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The final notes of their newest song thrummed through the practice room floor and air was thick with the mingled scents of nine sweaty bodies pushing themselves to the limit. Maki wiped the sweat from his brow with the hem of his shirt before heading towards the small table lined with water bottles.
He snatched one of the chilled bottles, cracked it open, and tilted his head back, letting the cold, crisp liquid flood his throat. It was pure relief after hours dancing non-stop, and he let out a satisfied sigh as a few stray droplets escaped the corner of his mouth and traced cool paths down his neck.
Before he could lower the bottle, Harua appeared at his side. The omega’s peach-and-vanilla-cream scent filled his nose, and without thinking, Maki reached for Harua’s bottle and held it out to him with a smile.
“Here,” he murmured.
Harua’s eyes crinkled in gratitude, that familiar bright smile blooming across his flushed face. “Thanks, Maki.”
He took the bottle, their fingertips grazing again briefly but just enough to send a spark through Maki’s chest. He was unable to look away as the omega unscrewed the cap and drank, a thin stream of water slipping past Harua’s lips and caught the light as it traced a glistening path down the smooth column of his neck. It pooled for a moment in the shallow dip of his collarbone, trembling with Harua’s breathing before finally slipping beneath the collar of his oversized shirt.
He wanted nothing more than to lean in and chase that droplet with his tongue.
Maki’s breath caught somewhere in his throat, trying hard to hold his own scent back as Harua lowered the bottle and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, completely unaware of the way that single stray drop had short-circuited the alpha’s thoughts.
A solid shoulder slammed into his side without warning.
“Oops, sorry!” Taki laughed as he bounced back a step, his own water bottle still in hand. The beta’s scent cut through the air like a sudden breeze, dissipating Harua’s.
Maki stumbled half a step, blinking out of his daze. A playful grin tugged at his mouth as he shoved Taki’s shoulder right back. “Watch where you’re going, you menace.”
Taki’s eyes sparkled with mischief, never one to let an opportunity slide. “Maybe if you weren’t staring so hard at Harua’s neck like it’s your next meal, you would’ve seen me coming.”
Maki’s growl rumbled low in his chest, playfully of course, and before Taki could dodge, Maki lunged. He wrapped strong arms around the beta’s waist and took them both down to the practice room floor in a controlled tumble. Their laughter echoed off the mirrors as they wrestled, limbs tangling in a mess of limbs and mock growls.
“Take it back!” Maki demanded, pinning Taki beneath him for a second before the beta squirmed free with surprising agility, rolling them so he was on top.
“No way!” he cackled, trying to pin Maki’s wrists. “Everyone saw you zoning out!”
Maki bucked his hips and flipped them again, the two of them sliding a few feet across the smooth floor in a whirlwind of playful violence. Their laughter drew the rest of the pack’s attention - fond smiles spreading across faces as they watched the familiar chaos.
“Children,” Fuma called out fondly from where he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, though the curve of his lips said he was enjoying the show. “If you two break something, you’re explaining it to the managers.”
Euijoo just shook his head with a soft chuckle. “At least they’re burning off energy instead of complaining about the next run-through.”
Maki finally got Taki in a loose headlock, both of them breathing hard and still grinning like idiots. Taki tapped out dramatically on Maki’s arm, gasping between laughs. “Okay, okay - mercy! You win, you big brute.”
Maki released him with one last playful shove and flopped onto his back beside Taki, chest heaving. His wild honey scent was bright and satisfied now, the earlier spike of flustered warmth mellowed into something lighter, more pack-oriented. He turned his head just enough to catch Harua’s eye across the room.
The omega was still smiling at him - soft, and a little knowing - and Maki felt that familiar flip in his chest again, warmer than the practice room lights.
Maki’s crush on Harua wasn’t exactly a secret - it had never been. The whole pack knew. The way the alpha’s scent would thicken and sweeten whenever Harua was near, the way he always gravitated toward the omega like a compass finding north. Even Harua knew. And instead of shying away, the omega found it endlessly endearing.
Harua would flirt back, letting his peach-and-vanilla-cream scent bloom warmer and sweeter just for Maki. It was obvious to everyone that the feeling was mutual, even if they hadn’t crossed that final line yet. In a pack this close, where sharing was as natural as breathing, it was only a matter of time.
Nicholas, for example, despite having his own room had claimed Fuma’s bed as his favourite months ago. The head omega spent most nights curled against the head alpha’s broad chest, wrapped in sheets that were permanently threaded with most of the pack's scents. Kei, on the other hand, was more selective - his preferred rut partner had always been Euijoo, the beta leader always glowing for days afterward. And then there was Yuma… sweet, greedy little Yuma, who treated laps like communal property. He could often be found draped across whoever was closest - Kei during movie nights, Jo when he was feeling clingy, even climbing onto Maki’s thighs with zero shame.
It was just how their pack worked. Open. Affectionate. Uncomplicated.
Maki pushed himself up from the floor, still grinning as he offered the beta a hand. Taki took it, springing up with that boundless energy, but not before shooting Maki one last mischievous wink. Harua drifted closer again, eyes sparkling as he looked up at Maki.
“You two are going to tire yourselves out before we even finish practice,” Harua said as he reached out and brushed a stray lock of damp hair from Maki’s forehead, fingertips lingering just a second longer than necessary. “Though I have to admit… watching you pin Taki down was kind of hot.”
Maki’s scent flared instantly, thickening with pleased alpha satisfaction. A low, happy rumble vibrated in his chest before he could stop it. “Yeah?” he murmured, voice dropping. “I could show you more later if you want.”
Harua’s cheeks pinked beautifully, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he tilted his head. “Maybe you should.”
From across the room, Nicholas let out a laugh, leaning comfortably against Jo’s side. “Please wait till we get back to the dorm like civilized people,” he called out playfully.
“Alright, break’s over. Let’s run it two more times, and then we can head home, yeah?” Kei clapped his hands before rubbing them together.
Maki’s eyes met Harua’s again, the promise hanging sweet and heavy between them. The omega gave him one last lingering look before moving back into formation.
Maki could count the number of ruts he’d had on one hand. Since presenting as an alpha just over two years ago, they had come sparingly in manageable waves that left him restless and fever-warm but never truly overwhelming. Being an idol only stretched them further apart; the suppressants and cycle-delaying medication the company provided were strict and non-negotiable. The hyungs had been firm about it from the beginning: every member, alpha or omega, needed to learn how to handle their own cycles first. Alone. Or at least without turning to another packmate for full relief.
“It’s important for your mental and physical health,” Fuma had said more than once. “You need to know yourself before you share that part of you with someone else.” Kei and Euijoo had echoed the same rule, and Nicholas had nodded along. They had all followed it in their own time - learning the edges of their instincts, the limits of their control, the way their bodies could turn feral or fragile without warning.
Maki had listened. He had managed every rut on his own so far: locked in his room with water and snacks within reach, riding out the fever and the ache by himself. It had been fine. Lonely sometimes, but fine.
However, lately, it wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted more than stolen glances and playful flirting. He wanted to share this next rut with someone. But not just with someone - with Harua. He wanted to bury his face in that sweet vanilla-peach skin while the fever burned through him. He wanted to learn what it felt like to have his knot deep inside the omega who made his chest ache with something far softer than just instinct. He wanted to prove - to Harua and to himself - that he could be careful, that he could be good.
The thought had been growing for weeks, so the next time both of them were free, he’d talk to Fuma. He would explain that he was ready, that he trusted himself now, and that more than anything, he wanted it to be Harua.
He hoped his hyungs would say yes. Well, it wasn’t like they had final say in who could sleep with who; they were all adults, all capable of choosing who they shared their bodies, instincts, and most vulnerable moments with. But still, Maki respected his eldest pack members more than almost anything. Deep down, beneath the growing strength of his alpha instincts, there was still that eager, younger part of him that desperately wanted their approval. He hated the thought of disappointing them or upsetting the careful balance they maintained for everyone’s safety and happiness.
After practice ended, Maki slung his bag over his shoulder and fell into step beside the omega as they headed toward the van waiting downstairs. Their arms brushed, and Harua glanced up at him with a smile.
“Sit with me?” he asked softly, voice barely audible over the chatter of the others.
Maki’s answer was immediate, his hand brushing the small of Harua’s back for just a second. “Always.”
The van ride back to the dorm was quiet, as it always was after a long, successful practice. Streetlights flickered across the tinted windows in golden pulses, casting soft shadows over the seats. Maki sat toward the back, legs stretched out as much as the space allowed, with Harua tucked warmly against his side.
The omega had leaned into him almost immediately after they climbed in, eyes already drifting shut, lashes dark against his cheeks. His breathing was slow and even, the weight of his head resting trustingly on Maki’s shoulder. The alpha had one arm around Harua’s shoulders, pulling him closer until he was nestled comfortably against his chest. Harua let out a tiny, sleepy sigh of contentment, his peach-and-vanilla-cream scent blooming soft and sweet between them, like ripe fruit warmed by afternoon sun.
Maki rested his cheek lightly against Harua’s hair, breathing him in. It felt so natural - so right - to hold him like this.
Soon.
The next afternoon found them at the private gym their company had on one of the lower floors that only idols were allowed to use. Maki lay on the bench, muscles burning pleasantly as he pushed through another set of bench presses, Fuma standing over him, hands slightly out in case he needed to reach out and grab the bar quick.
He finished the last rep with a controlled exhale, arms trembling slightly from the effort. Fuma helped guide the bar to the rack with effortless strength. Maki sat up, wiping his face with a towel, heart hammering harder than the workout could explain.
“Hyung,” he started. “I’ve been thinking about my next rut. It’s coming soon.”
Fuma nodded once, grabbing his own set of weights and settling onto the bench across from him. He began his curls with perfect form, muscles flexing under smooth skin. “Yeah? You feeling it start already?”
Maki swallowed, watching the movement of Fuma’s arms. “I want to spend it with Harua.”
The words hung between them as Fuma finished his set in silence, the clink of metal the only sound for several long seconds. He carefully re-racked the dumbbells, then turned fully toward Maki, eyes unreadable.
Maki pressed on before the silence could swallow him.
“I really like him, Hyung. And he likes me too; it’s not just… instinct. I’ve handled every rut by myself until now, just like you all told me to, but I’m ready to share it with someone. And I want that someone to be Harua.”
“Why do you think you’re ready?” Fuma asked. There was no judgment in it - only the serious consideration of a head alpha who carried the safety of their entire pack on his shoulders. “Tell me honestly, Maki. Not what you think I want to hear.”
Maki met his gaze despite the nerves fluttering in his chest. He could feel the weight of the respect he held for Fuma and the deep need to earn his approval, but he didn’t look away.
“I care about Harua too much to let myself hurt him. And… I trust myself with him. I want to prove I can be the kind of alpha he deserves.”
Fuma gave a slow, thoughtful nod. “I hear you. You’ve grown a lot in the last year. I can see how much you care about him, not just the alpha side of you, but all of you. That matters.”
Maki’s breath caught, hope flickering bright in his chest.
“I’ll talk to Euijoo and Kei first, and we’ll discuss it properly tonight.”
A wide, boyish grin broke across Maki’s face, bright and uncontainable. His wild honey-and-amber scent exploded with warmth, golden and sweet, the fresh pine note crackling like sunlit forest air after rain.
“Really?”
Fuma’s mouth curved into a small, fond smile. “Really. Don’t get ahead of yourself, though. We still need to talk as a group. And we’ll want to hear from Harua too, obviously.”
Maki was already moving, energized. He jumped up from the bench and slid more weight onto the barbell with eager hands, muscles flexing as he added another plate on each side.
“Thank you, Hyung,” he said, still grinning as he lay back on the bench. “I mean it. I won’t let you down. Or him.”
Fuma moved into position to spot him again, strong hands hovering near the bar. His cedar-smoke scent wrapped around Maki, clearly amused at how quickly the youngest alpha’s mood had flipped.
“I know you won’t. Now focus. Don’t crush yourself because you’re excited.” The older alpha huffed.
Maki laughed under the bar, gripping the cool metal with renewed strength. As he lowered the weighted bar to his chest and pushed it back up with an exhale, his mind was already racing ahead.
That evening, Fuma stepped out of the steamy bathroom first, a white towel slung low around his hips. Water still clung to the defined lines of his chest and shoulders, catching the warm bathroom light. He ran another towel over his damp hair as Jo emerged a moment later from the shower behind him. The younger alpha’s hair was tousled and wet, falling into his eyes as he scrubbed at it half-heartedly with his own towel.
Without a word, Fuma reached out and took the towel from Jo’s hands. He stepped closer and began gently rubbing the younger alpha’s hair dry with careful, affectionate strokes, the way he’d done since Jo first joined the pack.
“You can head to bed first,” Fuma murmured, voice warm as he worked through the damp strands. “I need to talk with the others for a bit.”
Jo tilted his head slightly, letting Fuma finish. He gave a small, understanding nod, eyes soft. “Okay. Don’t stay up too late.”
Fuma leaned forward to brush their noses together lightly before stepping back. Jo offered him a smile, then padded down the hallway toward their shared room, towel slung over his bare shoulders, leaving faint traces of rain-and-stone in his wake.
Fuma watched him go for a second, then finished drying off before slipping into just a pair of shorts. When he entered the living room, it glowed with the soft blue light of the television. Kei, Nicholas, and Euijoo were sprawled across the large sectional in various states of relaxation.
Kei lounged at one end, legs stretched out, wearing only loose sweatpants, while Euijoo was curled against his side like a contented cat, head resting on the older alpha’s shoulder. Nicholas sat on the other side, legs tucked under him, wearing one of his oversized hoodies as he absentmindedly scrolled on his phone while half-watching the show.
Fuma leaned against the doorway for a moment, just taking in the sight of them - his pack, relaxed and safe in their shared space.
Nicholas noticed him first. The head omega lifted his head, a slow smile curving his lips as he took in the alpha's barely-dressed state. “Well, hello. Come to join movie night, or are you just showing off?”
Fuma chuckled softly, the sound low and warm, and pushed off the doorway. He walked over and dropped onto the couch beside Nicholas, pulling the omega halfway into his lap without asking. Nicholas went willingly, settling against Fuma’s bare chest with a contented hum, his scent blooming sweeter at the contact.
“Actually,” Fuma said, “I wanted to talk to you three about something.”
Euijoo muted the TV, then turned so his back was settled against Kei’s chest. Fuma ran a hand slowly up and down Nicholas’s back, fingers tracing the line of his spine as he gathered his thoughts.
“It’s about Maki. He talked to me at the gym today. He wants to spend his next rut with Harua,” he began. “He made a good case that he’s been responsible with his ruts so far. He’s clearly thought about it a lot… and the way he feels about Harua isn’t just rut-driven. It’s real.”
“I think it could be good for them,” Euijoo shrugged. “Maki’s been responsible. And Harua clearly wants it too. We’ve all seen the way their scents tangle lately. If they both feel ready, maybe it’s time.”
Kei, however, didn’t look convinced. “I’m not so sure. Maki has good control when he’s by himself. But being in a rut with an omega is completely different. The scents, the heat, the instincts… even alphas who think they have perfect control can slip. I don’t want him accidentally hurting Harua because the pull was stronger than he expected.”
Fuma nodded, acknowledging the point. “That’s fair. Maybe we could supervise them somehow? At least for the first day. Stay close by, check in -”
“Absolutely not,” Euijoo cut in immediately. “Nobody wants to be constantly watched during something that intimate. Especially not their first time together. That would kill the whole mood.”
All three of his packmates broke out into matching grins.
“Oh?” Kei drawled, black-cherry scent turning playful and smoky. “Since when are you against being watched, Juju?”
“Right? I seem to remember a certain beta practically purring the last time Nicholas and I had you between us in the nest room. You were putting on quite the show.” Fuma laughed, the sound rumbling against Nicholas’s back.
“You do get very… vocal… when you know you have an audience, Euijoo.” Nicholas agreed, extending a leg out so he could interlock his legs with the beta.
Euijoo’s face flushed deeper, but he couldn’t hide the tiny smile tugging at his lips. “That’s different,” he muttered, throwing an elbow back at Kei half-heartedly. “That was us. This is Maki and Harua figuring things out. They deserve privacy.”
“I agree with you, Euijoo - supervision feels wrong,” Kei shrugged. “But some kind of guidance for Maki would still be smart. He’s young, and this would be his first time sharing a rut with anyone.” He glanced over at Nicholas, a small, knowing smirk tugging at his lips. “So here’s my thought… what if Nicholas spends the rut with him instead?”
The omega in question lifts his head from Fuma’s chest, one eyebrow arching.
Kei continued, undeterred. “It makes sense. Maki respects you more than almost anyone, plus you’re head omega. You’ve been guiding this pack since day one. And let’s be honest - you know exactly how to handle unruly alphas. You’ve taken both Fuma and me at the same time on your worst heat and still had us behaving by the end. What’s one eager alpha pup like Maki?”
Fuma let out a chuckle, the sound vibrating against Nicholas’s back. “He’s got a point. You’re probably the only one who could keep Maki grounded if his instincts get too strong. You could teach him properly how to take care of an omega. How to stay in control even when everything in him wants to let go.”
Euijoo tilted his head, considering. “It would keep Harua safe while Maki learns. And if Nicholas is comfortable with it…”
All eyes turned to Nicholas.
The head omega was quiet for a moment, absently running his fingers along Fuma’s arm as he thought.
“I’m not against it,” he said finally. “If Maki agrees, and if it’s what the pack thinks is best… I can handle him.” A small, teasing smile curved his lips as he looked at Kei. “And thank you for the glowing review of my services. Very flattering.”
Kei grinned, unrepentant. “Just stating facts.”
Nicholas shifted in Fuma’s lap, turning so he could see all three of them better. “I’d make sure he learns everything he needs - how to read an omega’s body, how to stay in control even when the rut haze hits hardest, how to pleasure properly instead of just taking.”
Fuma’s hand stroked slowly up and down Nicholas’s spine. “You’d be doing both of them a big favour.”
“It feels like the safest middle ground. Maki gets to share his rut with someone, and Harua stays protected.” Euijoo nodded.
The four of them sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the decision settling between them like a quiet understanding. The TV still flickered mutely in the background, but none of them were paying attention anymore.
Nicholas hummed in agreement, nuzzling back against Fuma’s chest. “I’ll talk to him. Make sure he’s actually comfortable with it being me.”
Kei reached over and squeezed Nicholas’s ankle lightly. “He’ll be fine. That kid looks up to you like you hung the stars.”
“So, we talk to Maki tomorrow. We explain that this isn’t a rejection of him and Harua. It’s preparation. And we make sure he knows it’s still his choice in the end.” Fuma says, and the three others nod in agreement.
The next morning, Maki's pre-rut drifted through the dorm like mist rolling over a lake, inevitable as it slowly wrapped around everything in its path. The young alpha woke up already restless, skin fever-hot and his scent thicker than usual. Every breath he took felt charged, and the urge to mark - to wrap himself around his pack and leave his scent everywhere - hummed under his skin like a low current.
The pack noticed immediately. And instead of teasing him too harshly, they simply let him. In the kitchen, Maki drifted from person to person like a large, affectionate bee. He came up behind Euijoo while the beta was pouring coffee, pressing his chest to the older man’s back and rubbing his cheek slowly against Euijoo’s shoulder. His honey-amber warmth bloomed thickly, sinking into Euijoo’s clean linen scent until the beta smelled like sunlit forest and sweet sap.
Euijoo only chuckled softly, tilting his head to give Maki better access. “Clingy this morning, huh?”
“Mmm,” Maki hummed, voice a little rougher than usual. He gave one last slow nuzzle before moving on.
Taki was next. The other beta was sprawled on the couch scrolling through his phone when Maki crawled over him without warning, straddling his lap and burying his face in Taki’s neck. He rubbed his jaw and throat all over the younger beta’s skin, leaving heavy trails of warm honey. Taki laughed brightly, wrapping his arms around Maki’s waist and squeezing.
“Greedy alpha,” Taki teased, but he tilted his head back willingly, letting Maki scent him thoroughly.
Yuma was even easier. The omega practically melted when Maki pulled him into a tight hug from behind near the fridge, rubbing his face into Yuma’s hair and down the side of his neck until the younger omega smelled just like him.
Nicholas emerged from Fuma’s room still in an oversized shirt, hair messy. Maki immediately zeroed in on him. The omega barely had time to set his water bottle down before Maki was on him, pressing him against the counter and scenting him from collarbone to jaw with long, deliberate drags of his cheek and throat. Nicholas let out a soft, amused purr, one hand coming up to card through Maki’s hair.
“Feeling it already, puppy?”
Harua was last. The youngest omega was sitting at the dining table eating yogurt when Maki found him. Without a word, Maki slid into the chair beside him, pulled Harua sideways onto his lap, and buried his face in the curve of the older boy’s neck. Harua let out a surprised little laugh that quickly melted into a pleased sigh as Maki rubbed all over him - jaw, throat, behind his ears, even pressing open-mouthed kisses along his collarbone that left glistening traces of scent. Harua wrapped his arms around the alpha’s shoulders and held him close, letting Maki take what he needed. The two of them stayed like that for a long time, scents tangling so thoroughly that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began.
After practice that evening, the dorm was filled with the usual post-rehearsal haze - tired bodies, scattered bags, and the lingering buzz of music still echoing in everyone’s bones. Maki’s pre-rut had only grown stronger throughout the day. He was in the middle of chugging water in the kitchen when Fuma approached, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Come talk with me for a minute.”
Maki followed the alpha into the quieter hallway near the nest room, wiping sweat from his neck. His heart was already beating faster than the cooldown should allow.
Fuma turned to face him. “The Hyungs and I talked last night, and while we all agree you’re ready to share your rut with someone, we think it should be Nicholas first.”
The words landed like a door slamming shut.
Maki felt the immediate, irrational flare of irritation under his skin. Pre-rut had already been making everything louder - the possessiveness, the need to keep his pack close, the restless ache that never fully settled. Hearing that he still couldn’t have what he wanted only made it worse. The reasonable part of him understood. He knew why they were being careful. He knew he was young, that his control was still untested, and that Nicholas was the safest choice for a first shared cycle. But the larger part of him, the part already half-sunk into the rising heat, bristled hard.
“…Nicholas?” he repeated, voice tight. “I wanted it to be Harua.”
Fuma nodded, patient. “I know. And you will get to be with him - after. But this is your first time sharing a rut, and Nicholas has the experience to keep you grounded. He can teach you how to stay in control so it’ll be safer when you do get to be with Harua.”
Maki’s jaw clenched. The pre-rut made everything feel louder, hotter, more frustrating. His pine note spiked sharply.
“That’s bullshit. I don’t want to fuck Nicholas,” he snapped before he could stop himself. The words tasted bitter on his tongue the second they left. “I don’t need -”
He didn’t get to finish.
Fuma moved faster than the younger alpha expected. One second Maki was standing there, shoulders tense and scent spiking sharp with irritation; the next, a firm hand locked onto the back of his neck and forced his head down just enough to cut the defiance off mid-sentence. The scruff was immediately effective. Maki’s knees nearly dipped from the sudden rush of submission, a startled sound catching in his throat as the tension drained out of his muscles against his will.
“Watch your mouth. You don’t speak to me like that, and you definitely don’t get to speak about Nicholas like that either.” Fuma growled, giving the scruff a slight, deliberate press that kept the younger’s head lowered. “He’s your packmate, your friend. He’s offering to take care of you when you’re going to be at your most difficult. You do not talk about him like he’s something disposable you can reject so rudely.”
Maki’s stomach dropped further. The irritability that had pushed the snap out of him in the first place had completely collapsed into shame. He could feel it in his chest, tight and miserable. He hadn’t meant it like that. He liked Nicholas. The idea that he’d just spoken about him so carelessly made his stomach twist.
“I didn’t mean -” he started, then stopped. The excuse felt thin even before it left his mouth.
Fuma didn’t let him flounder long.
“Pre-rut makes things harder. I know that,” the older alpha said, easing his grip but not letting go entirely. His thumb rubbed soothingly over the nape of Maki’s neck, a quiet counterpoint to the firmness still present in his hold. “That doesn’t make what you said okay. Nicholas volunteered because he cares about you. Because he wants you to be safe and confident when you finally go to Harua. He’s offering something vulnerable, and you will show him respect. Understood?”
Maki nodded as much as the remaining hold would allow, eyes still fixed downward. “Understood. I’m sorry.”
Only then did the older alpha fully release the scruff, giving the side of Maki’s neck one last brief squeeze before letting his hand fall away, but he didn’t leave the younger standing there for long.
After a moment, he tugged Maki forward by the shoulder and pulled him into a solid, unhurried hug. The younger alpha went willingly, almost collapsing into it. All the bristling irritation from earlier had drained out of him, leaving only the heavy, restless undercurrent of pre-rut and the lingering shame of having snapped. He pressed his face into Fuma’s shoulder and stayed there, feeling every bit like a puppy with its tail between its legs.
Fuma’s arms stayed around him. One hand came up to cup the back of Maki’s head, holding him in place while the head alpha leaned in and scented him properly with slow drags of his wrist and cheek along the side of Maki’s neck and jaw.
“You’re okay,” Fuma murmured against his hair, voice lower now.
Maki gave a small, muffled sound of agreement against his shoulder.
The older alpha held him for another few seconds before easing back just enough to look at him.
“Go talk to Nicholas first,” he said. “Before this goes any further. Be honest with him. And be respectful.”
“…I will.”
“Good pup. That’s all we ask.”
The next few days blurred into a whirlwind of schedules. Filming for behind-the-scenes content, back-to-back dance practices, vocal recordings, and two early-morning radio appearances - the company was squeezing every possible hour out of them before Maki and Nicholas would disappear into the nest room for several days. The dorm felt like a revolving door of tired bodies, quick meals, and scattered laughter.
Maki’s pre-rut grew heavier with every passing hour, and by the evening of the third day, Maki was a live wire of frustration and need. He felt angry. Overprotective. Every instinct screamed that his pack was his to guard, his to claim, his to keep safe. Maki reminded himself it was the pre-rut talking. He breathed through the spikes of temper. But one morning, when the dorm kitchen was loud with the usual breakfast chaos, Maki sat hunched at the long table, eyes half-lidded, a dull throb pounding behind his temples. He had barely slept again. His body burned. His head hurt. He had no appetite at all, but he was forcing down spoonfuls of rice and soup anyway, because the hyungs would worry if he didn’t eat.
Across from him, Yuma and Taki were bickering again.
“But chocolate cereal is superior,” Yuma insisted, waving his spoon like a weapon. “It’s sweet and crunchy. End of discussion.”
Taki snorted, milk dripping from his spoon. “You’re insane. Fruit loops are clearly better. They have actual flavour, and they turn the milk pink.”
“Both of you are wrong,” someone else chimed in, but Maki didn’t even register who.
Every clink of metal against ceramic felt like someone slamming pots together inside his skull. The scrape of chairs, the low laughter, the overlapping voices - it was all too much. The room was too hot. The scents were too thick.
Yuma laughed brightly at something Taki said and reached over to steal cereal from the beta’s bowl. Taki shoved him back with a playful growl. Maki’s chopsticks slammed down on the table.
“Shut up!” he snapped. “Both of you, just shut the fuck up for five seconds!”
The entire table went dead silent as nine pairs of eyes turned to him. Maki’s chest heaved, and his head throbbed worse.
“Maki. Leave.” Kei’s voice cut through the silence.
The youngest alpha tried to backtrack, voice tight. “I’m fine, I just - the noise-”
“Out,” Kei said again, standing up. His black cherry scent pushed forward, heavy with authority. “Go get some fresh air. Now.”
The command rolled over Maki like a physical weight. Kei wasn’t yelling, but the push of his scent made Maki’s instincts scream to submit. His jaw clenched hard. For a second he wanted to push back, to argue that he wasn’t some misbehaving pup, but the crushing guilt won out.
He shoved his chair back with a harsh scrape and stood up so fast it nearly toppled over. Without another word, he stormed out of the kitchen, shoulders tight, scent crackling with frustration and embarrassment. The balcony door slid open with more force than necessary, and morning air hit his overheated skin like a blessing as he stepped outside, slamming the door behind him. He gripped the railing hard, eyes squeezed shut against the bright daylight.
The cool morning breeze swept across his flushed skin, carrying the distant scent of rain and traffic, washing away the sharp edges of his anger like water over hot stones. His breathing slowly evened out, the pounding in his head easing just a fraction.
He hadn’t meant to yell.
Yuma and Taki had only been doing what they always did - playful and loud, yes, but harmless bickering. They hadn’t deserved to be snapped at like that. The look on their faces, the way the whole table had gone silent… shame burned low in Maki’s stomach.
Maybe the hyungs were right and spending his rut with Nicholas might actually be a good idea.
Out of everyone in the pack, Nicholas was one of the people he was closest to. The head omega had been there through so many moments - late-night talks when Maki felt overwhelmed by idol life, quiet comfort after tough practices, gentle guidance when his alpha instincts first started kicking in. Maki had confided in him more times than he could count, curled up against Nicholas’s side in the nest room, spilling every worry and fear while the older omega listened.
Nicholas knew him. Really knew him.
He was experienced, patient, and strong enough to handle even the worst of an alpha’s rut haze. If anyone could keep Maki grounded, teach him how to stay in control instead of losing it, it was Nicholas. In theory, he was the perfect rut partner. Plus…
Maki’s cheeks heated at the thought. Nicholas was super hot. The kind of effortlessly attractive that made it hard not to stare sometimes - long limbs, sharp jawline, that confident little smirk, and the way his body moved like liquid when he danced. The idea of being tangled up with him for days, skin against skin, Nicholas guiding him through every wave… it wasn’t exactly a hardship.
The sliding door behind him slid open softly. Maki didn’t turn around right away, but he caught the familiar fig-and-vanilla-musk scent drifting toward him on the breeze. Nicholas simply came to stand beside him at the railing, close enough that their arms brushed.
“I didn’t mean to yell at them,” Maki sighed quietly. “I just… everything feels too loud. Too much.”
Nicholas hummed softly in understanding, leaning his shoulder against the alphas. “I know, puppy. It’s okay.”
The simple acceptance made something tight in Maki’s chest loosen, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then Nicholas turned his head.
“Maki, I need you to be honest with me right now. No pack pressure. No hyung expectations. If you truly don’t want to spend your rut with me, I’ll go talk to Fuma and the others today. We’ll figure something else out. I won’t be offended, okay? I just want you to feel comfortable.”
Maki shook his head almost immediately.
“No, I do want to spend it with you. I just… maybe I’m not as in control as I thought I am, you know? I snapped at Yuma and Taki over cereal. My temper’s all over the place. What if I get too rough with you? What if I can’t stop myself or I hurt you or-”
Nicholas let out a soft, almost fond huff of laughter. He turned fully toward Maki, one hip resting against the railing as he studied the younger alpha with knowing eyes.
“Puppy,” he said, voice warm and a little teasing, “I can handle myself. I’ve handled Fuma and Kei at the same time when they were both deep in rut.”
He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair off Maki’s forehead, fingers lingering against his heated skin.
“And honestly?” Nicholas’s lips curved into a small, wicked little smile. “I kinda like it when alphas lose control. The way they get all desperate and feral… it’s hot.”
Maki’s breath caught as heat rushed up his neck.
Nicholas’s smile softened into something more reassuring. “I know how to pull you back if I need to. And I trust you - even when you’re rut-drunk and half-feral. You’ve never been anything but sweet to me, Maki. Even now, when you’re burning up, you’re still trying to do the right thing.”
He stepped a little closer, until their chests were nearly touching, and let his scent curl deliberately around Maki’s.
“So if you want this,” Nicholas murmured, “then I want it too. I want to take care of you. I want to teach you how to take care of an omega properly. And yeah… I want to feel what it’s like when you finally let go.”
Maki swallowed hard, heart hammering against his ribs. The cool breeze did nothing to ease the sudden flush burning across his skin. He met Nicholas’s eyes, voice barely above a whisper.
“…Okay. Then I want it to be you.”
“Good,” Nicholas grinned, brushing his thumb across Maki’s cheek. “Then let’s do this right.”
Nicholas’s fingers slid from the alpha’s face to the nape of his neck and grabbed a handful of dark hair, dragging the younger alpha down to his level.
The kiss was almost careful at first, like Nicholas was giving him one last chance to pull away. But when Maki didn’t, when he let out a shaky, relieved sound against Nicholas’s lips, the omega deepened it instantly. His mouth was warm and sweet, tasting faintly of the tea he’d had at breakfast.
Maki’s hands flew up to grip Nicholas’s waist as the kiss turned hungry. The omega tilted his head, licking into Maki’s mouth with a low, approving hum when the younger alpha opened for him. The hand in Maki’s hair tightened just enough to send sparks down his spine.
All the jagged tension that had been coiled tight in Maki’s body since breakfast began to bleed out of him like water through cracked glass. His shoulders dropped, his jaw unclenched, and a deep, rumbling purr started low in his chest without his permission, vibrating between them as he melted into the kiss. Nicholas smiled against his mouth before letting their tongues slide lazily together.
When they finally parted, both of them breathing harder, Nicholas kept his hand tangled in Maki’s hair, thumb stroking soothing circles against his scalp, forehead resting gently against the younger alpha’s.
“Better?” he asked softly.
Maki nodded, eyes still half-lidded, lips tingling. The constant buzzing under his skin had quieted to a low, warm hum. For the first time in days, his head felt clearer.
“Yeah,” he whispered, voice rough. “A lot better.”
Just as Maki leaned in for another kiss, the door slid open behind them. Kei stepped out onto the balcony, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised in that signature mix of exasperation and fondness.
“Really?” he said. “Out here in broad daylight where any fan with a decent zoom lens or a nosy neighbour could see you two? Have some shame.”
Maki startled, cheeks burning hotter than his pre-rut fever, while Nicholas, completely unbothered, gave Maki a quick, mischievous wink. Then he walked over to the other alpha, cupped his face with both hands, and pulled Kei into a deliberate kiss right on the lips.
When Nicholas pulled back, he smirked. “We’re on the high floor, Hyung. Relax.” Then sauntered back inside with a sway in his hips, leaving the door half-open behind him.
Kei watched Nicholas disappear, shaking his head with a fond huff. Then his sharp gaze landed on Maki. The younger alpha stood there flustered, lips still tingling, scent swirling with embarrassment and leftover want. He swallowed.
“I’m sorry for snapping,” Maki said immediately. “I didn’t mean to yell at Yuma and Taki like that. The pre-rut… it’s messing with my head. But I know that’s not an excuse.”
Kei’s expression softened. He stepped closer and pulled Maki into a hug, one hand coming up to cradle the back of his neck.
“I know, Taki and Yuma aren’t offended. It’s okay,” he murmured, then added, “So? Can I assume walking on you and Nicholas making out meant you two talked?”
Maki huffed a laugh before nodding. “Yeah. We talked. I… I want to do it. I want to spend my rut with him.”
Kei hummed approvingly, rubbing slow circles between Maki’s shoulder blades. “Good. That’s a smart choice, pup.”
He pulled back just enough to look at Maki properly, then leaned in and nuzzled his temple gently - a press of cheek and scent that carried clear forgiveness and affection. The gesture made Maki’s eyes sting a little. Kei’s black cherry sank into his skin, calming the restless fever.
As the older alpha turned to head back inside, Maki caught his wrist for a second.
“Thank you, Hyung,” he said quietly. “For looking out for me. For all of us.”
Kei gave him a small, warm smile - the kind that always made the younger members feel safe.
“Always. Now go fix things with the kids before Nicholas steals you away for the next few days.”
Maki let out a shaky laugh and nodded, the tension in his chest finally loosening completely.
A day later, Maki’s rut was hovering right on the edge - close enough that his skin felt constantly fever-warm and everyone could smell it on him. So when Yuma and Harua cornered him after lunch with bright, determined eyes, he didn’t stand a chance.
“You need a proper puppy pile before you disappear into the nest room,” Yuma declared, grabbing Maki’s wrist.
“For comfort,” Harua added softly, already tugging him toward the living room. “You’ve been so tense.”
Maki let them pull him along.
Soon Maki, Yuma, Harua, Taki and Jo were piled together in a massive makeshift nest made of thick blankets, too many pillows, and the low glow of the TV playing some mindless action movie none of them were really watching. It was perfect.
Maki lay on his back in the center, nerves finally starting to settle. Harua was curled tightly against his right side, cheek pressed to Maki’s chest, while Yuma had claimed his left side, smaller body tucked in close. Taki had sprawled half on top of him, head resting on Maki’s stomach, legs tangled with everyone else’s, and Jo lay quietly at the bottom of the pile, one arm draped over Taki’s back.
“This is nice,” Maki sighed, one arm wrapped around Harua, the other hand gently carding through Yuma’s soft hair. His packmates' combined scents wrapped around him like the warmest blanket. His own scent was probably overwhelming and heavy, but nobody made any complaints.
For a while, the constant buzzing under Maki’s skin quieted and his headache from yesterday faded.
But then the omegas started reacting to his scent.
Harua shifted first, pressing his nose more firmly into the crook of Maki’s neck and inhaling deeply. A soft, unconscious purr rumbled in his chest as he rubbed his cheek against Maki’s collarbone, leaving traces of sweet peach vanilla behind. Yuma followed soon after, nuzzling into Maki’s shoulder with a happy little sigh, hips wiggling closer until his thigh was draped over the alpha’s. Their scents sweetened dramatically - blooming and ripening as they responded to the heady smell pouring off him.
Taki, never one to be left out, made a contented noise and shifted on Maki’s lap, pressing his stomach against the growing heat between Maki’s legs without any shame. “You smell really good right now,” the beta mumbled sleepily, rubbing his face against the alpha’s stomach.
Maki’s breath hitched. His hand tightened in Yuma’s hair. The other slid lower on Harua’s back, fingers slipping just under the hem of the omega’s shirt to press against warm skin. He could feel himself starting to slip - just a little. The rut haze creeping in at the edges of his mind, turning every touch, every breath, every sweet omega scent into something heavier. His cock twitched under Taki’s weight, slowly thickening despite how hard he tried to stay calm.
Yuma let out a tiny, breathy sound and rubbed his thigh against Maki’s hip, scent spiking sweeter. Harua followed suit, pressing open-mouthed kisses along Maki’s neck.
His honey-amber scent was getting thicker, almost dizzying, pouring over the pile like molten gold. His hips gave a subconscious roll upward, pressing against Taki. Jo, ever the quiet one, simply tightened his arm around the pile and let out a low, soothing rumble, but even his cool scent was starting to warm.
The sweet, heavy haze in the nest room grew thicker by the minute. Yuma was practically purring now, rubbing himself against Maki’s side with slow, needy rolls of his hips. Harua had gone from gentle kisses to open-mouthed sucking along Maki’s collarbone, while Taki was grinding lazily against Maki’s lap, clearly enjoying how hard the young alpha had gotten beneath him, bringing Jo’s hand in to feel it.
The sliding door to the nest room burst open. Fuma, Kei, and Euijoo stepped in, followed closely by Nicholas. The three older members moved with practiced efficiency, peeling the pile apart before things could spiral any further.
“Nooo,” Yuma whined immediately as Kei gently but firmly lifted him off Maki’s side. Harua made a softer, heartbroken little sound when Fuma eased him away, reaching back for Maki with grabby hands.
Maki’s inner alpha reacted instantly. A low warning growl started from his chest as he watched his omegas being pulled away from him. But before the growl could build, Nicholas was suddenly right there. The omega crouched smoothly in front of Maki, filling his entire field of vision. His scent flooded Maki’s senses, cutting straight through the haze, and Nicholas cupped his flushed face with both hands, thumbs stroking gently over his cheekbones.
“Shh, puppy,” Nicholas murmured, voice low and soothing, the head omega command threaded through it like silk. “Easy. They’re okay. Breathe with me.”
Maki’s growl stuttered and died in his throat. He stared at the omega, chest still heaving, while Nicholas glanced over his shoulder at the two pouting, younger omegas and gave them a playful wink.
“Don’t worry, babies. I’ll take very good care of him. Promise.”
Yuma let out one last dramatic whine but smiled. Harua’s cheeks flushed pink as he hid his face against Fuma’s shoulder.
Nicholas turned back to Maki, eyes warm and knowing. “You ready to do this, just you and me?”
Maki didn’t hesitate to grab Nicholas’s hand with both of his own, fingers tight and a little desperate. The heavy, restless fog in his head lightened just enough for him to nod.
“Yeah,” he rasped, voice wrecked.
Nicholas stood up, gently pulling Maki to his feet along with him. The alpha swayed for a second, but Nicholas slid an arm around his waist, steadying him against his side.
“Come on, puppy,” he murmured, just for him. “Let’s go make you feel better.”
Maki let himself be led, fingers still tightly laced with Nicholas’s, heart hammering with a dizzying mix of nerves, anticipation, and relief.
They slipped into the alpha's room instead of the big shared nest. The space was quieter, more intimate, blankets already rumpled from Maki’s restless pre-rut nights.
“Sit, puppy.” Nicholas gently pushed Maki toward the bed.
Maki dropped down heavily onto the edge of the mattress, thighs spread. He was sweaty, hair sticking to his forehead, chest rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths. His scent was pouring off him in thick waves, so potent it was almost dizzying. Even now, his body was buzzing - half from the puppy pile, half from having Nicholas this close.
Nicholas stood between Maki’s spread legs for a moment, just looking at him. Then he let out a soft, affectionate giggle, the sound light and fond.
“Look at you,” he murmured, reaching out to cup Maki’s flushed cheeks with both hands. His thumbs stroked slowly over the heated skin, brushing away a bead of sweat at Maki’s temple. “So worked up already.”
Maki leaned into the touch with a shaky exhale, eyes half-lidded. His hands came up to rest on Nicholas’s hips, fingers flexing restlessly against soft fabric.
“Maki… do you trust me?” The omega tilted his head.
Maki nodded immediately, no hesitation. “Yes. More than anyone.”
Nicholas’s smile turned into a satisfied grin. “Exactly,” he whispered. “So let your head omega take care of you.”
With that, Nicholas crawled gracefully onto Maki’s lap, knees settling on either side of the younger alpha’s hips. He sank down slowly until he was straddling him fully, their chests pressed together, Nicholas’s weight perfect in Maki’s lap.
Maki’s breath hitched hard as Nicholas leaned in, brushing their noses together, lips hovering just out of reach.
“There we go,” the omega purred as one hand slid into Maki’s damp hair, tugging gently. “Just relax and let me handle everything. You don’t have to hold back with me, baby. I can take it.”
Maki let out a broken sound as his hips rolled up once, unconsciously, pressing his growing hardness against Nicholas’s ass.
The omega hummed approvingly, rolling his hips down in answer before tilting his head to the side, offering the long line of his neck without hesitation. Maki buried his face there instantly, nose dragging along warm skin as he rubbed himself against the head omega with greedy movements. His lips parted, breathing hot and heavy against Nicholas’s scent gland, leaving wet traces as he nuzzled and scented desperately.
Nicholas hummed softly, one hand stroking through Maki’s damp hair, letting the young alpha drown in him. “That’s it… get me nice and soaked in you, puppy.”
Maki made a low, needy sound, almost whimpering as he rubbed his cheek and jaw along Nicholas’s throat, then higher, behind his ear, down to his collarbone - marking, claiming, soothing the frantic edge of his rut.
After a few long moments, Nicholas finally tightened his grip in Maki’s hair and pulled his head back just enough for their eyes to meet - Maki’s blown wide and glassy, Nicholas’s sparkling with affection.
Then Nicholas dragged him down into a kiss. The moment their lips met, Maki groaned into it, deep and desperate. He swept his tongue straight into Nicholas’s mouth, hot and eager, licking inside like he was starving for the taste of him. Nicholas answered with coaxing rolls of his own tongue, sucking on Maki’s, biting gently at his lower lip, then soothing it with another lick.
Maki’s hands gripped Nicholas’s waist tighter, pulling the omega down harder onto his lap so their bodies pressed flush together. The omega rolled his hips down deliberately, grinding against the hard line of his cock.
With the alpha lost in the kiss, his hands began to wander, sliding up under Nicholas’s shirt with trembling fingers. He mapped every inch of warm skin he could reach - the dip of Nicholas’s waist, the smooth planes of his back, the subtle curve of his ribs. Maki’s hips continued to jerk up helplessly, his hard cock pressing insistently against the curve of Nicholas’s ass through their clothes.
The omega rolled his hips down deliberately, grinding back against Maki’s cock in a circle. The pressure made the alpha choke on a moan, fingers digging harder into Nicholas’s waist. Nicholas did it again, keeping one hand tangled in Maki’s hair, the other braced on the younger’s shoulder as he rocked, matching every desperate upward thrust with a downward grind.
“You don’t have to hold back. Rut against me as much as you want.” Nicholas breathed against Maki’s lips, voice husky.
Maki whimpered, the sound embarrassingly needy, and buried his face in Nicholas’s neck again. His tongue came out to lick a wet stripe over the omega’s scent gland as his hips kept moving faster now, more frantic, rutting his clothed cock against Nicholas like he was already halfway to losing his mind.
Nicholas let out a shaky breath as he felt Maki’s thick, heady scent completely envelop him. The wild honey and warm amber had grown impossibly richer, almost syrupy, wrapping around his senses like warm caramel poured over his skin. It made his own body react instantly - heat pooling low in his stomach, a flush creeping up his chest, and the first slick warmth starting to bloom between his thighs.
He pulled back from the kiss with a soft, breathless laugh, one hand still tangled in Maki’s messy hair.
“Look at you. So needy already. Rutting up against me like you can’t help yourself.” Nicholas teased, voice husky but amused. He rolled his hips down once more just to watch the younger alpha’s eyes flutter.
“What can I do for you?” Maki asked quickly, voice wrecked and eager, eyes wide and shining with desperation to please. “Tell me, Hyung. I want to make you feel good too.”
“We can start by taking off all these annoying clothes,” Nicholas giggled. “There are far too many layers between us right now.”
Maki’s hands moved instantly, almost frantic, grabbing the hem of Nicholas’s shirt and tugging it upward. The omega lifted his arms helpfully, letting Maki pull the fabric off and toss it somewhere behind them. The moment Nicholas’s bare chest was revealed, Maki’s breath caught. His hands slid up Nicholas’s sides, thumbs brushing over his ribs and the soft planes of his stomach. He leaned forward and pressed open-mouthed kisses across Nicholas’s collarbones, flicking over a nipple.
“Keep going,” Nicholas told him, and Maki nodded.
He wrapped his arms around Nicholas’s waist and flipped them in one smooth motion. Nicholas let out a surprised laugh as his back hit the mattress, Maki now hovering over him, caging him in with strong arms.
“Bossy already,” Nicholas teased, eyes sparkling.
The alpha didn’t answer with words. Instead, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of Nicholas’s shorts and underwear and dragged them down his long legs in one eager pull. Nicholas lifted his hips to help, and once the fabric was gone, Maki sat back on his heels to look.
He froze. Nicholas’s pretty, waxed pussy was glistening with the first traces of slick. It looked almost too delicate, too perfect, and Maki couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Nicholas watched him with dark, amused eyes for a few long seconds before nudging Maki’s thigh with his bare foot.
“Enjoying the view, puppy?” he asked. “You can stare later. Right now, I want you naked too. Come on.”
Maki blinked, snapping out of his daze. His cheeks burned as he quickly yanked his own shirt over his head, revealing his toned chest and the faint sheen of sweat already covering his skin. He shoved his sweats and boxers down in one clumsy motion, kicking them off the bed. His cock sprang free, hard and flushed, already leaking at the tip.
Nicholas’s gaze dragged slowly down Maki’s body, appreciative and hungry. The alpha’s cock was fully hard now, heavy and dark, flushed, curving slightly upward. Nicholas’s gaze dropped to it and lingered. Huge, he thought with a slow, appreciative shiver. Not quite as massive as Fuma’s - nothing really compared to the head alpha in that department - but Maki was still thick and more than long enough to reach deep enough to give that perfect, aching stretch Nicholas secretly craved.
A visible shiver ran through the omega's body at the thought, his slick leaking a little more, glistening at his entrance.
Maki’s big hands slid slowly up Nicholas’s thighs, thumbs pressing into the soft, sensitive flesh as he spread the omega’s legs wider. His palms moved higher, tracing the crease where thigh met hip, fingers brushing teasingly close to where Nicholas was wet.
“Hyung…” Maki whispered, voice hoarse with awe and rut-haze. “You’re so pretty here too.”
Nicholas let out a soft, breathy laugh, though it came out a little shaky with anticipation. He reached down and gently stroked Maki’s wrist, guiding one of those wandering hands closer.
“You can touch. Go on, puppy. Feel how wet I already am for you.”
Maki’s breath hitched. His fingers trembled slightly as he obeyed, sliding through the slick folds of Nicholas’s pussy. The moment he felt the slick heat, his cock twitched hard between them, a bead of pre-cum dripping onto his own thigh.
With careful hands, he used both thumbs to gently part the omega’s slick folds, exposing the glistening pink center. Nicholas was soaked - slick shining everywhere, dripping slowly down toward the sheets. The alpha dragged one thumb upward and pressed it lightly against the swollen little clit at the top.
“Ah!” Nicholas’s hips bucked off the bed.
Encouraged, Maki kept going, rubbing gentle circles over the sensitive bud with the pad of his thumb. At the same time, his other fingers dipped into the warm, leaking slick, coating them thoroughly before spreading it messily over every inch of Nicholas’s pretty pussy - over his clit, down his folds, even teasing just barely inside his clenching entrance. The omega head tipped back against the pillow, a low, filthy moan escaping him as Maki played. More slick leaked out with every stroke of Maki’s fingers, coating the younger alpha’s hand.
Maki was panting softly, eyes still fixed hungrily between Nicholas’s spread thighs, watching another slow trickle of slick leak from his pretty hole. His thumbs kept gently spreading the omega open, mesmerized.
“Can I… eat you out?” Maki blurted, voice shaky with need. “Please, Hyung. I really want to taste you.”
Nicholas’s eyes widened, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his face. He hadn’t expected the youngest alpha to ask so openly.
“Yeah, baby. You can. Come here.”
He scooted himself back against the pillows, propping himself up a little higher so he could watch comfortably. His legs stayed spread, one knee bent, giving Maki plenty of room.
Maki followed instantly, crawling forward and settling on his stomach between Nicholas’s thighs. His broad shoulders pushed the omega’s legs even wider apart. This was new territory for him. He’d used his hands on the other members before - fingering, rubbing, making them come - but never his mouth like this, never on a pussy. The thought made his cock throb painfully against the sheets.
He leaned in, nose brushing against warm, slick skin, and breathed in deep. Nicholas’s scent was overwhelming up close - ripe fig, sweet vanilla, and the heady, intimate musk of aroused omega. Maki’s mouth watered. He dragged his tongue in one long, fat stripe from Nicholas’s leaking entrance all the way up to his clit.
The taste exploded across his tongue - sweet, tangy, and addictive. Maki groaned loudly, the sound vibrating against Nicholas’s pussy. His eyes fluttered shut as he licked again, slower this time, savouring every drop of slick like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.
Nicholas moaned, one hand flying down to grip the younger alpha’s hair as Maki dragged his tongue through the slick folds and circling the sensitive clit at the top before dipping back down to push inside Nicholas’s entrance. He was clumsy, eager, and completely lost in it - nose bumping against Nicholas’s clit as he licked and sucked with single-minded focus, completely drunk on the taste and scent of the omega.
“Slow down just a bit, puppy,” Nicholas panted as he tugged gently on Maki’s hair to get his attention. “Use your tongue flatter… yeah, like that. Good boy.”
Maki obeyed instantly, dragging his tongue in broad, slow stripes from Nicholas’s dripping entrance up to his swollen clit. The head omega’s slick coated his chin and lips, and Maki couldn’t get enough.
Nicholas’s head tipped back with a deep moan. “Fuck… just like that. Now give me your fingers too. Two of them. Slide them in slowly while you suck on my clit.”
The alpha followed again, pushing in carefully; the omega’s walls fluttered and clenched greedily as Maki sank them deeper.
“Ah- yes,” Nicholas moaned, louder this time, hips rolling up to meet the thrust of Maki’s fingers. “Curl them up a little… right there - fuck, Maki!”
Maki let out a broken whine of his own, the sound vibrating against Nicholas’s clit as he sucked it into his mouth. He was completely lost - licking, sucking, and fucking his fingers in and out in a messy rhythm while his own hips started grinding desperately against the sheets. His cock dragged against the fabric, leaking steadily, the friction nowhere near enough but still making him moan pathetically into Nicholas’s pussy.
“Don’t stop- fuck, just like that. You’re gonna make me come if you keep going,” the omega gasped, thighs trembling around Maki’s head. One hand stayed fisted in the alpha’s hair, the other gripping the sheets.
Maki’s tongue circled Nicholas’s clit with growing confidence, then he sealed his lips around the sensitive bud and sucked. Nicholas’s hips bucked hard off the bed with a loud, broken moan. His thighs clamped around the alpha’s head as pleasure crashed through him. Slick gushed over Maki’s fingers and chin and groaned loudly against the omega, the vibration making Nicholas’s orgasm drag out even longer. Maki held the omega’s hips down firmly with one arm, refusing to let him pull away, and kept sucking gently on his clit while his fingers continued curling and thrusting through every pulsing wave.
Nicholas’s back arched as aftershocks rolled through him. His hand pushed weakly at Maki’s shoulder.
“Too much - ah!” he gasped, trying to push the eager alpha off.
But Maki was lost in it, eyes closed, still sucking and licking and fingering him through the orgasm like he couldn’t bear to stop.
Nicholas growled lowly, the sound deep and commanding for an omega. He tightened his grip in the alpha's hair and yanked his head back firmly, pulling him away from his oversensitive pussy. Maki let out a desperate whine, lips shiny and slick-coated, eyes glassy with rut-haze.
“I’m sorry - I’m sorry,” he gasped immediately, voice wrecked and apologetic. “I just… you tasted so good”
Nicholas’s chest was still heaving, but his expression softened at the sight of the desperate, apologetic alpha between his legs. He kept his fingers tangled in Maki’s hair, not letting him dive back in, but stroked his thumb soothingly over the younger man’s scalp.
Maki let out another desperate whine, the sound raw and needy. He shifted up on his knees, half-kneeling over Nicholas’s body, chest heaving as he looked down at the omega spread out beneath him.
Nicholas’s brow furrowed slightly, one hand reaching up toward Maki’s face. “Baby, what’s wron-”
The words died in his throat as he watched the alpha’s hand wrap around his own cock that was flushed dark red and leaking profusely. Maki started stroking frantically, almost desperately, hips jerking into his fist with short, erratic thrusts.
It only took a few seconds until his head fell back with a broken moan, eyes squeezed shut as his orgasm hit him hard. Thick, pearly streaks of cum shot across Nicholas’s pussy and thighs, painting the omega’s smooth skin in messy ropes. Another spurt landed just above his clit, dripping down slowly. Nicholas’s breath caught at the sight, his own pussy clenching visibly around nothing as he watched Maki fall apart so quickly.
The alpha was still panting, cock twitching in his fist as the last weak spurts dribbled over his fingers. His face was flushed deep red, eyes glassy with embarrassment and lingering pleasure as he looked down at the mess he’d made on Nicholas’s body.
“I’m sorry - I couldn’t - it felt too good -” he stammered.
Nicholas giggled softly, reaching up to pull Maki down into a kiss. He gathered more of the warm cum from his own pussy and thighs with two fingers, then brought them up to the alpha’s parted lips.
“Open,” he murmured softly.
Maki obeyed instantly, mouth falling open with a needy whine. Nicholas pushed his slick-coated fingers inside, and the younger moaned loudly around them. The taste of their combined release exploded on his tongue: his own thick, slightly salty cum mixed with Nicholas’s sweet, tangy slick. He sucked greedily, tongue swirling around the digits, cleaning every drop while his eyes fluttered half-shut in bliss.
Nicholas watched him with a satisfied smile, slowly fucking his fingers in and out of Maki’s mouth a few times.
“Good boy. We taste good together, huh?”
Maki nodded around the fingers, sucking harder, cheeks hollowing. When Nicholas finally pulled them free with a wet pop, a thin string of saliva connected them for a second before breaking.
The alpha was quick to lean down, dragging his tongue over Nicholas’s thigh, cleaning up every streak of his own cum. He moved higher, licking across the omega’s pussy with broad strokes, tasting the messy mix of their releases and fresh slick. His tongue dipped inside, chasing every drop, while soft, desperate sounds vibrated against sensitive skin.
Nicholas tugged gently on Maki’s hair, pulling the eager alpha back up from between his thighs. Their mouths met in a sloppy kiss, tongues sliding together as they tasted themselves and each other. Maki moaned into it, desperate and needy, his body moving instinctively.
He crawled fully over Nicholas, caging the omega beneath him. His hips thrust forward almost immediately, grinding his thick, leaking cock against Nicholas’s slick pussy in desperate rolls. The head of his cock caught against the omega’s entrance with every upward drag, teasing, begging to push inside.
Then in one strong motion, he grabbed Nicholas’s hips and flipped the omega onto his hands and knees. Nicholas let out a surprised laugh as he caught himself on his elbows. Maki caged his body with his own, nudging his face against Nicholas’s shoulder, nuzzling desperately as his thick cock thrust up between the omega’s thighs, sliding hot and heavy against his dripping pussy.
“Why are you laughing?” Maki asked, voice needy and a little pouty.
“It never fails to amuse me how this is every alpha’s favourite position,” the omega teased, glancing back over his shoulder with a playful smirk. “You all turn so predictable when you’re in rut.”
Maki whined loudly, hips grinding harder against Nicholas’s ass, his thick cock sliding messily between the omega’s slick folds. “Don’t talk about the others,” he mumbled against Nicholas’s shoulder, voice still needy as teeth grazed skin.
Nicholas laughed again, the sound vibrating through his body. “Why not?” he asked, pushing back against the desperate grinding. “Is my baby alpha jealous?”
Maki let out a broken little sound, face burning as he hid it deeper against Nicholas’s shoulder. “I’ll cum if you keep talking like that,” he mumbled, embarrassed but so turned on it hurt.
Nicholas’s grin widened, but before he could tease any more, Maki lined his cock up with a shaky hand and pushed forward. It was clumsy and eager, and in one desperate thrust he shoved every thick inch inside.
Maki’s groaned, eyes rolling back as the tight, wet heat of Nicholas’s pussy swallowed his cock completely. The omega was so slick and warm, walls fluttering and squeezing around his girth like velvet heat. Maki bottomed out with a broken whimper, hips flush against Nicholas’s ass, balls pressed tight against him.
“Fuck,” Maki gasped, voice wrecked. “You’re so tight… ”
Nicholas moaned loudly too, back arching as he took every inch. His fingers clawed at the sheets, body trembling around the sudden, delicious stretch.
“Shit, Maki… you’re big,” he panted, a mix of pleasure and slight sting in his voice. “Give me a second, baby…”
Maki stayed buried to the hilt, panting against Nicholas’s back, arms wrapped tightly around the omega’s waist as he trembled with the effort it took not to move. He was so close already - dangerously close - that he had to clench his jaw and fight back the overwhelming urge to bust right then and there. To distract himself, he leaned down, pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses along the back of Nicholas’s shoulders and spine.
You can do this, Maki told himself in a frantic mental pep talk. You’re an alpha. Not some dumb, desperate puppy who cums the second he’s inside. You have to prove to Nicholas you can handle this. You can hold it. You will hold it.
But god, it was so hard when the omega felt like heaven.
“Okay, puppy,” Nicholas sighed. He sank his lower body down into the bed, arching his back beautifully and presenting in a proper mating position - ass up, chest pressed to the sheets, legs spread wide. “Do your worst.”
Maki’s mind went completely blank.
Fuck.
His cock was buried inside his hyung’s pretty pussy. The thought hit him like a lightning strike - Nicholas, the head omega, was bent over and taking him. Then, like his brain had been jump-started with a pair of jumper cables, millions of neurons fired off at once.
Maki gripped Nicholas’s waist with both hands, fingers digging into soft skin. His hips snapped back then forward hard, driving his thick cock even deeper into the tight, slick heat. He leaned over Nicholas’s back, one arm wrapping around the omega’s chest to pull him closer as he pounded into him, hips snapping relentlessly. Nicholas moaned loudly, pushing back to meet every brutal thrust, his walls clenching greedily around Maki’s cock.
“You feel so good,” Maki moaned, voice wrecked as he fucked into Nicholas with everything he had.
His hips slapped against the omega’s ass with every thrust, balls heavy against slick skin. The wet slap of skin and the obscene squelch of slick filled the room, mixing with their loud, desperate moans. But there was still a small, rational part of Maki’s mind clinging on - the part that remembered he had an omega to take care of. His omega. Even through the rut haze, the need to please Nicholas, to make him feel as good as he was feeling, burned brighter.
Maki forced himself to slow down just a fraction, grinding deep instead of jackhammering. He leaned over Nicholas’s back, one arm wrapping around the omega’s chest to pull him upright against him while the other hand slid down to rub firm circles over Nicholas’s clit.
“Is this good?” Maki panted against his shoulder, voice wrecked but earnest. He rolled his hips, making sure the head of his cock dragged against that sensitive spot inside with every movement. “Tell me what you need, Hyung. I want… I want to make you feel good too.”
Nicholas let out a broken moan, pushing back against him with a shaky breath. “Just like that, puppy. You’re doing so good. Keep rubbing my - ah.”
Maki whimpered, the praise hitting him like a drug. He pushed the omega down onto his hands and knees, as his fingers dug into the soft, plump swell of Nicholas’s ass, gripping tight. Every thrust made more slick gush out, coating the alpha’s cock and dripping down onto the sheets in messy, glistening strands. The visual alone was enough to drive the young alpha insane - watching Nicholas’s pretty, stretched hole spread open around his cock, flushed and shiny and so perfectly full.
Every rational thought was drowning under the overwhelming pleasure. He forced himself to slow down just a fraction, grinding deep instead of pounding, trying to hold back the orgasm that was racing up his spine. But every time he looked down and saw that stretched, gushing hole swallowing his cock, the urge to bury himself and cum became almost unbearable. He could feel himself getting close - way too close.
Maki wanted to hold off.
He wanted to listen - to obey - his hyung, his omega. He clenched his jaw, hips still moving in deep, desperate thrusts as he tried so hard to keep himself from falling over the edge. But he was just an alpha. A young one at that. And Nicholas’s pussy felt way too fucking good.
Maki’s hips stuttered.
A broken, guttural moan tore from his throat as he came hard, fingers digging into the soft swell of Nicholas’s ass. His cock pulsed deep inside, thick ropes of cum flooding the omega’s pussy as his hips kept thrusting through it, shallow and shaky, trying to bury himself as deep as possible while he filled him up.
By the time the last weak spurts left him, Maki was panting harshly, half-draped over Nicholas’s back. His forehead pressed against the omega’s shoulder, chest heaving, cock still twitching inside the warm, messy heat.
It was probably one of the best orgasms of his life.
And also one of the worst.
He’d blown his load before Nicholas had even come.
“I’m sorry,” Maki gasped immediately, voice wrecked and full of guilt. “I’m so sorry, hyung- I tried, I really tried- I wanted to make you cum first, I-”
Nicholas’s soft, breathless giggle cut him off. The omega turned his head just enough to look back at him, eyes half-lidded with amusement.
“It’s okay, puppy,” he murmured, reaching back to stroke Maki’s thigh. “Really. It’s always a compliment when I can get one of the pack to cum early.” He smirked, a little wicked. “Kei says I have a magic pussy. Calls me dangerous.”
Maki let out a mortified little sound, burying his face deeper against Nicholas’s back even as his cock gave another weak twitch inside him at the words.
The omega laughed again, soft and fond, and squeezed around him deliberately. “Don’t be embarrassed,” he soothed. “You’re in rut, and I feel good. It’s okay. We still have days. Next time you’ll last longer… probably”
Maki nodded against his skin, still panting, still apologizing under his breath in between soft kisses.
“Plus,” Nicholas murmured, voice still a little breathless as he looked back over his shoulder, “you can make it up to me.”
Maki nodded immediately, almost frantic with eagerness. He carefully pulled out, a thick trickle of his own cum following and dripping down Nicholas’s thighs. The sight made something deep and possessive twist in his gut. Without hesitation, Maki shifted down the bed and shoved his face between the omega’s spread thighs. He dragged his tongue from Nicholas’s clit all the way down to his ass, licking through the mix of slick and his own cum. The taste hit him hard, and Maki moaned loudly against him.
Nicholas reached back and grabbed a fistful of Maki’s hair, fingers tightening at the nape of his neck as he shoved his ass back, grinding his messy, cum-filled pussy against Maki’s face with a moan. It was messy. Filthy, even. Cum and slick coated his lips and chin as he licked deeper, pushing his tongue into Nicholas’s still-loose entrance to scoop out more of what he’d left behind. But Maki was still way too turned on to care. If anything, he found it hot - the idea of eating his own cum out of his head omega, cleaning him thoroughly while tasting how thoroughly he’d marked him.
His cock, which had softened slightly after his orgasm, was already starting to harden again against the sheets. The rut was still burning under his skin, and the taste of Nicholas mixed with himself only made it worse. Their combined scent was deeply intoxicating. Maki’s wild honey and warm amber had melted into Nicholas’s ripe fig and creamy vanilla, creating something thick and golden, like warm honey poured over soft, caramelized fruit.
Once he’d cleaned most of it out, Maki shifted higher, sealing his lips around Nicholas’s swollen clit and sucking hard.
“Ah - fuck - Maki,” Nicholas’s voice stuttered, hips grinding harder and faster against the alpha’s mouth. “I’m close - don’t stop, I’m so close…”
The omega finally came with a broken, high moan, thighs shaking as the orgasm ripped through him. His hips kept pushing back against Maki’s face even as his legs trembled, body jerking with every wave of pleasure. Slick gushed over the younger alpha’s tongue and chin as Nicholas rode it out, fingers still tight in Maki’s hair.
Maki stayed right there, sucking gently on his oversensitive clit for a few more moments, drawing out the last little aftershocks until Nicholas’s legs started twitching with overstimulation. Only then did he finally pull away, lips shiny and chin glistening with slick and the remnants of his own cum.
He kissed his way slowly up the length of Nicholas’s spine until he reached the shell of the omega’s ear.
“Did I make up for it?” Maki asked quietly, a hopeful, almost shy note in it.
Nicholas huffed a soft, breathless laugh and nodded. “Yeah, puppy. You made it up.”
He gave Maki a light, playful elbow to the shoulder, pushing him off just enough so he could turn over and flop onto his back. His chest was still rising and falling quickly, cheeks flushed, hair a mess against the pillows. He looked thoroughly wrecked, and thoroughly pleased.
Maki stayed kneeling between his spread legs, looking down at him. His cock was fully hard again, flushed and heavy against his stomach, but he ignored it for now. He reached out and gently stroked his hands up Nicholas’s thighs, thumbs brushing over the soft skin just above his hips.
“You good?” Maki asked, quieter this time, watching his face carefully.
Nicholas smiled up at him, lazy and warm, and stretched a little against the sheets. “I’m good,” he murmured. “Come here.”
He waved Maki forward with two fingers until the young alpha was straddling his chest, thick cock heavy and flushed right in front of his face. Nicholas leaned up, tongue flicking out to lick over the leaking tip. Maki’s hips jerked at the contact, a sharp inhale catching in his throat.
Then, without warning, Nicholas opened his mouth and took him all the way down in one smooth motion. The alpha’s head dropped back with a broken moan as the head of his cock nudged the back of Nicholas’s throat, and the omega didn’t even flinch - just hummed around him, the vibration shooting straight up Maki’s spine.
Nicholas’s hands came up to grip Maki’s thighs, holding him in place as he started to move, sucking slowly and deeply, tongue working along the underside of his length. Maki’s hands flew to the headboard, knuckles white as he fought the urge to thrust into that perfect mouth.
“Fuck,” he gasped, voice already wrecked again.
Nicholas just looked up at him through his lashes, eyes dark with heat, and took him even deeper. Maki’s hands instinctively moved to thread through the omega’s hair, fingers already curling into the soft strands when Nicholas pulled off immediately with a wet pop, eyes flashing as he glared up at the younger alpha.
“Touch my hair, and I’ll bite your dick off,” he warned.
Maki’s eyes went wide. He gulped hard, hands flying up to grip the headboard instead.
“Okay,” he said quickly, almost breathless. “Okay, I won’t.”
Nicholas held the glare for another second before leaning back in, tongue dragging slowly over the head of Maki’s cock before taking him deep again. Maki exhaled shakily and started thrusting - careful, shallow rolls of his hips at first, not wanting to overwhelm the omega.
But Nicholas clearly had other ideas. Both hands came up to grip the firm cheeks of Maki’s ass, fingers digging in as he pulled the younger alpha closer, encouraging him to go deeper.
Maki obeyed. His hips snapped forward more firmly, cock sliding in and out of that wet, perfect heat. He could feel himself hitting the back of Nicholas’s throat with every thrust, the older letting his throat relax to take him deeper, eyes half-lidded and dark with satisfaction as he let Maki fuck his mouth.
The wet, filthy sounds of it filled the room - the slick glide of cock against tongue, the soft, choked little noises Nicholas made whenever Maki pushed particularly deep. Maki’s honey-amber scent was thick and wild, pouring off him in waves as he stared down at the head omega taking him so easily.
Maki didn’t last long, again. His hips started stuttering, thrusts growing more erratic as the tingling built fast in the pit of his stomach. He was still so sensitive from earlier, and Nicholas’s mouth was too perfect, too wet, too skilled.
“I’m gonna cum,” Maki warned, voice strained and breathless.
Nicholas just nodded around him, eyes dark with satisfaction. He opened his mouth wider, relaxing his jaw so Maki’s cock could rut freely against his tongue, letting the younger alpha chase his release.
The first thick spurts landed straight on Nicholas’s tongue, filling his mouth with his release. But the younger alpha pulled out a little too soon, the rest of his load painting messy white streaks across the soft planes of the omega’s chest. Maki stayed there for a moment, panting hard, cock still twitching as the last weak drops dribbled out onto the omega’s skin.
Nicholas swallowed what had landed in his mouth with a soft, satisfied hum. Then, without breaking eye contact, he trailed two fingers through the thick mess on his pecs, gathering it up before bringing them to his lips and sucking them clean with a slow, deliberate pull. Maki’s cock gave another weak twitch at the sight.
Nicholas licked his fingers clean with a quiet little sound of approval, then looked up at the flushed, still-panting alpha straddling his chest.
“Still so quick,” he teased softly, voice a little rough from having his throat used. “But you’re learning. Next time you’ll last even longer.”
He reached up and gently stroked Maki’s thigh, eyes warm despite the teasing.
“Come here, puppy. Rest for a minute.”
Maki flopped down beside the omega, still catching his breath. His gaze dropped to the thick streaks of his own cum still painted across the omega’s soft stomach. Without thinking, he reached out and began rubbing it into the skin - right over the lower curve of Nicholas’s belly, where his womb would be. He worked it in carefully until the pearly white disappeared completely into warm skin.
Nicholas watched him with half-lidded eyes, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips.
“Possessive already?”
Maki’s cheeks flushed darker, but he didn’t stop rubbing. His hands stayed pressed over Nicholas’s lower stomach, thumbs stroking gently.
“I can’t explain it,” he admitted quietly. “The loudest thing in my head right now is just… fucking and scenting. I can barely focus on anything else.”
Nicholas’s expression softened. He reached down and rested one hand over Maki’s, stilling the possessive little movements.
“That’s normal,” he said gently. “It’s your rut. Feeling possessive over your partner is completely natural - especially the first time you’re sharing it with someone.”
“I don’t know how our hyungs do it,” Maki looked up at him, brows furrowed slightly. “Share, I mean. Right now I feel like I’d just get aggressive if another alpha walked in here and tried to get on top of… my omega.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them. His ears burned, but he didn’t take them back. Nicholas just shrugged, unfazed.
“Learning how to share without feeling threatened comes with time and experience. It’s nothing you need to worry about right now.” He tugged gently until Maki leaned down over him, their faces close. “Right now your only job is to feel good and let me take care of you. Everything else can wait.”
Maki exhaled shakily and nodded, his hand still gently touching Nicholas’s stomach.
“Besides,” Nicholas added. “Once you and Harua finally start sleeping together, you’re not going to want to fuck anybody else for a good long while.”
Maki’s face went bright red. He made a small, embarrassed sound and quickly lay down beside Nicholas, burying half his face against the omega’s shoulder like he could hide from the words.
“…Shut up,” he mumbled, though there was no real heat in it.
Nicholas just laughed quietly and draped an arm around him, pulling him closer.
They stayed like that for a while - talking in low voices about nothing important, sharing the snacks someone had put into the room earlier, and eventually putting on a movie neither of them paid full attention to. Maki managed to stay calm for almost an hour.
Then the next wave of his rut started creeping back in. He shifted closer without thinking, curling himself against Nicholas’s back until he was fully spooned behind him. One arm slid around the omega’s waist, hand resting possessively over his lower stomach again. His face pressed into the curve of Nicholas’s neck, nose brushing against the scent gland there as he began nuzzling slowly, deliberately. The omega hummed softly, tipping his head just enough to give Maki better access.
“Feeling it again?” he asked even though he already felt the younger alpha’s growing hardness press against the back of his thigh.
Maki just made a low, affirmative sound against his neck, lips brushing warm skin as he kept nuzzling, already starting to scent him more heavily. He pushed his cock up against the soft curve of Nicholas’s ass a few times, grinding slowly at first, then with more intent. The dry friction felt good for a moment, but it quickly became frustrating. Not enough. Not wet enough. Not deep enough.
With a quiet, needy sound, Maki shifted his hips and slipped his cock between Nicholas’s thighs instead. The difference was immediate. His cock glided through the soft folds of Nicholas’s pussy, every slow thrust dragged the sensitive head up through the wetness until it brushed directly over the omega’s clit. Nicholas’s breath hitched into a soft moan, body shifting back to meet the motion.
Maki buried his face back into the crook of Nicholas’s neck, nuzzling hard against his scent gland before pressing open-mouthed kisses there. His lips dragged over warm skin as he kept moving his hips, cock sliding wetly between the omega’s thighs.
“Hyung…” he murmured against Nicholas’s neck. His arm tightened around the omega’s waist, pulling him closer so the fit between his thighs was tighter.
Nicholas let out another quiet moan, one hand reaching back to rest on Maki’s hip, encouraging the teasing friction.
“Feels good?” he asked softly.
Maki just nodded against his neck, kissing and nuzzling more fervently as he kept grinding, the wet heat of Nicholas’s pussy coating his cock more thoroughly with every pass.
“Does it feel good for you too?” he asked, the words vibrating against Nicholas’s skin.
Nicholas nodded, a soft, shaky gasp leaving him as the thick, blunt head of Maki’s cock dragged heavily over his clit again. The sensitive little bud was already swollen and slick, and every slow pass of that hard, leaking tip sent a spark of pleasure through him.
“Yeah… it does,” he breathed.
Maki’s eyes fluttered half-shut at the answer. The thought that he might be able to make his head omega come just from the wet slide of his cock through those soft folds and against his clit made his gut tighten with heat. His cock throbbed hard between Nicholas’s thighs, already shiny with the omega’s slick.
He shifted his grip, wrapping one hand firmly around the base of his own cock so he could press it more tightly against Nicholas’s pussy. The increased pressure made every slow thrust more intense. The fat head dragged up through the slick heat, parting the soft folds, then rubbed directly and insistently over the swollen clit before sliding back down again in a wet, obscene glide.
Nicholas squirmed in his arms, a quiet sound escaping him as his hips twitched back against the pressure. His breathing was already picking up in soft, uneven little pants that made his chest rise and fall faster against Maki’s arm. More slick leaked out of him, coating Maki’s cock even more thoroughly, making every grind wetter.
Maki pressed a little harder, grinding in tight, focused circles against that sensitive spot, determined to see just how far he could take him like this. He could even notice a change in the omega’s scent. His usual scent was still there, but it was deepening and getting sweeter the closer Nicholas got. There was a richer, almost syrupy quality to it now, blending into something more intoxicating.
“You’re getting close,” Maki nuzzled harder into the omega’s neck. “I can smell it.”
Nicholas softly nodded, moaning as the fat head of the alpha’s cock kept rubbing insistently over that sensitive little bud again and again. His scent kept growing richer, sweeter, almost overwhelming as the tension in his body wound tighter. His hips started moving more urgently against Maki’s, chasing the friction, soft broken sounds spilling from his lips.
His whole body went tight for a second before the orgasm hit him - a full-body shudder that made his legs tremble and a long, broken moan spill from his throat. More slick gushed out over Maki’s cock as he came, scent exploding into something thick and syrupy-sweet that filled the entire space between them.
Nicholas was only halfway through the crest of his orgasm when Maki shifted his hips and shoved inside in one deep, unbroken thrust. The sudden stretch punched a broken, high sound out of the omega’s throat. His pussy was still fluttering and clenching hard around nothing when Maki’s thick cock forced it open again, the tight, slick heat gripping every inch like it was trying to pull him deeper. Maki’s moan was low against the back of Nicholas’s neck as that perfect wet warmth swallowed him completely.
He didn’t give him a second to recover. Maki’s hips snapped forward hard, the wet slap of skin meeting skin filling the quiet room as he started fucking the omega through the rest of his orgasm. Every deep thrust dragged against oversensitive walls, drawing out more shaky, overstimulated moans from Nicholas.
Maki’s hand slid up the soft plane of Nicholas’s stomach, feeling the way the muscles jumped under his palm, then higher across his chest. His fingers found one nipple and pinched, rolling the already-sensitive bud between thumb and forefinger before moving to the other side to do the same. The dual sensation made Nicholas’s whole body shudder hard in his arms.
“Maki - ah - too much -” Nicholas gasped, voice breathless, but his hips still pushed back to meet every thrust. His pussy clenched greedily around the thick cock pounding into him.
Maki could feel his knot starting to swell. It was a deep, insistent ache at the base of his cock - a pressure that built with every thrust, almost uncomfortable until the growing knot forced its way inside Nicholas’s pussy and the tight heat squeezed around it. That brief, perfect compression was the only thing that relieved the ache, and the second it did, pleasure flooded through him so sharply his hips stuttered. So, he chased it.
Maki’s thrusts grew harder, each one aimed at forcing that swelling knot past Nicholas’s entrance so he could feel the clench around it again. The more it grew, the more force he needed, and the stretch of it dragging in and out of the omega’s slick heat felt so fucking good it made his vision blur at the edges.
But the bigger it got, the more resistance there was. A flicker of worry cut through the rut haze.
“Hyung -” he started, voice rough and strained.
Nicholas was already throwing a hand back, fingers gripping hard at the side of Maki’s hip and the curve of his ass, trying to pull him deeper again.
“Keep going,” he gasped, pushing back against him. “Don’t stop -”
“It’s getting bigger, I don’t want to -” he managed, forehead pressed to the back of Nicholas’s shoulder as he fought the urge to just slam back in.
The omega shook his head quickly, another broken moan spilling out of him. “It feels really good. I can take it. Keep going.” He panted.
Maki’s grip tightened on Nicholas’s waist as he chased that perfect, aching relief of his knot pushing past the tight rim and being squeezed by the omega’s heat. Every time it popped inside, a low, wrecked sound tore out of him, and every time he had to pull it back out, the stretch made both of them moan. Nicholas kept his hand on Maki’s hip, holding him close, body open and welcoming even as the growing knot forced him wider with every deep thrust.
The more Maki forced his swelling knot past the tight rim of Nicholas’s pussy, the deeper he slipped into the haze. Rational thought was dissolving. All that remained was the raw, overwhelming sensation of that thick base being squeezed. He needed more of it.
Maki’s hand slid down Nicholas’s thigh and gripped firmly behind his knee, lifting the omega’s leg higher and opening him further. He pressed fully against Nicholas’s back, the added weight pushing the omega’s chest down into the mattress until he was almost fully folded into the sheets, ass raised and completely open for him. The new angle let him thrust deeper.
The alpha’s mouth hung open, drooling onto the omega’s spine without even noticing as he nuzzled and licked messily at the scent gland on the side of his neck. Nicholas smelled so good, and he felt so good around his knot that Maki genuinely felt like he was going to explode from it.
But then his knot got too large. He tried to push it back inside and met real resistance - the thickest part of the base catching against the tight rim of Nicholas’s pussy and refusing to go further. A high, frustrated whine tore out of him as he kept humping forward in short, desperate little thrusts, the swollen knot rubbing uselessly against the omega’s entrance without sinking in. It wasn’t enough. The ache was insistent, and every failed attempt only made it worse.
He pressed down harder against Nicholas’s back, one hand gripping the omega’s hip with enough force to leave marks as he forced the issue. There was a moment of tight, stretching resistance - Nicholas’s body fighting the size of him for a second - and then the thickest part of the knot finally popped through.
The sudden give made both of them moan. Maki slid the rest of the way in with almost no resistance after that, buried to the hilt, the full swollen knot locked tightly inside the fluttering heat of Nicholas’s pussy. He tried to pull back and found he couldn’t - the knot was too big now, caught firmly behind the rim. All he could do was grind and hump in short, desperate little movements, rocking the locked knot against the deepest, most sensitive parts of the omega.
The sensation was overwhelming. Every tiny shift made Nicholas’s walls squeeze around the swollen base like they were milking it. Maki’s entire body started to tingle, pleasure racing from the locked knot up his spine.
He came hard, a straining, almost silent moan left him as his body tensed from his jaw all the way down to his toes, every muscle going rigid. His knot pulsed heavily inside Nicholas, and the tight clenching of the omega’s pussy milked him through it - thick, heavy ropes of cum flooding deep into the locked heat in wave after wave. Maki kept making those small, desperate grinding motions the whole time, trapped and trembling as he emptied himself completely, the intensity of it leaving him shaking and panting against Nicholas’s back.
He stayed locked there, knot still throbbing, cock still twitching with the last weak pulses of his orgasm, completely spent and half-draped over the omega. Slowly, carefully, he reached up and cupped Nicholas’s jaw with one hand, fingers gentle as he tipped the older man’s head back. The angle was a little awkward with the way they were pressed together, but Maki managed it, turning Nicholas’s face just enough that their mouths could meet.
Maki’s tongue swept against Nicholas’s, tasting the faint salt of sweat and the lingering sweetness of the omega’s mouth. There was no urgency in it - just like he was still grounding himself, like the wet heat around his knot and the soft press of lips were the only two things keeping him from floating away completely.
At the same time, he trailed his palm slowly down the length of Nicholas’s side, over the soft curve of his waist, then lower across his stomach and the tops of his thighs. Wherever he felt a residual twitch or aftershock ripple through the omega’s body, he soothed it with careful strokes - petting the oversensitive skin until the tremors eased. Nicholas made a quiet, contented sound into the kiss, body relaxing further under the gentle handling even as he remained stretched and full around the locked knot.
Maki wrapped both arms around Nicholas, pulling the older man more securely against his chest. One arm slid under the omega’s waist, the other draped over his side so his hand could rest flat against Nicholas’s stomach, feeling the slight swell where he was still locked so deeply inside. Their legs tangled together under the sheets, skin warm and damp where they pressed close.
Maki’s brain was still too mushy for real conversation. Words felt distant and unnecessary. All he could focus on was the solid weight of Nicholas in his arms, the slow rise and fall of his breathing, and the perfect, continuous pressure around his knot. He nuzzled lazily into the back of the omega’s neck, breathing in the thick, contented mix of their scents.
Nicholas seemed just as content with the silence. He rested one hand over Maki’s where it lay on his stomach, fingers loosely laced, and let his body stay relaxed and open around the locked knot. There was the occasional involuntary clench of Nicholas’s body that made Maki shiver and press a little closer.
A few minutes later, there was a light knock at the door. Maki’s head snapped up, and he grabbed the nearest blanket and yanked it up over both of them, covering Nicholas from the waist down.
The door opened a crack, and Euijoo’s face appeared, a smile on his face.
“Can I come in?”
Maki stared at him for a second, processing delayed. When the question finally registered as directed at him, he nodded automatically.
“Yeah.”
Euijoo stepped inside with water bottles and a plate of snacks. He set them down carefully, then looked at the bed again.
“Can I sit?”
Another nod. Yes, of course, Hyung can sit.
The moment Euijoo was close enough, Maki’s arm shot out. He grabbed a fistful of the older man’s shirt and pulled hard, dragging him in until his face was pressed firmly against Euijoo’s stomach. He buried his nose there and inhaled deeply. Safe. Pack. Good. Euijoo chuckled softly above him. Fingers slid into Maki’s hair, stroking slowly.
“How is he doing so far?” the beta asked quietly.
Maki’s head lifted slightly at the sound of the question, but the words didn’t quite land as being for him. His brain was still moving too slowly, still stuck in the simple loop of hyung is here, and omega is warm, and knot feels good. It took a second longer than it should have to realize Euijoo was looking past him, talking to Nicholas.
Euijoo’s other hand had come to rest gently against the omega’s cheek. Nicholas turned into the touch without hesitation, nuzzling softly against the beta’s palm.
“He’s doing good so far,” Nicholas said, then a small, teasing smile curved his lips. “Only a few mishaps.”
Maki let out a quiet, embarrassed whine at that and immediately pressed his face into the back of Nicholas’s head, nosing against his hair like he could hide there. Tried hard. Don’t tease. His arm tightened a little around the omega’s waist, still reluctant to let any distance form.
Euijoo’s fingers stayed gentle in Maki’s hair even as he looked between the two of them.
“Do you two need anything else?” he asked.
Nicholas shook his head slowly, still resting against Euijoo’s hand.
“We’re okay,” he murmured. “Just need time.”
Maki made a low sound of agreement against Nicholas’s hair, too foggy for real words. He kept his face buried there, breathing in the mixed scents of all three of them, content to let the others handle the talking while his body stayed exactly where it wanted to be.
Maki had always really liked Euijoo’s scent. Even on normal days it was one of the ones that always settled him fastest - clean linen and soft green tea, like the quiet hours in the dorm when everything felt safe. For a brief, hazy moment the thought drifted through his foggy mind without any real filter: Would hyung ever spend a rut with me like this? The way Nicholas is?
He didn’t get to hold onto the thought for long. Euijoo shifted his weight and started to stand.
A startled, high whine escaped Maki before he could stop it. His hand tightened its grip on Euijoo’s shirt and held him in place. Don’t go. Not yet. The words never made it out of his mouth, but the grip said enough.
Euijoo looked back over his shoulder, clearly surprised for a second. Then the expression melted into something softer - warm and fond as he took in the still-dazed younger alpha clinging to him.
“Sorry, puppy,” Euijoo said gently. “I have to go so you and Nicholas can get back to… rut things.”
Maki’s grip only tightened as another quieter whine slipped out of him. Euijoo huffed a soft, amused breath. He turned a little more toward the bed, one hand coming up to rest lightly on Maki’s wrist.
“What,” he teased, voice light, “would you prefer I stay and watch?”
Maki’s entire face went hot. He let go of the shirt immediately, as if it had burned him, and shoved his burning face deeper against the curve of Nicholas’s neck, hiding there completely. His ears felt like they were on fire. Nicholas’s shoulders started shaking with laughter against him.
“Don’t torment him with jokes like that,” the omega said, voice clearly entertained. “He’ll cum.”
That only made it worse. Both of the older members broke into overlapping giggles, and Maki wished the mattress would just swallow him. He stayed buried against Nicholas’s skin, a low, embarrassed growl vibrating in his chest as the two of them laughed over his head.
Still half-hiding his face, Maki carefully shifted his hips and began to pull free. His cock had softened enough that the knot finally slipped out with a wet, heavy sound, followed by a slow trickle of everything he’d left inside. Nicholas let out a soft, oversensitive moan at the sudden emptiness, body twitching once against him.
Euijoo just laughed again, shaking his head as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Nicholas’s lips. The omega accepted it easily, still half-lidded and relaxed under the blanket.
Then Euijoo turned to Maki.
“Can I have a kiss?” he asked, voice soft.
Maki’s foggy brain barely needed a second to process that request. He nodded eagerly, almost clumsily with it, and tilted his head up in clear invitation. Euijoo’s hand came under his chin, steadying him with gentle fingers, and then their mouths met in a slow, unhurried kiss.
When Euijoo pulled back, Maki stayed exactly as he was for a moment too long, lips still slightly parted, eyes a little dazed. Whatever expression he was making must have been completely unguarded and ridiculous, because Euijoo’s face broke into a giggle.
“Cute,” the beta murmured, thumb brushing once more along Maki’s jaw before he finally straightened up.
Maki could only blink after him, still soft-brained and faintly glowing from the simple affection, as Euijoo gave them both a last fond look and slipped out of the room.
Maki’s head was still too fuzzy for anything complicated. Nicholas ended up having to help him eat, breaking pieces of rice ball and fruit into smaller bites and holding them up until the younger alpha leaned in and took them from his fingers. Maki accepted each one without protest, chewing slowly, eyes half-lidded and calm as long as Nicholas stayed close. When it was the omega’s turn, though, Maki insisted on returning the favour. He took the plate himself, clumsy but determined, and fed Nicholas bite after bite with the same careful attention, watching closely to make sure he ate enough.
They finished an entire bottle of water between them, Nicholas tipping it up for Maki whenever his hands felt too unsteady, then letting the alpha do the same for him.
At one point Nicholas shifted and winced faintly at the tacky, drying mess between his thighs.
“You need to learn this part too,” he said. “Keeping somewhat clean matters. Dried cum gets uncomfortable fast - it pulls on the skin and itches.
Maki immediately sat up straighter, the simple hint cutting through the fog.
“I’ll clean you,” he said, already moving.
He guided Nicholas onto his back and settled between his legs, using a wet wipe from a container beside the bed and carefully wiping him down. When he saw his own cum still slowly leaking out of the omega’s pussy, a small, almost childish pout pulled at his mouth. He stared at it for a second too long, thumb brushing over the soft, messy folds like he wasn’t ready to see it leave.
Nicholas noticed and playfully rolled his eyes. “You’ll be filling me up again soon enough. Don’t look so heartbroken about it.”
Maki made a quiet sound in answer and finished cleaning him with extra care anyway.
They put another movie on after that and drifted between sleeping and the inevitable rounds of sex whenever the fog in Maki’s head thickened again. There was no room for anything else.
They didn’t go all the way every time. Multiple full orgasms back-to-back were draining for the partner not in rut, but Nicholas knew how to handle that. Sometimes he simply let Maki rut between his thighs until the younger alpha came in messy streaks across his skin. Sometimes he took him into his mouth until Maki spilled across his tongue with a broken sound. Other times they just stayed locked together after a proper knotting, drifting in and out of half-sleep while the swelling slowly went down.
Through all of it, Nicholas took care of him just as much as Maki tried to take care of the omega. He guided, soothed, praised, and redirected whenever the younger alpha started to tip too far into the fog. And Maki, still soft-brained and deeply focused, let himself be guided - content as long as he could stay close, keep scenting, and lose himself in the warm, familiar body of his head omega.
Maki had always been affectionate, but the rut turned it into something else entirely. Even in the quieter stretches between waves, he stayed glued to Nicholas like a second skin. The second the omega shifted in his sleep, even just a simple roll onto his side to get more comfortable, Maki would immediately follow. An arm would tighten around Nicholas’s waist. A face would press back into the curve of his neck. Sometimes Maki would drape half his body over him again, nuzzling until the older man was once more trapped in the warm, heavy circle of his limbs.
Leaving the room was worse. The first time Nicholas carefully tried to extract himself to use the bathroom, Maki’s eyes snapped open the moment the mattress dipped. A low, unhappy whine filled the quiet space as the younger alpha reached out, fingers catching the edge of the sheet like he could physically pull Nicholas back into bed.
“Where’re you going…?” The words were thick with leftover haze, voice rough and almost accusing.
“Bathroom,” Nicholas answered softly, already sitting up. “I’ll be right back.”
Maki’s expression crumpled into a full pout. He pushed himself up on one elbow, hair a complete mess, eyes heavy-lidded but focused entirely on the omega like the idea of even a few minutes apart was personally offensive.
“Don’t go.”
“I have to.”
Another whine. Then, after a long second of visible internal struggle, Maki scrambled out of bed after him.
“I’ll come with you.”
Nicholas sighed from where he was in the middle of sliding pants up his legs and turned to look at the naked alpha who was already following him toward the door like a very large, very determined shadow.
“Maki.”
“What?”
“You can’t just walk down the hallway like that.”
Maki blinked, glancing down at himself as if only now remembering he wasn’t wearing a single stitch of clothing. His cock was still half-hard from the residual rut, and there were faint marks all over his skin from earlier. He looked back up at Nicholas with the most earnest, slightly confused expression.
“…Why not?”
Nicholas pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting a smile despite himself.
“Because we’re not the only people who live here, and not everyone will want to see your dick at 3 in the morning.... well maybe they would but still, put something on.”
Maki made a soft, grumbling sound of protest but eventually shuffled over to the discarded clothes on the floor. He pulled on a pair of loose sweatpants (inside out, and only after Nicholas pointed it out) and nothing else, still clearly offended by the entire concept of clothing. The second the fabric was on, he was right back at Nicholas’s side, fingers hooked into the waistband of the omega’s shorts like he needed the physical connection to function. Nicholas shook his head, fond and a little exhausted, and let himself be followed.
The entire short walk to the bathroom, Maki stayed pressed close enough that their arms kept brushing. When Nicholas stepped inside and tried to close the door for privacy, a bare foot immediately wedged itself in the gap. Maki peered in with big, stubborn eyes until Nicholas finally relented and left the door half-open.
He peed with an audience of one very clingy, half-dressed alpha leaning against the doorframe, watching him like he might disappear if he looked away for too long.
When they finally made it back to the room, Maki wasted no time stripping the sweatpants back off and climbing into bed first, arms already open and waiting. The second Nicholas was within reach, he was pulled back into the warm tangle of limbs, face tucked firmly into the omega’s neck, a low, contented sound vibrating in his chest now that the brief separation was over.
There were even a couple of times when the short trip to the bathroom didn’t stay innocent. Once, Nicholas had barely finished washing his hands when Maki crowded him back against the counter, mouth already on his neck, hands sliding under the borrowed shirt. The quickie that followed was hurried and a little clumsy - Maki lifting him just enough to get the angle right, fucking into him in short, urgent thrusts while the bathroom light hummed overhead.
Nicholas had one rule that he enforced without compromise: absolutely no knotting in the bathroom. The last thing either of them needed was to get stuck standing up in a shared dorm bathroom at odd hours of the night, or day. Maki had whined about it the first time, hips stuttering with the effort of holding back, but he listened. He always pulled out before the swelling at the base of his cock could lock them together, finishing across Nicholas’s stomach or thighs with a frustrated, needy sound before immediately trying to drag him back to bed.
The times Nicholas managed to slip out alone were rarer. Maki would notice the empty space in the bed within minutes, growing restless and sulky until the door opened again. The second Nicholas stepped back into the room, he would find himself scooped up and deposited firmly onto the mattress. Maki would climb right after him, already nosing under his jaw, hands roaming like he needed to re-map every inch that had been out of reach for those few minutes.
Tonight they had barely made it back inside after the bathroom trip when Maki kicked the door shut behind them, but instead of steering them toward the bed, he crowded Nicholas up against the nearest wall. The omega’s back met the cool surface with a soft thud. Before he could ask what the younger alpha was thinking, Maki was already lifting him.
Strong hands hooked under his thighs, hauling him up until the omega’s legs automatically wrapped around his waist for balance. The sweatpants were shoved down just far enough, and Maki lined himself up and pushed inside in one smooth thrust, a low groan vibrating against Nicholas’s throat as the tight heat took him again.
His hips rolled forward as he held the omega up with impressive ease even while lost in the haze. The angle was different like this - deeper in some ways, more intimate, the wall at Nicholas’s back giving Maki something solid to work against as he fucked into him. Nicholas’s arms looped around the younger alpha’s shoulders, fingers threading into damp hair as a breathless laugh escaped him between soft, punched-out sounds.
The position left Nicholas almost completely at his mercy. He could feel the strain in Maki’s arms from holding him up, the way those hands gripped under his thighs hard enough to bruise, the wet, filthy slide of their bodies meeting again and again. Slick coated the inside of his thighs and dripped down onto Maki’s stomach. Every thrust punched soft, broken sounds out of his throat that he tried (and mostly failed) to keep quiet.
“Maki -” he gasped, nails lightly raking down the younger man’s back when a particularly deep stroke forced the air from his lungs. His head tipped back against the wall for a moment, exposing the long line of his throat, before he pulled himself forward again and pressed his mouth to the side of Maki’s neck. He kissed and bit lightly at the skin there, tasting salt and honey.
By the time Maki finally carried them both back to the mattress, Nicholas was loose-limbed and flushed, and Maki was once again wrapped around him like an oversized, possessive blanket, already half-dozing with his face pressed to the omega’s shoulder.
His knotting got better too. Or at least he was getting more confident at it. After watching - and feeling - how easily Nicholas’s body could stretch and then suck him in once the thickest part of the knot had pushed past the rim, the earlier hesitation faded. Maki stopped second-guessing the force needed. He learned the exact moment to drive forward harder, the exact angle that let the swollen base pop inside with that deep, perfect resistance followed by the sudden, overwhelming clench. Each successful lock left him trembling and moaning against Nicholas’s skin, still a little in awe that the omega could take him so completely.
He also discovered his favourite positions. Doggy was the first, obviously. Having Nicholas on his hands and knees - or chest down, ass up - let Maki grip his hips, watch every inch of his cock disappearing into his pussy and bury himself as deep as he wanted when the knot finally swelled. The view alone was enough to make his head go blank.
The second favourite was when Nicholas was on his back with his legs pushed up toward his chest. It let Maki fold the omega nearly in half and drive straight down into him, knot grinding deep with every thrust. The first time they ended up like that, Nicholas had let out a breathless, amused huff between moans and called it a mating press - then immediately teased him for being such a typical alpha for loving both of those positions so much. Maki hadn’t even tried to deny it. He just kept fucking him through the laughter until the teasing turned back into broken, satisfied sounds.
All in all, Nicholas was the perfect rut partner. It probably helped that the two of them had already been so comfortable with each other long before this. Out of everyone in the pack, Nicholas was one of the members Maki had always felt closest to. He had known, in a vague, background way, that Nicholas had been with everyone in the pack sexually at some point or another. Heat or not. It was just part of how their pack worked. Now Maki understood firsthand why so many of them seemed to prefer him.
He had always thought Nicholas was hot. That much had never been a question. But seeing him like this - still teasing and soft even while taking everything an alpha in full rut could throw at him - changed something. There was a new kind of respect settling in Maki’s chest, deeper than simple attraction or gratitude. Even when Maki was being difficult, when the fog made him too rough or too single-minded or too quick to lose control, Nicholas never pulled away. He guided. He corrected without shaming. He stayed caring and nurturing through all of it, like taking care of a half-feral young alpha was the most natural thing in the world.
Maki hadn’t expected that to affect him as much as it did. Lying there between rounds, still half-draped over the omega’s body, he found himself thinking that he was lucky. Lucky that the pack had decided this was the right way for his first shared rut. Lucky that it was Nicholas who had volunteered. And lucky, in a quieter way, that he got to see this side of his hyung so clearly - the part that made everyone else in the pack trust him so completely when their own instincts got too loud. It made the whole thing feel less like a test and more like something that actually mattered.
Maki wondered, in the quieter stretches between waves, whether Nicholas would ever let them do this outside of a rut. The thought sat heavy and a little dangerous in the back of his mind. Nicholas was already as good as spoken for - wrapped up in whatever long-standing, unspoken thing he had with Kei, Fuma, and Euijoo. None of them were officially mated; the company’s contract made sure of that. But everyone in the pack could see it clearly enough. Those four moved around each other like they already belonged together.
And this whole arrangement had never been about Maki keeping Nicholas for himself. It was preparation. A safe way for him to learn control so that when the time came, he could be a proper heat partner for Harua without risking anything.
But right now, none of that mattered to the part of him that was still half-lost in rut. Right now his alpha only wanted this omega. Nicholas was so giving. So patient. So fucking good that Maki didn’t ever want to stop.
The idea of eventually stepping back and turning all of this focus toward Harua still existed somewhere in his mind. Still, it felt distant and theoretical compared to the solid, warm reality of Nicholas’s body under his hands and the way their scents had completely tangled together in the sheets.
He knew it was the rut talking and that the intensity would probably fade once the worst of it passed. But in the moments when he was buried deep inside the omega, or curled around him in the quiet afterward, it was hard to care about anything else.
“You have to - ah - stay aware of them,” Nicholas gasped. “It’s not just about getting your knot in and - fuck - chasing your own orgasm. You need to -”
The omega was in the middle of another lecture or “teaching moment,” as he preferred to call it, about how important it was to think of your partner during sex, and not just with your dick, but Maki wasn’t really listening to the details.
He had both hands locked tight around the soft backs of Nicholas’s thighs, fingers digging in as he pulled the omega down harder against his face. Nicholas was fully seated over him, riding his mouth as thick, warm globs of slick landed directly on the alpha’s tongue. Maki’s eyes rolled back.
A low, filthy sound vibrated against Nicholas’s pussy as he licked deeper, chasing the taste. His cock was hard and neglected against his stomach, but he barely cared. As long as Nicholas kept grinding that wet heat against his mouth like this, the older man could yap for as long as he wanted. Maki tightened his grip on the omega’s thighs and pulled him down even more firmly, tongue pushing up to meet every roll of Nicholas’s hips.
Nicholas’s thighs flexed under Maki’s hands as he ground down harder, the wet heat of his pussy dragging heavily across the younger alpha’s mouth. Slick smeared everywhere - over Maki’s lips, his chin, the tip of his nose - and every time the omega rolled his hips, another warm pulse of it spilled directly onto Maki’s tongue.
“You have to - mmh - stay aware of what they’re feeling,” Nicholas tried again, voice breaking on a moan when Maki’s tongue pushed up inside him. “It’s not just about your knot or how good it feels for - ah - for you. You need to -”
Whatever the rest of the sentence was supposed to be got lost when Maki sealed his mouth over his clit and sucked. Nicholas’s hips jerked, and a thicker gush of slick spilled out, coating Maki’s tongue and sliding down his throat. One hand braced against the headboard, the other tangled in Maki’s hair as he started riding the younger alpha’s mouth in earnest.
Maki was completely gone on it. His cock lay hard and neglected against his stomach, leaking steadily onto his own skin, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was the weight of Nicholas on his face, the way the omega’s thighs trembled around his head, and the steady, addictive flow of slick he kept licking and sucking out of him.
When Nicholas started getting close, his movements grew less controlled and his hips ground down in shorter, needier rolls. His thighs started shaking, and the tight, building pressure in his core finally snapped. One hand stayed locked in Maki’s hair, the other gripping the headboard hard enough to make the wood creak as his whole body shuddered. His back arched, thighs clamping tight around the alpha’s head while the orgasm rolled through him in long, trembling waves. Every time Maki sucked on his oversensitive clit or curled his fingers just right, another sharp pulse of pleasure ripped through him, drawing out more broken sounds and another warm rush of slick.
The alpha could barely breathe. The full weight of the omega’s hips and the way he was grinding down sealed off most of the air. His lungs burned a little. His jaw ached. He didn’t mind at all. If anything, the lack of air only made it hotter. Maki moaned into the wet heat above him and held the omega’s thighs in a firm grip and let himself be used, eyes half-lidded while Nicholas shook and moaned and came all over his face.
Nicholas’s grinding eventually grew slower and shakier as the peak started to ease. However, he still kept moving in small, involuntary rolls, chasing the last of it against Maki’s tongue until his thighs were trembling too hard to keep going.
The omega eventually lifted himself off with shaky legs, thighs still trembling from the intensity of his orgasm. The second the warm weight of his pussy left Maki’s face, the younger alpha frowned, chasing the contact with a small, instinctive upward tilt of his head. The sudden absence felt wrong - too cold, too empty after having Nicholas grinding on his mouth for so long.
The omega didn’t go far, just shuffled down Maki’s body on unsteady knees, the movement dragging a glossy trail of slick down the center of the alpha’s chest and over his stomach until the slick heat of his pussy dragged directly over the length of Maki’s cock. He ground against it once, twice, letting the thick shaft part his folds and rub against his clit, coating it in fresh wetness. Then he reached down, wrapped his fingers around the base, and lined the head up with his entrance.
Nicholas was breathing hard, cheeks flushed, hair a mess. “Relax a bit. You’ve done such a good job taking care of your omega… now it’s my turn to take care of you.”
He sank down onto the alpha’s cock, head tipping back with a quiet, shaky moan as he took him all the way to the base, settling fully in his lap until their hips were flush. Nicholas lifted his hips, the tight walls of his pussy dragging up the full length of Maki’s cock until only the head remained inside. Then he sank back down in one smooth motion, taking him to the base again.
Nicholas started riding him properly - rising up until the head of the alpha’s cock caught at his entrance, then dropping back down with a wet, heavy slap of skin and Maki’s hands gripped his thighs hard, fingers digging into soft flesh as he watched. The sight alone was overwhelming: Nicholas’s flushed face, the way his stomach tensed with every roll of his hips, the glossy stretch of his pussy around the thick cock disappearing inside him over and over. Slick coated everything, dripping down onto Maki’s hips and balls with each deep downward grind.
Nicholas leaned forward a little, changing the angle so that every downward thrust dragged the head of Maki’s cock firmly against that sensitive spot inside him. His thighs flexed and trembled with the effort of keeping the pace. One of his hands slid up to brace against Maki’s shoulder while the other stayed planted on his chest, fingers curling against warm skin as he fucked himself on the younger alpha’s cock.
The omega’s lips stayed parted, soft and shiny, soft broken sounds slipping out of them every time he sank down or rolled his hips. A faint flush had spread across his cheeks and down his throat to his chest, and his eyes were half-lidded, the usual sharp, teasing glint in them gone soft and hazy with pleasure.
Maki’s hands roamed slowly over whatever skin he could reach - sliding up the soft outer curves of Nicholas’s thighs, over the dip of his waist, across the warm plane of his stomach and higher to feel the way his chest rose and fell with every shaky breath. All the while he watched, completely transfixed, as his cock disappeared inside the omega with every roll of his hips.
Two days of near non-stop fucking, and he still felt like he was hanging on by a thread every time Nicholas moved on him like this. He should have had more control by now. He wanted more control. But the tight, fluttering heat sinking down onto him over and over made it almost impossible to think straight. Maybe Kei had been right. Maybe Nicholas really did have a magic pussy - the kind that could undo even an alpha who’d already spent hours buried inside it and still leave him sweating and desperate for more.
Maki planted his feet flat against the mattress, knees bent, and started thrusting up hard to meet every downward movement of Nicholas’s hips. The new force drove him deeper, the wet slap of their bodies growing louder as he fucked up into the tight, slick heat with short, powerful snaps of his hips. For a few seconds it felt perfect and exactly what the restless ache in his gut wanted.
Then sharp nails dug into his chest. Nicholas stopped moving entirely, pinning him in place with the weight of his body and the warning pressure of his fingers against Maki’s skin. His eyes narrowed, still dark with heat but now edged with clear authority.
“Stay still.” He scolded.
Maki’s hips twitched once more under him before he forced them to stop. A frustrated, needy sound left his throat as he shifted restlessly against the sheets.
“It just feels too good,” he muttered, hands flexing on Nicholas’s thighs.
Nicholas leaned down a little, nails still pressed against Maki’s chest in quiet warning. “I’m taking care of you right now. That means you let me set the pace.”
He started moving again, but only just. The bouncing from before was gone, and instead Nicholas lifted his hips with torturous slowness, the tight drag of his pussy sliding up Maki’s cock inch by inch until only the head remained inside. He held there for a beat, letting the younger alpha feel the cool air against the soaked shaft, before sinking back down at the same maddening pace.
Nicholas kept that exact rhythm. Slow rise. Slow fall. No rushing, just the controlled, relentless slide of his body taking Maki deep and then almost leaving him empty again and again.
Maki’s hands gripped the omega’s thighs harder, a low, strained sound vibrating in his chest as he forced himself to stay still and take it. The slow pace was almost worse than being denied completely. Nicholas watched his face the whole time, eyes heavy-lidded but attentive, making sure the younger alpha was listening.
And it was tough as hell for Maki to listen. Every instinct in him was screaming to do the opposite. His alpha wanted to grab Nicholas by the hips, flip their positions, and fuck into him until the omega was shaking and cumming around his cock. He could already picture it: holding the older man down, snapping his hips up in short, powerful thrusts, watching that pretty face break open with pleasure while he drove into him over and over. The thought alone made his cock throb heavily inside the omega, the base of his knot giving a warning ache.
But he stayed still. Barely. Because his omega had told him to stay still, to let him lead, to practice the exact kind of control this whole arrangement was supposed to teach him. And more than that - it was Nicholas. His hyung. His head omega. Disobeying him right now felt worse than just breaking a rule. It felt like spitting on the exact lesson he was supposed to be learning while buried inside him.
The two voices overlapped until Maki’s breathing turned uneven and a low, frustrated growl vibrated in his throat. He was in a rut, for fuck’s sake. Nicholas truly couldn’t be expecting this much of him. His skin felt too tight. Sweat had already started sliding down his temple and the back of his neck. His knot wanted to swell. His hips wanted to thrust. Every instinct in him was screaming that he had been patient long enough. The slow pace was starting to feel like punishment.
Every controlled rise and fall of Nicholas’s pussy around his cock only fed the restless, hungry thing under his skin. He could feel how wet the omega still was, how easily he took him. The voice that usually listened to his hyung was getting quieter, drowned out by something simpler and much louder.
Take him. He’s right here. Fuck him properly.
It wasn’t a clean decision when the last of his control finally snapped. It was more like something giving way under too much pressure.
In one strong, almost clumsy surge of strength, he flipped them without ever pulling out, using his weight and the momentum to keep himself buried as he rolled them over. Nicholas’s back hit the mattress and his legs were pushed up and back until his knees were forced near his ears and his ass lifted clean off the bed. The new angle let Maki sink so deep that a startled sound was punched out of Nicholas’s throat.
“Maki - wait, slow dow-”
The words barely registered. All that mattered was the tight, soaked heat wrapped around his cock and the fact that he could finally move the way his body had been demanding. Maki planted one hand beside Nicholas’s head and used the other to keep the omega’s legs pinned back, folding him open, and started fucking into him with powerful snaps of his hips. The wet slap of skin filled the room again - louder, filthier - mixed with the sound of slick being forced out around his thick shaft on every thrust. Nicholas’s pussy clenched hard around him from the sudden change, still so wet and hot that it made Maki’s head drop forward with a broken sound.
Nicholas’s hand came up between them, palm pressing against Maki’s chest. It wasn’t a real push, just enough pressure to ease the relentless depth, to take some of the force off the way the head of Maki’s cock kept driving against his cervix. A quiet, strained sound left him as another deep thrust still managed to catch that sensitive spot, his brows drawing together.
Maki barely seemed to register the resistance. Instead of pulling back, he caught Nicholas’s wrist and redirected it. His fingers wrapped firmly around the omega’s forearm and started kissing along the inside of the arm, slow and open-mouthed, following the line of muscle up toward the elbow.
When he reached the scar, he dragged his tongue over it repeatedly, letting saliva gather and smear across the raised tissue. He mouthed at it some more until drool collected at the corner of his mouth and dripped down onto Nicholas’s skin as he stayed there.
The new angle had Maki driving straight down into him, and each hard snap of his hips forced the thick head of his cock against the soft, resistant give of the omega’s cervix. Maki felt it too - that firm, slightly yielding barrier at the very end of every thrust. For a moment the thought slid into his head without permission: if he pushed just a little harder, maybe he could force the tip right past the opening and spill directly into Nicholas’s womb. Easier to impregnate him that way. The image hit him so strongly that his hips stuttered and a low, strained sound left his throat.
He squeezed his eyes shut hard, jaw clenching as he fought the sudden surge of heat that idea sent through him. Not yet. Don’t cum yet. Sweat dripped from his jaw onto Nicholas’s chest. His breathing was rough and open-mouthed against the side of the omega’s knee. The last scraps of restraint were gone; all that was left was the need to bury himself as deep as possible and keep moving until the ache in his knot finally gave.
Nicholas tried again to get words out, but they kept breaking apart into shaky, punched-out moans every time Maki bottomed out. The omega’s hands came up to grip at his arms, fingers pressing into skin, while his body took every hard thrust with wet, greedy clenches that only pushed Maki further past the point of holding back.
The alpha’s eyes were half-lidded, locked on the place where their bodies met. He watched his cock disappear into the stretched, glossy heat over and over, the rim of Nicholas’s pussy clinging to him on every pull-back before he slammed forward again. The sight alone made his gut tighten. His knot was swelling in earnest now, the base growing thicker and starting to catch more noticeably against the omega’s entrance with every thrust. He leaned more of his weight forward, folding Nicholas further, and kept fucking into him with single-minded focus.
Nicholas was the one whimpering now. Every deep thrust sent a jolt of pain up his spine as the thick head of Maki’s cock rammed against his cervix, the sensation too intense, too deep - a bright edge of hurt that tangled messily with the heavy waves of pleasure rolling through him. His body kept trying to twist or shift away from the pressure, but Maki was too big and too heavy on top of him. The younger alpha’s weight pinned him firmly into the mattress, legs folded back and held in place, leaving him with almost no room to wiggle free of the relentless depth.
He couldn’t get away from it. So instead he reached up, cupped Maki’s face with both hands, and dragged him down. Their mouths met in a messy, open kiss. Their tongues slid together, wet and uncoordinated, and the mix of pain and pleasure kept pulling broken sounds out of the omega, and each one spilled directly into the kiss as Maki held him down and took him.
Nicholas’s lips were so soft and plush that Maki found it genuinely hard to pull away. But the pressure at the base of his cock was growing too insistent to ignore. His knot was swelling fast now, and the ache of it demanded focus. And attempting to focus right now was hard.
His brain felt like warm, useless mush as he pushed himself up more onto his knees, hands sliding under the backs of Nicholas’s thighs to lift him. The omega’s ass ended up resting firmly on his thighs, hips tilted up at a better angle, legs still folded back. The new leverage let Maki drive down into him with more control and more force.
His knot had grown thick and flushed a deep, angry red at the base of his cock, visibly swollen and shiny with slick. It looked almost too big already - a heavy, rounded bulge that stretched the skin tight and glistened every time it caught the light. Watching it sink in was hypnotic.
The fat base pressed against the glossy, stretched hole, meeting real resistance for a second as the rim struggled to take it. Then, with a wet, heavy push, the thickest part forced its way inside - the entrance stretching wide around the girth before the knot suddenly popped through and disappeared. Nicholas’s pussy immediately clenched tight behind it, the rim sealing around the slightly narrower shaft just above the knot, locking the swollen base inside. Every time Maki managed to pull it back out, the rim dragged and clung, shiny and slightly gaped for a moment before he thrust forward and forced the thick knot back in again with that same wet, resistant push.
Nicholas’s body reacted to every deep thrust like it was being overloaded. His mouth stayed open as broken whimpers and higher, punched-out moans spilled out whenever the thick head of the younger alpha’s cock rammed against his cervix. His brows were drawn tight, eyes half-lidded and glassy. His thighs trembled hard under Maki’s hands. The muscles in his stomach jumped and tensed with every heavy downward drive, and his fingers kept flexing against the younger alpha’s arms and shoulders like he needed something to hold onto. E
Nicholas pressed a shaky hand to his lower stomach, fingers splaying over the soft skin just below his navel. A high, broken whine left him as another deep thrust forced the thick head of Maki’s cock against his cervix.
“I can feel you right there -” he managed.
Maki’s eyes dropped to where Nicholas’s hand rested, and for a second he could have sworn he saw it - a subtle bulge pushing up under the omega’s abs every time he bottomed out. The sight made his hips stutter and his cock throb hard inside the tight heat.
He let go of Nicholas’s thighs and planted both hands firmly on the mattress on either side of the omega’s head, bracing his weight as he shifted for better leverage. He snapped his hips forward in shorter, more urgent strokes, and the omega’s legs immediately wrapped around his waist, heels digging into the small of Maki’s back as he pulled him in closer.
Maki shoved forward hard and forced the full, swollen knot inside. He kept grinding in short, deep circles, rocking the thick knot against the most sensitive places inside Nicholas while his cock stayed buried to the hilt. One hand slid down between their bodies, fingers finding the swollen, slick clit just above where they were joined. He rubbed it in firm, quick circles, matching the rhythm of his grinding hips.
Nicholas’s whole body arched hard under Maki, a raw, high scream tearing out of his throat as the orgasm slammed into him. Slick and squirt sprayed out around Maki’s cock in messy pulses, soaking the alpha’s hips, stomach, and the sheets beneath them as Nicholas came harder than he had all night. At the same time, his hands flew to the younger’s back, nails raking down the length of his spine in sharp, stinging lines that made the younger alpha hiss and thrust even deeper. Broken, overstimulated sounds kept spilling out of him as the climax rolled through in long, intense waves - his pussy milking the locked knot in greedy clenches that only made Maki grind deeper and rub his clit more firmly through it.
Then Nicholas’s hands slid down and grabbed two handfuls of Maki’s ass, fingers digging in as he tried to pull the younger alpha even deeper.
“Keep going, ” he moaned, voice wrecked and shaky. “Cum inside - fill me up, alpha, please -”
The words, combined with the relentless tight pressure around his locked knot, were too much. Maki’s orgasm hit him like a full-body seizure. The intensity was so sharp it made his head throb; his vision whited out at the edges, and his whole body went rigid above Nicholas, trembling violently under the force of it. His knot pulsed hard inside the omega’s spasming pussy, and the first thick, heavy rope of cum flooded deep into him.
His arms shook, and his breath came in short, punched-out gasps against Nicholas’s neck as load after load kept pumping out of him in long, powerful spurts. The orgasm stretched on and on, longer than any he’d had during the entire rut, until excess cum had nowhere left to go and began squeezing out around the edges of his locked knot in thick, messy overflows.
Maki leaned forward when the intense pleasure finally started to recede and found the omega’s mouth in a slow, open kiss, lips soft and a little clumsy from exhaustion. He kissed him through the lingering shudders, then drifted lower, nuzzling along Nicholas’s cheek and into the curve of his neck. His nose pressed against the warm skin there, breathing in the thick, mixed scent of them while his hands stayed touching the omega’s sides.
Nicholas’s fingers threaded gently through Maki’s damp hair, stroking in slow passes as he whispered soft praises against the side of the younger’s head.
“You did so well… such a good alpha for me… that’s it, just stay right here…”
Maki made a low, contented sound in answer, too far gone for real speech. His arms finally gave out under him, and he collapsed forward onto Nicholas’s chest, the full weight of him pressing the omega into the mattress. His face turned automatically into the curve of Nicholas’s neck, nose brushing the scent gland there as he breathed him in.
Nicholas didn’t mind the weight at all. He simply adjusted enough to stay comfortable, one hand still carding through Maki’s hair while the other settled across the broad plane of his back. Soft kisses pressed against the side of the younger alpha’s head - temple, hairline, the shell of his ear - each one unhurried and fond. A low, steady purr started up in Nicholas’s chest, the soft vibrating rumble travelling directly into Maki where they were pressed together.
The sound was deep and soothing, wrapping around the last of the haze like a blanket. Maki’s breathing gradually slowed against Nicholas’s neck. The tension still left in his shoulders melted away under the combination of the purring, the gentle fingers in his hair, and the solid, familiar presence of his head omega holding him. Within a few minutes, the younger alpha had drifted fully under, locked knot still tying them together, completely asleep in Nicholas’s arms while the soft rumbling in the omega’s chest continued without pause.
Maki drifted up from sleep slowly. The first things he registered were the soft sound of whispering and the gentle, continuous brush of fingers through his hair. His eyes stayed half-closed, vision blurry and unfocused from how deeply he’d been under until a new scent cut through the thick mix of honey and vanilla that clung to the sheets.
Alpha.
The smell was strong enough and close enough that his still-foggy brain reacted before anything else could. A low, warning rumble started in the back of his throat, small but unmistakable, the sound vibrating against Nicholas’s chest where he was still half-draped over him.
The hand in his hair shifted from gentle stroking to a firm grip at the back of his neck, scruffing him with enough pressure to cut the growl off mid-sound. The sudden dominance sent a full-body jolt through Maki; his muscles went loose, and the residual tension drained out of him in a rush, leaving him pliant and quiet under the hold.
He blinked hard, forcing the sleep from his eyes, and Kei’s face came into focus - crouched beside the bed, expression set in a clear frown as he kept the scruff in place. The older alpha’s black cherry scent was unmistakable now that Maki’s head was clearer.
“Be nice to your hyung,” Nicholas scolded lightly from beneath him, voice still soft amusement.
Maki let out a small, apologetic whimper. The second Kei’s grip loosened even a fraction, he turned his head and nuzzled into the older alpha’s wrist, pressing his face against the warm skin there in silent apology. That wasn’t me. I’m sorry. The words formed clearly in his mind, but his tongue still felt too thick and clumsy to shape them. All he could do was keep nuzzling, scenting, trying to show he hadn’t meant the growl - that it had just been the leftover haze reacting to an alpha smell before his brain caught up.
Kei’s expression softened into a fond smile. He released the firm scruff at the back of Maki’s neck and let his hand slide down instead, stroking slowly along the length of the younger alpha’s back. The touch was soothing, working over any residual tension left in the muscles while his scent settled over Maki in a quiet, wordless reassurance. Not upset. You’re fine.
“You know, Nicholas was just saying how well-behaved you were,” Kei spoke.
Maki let out a soft, embarrassed nose and tried to bury his face deeper against Nicholas’s chest. I did take good care of him. I swear I did. The protest stayed stuck behind his still-thick tongue, but the sound he made carried enough of the feeling that both older members clearly understood.
Nicholas’s quiet giggle vibrated under Maki’s cheek. The omega’s arms came up and hugged his face closer, one hand returning to card gently through his hair.
“Can you blame him for growling?” Nicholas said, directing the words at Kei with a playful lilt. “Remember how possessive you were when we first started spending our cycles together?”
Kei’s response was a fondly exasperated roll of his eyes. He pressed a kiss to Nicholas’s lips, and when he pulled back, the smile was still there, warmer now.
“That was different,” he muttered, though there was no real argument in it as his hand kept stroking down the youngest’s back. “I’m glad Maki took good care of you. We all knew he would do a good job.”
He nuzzled his nose softly against Nicholas’s before leaning in again, pressing another slow, unhurried kiss to the omega’s mouth. From the corner of his eye he caught Maki watching. Kei’s mouth curved into a small smirk. Without breaking the easy atmosphere, he leaned over and pressed a brief, warm kiss to Maki’s cheek as well. At the same time, his wrist brushed lightly over the back of the younger alpha’s neck before he pulled away and stood up, stretching his shoulders once.
“Wash up well before you come join the rest of us,” he told them. “There’s lots of food out here waiting.”
Nicholas nodded against the pillows, lifting one hand in a lazy little wave. “We will. Thank you, Hyung.”
Maki stayed quiet, still half-draped over the omega, and simply watched as Kei crossed the room. The older alpha gave them one last glance over his shoulder before stepping out and clicking the door shut behind him, leaving the two of them alone again in the warm, scent-heavy quiet of the bedroom.
Maki carefully pulled away from Nicholas. His knot had long since gone down, leaving only a soft, pleasant ache in its place as he slipped free. A faint trickle of everything they’d left behind followed, but neither of them commented on it. Maki shifted back to sit on the edge of the bed, elbows resting loosely on his knees while he took a slow breath. The room still smelled heavily of them - honey-amber and pine tangled with ripe fig and vanilla - but the air no longer felt charged the same way.
Nicholas rearranged himself against the headboard, propping a few pillows behind his back and tugging the blanket up over his waist for some semblance of modesty. He looked tired in the best way: hair a mess, lips still a little swollen, expression soft and open as he watched the younger alpha.
“You were out for an hour or two,” he said quietly. “How are you feeling?”
Maki took a moment to actually check. The thick, oppressive haze that had sat in his head for the last two days was mostly gone. His skin no longer felt fever-hot. The constant, restless ache in his cock had faded to nothing more than a dull residual soreness, and the single-minded need that had driven him for so long had finally loosened its grip. His rut was pretty much over.
What was left felt… good. He was tired - bone-deep tired, the kind that came from barely sleeping and barely stopping for two full days - but underneath the exhaustion there was a surprising lightness. His thoughts felt clearer than they had since the pre-rut started. The restless edge under his skin had settled. Even the residual possessiveness had quieted into something warmer and less urgent.
“I feel good,” he said after a moment. “Tired. But good. Clearer.”
Nicholas’s smile was soft and genuinely pleased. “I’m glad,” he murmured, reaching out to brush his fingers lightly over Maki’s wrist. “You did well.”
Maki looked down at their hands for a second before asking the question that had been sitting quietly in the back of his mind.
“How did I do?”
The words came out easily, but underneath them was the real worry he didn’t quite know how to voice - whether he had pushed Nicholas too far in the moments when the rut haze took over, whether he had missed something important, whether he had been too rough or too selfish when his head was at its murkiest.
Nicholas didn’t let the uncertainty linger. He reached out and took Maki’s hand properly, turning it so he could press their wrists together in a slow, deliberate scenting.
“You did great,” Nicholas said, voice firm enough to leave no room for doubt. “You were caring and attentive, and you listened - even when it was hard. I never felt like you weren’t trying to take care of me.”
The praise landed somewhere deep in Maki’s chest. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging. A small, helplessly pleased expression crossed his face before he could stop it, and he ducked his head a little, ears warm.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “For helping me. For… being such a good teacher.”
Nicholas waved the compliment off with his free hand, but the tips of his ears and the faint flush on his cheeks gave him away.
“Someone had to make sure you didn’t learn bad habits,” he said lightly, though the softness in his eyes undercut the teasing.
He shifted then, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing with a quiet groan. When he raised both arms high above his head, the long line of his body stretched out fully - the curve of his spine, the subtle shift of muscle under smooth skin, the way his ribs expanded with a deep breath before his back released some cracks. There was some bruising around his thighs and waist, small dots the size of fingerprints littering his otherwise smooth skin.
His shoulders rolled once as he finished the stretch, arms coming back down with a soft sigh before looking back at Maki, his expression expectant. He held out a hand toward the younger alpha and tipped his head toward the door.
“C’mon. Your job isn’t over yet - we still gotta clean up.”
Maki reached out and took the offered hand, letting Nicholas pull him up to his feet. Their fingers stayed loosely linked as they headed for the door together, the last of the heavy rut haze finally behind them.
The shower was nice - and very much needed. Nicholas had insisted they take one together, and Maki quite obviously agreed. The bathroom filled with warm steam as the water ran, washing away two days’ worth of sweat, slick, and dried cum in slow, welcome rivulets down their skin. It felt intimate in a quieter way than everything that had come before: shared space, shared warmth, the easy proximity of two people who had just spent a full rut tangled up in each other.
It stayed mostly non-sexual. Mostly. Every so often Nicholas would shift under the spray and the soft curve of his ass or the back of his hand would brush against Maki’s cock as he reached for the shampoo, turning to rinse his hair, stepping past him for the body wash. The alpha’s cock would give a small, interested twitch against his thigh, but the omega just feigned ignorance, though the corner of his mouth sometimes lifted.
As they washed, they talked the way they used to before any of this started. Normal things. Easy things. At one point Maki misjudged the angle of the showerhead while rinsing his hair and got a full face of soapy water. He yelped, eyes stinging, blindly reaching for the wall while Nicholas broke into open laughter and steered him under the cleaner spray by the shoulders.
“You’re hopeless,” Nicholas said, still grinning, and then retaliated by working a generous amount of shampoo into Maki’s hair and shaping it into a spiky mohawk. He held Maki still by the chin so he could admire his handiwork, eyes bright with amusement.
“There. Perfect. You should debut it at the next practice.”
Maki couldn’t help laughing even with his eyes still half-stinging. He reached up, felt the stiff peaks of shampoo, and immediately tried to flatten them while Nicholas blocked him, both of them slipping a little on the wet tile and dissolving into more shared laughter under the warm water.
Once they were both clean and the last traces of heat and sweat had been washed down the drain, they finally stepped out of the shower. The bathroom air felt cooler against damp skin. They dried off in comfortable silence, then pulled on soft, clean clothes - loose sweats and oversized shirts that felt like a relief after two days of almost nothing at all.
Maki had just reached for a towel to dry his hair when Nicholas gently took it from his hands.
“I’ve got it,” the omega said simply.
Maki let him. He stood still while Nicholas stepped closer and began working the towel over his hair in slow, careful motions. The older man’s hands were steady and unhurried, rubbing the damp strands and then gently scrunching them, taking more care than the task really required. Maki’s eyes drifted up to his face and stayed there.
Nicholas’s expression was soft in a way that felt almost private. A small, genuine smile rested on his mouth, and his gaze was focused on what he was doing with quiet concentration. A few strands of his own still-damp hair had fallen forward across his forehead, and the warm bathroom light caught along the line of his cheekbone and the faint flush that still lingered on his skin from the shower. He looked a little tired, but in a satisfied way.
Every so often his eyes flicked up to meet Maki’s, and the soft smile deepened just slightly before he returned his attention to the towel and the careful way he was drying the younger alpha’s hair. Maki watched him the entire time, the simple domesticity of the moment settling somewhere warm in his chest.
Being part of a pack meant caring for everyone in it - platonic or romantic, it didn’t really matter. Maki could say without hesitation that he loved every single member of theirs. He couldn’t imagine the group looking any different than it did now. The love just took different shapes depending on who it was for: some quieter, some louder, some still half-formed and complicated. None of them were lesser. They just sat in different places in his chest.
Standing here watching Nicholas carefully dry his hair, though, something in that space felt like it had grown. It glowed, warm and a little unexpected. A deeper fondness that hadn’t been there in quite the same way before the last two days. Maki almost wanted to laugh at himself for it.
Man. You spend one rut with a guy and suddenly turn into some lovesick puppy.
The thought was ridiculous enough that a quiet snort escaped him before he could stop it. He gave a small shake of his head, still half-smiling at his own dramatic internal commentary. Nicholas paused with the towel, one eyebrow lifting as he looked at him.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, voice curious.
Maki met his eyes, the soft glow in his chest still present, and tried to find a version of the truth that didn’t sound completely embarrassing.
He wasn’t entirely sure what compelled him to say it. Maybe it was the leftover softness from the last two days, or maybe he just figured there wouldn’t be a better time than right now, when everything between them still felt open and unguarded.
“Is this just a one-time thing?” he asked.
Nicholas’s hands stilled in the towel. He looked up, head tilting slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“This. Us… fucking.” The words came out a little clumsy, but Maki pushed through them. “Would you ever help me with a rut again? Or… maybe even outside of a rut too?”
Nicholas stared at him. His eyes went wide, the expression so openly startled that for a second he looked younger than usual - like this was genuinely the last question he had expected to hear. The silence stretched just long enough to make Maki’s ears start to warm.
“What about Harua?”
Maki shrugged, honest. “I still really like him. I still want to help him with his heats. That hasn’t changed. But I also don’t want this feeling I have toward you to just… end either.”
Nicholas’s face went bright red so fast it was almost impressive. Without a word, he yanked the towel up and threw it over Maki’s head, leaving the younger alpha temporarily blinded in soft terry cloth. By the time Maki pulled the towel off, Nicholas was already scrambling for the door handle. He yanked it open and all but fled down the hallway, the tips of his ears still visibly scarlet as he disappeared around the corner.
Maki stood there in the bathroom, towel in hand, and watched him go, a grin spread across his face. That felt like more of an answer than anything.
By the time Maki stepped out of the hallway, the rest of the pack had already spread themselves across the kitchen and main room. The low murmur of conversation mixed with the sound of the television and the occasional clink of chopsticks against bowls. Someone had gone all out on the food - takeout containers covered nearly every available surface of the counter and table. The rich smell of it hit him all at once, and his mouth watered hard. Two days of mostly snacks and water had left him properly starving.
An arm draped heavily around his shoulders before he could take another step. Fuma settled against his side, and the head alpha nuzzled briefly into the side of his head in an affectionate scenting.
“Eat up. We got a good spread so you two can gain back some of those calories.”
He gave Maki’s shoulder a firm squeeze before letting go and carrying his own loaded plate to the table. Without missing a beat, Fuma hooked an arm around Yuma’s waist, made the younger omega stand for half a second, then pulled him straight back down onto his lap so they could share the food. Yuma went willingly, already reaching for a piece of grilled meat with his chopsticks like this was the most natural seating arrangement in the world.
Maki didn’t need to be told twice. He piled a plate high with everything in reach - rice, meat, side dishes, whatever was closest - until it was almost overflowing. Only when he turned around to find somewhere to sit did his eyes catch on the couch.
Nicholas and Harua were sitting close together, temples nearly pressed against each other as they whispered. Their voices were too low to make out from across the room, but the posture was unmistakable as they shared some sort of secret.
Maki stood there with his plate, watching them for a beat longer than he meant to, the warm noise of the pack filling the space around him. Nicholas noticed him staring first. Whatever he leaned over and murmured to Harua made the younger omega look up as well, a small smirk already forming on his face. Nicholas gave Harua’s thigh a light pat, then stood. As he passed Maki, he slowed just long enough to throw him a quick, knowing wink before continuing on and dropping heavily onto the couch beside Taki. Without asking, he reached over and stole an egg roll straight off the beta’s plate, ignoring Taki’s immediate noise of protest.
“Maki, come sit here.” Harua patted the newly empty spot beside him on the couch. The alpha went without argument, settling in with his overloaded plate. The cushion dipped under his weight, and almost immediately Harua shifted closer. Maki offered him a bite of noodles first, holding the chopsticks out until the omega leaned in and took them. Only then did he take a bite of his own.
After he swallowed, he glanced sideways.
“What were you talking about with Nicholas?”
Harua only giggled, soft and a little mischievous, and snuggled more firmly into the alpha’s side as he made himself comfortable, clearly in no hurry to answer the question.