the squabbling sides. 
“What secret?” Namjoon suddenly straightens, his interest piqued while both Yoongi and yourself give the 95 line warning glances. 
“Should we all have dinner?” You suddenly suggest while your palms start to sweat. “I’m starving.”
Namjoon looks at you suspiciously while Jin and Hoseok try not to burst out laughing at the unintended innuendo relating to the inside secret the rest of them barring the lead CEO were privy to. You, on the other hand, were trying to act innocent as if your life depended on it. You try to stand but a firm hold on your wrist pulls you back to the sofa. 
“What don’t I know?” Namjoon asks, creases appearing above his brows as he frowns. 
“You guys are dead,” Yoongi mutters seethingly to the duo who look all too proud of themselves, standing with their arms crossed as they watch the aftermath of their revelation pan out. 
Seokjin sighs at the childishness of it all, although he has to admit it is entertaining watching you and Yoongi squirm. 
“Do you remember how we made the rule not to rush anything with Sunshine?” Hoseok says with a toothy grin, earning himself a look of betrayal from his closest friend. 
“And the rule about not messing about at work?” Jin adds, “Well when beautiful was working with us anyway.”
“You mean the rule to be professional that baby girl set herself?” Namjoon’s one eyebrow shoots through the roof as he stares a hole into the side of your face, you however have your eyes to the ceiling trying to find that lost eye brow of his. Maybe it left the room, you should go look for it…
“That exact one, yes,” the oldest confirms with a smirk. 
Was it suddenly getting hot in here? Someone should open a window, you would but there was a serious CEO currently attached to your wrist like a handcuff. 
“What did you both do?” Namjoon asks when neither you or Yoongi elaborate voluntarily. 
“What you always wanted to do,” Jin sympathetically pats Namjoon’s shoulder while the rest of them lose it with laughter. 
“Do you remember the day you went into Yoongi hyung’s office looking for Sunshine but she wasn’t there?” Hoseok looks too pleased with himself as Namjoon nods after a moment of recollection. “She was there…”
Your ears are on fire, how do you always find yourself in this position? Why was it always you!
The man beside you is all too quiet for a moment, and you can feel your throat start to seize at his silence. 
“Where exactly was she?” his voice is gruff, already knowing the answer but asking for confirmation anyway. 
“Under hyung’s desk,” Jimin states bluntly, looking at Yoongi as if he won the war between them. “But what were you doing there angel?” 
You curse him loudly in your head, if looks could kill he’d be dead by both yours and Yoongi’s eyes. 
“Not being a good girl that's for sure,” Taehyung says smiling before the duo start laughing so hard Jimin almost falls to the floor. 
“That’s enough,” Jungkook takes pity on you both, albeit the secret was something he had been a little jealous over for a while. They all put it out of their minds, otherwise it would cause an insecurity in them. 
Yoongi was the only one you broke the rule for, it was a bit hard for them to accept and digest without falling into a rabbit hole.
“And I was the only one who didn’t know?” Namjoon says quietly, making that guilty feeling suddenly fill you to the brim. This was great, first his printer dies and now he finds out he was betrayed by the love of his life and his best friend. All this just after your recent betrayal with the maknaes. 
“Joonie it wasn’t on purpose,” you whine slightly, voice small as you finally look at him.
“Nothing’s on purpose with you,” he mutters, that was always the excuse when one of them dragged you into something. 
“Joon, that's not fair,” Hobi remarks, knowing he was only lashing out because he was hurt. “You know how irresistible we are to sunshine.”
He winks at you, hoping to lighten the atmosphere now that the consequences of their pandoras box was coming to fruit. 
He’s not dressed for work yet when he goes down to the kitchen for a morning coffee, halting at the door when he sees you already there and dressed to leave early. His gaze hardens, sleep leaving him completely as he takes you in. 
He strides towards you, power in every step, making your figure press against the kitchen counter at his demeanour. After yesterday's altercation he hid himself in his room and locked the door to clear his thoughts, but he couldn’t, they were plagued by the thought that Min Yoongi got to touch you first, have you first when he thought he was the first one. It was stupid and he knew it but it still caused that vein in his temple to pulse threateningly. 
“Are you still mad at me?” you ask, looking at him timidly as he stood in front of you breaking him out of his tumultuous thoughts. 
He shook his head, eyes penetrating yours with such intensity you were struggling not to squirm. No, if he was honest he wasn’t angry at you at all, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want payback.
“No baby girl,” his voice is gruff, a dangerous smirk playing on his face, “I’m hungry.”
You swallow at the sound of his sexy timbre that never failed to make your knees weak. 
“Oh, umm,” you forget how to breathe, trying to remember as you find your words again. “I could make you some pancakes, or there’s cereal?”
He chuckles under his breath, the aura around him not dampening at all. 
“We’re both going to be late for work today,” he states as matter of fact, the decision already made, looking at you amused before he kneels in front of you, not breaking his stare for a second. Your jaw drops at the sight of him, your body reacting to his position while your brain lags behind. 
That dimple of his was going to be the death of you. 
He pulls the waistband of your work trousers down, kissing the skin just above your hip as he does leaving your panties in place. He’s pleasantly surprised you don’t put up a fight when he removes the trousers completely.
“Any important meetings today?” he asks, his voice low you almost fail to catch it with the way your blood is pumping in your ears at the anticipation of where his lips were going to fall next. To your dismay it's just an inch above where you need him, so close but too far away for you to handle. You shake your head desperately in answer, fuck meetings, who the hell cared when Kim Namjoon was kneeling in front of you like you were something to worship. 
He chuckles again, causing you to whine, fidgeting as you feel your underwear dampen. He finally breaks eye contact with you, looking directly at your heat and that cute little wet patch forming.
“That’s good,” is all he says before the next kiss is placed right where you need him. You’d be embarrassed by how you brace yourself against the counter behind you if the build up didn’t feel so damn good. His hands stroke the sides of your thighs, knowing you were going to struggle to hold yourself up once he started. 
He grins before diving in, sucking you through the fabric, his tongue licking you like he was making out with your lips. 
“Joonie,” you call for him deliciously, whining in complaint at the remaining barrier between you both. It's all too much and nowhere near enough, and yet this dulled sensation made your legs wobble, you were only just managing to hold yourself up with your arms locked on the counter tops. You want to grab his hair, you want to pull the damn underwear off yourself but you know if you move you’ll fall. 
It’s like he can hear your thoughts, or he’s taking pity on you, you don’t know or care. He hoists one leg up onto his broad shoulder, the other hand shifting the fabric to the side as his tongue touches you freely. Your head falls back, eyes shut at the sensation as a moan slips from your open lips, your hips thrusting into him as if you were trying to ride his face.
Namjoon could feel you throb against his mouth, groaning against you at your taste, grinning when he heard you whimper at the sensation. All those fucking rules, for what? When he could’ve had this earlier? He would never forgive himself, or you. He pulls you impossibly closer at the thought, eyes closed in focus as he makes out with your pussy harder, as if he was punishing you for keeping this away from him for so long. 
You can barely hold yourself up, on the brink of crying with how good he was making you feel, you can’t reign in your voice, always more pent up and sensitive in the mornings, your high within reach so quickly, he can tell. 
“Close baby girl?” he says condescendingly without breaking contact from your mound, if he could he’d stay here all day, he wouldn’t move an inch from this position of heaven he was in. 
“Joo-nm p-plea-se don’t stop,” you begged unashamed, gyrating your hips faster against him as if it would get you there quicker before he could take it all away. You knew him, if he really wanted to punish you he would stop you on the edge and you couldn’t let him, you had to cum, your body was screaming for release. The second he pauses you cry out in protest, he pins you in place with his stare, holding your hips from forcing him back on you. 
“As if you wouldn’t run upstairs and ask Yoongi hyung to finish you off,” he scoffs, challenging you to prove him wrong, prove to him that he was just as important, just as good at getting you off. He almost gives in to you at the sight of those tears escaping the corners of your eyes, the groan from your lips as the high you were chasing fades against your wishes. You had to grasp it back, it was so close. 
“Daddy please,” you almost sob in desperation, making all his thoughts go blank at the word. His dick throbbed at the sound, reminding him of the situation in his pants that he was trying hard to ignore for the semblance of control. Gone, out the fucking window, just with one word, the hold you had over him scared him out of his wits. He doesn’t even realise he’s given in until you moan out for him again, lapping at your folds like a starved man, trying to get you there whether you deserved it or not. 
“Ah please, Jooni-” You cry out unbashful, words turning more incoherent the closer you got, almost tasting it. “So good, so close.”
He hums against you as if giving you permission to let go, and you didn’t it was what you were waiting for, tensing as you drown him in your release, his tongue working you as you come down. The slow stroke of his hands on your skin reminds you to breathe, not realising you held it for so long at how hard your orgasm hit you. You pant, trying to force air into your lungs as your brain goes fuzzy. 
He didn’t want to stop, his lips still attached to you although softer than before, the overstimulation so early in the morning was overwhelming, but you couldn’t push him away, not when you were still holding yourself up like your life depended on it. 
“Joon we’re already going to be late,” you huff out as if you were annoyed. “Can you just fuck me already?”
He chuckles at that, finally detaching from you to grin up at you. He was covered in you, and the sight was all it took for you to lose your senses and lean down to kiss him, tasting yourself on him, making a mess but not caring at all. 
“Fuck me please,” you say inbetween kisses.
He’s about to give in, about to speak when you’re both interrupted.
“Not in the kitchen!” Seokjin’s voice yells as he passes by, leaving for the office, the others also on their way out. 
You both look at each other, laughing quietly at being reprimanded. He stands up from being on his knees for so long, no ache visible on his face as his dimples stand out at you. He leans in, arms encasing you where you stood, pressing himself against you so you feel how hard he is. The length of him makes you salivate, all previous humour at the situation gone as you look up at him in hunger. 
His lips encompass yours, no move to leave the room at Jin’s request. He was going to kill you both, but Namjoon was embracing his new philosophy as he rutted against you, tongue shoving though your parted lips like a preview of how he was going to fuck you. He had a new lease on life, fuck the rules.
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Earthspark Breakdown x Reader x Bumblebee
Anybody want some fluff of Breakdown trying to be smooth while getting a date for Bumblebee only to crash and burn on his own feelings? Too bad, here it is! I can't be the only one that would love to be in a throuple with these two absolute dorks, right?
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"I bet I could get you a date."
"Don't you fragging dare."
Breakdown considered the laugh he'd gotten from the exchange well worth the dent Bumblebee had left in his shoulder, and the fact that he had every intention of carrying out his promise was simply a pleasant bonus. His old friend would thank him in time; the lovestruck Scout was absolutely helm over wheels for you, the Maltos kind neighbor, he just didn't have the gears to initiate much more than an occasional conversation. Breakdown hardly blamed Bee for his attraction, as you were quite easy on the optics and he found the brief interactions he'd shared with you more than enjoyable, but he knew his friend didn't have it in him to ask you on anything even adjacent to a date. For the sake of you both, he was willing to use his skills as an exceptional wingman and break the ice. He was certain he'd be thanked in good time.
Finishing the short drive up the road to your property, he turned into your driveway with a drift that was equal parts showy and loud, wanting to announce his presence before traveling up the winding dirt path. It wasn't the first time he'd done as much, though this was his first time visiting alone. Ordinarily he tagged along with the group to watch Bee get adorably flustered every time you looked his way…
Slowing down as he approached your house, he scanned the homestead for you, being careful to avoid clusters of chickens pecking about your property. Driving up to your main barn, he parked and transformed once he was sure there were no other humans about, catching the sound of approaching footsteps just before he saw you emerge from behind the barn. You were obviously surprised to see him, but your smile told him it was not an unpleasant surprise.
"Oh, hi Breakdown! I thought you guys were training the Terrans until this afternoon?" you asked with mild confusion, referencing your visit to the Malto residence that morning. Breakdown recalled how disappointed Bumblebee had looked when you had regretfully informed the group you were too busy to hang out that day thanks to a number of jobs that needed to be done on your property, and thus you'd be unable to watch their training as planned. His friend's painfully obvious longing as you drove away had ultimately been what spurred him to try to secure a date between the two of you, but he had to play it cool while he prepared to make his move, not that he was expecting much difficulty. He had good reason to believe you returned the Scout's affection.
"Bee is showing them scouting and stealth tips today; not really my area of expertise." he explained, trying not to chuckle at the idea of himself tagging along on such a lesson. Primus, Bumblebee probably would have to unteach every bit of advice  Breakdown would give on the subject, so he really was better off here. Keeping to what he was actually good at, he put the first part of his plan into action, knowing you'd be much more receptive to a date with Bee if you weren't overworked. "But I thought I'd use my free time to help out with those chores you mentioned. Got anything you need an extra hand with?"
You were once again surprised by the Stunticon, and once more it was quite pleasantly so, your shoulders relaxing as his offer took a load off them. 
"I do, actually." you confirmed, approaching him and continuing with some hesitation even though he'd made the offer. Breakdown couldn't help but smile at your politeness. Most humans didn't hesitate to use bots for their own ends, yet you were courteous enough to ensure he was alright with something even after he'd offered, your reluctant expression making it clear he'd have every right to refuse with no hard feelings. "My biggest headache is a fallen tree I need to move to the chopping block, but it's a bit on the bigger side, so I understand-"
"Shouldn't be a problem." he confirmed quickly, freely puffing out his chassis as he disguised a flex as a stretch. Hoping you caught just how impressive his broad shoulders looked in the bright sun, he smirked at the ease of the task ahead, planning on showing off a bit while he put his plan into motion. As he took care of this chore he'd be free to drop hints about Bumblebee and gauge your reaction, and if he was as correct about your feelings for the Scout as he was certain he was, it wouldn't be a challenge at all to drive out of here with a date for his best friend. This wasn't the first time he'd been his wingman… "Just point me in the right direction."
"Really? Thanks!" you said enthusiastically, beckoning for him to follow as you started heading past the barn. Finding the energy adorable, he followed eagerly, thoroughly grateful he'd decided to give this plan a try. There was something about you that made him understand just why Bee was so deeply besotted, and once everything worked out he'd be glad to spend more time with you, perhaps even just the two of you.
Breakdown caught sight of the problem tree as soon as you rounded the barn and he got a clear line of sight to the edge of the yard, where a once proud oak had snapped at the base and smashed into the earth to leave a shallow crater in the grass. Estimating the trunk to be at least twice his height, he whistled as he imagined what a sight the fall must have been. It was just a good thing it had fallen so far from your very crushable house…
"You weren't kidding about it being a big one." he marveled, looking over the trunk and doing a quick estimate of its weight. While it certainly didn't look like what he would call light, he was more than confident in his ability to handle the burden, especially with an audience to impress.
"I know, right? I got lucky it wasn't near anything, but it's huge. Even a chainsaw would take an eternity on that thing." you remarked as you hopped over to the other side, stepping back and scanning your eyes along the once towering oak. He realized you were measuring him against the tree and trying to do some form of your own math, but judging by your expression you were less than optimistic about his odds. The uncertainty in your tone confirmed as much, and he got to proving himself before the first word left your mouth. "So really, if it's a problem-"
"You just tell me where you need it, hngh…" he declared, pausing his sentence to secure his servos under the trunk. Digging his digits in to the bark and heaving, he bit back a reflexive sound of strain to keep up the illusion of effortlessness, not struggling but certainly using a considerable amount of his strength. Seeing your eyes widen and your jaw go slack gave him all the motivation he needed to heft the entire oak onto one shoulder, the massive amount of momentum teetering it precariously back and forth before he secured it with both servos. Not even allowing himself a sigh of effort, he finished his sentence with a grin. "...and in how many pieces."
"Oh!" was all you said at first, the feat of strength and the speed at which he'd pulled it off briefly overwhelming your ability to speak. Breakdown felt his spark surge with pride at your reaction, enough that he had to remind himself he was here to make Bumblebee look good. Not that there was much harm in showing off to a cute friend…
Catching yourself, you turned on the spot and pointed to a flat area of land with a sturdy shed. "Well, uh, right over here!" you said quickly, moving fast so he didn't have to carry the burden for long. Breakdown had to appreciate the consideration, as the effort was admittedly very draining, enough that he could feel his actuators starting to ache by the time he caught up with you. Following your instructions to drop the oak beside a chopping block, he set his dentae tight to once again avoid any obvious sounds of strain as he hefted the tree off his shoulders, making sure you were clear before he let it more or less roll off his servos and slam into the earth with enough force to shake the surrounding dirt. 
"There we go, didn't even break a sweat." he declared as soon as the ground became still, doing a fantastic job covering up how much the effort had taken out of him. Somehow, even if his end goal was getting a date for Bumblebee, it was very important to him that you knew how strong he was. Confident he'd shown off his impressive prowess, he dusted off his servos in preparation for the next step. "Now, how do you want it broken up?"
The question caught you a little off guard, and you had to think before replying, a pause he dared to think came from being utterly starstruck by his abilities. "Uhhh… I need the pieces to be about this size for firewood…" you said after you recovered, picking up one of the chopped chunks as an example. Breakdown tilted his helm in thought, figuring the amount of work it would take to divide a tree of such magnitude into as many pieces of such a size might take until sundown. He halfway considered running back to the Dugout for a weapon before you jumped in with a far more workable solution. "But if you could get the trunk into sections, I can store that as is. Do you think you can break it up?"
Breakdown brightened at the question, finding it easy to ignore fatigue if he was given a chance to impress you, and you had unknowingly given him quite the opportunity. Kneeling beside the base of the trunk, he secured his servo a short distance above the jagged edge, testing the resistance before turning to you for approval. It took a great deal of willpower to hide how eager he was to show off. "This a good size?"
"That's perfect, yeah!" you agreed eagerly, going quiet after it occurred to you that there wasn't any practically obvious way to get the wood to that size. Glancing at the ace and chopping block that were comically undersized for the job, you blanked on a possible solution but still offered aid to be polite. "Do you need any help?"
Breakdown grinned, barely keeping the expression from deepening into a smirk before he replied simply, "Nah."
Using one servo to twist and the other to pull, he tore the appropriately sized chunk free with only the tiniest sound of effort slipping past his lips, one that was covered by the cacophonous crunch of timbers being shredded by sheer might. Actuators running at full capacity, he needed only a few seconds of work before he ripped the section of tree off and had it resting in his palm, which he held up for your approval. Seeing your eyes as wide as saucers once more had him nearly giddy with delight.
"Holy moly." you said after a moment of stunned silence, shaking your head to clear some of the shock before you let out a chuckle of disbelief. "Any chance I could hire you? I know farm work isn't quite as glamorous as racing, but you're very good at it."
"I'm happy to help whenever I've got the time, maybe I could swing by here on the regular." he replied quickly, finding himself eager to spend more time with you however he could. It wasn't until he'd set the piece of wood down that he remembered why he was here, and the realization sent a wave of embarrassment through his spark, which he hid with a polite cough as he considered how to change the subject. Bumblebee wouldn't have minded him flirting with you as he was hardly the possessive type, but Breakdown was set on his original mission, and knew himself well enough to be certain he wasn't the type to get crushes. He was as smooth as they came, and needed only to get back on track for success to be all but assured. 
"But uh… you might have better luck with Bumblebee. He's actually way better at this kind of stuff, loves lending a servo whenever you need it." he said, gaining confidence as he went on. He knew you liked Bumblebee and that made it all the easier for him to gather himself, even as he busily shoved down the flutters in his spark that were growing more frequent every moment he spent in your presence.
"Really?" you inquired as you moved to start chopping some of the more manageable logs into firewood, unintentionally drawing his optics to your arms as you hefted your ax. 
"Definitely, that bot lives for helping out." Breakdown continued as he followed your lead, getting into position to tear off another hunk of timber in part so you couldn't distract him further. "If you've got any other big chores that need doing after today, I can pass along the word."
"I'd love that, especially if you both could come over." you answered eagerly, pausing to split a log and once more making his spark surge for reasons he refused to contemplate. Pausing to give him a smile that he refused to believe was anything more than polite, you continued giving the Stunticon an impossibly hard time, every word breaking down his defenses and tearing away his cool, indifferent persona. "I think it'd be really nice to spend some time with you both, just the three of us."
Oh, Primus.
"That'd be uh… pretty nice." he replied lamely, losing ground so fast he had to think quickly to try and save any semblance of the mission he set out to accomplish. Somehow, despite being a fraction of his height, you had the same power over him that had always had Bumblebee stuttering in your presence. Though he'd never admit as much, he resolved that he would stop teasing his friend after all of this was over… "But you know, Bee is the hard worker between the two of us. You'll be able to cut through your chores in no time without me distracting him."
Slicing through another log with a thunk that made his pump skip a few beats, you chuckled at the sentiment, fixing him with a wink that acted as the first half of a one-two punch you finished with a single sentence. "I'd say you're cutting through my chores pretty quickly yourself, imagine what I could get done with two big handsome mechs?"
The entirety of Breakdown's charisma evaporated in a single microsecond at the word handsome, only to be replaced by a flood of bashful giddiness so overwhelming not even all the self preservation his ego could muster was able to halt the blush that bloomed around his cheeks. The thick oak in his servos shredded like paper without him even noticing it, as he was far too busy grappling with the realization that Bumblebee was not the only one hopelessly infatuated with you. Unable to think of any response, let alone one that was remotely clever, he merely bowed his helm and mumbled something to the affirmative.
"How about this Friday? I'll be free all day." you offered, the knowing tone of your voice making it obvious you knew exactly what you were doing. Breakdown couldn't even be sure when the conversation had flipped so drastically, but it absolutely had, and for all of his embarrassment he simply couldn't be upset about it in the slightest. Technically, he had accomplished his goal with a bonus…
At least, that's what he told himself the remainder of the time he spent helping you finish up the tree disposal, as well as during the entire shameful drive back to the Malto residence. By the time he returned the Terrans were free of their lessons and his friend was relaxing by himself in the shade of a nearby apple tree. As he approached with most out of character sluggishness, the Scout turned to greet him with an expression that was guarded and concerned in equal measure. Transforming into bot mode upon approach, he couldn't keep the sheepish feeling in his spark from showing on his face.
"Breakdown, where have you been?" 
The question made him want to blurt out just what a fool he'd been, but he remained somewhat calm, optics downcast as he nudged a fallen apple with his pede. "At the neighbors…"
Bumblebee tensed but said nothing, crossing his servos and leveling his friend with a heavy stare before he pressed for details. "What did you do?"
What did he do? Get in way over his helm, he wanted to say, with absolutely wonderful and disastrous consequences. Unable to put it all into words, he focused on the most important detail of the day, still uncertain how it had all gone down.
"I uh… I got us a date with Y/N."
"You did what-?!" Bumblebee exclaimed, grabbing him by the shoulders and halfway slamming him against a tree before the word choice hit him. "Wait; us?"
Breakdown could only bow his helm as his blush returned, and their longstanding friendship did the rest. 
"Oh, Breakdown…" Bumblebee sighed as he released his equally lovestruck friend, realizing that both of them were now thoroughly stuck in the same boat. Pinching the bridge of his nasal ridge and closing his optics, he sighed again before offering the only admonishment fitting of the utterly ridiculous situation they'd just ended up in. 
"You reckless fool…"
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sailoreuterpe · 10 months
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gloomyandpitty · 11 months
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Me at my girlfriends wedding 💍💒
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honeyhotteoks · 6 months
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this night together - chapter twelve (j.yh + s.mg)
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chapter twelve: home is always home
chapter summary: you were planning to tell them how you felt on saturday, but when things go sideways at the studio you find yourself running home as fast as you can.
warnings: this is the chapter i've been warning about for a long, long time. please read responsibly if you're easily triggered by any of the following topics - guy who can't take no for an answer, aggressive/sexist language, physical and verbal assault, panic/ptsd, physical injury/blood, hospitals, police interaction (mentioned), nightmares/night terrors, self harm (sort of?)
notes: please note, if you're reading this on or around 12.3.23 when i'm posting, i've put up three chapters at once. make sure you don't skip chapter ten and eleven! additional notes under the cut~!
pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader
genre: smut, a/b/o/omegaverse, angst, fluff, romance, polyamory
word count: 11.6k
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for my readers who aren't that familiar with a/b/o, i'm introducing something in this chapter that you may not have seen before. i wanted to add some context! if you're new to a/b/o, there is something that alphas have often called "alpha tone", "alpha voice", or just "tone". alphas in many depictions have the ability to lower their voice in a particular way that is seen as a strict command to an omega, and it triggers/activates their submission. this is something that can be used negatively or positively, but in this scene will be negative. there's also something called headspace/subspace that you will see referenced, and an omega can be put into headspace/subspace via alpha tone. it is a bit of a dissociative state where the omega can only really hear and understand commands. this can be used negatively or positively as well, but again, definitely not good in this scene. i hope that helps.... and happy/responsible reading!!
You really, really wish today was Saturday and not Thursday. Thursday just means you still have to get through Friday and then all of Saturday morning before your scheduled dinner with Yunho and Mingi and all the things you want to say are practically eating you up inside. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to tell someone you’ve been an idiot and you’re in love with them, and blurting it out in the middle of dance practice isn’t really going to help make this easier. 
God, you hope they still want you. 
On the plus side, this week has been insane. With the full crew back things are moving at a million miles per hour, and you’ve been in more meetings about what’s coming up next in the past week than the entire time you’ve worked for BB Trippin and KQ.
Your schedule for the next six months is frankly intense. Between preparing for year-end stages and working on the choreography for the newly debuting girl group, you’re juggling conversations about New World’s next comeback and the next round of touring. With the money coming in now there’s an opportunity to take more dancers, and that just means more late nights and early mornings getting everything right. 
It’s after your third concept planning meeting of the week that you find two minutes to talk to Wooyoung, his bag already slung over his shoulder as he refills his water bottle. 
“So, you’re going?” You ask him vaguely, trying not to tip off anyone else in the vicinity that he’s got a date. 
“Yeah,” He nods, eyes flicking over your shoulder to see if San and Seonghwa are nearby, “I think I’m going to throw up,” 
“No, you’re not,” You assure him. 
“I might,” He whines, running a hand through his mop of long black hair, “I never know what to say to him,” 
“Woo,” 
“I know what to say to everyone, y/n,” He lowers his voice, panic evident in his eyes, “but every time Sangie smiles I go fucking blank,” 
“Sangie?” Your eyebrow quirks, “Is that what we’re calling him now,” 
“Shut up,” Wooyoung blushes. 
“Wow,” You prod him softly, “you’re down so bad, it’s been like three days,” 
“It’s so bad,” He grimaces, “this is embarrassing,” 
“Now you see how I feel,” You smirk, “it’s kind of fun being on this end of things,” 
“Please,” He rolls his eyes, “are you telling me you’re not panicking?” 
“Oh, no,” You laugh, “I definitely am. It’s just nice to know I’m not alone here,” 
“I was never this mean to you,”
You hold his gaze, just blinking, there’s nothing to say to that he doesn’t already know. 
“Okay, fine,” He sighs, “but still, feeling like this,” 
“Feeling like what?” Seonghwa’s voice shocks you both out of your quiet conversation and you both jump back from each other. 
“Jesus,” You breathe, “you scared me,” 
Seonghwa smiles, “Sorry,” he shrugs, “everything okay?” 
“Perfect,” Wooyoung takes a step back and shakes his head, “totally good,” 
Seonghwa’s brows come together in the middle, “You seem like something’s wrong, can I help?” 
Wooyoung almost blanches, and you know he’s dreading telling San and Seonghwa about Yeosang, so you jump in to help. “Woo was just helping me figure out Saturday,” You cover and draw Seonghwa’s attention back to you, “you know, figuring out what to say to them,”
“Oh,” Seonghwa nods, but you can see that he doesn’t really buy it, “right,” 
“Anyways,” Wooyoung starts walking backwards towards the exterior door, “I have to go, but you know, y/n, call me if you need to talk more later,” 
“I will,” You nod, “I definitely will.” 
Wooyoung knows that what you mean is that you want detailed date updates, and he almost looks mortified at the idea. He disappears fast, leaving you and Seonghwa relatively alone in the hallway. 
“What is up with him this week?” Seonghwa asks, confusion on his face. 
“He has a date,” You tell him quietly, “he’s kind of freaking out about it.” 
“Oh,” Seonghwa glances towards the door where Wooyoung just disappeared, “that’s not that weird for him,” 
“It is if he’s this interested after only a few days,” You say, “but don’t tease him. He’s kind of worked up about the whole thing,” 
“Who’s he seeing?” Seonghwa asks. 
“He should tell you that,” You beg off the gossip immediately, “just do me a favor and give him a little space to talk to you and San about it,” 
“Okay,” He draws out the word, not sure exactly where you’re going. 
“He’s nervous about upsetting the delicate balance,” You gesture towards him, referring to the carefully constructed relationship that is Wooyoung, San, and Seonghwa. 
“He’s seeing another alpha?” Seonghwa jumps to that conclusion with ease, and you can see how he would get there. 
You’re shaking your head before you can stop yourself, “It’s not that,” 
That does surprise him, and Seonghwa’s eyes widen a bit, “Oh,” 
“Right,” You nod, leading him to the conclusion as close as you can without spelling it out, “my point is, he’s nervous and he’s got a pretty serious crush, and he hasn’t said so but I think he’s scared you and San won’t approve.” 
“I would never,” He stumbles over his words, “out of anyone, we would never judge him, he has to know that,” 
“Hey,” You reach for Seonghwa, stepping a little closer so your voices stay low in the entryway as you brush your hand down his forearm, “he knows, he’s just panicking a little.” 
“Should I talk to him?” Seonghwa asks, his eyes earnest. 
“Not yet,” You shake your head, “he’ll figure it out, just don’t push him right now. I’ve never seen him this anxious,” 
“I won’t,” He promises, “thank you for telling me,” 
“Mhm,” 
Seonghwa chews over your words a second and then decides to let it drop. With a sigh he refocuses on work, “Are you staying late?” 
“Yeah,” You shrug, “I have some things to catch up on. You?” 
“I need to track down San,” He says, “but then after that I’m probably heading out a little early,” 
“Nice,” You nod, “still shaking off the jetlag?” 
He nods, “Unfortunately,” 
Down the hall you watch a few of the dancers gathering up their belongings, and then the door to the back office opens to reveal Yunho and Mingi, sitting close together and studying a computer screen as Jaemin leaves for the day. 
“Well,” Your feet are already moving, “then I’ll see you later,” 
“Sounds good,” He says, and then he gives you a knowing look, seeing exactly where you’re headed. 
Before you know it, you’re moving through the people in the hall and trying desperately to come up with a reason for crashing their tete-a-tete. 
“Hey,” You knock softly on the open door, “am I interrupting?” 
“No, no,” Yunho smiles when he sees you and your stomach bubbles. 
“We’re just watching back practice,” Mingi leans back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes. 
“Oh, nice,” You say, and your empty words do little to fill the empty space. 
“Do you… need something?” Yunho tries. 
“Ah, yeah, sorry,” You scramble internally for something to say, “I’m staying late, but I’m kind of starving, I just didn’t know if you still had stuff stashed?” 
“Sure,” He gestures towards the cabinets on the side wall, “whatever you want, help yourself,” 
“Great,” You dash towards the cabinets, and you can’t even imagine eating right now with how fluttery your insides have been, but you snag a couple of protein bars anyways. 
The silence is brutal. Not like before, not like the tense and uncomfortable angry silences of the past, but it’s still sitting there between you. Part of you wants to shut the door right now and just get it all out there, but again, you know you shouldn’t. 
Mingi’s warm, chocolatey scent is richer in here, evident after a hard practice of working up a sweat and being given a chance to permeate with the door closed. You feel your body naturally relaxing at it, so comforting and familiar, and then you get the first pang of Yunho’s warm, summer rain. 
You can hardly believe how you convinced yourself that this wasn’t scent sympathy when right here and now it’s so obvious they belong to you. You wonder if they feel it too. 
“Are you okay?” Mingi’s voice snaps you out of your sudden daydream staring at the cabinet full of snacks. 
“Yeah, yes,” You shut them and step back, “I’m fine, just a little tired.” 
“Not sleeping well?” Yunho says, concern all over his features. 
“I’m fine,” You wave him off, “just a busy week,” 
“You don’t have to stay late,” Mingi offers, “I’m sure whatever you’re working on will still be fine tomorrow,” 
“I know,” You nod, “but if I don’t get it out of my system I’ll just be thinking about it all night, you know how it is,” 
Mingi nods, “Still, take it easy later,” 
“I will,” You promise, and you start to turn towards the door when the words just bubble up out of your throat, “you’re both still free Saturday, right?” 
“Yeah,” Mingi answers for them both, “are you?” 
“Definitely,” You nod, “I just wanted to make sure, I’m looking forward to it,” 
“We could do tomorrow instead,” Yunho offers, “after practice?” 
“As long as you don’t have other plans,” Mingi cuts in, “for a Friday night,” 
“Tomorrow works,” You jump at the chance, “I’d actually love that, I just didn’t want to crowd you when you’re adjusting to the timezone again,” 
“It’s fine,” Mingi brushes that thought off, “I’d rather see you,” 
“Yeah,” Yunho nods, “it’ll be good to catch up,” 
You smile, “I want to hear all about the trip,” 
“The trip,” Mingi says, just repeating your words like he’s weighing them out on his own tongue. 
Something about his voice sends a sharp zing up the back of your spine. 
Your body feels a little soft, relaxing bit by bit. 
Yunho’s eyes flick over you, “Are you sure you need to stay late?” 
Something your primal little brain cannot handle right now is the thought of your alphas being protective, not when you’re standing in this room encased by their scents that feel a little too right. Your stomach tightens and you pray that you’re not blushing pink at the flickering thought in your mind of them taking you home. 
You need to get out of this room before they realize it. 
“I’m good,” You tell him, stepping backwards towards the door, “but thank you, and dinner tomorrow is perfect,” 
Mingi says something, you think he’s agreeing, but you’re giving another excuse over your shoulder about how you need to get back to it so you can make it out of this room. 
Your heart is practically beating out of your chest as you leave the office and make it down the hall, heading for the studio room you’ve booked for the afternoon. You nearly run into Dahan and Minseok as you cut around the corner, but you apologize quickly and barely give them a second glance as you hide yourself away in one of the dance studios alone. 
With the door firmly shut you lean back against the closed door and take a deep breath. These feelings are going to work you into a frenzy if you don’t get them under control. Scent sympathy is rare, an almost perfect match between an alpha and omega that makes every part of a relationship heightened, especially once that initial sympathetic bond is fulfilled with a claim. While they were gone you came to that conclusion slowly, the steady ache in your chest so clearly informed by the lack of them, but now that they’re back and here the realization of it collides into you full-force. 
You love them, that’s true. But what’s more is how much you need them, and how much you hope they need you. You can’t let them realize it before you have the chance to say everything you need to say, and if you had stayed in that room a few minutes more they might have felt themselves. With the dinner moved to Friday you just have one more night to get through. One more night, and one more day of work. And then the chips will fall where they may. 
With a deep breath you let the hammering of your heart slow and then you focus back on the work ahead. The more you pour yourself into work the faster these 24 hours will go, so you put your head down and get to it. 
You work for a long time, probably too long, until your muscles are positively aching and any thoughts of Yunho and Mingi are drowned out by lyrics to the chorus of this song that just keeps looping in your mind as you try different patterns of footwork. Here in this bubble you don’t know who’s still at work, who’s left for the day, what time it is, or if the sun has set yet. You just know your own body and every which way that it moves to this one singular song. 
Your hair is hot around your face, sweat clinging to your brow as you finish out the latter half of the choreography that you’re confident with. It’s fast, and includes so much up and down floor work you’re pretty sure you’d be passing out if you weren’t hydrating properly. Focused on your reflection in the mirror you gather your hair up and away and into a knot and then move to find your towel and water bottle. 
The door to the studio opens behind you, and you glance back without really seeing who’s popping in, “Hey,” 
For a split second it occurs to you that it might be Yunho or Mingi and your stomach flips as you start to turn. 
“Hey, y/n,” Minseok’s voice is a bit of a surprise. 
“Oh, hey,” 
He looks like he’s just stopping by to grab something from the far desk in the corner. You’re honestly surprised that he’s still here, he had looked on his way out earlier when you bumped into him in the hall.  
“Are you heading out for the night?” You take a drink of water and catch your breath, leaning against the mirrored wall behind you. 
“Soon,” He nods, running a hand through his dark hair and snagging a sweatshirt hanging over the back of the office chair. 
“Well,” You smile, “have a good night,” 
“You too,” He says as he walks past you, but then his steps slow and you hear him sigh before he turns on his heel, “listen, can I ask you something?” 
“Sure,” 
“I hope you don’t think this is weird,” He takes a few more steps back towards you, “but I’ve actually been meaning to ask you something for a while now,” 
“Oh,” Your eyebrows raise, and suddenly you can see everything in his expression. You know this look. You know the way men get when they finally rip off the bandage and change the equilibrium of a room, the moment they decide they can’t see you as just a friend. What absolutely terrible timing he has.
“I was thinking,” He says, a little pause before the rest and you hope you’re keeping your face nice and neutral, “do you think I could take you out some time?” 
“Out?” The word leaves you. 
He smiles, “Yeah, out, like a date.” 
“I appreciate that,” You shake your head a little, trying to smile and keep things light, “but I don’t think so,” 
His lip quirks and his nose scrunches and you suppose that if you were interested you might find this part of him charming, but you’re not, so it isn’t. “Are you seeing someone?” He asks. 
“No,” You tell him honestly, “not right now.”
“So, I can’t get you to give me one chance?” He takes a step forwards, gesturing between you both and keeping his gaze hopeful. 
“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” You shake your head, “we work together.” 
“Oh, it’s fine,” He assures you, brushing past the boundary you tried to set with casual indifference, “don’t worry about that.” 
“Still,” You shake your head, “but thank you for asking.” 
You’re not at all thankful for him asking, but he’s nice enough, and it feels like the polite way to keep the status quo. 
“That’s a shame,” He admits, his smile dropping almost entirely, “are you sure I can’t convince you to give me just one chance? I really do like you, y/n,” 
“I’m sure,” That should be firm enough. 
“I thought we were getting along well,” He cuts off the end of your words, “becoming friends.” 
“I thought so too,” You straighten up off the wall behind you, tossing your towel over your shoulder and setting up to walk right out of the studio room if that’s what it would take to end this interaction, “I thought we were friends,” 
You can’t help but emphasize the word friends, and you watch the moment his expression drops more, annoyance flicking through his jaw. 
“I didn’t think you had such a problem seeing people you worked with,” He says pointedly. 
“Excuse me?” 
“It’s just that,” He shrugs, nodding towards you, “I didn’t think it bothered you. Considering.”
“Listen,” You lock eyes with him, “let it go. I’m trying to be nice about this, but I can be clearer. I am not interested in going out with you.” 
“You don’t have to be rude,” 
“Goodnight, Minseok,” You’re not staying for this. 
“I’m a good guy,” He says as you start towards the door, “don’t, come on just stay a second,” 
You keep walking. 
“y/n,” He says, his voice startlingly close behind you, “stay.” 
It’s like your legs stop working, an echoing strike of nerves down your spine and you stumble slightly as his hand closes around your wrist. 
“Let go of me.” You start to turn towards him, pulling your arm back as you do, but he speaks again. 
“Stop.” His voice is so low suddenly, situated smack in the center of his chest, a tenor you’ve never heard from him before. Your legs stop working all together, suddenly feeling like lead.
“Take your hands off me.” You blink hard, your head feeling a little full suddenly. 
“I just don’t understand,” He bites, “we’ve been flirting for weeks.” 
You can’t find the words to tell him that you being nice isn't flirting, but you’re stunned into silence. You can barely even think of a time when you had a sustained conversation with him where someone else wasn’t present. How could interactions that felt so routine to you feel so significant for him? 
“And you’re just… not interested?” He scoffs, “You’re what, twenty-six? Twenty-seven? You’re going to start running out of good offers.” 
So many things about Seo Minseok fall into place with just those words. The way that just a few weeks ago he barely looked at you, barely spoke to you. Always spending his attention on the alphas in the room around you, but never you. How when that tide shifted you thought, maybe naively, that he was just shy. But he’s not shy, not in the least. He’s just another alpha in a long line of alphas who look down their noses at omegas until there’s something they want from them. 
“That’s really none of your concern,” You shake your head, “now get the fuck off me.” 
“Be quiet.” His jaw sets hard. 
So does yours. 
A thousand thoughts run through your brain like a wildfire eating up a hillside of dry bark but nothing can make it past your lips. The tone of his voice has you rooted to the spot, his instructions not suggestions but strict commands. It’s been a long time since you’ve heard an alpha use tone, but it’s certainly the first time it’s been directed at you. You’ve heard stories, the way the primal omega brain surfaces even when you don’t want it to. You thought it was a bit of an overstatement, but now on the receiving end you can’t control your response to him and fear floods you. 
“You talk a lot for an unmated omega,” He looks disappointed. 
Something shrinks inside you. 
His fingers tighten, his body suddenly closer, “But we can fix that.” 
In a breath his hands push you backwards, your back suddenly cold against the mirrored wall of the practice room. Later, much later, you’ll discover that the reason your memory of this moment is patchy is a combination of your omega’s response to alpha tone and full dissociation. You’ll remember little pieces, quick sensations here and there. The same song still looping through the stereo, the sound of his deep inhale with his face pressed against your throat, the sharp pin pricks of his teeth as he seeks out the soft juncture of your neck and shoulder. The way your mind in one heaving breath both screams in rebellion and folds open in acceptance when he successfully locates your gland. 
You suddenly can’t hear right, can’t think right. All you know is his teeth. The hot feeling of breath. He smells like burnt, bitter oranges. He’s talking again, saying something that your conscious mind can’t register, but your omega does, and you stretch your neck long to give him the access he needs. 
And then you’re under. 
You’re dropping before you consciously register your brain entering a new, hazy middle space. It feels like being at the bottom of a deep pool, the sudden, immersive quiet. You understand that someone is talking to you, or around you, but all you can hear is the echoing tenor of an alpha, the words unclear, all cocooned in the water around you. 
There’s a bang somewhere but it feels far away, and you feel pin pricks against your throat. 
Minseok’s overwhelming acrid scent and heavy pressure against you is gone, the sudden loss of his weight leaving you off balance. You think you’re falling, or maybe you’ve already fallen. The world feels tilted, something hard and cold under your back. You smell something sharp and tangy, and there’s something loud in the room but you can’t understand it. Everything is white, bright and intrusive. 
Mingi’s face swims into your vision, and you feel his hands on your cheeks. It takes you a minute to understand anything, but he looks upset, stricken and his cheeks are tinged pink with panicked anger. You want to reach up, soothe his brow and see what’s wrong, but you can’t lift your hand. Don’t move an inch. 
“Jesus,” Mingi glances to his side, “he put her in subspace,” 
Someone responds, but it’s muffled to your ears. 
Mingi’s face darkens entirely, his hands leave you, “I’ll fucking kill him,” 
He’s gone. There’s a scuffle to your side, but you can’t turn your head, you want to, you just can’t. Tears bubble in your eyes, emotion pulsing through you and your breath is tight and thready in your throat. A sharp, whining sob bubbles from your lips. 
Warm rain swims through you, and Yunho’s there, sliding right into the spot Mingi left. His eyes dart over your face and then he looks to his side, his voice firm, “Calm down or get out of here, do you understand me? You’re scaring her,” 
There’s a long beat, noises to your side again but you can’t understand it. Your stomach flips nervously, the place you’re stuck in your head throbbing a sharp spike through your brain. 
Yunho’s warm, brown eyes settle back on yours, his face calm and easy, “Can you hear me, y/n?” 
You can, but you can’t make your mouth work. Don’t move an inch. 
“Can you hear me? y/n?” He asks again, his thumb brushing your cheek, “You’re safe, he’s not going to touch you again,” 
The hard feeling of Minseok’s hands on your hips pushing you into the practice room mirror snaps inside you and you release a soft sound. 
“You can hear me,” Yunho nods, “come on, wake up,” 
“Yunho,” Mingi’s voice is close again, hard and steady, “that’s not going to work,” 
“Why?” Yunho looks up to his friend, “she can hear me, she’s okay,” 
“She’s in subspace,” Mingi pushes his friend to the side, coming into your eye line, “she’s dropped so far under it’s going to take more than that,” 
“W-what do we do?” Yunho’s voice is shaky. 
“Let me try something,” Mingi murmurs, and then his eyes lock squarely on yours. 
Yunho slips his hand into yours, holding you tightly, but you can’t squeeze him back. 
“Omega,” Mingi’s voice is firm, and it’s the clearest thing you’ve heard since sinking under the water, “Come up now.” 
Don’t move an inch.
“You need to come up now,” His fingers tighten on your cheek, “listen to me.” 
Don’t move an inch. 
“Why isn’t this working?” Yunho asks, squeezing your fingers. 
“I’m not sure,” Mingi’s voice is low, and then he shifts closer to your face, “y/n. Omega. Listen to me now,” 
All you can do is manage to make a quiet, tight noise, and even to your muddled brain you can hear the tenor of distress. 
“Come up now,” Mingi repeats, “right now. Listen to me, omega.” 
You’re being torn in two, your primal brain fighting you every step of the way. 
He swallows hard, his voice dropping low in his chest, “Don’t disobey your alpha,”
Suddenly nothing but his voice exists. 
Mingi’s expression is cold, tight and ruthless, his rich tone cuts straight to your core, “When you’re given a directive, you follow it. Now,” He locks his hands on either side of your face and his next words are a pointed and perfectly clear command, “Come. Up.”  
The room is so much louder than you thought a moment ago. There’s shouting outside and you vaguely register San’s voice amongst the mix. The music from practice is still on low. Yunho’s leg is bouncing nervously, the athletic fabric making a rhythmic swish with every bob of his knee. You can hear your blood rushing in your ears. 
“I’m sorry,” You choke out, the first feeling that floods back into your body is intense shame.
“Oh my god,” Mingi’s expression crumbles and he pulls your limp body into his arms “you’re here? You’re with us?”
“M-Mingi,” Your vision clouds with tears again and every feeling that tried to course through your body while you were in subdrop crashes into you sideways.
“Shh,” He rocks you in his arms, “we’ve got you, we’re right here, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,”
A dull throb radiates through your skull and Yunho takes a sharp inhale, “She’s bleeding,”
“What?” Mingi pulls back, his hand searching your body.
“Here,” Yunho brushes the back of your hair, his fingers coming away with a small line of blood, “it’s not too bad,”
“What happened?” You reach for the cut at the back of your head, nervous tears coming up as you try to understand.
“You don’t remember?” Yunho asks.
“I’m,” You swallow hard, “it was practice? Or I was practicing? I had the room booked.”
“Yeah,” Yunho nods and squeezes your hand, “what else?”
The date. The hard set of Minseok’s jaw when you said no. His hands on your hips, his lips on your neck, the soft drag of his teeth and the flat of his tongue over your gland. Your shirt tearing when he hauled you up against the mirrors. Hands everywhere. Hands nowhere. The white ceiling. His voice, harsh and direct in your ears, the alpha tone unmistakable. Submit. Heel. Don’t move an inch. 
Your mouth is suddenly hot and watery, and your hands are shaking, “I’m… I’m going to be sick,”
“Shit,” Yunho moves fast, sliding across the floor to grab the wastebasket that sits under the desk, pushing it into your hands. 
You wretch instantly, shaking and heaving, losing the contents of your stomach into the plastic bin. 
“Okay,” Mingi soothes, gathering up your hair into one hand and holding it away from your face, “you’re okay,”
“He touched me,” Your hands won’t stop shaking, his voice flooding back, and you heave again, “the things he said,”
“Shh,” Yunho shifts closer, rubbing a hand up and down your back, “you’re safe. None of that is true,” 
“He talked to me like a dog,” You sob, “and I couldn’t move, he told me not to move and I just let him,”
“No.” Mingi’s voice is harsh and you twitch under his hands, “He used alpha tone on you, he wanted you to stop fighting and he said it in tone until you couldn’t hear anything else. You didn’t let him do anything,” 
“I’ve never,” You wretch again, a dry heave with nothing to give and it makes your eyes watery. 
“We’re right here,” Yunho murmurs, “you’re safe.”
When you’re sure your stomach will hold, you push the wastebasket away and drop back to the floor, your head throbbing, “I’ve never been in subspace,”
“You’re not there now,” Mingi soothes.
“I don’t remember,” You manage, looking down at your mussed clothes, “it’s so muddled I can’t remember,”
“What can’t you remember?” Yunho asks softly.
You’re pretty sure you’d register it if his attempt at claiming had been successful, if the word attempt should even be in consideration at all, but the end is so fuzzy you just have to know. “Did he… did we?”
“No.” Yunho’s firm, sliding in front of you so he can make you look into his eyes, “absolutely not,”
Your mouth tastes terrible, but it’s the overwhelming bitter smell of him on you that doubles it and makes you want to throw up again even though your stomach is empty. 
“All I can smell is him,” You scrub your hands under your eyes to wipe away tears, “I can’t even breathe,”
“Take her,” Mingi says, “I’m getting water,”
Yunho pulls you into his arms, sitting back against the mirrored wall for some support and cradling you to his chest, “Come here, is this okay?” 
“Make it go away,” You hold onto his shirt and sigh into his neck, “please, Yunho, please,”
“Just breathe,” He soothes you, “I have you,” 
He smooths his thumbs over the glands in your wrists, easing the initial panic inside you, and then gently draws your head back with his hand, “It’s only me,” He murmurs, “you know I’d never hurt you,” 
Yunho licks a long stripe up your neck, and instantly your body starts to release, tense muscles unlocking and your fingers falling slack. His scent washes over you, enveloping you tenderly. 
“Y-Yunho,” you shudder as he licks another long stripe, moving to suck softly on the fleshy part of your neck that narrowly avoided teeth marks.
“Yes?” He kisses your neck softly, and licks again. 
“Thank you for coming for me,” You exhale slowly.
He stills, sinking closer and resting his closed lips on your shoulder. When he breathes in you hear the catch of emotion, “I thought we were too late,”
“I’m okay,” You murmur, and it’s starting to feel true now that he’s washing away Minseok’s scent.
“God,” He sighs into your skin, “when I heard you scream… I’ve never heard anything that terrifying in my life, I’ve never run so fast,”
“Did I scream?” You don’t remember it.
“Bloody murder,” He nods, pulling back to look at your eyes.
“Yunho,” Your eyes flick up towards the open door of the practice studio, “where is he?”
His hands tighten on you, “Probably nursing his broken ribs. The guys have him,”
Your eyes widen, and the realization that he’s still under the same roof has you trembling in his arms, “He’s still here,”
“Not for long,” He murmurs, “we called the police,”
“But,” Your mind is spinning and you feel the weight of him on your chest once more, “what if he comes back?”
“y/n,” Yunho draws your eyes away from the door, “San and Seonghwa have him, and he’s in rough shape. He’s probably focused on trying to breathe, not thinking about you anymore. And even if none of that were true and he did come back,” he says, “I’d put him on the floor faster than you could blink. Mingi and I both would.”
Your muscles start to relax again, “Okay,”
“You are completely safe,”
Mingi reappears a few moments later, bottles of water in hand, and he smiles warmly, “Hey, you,”
“Hey,”
“Feeling a little better?” He asks, settling on the hard practice room floor and passing you an open bottle.
“I don’t know,” You murmur honestly, shifting in Yunho’s arms so that you’re resting on his lap with your back against his chest. You take a long drink of water and sigh. 
“Listen,” Mingi smooths a hand across your thigh, “the police are going to want to talk to you. They’ll be here within the hour and then we’ll go to the hospital.”
“Why?” You tense.
“Your head,” He nods.
“It’s stopped bleeding,” Yunho assures you, “but he’s right, you could have a concussion.”
“I don’t have a concussion,”
“I didn’t realize you had a medical degree,” Mingi says, a little edge to his voice.
Hot tears well in your eyes at his tone, and you shrink back into Yunho’s arms. You know rationally he didn’t mean to scare you, he’s just worried about you, but after the day you’ve had you can’t help but shrink back in fear.  
“Hey,” Yunho presses his lips to your neck, “it’s alright, Mingi didn’t mean it like that”
Mingi’s eyes blow wide, “Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything,”
“I know,” You tip your head to the side to offer more of your throat to Yunho’s soothing touches, “I’m just not myself,”
“It’s okay,” Yunho says again, returning to your neck and peppering kisses across your gland, and something about this should feel intimate and awkward when you haven’t talked to them yet, but all you can feel is safe.
“Really,” Mingi reaches for you, but doesn’t touch you, “I just want you to let us help, and I’m so angry with Minseok I could kill him, but I didn’t mean to put that on you,”
“Mingi,” You take his outstretched hand, “I’m okay, you just startled me, and you’re right anyways. I’ll come to the hospital,”
He sighs in relief.
“After,” Yunho murmurs, “would you - I mean, will you please come home with us tonight?”
It’s strange how much you feel like it is home, despite only spending your heat there, months ago, so long ago now you shouldn’t still feel this preternatural pull. 
“I don’t know,” You say, even though your body is begging you to agree, to stay with them and only them. 
“I know it’s been different between us,” He murmurs, arms tightening around you, “but you know how I feel. I just don’t want you to be alone tonight, someone should be with you,” 
“Someone you feel safe with,” Mingi adds, “if that’s us,” 
“It is,” You lock your hand down on Mingi’s, “I’m sorry, this is… of course you’re safe, of course you are. I’m just,” 
“Let’s talk about this later,” Mingi smiles, shooting a look at Yunho you can’t quite make sense of, but brushing your fears to the side all the same, “for now, let’s just get you taken care of.” 
You shudder out a breath, letting the warmth and safety of their bodies sink into you. You turn into Yunho, resting your cheek on his chest and matching your breath in time to his. Your thoughts spin, bubbling over as threads of the incident come back to your mind and you press your eyes closed before the question slips out, “Why did he do it?” 
Yunho wraps his arms around you a little tighter, dropping his lips to your hair, “I don’t know,” 
Mingi clears his throat, “He’s about to hit his rut,” he says, “that’s what his excuse was. He said he’s… he kept saying how sorry he was, but,” 
Your eyes snap open, “Sorry? He’s sorry?” 
“Sorry someone interrupted him, maybe,” Mingi’s voice is hard, his eyes firm and unrelenting, “a rut doesn’t make you do that. Not like that.” 
Yunho shakes his head in agreement, “Definitely not,” 
You know that, of course you know it, but after seeing Minseok’s black eyes you’re not so sure. You had never felt completely comfortable with him, but in the past you would have chalked that up to personality differences, and in the past few weeks that had all started to change. He was the kind of guy you wouldn’t date, but you wouldn’t worry about bothering you. 
You sigh softly, “He didn’t seem like himself,” 
“Mm,” Mingi hums, non-committal. 
“A rut doesn’t make it impossible to hear the word no,” Yunho says firmly, “you don’t become some mindless animal. What he tried to do… that’s… a rut’s an easy excuse.” 
You tense up in his arms, a brief flicker of what could have been. His teeth in your neck, your mind spinning into submission. 
“Yunho,” Mingi shakes his head at his best friend, glancing down at you to indicate that it’s not something you can hear right now. 
“I’m sorry,” Yunho soothes, holding you closer if it’s at all possible. 
Your chest tightens, “Can I… I need to get up,” 
His arms relax immediately, hands shifting under your elbows to help support you while Mingi jumps up and offers you his hands to pull you up. Back on your own two feet you waver a minute, but you shake off the dizzy spell and try to get your bearings again. They're waiting on a razor’s edge, hands out and ready to intervene, but you’ve made it clear that for the moment you don’t want to be touched. 
A shout from the hall leaves you jumping, but you register Wooyoung’s voice a moment later, “Where is she?” 
“The studio,” San’s voice replies, “slow down,” 
“Is he in the back office? Give me a fucking minute alone with him,” Wooyoung’s voice is murderous and you smile at how ready your best friend sounds to do battle on your behalf, “I’ll show him what an omega can fucking do,” 
“Youngie,” San’s voice is even and warm, keeping things soft, “you need to calm down,” 
“Calm down,” He scoffs, his voice getting closer as he travels down the hall and you know he’s almost at the door. 
“I hardly think y/n needs,” San starts to say, but then they round the corner. 
Wooyoung’s eyes are wild, searching and terrified, and something inside you shatters. San’s words die on his lips when he sees you, and in a startling moment of clarity you rush forwards and into Wooyoung’s arms. 
“Shh, shh,” He wraps you up tight, one hand at the back of your head as he rocks you back and forth, “you’re safe, you’re in one piece,” 
“Woo,” Tears come fast, and you bury your face in his chest. 
“Stupid fucking alphas,” He curses into your shoulder and you can hear his breath hitched and clouded with tears of his own, “acting like they can take whatever they want,” 
You’re sure the rest of the room is bristling at that comment but you couldn’t care less. 
“You want me to break the rest of his ribs?” He kisses your head, “I’ll make it look like a fucking accident, I swear to God,” 
“Woo,” You laugh into his chest, vision blurry with unshed tears, “stop, that’s insane,” 
“I am nothing if not a little insane,” Wooyoung squeezes you, “and you and me? We protect each other, right?” 
“Always,” You grip the back of his shirt like a lifeline. 
The bond between omegas can’t be understood by a single other person in the room, maybe even in the building. You cling to each other in the middle of the studio floor, encased in this moment of shared grief. Of what you are and what that means. He shifts you in his arms so he can look at your face, cupping your tear stained cheeks. 
The sight of his own tears makes yours come faster, “What did I do?” 
His expression hardens and he shakes his head, sucking in a harsh breath, “Nothing, not a single fucking thing. Do you hear me?” 
“Woo,” You want him to let you go. You want him to tug you close again. 
He shakes your shoulders hard, and in your periphery you see Mingi take a half step forward as Wooyoung pushes back on your words, “You didn’t do anything. You’re existing, and he tried to take advantage of that. This isn’t your fault, there’s nothing you could have or should have done.” 
You open your mouth to say something but he plows forward. 
“Alphas take, alright?” He shakes you again, more gently this time, “We’re lucky. You and me, we found good ones, but alphas are programmed to take, and we’re programmed to give. He used it against you. Nothing else.”
Your breath hitches, and you launch yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his neck and letting him cradle you again. 
“Shh, shh,” He rubs your back, soothing you again. 
“I hate this,” You manage, your face buried in his shoulder. 
“I know,” He eases you, “I fucking hate it too,” 
You hold each other a little longer until both of your tears start to subside. You stay steady in his grip, his fresh salt and cotton scent lulling you into safety. The buzzing of your brain starts to release, and the fear is still there under your skin but at least for now it’s low and letting you breathe. 
Nuzzling into his shoulder you sigh, “What are you doing back here anyways?” 
“San called,” He kisses your hair, “I broke several laws getting here,” 
You laugh against his collarbone where his oversized t-shirt is pulled down, no doubt from the way your hands grip whatever part of him you can. 
He rubs a warm hand up and down your back and when he speaks again it’s not to you, this time he addresses the alphas in the room. He clears his throat softly, head lifting up and away from yours, “So, who busted his nose?” 
“Uh,” Yunho makes a small sound behind you, “that would be me,” 
“Good,” Wooyoung says, “when she stops crying I’m giving you a handshake,” 
You smile against his damp skin and shake your head, “I’m not crying, I’m fine,” 
“Sure,” Wooyoung murmurs, but he doesn’t let you go, just strokes your back more until you settle further into him. 
“The police will be here soon,” San murmurs, his voice staying relaxed and steady to make sure everything stays level in the room. 
“Right,” Wooyoung sighs, “y/n, can I let you go? I don't have to if you’re not ready,” 
You nod immediately though, unwinding your arms from him and taking a ginger step back. He gives you a soft smile, and you scrub the last of the tears from your face with the sleeves of your sweatshirt. He gives you a minute to stand steady and then turns to Yunho and Mingi who both look frozen and unsure of what to do or what to say. 
“You both got him off her?” He says, matter of fact. 
“Yeah,” Mingi’s voice is tight, like he had been choking back tears of his own, and Yunho simply nods. 
“Thank you,” Wooyoung tugs Mingi into a hug and squeezes him tight before shifting to Yunho to hug him too, “seriously,” 
Once they break apart, you’re left all in a haphazard circle, and you can feel all the eyes on you. It makes you so tired, dizzy, ready to be done and just crawl under a blanket for the rest of the week. In the back of your throat you still taste bitter orange. 
“Um,” Your voice comes out a little more scratchy than you want, and you clear your throat, letting everything fade. 
“What is it?” Yunho asks gently. 
You don’t know how to ask this, how to beg them to keep holding you together so you can just get through existing in this room. You sigh, the deep exhale making you dizzy again, and step towards him, “C-can I,” 
He opens his arms immediately, letting you close the space so he doesn’t assume your needs, but as you collide with him again he responds perfectly, scooping you up into his arms and letting you wrap your legs around his waist. He supports you with ease, an arm under your thighs and another situated high on your back. 
“Better?” He murmurs, smiling a little as you bury your head in his neck. 
You nod into his neck, and then you allow yourself one tiny moment of weakness, listening to your body and what it needs for once over your anxiety. You mumble it into his neck, but he hears you when you say, “Yunho?” 
“Yeah, baby?” His voice is so soft, quiet like he’s afraid of what you might say. 
You don’t miss the way Wooyoung’s eyebrows go high at the endearment, but you ignore him and focus instead on the man holding you up, together, in one solid piece. You lift your head so he hears you clearly, “Will you please take me home?” 
He goes still and turns his head just a little, “Your apartment or,” 
“Take me home with you,” You repeat, “I want to go home,” 
This will surely just make everything more muddled and foggy between the three of you tomorrow in the cold light of day, but you don’t care. Right now you just want to be home, in whatever form that means. 
He exhales low and shaky, “Alright,” he murmurs, kissing your throat softly to help calm your trembling, “I’ve got you, let’s go home,” 
A warm wide palm rests on the center of your back, and Mingi leans in close to catch your eyes, “y/n, can you look at me a second?” 
You pull your head up from the crook of Yunho’s neck where you’ve just been taking deep steady inhales of wet earth and meet his eyes. 
“Hey,” He smiles. 
Your eyes dart between him and Wooyoung, who seems suddenly ancy. “What?” You straighten up a little more in Yunho’s arms. 
“You can go wherever you want,” He starts off, “but do you want us to take you home, or would you feel more comfortable with Wooyoung? Or… Seonghwa, if… if that would be better for how you’re feeling,” 
Yunho tenses a little, his fingers tightening where he holds you, and you can feel him physically holding himself back from saying a single word, from begging you to come with them. 
You’ve made up your mind though, and within a second you’re shaking your head, “No, I want you,” 
Yunho relaxes, his lips returning to your throat and you sigh. 
“Then you have us,” Mingi assures you. 
The sound of the elevators in the hall stop you all cold though, and San holds up his hands, “I’ll go see, it’s probably the police,” 
The idea of talking to them suddenly makes you sick, and you’re sure it shows all over your face. 
“It’s going to be fine,” Wooyoung jumps back in, “don’t worry, we’ll be there the whole time.” 
You need this to be done. You grip down on Yunho’s shoulders, “I want to go home,” 
“I know,” Mingi nods. 
“Y-Yunho,” You’re scrambling a little in his arms, sudden panic swirling in your gut, and you twist to find his eyes, “please, get me out of here, please take me home,” 
You feel it the minute he chooses you over anything else, “Okay, alright,” 
“You need to talk to the cops,” Wooyoung shakes his head, trying to reason with you. 
You’re trembling in Yunho’s arms and he shakes his head, “She needs to go,” 
Mingi senses your heightened emotions too and you feel it when he moves closer, both of them shifting to protect you, “She can do this later,” 
“I don’t know that that’s such a good idea,” Wooyoung insists. 
“I couldn’t give a fuck,” Yunho grips you tighter, “we’re taking our girl home,” 
“Your-” Wooyoung scoffs when he hears the words, “fucking alphas,” 
“Who she wants to take her home,” Mingi points out, a distinct edge to his voice. 
“Stop arguing,” You beg them, hanging onto Yunho’s shoulders, “please, please,” 
“Fuck,” Yunho relaxes, stroking your back, “I’m sorry, of course we won’t, I’m sorry,” 
Mingi brushes his hand over the back of your head and Wooyoung gives you an apologetic face, his defensiveness over you is understandable, but he also knows how you feel about these men and you watch him choose to hold his tongue. 
A knock on the door brings you all back to the present, San handling the situation with more grace than any of you combined, “The police said that they can speak with you at the hospital and make it brief.” 
You exhale heavily and nod against Yunho, “Okay, fine,” 
“Are you sure?” Mingi strokes your cheek. 
“I just want to be done,” 
“Should we stay with you?” Yunho murmurs. 
“Please,” You grip his shoulders. 
“Alright,” He sighs, “Woo, could you… I’m sorry, can you grab her things? Let’s just try to make this quick for her,” 
Wooyoung clears his throat, his eyes never leaving yours, “Yeah, I got it,” 
“Uh,” San interrupts as you all try to gather your things, “Yunho, they want to talk to you first, they’re waiting in the back office,” 
“Oh,” 
“They have some questions,” San explains quietly, “but she she doesn’t need to be there for that,” 
“Right,” Yunho nods and then presses a kiss to your hair, “can I put you down, sweetheart?” 
Your chest warms. 
“No, here,” Mingi cuts in, his hand sweeping over your back and you feel them shift you from Yunho’s arms to his, “come here,” 
He settles you against his chest and you wrap around him just the same, soaking in the warm scent of cocoa and cinnamon. You let your eyes drift shut as you rest on his shoulder, “Hey, Mingi,” 
“Hey,” He says softly. 
“Thank you,” You sigh. 
“Mhm,” He rocks you a little as he takes your bags from Wooyoung and slings them over his shoulder, the combined weight of it and you not fazing him at all, “I told you once I’ll always be here, I meant it,” 
“I believe you,” You murmur into his throat. 
You rest here, Mingi’s thumb rubbing a comforting line over the back of your neck. 
“Time to go,” Wooyoung’s voice pipes back in, “there’s a car ready, Yunho will be there in a a few minutes,” 
“Alright,” Mingi presses a soft kiss to your hair, “here we go,” 
He carries you with ease, and you sink into the steady thump of his heart under your palm that’s keeping you grounded. Over his shoulder you watch Wooyoung walking with you and you see police officers down the hall. The door to the back office swings open and Yunho is leaning against the desk as he speaks with an officer. Seonghwa sits in a chair next to him, his head in his hands, blood coating his knuckles and the sleeves of his shirt. Something pulls in your gut, begging you to go to him, but then you’re outside and all you can feel is Mingi holding you as he ferries you into the car. 
“Do you need anything?” He asks as he settles you into the passenger seat 
“I don’t know,” You tell him honestly, letting your head drop back against the seat and taking a deep breath, eyes slipping closed. 
“Don’t fall asleep,” Wooyoung jumps forward, “keep your eyes open,” 
“I’m fine,” You tell him, but you still do what he asks. 
“Just in case,” Wooyoung presses, “you shouldn’t fuck with head injuries,” 
“He’s right,” Mingi murmurs, crouching next to you just outside the car, “and I’m sure you’re fine, but let’s just be sure, okay?” 
“Okay,” 
  A noise just past the two of them makes you jump. 
“It’s just Sannie,” Wooyoung assures you. 
You nod and Mingi takes your hand in his, lacing your fingers together. 
“Yunho’s almost done,” San announces, but he hurries to the car and leans in to check you, “doing okay?” 
“Yeah,” 
“Can you do something for me?” He cups your cheek to bring your eyes up to his. 
“Mhm,” You nod again. 
“I need you to just focus on us for a minute,” He moves to crouch next to Mingi, and then Wooyoung steps closer too, blocking out some of your peripheral vision. 
“Why?” You fight the urge to turn around. 
Red and blue lights flash in the car mirrors and you reflexively glance up at the rear view mirror, catching sight of an ambulance, and tension fills your stomach. 
San reaches up and catches your face again, “Hey, look at me,” 
You pull your eyes away, “Are they here for him?” 
“Yes,” San nods.
“Is he badly hurt?” Your mouth feels dry. 
There’s a pause and then Wooyoung sighs, “Don’t lie to her,” 
Mingi clears his throat softly, “He’s pretty busted up,” 
“Good,” You breathe. 
San smiles, taking your other hand in his and smoothing his thumb over your knuckles. The sound of the doors catches your attention again, and you resist the urge to turn around once again. San shakes his head a little, “Just keep looking at us,” 
“He really picked the wrong person to fuck with,” Wooyoung says, his hand resting warmly on your shoulder. 
An image of Seonghwa and his bloody knuckles flashes through your mind and your breath quickens, “Is Hwa okay?” 
Mingi’s brows draw together. 
“He’s fine,” San assures you immediately. 
“I saw blood,” You can’t articulate it exactly, the image is just static in your mind. 
“It’s not his blood,” San promises, “we’re all fine, Seonghwa is fine,” 
The sound of the ambulance doors swinging shut makes you jump. 
“Shh,” Mingi squeezes your hand, “you’re safe, you’re with me,” 
Everything in your body feels tense and stretched thin, but Mingi’s hand is solid in yours and you grip down on it, letting it tether you. 
You listen as the ambulance pulls away, your muscles unclenching one by one as the sound of the vehicle fades. 
“Woo,” You manage, “can you check on Hwa for me? And text me?” 
“Yeah,” He assures you, “I got you,” 
“Take a deep breath,” Mingi instructs you, “please, for me,” 
You take a long inhale and meet his eyes and he nods as you let the breath out low and slow through your nose. 
“Again, please,” He nods. 
You breathe again, the same steady pace, “I’m tired,” 
“It’s the adrenaline wearing off,” Mingi tells you, “but as soon as a doctor says you can sleep, you can rest,” 
“Okay,” You nod. 
San’s hand disconnects from yours and he starts to stand, “Yunho’s done,” 
You twist in your seat to see him, Wooyoung stepping out of the way, and you can see Yunho jogging towards the car, “Everything okay?” 
“Mhm,” Mingi keeps himself calm for you. 
“That took forever,” He says, “I’m sorry,” 
“It didn’t,” You shake your head, “don’t be sorry,” 
“You should go,” Wooyoung interrupts, “get her looked at,” 
You find your best friend’s eyes, “You’ll text me?” 
“Of course I will,” He nods, “but right now just focus on yourself. We’re all okay,” 
You nod, and your eyes feel heavy again already. You know they’ll be trying to keep you awake in the car at this rate. 
“Let’s go,” Mingi nods, “can I have my hand back for a minute?” He smiles at you. 
“Sorry,” You drop his hand, almost embarrassed at the way you’re clinging to him. 
“Go,” San ushers Yunho towards the driver’s side, “if you need anything, we’re here,” 
Before you know it everyone’s moving and your car door is shut. Yunho slides into the driver’s seat to your left and Mingi moves into the backseat behind you. 
You meet Wooyoung’s eyes through the window and he rests a hand over his chest. He mouths a simple message - I love you, okay?
You nod and the car starts to move, but you know he knows you love him too. 
Mingi shifts forwards in his seat as Yunho starts to drive, and his long arm reaches around to find your hand again. He laces your fingers together once and this time he doesn’t let go. 
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Later that night, the warm, rich scent of their apartment almost takes you out at the knees when you finally cross the threshold, so overwhelmingly comforting and enveloping that you want nothing more than to bury yourself inside the feeling for days. Mingi nearly runs into your back when you stop short in the entryway and Yunho’s watching you carefully as he hangs up your jackets. 
“What?” Mingi nudges you gently. 
There’s a million things to say. Things left unsaid after your last conversation, that fight you wish you could forget. The letter. All the things you were planning on confessing Saturday. The way you want so badly to erase today and just be with them. Every ounce of their soothing physicality after Minseok brings all your emotions up tenfold. Their tenderness almost chokes you. All the things you want to say are stuck in your throat. You need to get your head on straight. You need sleep. 
“Hey,” Yunho waves a hand in front of your dazed expression, “are you alright?” 
Not really. The hospital was long and awkward, seeing a glimpse of Minseok’s name on a hospital room door even worse, and the police had so many questions that all sounded fairly judgemental. Not to mention the probing questions from the hospital staff about your cycle and if you’re close to pre-heat. As if that matters at all. You settle for something a little less dire though, “I’m fine, sorry, it’s just been a while,” 
Yunho’s ears darken to a deep shade of pink and he nods. 
“You can sleep in my room,” Mingi offers, “like before. We can stay or not stay, it’s up to you.” 
“I’d like to be alone,” You tell them, “if that’s alright,” 
“Of course,” Mingi smooths a hand down your arm, “whatever you want.” 
“Um,” You sigh heavily, “honestly I’m exhausted. I think I might just shower and sleep as long as you don’t mind,” 
Yunho shakes his head, gesturing towards the hall, “Not at all, just… call if you need anything,” 
You start back towards the bathroom, your eyes down and away from them, but Mingi calls out, “You remember where everything is?” 
There’s no way you could forget, and you call back that you’re fine. You got it. You just need to be alone, alone is good, alone feels safe. 
In the shower you scrub your skin raw, spending extra time and attention on your glands even though it makes your skin there puffy and red, pinpricks of blood at the surface of your skin and lilac bruises surrounding every edge. It doesn’t matter how comforting their scents are, nothing is taking away the deep intent of Minseok’s mouth on your neck - and the bitter, burnt citrus smell takes ages to wash away. By the time you finish, you’re about ready to collapse. 
Mingi leaves you clothes again, folded neatly on his bed and ready for you. They’re nowhere to be seen, taking your plea for time alone seriously. He’s laid out a clean pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt, both fresh from the wash. The hoodie you had stolen during your heat lies next to it, and it’s a kind gesture, but suddenly you don’t want it. You want nothing. 
You toss the hoodie to the side and start to climb into the bed, but that smells so heavily of cinnamon spice that you can’t think straight. You had just gotten used to blissfully smelling nothing after your shower, and so you strip the bed entirely, discarding all of the pillows and blankets and sheets into the farthest corner of the room. 
The mattress is bare now, but once you turn the circulating fan off you fix the issue of the cold and his scent washing over you every time you try to close your eyes. You can still sense him, sense them, somewhere in the background, but here on the stripped bed in sterilized clothes with your skin rubbed raw, you can rest. 
You drift into sleep this way, your head clear. 
It doesn’t stay that way for long. 
You’re not sure how long you’re asleep before you wake in abject terror, but it must be at least a couple of hours with the sky outside pitch dark and the apartment completely quiet around you. It’s obvious you’re the only one awake, but your brain can’t quite process it right. All you feel is shaking fear and the echo of hands pressing you into the wall, fingers in your hair yanking your head to the side, teeth grazing against your throat. 
You scramble back, only to find the edge of the bed and you collapse off of it, ending up on the wood floor with your head spinning, Mingi’s bedside table lamp crashing down after you, a harsh flash of light pulsing through the room as the bulb breaks and gives one final dying flicker. 
The pleading whine that’s caught in your throat sounds like a trapped animal to your ears, the pounding of your heart threatening to break your chest, blood rushing through your ears like a train. You can’t grasp reality, everything feels hazy and disconnected. 
The door to your right bangs open, Yunho bleary and confused, but responding to your heightened state of fear within a moment. “Mingi!” He calls over his shoulder, “Mingi, get up right now,” 
There’s a faraway faint noise from the other room. 
Yunho skids to your side, careful not to touch you as he tries to meet your eyes in the dark, “Sweetheart, it’s just a nightmare.” 
Part of you knows that you’re awake, safe and home, and not trapped in subspace with a threatening hand in your hair, but you can’t quite grip back to reality. You stutter out a reply, “I-I can’t breathe,” 
“Mingi,” Yunho calls back over his shoulder again, “right now!”
“Please,” you whimper, part of your brain still lodged in the nightmare, “I can’t breathe,” Your hands cling onto the edge of the rug.
Mingi stumbles into the room now, half asleep but forced into consciousness and he’s shaking himself, catching up quickly, “What’s going on?” 
You hear him, but your body is stuck remembering and you feel like there’s a weight on your chest, pressing you down harder, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,” you stutter. 
“Sweetheart,” Yunho comes closer now, his body curling around you carefully with his face directly at your side, “it’s a nightmare, you’re safe.” His arms loop around you gently, but stay open in case you need to move.
“I can’t,” you shake your head, images swimming before you. 
“You’re not there,” he tells you, “we’re home, you’re with us, me and Mingi,” 
You wheeze, trying to regulate your breath. 
“Get a light,” Yunho pleads suddenly to the dark room, and you can hear scrambling, “she can’t see where she is, get a light on.” 
Mingi trips over the discarded lamp on the floor, and fumbles back to the lightswitch on the wall near the door, searching for it with his hands but reluctant to tear his eyes away from you. Suddenly the room floods with the overhead light, a stark fluorescent glow, and the black spots across your vision start to clear.
“I have you, I have you,” Yunho repeats, holding you to him. 
Your hand searches blindly for Mingi on the other side of you and he collapses next to you both, taking your hand and moving in to cradle you from the opposite side, “Baby,” he murmurs, “look around, look where you are,” 
Yunho’s hand on your thigh grounds you, and then Mingi softly touches your jaw to draw your gaze to him, “Look at me,” 
Your eyes flick up. He looks tired, exhausted even, his hair a wayward haystack. You blink hard, “What happened to you?” 
“To me?” Mingi’s brow furrows and he glances up past you to Yunho. 
“You need sleep,” You manage. 
Mingi laughs sharply and cups your cheeks, “I’ll sleep later. Can you tell me where you are?” 
“Your place,” You manage, and you feel the nightmare receding back into your mind inch by precious inch, your breath steadying out. 
“Yeah,” He sighs, “Yeah, that’s right,” 
“I’m home with you,” You repeat, your fingers sinking into the plush rug beneath you. 
Yunho swallows hard, fixated on the way you’ve called their apartment home, not their home, for the third time tonight. You watch the flicker of recognition in his eyes, but he lets it pass and so do you. 
Tears well up in your eyes again and you sigh, “I’m sorry about your lamp,” 
“What?” Mingi’s brow furrows, “Who cares about that?” 
“Still,” You manage, “I’m such a mess right now,” 
“If you weren’t a mess I’d be more worried,” Yunho takes your hand in his, squeezing your fingers, “and you can take all the time you need to be a mess, we’re here.” 
You slump forwards onto his shoulder, “I’m… so tired,” 
“Let’s get you back to bed,” Yunho soothes, his voice soft. 
You nod, letting them both ease you up to your feet, but when they turn to the bed Mingi makes a soft, confused noise, “Where?” 
“Oh,” You gesture towards the corner where all his bedding is wrapped up in a ball, “I’m sorry I was just… it was too much,” 
Mingi’s jaw tightens, the muscles in his neck jumping as he swallows hard, and you know he’s holding down so much anger, that someone could have scared you enough that any alpha’s scent became overwhelming, that your fear might extend even to them. 
“Okay,” Yunho cuts in easily, “whatever you want,” 
He eases you back onto the mattress, but the idea that they might be gone again strikes a deep lance of panic through your stomach and you grasp his arm, “Don’t go,” 
“Are you sure?” He murmurs. 
“Please,” You insist, tugging his arm again. 
He eases down beside you, and Mingi crosses to the opposite side of the bed so he can follow suit, sidling up to your back but careful not to touch you until you make it clear that you want him to. You fold your arm underneath your head and rest yourself down, and when your hair shifts off your neck you hear Yunho’s sharp intake of breath at the sight of your tender gland. 
“Baby, what,” He reaches for you, fingertips hovering, “sweetheart, what did you do?” 
“I’m fine,” You murmur but when you feel fingers gently coast over the raw skin you hiss sharply in pain and both their hands pull back. 
“y/n,” Mingi’s voice is low, shaky, and he scoops up your arm to check your wrists, finding them as swollen and bruised, “oh my god,” 
“I know,” You murmur, letting your eyes drift shut. 
“This is not okay,” Mingi sounds pained, “you can’t hurt yourself like this,” 
“I’m okay, I promise,” 
“We could have helped,” Yunho insists, “we could have scented you again, both of us, or called Seonghwa, or something, anything,” 
“Seonghwa?” You start, but Mingi cuts you off as he pushes your hair further to the side to see more of your neck. 
He makes a tight noise with his tongue against his teeth, “These look tender, Yunho’s right,” 
“You scented me plenty,” You shake your head, letting your hair fall back into place, “but I promise, I’m okay,” 
Mingi wraps his arms around you from behind, tucking you close to his chest and dropping his head onto yours, “You’re scaring me,” he confesses into your hair. 
“I know,” You murmur, “but I wasn’t trying to hurt myself,” 
“And now?” Yunho asks softly. 
“I’m a little better,” You pull him closer, “I was overwhelmed earlier and… even you both I didn’t want, but now? I feel safer, clearer,” 
Yunho kisses your forehead, letting his lips linger as you all get your emotions back in check, “Okay,”  
“Can we stay just like this?” You nuzzle into him, pulling Mingi in closer behind you until you’re snuggled up so tight you might overheat . 
“I’ll be wherever you want,” Mingi wraps his hand around yours and tucks them into your chest.
Yunho murmurs his agreement softly and you nod, letting their heat soak into your body and releasing your tense muscles bit by bit. You were supposed to tell them how you felt already, you need to get it out in the open before things get too blurry again, but right now you have to let it go. 
Silence stretches between the three of you, their breathing even and low, and you’re not sure if they’re asleep or awake when you make your quiet plea in the dark but in a whisper you beg them to never, ever let you go again. At least for tonight, they hold you fast.
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bonefall · 9 months
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Clan Culture: Familial Terms and the Mi/Ba System
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[ID: A brown tabby and a ginger tabby laying together]
A Clan is a large, extended family of cats, knit together by blood and mentorship. In Clanmew, a Clan directly translates to "Whole Family"-- Ulnyams, further divided into an individual cat's Gan (birth-kinships) and Nyams (created-kinships).
Because of the ancient cultural practice of Kitten Stealing and its modern-day replacement, the Queen's Rights, Clan cats have developed a surprisingly progressive view of adoption. There are many ways that couples incapable of producing their own biokits can find children to raise, leading to the Mi and Ba System.
The Mi is the primary parent of the kittens, the one who is the "legal" decider of the important choices regarding the children. The Ba is the secondary parent. These are not gendered; it does not matter who gives birth in this situation, if either of them even did.
Glossary:
Kin: Gan vs Nyams
Parents: The Mi/Ba System
Types of Love: Friendships, Mateships, In-Laws
Offspring and Siblings: Runt-ness, Litter Order
Gan Starter Set: Auncles, Cousins, Grandparents
Ancestors and Beyond
FAQ (Last Update: 10/5/23, Mi/Ba questions)
Kin: Gan vs Nyams
Blood relation is simply Gan. Historically, this would apply to the family of whoever raised you before you were apprentice-aged, the point where "Clan Loyalty" was supposed to set in. Gan includes everyone within three degrees of separation; Grandparents, auncles, and first cousins.
In a Clan, which is supposed to act as a whole family, Gan that "clots" can become a danger to the fabric of society. Mentorships serve an important purpose in "breaking" the coalition that Gan naturally creates, encouraging relationships outside of the bubble.
The rough Clanmew term for "nepotism" is Byykabrawk/Byykabraw/Byykabr-- the 3-stem verb for "Scab-forming."
Nyams in contrast is the relationships forged through life, and applying this term is a choice. Nyams is applied to most of your Gan, a good mentor, apprentices you remain close to after their graduation, and beloved friends.
Nyams is largely considered more important than Gan, both for the health of the Clan overall and for the ability to 'cut' bad Gan out of your family... but cats have their own stances on this. There are some that even argue that unchanging Gan is always above the conditional Nyams.
Keep your ears pricked for this mindset; it can be an indicator of deeper, more hidden beliefs.
Gan = Blood-kin
Nyams = Family-kin
Byykabrawk/Byykabraw/Byykabr = Scab-forming/Nepotism/Loyalty to one's blood over one's Clan
Parents: The Mi/Ba System
The one constant for all Clan kittens is that they are expected to have a Mi.
A "Mi" is a primary parent, the one that spends the most time in the nursery looking after the kitten. This is a non-gendered term; there are many reasons why a non-birthing parent may be the Mi of their litter. It also doesn't necessarily refer to whoever suckled the kittens.
There will be one Mi. To have multiple cats 'competing' over being a Mi is not considered a good or 'cute' thing, at best it means that one of the parents is unnecessarily shirking on supporting the Clan and their mate, and at worst, it means they're using their kittens as pawns in a domestic argument.
Two parents that, for some reason, have nearly equal time split between their kits will typically choose one parent to take 'Ba' for clarity.
In the case of a Mi who can't be responsible with their kits, such as if they become sick, die, or commit neglect or abuse, the Ba is socially expected to become the Mi. A terrible Mi can even be "evicted" from the nursery entirely, if they were particularly cruel to a child.
(BB!Rainflower is an example of a cat who earns this punishment.)
The "Ba" is a secondary parent, but still one that is actively involved in their child's life. Ba can also spend time in the nursery and take their duties a bit easier. In the case of polyamory, there can even be multiple Ba!
Mi Limit = JUST ONE.
Ba Limit = As many as you want.
A cat that spends no time with their children is not a Ba. To try and imply that a bioparent that did not raise their kids is a "Ba" is something that supporters of Thistle Law do in order to conflate Gan with Nyams.
The title can even be rejected entirely; as Bramblestar did to the Three, and Breezepelt eventually does to Crowfeather.
Relevant biological parents are given the same terms as wild animals that don't care for their young; Usually Mwaow, an egg-laying mother that deposits its eggs and leaves. Though, occasionally Wairre (a buck or boar that had access to several females) is used for "sires" specifically. Wairre is more derogatory than Mwaow.
"Honor Sire" is most often used for a cat that donated material for a pairing to have children, though due to the nature of the Queen's Rights, the true identity of these cats is usually kept secret. The word for them in Clanmew is Kurruaow, Honor-Egglayer.
(In English, Honor-Dam and Honor-Sire are sometimes used depending on if they gave birth or sired, but Clanmew has no distinction.)
An Honor Sire is not a Ba, nor a Mi. Do not use these terms for Honor Sires unless they are specifically co-parenting.
In the case of parents that can't provide milk to their kittens, they will often have a third person step in to nurse the kittens. This person is referred to as a 'suckler', Ssuow. In Clanmew it has a connotation of favor-giving, and can be used outside of parental contexts in that way. A sucklemate is called a Ssuwi.
A mentor, auncle, Educator, den-helper, or any other parental figure who you consider important to your development, yet was not a Mi or Ba, is called a Yyan. It is an honor to be someone's Yyan!
Mi = Primary parent
Ba = Secondary parent
Mwaow = Biological parent, egg-laying animal that doesn't care for its young, slightly derogatory
Wairre = Biological sire specifically, a reproductive buck or boar, very derogatory
Kurruaow = Honor Sire/Dam/Parent
Ssuow = Non-parent who nurses a kit; associated with doing a favor.
Ssuwi = Non-sibling sucklemate.
Yyan = Non-Mi/Ba parental figure.
FAQ on the Mi/Ba system
"are Mi and Ba gendered terms?" no.
"can Mi be used for male or nonbinary cats" yes.
"What happens if the Mi is changed halfway through?" a Ba becomes the Mi
"What if Mi dies when kit is almost apprentice aged" a Ba becomes the Mi
Types of Love: Friendships, Mateships, In-Laws
In Clanmew, love is not is not a verb, it is a noun. You don't love someone like an action, it 'exists' for them. The largest, most powerful word for love is Mirri.
Mirri isn't inherently romantic, but it can be. It's everything. It's concern, compassion, adoration. Love must exist for your Clan, the cats in it, your nyams, and so on.
Other forms of love are "below" the Mirri, contributing to it. Kind of like different springs that spill water into the same pool. EVERYONE contributes to Mirri, just by existing in the fabric of Clan society.
There are FOUR types of love below Mirri in Clan Culture; Ardor (Sseeo), Trust (Wrarri), Enjoyment (Piwarri), and Righteous Love (Yyaawr)
Ardor = Sseeo Passionate attraction, in the 'honeymoon' romantic crush way. Ardor notoriously fades over time. It is considered very powerful, but something that by nature doesn't last. For a good example of Ardor, Fallowtail claimed she had this type of love for Reedfeather when she had his kits, and that is why she has no love for him now. This made perfect sense to RiverClan, home of the Queen's Rights. Ardor that lasts is a rare and special thing.
Trust = Wrarri Personal, platonic affection. Rapport built between friends, mentors, mates, family. It's not until recently that this has also come to apply between Clans, too. A very strong, reliable kind of love; it is considered traitorous to have a lot of this for someone in another Clan. Bluestar had this for the Forget-Me-Nots, and them for her in turn... but also, it was more than Wrarri. It was Piwarri, Sseeo, and even Yyaawr. They were everything to her.
Enjoyment = Piwarri You know when you find someone entertaining? Or you have a particular friend you love playing a specific game with? You wouldn't fight for them, but you may do them a favor, especially if it means you get to hang out more often. THAT is piwarri. This is used a LOT with inter-Clan friendships. Piwarri is considered easy, soft, and friendly, but not strong like Wrarri is. It is something that can contribute to Mirri, but is also not a threat to it. Buddy-love.
Righteous Love = Yyaawr When Firestar received a life "for the love of a mother for her kits", he was getting 20 kilos of this slammed into his face. It's a difficult translation, because it isn't just for a mother and her kits. It's righteous anger at injustice, the fury in seeing smashed songbird eggs. It's the need to protect helpless things. It's love that makes you sacrifice your food for for kittens, or a leader's lives for their Clan. Sometimes, a person's yyaawr for you can be suffocating. It's not always welcome. ThunderClan identified Millie's feeling towards Briarlight as yyaawr. Brambleclaw (though he, obviously, was mostly saying it to upset her) accused Squilf of wanting to receive one-sided yyaawr over mutual wrarri.
Love in Clan Culture can be understood through these four ideas. Family is Trust and Righteous Love. Courting is Ardor and Enjoyment. Co-Parenting is Piwarri and Wrarri. Together, they all form Mirri.
Mate = Irre Someone that you would share a nest with. You can have multiple mates, but it often becomes logistically limited by how big you can make a single nest. They also don't HAVE to be romantic. If you would call them a 'spouse,' they're your mate.
Significant Other, Partner = Iwaw Co-parents, particularly close friends, a metamour of a mate in the case of polyamory... people who are significant enough that you would consult with decision-making, but you wouldn't describe as a 'mate.'
Date/Boyfriend/Girlfriend/"We're courting but not seriously" = Sseerr When you're in a state of ardor or just dating, this is the word you use. It could become serious, or it could just be for fun. When it gets serious, even if they don't end up becoming a "mate", it becomes Iwaw.
And, lastly, there are a few terms for in-laws of each one of these stages, 3 for Irre, 2 for Iwaw, and 1 for Sseerr.
IN-LAWS OF YOUR IRRI (MATE);
Mi of your mate = Rrimi
Ba of your mate = Rriba
Family of your mate =Rriga
IN-LAWS OF YOUR IWAW (Significant Person, this CAN be a best friend.)
Mi of your SP = Iwmi
Family of your SP = Iwga
IN-LAWS OF YOUR SSEERR (Date)
Family of your date = Ssega
Offspring and Siblings: Runt-ness, Litter Order
The average size of a Clan cat litter is 2.5 children (Nia'u), and most parents will have at least 2 litters (Neewarr) in their lifetime. A cat's first litter is something to be very proud of, and the children within it are called Niak. Children of the second litter are Niawi. Any more litters than that are called Nia'eef.
Long ago, stolen kittens who were not from a particular litter were called Kurrnia, "Honor-Children." This word is not used now for reasons that are hopefully obvious.
So, having absolutely no siblings is quite rare!
You refer to all of your siblings as your Firra. The ones from a litter above you are your Kafrrif, below you are your Eefrri, and your littermates are Wifeerr.
So, in addition to having words for an older or younger litter of siblings, there are also words for your size within your own litter. Clan Culture is more concerned if you were a large kitten or a runt than your birth order.
This is because growing up, size would mean you had the upper paw in brawls, to your suckler's milk, and ability to explore the world. A bigger kitten is one that can mature faster. Runts are considered to need more protection and 'babying' to make sure they grow up healthy.
Your larger littermate is your Wikfrra. A smaller littermate is your Weefswa. If you're equally sized, you squabble endlessly over who's REALLY the larger sibling until one of your parents snaps and insists that you're JUST Wifeerr-- similarly-sized littermates.
Nia'u = Child/son/daughter
Neewarr = Litter
Niak = Child of first litter
Niawi = Child of second litter
Nia'eef = Child of third/any more litters
Kurrnia = Stolen kit, rightfully won through battle (Archaic)
Firra = Siblings (Broad term, often assumed to be innately plural and referring to several types of siblings at once)
Kafrrif = Sibling of older litter
Eefrri = Sibling of younger litter
Wifeerr = Littermate (Generic and of a similar size)
Wikfrra = Larger littermate
Weesfwa = Smaller littermate
Gan Starter Set: Auncles, Cousins, Grandparents
Kittens receive a LOT of orbital care. Even if they only have a Mi, the entire camp is expected to become acquainted with the new kits. This one stops a kit from touching a hot soup cauldron, that one explains where clouds come from (starclan ofc), another one keeps them entertained with a funny story.
And, of course, the immediate relatives of the new kitten go out of their way to make sure their new kin is cared for. Is their Mi fed? Are their Bas overwhelmed? Is someone watching them? Grandparents provide advice from their life experience, Auncles make sure their siblings know they're not alone, and Cousins are there to go through it with them.
An Auncle is either your Myami (Sibling of your Mi) or your Byami (Sibling of your Ba). They call their nespring a Rabnif, regardless of their sibling's Mi or Ba status. First Cousins are Rabir.
Grandparents are quite special. While Auncles are defined on if they are your Ba's sibling or your Mi's sibling, the labels of Grandparents are 'looser.'
Your Ami is, by default, the Mi of your Mi... but can easily shuffle around if that specific cat is not present in your life. Like a Ba, your Garrmi is any other grandparent involved in your life who is not your Ami, but is by default the Mi of your Ba or the Ba of your Mi. Finally, a Genrrarg is technically the Ba of your Ba, but more often applies to Grandparents you're more distant with.
And, like Mi and Ba, these terms are exclusive to cats who are in your life. Your father's uninvolved Honor Sire is not your Genrrarg.
Grandparents have two terms for their grandchildren. A Nini is a grandchild that they have a significant role in raising. This is especially common for kittens that only have a Mi and no Ba. "Niauga" implies a bit more distance.
Myami = Mi-Auncle
Byami = Ba-Auncle
Rabnif = Nespring/nephew/niece
Rabir = Cousin
Ami = Mi of my Mi (This can also be applied as a term of endearment. For example, Heartstar is the Ba of her kittens, but Tawnypelt is still Shadowsight's Ami)
Garrmi = Ba of my Mi AND/OR Mi of my Ba
Genrrarg = Ba of my Ba/Someone who is still a grandparent, but not a close one.
Niauga = Grandchild (General)
Nini = Grandchild (That you have responsibility for)
Ancestors and Beyond
Clan Culture doesn't typically track beyond immediate family, using the same general terms for wide swaths of distant relationships.
Great-grandparents, grand-auncles, and distant cousins are Garrmwa. It could roughly translate to "ancestor" or "relative." These are cats that a connection can be made to with some deduction, but are not relevant.
If a cat ever did become particularly close to their Garrmwa, they would replace the title with the closest approximate term. For example, Jayfeather's mentor was his grand-uncle Longtail. After a while, he was simply acknowledged as his Myami, as he was the brother of Squirrelflight's Mi.
A Sharrarram is an Ancestor. A cat of your kin that has joined the ranks of StarClan. This isn't just direct ancestry; this could include the brother of your great-great-grandfather who died of an adder bite as an apprentice.
StarClan refers to its living relatives as Shegarra, "descendants."
Garrmwa = Relative (For relatives that can still be tracked with deduction but are not close enough to be within Gan.)
Sharrarram = Ancestors (For ancient ancestors, beyond modern memory, who live in the stars.)
Shegarra = Descendant
FAQ
Mi/Ba System FAQ
"are Mi and Ba gendered terms?" no.
"What if the Mi dies when kit is almost apprentice aged?" Ba becomes Mi legally, probably doesn't change the words they use.
"What happens if the Mi is changed halfway through the childhood?" Ba becomes Mi legally but family figures out if the kit will change the words they use.
"Can the Mi of the first litter decide they want to be Ba of the next litter?" Yes that's fine! The kids will just use the title that was relevant to them.
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hydroyaksha · 1 year
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Soleil’s fic recs
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EXO:
Yixing- king! “The Lotus king and his jade” @sweetjekyll
Kyungsoo- hogwarts! “Spellbound” @whimsical-ness
Sehun- X-EXO! “GREED” @/quokkacore
Sehun -(X-EXO) “LIBERALITY” @quokkacore
Baekhyun - idols! “The rumors were true” @eomayas
Kyungsoo - yandere! “I love you, I love you, I love you.” (Made by me!)
STRAYKIDS - [separate link]
Chan/ Felix - polyamory! Hogwarts! “Detention” @dreamescapeswriting
Felix - demon slayer! “If you tell me about myself” @skazoo
Felix - enemies to lovers! “Strawberry kisses” @softsan
Felix - dick joke centered! CEO! “Penis heart” @staysuki
Felix - Agent! Scientist! “A normal Thursday” @abiaswreck
Hyunjin - mafia! “Ice” @healinghyunjin
Hyunjin - mafia! “Not a stranger” @straywrds
OT8 - ABO! “No control” @cherryeol04
Hyunjin - Hanahaki! (With a good ending) “forget me not” @hhjs
Bangchan - Indian performer! Idol! “Butterfly wings” @straykidshoe
Lee know - siren! “Call of the siren” @tasteleeknow
Lee know - hogwarts! “Green flames” @streetlight11
Jeongin - android! “Alive” @rainy-bangbeom
Felix - royalty! Best friends! “Fairy flowers” @hyunsvngs
Felix - bodyguard! “Your bodyguard, Felix” @skzdarlings
Jisung - ghostface! “It’s a scream baby!” @tyunphoria
Felix - dating show! “TOO HOT TO HANDLE” @seospicybin
Felix - prince! “Forgive me for what I haven’t done” @rachalixie
NCT:
OT23 - yandere! Cult! “Connect” @mymoodwriting
WAYV:
OT7 - yandere! “Awaken” @/mymoodwriting
TEN - vampire!Hunter! “Blood wars” @things-we-cant-say
LUCAS - hybrid! “Please don’t bite me” @/quokkacore
NCT127:
NCT127 - yandere! Aliens! “Who is sticker?” @/mymoodwriting
Taeyong/ Yuta - Angels! Devils! Yandere! “Watching over you” @whiteteadreams
Jaehyun - Dog hybrid! “Competitive spirit” @flowerboykun
OT9 - vampires! Witches! “Black magic” @stayarmytinyzenmoa-l
Jaehyun - hogwarts! “Head over brooms” @sehunniepotwrites
NCT DREAM:
Mark - supernatural! “grit your f*ckin’ teeth” @irtza
Haechan - yandere! “Inseparable” @mint-yoongi
Jaemin - athlete! “on the rebound” @lunena
Jaemin - “Crazy in love” @mayaflowerxs
Renjun - classmates! “Blondes are done with fun” @rrxnjun
00’ line + Mark - arcana! “Arcane” @neonacity
Haechan - hockey player! “Ice ice baby” @cozyjae
Haechan - uni! “Learning languages” @tonicandjins
NCT TOKYO:
Sungchan - superhero! “Through the webs” @yutafrita
ENHYPHEN:
ENHYPHEN - scenario! “How they’re protective over you” @foresdxw
NI-KI - scenario! Idols! “Cookies - shattered glass” @ilovehimyourhonor
JAY - bad boy! Good girl! Dancer! “Opposites attract” @dazed-hee
NI-KI spiderman! “Spider-Man loves you” @misoxhappy
TXT:
Beomgyu- hybrid! “Until it hurts a little less” @horanghoe
Beomgyu - fae! “Dasies” @thru-the-grapevine
Soobin - AI! “Artificial love” @bb-eilish
Beomgyu- Spider-Man! “Not your average boyfriend” @slytherinshua
Yeonjun- fox hybrid! “Silly fox baby” @seowhorebin
BTS:
Taehyung - Android! “A human touch” @snackhobi
SHINee:
KEY - A/B/O! “Out of love” @mymoodwriting
THE BOYZ
OT11 - android! “The boyz become human” @tbznewberry
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lilacs-stash · 2 months
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Fankid time baby
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Been slowly working on my ii next gen meet Briefcase and Flower pot 2.0
Briefcase is basically if a middle aged butch was also 15. Eir whole situation was basically a recipe for parental issues but ey ended up being fine since eir parents actually handled it well. He considers Baseball his dad and has a good relationship with Nickel but he's more of a weird uncle then a dad. (Context: BB and Suitcase are married, Nickel and Suitcase are dating. Polyamory 👍) She's overall very chill and a big of dork. Miiiiight ship eir with Moon (Candleyang kid) not sure yet
Flower pot is an adventurous sweetheart who's quite socially awkward but doesn't real know it. Bit of an air headhead. Fae got completely revamped since I switched my Clover ship. Fae has a crush on Ice-aid (payjay's daughter, yeah decided they're canon)
These two are roommates in the hotel since Flower has been going to school on inanimate Island.
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juneviews · 1 year
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The King and His Detractor
Show: Not Me
Ships: Sean/White ; Dan/Yok ; Eugene/Namo ; Gram/Nuch ; Todd/Black ; Gram/Black ; Black/Eugene
Summary:  After an assassination attempt on Prince Black's life as he was ascending the throne, Prince White is forced to take his place, and inherits his Royal bodyguards, Sean and Yok. As he becomes King and is forced to marry his brother's fiancee, Lady Eugene, White suddenly discovers how corrupt the Royal world is. What he doesn't know, though, is that the very bodyguard that swore to protect him with his life, is actually plotting his demise.
Tags: Alternate Universe - Historical ; Ayutthaya Period ; Political ; Mystery ;  Slow Burn ; Tension ; Royalty ; Polyamory
a historical retelling of not me???? I GOT U BB <3 this will be my longest, most ambitious fic ever, so safe to say I’m coming back to ao3 with a bang :’) hope you enjoy!
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antisociallilbrat · 1 year
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What Polyamory Does For The It Fandom VS In The St Fandom.
These are some brain worms I've had for a while and I've decided to share, regardless if it makes some people mad. Although that is truly not the intent of this post. Anyways. If you haven't been in the It fandom and only have stayed in the St fandom this post may not make sense but I do encourage you to read it.
I joined the It fandom in 2017. I'm one of those few people who were in the It fandom first before moving over to also join the St fandom in late late 2017/early 2018. I had a blog for consuming content but I didn't start making content until 2020 for the It fandom and more recently and regularly for the St fandom. Anywho what I'm trying to say is that I've seen a lot.
I loved many ships in the It fandom and one of the main ships is Poly Losers Club. This is the first fandom I've seen where a poly ship was one of the more popular ones. Even if someone didn't ship all the Losers, throuple and quatrouples (is that how you say it?) have always been popular in this fandom.
Because it is almost unanimously agreed across the fandom, that whether platonically or romantically, all the Losers love each other. Even the most die hard of reddie shippers, the fandom's most popular ship, can often agree on certain fanon headcannons, Stan and Richie practiced their first kiss on each other, Eddie's first crush was on poor oblivious Bill. And that comes back to the agreement that all the Losers love each other. Ships in this fandom have never had an issue coexisting. If someone shipped something different from someone it was always more like "oh that's not my favorite but I definitely see where you're coming from'" OR they're like "yeah no they're in love too," Hardly ever any belittling or any superiority complexes.
That's what makes being in this fandom fun and easy.
Poly Losers even often features a gay man and a women and I've read many beautiful fics where this is explained as they're more best friends than lovers but Eddie doesn't love Bev any less because she's a woman. This fandom allows Eddie and Bev to have an amazing and emotionally intimate relationship because I feel like this fandom does understand, for the most part, that platonic love is just as important as romantic love.
Now on to the St fandom. There are some poly party shippers out there but they are far and few. And there is SO MUCH shipping discourse. Yes I could talk about Mileven and Byler but come on, it goes beyond that. It's with Jany and Stancy, Ronance and Rockie. Elmax and Lumax, and Steddie and Stonathan. Just about every ship you think of there is an alternate ship that people will fight for. They will belittle you for shipping something they don't, and insist that your ship is nothing but platonic. That,,,that just doesn't happen in the It fandom. You know the joke, "All the Losers had a crush on Bill at one point," I think that in itself says a lot. Bill, the arguably least liked character, (my poor bb), has the joke that all the losers had a crush on him at one point.
I'm getting off track. Anyways I'm not saying that shipping everyone together in a poly sense would fix everything with these shipping wars but i do believe why there was never any shipping wars in the It fandom was because of Poly Losers. Also when I talk about poly in St I mean it like Poly Party and Poly teenage crew. Not together, I hate that I have to clarify that.
In the St fandom, it's just not as universally agreed that everyone loves each other, even in the basic platonic sense. All anyone seems to care about in the St fandom is romantic love. A lot of shippers want to be right, they want to prove that their ship will be cannon which just,,,sucks the fun right out fandom spaces.
Canon, fanon, why can't people just make cute fan art and talk in babbles about thoughts they have on a ship. Why do you have to be right about what's going to be the canon ship? Why do certain people feel the need to put down and even to the extent as far as bullying people who ship something different? I've never seen a fandom so focused on 'canon pairings' like the st fandom. (Side note I was never in the sherlock and supernatural fandoms, I knew to mention this)
The party, like the losers, are friends who have been through turmoil that have bound them together for a lifetime. I don't care what pairing you give me from st, whether it be a platonic or a romantic one, I will tell you that those characters deeply care for each other.
Side note: it's worth a mention that the Duffer brothers originally wanted to film the It remake and when they didn't get it, we got Stranger Things. It can be argued that the Party is based off the Losers club so you know what that means? THEY ALL LOVE EACH OTHER. Take it as platonic or romantic idc.
Again, I don't think that poly party is the answer to ending the shipping wars. I do think however that if people could remember how much the party members mean to each other, that that could make less tiring fandom spaces.
Okay I'm done. I just thought this was an interesting point on how it's been like in the It fandom vs the St fandom.
Wait I was doing tags and I forgot to mention that there are few people who ship Elumax and Stoncy, two throuples and kudos to them. They're just worth a mention, I didn't forget about ya'll
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kingsofeverything · 1 year
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Ugh, tumblr ate my last one, but here's my list of 10 h/l faves from 2022 (I have a much fuller year-end list if anyone wants to request it)!
I Got Me an Appetite, alwaysslutrry, 2.1k JESUS CHRIST, PWP, BB!
she makes you want her love, enbyharry, 2.7k BLs cry over it!
strawberry daiquiri, justanothershadeofblue, 3.2k Canon AND watersports AND gender!
brothers? devilinmybrain, 3.4k Liam's faux pas --> fun roleplay!
Top of the Tree, anonymous, 5.3k The 2013 polyamory/orgy energy--off the CHARTS!
Copy of a…, nonsensedarling, 5.5k Triumphant, SEXY return of the clone a willy!
right where you are, that's where I am, etherealbliss, 6k Painfully on point current canon!
some time to borrow, everysingleday, 8.8k The way this feels so real on every single level!
no one's gonna know, jishler, 9k All tied up!
Of Mates and Men, bananaheathen, 630k Fic of the YEAR!
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sailoreuterpe · 1 year
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The Tina Tales
Here is a series of fanfictions focusing on Tina Belcher and various ships including her. At present, all of the stories are rated G and set in high school at the earliest. There will never be incest (or any of the other major triggers) or works rated higher than Teen. While I might write some "puppy love" fanfictions with Tina younger, I'm mostly focusing on Tina grown up and mature enough to handle genuine love. I'll update this post as I write new stories. I have the list here so that I can keep a record of who I've already covered.
Monogamy
Becky: One
Brett:
Darryl: One
Dillon: One
Duncan:
Henry:
Jimmy Junior: One, Two
Jocelyn:
Jordan:
Josh:
Logan:
Rudy: One
Sasha:
Susmita: One, Two, Three
Tammy: One
Zeke: One, Two, Three
Polyamory
Darryl/Rosa: One
Duncan/Sasha:
Henry/Susmita:
Jimmy Junior/Zeke:
Tammy/Jocelyn:
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machetemaiden27mcx · 1 year
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I sent him this earlier, i hope he likes it ❤ my body burns for him🔥😈🖤❤
#op #horny #drunk #high #bb #polyamory #ghostemane #cradleoffilth #meridian #meridianpendant
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further to my last post i have a problem and that problem is asshole skyrim characters and me finding them hot. arnbjorn and astrid? call that shit polyamory. miraak? take off the mask bb lemme kiss that face (eleven year old me wrote a fic where he took off his mask and i described him as ‘scarred and handsome’). mercer?? fucking MERCER FREY??? he can rail me. harkon? ig im a monsterfucker now
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honeyhotteoks · 1 year
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this night together - chapter one (j.yh + s.mg)
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chapter one: a safe place to land
summary: you're finally getting your dream job, working with some of the best dancers in the business, but a job change means a break in your healthcare coverage and suppressants these days are expensive. going into heat at the studio pretty much seems like the worst case scenario, but you find yourself in the care of two alphas who won't let you go through it alone. note: reader and the boys are not idols in this fic, but instead are part of the bb trippin dance crew. the idol group mentioned in the fic's name is 'new world' which was one of the early options for ateez's name, and i just thought that was cute. overall though, i know very little about dancing and choreography. i did my best to research what that field might be like, but please know there are likely inaccuracies. also.... i have no idea how healthcare coverage with jobs work in korea and my research wasn't too helpful. we're going with what i know which is often a ninety day waiting period before you get health coverage at a new job, which means reader here cannot afford her medication out of pocket. go with it, for me ♡
warnings: just.... so much smut including: heat, nesting, knotting, fingering, oral sex (f receiving), rough sex, big dick yunho, implied breeding kink (it's omegaverse so ya know), gratuitous praise to make reader feel better, lots of pet names, lots of heat symptoms like cramps, slick, and insatiable horniness.
pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader
genre: smut, abo/omegaverse, angst, fluff, romance, polyamory
word count: 13.6K
next chapter | AO3
The first sign is the headache, a low, dull throb at the back of your skull. It’s not a full-blown migraine yet, but it might become one and that’s your first indication that your heat is close. You’ve done your suppressant rationing and your bargaining and your plotting and planning, but in the end it’s going to come down to luck if you can make it through the recording. 
You had asked the company about their heat leave policy in the most casual way that you could, still new enough to KQ that it seemed natural for an omega to be asking. You don’t know why you were surprised, but as always the policy is disappointing. Full health coverage only after ninety days of employment, and until then not only are your suppressants not covered any heat leave is fully unpaid. 
You had studied your cycle calendar in detail and tried to map out the dates, but no matter how you drew it or cut up the last of your suppressants to try and extend the effects, your heat was going to fall on or around your first real performance. And it’s not like you’re an idol, it’s not like the camera will be focused on you, but the idea of letting your new crew down two months into being here  is too fucked a thought to entertain. 
Your throat feels dry after the first run through of the routine, unnaturally so, a tight cough building in the back of your throat as you try to hold it together. The minute the music fades you’re falling out of formation before anyone else and covering your mouth with your elbow, coughing dryly into your sleeve. 
“You good?” San asks from his place next to you. 
“Mhm,” You nod tightly, but the cough is lodged in your throat, “I just need to,”
A bottle of water is pushed into your hand and you nod in thanks, unscrewing the cap fast and knocking it back, letting the cold water soothe your throat. 
“Are you sick, y/n?” San crosses his arms to appraise you better, ducking his head and getting a good look at you. 
“No, no,” You take a deep breath now that you can and shake your head, “just dry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to slow us down.” 
“Let’s take five,” Yunho announces from the front. 
You take another sip of water and the group starts to break apart. The cool bottle keeps you grounded and as far from anxiety as you can possibly get with the knowledge of this hanging over you. 
“You good?” Yujin, one of the few other female BB Trippin dancers, asks, her chest heaving as she jogs up to you. 
“Yeah, yeah,” You assure her, “I just need a minute,” 
She squeezes your shoulder before moving past you, and you lean back against the wall nearby before taking a deep breath. Your eyes go unfocused towards the mirror as you collect yourself, drinking more water and hoping that no one’s upset with the delay. You’re still new here, but so far you’ve been accepted into the fold well, only a few of the dancers more aloof, so focused on the work you haven’t had a chance to try and make friends. You hope they aren’t upset at your sudden need for a break right on the first run through on the big day. You feel hot eyes on you, and you focus, catching Minseok in the mirror. He’s always pleasant and polite, but never overly friendly, and when you catch his gaze momentarily you see that his jaw is tight and his throat jumps like a spasm as he swallows and averts his eyes from yours. 
Your brow knits in confusion, but Yunho appearing next to you breaks the brief moment of concentration and you turn towards him. 
His eyes are soft, but his face is still serious and wired into work, “You sure you’re good?” 
“Definitely,” You protest, “really,” 
He chews the inside of his lip for a moment before adjusting the cap on his head and holding out a little bottle of pills, “Your head?” 
“How did you know?” You thought you were good at concealing it. 
“You keep wincing when I put the high lights on,” He nods up towards the fluorescents, “migraine?” 
“A little one,” You assure him, you know he’s got to be worried about you dropping out of formation right before recording, “but I got this,” 
As the lead choreographer and director of today’s stage performance, he’s been on edge this week. He’s so incredibly focused on the finer details down to every precise placement, finger extension, facial expression. You’ve been a dancer for a long time, and you’ve worked behind idol groups before, but not like this. The atmosphere here is different, and working with New World doesn’t feel like backup dancing at all. And for Yunho, it’s become clear to you over the past couple of months that while he isn’t the boss, he is the leader here and he takes that responsibility incredibly personally. 
But despite all that pressure and responsibility, he surprises you when he smiles at your admission, “I get them sometimes. Do you get auras?” 
You shake your head.
“I do,” He offers you the bottle again, “it sucks, but you know, the light sensitivity is always the worst thing,” 
You take the bottle and tip the migraine medication out into your palm, “Yeah,” 
“Are you sure you don’t need to tap out?” He offers, voice a little softer so that it’s a conversation just between you, “I know you don’t want to, but I can’t have you falling on stage,” 
“No, honestly, I wouldn’t put the team in that position,” You look up, trying your best to convey with your eyes that you can make it, even though the low throb in your skull says otherwise. 
“Okay,” He nods once, “I just had to ask. Are you ready?” 
“Ready,” 
“Alright,” He takes a step away and moves back towards the main part of the room. This time he doesn’t adjust the lights, he keeps the room low lit and calm and he claps as he turns back to the room at large, “Let’s run it again. We have an hour before the van gets here, and then from there it’s go time. We ready?” 
A chorus of yes echoes back, and you lend your voice to the mix, shaking off the pounding in your brain. You can do this. You can. Wooyoung punches your arm softly as he walks by you to get to his starting position, flashing you a smile and an encouraging nod. With a deep exhale you let it go, and you get to work. 
By the time you finish the third run through, your muscles are screaming, but you’ve managed to hold the rest tightly in. The migration medication seems to be helping, and though you can sense Yunho continuing to glance at you in the mirror he seems pleased that you’re keeping up. You just need to make it through this day, and then you can let it all fall apart.
With a glance at your watch, the hour now up, you realize just how much more time there is to get through. It’s only six in the morning, the earliest you’ve had to get up and be ready for this job yet. You’ve been told that if you’re ever a supporting dancer for a comeback stage it will be even earlier, two or three to accommodate pre-recording time. For this though, you’re not filming a comeback stage. You’ll get to the studios alongside New World at around seven-thirty, spend at least an hour or two getting ready in the green room, and then from there it will be a waiting game, and you don’t really know how a show like this will go. Music shows are a well oiled machine of time management, but this type of larger long program for their survival show stage is something you just aren’t used to. 
You just have to, without question, make it back home, but that might be eight hours from now or twelve, and that level of uncertainty makes your stomach churn. 
On the bus you take stock. Sore muscles, dry throat, ever so slight cramping in your back, bubbling migraine, fatigue. You’re not yet feeling the waves of hot flashing blush or deep, burgeoning cramps, but it’s not too far off. It feels like at the very least the quarter suppressant you choked down this morning might be doing just enough to mask the scent of your pre-heat, and that’s the best you can do. At least for now, no one’s noticed how close you are to the edge. No one, except possibly Wooyoung. 
“Here,” He says from his seat next to you, offering you a lozenge from a bag, “for your throat,” 
You stare for a second at the offering before your brain fires and you accept one with quiet thanks. Omegas often keep cooling lozenges around for their heat and pre-heat, something to take the edge off the soreness and dryness and it doesn’t surprise you that the only one attuned to your slight discomfort is another omega.
“You can keep the bag,” He places it on your lap, “if you need it,” 
“I’m good,” You pass it back, not wanting to admit how close you really are, “like I said, just dry,” 
“Okay,” He nods, and then he lets the subject lie, “are you ready for today?” 
“Yeah,” You swallow tightly, “nervous, but yeah,” 
“Mm,” He grins, relaxing back into his seat, “it’s fun, I promise,” 
“Yeah?” 
“When you see it all come together on the monitors,” He nods, “it just makes it all worth it,” 
“All the work, you mean?” You can’t help but glance up the length of the bus, to where Yunho sits alongside San and Mingi, all talking quietly and seriously amongst themselves. 
“Yeah,” He nods, “you’ve been working a lot of nights too, catching up,” 
“I just don’t want me being new to be the reason it’s not perfect,” You reply with ease. 
“That’s good,” Wooyoung says, “and I promise if you weren’t nailing it, you’d know by now.” 
“Would I?” 
“You wouldn’t be sitting here,” Wooyoung nods towards the front, “Mingi would have cut you ages ago,” 
“Mingi?” He’s been nothing but nice, flirty, and funny. He’d been helping you out at night to get better, you thought so that Yunho and San didn’t have an inkling that you’re behind. 
“His opinion is the one that matters,” Wooyoung laughs, whispering to you so the rest of the bus can’t hear, “have you not picked up on that yet?” 
You shake your head slowly. 
“y/n,” Wooyoung smiles as he realizes just how clueless you are, “Yunho would recommend we all stop drinking water if Mingi said it was a good idea. Mingi trusts his gut, and Yunho trusts Mingi,” 
“Oh,” You breathe. 
“Yep,”
“What about Jaemin?” You ask softly. You’ve only met the actual crew leader a few times here and there, but most of the time he’s not at the studio itself. 
“He keeps the work coming and the doors open,” Wooyoung says, “but they keep us moving.” 
You let his words sink in, the reality that for weeks you’ve been working side by side with Mingi and confessing all your fears of inadequacy, that he was the person who had to approve of you all along and you never knew it. You sigh, “Are you just trying to hype me up, or are you being serious?” 
“I don’t lie.” He says, full stop, no room for misinterpretation. 
The menthol lozenge burns a little on your tongue, but soothes the cut feeling in the back of your throat when you swallow and you find that finally for the first time all night you’re able to really exhale. With a soft nod you turn to him, “Okay,” 
“Okay?” 
“Let’s fucking do this,” 
He grins, “After this stage you’re officially one of us, you know,” 
Your eyes narrow, “You said that after my first week,” 
He rolls his eyes, “Okay, maybe I lie a little,” 
For the afternoon, with the lightness of Wooyoung by your side, you forget about your headache. The day happens fast, even with all the sitting and waiting in green rooms. There’s so much to remember, from camera positions to where the light is coming from, to how to adapt to the stage floor being just a little smaller than what you were working with back at KQ. The members seem suddenly focused in a way you’ve never experienced, you know what this means to them. To all of you. By the time it’s filming, you’ve had at least six lozenges and taken two more painkillers for your migraine to keep it at bay, and you're starting to feel exhausted. You film it twice, from two angles. Wide for choreography and tighter close ups on the members for cinematic facial expressions and intricacies of movement. 
When it’s all over and you pile back into the van, your legs feel heavy and disconnected. If you can just make it back to the studio, you can change and call an Uber and get inside before it knocks you sideways. 
Someone suggests drinks, someone else suggests a celebratory meal. 
You want nothing more than for the van to speed up. 
You grip your hand tight and breathe through the tight sensations in your body and no one ever notices a thing, not even Wooyoung who seems caught in the euphoria of the performance, your quietness blissfully overlooked for the moment. 
At the studio, it takes time for the locker room to clear out after the show, everyone else riding on the high of the performance too and slow to pack up for the night. It had gone so well, despite the way you had to push through the pain.  As the pain worsens, you’re not sure how you’re going to get home, but you know you need to figure it out soon. You can maybe call one of your roommates, but on a Friday night it feels unlikely that they’ll be available or sober enough to get you. 
A cramp ripples through you, and you grip down on the wooden bench, your leg bouncing to try and distract you from the waves of sensation washing over you. It’s been years since your last heat, and you can already tell this is going to be hard and heady. Sweat is collecting on your brow, waves of uncomfortable warmth passing through your body, and you can feel the way your breath is tightening. You really don’t have long, a matter of hours maybe, but it’s obvious to anyone who looks at you what’s going on. 
You fish your phone out of your bag and scan through your contacts, blinking hard to try and clear your blurring vision. The phone keeps ringing, first one of your roommates, then another, and when you hit their voicemail boxes for the second time, your phone slips from your fingers in frustration. Tears prick the back of your eyes, your hands shaking. You really thought you had more time. 
A noise across the locker room startles you, the heavy metal clang of a locker closing and you realize someone’s still in here with you. You’re trembling, a mix of abject panic and pain, your omega surfacing inside you in a way that you can’t control. Footsteps come closer, and though you’re still shielded by a row of lockers and can’t see him, you can smell him. Rich, cocoa and cinnamon. 
Mingi walks past your section of lockers, and you hope he won’t notice, but you’re never, ever that lucky. 
“Hey,” He says when he catches sight of you, “you did good tonight,” 
You keep your eyes away from his, curling down further to tug at the laces of your shoes and hope that he doesn’t notice the way you’re clenching your jaw to keep from crying, “Thanks,” 
“Yeah,” He says, and you hear his steps shift and then pause. 
Your eyes press closed as you hide behind the curtain of your hair. 
“y/n,” Mingi asks, “are you okay?”
“Mhm,” You pull your laces tight, your insides cramping painfully as your body registers the presence of an alpha. 
“Are you sure?” He asks. 
Biting down on the inside of your cheek you steady your voice, “Yeah, I’m good, just tired.” 
Mingi doesn’t answer, doesn’t move, and there’s really only so long you can pretend to tie your shoes. You tug your other laces taut and then do your best, leaning back up into a normal sitting position despite the pained pressure inside you. You grip down on the bench again and breathe slowly through your nose. 
“Are you hurt?” Mingi asks, concern evident in his voice, “Did you pull something?” 
You shake your head, you can’t trust your words. 
“Something’s wrong,” Mingi takes a step forward and you jolt back, sliding off the edge of the bench with a tight sound, your back connecting hard with the lockers behind you. His eyes widen at your sudden movement and you hold a hand out to keep him right where is. 
“Stop,” You plead, body shaking, “don’t,” 
“You are hurt,” He can feel your fear, and his eyes are panicked as he scans your body, “what happened?” 
“It’s not,” You sigh, shaking your head, another hot flash making your cheeks light up with blush and cutting your words. 
When he takes another step forwards you watch his face change, the way his breathing settles low into his chest as he regards you and comprehension starts to relax his face. Your eyes press closed as another cramp ripples through your abdomen, and suddenly you feel the first rush of slick. 
“Fuck,” Mingi says, “what are you doing here?” 
“Working,” You groan, opening your eyes again. 
“You should be on heat leave,” He shakes his head, “you should be home,”
“I know,” You nod, your throat growing tight and tears bubbling back up, “I-I asked, but it would have been unpaid, and with the performance… I couldn’t afford to not be here. I thought I had a little more time,” 
“Okay,” He steps a little closer and you shake your head, pressing your body back further against the lockers as if that will do anything, “it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” 
“I know that,” You laugh humorlessly, “but right now your scent is making this harder,” 
“Oh,” He swallows hard, “I didn’t mean to,” 
“Mingi,” You meet his gaze and his eyes soften, “I need help,” You wish you didn’t have to ask. You wish you had just stayed home, not rationed your suppressants, and just handled this on your own. 
He nods, straightening up and swallowing hard, “Okay, let’s go,” 
“Go?” You watch as he picks up your bag and slings it over his shoulder with his own. 
“Can you walk?” He holds a hand out to you, an offering and nothing more if you want it. 
“Yeah,” You stammer, pushing yourself off the lockers, but one step already has you shaky and you grip his hand and let him hold your weight to keep you standing. 
“Alright,” He shakes his head, “I’m sorry, just hold your breath or something,” 
His arm wraps around your back, pulling you up and supporting your weight with a sure hand on your forearm and with his help, you take a step. His scent is dizzying, equal parts calming and arousing, and tears roll down your cheeks as you try to keep quiet and hold it together. Slick pools between your thighs and you’re sure he can smell it, but he’s doing a good job of saying nothing about it to you. 
“W-where are we going?” You manage as he pushes the door to the locker room open and steers you out into the dimly lit hallway of the dance studio. 
“We need to get Yunho,” He says with ease, like it’s obvious and poses absolutely no problem. 
At the thought of him, your body clenches and you bite down to keep a tight, pained sound inside. “No, Mingi, he can’t,” 
“We’re past that point,” Mingi is all but dragging you now, “I need his help, I can’t get you home by myself.” 
Yunho’s the only one with a car between them, not the mention a driver’s license. Mingi typically hitches a ride with him or using the subway, and at this stage in your heat, it’s not safe to take public transportation or put you in a taxi. There are too many variables, too many people you don’t know, and you need someone you trust to get you to a safe location to ride this out. The idea of Yunho tears your body in two, caught between the feeling of wanting him and never wanting him to know about this, but you know he’s safe, that safe place. 
There’s a light still on in the office at the end of the hall where you know Yunho is going through footage from the day and making notes while things are still fresh in his mind. When you’re close enough to the door but still safely in the hall, Mingi calls out, “Yunho!”
“Yeah?” He shouts back, and you can hear the distraction in his voice, a clear picture of him writing something down as he calls over his shoulder. 
“I need your help,” Mingi adjusts his grip on you, holding you close as your body trembles in his arms, “like right now,” 
“Uh,” Yunho trails off, “yeah, okay, yeah, I’m coming.” You hear Yunho jump up from the chair in the office, his quick footsteps, and another wave of fear flutters through you. 
“Mingi,” You grip down on his hand. 
“Right, fuck,” He remembers himself, tucking you closer to his chest, “slowly,” 
“What?” Yunho’s voice comes from the office but you can see his shadow on the floor in the hall as he gets closer to the door. 
“Yunho!” Mingi’s voice is deep, clear and firm and you let your head rock back on his shoulder, “Slowly, seriously,” 
He’s not distracted anymore, he’s incredibly alert. Yunho steps into the hallway slowly, just as directed when he hears the tenor of his best friend’s voice, and it takes him seconds to size up what’s going on. 
“y/n,” He takes a half step forward and stops himself, arm outstretched, “oh no,” 
His soft tone soothes you instantly but it doesn't help the emotional live wire you feel like you’re walking, and a little sob bubbles out of you, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” 
“You’re in heat,” He says, shaking his head, “it’s not safe for you to be here, why are you here?” 
Your omega shrinks and more tears spill over, the wave uncontrollable now, “I’m sorry, please,” 
Yunho’s eyes flick to Mingi’s before he comes closer, reaching out for you, “I’m not upset,” 
Relief washes through you, “You’re not?” 
“No,” He assures you, his voice dropping to a warm and even tone, “I’m just worried about you, I want you safe. Come here,” 
You comply instantly, stepping out of Mingi’s hold and straight into Yunho’s arms, letting him tuck you close into his chest before he adjusts his stance and brings your face up to the crook of his neck. His scent washes over you like a salve, nothing but warm rain and fresh cut cedar. 
“Shh,” He soothes you, running a hand down your back, “there we go, take a deep breath,” 
For a minute, it feels like your cramps have passed, your head clearing. He grounds you and brings you back into your body with his touch and you breathe low and slow, your hands gripping his shirt. 
“Okay,” Yunho murmurs, “what’s your heat plan? We can take you and get you there safe,” 
You shake your head into his neck, nuzzling closer to his skin, “I don’t really have one,” 
“What do you mean?” He asks, clearly not understanding. 
“You can take me home,” You tell him, eyes drifting closed, “I usually can take care of things myself,”
“That’s insane,” Mingi says from behind you both, and you feel Yunho’s hands tighten on your back. 
“Who’s there with you?” Yunho asks, “Don’t you have roommates?” 
You nod, resting on his shoulder, “Mhm,” 
“y/n,” He prompts you, “what are their designations?” 
“Mm,” You’re feeling so warm wrapped in his scent, “Ari and Hyejin are betas, Hyunwoo is an alpha but he’s probably out tonight,” 
“Tonight,” Yunho shakes his head, “you go through heats like this with an alpha home?” 
“Not like this,” You mumble into his chest and he shifts you in his arms. 
“What did you say?” 
“Not a heat like this,” You manage, “I’m normally on pretty heavy suppressants,” 
“She can’t go home like this,” Mingi says, “this is still just pre-heat,”
“I think so,” Yunho’s voice sounds far away, and you sink into the steady sound of his heart and the feeling of his hand smoothing a comforting line up and down your back. When he finally speaks again, his voice is so tender you almost don’t recognize it, “Can we bring you home? Let me help, you can’t go through a heat this hard by yourself,” 
“Yunho,” You shudder against him, “we can’t,” 
The thought of his cock inside you flashes through your brain, and you imagine the feeling of his swollen knot locking in, your body full and sated and the cramps dissipating. Your core throbs at the idea and you feel another rush of slick rush through you. 
“You’re in pain,” He murmurs, dropping his head a little lower, “you need an alpha. Let me take care of you, let me take you home,” 
You should say no, you should take your chances in your apartment with your box of toys and a bottle of lube, but you keep breathing in his steady scent and all you can do is say yes. Yunho’s been kind to you since the beginning, taking care of you for weeks even if he didn’t really know it, and he can take care of you now too if you just let him. 
“We’ll take care of you,” Mingi cuts in, offering his help softly, “and make sure you’re safe until it’s over,” 
“Are you sure?” You pull back from Yunho’s neck, leaning heavily on his chest still. 
He cups your cheek in his broad hand, bringing your eyes up to his, and nods, “Positive, and if you don’t,” he swallows hard tries to find the right words, “if you don’t want to have sex we can figure something out, but you need a place that’s private, and you need to be with more experienced alphas who know how to keep their hands to themselves.”
They’re not wrong. You just have to trust them. You just have to let go. 
Your body makes the decision for you, the way your aching and throbbing is soothed just being between them, and you let your mind follow. 
“Okay,” You sigh, leaning into his hand, “yes,” 
“Alright,” He sighs, “don’t worry about a thing, okay? We’ll get you home.” Yunho’s thumb rubs a soothing pattern into the soft gland at your wrist and it relaxes you further. He looks over you for a moment, “Mingi, I need you to take her for a minute, I’ll get the car.” 
When Yunho steps away, just to try and pass you back to Mingi, the lack of contact strikes panic through you and you shake your head, “No, no, don’t go,” 
“It’s not for long,” He assures you, his hands sliding down your arms as he separates from you slowly, “I’ll be back in 5 minutes,” 
A panicked whine leaves your throat and your mind spins, “Don’t leave me!” 
“Hey,” He soothes you but you don’t respond, all you know is he’s leaving and you’ll be without him and the thought makes your body clench. “y/n, hey, y/n,” He tries again but you’re shaking your head. “Omega.” His voice roots you to the spot. 
Mingi’s hands close over you gingerly from behind, and Yunho nods as your panicked noises stop, “Okay, see?” He says, “Listen to me, omega, I’m not going far. You won’t be alone, Mingi’s right here. I’ll be back in five minutes, and then I won’t leave you again, okay?” 
“Okay,” You lean back into Mingi, and let his touch keep you warm. 
Yunho nods and then keeps his eyes on you as he moves back to the office, darting out of your eye line for a moment. You can hear him grabbing his things; the zip of his bag, the jingle of his keys, and the lights flick off before he jogs back out. 
“Here,” He says, holding out his jacket, “put this on,” 
Mingi takes it from his hands, and eases it onto you. When you pull the jacket up, his scent washes over you again and you sigh. 
“Better?” Yunho asks. 
“Mhm,” You murmur, and tucked into the warmth of Mingi’s chest with their combined scents easing you, you can breathe. You keep your eyes closed, but you hear when Yunho walks out the front door and your body clenches a little, but you take a deep breath in.
“Mingi,” You finally say, looking up at him, “thank you for not leaving me,” 
“Hey,” He shakes his head, “I was never going to leave you there,”
You nod, twisting in his arms so you can tuck your face into his chest and let his arms wrap fully around you, “I’m sorry,” you sigh, “I’m not usually such a touchy person,” 
He chuckles, smoothing your hair with his hand, “It’s okay, I like it,” 
“And Yunho?” 
“Oh,” Mingi laughs, “he’s a cuddler, don’t worry.” 
Your stomach cramps and you groan into his chest, “God,” you grip him, “I forgot how much this hurts,” 
“How long has it been?” Mingi shifts his grip so that more of your weight is supported, “You know, since your last real heat?” 
“Years,” You tell him honestly, “they’ve been so much easier on suppressants,” 
“Mm,” Mingi nods above you, “when this hits it’s going to be intense,” 
“Have you helped a partner through heat before?” 
“I have,” Mingi says, “but Yunho hasn’t,” 
“Oh,” You have no idea why Yunho offered himself up immediately like he had done it a thousand times before if he’s never shared a heat with someone. The sure, practiced tenor of his voice when he called you omega rings in your ears. 
“Don’t worry,” Mingi assures you, “I know what I’m doing, and Yunho’s got a handle on himself. He won’t touch you if you don’t want him to,” 
“I’m really, really not worried about that,” You sigh. 
“Good,” Mingi’s phone starts to vibrate in his pocket, and he adjusts his arms around you so he can find it, “We’ll take care of you - Hey? Are you out front?” 
You can’t hear Yunho’s side of the conversation but you just wait, held against him. 
“Okay, I got her,” Mingi says, and you smile. 
You forgot the way that heat takes over every physical sensation, every little thing heightened until you feel like you’re on a razor’s edge. In a matter of hours you’re going to be a writhing mess, in so much pain you might be delirious - you might ask anything of them, beg for anything.  You have to reconcile with your shame now, and let them help. After weeks of dancing around Yunho, what you really want is to ask him out for coffee, not this. Mingi is no stranger to being flirtatious, those sparks between you already evident, but it always felt like a little inside joke between friends, not a step towards anything more.  
“Alright, just a little further,” Mingi urges you as he slips his arm under yours. 
It takes time to get to the car, but when you get there, Mingi slides into the backseat with you instead of taking the front with Yunho like he normally would. Enclosed in the warmth of the car, you relax into Mingi’s arms and find Yunho’s eyes studying you in the rearview mirror. Their scents settle you a bit, more than any other alpha’s ever has. 
“I’m okay,” You assure them, “it’s coming and going,” 
“We don’t live too far,” Yunho smiles, “so just try to relax and we’ll be inside soon, okay?” 
“Yeah,” 
Mingi eases you against him, feeling your exhaustion, until you’re nestled in his lap with his fingers softly carding through your hair. Yunho’s eyes flick back to you again and again as he drives, but for the first time since the locker room, you’re not in too much pain. 
“Yunho,” Mingi murmurs and his friend hums a noise of acknowledgement, “we need to pick up a few things for her,” 
“What do you mean?” 
“She needs to eat before this really starts,” Mingi says quietly, “I think we have water bottles at home and ice packs?” 
“Yeah we do, I went to the store a couple days ago,” Yunho glances back at you again. 
“Okay,” Mingi’s fingers keep up their soothing brushes on your scalp, “and we need condoms, in case.” 
“Oh,” Yunho blinks and opens his mouth to say something but you get there more quickly. 
“We don’t need them,” You twitch as a cramp ripples through you, “I’m on birth control,” 
“If it would make you feel more comfortable though,” Mingi offers. 
“No,” You groan a little and shift on the uncomfortable back seat, “really, I’m good.” 
The car is quiet for a minute, the reality sinking in that they won’t just be keeping you safe tucked away in a room in their apartment, but they will be helping you. Yunho clears his throat, “Then we’re good, let’s get you home and in bed, and then we can order food? Do we have time?” 
“Mhm,” You assure him, “I’m okay now that i’m with you both,” 
“Exactly,” Mingi soothes you as your fists tighten, eyes closing as you breathe through another small cramp, “your alphas will take good care of you,” 
You release a shuddering breath, the word sinking into your chest and keeping you whole. 
“Almost there,” He murmurs, “just breathe, omega,” 
Getting you upstairs to their apartment proves a little challenging, moving through the lobby of the apartment building and ferrying you into an elevator. They stay close to you, keeping you firmly tucked between them as they walk you in, and you do your very best to seem in control and not draw any unnecessary attention. 
The minute their apartment door closes though, your legs give out and Mingi scoops you up, “You did so well,” he assures you, and it’s evident now that he is the one with the experience here, knowing exactly what the primal part of your brain needs to hear. 
“I’ll order food,” Yunho says, giving you a small smile. 
“Get her some meat,” Mingi directs him, “broth too, and lots of rice,” 
“You are good at this,” You sigh. 
“We got you,” Mingi grins, acting like this is second nature, “now… I can put you to bed, or would you like a cool shower before you lay down? I know that helps,” 
“Mm, yes please,” You nod. 
“Alright,” Mingi nods and looks up, “get the food going, and then meet me in my room with some water and the ice packs.” 
“Right,” Yunho looks at you, “are you okay with just Mingi?” 
“Yeah,” You smile, “I’m feeling okay,” 
“Good,” Yunho smiles back and pulls out his phone to order the food, “then I’ll meet you there.” 
Mingi sets you up in the bathroom with ease, making sure you have towels and everything you need. Your heat is coming, building inside your body with every cramp and rush of warm blush, but their combined scents keep things calm enough for you to take care of yourself a bit. He asks you to keep the door unlocked in case you need help, and leaves you to your moment of peace. You let the cool water settle your body, taking solace in this dip of your pre-heat before things get worse. 
When you’re done, wrapped up in fluffy towels and feeling decidedly less sticky from the combination of sweat and slick, you make your way out into the hall. There are three bedrooms, an empty one you assume is Yunho’s, one that’s been converted into an office, and then one larger room at the end of the hall that you know must be Mingi’s. 
He appears in the doorway before you make it too much further and smiles, “Feeling better?” 
“Yes, thank you so much,” 
“Mhm,” He reaches for you, “come on in, we got everything ready for you,” 
His bedroom smells overwhelmingly like cinnamon when you first cross through the door and you feel a tense flutter in your core. His room is tidy, clean and organized well, which feels surprising for Mingi given how chaotic and busy he can seem at times. The bed is made, but the covers are pulled back for you and you see a folded shirt and thin sleep pants at the edge of the bed. Yunho is sitting in a chair in the corner by the foot of the bed and waiting, the dresser adjacent to his side equipped with almost everything you’ll need. Water bottles, pain killers, and ice packs, an unfilled bowl with a few washcloths stacked inside. 
“How do you know all this?” You catch Mingi’s eye. 
“My girlfriend in college went through terrible heats,” He explains easily, directing you towards the bed, “I remember what used to make her feel a little better,” 
“Ah,” That explains so much of him, and his easy reaction to finding you in the locker room. 
“Do you need help getting dressed at all?” He asks. 
“No, I just really want to lie down,” Your limbs are starting to feel heavy and achy. 
“We’ll leave you be then,” Yunho offers, “and when the food gets here we’ll bring some in,”
“Mhm,” You sigh, sinking down onto the bed, “thank you both again, so much,” 
When you’re finally alone in Mingi’s room, you start to take stock of your body and how it feels, getting a sense of how far you are from the real thick of your heat. Judging by the intensity of your cramps and the fact that you’re starting to produce slick, you know you’re not too far off, maybe a few hours at most. The onset of your heat is normally much slower than this, a long few days of light pre-heat into a couple of days of uncomfortable cramps and extremely high arousal. On suppressants it feels easy, off them everything is unpredictable. 
You pull on the clothes they left you, but they smell like stale lavender, artificial like laundry detergent and it’s not helping. You find the hamper in the corner and toss off the top, digging through Mingi’s clothes until you find a hoodie and you bury your face in it before taking a deep inhale and letting the warm smell of him pass through you. It might be crossing a line, but you don’t really care, you need them.
A pulsing wave passes through you and you collapse back into the bed, tugging on the hoodie and curling yourself up in the covers. The bed smells like him too, and you gather a pillow to your chest and take a deep inhale. Your neediness is starting to build up again with every passing minute, flushing heat through your chest and where you were cold a moment ago you’re suddenly overheated. You kick off the covers, but keep them close, and pile the pillows around you too so you can better inhale his scent. 
Slick rushes forwards again and you bite your inner cheek to stifle a moan and keep things in check. You push off the sleep pants they had given you, and fish through your gym bag until you find a clean pair of underwear and some wipes. You clean yourself up a bit, and change your underwear for the third time today, before deciding that there’s no point in putting the pants back on. Mingi’s hoodie falls low over your shorter frame, dragging along your thighs. 
You bury yourself back in his bed, and do your best to get a little rest before what’s to come. 
When you wake, it’s to Mingi pushing back his hoodie so he can see your face a little better, “Hey,” he murmurs, “how are you feeling?” 
“Tired,” You sigh, “and sore,” 
“Okay,” He smiles and tugs lightly on the strings of his hoodie, “is this helping?” 
“Mm,” You nod into his palm, but nervous knots start to curl up in your belly, “where’s Yunho?” 
“I’m here,” Yunho’s voice comes from the opposite side of the bed, and you twist in the sheets to find him, a cramp pulsing through you as you do and you groan, gripping onto the bed sheets beneath you. 
“Easy,” Mingi scolds you softly, “you need all the rest you can get,” 
Yunho finds your eyes and smiles, “What’s wrong?” He asks gently, noticing your nervous fidgeting. 
“I don’t know, I thought you left,” You manage. 
“I’m an idiot,” Mingi sighs behind you and his hand that rests on your hip shifts away, “stay with her a second,” 
“Mhm,” Yunho’s eyes don’t leave you, and he reaches out to rest his hand on yours, “we’ve got dinner, and then once you eat you can rest, we won’t go anywhere.” 
You watch his face as he studies your features, his breathing slow and steady, when you hear Mingi come back into the room behind you. “Here we go,” He says, and you feel a large, soft blanket draping over you. The smell of wet earth and rain in the air fills your senses again and you drag the blanket up and around you with a sigh. 
“You’re nesting,” Yunho observes, his mouth dropping open, “of course,” 
“She couldn’t smell you in here,” Mingi explains with ease, “she needs you to relax,” 
You nod, your cheek pressed against the blanket, “You smell like a thunderstorm,” 
Yunho sits slowly on the bed by your side, brushing your hair back behind your ear and smoothing his thumb along your cheekbone, “Is that right?” he smiles. 
“I love thunderstorms,” Your eyes drift closed. 
Mingi chuckles, “I think she’s found herself a heat partner,” 
“Only if she wants one,” Yunho presses, “and only after she eats,” 
Your eyes reopen, and you push yourself up to your knees, dropping the hood of Mingi’s sweatshirt and running your hands over your warm cheeks. “We need to talk now,” You blink hard and take a deep breath, “before I get too far into this,” 
“Let’s eat then,” Mingi gestures for you to sit back more comfortably and you watch as he and Yunho both produce boxes of take out from bags on the dresser, “what are you thinking?” 
“Well,” You shift up the bed to lean against the headboard, dragging Yunho’s blanket with you, “I haven’t gone through this in a while. I’m not sure how it’s going to be, but you said you wanted to help. What did you mean by it?” 
Yunho looks like he’s not sure exactly what to say or where to start and Mingi cuts in smoothly, “I’m willing to help with all of it. If you want me gone, I’m gone. If you want help to come to take the edge off, I can do that, and if you want me to actually knot you,” he gestures for you to fill in the blanks. 
“Right,” 
“But,” Mingi cuts in and your eyes shift back to him, “You seem to want Yunho,” 
His eyes flick down to the way you’re rubbing his blanket between your thumb and forefinger and you drop it instantly, not even realizing what you were doing. Mingi smiles softly and adds, “I think you prefer his scent,” 
“No!” You exclaim, wincing at the way your body tenses up, “No, it’s not that, at all.” 
“Earlier,” Mingi takes a seat on the edge of the bed, “you said my scent was making it harder, that’s not what I want to do for you.” 
“Mingi,” You shake your head, “I meant because it’s good, both of you. So, no I don’t have a preference.” 
“Oh,” Mingi smiles, and then turns to Yunho, “how are you feeling?” 
He clears his throat softly and nods, “The same as you, I’m all in.” 
“Okay,” You exhale slowly, “then so am I,” 
Mingi passes you a take out container and a pair of chopsticks, “Eat this, okay?” 
“Mhm,” You’re caught between exhaustion and adrenaline, but you stay focused on the task at hand. You all eat quietly, the atmosphere a little awkward now that you’ve all agreed. 
As you finish the container of food, Yunho smoothly passes you another and he says, “So, you feel comfortable with us?” 
“I do,” You nod, shifting a little at a slight pain in your back, “I like you both, and if I can trust you in the studio, I can trust you with this.” 
“And if you ask us to knot you?” Mingi prompts. 
“Right,” You swallow, resting the container of food on your lap, “I guess there are some things we should say now,” 
They look at you, waiting expectantly. 
“People say things during heat,” You start, imagining all the things you might beg them for for the next few days to come. “It’s not like I’ll be out of my mind or anything, you know that,” You nod to Mingi. 
“Mhm,” 
“But it’s still hard to control,” You explain, and Yunho listens intently, “I don’t know what it’ll be like for me. It’s been a long time, but you have my permission to do whatever we need to. If I ask you to knot me, knot me.” 
“Okay,” Mingi nods, “it’s good that we’re clear.” 
You feel another flush up your chest and you breathe slowly, “But no matter what,” you hold their gazes, “if I ask you to claim me, don’t. Don’t do it, even if I tell you I’m sure.” 
“Absolutely not,” Mingi’s brow furrows, and he looks shocked that you’d even have to say it, “there’s no way.” 
“I know you know,” You swallow and reach for a water bottle on the nightstand, “but Yunho, you’ve never done this before.” 
“That might be true,” He shakes his head, “but I know you wouldn’t mean that, it would just be the heat talking,” 
“Exactly,” You nod, “I might sound like I want that or like I need that, but I don’t.” 
“Understood,” Yunho nods, “I wouldn’t, I swear,” 
You sink back into your pillows and tuck back into your box of food, “I just want you to be prepared,” you explain, “and before I start crying and begging you to give me a pup, I wanted to say it,” 
Mingi laughs into his food, choking a little, “Sorry, no, not funny,” 
You smile, the mood a little lighter now, “It’s kind of funny.” 
Yunho smiles, shifting further onto the bed as he all but inhales his noodles, “You seem a better, I thought it was going to just get worse,” 
“Oh, it will,” You shrug, “but the food is nice, and you’re both here with me. When Mingi found me I was scared and alone, which always makes it worse,” 
Mingi’s hand rubs a comforting line up your shin, “You’re very safe now,” 
“I know,” You nod. 
“Eat some more,” Yunho notices that you’ve taken too long of a pause, and he gestures for you to keep going, “and then what would be nice? Some sleep?” 
“Maybe,” You dip back into your rice, “would you stay?” 
“I’ll stay,” Yunho murmurs. 
“Me too,” Mingi adds. 
They keep on you to eat, making sure you’ve had your fill. Afterwards, you rest between them watching some television, keeping your mind off things as best you can while you’re still feeling somewhat okay. They’re careful of you though, every shift of your body and soft hiss through your teeth drawing their attention. Mingi is still cool and evenly calm, but surprisingly Yunho is too, and you wonder what they talked about while you were in the shower. Did they discuss what to do at all? What the night and the next few days would be like? 
You’re so exhausted, slipping further down into the bed, nestled in pillows and wrapped in Yunho’s blanket. They naturally gravitate closer, their hands finding their way to your skin, and you’re not sure if it’s just their alpha nature or if it’s them, but you’ve never been more grateful for it. 
The cramps start to become unbearable again soon after they start to hold you. You’re not sure if their presence is making things move more quickly, let alone being with two alphas, but within the hour the pain sets in. 
You curl into Mingi’s chest as tight pain cuts through you, “Fuck,” you pant against him, “it hurts,” 
“I know,” Mingi soothes you, scooting down the bed until he’s eye to eye with you, “but you’re not alone,” 
A sharper, biting pain rips through you and a flood of heat washes over you. You grip down hard on Yunho’s hand, curling into yourself with a taut moan, “It… it hurts,” 
“Shh,” Yunho kisses your hair, running his hand up and down the expanse of your abdomen, “I know it hurts, jagiya,” 
You whine at the name, desperate to hear him call you anything and everything. Your omega thrums inside you - every touch telling you just how much closer your heat is than you realize. “Please,” You plead, but you don’t know exactly what you’re pleading for, “I can’t breathe,” 
“Yes, you can,” Mingi tries to sooth you, his hand on your cheek, “look at me, y/n, come on omega,” 
Tears well in your eyes, heat flooding through your veins and a pulsating need fluttering through you. If they don’t touch you, you might wither into nothing. Your hips tuck back into Yunho’s and you groan, “I can’t,” 
“She’s burning up,” Yunho murmurs from your side. 
“Let’s take this off then,” Mingi tugs on the sleeves of his hoodie slowly, coaxing your arm through. He can see your rising panic at the idea you won't be wrapped in their scents, but he shakes his head slowly, “easy, love, let your alphas help,” 
As the heavy sweatshirt is pulled away, you drop back on the bedding between them. The thin t-shirt they gave you is all but soaked through with sweat, sticking to your curves. Your head is aching, waves of feverish heat washing over you again and again, and you whimper, your legs twitching as you try to find a somewhat comfortable position. 
“Hey, hey,” Yunho’s thumb settles over the swollen gland in your neck, and he strokes it soft and slow, “just breathe,” 
It settles you, just a bit, and you let your eyes drift shut. With a sigh you reach for Mingi just to feel a bit of his skin on yours, “I’m not even properly in heat yet and I feel like I could crawl out of my skin,” 
“Hot?” Mingi brushes the damp hair back from your forehead. 
“It’s like my skin is tingling,” You murmur, “like a nerve,”
“Okay,” He nods. He shifts off the bed and your eyes flutter open. Mingi soothes you with a gentle hand, before moving towards the dresser, “Yunho, get those clothes off her,” 
Yunho’s eyes lock on yours, “Can I?” 
You nod, your head feeling full and pained. 
Yunho’s hand slips under the edge of your damp shirt, coasting up your stomach as he pushes the fabric up and the drag of his hot hand sends a pulse through your body. You moan, head dropping back into the bedding, and you feel another gush of slick. 
“It’s okay,” Yunho soothes as you he drops your shirt to the side of the bed, “there’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” 
You huff, a light laugh as you shake your head, “Easy for you to say, you’re not falling apart whenever I touch you,” 
“Yet,” He smiles. 
“Who are you kidding?” Mingi returns to your bedside with a bowl of cool ice water and a damp washcloth. He throws a smile at his friend before ringing out the washcloth over the bowl, “The minute you saw us in the hall you were all alpha protection mode, scenting her and everything,” 
“Shut up,” 
You grin, but Mingi sweeps a cold line up your body with the cloth and you shudder, “Fuck, that’s nice,” 
“Good,” Mingi murmurs, passing another wet washcloth to Yunho. When Mingi presses a firm line up your chest, and sweeping a little too close to your neck your body arches and your nipples harden into painful peaks. 
You blush hard and drop a hand over your face, “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” 
“Why?” Yunho asks gently, wiping your brow with the cool cloth. 
“We work together,” You sigh, “closely together… I probably should have made you take me home or something but,”
“Do knotting dildos even really help?” Mingi asks bluntly. 
“I mean,” You shrug, “they get the job done,”  
“Hmm,” Mingi shakes his head, “not with a heat like this,” 
“Maybe,” You sigh. 
“y/n,” Yunho asks, “have you had a heat partner before? Have you been knotted?” 
“A long time ago,” You nod, “it wasn’t a great experience, but you know, it is what it is.” 
Yunho passes the cloth down your chest and you shudder, but he keeps the conversation going, “Why in the world are you off your suppressants then?” 
Your eyes flick down, and you swallow hard, “I can’t afford them right now,” 
“Wait,” Mingi shakes his head, “what?” 
“The brand I’m on is the only one that works for me,” You explain, “they’re not priced like the generics, and I don’t have coverage yet. I’ve been rationing them out, but,” 
“You should have talked to me about it,” Yunho shakes his head, brows knit together in concern, “we could have done something for you,” 
“Yunho,” You meet his eyes, “I appreciate that, but I’m still kind of new here. I’m just trying to prove I belong here, and I didn’t want a reason to need a special exception.”
He looks like he wants to say something, but settles on nodding, “I can understand that.” 
“I’m,” You tense up as your cramps intensify, “I’m glad to know I can talk to you, I’ll do it in the future, I just couldn’t come to you about this.” 
“Alright,” He nods, his voice shifting to soothe again as your eyes clamp tightly shut. 
“Are they worse?” Mingi asks. 
You can’t answer, not yet, your muscles are locked up in crippling pain and you feel like you’re drowning in a sudden wave of hot air. You gasp as you feel your body produce more slick, your thighs surely sticky now, and you’re suddenly hyper aware of their hands and where they rest on your body. 
“I think,” Your hips jerk as Mingi slides the washcloth just an inch up your side, “oh God, I think,” 
“Okay,” Yunho pets your hair gently, “okay, just breathe,” 
Your fingers tighten in the sheets beneath you and an overwhelming ache between your thighs reminds you just how empty your body is. You press your thighs together, feeling a throb in your core, and you can’t stop the whimper that bubbles from your lips. 
“Let’s get these off too,” Mingi murmurs, his hands settling on your hip and tugging at your underwear to slowly peel them off.  
Things are spinning around you, tense and painful suddenly and no amount of cool washcloths or gentle touches are going to help you now. Your vision feels blurry, and you curl into yourself, tucking your body into Yunho’s chest with a pained hiss. 
“Oh, come here,” Yunho tucks you close, “I’ve got you,”
“Alpha,” You feel like crying suddenly, your stomach tense, “alpha, please,” 
“What, jagiya?” Yunho murmurs against your hair. 
You can’t explain what you need, all you know is that you can’t feel him close enough and you push the edges of his shirt up to try and find more of him, “Please,” you whine as you try to feel more of his skin on yours. 
“Whoa, whoa,” He tries to catch your hands but it just makes you more tense. 
“K-knot me,” Your stomach cramps, your cunt feeling swollen and sensitive, “please,” 
“y/n,” Yunho tries again to pull your hands away but you drive forwards, pressing your cheek against his bare chest where his shirt is ridden all the way up and you sigh into his skin, pressing frantic kisses along his body. 
“Please,” You beg again, “I’ll be so good for you, so good,” 
“I know you will,” He manages, but he can’t deter you, and you feel the moment his body responds to yours. His hands tighten pleasantly on your hips, and you hear the change in his breath. He releases your hands and swallows hard, “Alright, alright,” 
“No,” Mingi interrupts, “not yet,” 
“Why?” You sob. 
“You’re not ready yet,” He soothes, shifting closer behind you and placing a warm kiss on your bare back, “and Yunho and I are not going to hurt you tonight,” 
“I don’t care,” Your hands slide down Yunho’s chest, searching for his waistband. 
“Mingi’s right,” Yunho groans, attempting to disconnect your hands from him. 
“Omega,” Mingi’s voice is firm, and your hands fall away, “be still.” You’re sure you’re shaking like a leaf, and he sighs, “You need a little sleep,” 
“I can’t sleep like this,” You shake your head, “everything hurts so much,” 
“We’ll help with that,” Mingi pulls you away from Yunho’s chest, ignoring your tense whine at being pulled away from him, and slides a hand down your thigh to press your legs open, “we’ll help you sleep,” 
Yunho rests his hand on your inner thigh, bending your knee to open you up for Mingi’s hand, “Let your alphas make you feel good,” 
You’re shaking in their grip, Yunho’s hand feeling like a lead weight, and Mingi settles down low by your side so that you’re almost nose to nose, holding your gaze as his fingers gently sink into your wet folds. 
“P-please,” The sound in your throat is tight, “I need you to fuck me,” 
“Mhm,” Mingi nods, unfazed by your sudden shift in demeanor as your heat finally starts to build, “we will, but not yet,” 
You stifle a groan and turn your head away from him, tears gathering in your eyes as Mingi’s middle finger flattens out over your clit and starts to rock. All it does is stoke heat inside you and your vision blurs, the empty pocket inside you aching like never before. “Alpha,” You sob, “it’s not enough,” 
You expect Mingi to respond, but instead it’s Yunho, cupping your cheek and drawing your face towards his, “Shh,” he shakes his head, a gentle expression on his face, “we have you, sweetheart,” 
Something in his face calms you for a moment, the feeling of his warm gaze filling you and you want nothing more than to know he likes you. Approves of you. Your breath is slight, just a whisper in your throat. 
Seeing your response he slides forwards, pressing his mouth to yours in a warm, tender kiss. His hand slips down and he brushes over your gland again to keep you at ease, “Be patient for us,” he kisses you again, “and you know we’ll knot you nice and full,” 
With a desperate pant you catch his mouth again, moaning against his mouth when Mingi finally, finally sinks a finger deep inside your aching core. 
“You’re still so tight, omega,” Mingi murmurs. He pushes a second finger inside and starts to pump them in and out, and it’s not enough, nowhere near enough, but little blooms of pleasure spark up your spine and you fall back from Yunho into the bedding once more. 
“More,” You widen your legs and cant your hips, “please, Mingi, please,” 
He presses his lips to your forehead, nuzzling you softly until his mouth is close to your ear, “You’re so beautiful, omega. Did you know that?” 
A wash of pleasure crashes through you and his fingers speed up, pushing into you more firmly, his thumb catching against your clit to heighten every thrust. You moan against him, gripping hard on his shirt and jutting your hips into his hand. 
“And so good for us,” Yunho kisses your shoulder, traveling down until lips close around one of your stiff nipples. 
“Ah,” You arch into his mouth, “ah, god,” 
“Close already, omega?” Mingi teases, shaking his head despite the smile across his lips, “Are you that sensitive?” 
“D-don’t tease me,” Hot pleasure sparks up your body and your head twists back, your body tight and stiff. 
“Then come,” Mingi bites down on your earlobe gently and you whine. 
“Do as your told,” Yunho urges you, sucking hard on your nipple and pressing your leg open wider, “our sweet little omega,” 
You come so hard your brain whites out, your ears ringing and your body trembling. After an entire week of build up to your heat, and hours of feeling like your body was being stretched out long like a rubber band, snapping apart in their hands hits you so much harder than you ever could have imagined. 
Your brain reconnects when you feel Yunho’s soft blanket tucked around your naked body, and you’re too exhausted to open your eyes, but you feel them cuddle close before you drop off into sleep drowning in cedar and cinnamon. 
You have no idea what time it is when you wake again, your brain is too foggy and pained to even check the time. All you know is desperate need, all consuming emptiness and aching. When you reach out in front of you, the bed is empty and you stifle a sob. You’re alone, they’ve left you alone. You’re alone and you’re in heat, and you thought they wanted you, but all you can feel is shame. The primal part of your brain tells you that you’re not good enough, that if you had been a better omega for them they would have stayed. You’d be good and knotted by now. 
Curling into the sheets you try to push yourself up, but find the effort even harder than before. You’re soaked in sweat, trembling uncontrollably, and the throbbing pulse of your cunt is so heady that you find yourself seeking any friction at all, squeezing your thighs tight and grinding against the balled up comforter. 
You feel a body roll behind you, shifting closer, and when you hear his groggy, sleepy groan, you almost cry in relief. “A-alpha?” You can’t move too much, too it’s too painful, but you reach back for him. 
“Hey,” Yunho’s voice is a little hoarse, and it takes him a minute to realize what’s going on, but in the early morning faded light he watches the way you’re struggling. “Oh,” he breathes, “it’s really started,” 
You nod desperately, “I need help, alpha, please,” 
“Okay,” His voice drops, and he slides across the bed to slot himself perfectly behind you, “I’m going to take care of you now,” 
“Y-Yunho,” You squeeze yourself further back into him, “I’m so empty,” 
His face is above yours now, studying your expression to try and determine if this is really it, and you don’t know where Mingi is to guide the situation but at the feeling of Yunho’s body behind yours, your will to care is fading away into nothing. He’s not touching you fast enough, and with a whimper, you twist your head in the sheets, bearing your neck and submitting. 
“Oh,” Yunho’s hands tighten on you, “oh,” 
“Please,” You press again, “it hurts, alpha,” 
His cock stiffens behind you, and you almost cry in relief, rolling your hips back against him. “Fuck,” His face drops against your hair, “oh my god,” 
“Inside me,” You beg, reaching back and tugging at his shirt, “now, please,” 
He moves so much more quickly this time, pushing down his sweats and reaching between your thighs to check you, finding you soaked with slick and aching for him. You moan when you feel the press of his cockhead against your entrance, and in one fluid motion he slides home, fully seating himself inside you. 
You’re shaking in his arms, the feeling of being this full making you almost delirious with joy. Yunho doesn’t move though. He has you pulled as close as possible so that your back is flush with his chest, arms wrapped around you and keeping you perfectly still. His forehead rests against the top of your head and you can hear his shaky breath. You need him to move, to fuck you, to fill you with pups and never leave you, but he doesn’t. 
Slowly, his hips draw back just a little before sinking forward again, thrusting inside your tight channel experimentally like he’s trying to get a feel for you. Despite how your body prepared you for this, making you wet and relaxed to be able to accommodate an alpha’s knot, the feeling of his cock stretching you open is almost enough to make you come right then and there. 
He thrusts again, slowly, and you whimper against him. You need more, and fast.
Yunho groans as he holds himself deeply inside you again, caressing your body with his free hand, “You are the best thing I’ve felt in my entire life,” 
Your brain spins, pleasure flooding you and distantly you can hear yourself asking him to knot you. You’re not prepared for what he’ll feel like fucking you in earnest. 
“Is that what my girl needs?” Yunho pants, and hand locking down over your hip to help pull your body back against his hard thrusts. 
“God, please!” Your eyes close, falling apart into the sensations of him inside you. 
He groans against you, “Tell me what you need, omega,” 
The low tenor of his voice is nothing but alpha now, his instincts guiding him just as much as yours. You’re never going to last, not if he’s going to talk to you like this. With a taut moan you beg him, “Fill me up, alpha please, knot me please,” 
His hand slides up your chest, up your neck until you’re shaking with need, and closes his fingers on your jaw until he draws your face up so he can watch your eyes. His hips shift their pace, no longer driving into you with frantic need but instead firm, deep thrusts of his cock. His eyes are blown wide with desire, his mouth falling open as he watches you falling apart on his cock, “You’re all fucking mine,” 
You nod, hot tears gathering in your eyes from the overwhelming sensation and you cry out desperately for more. 
“All mine,” He repeats and surges forwards to lock his lips on yours, “you belong to me,”
“Yes!” You choke, “I’m yours, only yours,” 
“Good girl,” He angles his hips, and on the next thrust you’re spinning fast into the crest of your orgasm. With his face pressed against you, his lips at your ear, his next words snap you open. “I’ll give you perfect pups,” He pants, his knot swelling, “I’ll breed you so full,” 
There’s nothing now but the feeling of him, all encompassing as your orgasm crashes down over you, muscles spasming around his hard length. You’re a babbling mess, but so is he, so close to coming that the first sensation as your eyes reopen is his knot pressing hard at your opening. 
He’s so large already, larger than any partner or knotting dildo you’ve ever used, and you scramble a little in his hold, “Y-Yunho, I can’t,” 
“Shh,” He holds you against him, “you can, I know you can,” 
Pushing your hips down with his broad hands, he angles himself upwards until you feel the pressure of his knot pushing past your entrance and finally slipping inside you fully. It burns, your body aching to accommodate him, but with the way he’s holding you and the throb of his cock inside you, none of that matters. 
He grinds his hips desperately into you, his knot swelling further inside you, and when he comes, releasing hot with a shuddering groan, you finally feel sated. Your body melts into him, pleasantly foggy and at ease, his knot no longer uncomfortable but essential. 
You’re finally, finally full. 
It takes time for Yunho to come back to his senses, his hands still locked on your skin and breathing shaky as he tries to regulate it. You realize now that you have a little clarity that it was his first time. Deep, instinctual need had guided him, but the longer he stays quiet, the longer you wonder if you did well for him. 
After another minute or two you find his hand and lace your fingers together, “Yunho?” 
“Yes?” He murmurs from behind you, his forehead still against your hair. 
“Can you hold me please?” You murmur, squeezing his hand. 
“Come here,” He sighs, shifting slightly to spoon you properly. As he does, the knot locked inside you shifts and you make a startled hum at the sensation. He smooths your hair back and tries to get a good look at you, “Does that hurt?” 
“No,” You shake your head, adjusting so that you’re resting on his bicep, “I just feel full,” 
“Mm,” He kisses your temple, nuzzling your skin with his nose as he breathes in your scent, “you’re perfect,” 
Warmth blooms in your chest, “So are you,” 
“I want you like that again and again,” His hand slips out of yours so that he can coast it over your body, feeling your warm skin under his hands. 
“You can have me like that again and again,” You smile, “I’ll be in heat for days.” 
“Days of this,” He sighs, his hand dipping down over your hip and settling over your stomach. He inches his fingers down, passing over your sensitive nub and feeling the place where your bodies connect, locked together. 
“Does it feel good for you too?” You murmur, a little breathy as his hand slips back over your clit. 
“I’ve never felt anything like this,” He presses closer to you, “it’s incredible,” 
You chuckle, kissing his arm and relaxing further into his touch. You’re about to agree, to say more, to confess that in truth it’s your only experience in heat that so far hasn’t been terrible, but the door to the bedroom opens and Yunho tenses. 
Mingi opens the door slowly, and Yunho pulls you close, his hand closing over your stomach and his other arm wrapping around your shoulders. It’s just Mingi, but Yunho’s brain must still be fogged with the intrinsic need to protect you and in the presence of another alpha, he can’t see that it’s just his friend. 
“Mingi,” You shake your head, feeling how tense Yunho is behind you, “give him a minute,” 
“You’re okay?” He checks, staying rooted to the spot at the door, knowing that Yunho could hurt you if he stops thinking straight and tries to defend you against the imagined threat of another alpha. 
“I’m perfect,” You assure him, “I promise,” 
“Is he?” Mingi looks anxious. 
“He’s fine,” You nod, smoothing your hand across his arm to try and relieve some of his tension, “but we need some more time.” 
Mingi nods, “Come find me when you’re done,”
“We will,” 
Mingi’s eyes flick to Yunho, “Be careful with her,” 
“I got it,” Yunho’s voice sounds strained. 
Mingi nods once, and then disappears, leaving the door open, and you suspect it's so he can hear things a little better should you need him. Yunho’s muscles unlock slowly, his thumb unconsciously rubbing a steady line over your abdomen, and he exhales heavily into your hair.   
After a while, you expect his knot to have gone down, but he’s just as locked inside you as ever. The overwhelming alpha quality though has started to fade, and you rest lazily in his arms as he plays with your fingers and waits it out. 
“Does it normally take this long?” He asks finally. 
“Not usually,” You shake your head, “but it’s your first time knotting someone properly, so it might just take a little bit.” 
“I’m sorry,” He murmurs. 
“Why?” You tug him a little closer to your back, “This is exactly what I need,” 
“Everything felt right?” He pushes himself up onto one elbow so that he can look down at you a little better, propping his head in his hand. 
“Mhm,” You assure him, “Better than right,” 
He smiles, his eyes flicking over you appreciatively. 
“What about for you?” You bring him back to center, rubbing a circle into his palm with the pad of your thumb. 
“It wasn’t what I expected,” He says honestly, and your mouth drops open. “No, no,” He cups your cheek, “I meant that it was just… much more intense than I expected. I said a lot of things to you, and I don’t know, I guess I thought that type of thing was just played up in porn,” 
“Oh,” You grin, delighted a little by the way his ears run red. 
“Yeah,” He smiles, blush creeping into his cheeks now, “I just couldn’t stop myself,” 
“Mm,” You nod, “I get it, completely. This is why I wanted to talk before I was in heat,” 
“Was it too much?” He checks in. 
“No,” You assure him, “It was just what I needed to hear, and it doesn’t mean anything outside of my heat, it’s just instinct.” 
He nods and sighs, dropping back to the bed and cuddling you close again, “Good,” he murmurs, “then don’t worry about how clingy I’m about to get,” 
“You? Clingy?” You giggle against his chest, “I don’t believe it,” 
“I’m a softie,” He shrugs, “I don’t know what to tell you,” 
“But you always seem so serious at the studio,” You murmur, “and I’ve seen you go out with a lot of women,” 
“Ah,” He laughs, “well the studio is work, and I’m responsible for a lot there. And as far as the dates,” he corrects, “I am trying to appease my mother because she desperately wants me to find a wife, which I’m not really focused on right now, but she’s pretty obstinate.” 
“Such a mystery, Jeong Yunho,” You prod him lightly. 
“Not really,” He kisses your hair, sighing into you, “I’m just a guy,” 
You hum and let your eyes drift closed as he holds you. 
He yawns and sighs again, “So, forgive me if I cuddle you to death while you’re here, like I said, softie,” 
“I’m not complaining,” You sink into his touch. 
He groans a little, his knot finally softening but he stops you when you shift your hips, “Go slow, I don’t want to hurt you,” 
“It’s okay,” You assure him, feeling the way his knot fades down into being barely there. His cock starts to soften, and you slowly ease your way forwards while he shifts his hips back, disconnecting you both with a soft wet sound. 
His release floods out of you, leaving you messy and sticky, but Yunho kisses your shoulder and shifts away, “Hold tight, I’ll get a towel,” 
He seems incredibly unembarrassed about the messy state of heat sex, which you’re eternally grateful for, and within a few minutes you’re cleaned up and dressed again in yet another pair of clean underwear and one of the largest shirts of Mingi’s that you’ve ever seen. 
“How are you feeling?” Yunho asks as you finish cleaning your face up in the mirror of Mingi’s bathroom.
“A little sore,” You tell him honestly, “and cramping a little again, but it’s not too bad yet.” 
“You want to come see Mingi then? Get out of this room for a minute?” He brushes his fingers down your back as he watches you in the mirror. 
“Perfect,” 
In the living room, Mingi is waiting. He’s pouring over with nervous energy, his leg bouncing and his fingers fidgeting with his phone, refreshing his social media feed over and over again. The television is on, but he’s clearly not watching, and instead you see him perk up at the first sounds of you emerging from the bedroom. 
“Hey,” He twists around on the couch, looking a little relieved when he sees you completely fine and cleaned up wearing one of his t-shirts. 
“Hey,” You smile, moving towards the couch, “can I sit?” 
“Of course,” He gestures towards the couch, but that’s not exactly what you meant. The sight of him waiting for you, and the palpable taste of his anxiety in the air makes you feel needed, and you push his arms open to settle in his lap. 
“Oh,” He adjusts his legs to give you a better seat and winds his arm around your back, “is everything okay?” 
“Mhm,” You take his hand, rubbing your thumb gently over the gland in his wrist to soothe him, “you can relax, I’m perfectly fine,” 
Yunho takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch, chewing the inside of his cheek as he watches you and Mingi together. With a nudge to his friend’s thigh he gets Mingi’s attention and shakes his head, “I’m sorry I snapped at you,” 
“It’s cool,” Mingi shrugs, “I know the feeling.” 
“Where did you go, anyways?” You ask, leaning into his chest. The familiarity between the three of you should feel strange, before last night you really were only coworkers to each other. You might have even become friends, but now you’ve pushed so far past that you don’t know what you are except to accept that their hands on your skin feels right. 
“I shouldn’t have left, I could feel you were getting restless,” he explains, “I went to make you some broth and get cold water, just putting a few things together, but by the time I got back you were both in it,” 
“Ah,” You blush looking down at your hands, “sorry,” 
“Don’t be sorry,” Mingi’s broad, warm hand rests on your bare thigh and gives you a subtle squeeze, “I’m glad Yunho could help. I just didn’t think it would be smart to interrupt you,” 
“Good thinking,” Yunho adds, running a hand over his face and sighing, “you were right,” 
“I told you,” Mingi nods, “it can be intense,” 
Yunho passes a hand over your shin before pushing himself back up to stand and he stretches long and tall before groaning, “Alright, I’m starving.” 
You clap a hand over your mouth, chuckling into your palm, “Classic,” 
“Can I make you something?” He asks, “Either of you?” 
Mingi shakes his head, “I’m good,” 
“Me too,” You agree, “I should be hungry, but I’m really not,” 
Mingi’s nose crinkles, “You should still eat,” 
“Maybe in a bit,” You try to appease him. 
“In a bit you’ll be jumping our bones again,” Mingi counters. 
“I know,” You sigh, “but really, I’m okay. I feel pretty good,” 
“This is really just because it’s day one right?” Yunho asks, a little less joking than before. 
“Yeah,” You nod, “day one and two are never as bad, and you definitely have more lucidity as long as you’re managing the spikes well. Day three, four, and sometimes five if it lasts that long, are usually a lot harder.” 
“How much is a lot?” Yunho asks, stepping close and running his hand over your hair, “You were already in a lot of pain,” 
“I’ll be less coherent, and the fever can be worse. I probably won’t have down time like this,” You explain, “the pain isn’t necessarily worse, it’s just more consistent,” 
He frowns, “Then you’re eating now,” 
You sigh heavily and shake your head, “Honestly, you don’t need to, I can make myself something in a bit or,” 
Mingi cuts you off and makes a dismissive noise with his tongue against his teeth, “y/n, relax. This is what we meant when we said we’d help you through your heat. It’s more than just orgasms and knots,” 
You swallow back your words, holding his gaze. 
“Alphas are meant to provide,” He reminds you, “so let us,” 
A flutter of warmth bubbles through you, and you can only nod, no use arguing now when your mind is spinning and telling you to accept. Yunho drops a quick kiss on the top of your head, before disappearing into the kitchen. You’ve never had an alpha provide, never once. In your limited experience before going on suppressants, you were used to being knotted incredibly quickly and then left alone, or having a partner that never really knew how to fully satisfy, leaving you to feverishly deal with your needs while they slept. You’ve never experienced a heat where you felt wanted before. 
You ease into Mingi’s chest, resting a head on his shoulder and letting your muscles relax for as long as you can. They make you food, massage your sore hips, and keep you distracted with stories and memories from before your time at the studio. They hold you close, and they ease your pain, they provide.
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bonefall · 9 months
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is there polyamory within the BB world?
Yea, Harespring x Heathertail x Breezepelt, Tree x Violetshine x Dragonfly, and Toadskip x Nettlespot x Poolcloud.
I make them when I can! Though due to the family trees I have to be careful with them, lmao. All three are counted as parents.
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