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“Seungminie!” Felix whined, “That was my last dollar.” He stared hopelessly at the claw machine in front of him, hands pressed against the window. The damn thing had almost clamped over the pink kitten plushie before ultimately dropping it and returning to its spot empty-handed.
Felix should probably be embarrassed that he had spent all of his allotted money on this stupid cheat of a game. It had been a pack date night and after having filled up on a delicious dinner, they had stopped at a local arcade for some silly fun. Jisung had dragged Minho into the coin karaoke booth while Hyunjin challenged Changbin in some racing game. There were excited shouts and childish taunts thrown around the nearly deserted arcade that would make one double-take to find they came from eight grown men. Felix had enjoyed the sounds of a happy pack, only mourning the loss of their succulent scents as they had all decided to block up in public.
Felix, on the other hand, had been hypnotized by the claw machines the moment he entered the fun center. After the first close call, he couldn’t help but convince himself that he would definitely get that plushie on the next try. That turned into the next, and the next, and the next, and fuck. He was out of coins.
Pouting, he haggled some coins out of Seungmin. The beta had been fondly watching his other mates as they enjoyed themselves. He wasn’t entirely in the mood to play himself, becoming sleepy after such a hearty meal. But he indulged in seeing the rest of his pack run around like little kids. It would surely get the abundant energy out of Jisung and Hyunjin who hadn’t slowed down since their date night had begun. Seungmin didn’t know how Minho’s ears hadn’t tapped out after the second ballad the omega belted. He chalks it up to persuasive love. And the assortment of alcohol they had splurged for.
He had gladly handed over his money; otherwise, it would have gone unused. Chan was a fair pack alpha and had divvied the same amount of coins for each mate.
Felix jumped with unbridled enthusiasm, jamming the coins into the machine as it started up once more.
Now, Seungmin was broke and Felix still did not have that tantalizing pink kitten. Felix had even taken the rest of Innie’s change. Whoever owned the machine was getting a fortune tonight. The plushie wasn’t even all that special. If Felix asked, he could have any he wanted. Their company literally owned a plushie line they had created themselves.
“I know, baby, and I think that’s a sign we should stop.” Seungmin softly suggested. Felix huffed, and maybe it was because of the onsetting fatigue, but he just couldn’t go home without that kitten. “No, I need it! Minnie, look at his eyes. He wants me to take him home!” It was probably a miracle he didn’t stamp his foot like a child.
Seungmin gave a glance to the poor kitten who was laying on its side after the repeated drops from Felix’s attempts. It had beaded eyes that honestly did seem to look into your soul, compelling you to try again and again. Seungmin just seemed to have a little less empathy than Felix because he could definitely walk away from that thing.
“Lix, we can always come back on a different day and try again. For now, we have to leave it.”
Seungmin should have been prepared for Felix to put up a fight. He was obviously tired and maybe a little drunk and he loved stuffed animals and the color pink and cats—it was a recipe for disaster honestly. But Seungmin didn’t expect Felix to sidestep away from his arms and bound off for someone else. The beta stood there blinking, stupefied, as Felix made a beeline to someone he knew wouldn’t be able to resist his puppy-dog eyes.
He wrapped his arms around the alpha’s waist, pressing his face into his target’s sculpted back. He felt his mate rumble in surprise, turning his head to catch a glimpse of who had initiated the back hug. “Lixie.”
“Alpha.” Felix muttered, almost giving up on his quest because Chan’s warmth was just so tempting. Alas, he was leaving the arcade with a pink kitten in his arms one way or another. There was no time to be distracted! He was a master seductress and he was ready to pull out all the stops.
“Why do I feel you want something from me?” Chan giggled suspiciously. Felix squawked, unhooking his hands to face the older, “What makes you say that?” It wasn’t a lie but…
Chan booped his nose, and Felix didn’t have any time to react before he was tugged into a chaste kiss. Felix blushed as Chan released him. They were in public after all.
“Because I know you.”
Felix slumped, sighing. Damn his intuitive alpha. Chan repositioned the bunny-ears headband that sat atop Felix’s freshly dyed black locks, waiting for the omega to make the next move.
“I’ve been playing the claw machine,” He starts, and Chan hums to show he’s listening. He probably already knows where this is going but allows Felix to continue. “I wanted this cute pink kitty. You should see his eyes! I know he’s been in there for a long time. He looks so soft and cuddly. And he’s quite big! Bigger than the SKZOOs. I think he’d look nice in my collection. Fit right in with my Sanrio stuffies.”
Chan smiles as Felix talks. Rambles. He falls more in love with Felix every single day; feels their bond deepening every passing minute, second. Love with Felix came easy.
“And…” Chan teases just to see the sputter on his lover’s face. Felix can’t help the grin that forms on his lips, betraying his intention. He was supposed to be serious! Now, he just wants to laugh at the situation. Chan has that affect on him—like how he’ll go to ask Chan for something and halfway through their conversations will realize he didn’t even remember what he wanted in the first place. He just gets lost in Chan’s laugh, smile, eyes, smell. He’s incredibly lucky to get to spend the rest of his life as one of Chan’s omegas.
“And…I ran out of my money.” Chan raises a brow knowingly. Felix internally groans in defeat, “And Seungmin’s and Innie’s.”
“Hmm, that seems like quite the predicament.”
Felix playfully hits at Chan’s chest, “Hyung!”
Chan laughs but gives in eventually, “Okay, okay. Hyung will stop teasing.” He ruffles the omega’s hair and Felix preens under the attention. He’s always been a tactile person, thriving off of touch and affection. Chan never forgets that fact for which Felix is grateful. He’s been touch-starved before and he’d really like to not go through that again.
“How about we make a compromise?” Chan proposes as he’s taking out his wallet. Felix listens intently. “How about I give it a go and see what I can do? If we can’t get Mr. Pink Kitty with this five-dollar bill, we’ll have to give up, okay?” Felix agrees easily. He hopes that Chan is better at it than him. If the plethora of coins he’s lost to the machine are anything to go by, he clearly lacks the skill. He knows that claw machines are rigged to a certain extent but, damn, he’s given nearly fifteen tries already. That has to say something.
Felix tugs Chan over to the machine where Seungmin is still waiting. Changbin and Hyunjin stand next to him, clearly ready to go home with how Hyunjin is latched to the alpha’s front. Jisung and Minho round the group up as they step out of the karaoke booth, Jeongin asleep on Minho’s back.
“Are we ready to go?” Minho questions once they all appear near the entrance. He’s itching to crash into their nest and have a nice night of pack cuddles. He also wants his scent blockers off, having never been a major fan of them. He doesn’t like not being able to smell his mates and the patch is irritating.
“Not yet. Lixie really wants this plushie, so we’re going to try one last time. Then we can go home, promise.” Chan announces, rubbing a soothing hand down Jisung’s back. He could bet that the omega would wake up with a killer hangover the next morning. Such a lightweight.
Felix comes back after exchanging the bill for coins. There’s a jovial skip to his steps and that would make him the only one. Every one else is exhausted. Their date night had been refreshing and relaxing. They enjoyed great food and drinks. They had played several games and talked a lot off their chests.
The past few months had been chaotic. Their company was handling a merger which took Chan and Changbin away. Hyunjin had an increase in commissions for his paintings after one blew up on TikTok, and Felix had begun taking orders for his small catering business. Baking a hundred cupcakes for a bridal shower was a lot more work than he had anticipated, but he really enjoyed the process.
Minho trained cats and took shifts at a nearby cat café a couple days out of the week. Jisung was a writer and had been on a binge as of late. He had spent more time cooped up in his room trying to get that itch in his brain to go away than anything else. Felix had taken to bringing him his meals otherwise he wouldn’t come out to eat. Chan and Changbin had to physically drag him out and settle him before he collapsed from exhaustion. That hadn’t been a fun conversation.
Seungmin, recently graduated, had been casted in his first musical production. Practices were getting more taxing and frequent. Jeongin was still in school, having wrapped up his finals a week ago.
Their lack of free time to unwind and let loose had taken a toll on them all. Truthfully, they missed each other and needed a night to reaffirm their bonds. Chan had made the arrangements and everyone cleared their schedules for some pack time. It was one of the best choices they could have made. It was like hitting reset or recharging their batteries.
Felix crouched down to press the coins in. Chan got into position as the machine came to life. The alpha was definitely better than Felix but still came out empty-handed on his couple tries. Felix pouted, murmuring encouragement to the inanimate kitty as if that would change the outcome. He put in the next round of coins for Chan to play again.
“Woah, woah!” Felix jumped as Chan leveled the crane to where the sad kitten was laying with flicks of his wrist. He looked really close this time! With bated breath, Chan hit the red button to unleash the claws. The machine curled around the plushie, digging into the pink fur. It clamped down, rising up and moving towards the exit.
“Ah! Ah, please!” Felix begged as he waited by the flap. The kitten was almost there!
Then, all too soon, the claws were releasing the kitten. It dropped down into the box again, missing the exit by a hair. Felix deflated, and a chorus of saddened sighs sounded from his mates. Chan groaned, clearly getting frustrated with the machine.
“You were so close.” Felix muttered dejectedly as he stared into the plushie’s black eyes. Chan clutched his omega’s hand, squeezing it gently. He would gladly pay the owner whatever to just let them have it but that wasn’t possible in this case.
“One more try, baby.” Felix nodded as he loaded the fee into the slot, considerably less enthusiastic as before. He didn’t know what it was about this one fricking stuffie, but he wanted it. Felix was the one who was mainly responsible for the masses of plushies they had lying around their penthouse. Their nest was filled to the brim with all kinds of stuffed animals. His own room had some shelved and others lined up around his bed. When they had the chance to introduce a line of plushies to their company’s merch, Felix had been extremely excited. He took his creation seriously, detailing exactly how he wanted his character to look like. He even helped write the backstories for their SKZOOs with the creative team.
Chan swiveled the joystick around as he calculated the best position to capture the kitten. He almost ran out of time but pressed the button just before doing so. The same scene from a few minutes ago played out again as the claw gripped the pink kitten. Except this time, it didn’t have to travel as far and gravity worked in their favor.
Felix bounced up and down as he watched the kitten drop into the winner’s box. Cheers from the machine erupted and lights flashed at the accomplishment. Felix leaped into Chan’s arms, twirling them around in a victory dance. He couldn’t help but pull away to kiss the older on the lips as a silent ‘thank you.’ He figured Chan would like that more, and by the way the alpha licked into his mouth, he would say he was right.
Chan let Felix go to retrieve his prize. The omega reached through the flap and wrapped his hands around the kitten. It was as soft as he had imagined and very huggable. He squealed as he held the plushie close to his chest, brimming with happiness. It was a shame his scent glands were covered and his mates couldn’t smell his ripe mangos flourish.
“Wha’ are we cheering for?” Jeongin sleepily slurred at the commotion. Everyone cooed at their maknae before deciding to head home.
Chan made them shower when they arrived. He helped each of his mates peel off their scent blockers before ushering them on their way. Minho took Jeongin and Jisung to the ensuite of the nest. It had the biggest tub, and there was no way he was getting either of them to stand long enough for a shower. Seungmin went off with Hyunjin and Felix which left Chan and Changbin together.
The alphas shampooed each other’s hair, playfully bickering when Changbin got suds in Chan’s eye. Chan enjoyed the opportunity to be able to care for his second oldest. He made a reminder to himself to do so more often. He considered himself a fair pack leader, but it was fact that some of his mates were more sensitive than others. Still, he’d like to have more one-on-one time with his Binnie.
They finished first, dressing and moving to the nest. They brought out freshly laundered blankets, still warm from the dryer that someone had the hindsight to turn on when they got home. They chose to leave the specifics of nesting to the omegas. Hyunjin got a bit grumpy if it wasn’t made precisely how he wanted.
They listened to the splashing and giggles coming from the nearby bathroom followed by Minho’s amused scolding. Eventually, the door opened and Jeongin appeared wrapped in a fluffy towel. He scampered out to his room down the hall for a change of clothes. Jisung emerged next, clad in a pair of boxers. His black hair was still dripping, and Minho trailed behind to properly dry the omega’s mousy locks.
“Binnie, can I have some of your clothes, please?” Jisung requested sweetly. He liked how big Changbin’s clothes were on him—how they drowned him in the alpha’s husky scent and made him feel small and protected. Changbin bought soft fabrics that didn’t irritate his skin and that was an added plus.
Changbin looked up from his phone with a fond expression, “Of course, pup, pick whatever you want.” That was enough to send Jisung galloping to the older’s room, leaving behind an exasperated Minho.
“Don’t forget to brush your teeth!” Minho received a noncommittal sound in return and rolled his eyes. “I’m going to do the same.” He announced and disappeared back into the bathroom.
A couple minutes later, Jeongin and Jisung came plowing into the door at roughly the same time, both dressed comfortably in sweats and tees. “I call dibs on Changbin hyung!” Jisung yelled, plopping onto the mattress and crawling over to his target.
The nest was a place for the whole pack to cozily spend together. They had ordered a large family bed that took up the entire space along the far wall. It was big enough for all eight of them to lay without being cramped. Although, the nest typically saw cuddling galore.
There were countless blankets and pillows and, of course, plushies, courtesy of Felix’s collection. The room had a mounted TV for movie nights and lots of fairy lights precariously hung along the walls. It birthed a pleasant atmosphere that made them feel safe and satisfied.
Jeongin stuck out his tongue at the smug look on Jisung’s face as he curled himself around the alpha. “That’s fine. I want Minho hyung anyways.”
“Who wants me?” Minho wondered as he strode out of the en suite freshly showered with his skin care routine complete. He was probably the only one who would be doing so tonight but, hey, he’ll laugh when he’s the only one without wrinkles.
Jeongin didn’t say anything, just grabbed Minho’s hand and pulled him to the bed. “Oh, I’ve been chosen by our cute lil maknae! What an honor!”
Chan chuckled, watching Jeongin tackle Minho down. The alpha went along with it without protest. He loved when their baby beta was affectionate. Jeongin was the type to need some separation from skinship at times. Felix needed constant touch but Jeongin wasn’t like that. The pack accommodated to everyone’s own styles and had learned how to keep each other happy over the years.
So, Minho would lap up any attention from their youngest while he had the chance. That currently resulted in Innie splayed on his chest with a leg hooked over his hips.
Just then, the remaining trio arrived.
“What took you guys so long?” Jisung complained from his spot in Changbin’s scent gland. He was receiving a pretty thorough massage from the older and was seconds away from slipping into dreamland.
Seungmin pointed an accusing finger to the omegas by his side, “These two decided to get frisky in the shower.” Hyunjin and Felix only grinned impishly. They were notorious for having no impulse control when they were together and their combined sex drive honestly was kind of concerning sometimes. It was no surprise they got distracted when clothes were removed. Chan can only imagine how Seungmin was able to wrangle them in.
It didn’t go unnoticed by Chan that Felix was wearing one of his oversized hoodies—one he was sure had to come from his hamper. The material fell mid-thigh, showcasing his smooth, bare legs. He was hugging his new plushie under his arm and the breezy smell of sweet mangos wafted through the air. Chan was enamored and very much in love.
Chan opened his arms, a low drawl ripping from his throat, “C’mere.” Felix blushed but obeyed, sitting down on Chan's awaiting lap. Their pack alpha was a fair leader indeed. He loved all his boys more than he could describe. But it wasn’t a secret he held a special place in his heart reserved only for Felix.
“Does he have a name?” Chan asked, referring to the pink kitty that currently was acting as a barrier between the two. Chan couldn’t properly hold his omega because the damn cat was in the way, but he schooled his disappointment. They had blocked out the next day as well and he would have plenty of time to love up on his mates then.
Felix nodded his head, eyes sparkling in the dim light, “His name is Chris.”
“Chris?” Chan repeated affectionately. Oddly enough, the cat didn’t look too sad anymore with how it was smushed against Felix’s chest. He could tell that Felix was through the roof content now that the plushie was in his arms. Even if it cost them way more than it was probably worth. It was in times like these that Chan was grateful that he had inherited his family’s business to where he was able to care and give his mates whatever they desired.
The omega’s cheeks burned red with embarrassment. He tipped into Chan’s embrace, hiding his head away to not have to face the alpha anymore. “Mhm, Chris. I like that name.”
“I do too, it’s a good name.” Chan whispered as he maneuvered Felix to brush their lips together in a languid kiss.
The two were in their own world, which was a common occurrence the pack had gotten used to. But it was best to stop the pair before Chan pinned Felix into the mattress and sucked marks among his supple skin while they were ahead. No one really had the energy for sex and they had already planned to snuggle the night away.
“Hey, lovebirds, cut it out.” Minho grumbled tiredly under Jeongin’s weight. The beta had already begun snoring. With his schoolwork and other commitments, their youngest had learned to sleep nearly anywhere at any chance he got. He often caught catnaps while dinner was being made or while he waited for his lectures to commence. The whole pack couldn’t wait until Jeongin was able to graduate. University had taken a toll on their smiley boy and they wanted him back.
Hyunjin yanked a pillow from under Changbin which earned him a coltish growl of protest from the alpha. The omega ignored him, “Alpha, give me my Lixie back, we have to make the nest. Binnie hyung is messing everything up!” Hyunjin, always one for dramatics, was glaring at Changbin as if he had committed a grave sin. “Yongbokie, he wanted to put this pillow here! Can you believe it?”
Before they could continue their light-hearted squabble, Chan tapped one of Felix’s thighs to get the omega to move along. Felix simpered, climbing out of Chan’s lap. “Watch Chris for me, please?” He asked with a saccharine lilt to his words. It was impossible to deny him anything.
“I’ll guard him with my life.” Chan assured, “Go help Jinnie and Sungie make the perfect nest for us.”
He suddenly understood now why he felt so attached to that plushie—why he had to have it or his skin was going to fall off and his head was going to explode.
His heat was supposed to hit within the next week or two.
With everything that had been going on, Felix had simply forgotten about his cycle. The pack had a calendar in the kitchen with all of their schedules and appointments marked in color-coded pens thanks to Seungmin’s need for organization. All their estimated heats and ruts were noted as well; Felix would bet that if he went looking he’d find a star in yellow indicating his approaching heat somewhere in the nearing blocks. No wonder his instincts had begun going haywire.
Felix did just that, scrambling to where Hyunjin was still sending daggers to Changbin. When he saw the rumpled pillow pulled in all the wrong directions, he couldn’t help the indignant exclamation aimed at the sheepish alpha.
“Hyung, for the love of Luna, leave nestmaking to the professionals!”