Pairing: ATZ & Felix (with JoongLix focus)
Genre: A/B/O AU, College AU
!!TW!! : selective mutism, a smidge of angst maybe?, some spicy stuff in the very last part, but the whole thing is overall pretty sweet
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A whole year had passed since Hongjoong and Felix officially joined not only the pack, but their romantic relationship as well. Settling in this brand-new dynamic wasn't easy, even more so because all of them were alphas, but neither of the omegas would call it difficult, per se.
There was a lot of navigating in the dark, of trying some things while having to avoid others, of learning to trust each other implicitly. But everyone worked hard and tried their best, with open communication being the key to their eventual success, and the nine of them were finally in much calmer waters, so to speak.
Though it had been a year, Felix had yet to openly converse with them, still. They didn't pressure him to, however, and simply learned to accommodate. The alphas were incredibly patient, and the constant efforts Felix put in verbally greeting them or thanking them every day didn't go unappreciated.
Felix had also learned to recognize their scents and associated them with safety – as such, none of them bothered with covering their scents when in their pack dorm. Felix felt uneasy with presences he couldn't recognize, but having the scents of his packmates out in the open reassured him – plus, it also allowed the alphas to approach him and initiate physical contact without having to verbally warn him first anymore.
Once he got over his initial wariness, Felix quickly revealed himself to be an absolute cuddle-bug and, though Hongjoong was still and would always be his first pick for cuddles, he no longer hesitated in seeking out affection and attention from the alphas, which was great progress.
Like now.
"Well, aren't these two cozy?" mused San.
Wooyoung peered into the living room and wasn't all that surprised to find Felix cutely curled up on Seonghwa's lap. Their oldest alpha and their baby omega had been the firsts to establish a bond, and Seonghwa was always the first Felix sought out for comfort when Hongjoong wasn't around. It was incredibly cute, even more so when Felix couldn't bear separating from the alpha, so he just followed him around like a little duckling.
As cute as the pair was, however, Wooyoung couldn't help but feel a little envious. He wanted nothing more than to join them and smother the omega with all the love he deserved, but he knew Felix wasn't comfortable with numerous alphas around when he wasn't in a needy state induced by pre-heat.
Plus, he and San had been warned by Jongho and Hongjoong a few days ago to lay off of Felix for a bit. The two alphas hadn't really thought things through when they joined him in the kitchen the other day and started teasing him – they could tell Felix was in a good mood, and they just wanted to make him smile some more! But in their eagerness, they became a little too overbearing, and their intensifying scents almost sent Felix into a scent-high.
(They still had to learn how to better control their scents when they weren't wearing the usual blockers, but it wasn't always easy.)
Wooyoung and San didn't mean for things to get out of control like that but, thankfully, Hongjoong had stepped in before anything could happen, and he and Jongho had then scolded the pair before telling them to leave Felix some space – but Wooyoung missed their baby omega like crazy.
A small pout graced his lips as he kept on staring at the pair cuddling on the couch. He was so absorbed by his observation that he failed to notice the slightly bitter tinge of jealousy that seeped into his scent – but Felix, always extremely sensitive to scents, was roused immediately. Tiredly rubbing his eyes and looking just a bit disoriented, Felix then met Wooyoung's eyes and slowly uncurled himself from Seonghwa. The older alpha didn't say anything, simply observing them, and Wooyoung stayed completely still as Felix began approaching, apologies already burning the tip of his tongue.
But then Felix gently grabbed his hand and tugged a bit. "Cuddle?"
It was barely even a whisper, but Wooyoung could hardly deny such a request. So, he let Felix tug him back toward the couch and obeyed when the omega gestured for him to sit down and make himself comfortable. Felix then proceeded with climbing back on Seonghwa's lap and began nosing at his scent gland again – but, this time around, he was holding Wooyoung's hand tight against his chest.
Chuckling, Wooyoung shifted into a better position, moving so he could press against Felix's back and properly cocoon him in warmth, mindful not to let his scent overtake Seonghwa's. The older alpha smiled a bit, kissing Felix's forehead before tilting his head and doing the same with Wooyoung's.
Minutes later, San joined them in the living room. He didn't say a word, merely sitting on the floor in front of them before laying on the couch, letting his arm rest on Felix's leg. Already dozing off, Felix didn't open his eyes, but a small, content smile still graced his lips upon noticing the additional contact.
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It was quite early in the morning. Jongho and Yunho were heading out for their bi-weekly training session when a small knock against the wall made them pause. Glancing behind them, they found Felix timidly standing in the entryway, already dressed and with a sports bag slung over his shoulder.
"Hi, Lixie," greeted softly Yunho, cradling his face and kissing his forehead. "What are you doing up so early, love?"
A tad shyly, the blushing omega gestured to their sports bag, then his own. He then mimicked folding his hands into fists (which was incredibly cute, and the alphas had to refrain from cooing out loud).
"You want to come with us?" Felix nodded, and Jongho quirked a brow. "Just to watch us? Or do you want to train too?"
Felix made the number "two" with his fingers, indicating the second option. A tad surprised, Yunho and Jongho exchanged a look but, ultimately, they figured there was no harm in it. So, Yunho simply smiled and linked their arms together while Jongho opened the door for them.
"Did you tell Hongjoong about this?" then asked the Head Alpha as they started walking in direction of the gym.
Felix shook his head in a negative motion, then pulled his phone out so he could type something. He was done quickly, and soon handed it to Yunho.
[I don't want him to worry needlessly. He's always taking care of me, but I don't want to be a burden anymore. I want to be able to take care of myself.]
"You're not a burden, Lix," assured firmly Yunho.
Felix simply rolled his eyes, obviously not agreeing. And, in a way, the alphas could only understand his desire to not be as helpless anymore. Plus, this could definitely help with his dire need for self-confidence so, really, they had no reason to refuse him any help.
"Still, you should text him to let him know you're with us," then remarked Jongho as they entered the gym. "Or he'll get worried anyway."
Felix offered him a sheepish grin at that, having obviously forgotten that tiny detail, and he quickly wrote to Hongjoong while Yunho and Jongho began setting up. Once he was done, he joined them on the mats so they could stretch together, and they spent the following fifteen minutes warming up.
"Alright, Lix. Is there something specific you want to work on?" asked Yunho.
Felix hesitated. His main issue wasn't just his rather frail composition as an omega – it was the fact that his trauma made him freeze every time he felt threatened so, obviously, he needed to work on that. However, he wouldn't be able to make any progress if the alphas were too soft on him.
He needed them to understand that he wasn't going to break if they went a little harder, and that if they pushed, he could push back. However, he knew for a fact that just telling them wouldn't work – they needed to see it for themselves. So, bracing himself, he took an uncertain fighting stance.
Yunho quirked a brow. "You want use to spar first?"
Felix nodded firmly. It had been years since he last sparred with someone but, hopefully, he wasn't too rusty. Plus, he knew he was in a safe environment with people who cared about him, so he felt somewhat relaxed. Not entirely convinced, Yunho still decided to oblige him.
"Ready? Go!"
The omega and the alpha stayed still, before Felix decided to push first. He moved forward, throwing a punch, but he obviously missed and Yunho used that opportunity to weakly bump him in the chest with the flat of his fist. Felix stumbled back, and Yunho moved forward—
Felix kicked up his foot and caught the alpha in a perfect roundhouse kick.
Yunho collapsed to the mat without warning. Felix definitely didn't hit hard enough to knock him out, but the sudden, unexpected move stunned his opponent enough for him to lose his balance. There was a moment of absolute silence... before Yunho burst out laughing. On the side, Jongho looked absolutely shellshocked, which was an admittedly hilarious reaction. Felix couldn't help but smile as he helped a still-laughing Yunho back to his feet – now they could really get to work.
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All throughout the year, if there was one thing Felix truly spared no efforts for, it was his packmates' birthdays.
For Seonghwa, he'd baked him a special apple pie, which used to be his favorite until his grandmother passed (no one could do it like her, so he lost the taste for it). But Felix had poured so much love into it, Seonghwa could only love it – and he may or may not have cried a bit, too.
For Yunho, the celebrations had been a little tainted because that very day, he received news of his pet having passed away because of a hit-and-run incident, so he wasn't in the mood to celebrate. While the others gave him some space to grieve, though, Felix still tried to offer some comfort by offering him his favorite snacks and a small keychain with a framed picture of his pet attached to it. They then spent the rest of the day cuddling, which did help him feel a little better.
For Yeosang, there had been a bit of a misunderstanding, and the group ended up forgetting his birthday in the midst of making plans for their break. Yeosang hadn't said anything about it, but Felix had surprised him by baking him cupcakes and bringing him his favorite type of chicken, and they'd spent the entire afternoon together until the rest of their pack returned home with countless gifts to apologize for being so forgetful.
For San, they'd decided to throw a party, but only for the nine of them. They had a lot of fun but, later in the night, alcohol began swaying a few minds, and things grew a bit... heated, to say the least. To everyone's surprise, Felix was the one who shyly dared San to follow him for a "private gift" and, once they were in the kitchen, he'd been gifted the sweetest, softest kiss from the omega (their first).
For Mingi, the A/C of their pack dorm ended up breaking on his special day, which left everyone absolutely dying and unwilling to move a muscle. As they all melted in the living room, though, Felix miraculously arrived with sweet, cold treats for everyone. He then also pulled out a handmade ice-cream cake for Mingi, along with a small letter none of the others were privy to – but it turned Mingi to absolute mush, and the two spent the rest of the day cuddling after that despite the intense heat.
For Wooyoung, the pack decided to organize a surprise event but, for it to work, they needed to keep him out of the dorm for the day. Felix volunteered, and he spent the entire day out on a date with Wooyoung, much to the alpha's delight. And, on their way back, Felix had given him a special gift: a bunch of cutely handmade coupons for stuff like hugs, kisses, or snacks – which really touched him because, at that time, Felix still wasn't all that open with physical affection, so him taking such a big step really meant a lot.
For Jongho, Felix decided that he wanted something special. As the leader of their pack, he worked twice as hard as everyone else, and he didn't indulge as much, so to speak – he was always willing to let the others go first. So, since they didn't get many chances to spend quality time together, Felix decided to celebrate with a private date where he could give his undivided attention to the alpha. However, his plans were a bit derailed when a big storm hit, forcing everyone to stay inside – but San quickly saved the day by suggesting they had their date inside, instead, and their pack set everything up for the perfect date before exiling themselves to their room to leave the pair alone for a bit.
And for Hongjoong... It wasn't their first birthday together, and it certainly wouldn't be their last, but Felix tried to make it special and unique each time. This year, instead of recording a message like he did every time, he recorded himself singing a song Hongjoong had actually composed for him for his own birthday. Hongjoong had cried a bit because it was the first time he ever heard Felix sing and even if it was hoarse and cracking at every note, it was still the most beautiful thing he ever heard.
But all in all, every single birthday was celebrated properly, and it was all thanks to Felix's careful attention and meticulous planning. So, of course, his mates wanted nothing more than to return the favor.
They'd been planning this for literal weeks, wanting everything to be absolutely perfect. They were going to have a big, homemade breakfast together, then to go to Lotte World because Felix had never been before, then go on a shopping spree to buy him anything he could want, then go to the cinema to see a popular American movie that just came out, then finally conclude the day with dinner at a five-star restaurant – after all of which, they'd return home and cuddle together.
They were all so excited by planning something so grand, they didn't even consider for an instant that it might be a little too much for the sweet omega. As such, they were quite taken aback when, the morning of his birthday, they found him unwilling to even step out of bed.
"But it's your birthday, Lix!" insisted Wooyoung, frowning. "We have to celebrate! Don't you want to go out and have some fun?"
Felix pouted, shaking his head as he snuggled a little more into his bed. Wooyoung shot a helpless look at Hongjoong, who quickly came to crouch beside the freckled boy. He gently ran a hand through his hair, frowning a bit as he noticed the mild heat emanating from his forehead.
"Are you getting sick, baby?" he asked softly.
Felix shook his head again, pushing it against Hongjoong's hand for more contact as he gingerly grabbed the omega's other hand and placed it against his stomach, his pout twisting into a grimace as another cramp fit made him tense up. Understanding dawned on Hongjoong, and he murmured something in Felix's ear before heading out, pulling Wooyoung along.
They found the rest of their pack anxiously waiting in the hallway.
"He's in pre-heat," announced bluntly Hongjoong.
Their faces instantly fell. It sucked that it had to happen on his birthday but, then again, it couldn't be helped – since neither of the omegas were officially mated yet, their heats were irregular and more frequent. With Felix in pre-heat, however, there was absolutely no way he'd leave the dorm today, nor could they allow it since it would attract too many uncouth alphas.
"Alright, change of plans," announced Jongho, clasping his hands together. "Let's just celebrate here instead – we can reschedule the rest for next week, once he's feeling better."
"I'll go down to make the cancellations right away," volunteered Yunho.
"And I'll go make him his favorite broth," added Seonghwa.
"I'll help!" exclaimed Wooyoung, quickly following him to the kitchen.
"I'll go prepare some painkillers and a few heating pads," said Yeosang.
"Mingi, help me out – we're gonna bring the TV over to his room," suggested San.
"Right! Let's bring up his favorite movies too!" beamed Mingi.
Hongjoong couldn't help but smile as he watched all of the alphas quickly get to work, completely unbothered by the unexpected change of plans. Other alphas would have surely complained about all of the money lost or something like that, but all they cared about was Felix's comfort and happiness.
We really found the right ones, didn't we? He mused internally.
Jongho gently squeezed his arm. "You should go get changed into something more comfortable – with how clingy Lix gets in pre-heat, I doubt he'll let you leave the room again once you go back in there."
Hongjoong chuckled, nodding in agreement. The alphas would be able to keep them company while Felix was still in pre-heat but, as soon as his heat fully kicked in, then it would just be the two of them for several days. However, once Felix's heat ended, the two omegas would have a serious talk.
One regarding potential mating.
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"Felix!!!"
With a sharp inhale, Felix abandoned his luggage and ran faster than any of the pack ever saw him run before, heading straight for the unfamiliar alpha who'd just called out his name from the other side of the airport lobby. The alpha easily caught Felix with a deep laugh, spinning him around a bit as the omega clung to him tightly, his shoulders shaking a bit with repressed cries.
This was probably his brother, then – Christopher.
The eight of them slowly made their way over to the hugging pair, San and Yunho each grabbing Felix's luggage on their way. When they finally reached them, Hongjoong was the first to step forward, exchanging a tight hug with the alpha before moving aside a bit. Felix was still clinging tightly to his brother, his eyes closed and a content smile stretching his lips. Christopher still had an arm tightly wound around the omega's shoulders, but his attention was now mostly focused on the pack before him. After a few seconds of stare-down, his face broke into a warm smile.
"You must be Lix and Joong's pack, then," he greeted, extending his free hand. "I'm Christopher, Felix's brother. Welcome to Australia."
Jongho stepped forward and firmly shook his hand. "I'm Jongho, our pack leader. Thank you for welcoming us, Christopher-ssi."
"Please, just Chris is fine. It's great to finally meet all of you!" With a grin, he squeezed Felix a little tighter, his smile widening when their eyes met. "Come on, let's go – the others can't wait to see you guys."
Felix nodded eagerly, obviously excited at the prospect of seeing his brother's pack and his old friends. While he'd stayed in contact with all of them, he hadn't stepped foot back in Australia since he left, so he truly couldn't wait to hug every single one of them again.
His packmates could only grin as they watched their baby omega practically bloom with life. They were glad they could offer him this opportunity to return to his homeland and see his family again. They'd already discussed potentially moving to Australia once they were done with their studies, but Felix had refused, insisting that it wouldn't be fair to them since all of their families lived in South Korea.
Plus, as much as he missed his home and his own family, there was no denying that the bad memories attached to Australia would undoubtedly come back to haunt him if he stayed for too long – as such, this was merely a visit, though they were determined to make this a regular event, if that's what it took to make Felix smile so brightly.
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Hongjoong and Felix had discussed in lengths what they wanted for their future. After over two years of being with the ATEEZ pack, there was no more doubts in their minds: they were the right ones. However, mating was no joking matter – once done, it was incredibly complicated to undo, and could even be harmful.
They needed to be completely, absolutely certain.
So, they discussed the matter for a long while before finally deciding to bring the alphas into it. Ensued numerous evenings of intense conversations about expectations, boundaries, dreams, hopes, fears – everything a future for the nine of them could possibly entail.
They talked about their plans after graduating, about the jobs they were aiming for, about the opportunities they wanted to seize. And, once all of that was figured out, it was the matter of making it work – namely, finding a place where they could all live together. It was a lot of work, and most of it was admittedly a bit stressful for everyone – they were still young, after all, and the prospect of "forever" was definitely daunting. However, one thing was for certain: they wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of their lives together.
They were pack. They loved each other. So, they'd make it work.
Ultimately, they decided to take their time and wait for every single one of them to have graduated and have a year outside of school under their belt before officially mating each other. And, until then, they would learn to cross new boundaries together – namely ruts and heats. Felix still wasn't comfortable sharing his heat with anyone but Hongjoong. Even if his body, mind, and heart craved for his alphas every single time, he knew deep down that he'd only freak out if they actually tried to assist in his heat.
However, Hongjoong was ready and willing, and Felix certainly wasn't about to stop him. As such, when Felix woke up one morning to the sweetened scent of jasmine filling the entire dorm, he already knew what to expect. However, it didn't stop him from gasping a bit when he found Hongjoong being railed by Seonghwa, with San and Wooyoung right beside them and obviously enjoying the show.
(The others all had to leave for their respective classes but, come evening, Felix knew they would all join in to take care of Hongjoong.)
It was a little strange, to see the older omega being pleasured by someone else – but definitely not out of place. After a moment of hesitation, Felix finally gathered his courage and quietly stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. It was a bit embarrassing to approach the large bed under his alphas' eager eyes, but he paid them no mind and crawled over to Hongjoong.
"Lix- Lixie...!" gasped his fellow omega, immediately reaching out for him.
Felix smiled, laying down next to him so he could hug him and scent him while Seonghwa kept on fucking him. He pressed himself as close as he could manage, definitely aroused by the entire scene, but unwilling to do anything about it – for now, he was quite content with simply hugging Hongjoong and pressing small kisses against every inch of skin he could reach.
As if growing more sensitive thanks to Felix's presence and pheromones, Hongjoong's moans soon became much louder, and it didn't take much longer for him to come, Seonghwa's knot soon locking into him. As the two slowly came down from their respective highs with Felix happily doting on them both, Wooyoung and San finally joined them on the bed, too.
It's only once San gently hugged Felix from behind and gingerly pulled him into his lap that the baby omega realized just how painfully hard he was. He couldn't help but let out a soft whine when San's hand came to rest on his stomach, too far from where he actually wanted it.
"We won't go too far, baby," the alpha assured quietly, kissing the spot right under his ear. "But will you let us make you feel good?"
Felix nodded eagerly, melting into the alpha's chest. "Please..."
The faint whisper quickly turned into a low moan as Wooyoung moved forward, caging him against San's chest as he began kissing his thighs. And, somehow, Felix didn't feel scared or worried at all. He knew his alphas were going to take care of him, and he knew he was safe, and he was in a perfect headspace to receive this kind of affection. So, deciding to let his instincts take over, Felix let himself completely unravel under San's and Wooyoung's careful touches, right under the lustful, yet proud gazes of Seonghwa and Hongjoong.
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When the rest of the alphas finally returned home, they immediately noticed the strange, rumbling noise echoing from the upper floor. Climbing up, they soon found three happy alphas and two very content omegas snuggled up on the bed and, in the middle of the cuddle pile, Felix was purring.
It was absolutely beautiful.
Exchanging knowing smiles, they all promptly joined the cuddle pile, happy, warm, and very much in love with one another.
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Alright, that's it for this particular AU! I tried to include as many of you guys' ideas as possible, so I really hope you enjoyed it!