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“I’m going to need an IV here!”
“Call Dr. Park!”
“The patient has been prepped. We’re waiting on you, sir.”
“Get me some painkillers!”
“Cleanup in Room 105! Cleanup in Room 105!”
The din of the ER was enough to overwhelm any normal person but to Jaebum it is just background noise. He makes no note of the flurry of activity taking place around him as he made his way to the second floor. He was way past the stage where sudden shouts or cries (and on one special occasion, a wailing siren who’d just had her foot crushed) could startle him.
“I asked for green jello, not red. I specifically requested the nurse to get me green jello.”
Except for the nasally voice of Mr. Yang. One of their regular patients, an aging gremlin who always managed to land himself in the hospital every other month under the guise of some made-up ailment, could never fail to grab his attention.
Jaebum comes to a halt right outside his room and peeks in through the half open door to find him holding out a cup to Nurse Fei, who looked less than impressed.
“Sir, the next batch of green jello has not come in yet. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do today.”
Mr. Yang’s mulish face brought to mind a horrid toad. Unappealing to look at and annoying to deal with. Jaebum was rather glad that he wasn’t assigned to his ward today.
“But this is abhorrent!” Jaebum’s eye twitches as the man’s whiny voice grated on his nerves.
However, Fei had a no-nonsense attitude about handling her patients. Majority of them were reticent adults or stubborn teenagers and she didn’t see the point of needless coddling.
“Mr. Yang you will eat your green jello. You will enjoy every bite of it and you will be thankful. Understand?” She emphasized each word by moving one step closer, until she and the creature were at eye level. Fei’s smile looked more like a feral snarl.
Mr. Yang was might be a loathsome creature, but he also knew when to back off. Pouting (that made him look even more hideous) he spooned some of the slime into his mouth.
Jaebum jumped out of sight just as Fei came out of the room, muttering crossly under her breath. He decided to make a break for it before he got spotted and chewed out.
Satan had nothing on aggravated nurses.
---
Jaebum was a fairy. A flower fairy to be exact. Fitting, really considering how he was an omega.
But instead of doing what was expected of him, he decided to become a doctor like his friend Jinyoung. His parents, proud florists, had been nothing but encouraging. The decision had been hard, the journey to achieving his goals harder but he’d made it.
Now, he wished he’d gone down the other road. The quiet one with flowers and fertilizers where he would be at peace not getting his eardrums assaulted by banshee offspring.
Jaebum had a rather ambivalent attitude towards children. Most days he didn’t mind them. He would see a precocious wolf cub or an energetic merchild and think about how nice it would be have one and look after it.
But on some days, like today, he felt like taking a vow of abstinence from children and donating his reproductive organs to someone foolish enough to want to conceive.
The child hadn’t presented yet. Ages of presentation varied from species to species. Weres presented on the onset of puberty. Merfolk took a decade or so before showing themselves as alpha, beta or omega. Vampires didn’t care for presentations much, and they were late bloomers. Shifters presented whenever their genetic makeup felt like it, really.
He had next to no knowledge of how banshee presented but he had a feeling this boy would turn out to be an alpha.
Or you never know. Everyone in the neighborhood had expected him to turn out an alpha. But Jaebum didn’t feel too bad about it.
He was rudely brought out of his musings with a sharp kick to the shin. The boy was glaring at him, nostrils flared and mouth set in a straight line.
Jaebum wondered what possessed people to willingly procreate and let loose their hellish spawn onto the world where they terrorized innocent bystanders trying to earn an honest living with snot and tantrums.
Now he was being mean. Jinyoung would tell him so. But unlike Jaebum, his friend was actually good with kids.
Dressing the cut had been simple enough as there were no stitches to complicate things. Administering a tetanus shot was child’s play for most. The boy had been a champ about getting his cut treated, but the injection? It was like putting bells on a roadrunner.
The mother had stepped out to take a call and hadn’t returned yet. Jaebum was this close to breaking down and calling his own mom, nerves raw from an eighteen-hour shift.
Years of training was escaping him in the face of a bad-tempered child and he fervently prayed for someone to come save him before he broke down.
Nothing had been going right today. One of his patients, an aging shifter who’d been recovering from heart surgery had passed away in his sleep, due to an aneurysm. Time of death 3:52 a.m. Jaebum had broken the news to the aggrieved family, head hanging low with regret and shame.
Then there had been an accident on the freeway, a six-car pileup. One of the victims, heavily concussed and bleeding, had thrown up all over him when he’d tried to take his vitals.
A werewolf with a steel bar in his arm. A teenager with broken ribs. An omega who’d gone into premature labor. One thing kept happening after another without any reprieve. And now, a devil child who refused to cooperate.
But it seemed like fate had taken pity on him. Help arrived in the form of Park Jinyoung all smiles and wielding a lollipop. Within minutes he’d given the boy a shot, some candy for good behavior and handed him over to his mother.
“How the fuck -,” started Jaebum. The child, who hadn’t smiled the entire time he’d been with Jaebum, was grinning cheerfully over his mother’s shoulder at Jinyoung.
“The key is to make sure they can’t sense weakness,” Jinyoung tells him. He’d started the shift at the same time as Jaebum, but he still looked fresh. “You look like shit.”
“I feel like it too.” Exhaustion was making itself known, weighing his body down.
“Junho told me to tell you to go home.”
“He’s an enforcer, why’s he bossing the doctors around?”
“Why don’t you go home and ask him that?”
Questioning Junho was just not done. “I’d rather not.”
“Yubin seconded it. Better haul ass.”
“Wonderful.” Getting babied by two of his seniors. Great.
“Your shift is almost over, anyway. Jeongyeon’s taking over. Now get out of here before Yubin changes her mind and sticks you on Mr. Yang’s floor.”
“Gone, I am absolutely gone.”
---
Jaebum’s work never ended. When he wasn’t helping out at the hospital, he was being bombarded with patients at the in-house clinic.
Pack Healers lived on site. You could choose to live off site if you wished, but there was safety in numbers. The Head of the Pack, an old man who shared a name with his best friend, believed that they should stick together.
Thank God mated couples got their own separate quarters. Jaebum couldn’t imagine having to share an apartment with other couples at the end of a hard day like the singles did.
He had not even gotten through the front door and found himself getting dragged to the in-house clinic by Nayeon, another enforcer.
“Oh my god, it hurts,” whined Minjun, curled up into a ball. He was lying on his side with one hand pressed to his back. “Can’t I have another painkiller?”
“Jihyo said not to give you another until the previous one had worn off.”
“But I am in so much pain! Do you not feel sorry for me?”
Nayeon rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She looked far too cheerful. “Not at all. Besides, you’re just being dramatic because your husband isn’t here.”
“You’re all mean. As the Head of this pack, I demand respect!”
Jaebum pushes Minjun’s shirt up and prods at the muscles. Minjun yelps. “Maybe if you acted like the dignified figurehead once in a while, we would.” Jaebum applies a pain patch to his lower back. Slaps it not so gently. Minjun yelps again.
“You act like a baby, sir.” Nayeon tells him. Respectfully.
“You heard what she said. Wait for the next dose.”
Minjun’s only response was an exaggerated sigh. Vicious adversaries had failed to take the alpha wolf down, but a stray banana peel had put him out of commission within seconds.
Despite being one of the powerful werewolves in the land, Minjun’s tolerance for pain was utter shite.
Keeping him in bed long enough so his back healed fine was another challenge. Jaebum was wondering if he could convince Nayeon to keep an eye on him so he could grab a quick nap before dinner.
In the midst of thought, the girl slips out, making the decision for him. Minjun tugs on his arm, wheedling him for some ice-cream. Jaebum sighs.
Guess that nap would have to wait then.
----
“I can't believe I'm going to say this but Minjun is more annoying than you,” Jaebum says by way of greeting. Wooyoung had appeared way past midnight to relieve Jaebum. The doctor hadn't wasted a minute, taking off into the direction of his quarters immediately.
“Told ya.”
“He also talks more than you do.”
“Now you're being mean.”
“I've nominated you for babysitting him next.”
“You are cruel. Absolutely cruel. Why did I marry a cruel man.”
“You knew what you were getting into what you said yes.”
“I can't believe I missed you.”
Jaebum smiles as he slips under the covers. “Did you now?”
“Of course!”
“Didn’t seem like it. My phone didn’t ring once today.” It amazed Jaebum how they lived together but managed to miss each other on most days.
“You didn’t text me either!”
“I’ll have you know I was arm deep in caregiving.”
“I'd rather you be arm deep in me. ”
Jaebum doesn’t even need any light to see the lascivious look on his husband’s face. “Gross,” he groans, snuggling into Jackson's bare chest.
Jackson harrumphed, wrapping his arms around Jaebum. “After all the trouble I went through so I could bestow upon my poor, tired husband a goodnight’s kiss, this is what I get?”
“Maybe if darling husband wasn’t so gross -”
“Hey, you also knew what you were getting into when you said yes.”
Did he ever. Jaebum tilts his head up to steal a kiss. Jackson tucks him in closer, rubbing one hand over his back, and kisses Jaebum’s temple.
Despite being tired, Jaebum can’t sleep. Jackson, sensing this, does what he knows is needed.
Jackson scents him.
A puff of breath against his cheek. Brush of a fingertip against his earlobe. A kiss on the jugular. Hands trailing down his chest. A firm hand on his hip. Jaebum tips his head back, muscles going loose as Jackson works him over.
Jaebum falls asleep to the scent of petrichor and the warmth of the sun.
----
Jaebum's life was already a tad too adventurous for his liking on most days. Being a medical practitioner for one of the biggest packs in the area that catered to all sorts of species, natural and supernatural, made for some exciting days. If he were the social type, he’d have more than one interesting anecdotes to share at the dinner table.
This particular one featured Jackson Wang and two shifters.
The job of an enforcer was pretty simple. They enforced. Carry out the orders of their leader, protect their people, make sure the laws were obeyed. Pretty much like cops except with less pesky legalities to deal with.
It was Jackson’s day off and Bambam had dragged him to the park to use him as a model for his photography assignment.
Somewhere between trying to find the perfect backdrop and an outfit change, Jackson had got caught up in an argument between a pair of octopuses. This was the context for why Jaebum was peeling a tentacle off his husband on a Monday afternoon.
“Owowowowow - be gentle,” pleads Jackson as one of the suckers pops off. They’re glued to his skin, the barbs having dug in. Dahyun, the nurse who’d spotted him coming in, quickly wipes away the blood.
“That looks bad,” comments Youngjae, wincing in sympathy at the marks left behind. He’d arrived at the scene right after the fight had broken out.
“If only you’d walked away my shirt would still be intact,” says Bambam morosely. He was holding onto the remains of the shirt that he’d spent long hours stitching together. It had only taken Jaebum mere seconds to cut it off.
“I saved your fucking ass and this is the thanks I get?”
“I was doing just fine!”
“Sure you were.”
“All of you shut up,” snaps Jaebum. “How the fuck did you get into this mess it's not even the middle of the week yet!”
“Baby you don’t even want to know.”
“Actually, I do.” Four more suckers come off in quick succession, making Jackson shout out with pain. Dahyun apologizes. Jaebum presses the back of his gloved hand against Jackson’s chin comfortingly.
Jackson launched into a dramatic retelling of how two octopus shifters had gotten into an argument by the creek in the park with Youngjae and Bambam jumping in to add sauce from time to time.
“Honestly, if Youngjae hadn’t brought backup we’d be screwed,” Bambam tells them. The cop had brought Kangjoon and Youngji, who’d manage to take the shifters down but not before they got to Jackson.
“Kangjoon is such a fucking dick. He ran to save Youngji’s ass and left me to their mercies.” Jaebum has managed to peel away three-fourths of the tentacle off by now.
“I don’t know man. She’s his mate.”
“I’m his best friend!”
“Life mates before best mates.” quips Bambam. “Even Jaebum would rescue you over Jinyoung.” They all turn to look at the doctor.
“Well?” prompts Jackson after minutes of silence. “Would you?”
Jaebum hums thoughtfully. Bambam and Youngjae snicker. Dahyun is trying hard to keep a straight face but failing.
Jackson looks skyward. “I cannot believe I braved two incensed cephalopods, nearly got twisted into a pretzel and yet my unsympathetic husband has not a care in the world - fuck!”
Jaebum manages to rip the whole tentacle off and hands it off to Dahyun. “I'm caring for you this very second.”
“But you care for Jinyoung more than me!”
The red circles were spread all over his shoulders to his left arm. He’d have to run tests to make sure there wasn’t any poison in the barbs. Dahyun had wiped most of the blood away and put ointment on it. Jackson was in more pain than he let on. His heart softened. “If you're good, I'll give you a present.”
Jackson’s eyes brightened. “Oh what kind?”
“You'll see.”
“Hint, please!” Jackson bounced up and down like a child, agony forgotten. Jaebum puts a hand out to still him.
“Two words. Starts with a b, ends with a b.”
Jaebum doesn't know what he likes more. The disgusted reactions of the other two when they figure it out or Jackson calling him a saucy minx.
“This is public indecency,” wails Bambam. “Youngjae how could you let this happen on your watch!” The cop comforts him as he looks at Jaebum with the air of a disapproving parent. Dahyun is laughing.
Both. He decides as Jackson, smelling fishy, smooches him. He likes both.
----
“Not that I mind but this is definitely not what I had in mind when you traumatized the youngins earlier,” said Jackson, two weeks later. This being the hot bubble bath Jackson was sitting in currently while Jaebum sat next to it reading a book.
The test results had shown no poisnoning. The marks on Jackson’s arms were healing well. They'd gone from a bruised purple to faded yellow. The shifters were given four weeks in the detention center and charged a hefty fine. Bambam had made a new shirt and conducted another photoshoot with no major incidents. Jackson was covered in bubbles. All was well.
Jaebum empties a mug of water over Jackson's head without looking up from his novel.
“Oh that comes later don't worry,” says Jaebum as Jackson sputters. “This is so you're clean and nice smelling for when I suck you off.” He puts his book on the counter and goes to fetch a towel.
Jackson, naked as the day he was born, follows him into the bedroom. “Excuse you I am always nice and clean smelling.”
“And I thank you for your consideration.” He dumps the towel on top of Jackson's head as he goes to drain the tub. “Stop dripping over my carpet.”
“And if I don't?”
Jaebum turns. Jackson’s wet, defined muscles glisten in the bright lamp lights. There's bubble foam in his hair. The room is warm and filled with the lovely scent of lavender.
On second thought.
"Don't," whispers Jaebum and drops to his knees right there.
----
“Where is your good for nothing husband?” asks Wooyoung, falling in step besides Jaebum.
“Off doing good for nothing things,” Jaebum answers distractedly, looking at a patient’s chart.
“Such as?”
“Keeping Minjun company because he won’t stop bitching about being lonely.” Jaebum deftly avoids the smack Wooyoung deals him.
“That’s the my husband you’re talking about!”
“Still doesn’t change the fact he whines like a baby.” Minjun’s back was mostly fine now, but Jihyo had prescribed more rest. The alpha had not been amused and taken to airing his woes to whichever unfortunate soul was assigned to him at that time.
Wooyoung raises his hand again and Jaebum prepares to step back but they’re both distracted by the sudden scent of chocolate, mint and fear.
They break into a run, following the scent until they happen upon Yugyeom and Ten in the break room, standing a few feet apart.
Late bloomers were not unheard of. Presentations were brought about by various factors such as environment, living conditions, the individual’s own mental state etc. Ten was one such case.
Until the age of twenty-one the Thai native had not presented. His parents were beside themselves with worry, wondering if something was wrong with their son. He’d been to various doctors, each of them failing to find out the cause. The case was sent their way, to Dr. Sunmi.
Upon the third meeting, he’d bumped into Yugyeom, who’d been coming out of a patient’s room just then. Ten had gone into a rut right there and then. Simply put, it had been a fucking mess.
Yugyeom had been mortified. The alpha’s parents had been overjoyed, going so far as to send him a gift basket. The chocolate almonds had been heavenly.
The beta’s scent was getting stronger, but the fear was gone, replaced by sheer embarrassment.
“Hey, long time no see, huh?” asks Ten, giving Yugyeom the brightest of smiles.
Yugyeom smiles. “Ah, yeah.”
“Fancy seeing you here though.” Ten’s standing a few feet away, out of scent range. But it’s no use because Yugyeom was on fucking heat and he was saturating the whole room with it.
“Oh that? It’s, um, for work.” Yugyeom waves his notepad, the one he recorded statements in.
Jaebum could make out his chicken scratch from here.
“How’ve you been?”
“I’m good, real good. Here for an appointment with Dr. Sunmi.” Ten’s hands are shoved deep in his pockets and he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet. For a baby alpha, the man’s self-control was admirable.
“Ah, I see.”
“How’s, uh, Youngjae?”
“He’s doing good.”
“Oh?”
“And before you ask, we’re still together and very much in love.”
“Ah, that’s nice to hear.” The man had been absolutely enamored with Yugyeom, the beta who had triggered his rut. The fact that he was mated to another beta didn’t dampen his affections towards him in the least.
“I should hope so.”
Fascinated, Jaebum and Wooyoung watch the awkward interaction unfold.
“My goodness, they are bad at this.”
“I distinctly remember you and Minjun were much, much worse.” Jaebum fails to dodge the slap this time.
Wooyoung appraises Ten. “A pity Yugyeom’s with Youngjae. That boy is kind of adorable.”
“I’m gonna tell Youngjae you said that.”
Wooyoung ignores his comment. “We need to put a stop to this before Yugyeom breaks his heart a second time.” Wincing as he rubbed his arm, Jaebum agreed.
Heartbroken alphas were as bad as bedridden ones.
---
“Where is Youngjae and why are you walking around smelling like a chocolate factory?” Jaebum asks, dragging Yugyeom into Jinyoung’s office.
“In the next town over, following up some lead for a case. And that’s not my fault! I’m in between suppressants!”
“What on earth for?”
“The previous ones weren’t working. I went into heat three times in the last two months. I got some new ones.”
“Clearly, they’re not doing a good job if you’re walking around like this.” Shaking his head, Jaebum dials Jinyoung.
Yugyeom, takes a seat, rubbing the back of his neck, abashedly. “Jinyoung did say there would be side effects like this. I was absolutely fine all morning. Until I walked in here and then bam!” Yugyeom whimpers the last word out, doubling over as the cramps hit.
“Dumbass.” Yugyeom’s sweet scent smelled of bitter chemicals. Jaebum didn’t like it. If this kept up, Yugyeom would be in danger during fieldwork too. His job as a cop took him in all over the place. He didn’t want Yugyeom coming down during patrol in the less than savory areas of town.
Jinyoung wasn’t picking up. Jaebum knew he was in the building. He looks at Yugyeom. Takes in his shivering form. Wipes at the sweat beading on his forehead. Tries not to think about how vulnerable he looks despite his giant size.
“Sit here while I go get him. And for the love of God, don’t send anyone else into a frenzy while I’m gone.”
“Yes, dad.”
God help them both if they ever had kids.
---
“You know when you mentioned having a relaxing night in this wasn’t what I had in mind,” says Jaebum.
“I don’t think either of us did,” replies Yugyeom wryly. He’s maintaining the side plank position without breaking a sweat, earning him disgusted glares from everyone in the room.
Mark carefully stretches a leg out while maintaining his position which is basically him crouching next to Yugyeom like a frog. Well, now he’s a frog with one foot right under Yugyeom’s hip.
“Red team, right foot, green!” Bambam is calling out placements. Youngjae watches from the sidelines, having tapped out earlier.
Jaebum scrunches his nose, trying to keep his position. “Definitely not a game of Twister.”
“Blue team, left hand, yellow!”
“Shouldn’t we be more concerned about the fact that a child has this much power over us?” asks Youngjae, watching Aimee gleefully spin the arrow. He’s poking Mark at random intervals. He’d made Youngjae lose by sending him into fits of laughter that made him fall over.
“Green Team, right hand, red!” Jaebum stretches his arm to get to the spot, and Jackson, braced on both hands against the sheet glances down.
“Wow,” is all he has to say.
“You guys are one bad slip away from a sixty-nine,” Yugyeom tells them, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“You’ll be the one slipping if you don’t shut up,” grunts Jaebum. A slight flush is creeping up his neck. They’re not sure if it’s from the heat in the room or having Jackson’s crotch inches away from his face.
Days where all of them were off from work were rare and far in between and neither of them missed out on a chance to make the most of it. However, neither of them could figure out how they’d gone from babysitting a child to playing a game of Twister.
Bambam calls out the placement again. It’s Jinyoung’s turn. He’s the only one in a normal position. Legs spread apart, on the far end of the mat, smiling serenely.
“Uncle Jinyoung you don't hafta,” Aimee tells him. Jinyoung gives her an exaggerated bow, “Thank you, Princess.”
Aimee giggles and spins the arrow with so much force she knocks the spinner over.
Bambam looks at the other four. “You are going to be sore as fudge tomorrow.”
“Fudge!” parroted Aimee, clapping her hands.
“Don't teach the kid to swear,” snaps Jackson.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” retorts Bambam. He was still sore about the shirt.
For reasons only known to Aimee, she thinks it’s a wonderful idea to jump on Uncle Bambam. She lands on him heavily, startling him into kicking Jaebum, who was closest to him.
Jaebum’s hand slips and he faceplants into Jackson’s crotch, who goes down with a yelp. The movement knocks Yugyeom off-balance who topples into Mark. In the end, Jinyoung is the only one standing and Youngjae is rolling on the floor dying of laughter.
“Children are terrifying,” states Mark matter-of-factly from under Yugyeom. Jackson’s curled up on his side, whimpering. Jaebum’s thumping his back in a comforting manner, inspecting his bent wire glass frame with a frown.
They all silently agree.
----
Life went on as usual. Jaebum got new glasses. Jackson threw out the Twister game. Promptly brought a new one when Aimee demanded they play it again. Bambam sprains an ankle. Nothing major happens. Same old same old.
Until one night Jackson, Nayeon and Taecyeon stumbled into the hospital carrying a bleeding girl on stretcher. Jaebum had been nodding off but quickly snapped to attention.
The gashes on the girl’s leg had been nasty. Not peep was heard when he dabbed them with disinfectant. A strangled whimper was all he got when he started stitching them up.
“It’s okay,” Dahyun had told her. “You don’t have to hold it in.”
But the girl stayed silent and Jaebum had gone on, assisted by Dahyun, sewing the skin back together in silence, one stitch at a time.
The girl, Somi, along with her mother and grandfather had been found at the edge of the territory by Jackson and the other scouts on patrol. Her leg had gotten caught in one of the traps they kept for hostiles.
Thank God the girl had the sense to transform back into her human body, thought Jaebum as he checked in on her. Her leg was heavily bandaged. Dahyun was helping her into a wheelchair. Coyotes were not receptive to human touch, especially when in great pain.
Taecyeon and Yubin are standing in the lobby, deep in conversation with the grandfather. The old man and the woman visited every day without fail, accompanied by one of the enforcers.
It wasn’t unusual that people from other packs came to seek refuge from other packs. A whole investigation would have to be conducted, negotiations would be made with the previous pack, temporary asylum would be granted…. But that was Minjun’s problem.
Jaebum stands a little bit at the back, observing Jackson talking to the mother.
The woman was bowing profusely. “Thank you for saving my daughter. Most wouldn’t have done what you did and I am eternally in your debt.”
“I’m not the doctor, he is.” Jackson smiles while gesturing to Jaebum.
Jaebum, flustered at being put at the spot because he was not good with praise, stutters out an awkward greeting. He had not met the mother or the grandparent, leaving that to Yubin as she supervised these cases.
“Oh,” says the woman, clearly flustered. But she recovers fast and soon Jaebum has an armful of a parent brimming with gratitude. He pats the woman’s back awkwardly, throwing Jackson, who looked quite amused, an accusatory look.
“An omega doctor?” The grandfather, who’d been regarding the older two with suspicion now had his gaze trained on Jaebum. The derision dripping from the old man’s tone was similar to the reactions Jaebum had received in the past. The smile in Jackson’s eyes vanishes but the one on his face stays in place.
“Father!” exclaims the woman, voice high-pitched from embarrassment. Taecyeon’s expression could have been carved out of stone. Yubin’s face remained impassive, but nobody missed how her manicured fingers twitched towards the pen in her pocket.
Usually, the scent inhibitors and the smell of disinfectant would mask the scent. It was standard practice for the staff to take them, for cycle regulation and not to upset the patients with their scents. You couldn’t even notice it, unless you were actively looking for it. Judging from the tight look on the man’s face and Jackson’s tense shoulders, that was exactly what the old man had been doing.
Thankfully before the situation could escalate, Minjun arrives. Somi, unaware of the tension that just occurred, is wheeled in just then. A blue teddy bear that Jaebum hadn’t seen before is in her lap.
“Thank you for everything,” she says, bowing to Jaebum. He smiles. Her voice is soft and her English is flawless. Nayeon would love her. He hoped she got to stay.
“And this,” she holds up the stuffed toy. The last part is directed at Jackson who bows, “It wasn’t a problem, milady.”
“Let’s go,” the grandfather says gruffly.
Before disappearing through the front doors, the old man gives them one last look. Jaebum gives him casual merry wave along with a big smile to piss him off.
It works.
Jackson turns, letting out a deep exhale. “Dick.”
“I want one.”
“What? A dick?”
Jaebum shakes his head, exasperated. “No.”
“Then?”
“I meant the teddy bear.”
Understanding dawns on Jackson’s face. “Ah,” he says, coming closer and putting one arm around Jaebum’s shoulders. “It’s cute?”
“Very. Looks good for cuddles.” He glances at Jackson’s bandaged arm. He’d gotten hurt trying to undo the trap.
“You have me, a warm, breathing human body that invented cuddling yet you want a toy.”
Jaebum pretends to think. “Yes.”
Jackson clutches his heart with a gasp. “You wound me.”
Jaebum elbows him. “Drama queen.”
“Your drama queen and don’t you forget it.”
“Couldn’t forget if I tried,” Jackson nuzzles Jaebum’s cheek, pulling back with a huff when the wire handle of Jaebum’s glasses digs into the bridge of his nose.
“Stop being disgusting in my lobby and get back to work,” says Yubin, coming back in. Jaebum pretends not to notice the fleeting pat she gives his shoulder but is grateful for it all the same.
“Ma’am yes ma’am!”
---
Jaebum had often treated his cycle as something of a bother, which it was. As a teenager, he’d been pretty annoying about it, complaining like a brat the whole time. They were infuriating in their regularity, rolling around every two months like unwanted guests that overstayed their welcome.
Once, he’d bitched so much he’d made his saint of a mother snap.
“One day, you’re going to realize what a blessing it is to have a regular heat cycle and you’re going to be sorry when you do!”
His mother’s words came back to him just then, as he collapsed in the entrance of his apartment. Jackson had been right behind him, carrying up groceries. That he’d dropped when he saw Jaebum on the floor.
Well, he thinks as Jackson places him on the bed, at least he hadn’t gone into heat in the middle of the convenience store like last time.
Going in heat did not mean a sex marathon that lasted for days while everyone got their rocks off. Oh definitely not, it was mostly five to six days of suffering with barely one or two days of fucking. Both parties were too knackered for any pleasurable exertion. The omega, because of suffering and the alpha, due to suffering by extension.
It was not like in the movies or books or in fiction where the omega was dying of dehydration and overstimulation but still wanted to get their brains fucked out. Jaebum wanted to murder the person who came up with that kind of far-fetched bullshit.
He tells Jackson so as another wave of pain spreads throughout his body, setting every nerve ending aflame. Jackson makes a noise of agreement along with the offer to maim anyone who thought that way before pressing the hot-pack against Jaebum’s lower abdomen.
Contrary to popular belief (and what fiction tells you) when an omega goes into heat, there is no slick gushing out of every orifice like a geyser (Jaebum’s face had wrinkled with disgust so hard Jackson had thought he would be stuck that way permanently). There is natural lube, but it’s more of a steady flow.
Sometimes Jaebum wished he could skip the bloating, irritability, pain, every kind of ache known to man and get right down to fucking. But the body took its sweet time readying itself for impregnation.
“Baby I am so sorry,” Jackson says, like he always did when he was going through the worst of it and complaining about how much he hated it.
“It's not your fault,” Jaebum tells him, like always.
Jackson wasn't the reason his body was throwing a tantrum telling him to procreate. His biology was.
Another wave of pain ran through him and Jaebum whimpered, digging his nails into the meat of Jackson's thigh. His mate, bless him, did not even utter a sound of complaint as his nails left crescent shaped indents in the flesh.
Omega heat cycles followed a pattern: the first few days were dealing with all sorts of discomfort followed by a prolonged bout of sexual arousal which led to sex.
His cramps worsened, the stabbing increasing in intensity and he curled up in on himself, displacing the heat pack. Few were lucky to have light cycles with minimal pain that lasted around four to five days. Jaebum was among the unfortunate ones, the cycle going on for seven to nine days.
“What is it? Do you want me to get Jinyoung? Mark?” He started listing off all the members of the pack while rubbing Jaebum’s stiff back soothingly. It was important for an omega to have someone to ground them during heats, be it an alpha, beta or another omega. This is why Packs existed.
Sometimes an alpha’s presence exacerbated the symptoms heat instead of relieving it. Why that happened, no one knew.
Biology was a fucking troll that way.
Jaebum shook his head and they both settled again. His body was covered in perspiration making his clothes stick to his skin uncomfortably. He sat up wanting a change of position; his side ached from lying on it for too long. “Talk to me.”
Jackson brushes Jaebum’s matted hair away from his forehead, gently wiping away the sweat. “About what?”
“Anything.”
“Hmmmm, let’s see. How about that one time you sat on your glasses during sex and we had to rush you to the ER to get your butt stitched up?”
Jaebum groaned, hiding his face in his hands. “Will you ever stop bringing that up?”
Jackson pries his hands away, getting in his face. “Or the time you pulled a muscle in your back when we were having sex?”
“Why are we bringing up my embarrassing incidents.”
“You wanted me to talk.”
“I’ve changed my mind. There will be no talking.” Jaebum picks up a pillow and shoves it over Jackson’s grinning face. His lower half does not agree with this. It makes sure its discomfort is known but Jaebum ignores it in favor of silencing Jackson and shoving him back on the bed.
“But babe I have so much to - ,”
“We will cuddle in silence.”
And then Jaebum picked up the cat-shaped heat pack, shoved it between their stomachs and they did just that.
---
The next morning he’s unceremoniously dragged out of bed and into the bath where Jackson has the time of his life shampooing Jaebum’s hair and making a mohawk out of it. He’s too sleepy to protest.
He’s being moved again. A spoonful of rice is shoved into his mouth, the metal clacking against his teeth. Jaebum glares at Jackson as the utensil is pulled out. More like, he squints because his vision is kind of hazy without his glasses.
“I can feed myself.”
Jackson wags the spoon at him. “You and I both know how this goes so put your energy to better use by eating it all.”
His healthy appetite took a mini vacation every time his cycle came around. Often, Jackson would have to nag at him to eat, going so far as to force feed him.
Thank God his heats weren't like Jinyoung’s, he thinks letting Jackson spoon some soup into his mouth. He spent most of them throwing up.
Mark suffered as much as Jinyoung did. Watching your partner suffer and not be able to do anything about it was enough to drive anyone nuts.
Jaebum is herded to the couch right after, feeling worn out even though he’d only taken a bath and had breakfast. A huge furry form drapes makes itself home on top of him, pinning him effectively against the couch.
“I’m not going anywhere, I swear.” Jaebum had actually been planning on calling the hospital. As of yesterday, he was officially on heat leave and Dr. Brian would be overseeing his patients while he was out of commission. Brian was a competent man but Jaebum still worried.
Watching a wolf roll their eyes in a mocking manner is a tad soul-crushing, to be honest. Jaebum pouts. Jackson is not moved at all.
“Your wolf form weighs a ton, Jackson.” He tries to convince his mate by pushing at his huge shoulders but the wolf did not budge.
Jaebum sighs. Jackson flattens his ears and looks at him with expectant eyes. He narrows his eyes at him but melts in the face of that pleading gaze. The fluffy tail thumps against Jaebum’s bare thigh as he scratches him behind the ears.
Jackson’s puppy eyes should be outlawed.
Wolves ran hot and with the huge form vibrating on top of him, Jaebum is starting to feel drowsy. He can feel his eyes getting heavier. His hand slips and comes into contact with the wolf’s tongue, which is hanging out.
“Don’t you even think of licking my face like this,” Jaebum threatens, tugging hard on the ruff. Jackson grunts. “I have a scalpel and I know how to use it.”
The threat has no effect on Jackson, who licks a warm wet stripe across his right cheek before taking off. Jaebum makes a mental note to skin Jackson alive before slipping into unconsciousness.
All thoughts of poking his slobbering beast of a husband with blades are forgotten when he wakes up to a tray full of warm dumplings with a fuzzy blue bear sitting next to it.
The note attached to it reads:
that bear better not replace me >( also, you better eat every bite of that
p.s. the only thing i want to be stabbed with is in your pants ;)
p.p.s. i hid all the sharp objects, so there.
p.p.p.s. i love you.
Maybe he'd settle for poking his husband with it, Jaebum muses, hugging the bear to his chest. A gentle poke, that's all.
---
The inital phase of the cycle is spent sleeping as his body prepares itself. His sleep cycle was ruined more than it already was.
If there was one thing he hated the most about cycles, after the cramping, it was the cravings. They were so wild and intense they'd extract Jaebum from the depths of slumber to make their presence known.
“Jackson,” Jaebum whispers. He'd conked out right after coming back from duty and Jaebum hadn't the heart to disturb him. But he was developing a serious case of the munchies.
“Please tell me you’re not about to wake me up to go get Nutella and pickles.” Jackson's voice sounds sleepy and Jaebum feels a bit bad. Only a little.
“I’m not.”
“Whew.”
“I want red hot Cheetos with peanut butter and jam.”
Jackson turns around. Peers at him from under a mop of messy hair. Squints at him with swollen eyes. “Tell me why we're married again.”
“Because you think I'm chic and sexy.”
Jackson gives a long-suffering sigh. “Damn right you are.”
“And because I think you have nice thighs.”
“Damn right I do.” Jackson swings one of those thighs over Jaebum and pulls him closer. “Keep going.”
“Your eyes are big and pretty.”
Jackson bumps his nose against Jaebum's. “Hmmm.”
“The veins on your arms are really hot and distracting.”
“Ohhh yeah?”
“And you’re also a loving husband who will do anything I ask for.”
The loving husband sighs and presses a kiss against his forehead. “Damn right.”
Jackson was fucking whipped for his mate but that was okay because Jaebum was whipped for him too.
----
Days go by. He manages to catch up on work when Jackson’s not hovering over him. His body does a one-eighty overnight. He goes from tired and moody to energized and horny in no time.
You know how in those movies the master beats their pupil to a pulp to toughen them up and make them in to a champ so they can go kick ass or fulfill whatever purpose they went through hell for? That's how Jaebum thinks his cycle is as he steps into the bedroom, naked save for his glasses and ready to get fucked.
“May I interest you in my leaky asshole?”
Jackson answers without skipping a beat. “How leaky are we talking?”
“It is as they say, positively leaky.”
The sight of Jackson wearing his ‘work glasses’ as he typed up his report with a look of great concentration filled him with so many emotions.
Jackson’s immersed in work, but the snort indicates he has his full attention. “Oh?”
Jaebum spreads his arms out wide. “Take me now, I’m hungry for your loving.”
Jackson puts away the laptop. “And she said?”
“Show me how,” sings Jaebum, crawling into bed. The only source of light in the room are the lit candles spread out across the room.
English is not Jaebum’s native language but he's better at it than before. He still struggles with it sometimes but watching him enunciate the lyrics in his careful manner and adorable accent as he seated himself in Jackson’s lap made him look so cute Jackson wanted to bite him.
So he does.
Jaebum complains because in his enthusiasm he'd bitten too hard. His disgruntled expression is so cute Jackson boops him. Jaebum was a baby.
“Show your elders some respect.” Scratch that he was not a baby, he was an annoying teenager.
“We're literally the same age.”
“Shut up and get your thing inside me.”
“Honey we've been married long enough for you to say the word dick in front of me.”
“And we've been married long enough for you to know I hate asking for anything twice. Now, move it.”
“Bossypants,” huffs Jackson but he takes off his shirt all the same.
“Keep your glasses on,” Jaebum tells him, running his eyes and then his hands over Jackson's chest.
“Ooooh kinky.”
“We both know we're blind without our glasses.” The irony of a werewolf having bad vision never escaped them. “The last time you refused to wear glasses I got kneed in the balls. Not fun.” The memory of it still makes them both shudder sometimes.
“Babe you wanna get railed or not?” snaps Jackson but he keeps the glasses on.
To answer that question he shoves Jackson's hand between his legs. Pushes one of Jackson’s fingers inside.
“Then please stop talking.”
“Make me.”
And Jackson does.
---
Alphas actually had to knot to get someone pregnant. Most couples who didn't want kids worked their way around that by using contraception but after the one pregnancy scare which resulted in Jaebum having a freakout they'd opted for no knotting at all.
There were other ways to bring the knot down if you were creative and willing to put in the effort. Jaebum slides off Jackson's dick and sits back on shaky legs. The orgasm had left him winded. Sweat drips down his face. He sits back trying to get his breath back. Jackson drops down on the bed, the swelling at the base of his dick looking painful.
Jaebum licks his lips, catching a droplet of sweat at the corner of his mouth. Reaches for the bottle of lube on the other end of the bed. Squirts a handful into his palm.
“You don’t have to,” grits out Jackson. He’s breathing heavily and his hand is curled around the base of his dick.
Jaebum pushes his hand away, “I want to.” Bending down, he pulls Jackson into a filthy kiss and works his dick over and over. He alternates between long, languid strokes and short quick ones. Usually, Jaebum would take his time. Tease him. Draw it out. But he was done. But he also wanted Jackson to cum.
He bites down on Jackson’s sternum. Brings the other hand to work on the nipple, pinching and tugging. Jackson makes his appreciation known by being as loud as possible and grabbing Jaebum’s ass.
With one last twist of his wrist, Jackson cums. All over himself, Jaebum’s hands, wrists and stomach. It’s everywhere. And it’s warm and sticky. He brings it to up to lick at at it.
Jackson lets out a strangled groan. “If you don’t stop, we’re going to have a round two and then you’ll be complaining about sore backs tomorrow.”
Jaebum wouldn’t mind a round two, but he desists. Vaguely thinks about getting towels and starting a bath, but settles for wiping them off with tissues from the box on their side table. Then he allows to Jackson pull him down to cuddle.
“Gross,” says Jaebum but he cuddles closer.
Jackson falls asleep first. Jaebum, sated and spent, follows him soon after.
---
Libido trumped logic after all which is how next morning, Jaebum finds himself in bed, clean and bathed, with pillows propped against his back. He’s distracting himself by reading but the words keep blurring in and out of focus.
“I’m going out for a bit.”
Jaebum blinks. Looks up from the medical journal Jinyoung had sent him. “Everything all right?”
“Territorial dispute.”
Disputes between neighboring packs happened all the time. Various weres clashed on all sorts of issues. Usually it could be reconciled with a third party acting as mediator but sometimes things… got badly out of hand.
The last territorial dispute had been between hyena pack and werecats. The hyenas had built a small sanctuary over a piece of land that allegedly belonged to the werecats. The old Head had promised the land to the hyenas as an act of goodwill. Upon the death of the leader, the treaty was over. The werecats wanted their land back. To the hyenas, the sanctuary was sacred.
Months of fighting had yielded nothing and the leader of the hyena pack had asked the wolf pack for help. The werecats had been less than happy about this decision and they made their displeasure known.
Nayeon had a broken leg. Junho was in the hospital for a month. The memory of Jackson’s bloody, battered and bruised form was still fresh in Jaebum’s mind. He almost says no right there and then.
But such was the way of the people. Their people. Their jobs were dangerous. They had a duty to the people, to the Pack. Pack would always come first.
Jackson is waiting for him. His permission. Jaebum pushes his glasses back up and focuses on the iPad.
“If you come home and bleed all over my carpet, I will kill you.”
Be safe.
“I love it when you talk dirty.”
I will.
“Now hurry up or Junho will yell at you for being late.”
But for each other, they would always come first.
---