ButterThem

Masterlist | AO3 Just here to talk about my hyperfixations. Also headcanons, fanfics and late night thoughts. Have any questions, comments, or ideas to share? Feel free to send me an ask!

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

ButterThem Masterlist

Most works available on AO3

Disclaimer: All works and the actions or statements represented by their characters do not reflect the behaviors or opinions of any real people. These are works of fiction and are not meant to represent the actual idols which are presented.

Series

Of Souls and Surprises

OT8 Straykids x reader, Soulmate AU. Mostly Fluff, with a bit of angst

In Your Past: Living in a world where soulmates are real, and everyone deals with it differently. Prequel to 'Pieces of My Heart'; how each member dealt with their soul marks, and first meetings.

Pieces of My Heart (COMPLETE): Meeting your soulmates was like finding the missing puzzle pieces to your heart. But life is complicated, and love isn't easy. Slice of Life fic about being in love with 8 members of your favorite K-pop group, and what it takes to be a part of their life.

Pieces of My Heart Masterlist

Bangchan - Feelings Lee Know - Glow Changbin - Initials Hyunjin - Touch Marks (coming soon) Han - First Words (coming soon) Felix - Color Sight (coming soon) Seungmin - First Words (coming soon) I.N. - Taste

Close To You: Explicit One Shots set in the future of 'Pieces of My Heart'.

Hyunjin - Touch of Love 3RACHA - Studio Break

Secret Secret

OT8 Straykids x reader, ABO AU. Slow burn, explicit content, angst, hurt/comfort, happy ending.

When a new translation position opened up at your dream job, you were quick to apply. You met all the qualifications, had glowing reviews, and knew you were a perfect fit. There was only one problem. JYP only hired beta's. And you were not a beta.

Fake Texts

Secret Secret Masterlist

How would BF!SKZ react to you having a bad day?

Hyung Line | Maknae Line

Extras:

Worldbuilding notes for Secret Secret and Pieces of My Heart

Original first draft for Secret Secret- possibly may end up as another story someday

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Hi hi! I hope you’ve been well! You’re one of my favourite authors on here and keep me checking up on tumblr like, every week! Anyway I hope you’re doing okay and hope you have a sweet sunny March! 🌸💛

This is really sweet. Thank you. I feel a little guilty i have you checking for updates so often. I havent even touched my WIP folder since my last update 💀 im doing good, just a busy life and a new obsession that has made it hard to write lately. I hope you have an amazing April! Thank you for the check in :)

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

clarification about jisungie in secret secret: I’m so sorry that I confused you! I just read into the scene where they were at the convenience store and since he was wearing blockers I thought maybe he wasn’t actually a beta or there was something more between the reader and Jisung that was going to hint at a later secret plot point? I do really like their chemistry too though all of your skz x reader chemistry is phenomenal chef kisses 🥺

Not me answering this months later lol.

i get what you mean. Unfortunately i was not smart enough to plan a secret plot. What you see is what you get. Im glad you like their chemistry, and sorry for the late response.

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

I’m so curious about what’s going on with Jisung in secret secret ahhh 😭

What does this mean 😭 is there a scene in particular you're talking about?

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Secret Secret Masterlist

OT8 Straykids x reader, ABO AU

When a new translation position opened up at your dream job, you were quick to apply. You met all the qualifications, had glowing reviews, and knew you were a perfect fit. There was only one problem. JYP only hired beta's. And you were not a beta.

Story Warnings: Suggestive Themes, Eventual Smut, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Heats/Ruts, Discrimination, Angst, Slow Burn

ARC 1

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11

ARC 2

Chapter 12 Chapter 13

[chuulyssa]

being an x reader writer and trying to be inclusive of all readers makes me overthink so much like should i write about you having smth with milk in it? no no what if the reader is lactose-intolerant. about the reader being the big spoon? noo what if they wanna be cuddled like a little spoon. about fingers through your hair? noooo what if the person reading it is bald

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Chapter 13

OT8 Straykids x reader, ABO AU

Masterlist |

Second day in Melbourne went about the same as the first. The only big difference was before the concert started, you found yourself helping out backstage while the boys were going through soundcheck.

It originally started as just passing by a boy into you as he swerved out of the way of another person. He looked stressed, his hands full of loose bottles of water, and you immediately offered to help him carry the ones that looked like they were a few seconds away from falling. He gave you a grateful look, and the two of you made your way to the stage, lining the bottles up against the edge of the stage.

In between two songs, a couple of the boys made their way over to grab some water, and you held them out to make it easier. Changbin nodded in thanks and Hyunjin didn’t even seem to notice you (he was too busy flirting with Stay judging by the smirk he gave them), but when Chan leaned down to grab his own water, he smiled at you. Your hand spasmed against the bottle, nearly dropping it. He let out a laugh, and you looked away in embarrassment, but as he walked away, you managed to catch a few fans laughing as well, calling out for Chan or chatting with their neighbors.

Embarrassing yourself in front of the boys was almost as bad as embarrassing yourself in front of Stay. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like any of them had captured the moment of camera.

Sam, the boy who you had helped out originally, thanked you profusely afterwards. “Hey, do you mind helping me out a little more? I have to get these boxes over to the sound team.”

He explained that there were three boxes, and you figured it would be easier to help him out with one of them rather than have him make two trips.

Sam took you to where the boxes were, and on the way back, towards the sound team, you passed by the boys as they came down from the stage.

You hadn’t even realized soundcheck had ended.

As you passed, Felix’s hand brushed up against your hip, and you tried your hardest to ignore the sudden wave of heat that ran through your body. Changbin, for his part, actually stopped and offered to help you carry it, but the box wasn’t heavy and you were almost to the team anyways, so you waved him off with a smile.

You were glad Maya wasn’t around to see the interaction, though, because she most definitely would have teased you about it.

The rest of the concert continued without a hitch, and you ignored the way the fans cheers ramped up when Felix once again thanked you for your hard work just as much as you had ignored his cheeky winks and tongue swipes throughout the concert.

You also declined another offer to have dinner with them, and this time Felix didn’t do such a good job at hiding his disappointment, which only served to make you feel worse. But doom scrolling in your bed later only confirmed to yourself that you made the right choice. The comments this time around seemed to be much more centered on you than they had been before, and there was a fair share of hate comments on your voice and translations.

You did your best to ignore them.

The plane ride to Sydney wasn’t anything new, only a 3-hour trip. Maya would still be your roommate in the new city, and it almost seemed like nothing had changed.

Except when you got to the hotel, half asleep due to the early flight and plans of laying down for a bit before heading out to go sightseeing again, you found a surprise waiting in the lobby.

Jisung and Seungmin.

The two looked tired, far more tired than you felt, but they still smiled and greeted their friends. The group of boys formed a small little circle in the lobby as the manager, and eventually Chan, headed towards the counters to get the room keys. Most of the staff headed with the manager, intent on getting their own room keys, but you couldn’t help but pause as you trailed behind, eyes locked on the beta.

Jisung smiled at you as you passed, and you almost felt like a little weight was lifted off your shoulders.

At least he didn’t seem mad.

After being handed your key, you and Maya headed up to get settled and pick your beds, but you turned down her offer to go sightseeing that afternoon with her. You would be in Sydney for the next two weeks, both because there were 3 concert days, and also because it gave Chan and Felix a chance to hang out with their families. In fact, you were certain that they would be sleeping in their own beds these two weeks.

You felt slightly envious at the option.

Maya headed out and you were left to your own thoughts for a bit. The hotel room AC made the room cold, but you didn’t have the energy to get up from the bed you were laying in to turn it off, so you wormed your way under the covers instead.

It was no surprise you ended up drifting asleep.

You only woke up an hour later with the urge to pee, rubbing the sleep from your eyes as you finally pulled yourself up to your feet.

Your arm ached, possibly from having slept in a weird position. You shook it out, went to the bathroom, and then decided to make your way out of the room in search of food. It seemed you were in luck, because when you made your way to the lobby, the front desk informed you that the lunch buffet was still open for another 30 minutes.

There were a few tables still occupied, but it was mostly empty. A family with two kids, a couple, and two kids who looked too young to be by themselves, but who were you to judge. You grabbed some familiar options, picking one plate and deciding to come back for seconds after getting a table. Near the buffet there were a few open tables, but as you began to sit down at one, you noticed a lump in the corner moving.

You blinked in surprise at Jisung, who was so covered with his jacket and beanie that you almost didn’t recognize him. He held a forkful of cheesecake halfway to his mouth, his movements halted and eyes wide, but he slowly moved the fork into his mouth as you stared at him. His shoulders seemed to slump slightly, almost in relief.

He waved shyly at you as he chewed.

You smiled, returning the smile. You turned towards your own food, choosing what to eat first, but you were once again distracted as Jisung moved from the table next to you, grabbing his plate and making his way over. He pulled out his chair, angling his body so that he wouldn’t be able to be seen by anyone unless they sat in the table he had just vacated.

“I was worried you were a fan,” He said as he settled in, immediately digging back into his food.

Grabbing a bite of your own, you simply hummed in understanding.

Both of you ate your food in a slightly awkward silence, and you couldn’t help but think back to the last time you had watched him eat, back when you had your late-night snacks at the convenience store. Jisung seemed different from back then, dark circles under his eyes, his shoulders slumped. He seemed tired, which made sense.

You looked down with a soft sigh.

Jisung paused. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” You shot him a soft smile. “Just thinking.”

He nodded his head. “Anything interesting?”

“Just thinking about how familiar this is,” You gestured between the two of you with your fork. “Sneaking around, eating something you shouldn’t” You smiled to yourself.

Jisung tilted his head to the side in thought but didn’t say anything.

Your smile wavered slightly. Maybe he didn’t remember it? It was only two weeks ago, but then again, a lot has happened in those two weeks. Talking with Felix, getting stuck in the elevator with Minho, revealing your omega status to the other members …. It was strange to think that two weeks ago you and Jisung were laughing while eating ramen and sweets.

Although, eyeing the cheesecake Jisung was finishing up, and what looked like a stack of more cheesecake plates on the table he had just left, you had a feeling not that much had changed after all. It brought your smile back full force.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” You said, unable to hide your smile.

“What?” Jisung insisted, voice slightly whinny.

You giggled, and the two of you sat in silence again. It didn’t feel awkward, but you didn’t really know what you could talk about anymore. You wanted to ask about Minho, but you weren’t sure if you should. Instead, you watched as he finished his last bite, hair falling over his eyes. He was pretty, not in the slightly ethereal way that felix was, but more like the boy next door you had a crush on growing up. Like your best friend you would slowly find yourself falling in love with.

You pursed your lips, once again chastising yourself for thinking like that.

“You know, I thought you’d have a few questions,” You murmured, taking a bite of your own.

Jisung lifted his head slightly, reaching up to brush his hair to the side. “Seungmin explained most of it to me. I was a bit confused at first, but … I guess I get it.”

You nodded, unsure how to respond to that.

It wasn’t like the two of you were close, but it felt weird trying to continue to be friends with someone knowing how complicated things were with the rest of his pack. At the very least, you should be happy that Jisung wasn’t flirting with you like Felix would, or glaring at you like Hyunjin.

“I should get going,” He said softly, although he made no moves to get up.

You bit your lip, taking another bite so you wouldn’t haven’t to answer. After another few seconds, Jisung let out another sigh and then began to gather his things.

He gave you a soft smile. “See you around.”

You sighed, looking down at your food, no longer as hungry as you were before.

-0-0-

The next day was another interview day, but there were only two activities you found yourself attending. The first one was a radio show that you only offered a brief translation of a slang word to the boys who didn’t speak English fluently. They finished up by early morning, and made your way to the next activity in the staff car, briefly mourning the loss of Maya to talk to. You weren’t really close with Soojin, and the only other staff around were the drivers and the security team, who were riding with the boys. Well, those who would be doing this interview, at least.

From what you understood, Minho would be arriving in Sydney today, just in time for the concert tomorrow. Seungmin and Jisung were given a chance to rest up some more, and the maknae was sent back with them since the second interview didn’t require all the boys to be there.

This interview was casual, offering Felix, Chris, Changbin and Hyunjin a chance to try Australian foods and snacks while answering questions. The boys seemed to be having fun this time around, a lot less worried about looking like idols and instead just being goofy and like the young men that they were.

You weren’t even really needed, considering that Felix and Chris answered most of the questions, and both Changbin and Hyunjin seemed just fine without your input.

As the shoot began to drag on, you took a moment to snuggle against the wall, pulling your jacket tighter around your body to block out the rest of the room.

You didn’t even realize you had begun to doze until you heard a chuckle.

“You look comfy,” Felix said from in front of you, and you cracked one eye open.

He was squatting in front of you, lips pulled up in amusement. With the way his head blocked out the lights behind him, he looked like he was glowing – a literal angel. You were almost mad at how ethereal he looked.

You closed your eyes again.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Felix hummed. “Nope. Interviews over, and we got the rest of the day off.  I’m going to go see my parents for dinner later.”

“Cool,” You mumbled, already starting to doze again.

“Do you want to come with?”

You snapped your eyes open. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Do you want to have dinner with me and my parents? You don’t have any plans, do you?”

He looked so earnest in his question, like a friend that genuinely just wanted to hang out with you for the day. But it felt wrong. Meeting his parents? Especially when you already had too much attention on you, from the concert, from the elevator – God, you couldn’t risk being seen with any of the boys right now.

“Felix, I can’t even begin to describe the many reasons why that is not appropriate,” You began, and you almost groaned when he just pouted at you.

“Not even as a friend?”

You sat up a little straighter, your jacket falling off one shoulder. “We both know this isn’t about you wanting to be friends. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Okay, okay. No breakfast then,” Felix said with a laugh, far too nonchalant. He reached out to pull your jacket back up, his thumb brushing against your skin. “Is this your jacket?”

You looked down in confusion. It was one of Sooyoung’s old windbreakers – it was a little too big for you, but you had liked it so much that she didn’t even seem to mind when it ended up in your closet instead. As far as you were concerned, it was yours now.

“Yeah?”

Felix finally dropped his hand, giving you one last smile. “It looks good.”

You flush in embarrassment, half tempted to slap him, but he was already standing back up. From across the room, you noticed a group of camera men, one of the assistants looking at you. Even though they looked away soon after, drawn back in to their conversation, you found yourself feeling uneasy at the attention you had unintentionally drawn to yourself. Felix, seemingly unaware, waved you goodbye.

It left a sinking feeling in your stomach.

You wanted to talk to him about it, but Felix had already left by the time you made your way back to the company cars. Chan and Changbin were lingering around, and Changbin waved at you as you passed.

You could only muster a tight smile in return.

If Maya noticed your weird mood, she didn’t mention it. She talked to you about an ice cream shop near the hotel she tried out that day and insisted you check it out before you left. You offered up your own recommendations from the hotel buffet, and the two of you ended up talking about your favorite foods as you got ready for bed.

You laid in bed, once again finding your thoughts drifting to Felix. The same thoughts from before – his walking you to your room, maybe pulling you into a hug as you said goodbye. You let your thoughts linger a little bit longer than you should have, thinking about him kissing you goodnight.

You groaned, flipping over onto your side.

-0-0-

The first day concert in Sydney began with a bang. Literally. Somehow, a group of fans had organized a small firework show, red and black decorating the sky as you arrived to the venue. It was brief, and small, but it helped in hyping up the entire crowd of fans waiting in line.

Backstage, there was the same amount of chaos and organizing as usual, only this time the staff lounge wasn’t as empty as before, so your peaceful escape was thwarted. Instead, you used the hour or so before the show began as an opportunity to walk around and stretch your legs, since you would be sitting down for the rest of the night.

You bumped into Jeongin in the halls, the maknae wrestling with his necklace.

“Oh, here. Let me help,” You offered, hands already reaching towards him.

He pulled away with wide eyes. “No, it’s fine. I got it, thanks.”

And then after a second to prove himself right, he swiped his hair out of his eyes and gave you a smile. You were so distracted by the man in front of you that you didn’t notice Felix until he was already there, wrapping an arm over your shoulders.

“Hey. Excited about the concert?” He asked.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I’m not the one performing.”

Felix laughed, and you felt almost mortified when a group of stylists passed by. You shrugged off his shoulder, and he took a step back, still smiling.

“I’ll make sure to put on a show for you,” He offered.

“Please don’t.”

Jeongin raised his brows at the two of you. Felix didn’t seem to notice the bit in your words, but the maknae most definitely did, and you were thankful when he took the hint and grabbed the blond dancer.

“C’mon hyung, we should go get ready.”

You mouthed a thank you to the youngest when he glanced back at you, and noticing the way a few lingering staff members were eyeing you, once again began to walk the halls. But this time, you were on a mission.

You found who you were looking for in the artist lounge, and thankfully it was empty. You didn’t even falter at the sight of a topless Chan when you pushed the doors open. He looked up, slightly startled.

“You need to tell Felix to stop,” You said the moment the door closed behind you.

 “What?”

“Felix!” You hissed. “He keeps flirting with me, and people are starting to notice.”

Chan blinked for a second, and then let out a laugh. “It’s Felix. Anything he does seems like flirting, believe me. Nobody cares.”

He began to pull on his shirt, but you grabbed the fabric away from his face. You needed him to look at you, to understand this wasn’t a game anymore.

“I’m serious, Chan,” You pleaded at him. “This isn’t funny. I am trying my hardest not to draw attention to myself, and all Felix seems to want to do is make sure as many people as possible know he …” You waved your hands around. “I don’t know. Likes me, or something.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just being paranoid?” Chan offered, mouth turning down.

“Maybe?! Does it matter?”

Chan crossed his arms, and you had to force yourself not to look down at the muscles in his arm. “What exactly do you want him to do? Not talk to you?”

“It would definitely make things easier,” You snapped.

“I thought he was your friend.”

“You and I both know I will never be just a friend to Felix,” You shot back, and Chan dropping his crossed arms as you moved forward, jabbing a finger into his chest. “Not when he thinks, even for a second, that there’s a possibility of courting me. Ever since I told him the truth, he has been pushing limits, and you’ve done nothing to stop him.”

Chan grabbed your finger. “Okay, you need to calm down.”

You really did, you realized. You were glad that the room was empty, because you felt your omega beginning to push at the edges of your awareness, amplifying your emotions.

But you didn’t want your worries to be overlooked just because of it.

“Tell him to stop,” You continued, softer. Chan was wearing blockers, and you found yourself disappointed you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “Please, Chan. If I tell him, he won’t take me seriously.”

“I know, I get it.” Chan’s hands moved to your arms, rubbing them comfortingly. “You’re scared, I get it. But I can’t just tell Felix to stop talking to you. He barely understands why you don’t want to be courted-“

You pulled away from him in frustration. “Because I could lose my fucking job, Chan! Do any of you seem to understand that? This isn’t just about your feelings, this is about my life!”

“I get that-“

“Do you? Because it really doesn’t seem like you do!”

He said your name then, voice firm. “You need to calm down.”

And suddenly you understood why women in movies always blew up when being told that very phrase. Because god, it felt so condescending. But you weren’t going to continue to yell at him, not here, not now. Instead, you swallowed the scream in your throat and turned on your heels.

“Fine.”

It was only as you started to walk away, feeling a heat lingering under your skin from your anger, that Chan seemed to realize that the conversation was over. He called out for you, but by the time you had made it out into the halls, it was far too busy for him to confront you without bringing attention to the two of you.

You weren’t sure what he said to Felix, but it seemed to work.

There were no winks, no flirting smile, no special attention thrown in your direction. It was Chan who ended up thanking you that night instead of Felix. You were almost thankful for the change, if it wasn’t for the looks that the other boys were giving you as you all exited the venue, of the way Felix very pointedly avoided looking at you.

It was what you wanted, but somehow it left a bitter taste in your mouth.

-0-0-

The second day concert was the day after the first. The boys would be given a week off in Australia afterwards, and you were glad that Felix and Chan would be able to spend some time with their families before winter vacation.

Minho still seemed tired, but he was more energetic during this concert, and you found yourself having to translate much more as the boys slipped in Korean while teasing each other. You found yourself smiling at laughing at their antics, and it wasn’t until Felix began to say something in Korean to Seungmin before suddenly switching out halfway to English that you remembered. His eyes met yours for just a second as they got ready for their next song, and you had to look away.

The rest of the concert went as expected, and you were already thinking about the break you would be given once it was over. Unlike the boys, most of the staff would be heading back to Korea, and the members would join after their week off in Australia for end of the year schedules (performances, award shows, etc.). It made you slightly guilty to think about it, but you were relieved to have a week away from the pack.

You got up to make your way backstage after the final comments were made, when a flash of light from the side momentarily blinded you. You felt your foot slip on the stairs, and on reflex, you held your hands out to catch the fall. There was a white-hot heat the ran through your left hand, barely managing to keep your forehead from cracking against the floor.

The guys from sound check immediately made his way over. “Crap, are you okay?”

You immediately got up, feeling embarrassment burning at your cheeks. “I’m fine!”

“You sure?”

Doing a quick double check, you felt a bit of soreness at your wrist, and your knees hurt from where they knocked against the stairs, but you nodded to him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

You made your way over to where the rest of the staff were, nodding to Soojin, and beginning to help them pack things up like you normally did.

Except when you reached out to push a small cart, you felt the dull ache in your wrist suddenly flare up, and you let out a hiss.

One of the stylists, carrying a handful of clothes, turned to you with wide eyes. “Are you okay?”

You moved your wrist around, and suddenly realized that it was definitely hurting more than it should. “Uhhh, maybe?”

“Did you get hurt?” Another staff member who you didn’t recognize asked from behind you, and you suddenly felt guilty at the inconvenience you were about to become.

It wasn’t as bad as you expected.

Soojin was the first to find out, the other two staff immediately ratting you out. He offered to drive you to the hospital, but you managed to convince him that you could go by yourself, to which he arranged for one of the drivers to take you after dropping off the rest of the staff at the hotel.

The driver told you he would come back to pick you up when you were done, because you both knew that waiting in the hospital waiting room would take forever to be seen. You were just hoping you would have some time to sleep before the flight tomorrow morning, and just as you began to think about the hassle it would be to pack with one hand, you were horribly reminded on something important.

Your scent blockers might begin to wear off while you were here.

Panic flared up in your chest, and you realized you would have to once again ask for help if you wanted to get back to your hotel room without cluing Maya into something being wrong. You hadn’t even told her you were going to the hospital, but you knew you would have to soon.

God, what if she tried to pack for you? What if she found your pheromone perfume?

You wanted to cry. For a split second you considered just heading back and getting your wrist checked out once you were back in Korea, but you knew that Soojin would say something if you came back so quickly with no signs of having been attended to.

 That meant that you would need to ask for help from someone who knew.

Which didn’t leave a lot of options.

Your first instinct was to text Chan, but considering the argument you had with him yesterday, you weren’t sure he would be the best option. Instead, you scrolled through your contacts and made the stupid decision of texting Changbin instead.

A simple explanation of the situation and asking him if he could have some scent blocker.

It wasn’t urgent, since the hospital didn’t care about you being omega, and none of your coworkers were there right now.  You would need to cover up the smell with the driver, since you didn’t want him to off handedly mention something to the other staff, but you also didn’t worry when Changbin didn’t show up for the first hour.

You got seen surprisingly quickly, only spending and hour and half waiting before you were sent in to see a nurse, and then sent for a quick x-ray.

It was while you were waiting for the doctor to tell you the results that someone finally showed up, hoodie pulled up and a black mask on the lower half of his face. You did a double take at the figure, only needing a few seconds to recognize the man. To recognize the hoodie. It was scarily similar to the same outfit he had been wearing the first time you had seen him.

And it wasn’t Changbin.

“I should have known he would tell you,” You muttered as Chan came to a stop in front of you.

He didn’t say anything, just pulling out the scent block patches from his hoodie pocket and offering them to you. You reached out slowly with your right wrist, taking the box and putting it next to you on the bed.

“Thank you,” You whispered.

Chan still didn’t say anything, eyes darting around the room. There wasn’t a door, so the sounds of the hospital filled in the silence, and you were almost relieved when a doctor finally appeared. He paused at the sight of Chan.

“Oh, sorry. Are you family?”

“A friend,” You offered before Chan could speak.

The doctor nodded, asking you if you were okay if he stayed with you. You nodded, keeping your eyes low, and didn’t say anything as Chan sat down in the chair next to the bed. The doctor explained you had a mild fracture, and would need a cast, to which you found yourself slightly annoyed at.

So much for your plans.

Chan didn’t say anything at the cast was put on, but he also didn’t leave.

You didn’t know if it made you feel better or worse.

The doctor explained how to treat the injury, gave you a prescription for pain medication, and a recommendation to see your family doctor once you got back to Korea. You nodded along to everything, and it was only as the doctor went to leave the Chan spoke up, thanking him for his time.

Even when upset, he was still a gentleman. You hated how much you liked that.

“Thank you for the scent blockers,” You finally said as the two of you began to leave the hospital.

Chan waited with you as you started to pull out some patches, but you quickly realized how hard it was going to be to get the patches on with only one hand. Even just holding the box and peeling a patch at the same time was proving to be a struggle.

“Hold on,” Chan finally spoke, reaching out to help you peel a patch.

He gave you a questioning look, holding it out towards your neck, and you pulled your hair to the side to let him put the patch on himself. He thankfully didn’t say anything when your scent began to grow stronger, and you had to look away as he got closer to press the patch against your skin.

Chan let out a sigh. “You’re going to need some help tomorrow.”

You bit your lip. “I’ll just wear the patches. I don’t think anybody will notice.”

“You’ll have to change them in the morning,” He murmured, looking up from your neck. “I’m staying with my parents tonight, but I can ask Changbin to help you out.”

“Not Changbin,” You quickly said. He raised his brows, and you found yourself spluttering at his look. “I just mean, Maya thinks he has a crush on me. I don’t need any more rumors going around.”

You said the wrong thing, because you caught the slightly acidic burn of pineapple before he was pulling away, reaching to grab your right wrist and begin applying a scent patch there.

“Seungmin then. I’ll let him know to come find you before you guys leave.”

You swallowed, arm dropping to your side as he finished.

“I’m sorry,” You offered, because you weren’t sure what else to say. Just thanking him didn’t seem like enough at the moment.

Chan sighed again, tilting his head back. He said your name in exasperation, then “Can we not do this right now?”

“I’m apologizing!”

“For what?”

You bit your lip again, looking away. “For yelling at you?”

“I don’t care if you yell at me sweetheart,” he offered, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. “I care about how much this whole thing is affecting you.”

“Well it’s not like you can do anything about it,” You mumbled.

“Because you won’t let me.”

“And what,” You swallowed again, feeling a tightness begin to grow in your throat, “exactly do you plan on doing, Chris? Courting me? You really think that’s going to change anything?”

He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. “I’ve already told you I wasn’t going to court you without your permission. This isn’t about that.”

You were glad for the scent blockers, because you were sure you would be stinking up the parking lot without them. “Then what is it about?”

Chan took a step closer, but he didn’t move to touch you. Unlike you, he wasn’t wearing scent blockers. His scent was normally mild, but he was close enough that you could slightly smell him. Part of you wanted to lean in closer.

“You deserve to have a friend. And I don’t know why you’re so insistent that we can’t be friends.”

You thought back to that night you spent together, the way he had held you as you came down from your high. The way your omega had been so content, how you found yourself thinking to yourself that you could spend the rest of your life with this him. You thought about Felix, and Jisung, and Minho, and Changbin, and, and, and -

And how hard you were capable of falling for them all.

“We can’t be friends because you guys care too much about me,” You told him, not wanting to admit that maybe it was you that cared too much.

“All friends care for each other,” He argued. “Caring for someone is inevitable when you’re close to someone.”

“Well then maybe it would be better if we weren’t close,” You shot back staring intently at your hands, fingers rubbing against the cast.

There was a moment of silence. And then, after hearing his shoes scrape against the ground, you looked up to find Chan shaking his head.

“If that’s what you want,” He said, and you immediately looked back down before he could meet your eyes. You felt tears beginning to grow, your throat burning. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

You just nodded, unable to say anything else, even as he began to walk away. And as his footsteps began to get farther and farther away, you felt your heart breaking just a little more.

====

Taglist:

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[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

taglist (continued): @beppybeesnuggets @bbokarismeow @thatgirlangelb @vinylphwoar @upsidedownchaire @shellybee456 @jisuperboard @getthefuckoutofhereidiot @ihaveaproblem98 @kde13 @nightskyz @starrynightviper @yethoughts @multifandomlover1227 @mikashisus @princess-gnf @pixie-felix @yourfavouritecherryontop @httpsxnox @prod-jeekies @whatisagoodtumblertag

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Chapter 13

OT8 Straykids x reader, ABO AU

Masterlist |

Second day in Melbourne went about the same as the first. The only big difference was before the concert started, you found yourself helping out backstage while the boys were going through soundcheck.

It originally started as just passing by a boy into you as he swerved out of the way of another person. He looked stressed, his hands full of loose bottles of water, and you immediately offered to help him carry the ones that looked like they were a few seconds away from falling. He gave you a grateful look, and the two of you made your way to the stage, lining the bottles up against the edge of the stage.

In between two songs, a couple of the boys made their way over to grab some water, and you held them out to make it easier. Changbin nodded in thanks and Hyunjin didn’t even seem to notice you (he was too busy flirting with Stay judging by the smirk he gave them), but when Chan leaned down to grab his own water, he smiled at you. Your hand spasmed against the bottle, nearly dropping it. He let out a laugh, and you looked away in embarrassment, but as he walked away, you managed to catch a few fans laughing as well, calling out for Chan or chatting with their neighbors.

Embarrassing yourself in front of the boys was almost as bad as embarrassing yourself in front of Stay. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like any of them had captured the moment of camera.

Sam, the boy who you had helped out originally, thanked you profusely afterwards. “Hey, do you mind helping me out a little more? I have to get these boxes over to the sound team.”

He explained that there were three boxes, and you figured it would be easier to help him out with one of them rather than have him make two trips.

Sam took you to where the boxes were, and on the way back, towards the sound team, you passed by the boys as they came down from the stage.

You hadn’t even realized soundcheck had ended.

As you passed, Felix’s hand brushed up against your hip, and you tried your hardest to ignore the sudden wave of heat that ran through your body. Changbin, for his part, actually stopped and offered to help you carry it, but the box wasn’t heavy and you were almost to the team anyways, so you waved him off with a smile.

You were glad Maya wasn’t around to see the interaction, though, because she most definitely would have teased you about it.

The rest of the concert continued without a hitch, and you ignored the way the fans cheers ramped up when Felix once again thanked you for your hard work just as much as you had ignored his cheeky winks and tongue swipes throughout the concert.

You also declined another offer to have dinner with them, and this time Felix didn’t do such a good job at hiding his disappointment, which only served to make you feel worse. But doom scrolling in your bed later only confirmed to yourself that you made the right choice. The comments this time around seemed to be much more centered on you than they had been before, and there was a fair share of hate comments on your voice and translations.

You did your best to ignore them.

The plane ride to Sydney wasn’t anything new, only a 3-hour trip. Maya would still be your roommate in the new city, and it almost seemed like nothing had changed.

Except when you got to the hotel, half asleep due to the early flight and plans of laying down for a bit before heading out to go sightseeing again, you found a surprise waiting in the lobby.

Jisung and Seungmin.

The two looked tired, far more tired than you felt, but they still smiled and greeted their friends. The group of boys formed a small little circle in the lobby as the manager, and eventually Chan, headed towards the counters to get the room keys. Most of the staff headed with the manager, intent on getting their own room keys, but you couldn’t help but pause as you trailed behind, eyes locked on the beta.

Jisung smiled at you as you passed, and you almost felt like a little weight was lifted off your shoulders.

At least he didn’t seem mad.

After being handed your key, you and Maya headed up to get settled and pick your beds, but you turned down her offer to go sightseeing that afternoon with her. You would be in Sydney for the next two weeks, both because there were 3 concert days, and also because it gave Chan and Felix a chance to hang out with their families. In fact, you were certain that they would be sleeping in their own beds these two weeks.

You felt slightly envious at the option.

Maya headed out and you were left to your own thoughts for a bit. The hotel room AC made the room cold, but you didn’t have the energy to get up from the bed you were laying in to turn it off, so you wormed your way under the covers instead.

It was no surprise you ended up drifting asleep.

You only woke up an hour later with the urge to pee, rubbing the sleep from your eyes as you finally pulled yourself up to your feet.

Your arm ached, possibly from having slept in a weird position. You shook it out, went to the bathroom, and then decided to make your way out of the room in search of food. It seemed you were in luck, because when you made your way to the lobby, the front desk informed you that the lunch buffet was still open for another 30 minutes.

There were a few tables still occupied, but it was mostly empty. A family with two kids, a couple, and two kids who looked too young to be by themselves, but who were you to judge. You grabbed some familiar options, picking one plate and deciding to come back for seconds after getting a table. Near the buffet there were a few open tables, but as you began to sit down at one, you noticed a lump in the corner moving.

You blinked in surprise at Jisung, who was so covered with his jacket and beanie that you almost didn’t recognize him. He held a forkful of cheesecake halfway to his mouth, his movements halted and eyes wide, but he slowly moved the fork into his mouth as you stared at him. His shoulders seemed to slump slightly, almost in relief.

He waved shyly at you as he chewed.

You smiled, returning the smile. You turned towards your own food, choosing what to eat first, but you were once again distracted as Jisung moved from the table next to you, grabbing his plate and making his way over. He pulled out his chair, angling his body so that he wouldn’t be able to be seen by anyone unless they sat in the table he had just vacated.

“I was worried you were a fan,” He said as he settled in, immediately digging back into his food.

Grabbing a bite of your own, you simply hummed in understanding.

Both of you ate your food in a slightly awkward silence, and you couldn’t help but think back to the last time you had watched him eat, back when you had your late-night snacks at the convenience store. Jisung seemed different from back then, dark circles under his eyes, his shoulders slumped. He seemed tired, which made sense.

You looked down with a soft sigh.

Jisung paused. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” You shot him a soft smile. “Just thinking.”

He nodded his head. “Anything interesting?”

“Just thinking about how familiar this is,” You gestured between the two of you with your fork. “Sneaking around, eating something you shouldn’t” You smiled to yourself.

Jisung tilted his head to the side in thought but didn’t say anything.

Your smile wavered slightly. Maybe he didn’t remember it? It was only two weeks ago, but then again, a lot has happened in those two weeks. Talking with Felix, getting stuck in the elevator with Minho, revealing your omega status to the other members …. It was strange to think that two weeks ago you and Jisung were laughing while eating ramen and sweets.

Although, eyeing the cheesecake Jisung was finishing up, and what looked like a stack of more cheesecake plates on the table he had just left, you had a feeling not that much had changed after all. It brought your smile back full force.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” You said, unable to hide your smile.

“What?” Jisung insisted, voice slightly whinny.

You giggled, and the two of you sat in silence again. It didn’t feel awkward, but you didn’t really know what you could talk about anymore. You wanted to ask about Minho, but you weren’t sure if you should. Instead, you watched as he finished his last bite, hair falling over his eyes. He was pretty, not in the slightly ethereal way that felix was, but more like the boy next door you had a crush on growing up. Like your best friend you would slowly find yourself falling in love with.

You pursed your lips, once again chastising yourself for thinking like that.

“You know, I thought you’d have a few questions,” You murmured, taking a bite of your own.

Jisung lifted his head slightly, reaching up to brush his hair to the side. “Seungmin explained most of it to me. I was a bit confused at first, but … I guess I get it.”

You nodded, unsure how to respond to that.

It wasn’t like the two of you were close, but it felt weird trying to continue to be friends with someone knowing how complicated things were with the rest of his pack. At the very least, you should be happy that Jisung wasn’t flirting with you like Felix would, or glaring at you like Hyunjin.

“I should get going,” He said softly, although he made no moves to get up.

You bit your lip, taking another bite so you wouldn’t haven’t to answer. After another few seconds, Jisung let out another sigh and then began to gather his things.

He gave you a soft smile. “See you around.”

You sighed, looking down at your food, no longer as hungry as you were before.

-0-0-

The next day was another interview day, but there were only two activities you found yourself attending. The first one was a radio show that you only offered a brief translation of a slang word to the boys who didn’t speak English fluently. They finished up by early morning, and made your way to the next activity in the staff car, briefly mourning the loss of Maya to talk to. You weren’t really close with Soojin, and the only other staff around were the drivers and the security team, who were riding with the boys. Well, those who would be doing this interview, at least.

From what you understood, Minho would be arriving in Sydney today, just in time for the concert tomorrow. Seungmin and Jisung were given a chance to rest up some more, and the maknae was sent back with them since the second interview didn’t require all the boys to be there.

This interview was casual, offering Felix, Chris, Changbin and Hyunjin a chance to try Australian foods and snacks while answering questions. The boys seemed to be having fun this time around, a lot less worried about looking like idols and instead just being goofy and like the young men that they were.

You weren’t even really needed, considering that Felix and Chris answered most of the questions, and both Changbin and Hyunjin seemed just fine without your input.

As the shoot began to drag on, you took a moment to snuggle against the wall, pulling your jacket tighter around your body to block out the rest of the room.

You didn’t even realize you had begun to doze until you heard a chuckle.

“You look comfy,” Felix said from in front of you, and you cracked one eye open.

He was squatting in front of you, lips pulled up in amusement. With the way his head blocked out the lights behind him, he looked like he was glowing – a literal angel. You were almost mad at how ethereal he looked.

You closed your eyes again.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Felix hummed. “Nope. Interviews over, and we got the rest of the day off.  I’m going to go see my parents for dinner later.”

“Cool,” You mumbled, already starting to doze again.

“Do you want to come with?”

You snapped your eyes open. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Do you want to have dinner with me and my parents? You don’t have any plans, do you?”

He looked so earnest in his question, like a friend that genuinely just wanted to hang out with you for the day. But it felt wrong. Meeting his parents? Especially when you already had too much attention on you, from the concert, from the elevator – God, you couldn’t risk being seen with any of the boys right now.

“Felix, I can’t even begin to describe the many reasons why that is not appropriate,” You began, and you almost groaned when he just pouted at you.

“Not even as a friend?”

You sat up a little straighter, your jacket falling off one shoulder. “We both know this isn’t about you wanting to be friends. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Okay, okay. No breakfast then,” Felix said with a laugh, far too nonchalant. He reached out to pull your jacket back up, his thumb brushing against your skin. “Is this your jacket?”

You looked down in confusion. It was one of Sooyoung’s old windbreakers – it was a little too big for you, but you had liked it so much that she didn’t even seem to mind when it ended up in your closet instead. As far as you were concerned, it was yours now.

“Yeah?”

Felix finally dropped his hand, giving you one last smile. “It looks good.”

You flush in embarrassment, half tempted to slap him, but he was already standing back up. From across the room, you noticed a group of camera men, one of the assistants looking at you. Even though they looked away soon after, drawn back in to their conversation, you found yourself feeling uneasy at the attention you had unintentionally drawn to yourself. Felix, seemingly unaware, waved you goodbye.

It left a sinking feeling in your stomach.

You wanted to talk to him about it, but Felix had already left by the time you made your way back to the company cars. Chan and Changbin were lingering around, and Changbin waved at you as you passed.

You could only muster a tight smile in return.

If Maya noticed your weird mood, she didn’t mention it. She talked to you about an ice cream shop near the hotel she tried out that day and insisted you check it out before you left. You offered up your own recommendations from the hotel buffet, and the two of you ended up talking about your favorite foods as you got ready for bed.

You laid in bed, once again finding your thoughts drifting to Felix. The same thoughts from before – his walking you to your room, maybe pulling you into a hug as you said goodbye. You let your thoughts linger a little bit longer than you should have, thinking about him kissing you goodnight.

You groaned, flipping over onto your side.

-0-0-

The first day concert in Sydney began with a bang. Literally. Somehow, a group of fans had organized a small firework show, red and black decorating the sky as you arrived to the venue. It was brief, and small, but it helped in hyping up the entire crowd of fans waiting in line.

Backstage, there was the same amount of chaos and organizing as usual, only this time the staff lounge wasn’t as empty as before, so your peaceful escape was thwarted. Instead, you used the hour or so before the show began as an opportunity to walk around and stretch your legs, since you would be sitting down for the rest of the night.

You bumped into Jeongin in the halls, the maknae wrestling with his necklace.

“Oh, here. Let me help,” You offered, hands already reaching towards him.

He pulled away with wide eyes. “No, it’s fine. I got it, thanks.”

And then after a second to prove himself right, he swiped his hair out of his eyes and gave you a smile. You were so distracted by the man in front of you that you didn’t notice Felix until he was already there, wrapping an arm over your shoulders.

“Hey. Excited about the concert?” He asked.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I’m not the one performing.”

Felix laughed, and you felt almost mortified when a group of stylists passed by. You shrugged off his shoulder, and he took a step back, still smiling.

“I’ll make sure to put on a show for you,” He offered.

“Please don’t.”

Jeongin raised his brows at the two of you. Felix didn’t seem to notice the bit in your words, but the maknae most definitely did, and you were thankful when he took the hint and grabbed the blond dancer.

“C’mon hyung, we should go get ready.”

You mouthed a thank you to the youngest when he glanced back at you, and noticing the way a few lingering staff members were eyeing you, once again began to walk the halls. But this time, you were on a mission.

You found who you were looking for in the artist lounge, and thankfully it was empty. You didn’t even falter at the sight of a topless Chan when you pushed the doors open. He looked up, slightly startled.

“You need to tell Felix to stop,” You said the moment the door closed behind you.

 “What?”

“Felix!” You hissed. “He keeps flirting with me, and people are starting to notice.”

Chan blinked for a second, and then let out a laugh. “It’s Felix. Anything he does seems like flirting, believe me. Nobody cares.”

He began to pull on his shirt, but you grabbed the fabric away from his face. You needed him to look at you, to understand this wasn’t a game anymore.

“I’m serious, Chan,” You pleaded at him. “This isn’t funny. I am trying my hardest not to draw attention to myself, and all Felix seems to want to do is make sure as many people as possible know he …” You waved your hands around. “I don’t know. Likes me, or something.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just being paranoid?” Chan offered, mouth turning down.

“Maybe?! Does it matter?”

Chan crossed his arms, and you had to force yourself not to look down at the muscles in his arm. “What exactly do you want him to do? Not talk to you?”

“It would definitely make things easier,” You snapped.

“I thought he was your friend.”

“You and I both know I will never be just a friend to Felix,” You shot back, and Chan dropping his crossed arms as you moved forward, jabbing a finger into his chest. “Not when he thinks, even for a second, that there’s a possibility of courting me. Ever since I told him the truth, he has been pushing limits, and you’ve done nothing to stop him.”

Chan grabbed your finger. “Okay, you need to calm down.”

You really did, you realized. You were glad that the room was empty, because you felt your omega beginning to push at the edges of your awareness, amplifying your emotions.

But you didn’t want your worries to be overlooked just because of it.

“Tell him to stop,” You continued, softer. Chan was wearing blockers, and you found yourself disappointed you couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “Please, Chan. If I tell him, he won’t take me seriously.”

“I know, I get it.” Chan’s hands moved to your arms, rubbing them comfortingly. “You’re scared, I get it. But I can’t just tell Felix to stop talking to you. He barely understands why you don’t want to be courted-“

You pulled away from him in frustration. “Because I could lose my fucking job, Chan! Do any of you seem to understand that? This isn’t just about your feelings, this is about my life!”

“I get that-“

“Do you? Because it really doesn’t seem like you do!”

He said your name then, voice firm. “You need to calm down.”

And suddenly you understood why women in movies always blew up when being told that very phrase. Because god, it felt so condescending. But you weren’t going to continue to yell at him, not here, not now. Instead, you swallowed the scream in your throat and turned on your heels.

“Fine.”

It was only as you started to walk away, feeling a heat lingering under your skin from your anger, that Chan seemed to realize that the conversation was over. He called out for you, but by the time you had made it out into the halls, it was far too busy for him to confront you without bringing attention to the two of you.

You weren’t sure what he said to Felix, but it seemed to work.

There were no winks, no flirting smile, no special attention thrown in your direction. It was Chan who ended up thanking you that night instead of Felix. You were almost thankful for the change, if it wasn’t for the looks that the other boys were giving you as you all exited the venue, of the way Felix very pointedly avoided looking at you.

It was what you wanted, but somehow it left a bitter taste in your mouth.

-0-0-

The second day concert was the day after the first. The boys would be given a week off in Australia afterwards, and you were glad that Felix and Chan would be able to spend some time with their families before winter vacation.

Minho still seemed tired, but he was more energetic during this concert, and you found yourself having to translate much more as the boys slipped in Korean while teasing each other. You found yourself smiling at laughing at their antics, and it wasn’t until Felix began to say something in Korean to Seungmin before suddenly switching out halfway to English that you remembered. His eyes met yours for just a second as they got ready for their next song, and you had to look away.

The rest of the concert went as expected, and you were already thinking about the break you would be given once it was over. Unlike the boys, most of the staff would be heading back to Korea, and the members would join after their week off in Australia for end of the year schedules (performances, award shows, etc.). It made you slightly guilty to think about it, but you were relieved to have a week away from the pack.

You got up to make your way backstage after the final comments were made, when a flash of light from the side momentarily blinded you. You felt your foot slip on the stairs, and on reflex, you held your hands out to catch the fall. There was a white-hot heat the ran through your left hand, barely managing to keep your forehead from cracking against the floor.

The guys from sound check immediately made his way over. “Crap, are you okay?”

You immediately got up, feeling embarrassment burning at your cheeks. “I’m fine!”

“You sure?”

Doing a quick double check, you felt a bit of soreness at your wrist, and your knees hurt from where they knocked against the stairs, but you nodded to him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

You made your way over to where the rest of the staff were, nodding to Soojin, and beginning to help them pack things up like you normally did.

Except when you reached out to push a small cart, you felt the dull ache in your wrist suddenly flare up, and you let out a hiss.

One of the stylists, carrying a handful of clothes, turned to you with wide eyes. “Are you okay?”

You moved your wrist around, and suddenly realized that it was definitely hurting more than it should. “Uhhh, maybe?”

“Did you get hurt?” Another staff member who you didn’t recognize asked from behind you, and you suddenly felt guilty at the inconvenience you were about to become.

It wasn’t as bad as you expected.

Soojin was the first to find out, the other two staff immediately ratting you out. He offered to drive you to the hospital, but you managed to convince him that you could go by yourself, to which he arranged for one of the drivers to take you after dropping off the rest of the staff at the hotel.

The driver told you he would come back to pick you up when you were done, because you both knew that waiting in the hospital waiting room would take forever to be seen. You were just hoping you would have some time to sleep before the flight tomorrow morning, and just as you began to think about the hassle it would be to pack with one hand, you were horribly reminded on something important.

Your scent blockers might begin to wear off while you were here.

Panic flared up in your chest, and you realized you would have to once again ask for help if you wanted to get back to your hotel room without cluing Maya into something being wrong. You hadn’t even told her you were going to the hospital, but you knew you would have to soon.

God, what if she tried to pack for you? What if she found your pheromone perfume?

You wanted to cry. For a split second you considered just heading back and getting your wrist checked out once you were back in Korea, but you knew that Soojin would say something if you came back so quickly with no signs of having been attended to.

 That meant that you would need to ask for help from someone who knew.

Which didn’t leave a lot of options.

Your first instinct was to text Chan, but considering the argument you had with him yesterday, you weren’t sure he would be the best option. Instead, you scrolled through your contacts and made the stupid decision of texting Changbin instead.

A simple explanation of the situation and asking him if he could have some scent blocker.

It wasn’t urgent, since the hospital didn’t care about you being omega, and none of your coworkers were there right now.  You would need to cover up the smell with the driver, since you didn’t want him to off handedly mention something to the other staff, but you also didn’t worry when Changbin didn’t show up for the first hour.

You got seen surprisingly quickly, only spending and hour and half waiting before you were sent in to see a nurse, and then sent for a quick x-ray.

It was while you were waiting for the doctor to tell you the results that someone finally showed up, hoodie pulled up and a black mask on the lower half of his face. You did a double take at the figure, only needing a few seconds to recognize the man. To recognize the hoodie. It was scarily similar to the same outfit he had been wearing the first time you had seen him.

And it wasn’t Changbin.

“I should have known he would tell you,” You muttered as Chan came to a stop in front of you.

He didn’t say anything, just pulling out the scent block patches from his hoodie pocket and offering them to you. You reached out slowly with your right wrist, taking the box and putting it next to you on the bed.

“Thank you,” You whispered.

Chan still didn’t say anything, eyes darting around the room. There wasn’t a door, so the sounds of the hospital filled in the silence, and you were almost relieved when a doctor finally appeared. He paused at the sight of Chan.

“Oh, sorry. Are you family?”

“A friend,” You offered before Chan could speak.

The doctor nodded, asking you if you were okay if he stayed with you. You nodded, keeping your eyes low, and didn’t say anything as Chan sat down in the chair next to the bed. The doctor explained you had a mild fracture, and would need a cast, to which you found yourself slightly annoyed at.

So much for your plans.

Chan didn’t say anything at the cast was put on, but he also didn’t leave.

You didn’t know if it made you feel better or worse.

The doctor explained how to treat the injury, gave you a prescription for pain medication, and a recommendation to see your family doctor once you got back to Korea. You nodded along to everything, and it was only as the doctor went to leave the Chan spoke up, thanking him for his time.

Even when upset, he was still a gentleman. You hated how much you liked that.

“Thank you for the scent blockers,” You finally said as the two of you began to leave the hospital.

Chan waited with you as you started to pull out some patches, but you quickly realized how hard it was going to be to get the patches on with only one hand. Even just holding the box and peeling a patch at the same time was proving to be a struggle.

“Hold on,” Chan finally spoke, reaching out to help you peel a patch.

He gave you a questioning look, holding it out towards your neck, and you pulled your hair to the side to let him put the patch on himself. He thankfully didn’t say anything when your scent began to grow stronger, and you had to look away as he got closer to press the patch against your skin.

Chan let out a sigh. “You’re going to need some help tomorrow.”

You bit your lip. “I’ll just wear the patches. I don’t think anybody will notice.”

“You’ll have to change them in the morning,” He murmured, looking up from your neck. “I’m staying with my parents tonight, but I can ask Changbin to help you out.”

“Not Changbin,” You quickly said. He raised his brows, and you found yourself spluttering at his look. “I just mean, Maya thinks he has a crush on me. I don’t need any more rumors going around.”

You said the wrong thing, because you caught the slightly acidic burn of pineapple before he was pulling away, reaching to grab your right wrist and begin applying a scent patch there.

“Seungmin then. I’ll let him know to come find you before you guys leave.”

You swallowed, arm dropping to your side as he finished.

“I’m sorry,” You offered, because you weren’t sure what else to say. Just thanking him didn’t seem like enough at the moment.

Chan sighed again, tilting his head back. He said your name in exasperation, then “Can we not do this right now?”

“I’m apologizing!”

“For what?”

You bit your lip again, looking away. “For yelling at you?”

“I don’t care if you yell at me sweetheart,” he offered, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. “I care about how much this whole thing is affecting you.”

“Well it’s not like you can do anything about it,” You mumbled.

“Because you won’t let me.”

“And what,” You swallowed again, feeling a tightness begin to grow in your throat, “exactly do you plan on doing, Chris? Courting me? You really think that’s going to change anything?”

He sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. “I’ve already told you I wasn’t going to court you without your permission. This isn’t about that.”

You were glad for the scent blockers, because you were sure you would be stinking up the parking lot without them. “Then what is it about?”

Chan took a step closer, but he didn’t move to touch you. Unlike you, he wasn’t wearing scent blockers. His scent was normally mild, but he was close enough that you could slightly smell him. Part of you wanted to lean in closer.

“You deserve to have a friend. And I don’t know why you’re so insistent that we can’t be friends.”

You thought back to that night you spent together, the way he had held you as you came down from your high. The way your omega had been so content, how you found yourself thinking to yourself that you could spend the rest of your life with this him. You thought about Felix, and Jisung, and Minho, and Changbin, and, and, and -

And how hard you were capable of falling for them all.

“We can’t be friends because you guys care too much about me,” You told him, not wanting to admit that maybe it was you that cared too much.

“All friends care for each other,” He argued. “Caring for someone is inevitable when you’re close to someone.”

“Well then maybe it would be better if we weren’t close,” You shot back staring intently at your hands, fingers rubbing against the cast.

There was a moment of silence. And then, after hearing his shoes scrape against the ground, you looked up to find Chan shaking his head.

“If that’s what you want,” He said, and you immediately looked back down before he could meet your eyes. You felt tears beginning to grow, your throat burning. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

You just nodded, unable to say anything else, even as he began to walk away. And as his footsteps began to get farther and farther away, you felt your heart breaking just a little more.

====

Taglist:

@3rachasninja @lilyuwon @brojustfknkillm3 @yukichan67 @mallielovssyou @mintchip17 @iweirdthingsblog @maisyyyyyy @neivivenaj @jc003 @skz-ot8-stay @passionandsuga @ms-flowergirl @kayleefriedchicken @seungmonggg @luvvvash @galaxy4489 @quokkahannie4 @joyofbebbanburg @xxeiraxx @lemonn015 @dazzlingjade @tenshimara @danceonmyheyday @staytinyluv @mamaj-right @dessianna1 @sillyhal @minh0scat @iris-iiridescent @fackeraccount @bumblebeebeebumble @hanniesbubuwife @bowsnbang @just-a-blackthorn-cookie @k-pop-luv04 @stopstaring4455 @mbioooo0000 @bby-boo4u @yumuramma @juju-227592 @idiotmaterial @channieismylove @kpetts @headfirstfortoro @iknow-uknow-leeknow @velvetmoonlght @skzlover24 @zayn-210 @iamwritteninyourstars @katsukis1wife

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Its been so long that i have to re-read my own story to make sure what i have written and what was just ideas i had planned 💀 hopefully I'll have a chapter by monday, but ill have to once again split it up in two considering how long its getting

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Also just realized that its only been a month since reader got the job ... welp, that has significantly ruined a few things for my planning stages. I mean, its a fanfic, i highly doubt anyone will complain about sketchy dates and timelines not adding up, but still. Im going to overthink this for a bit lol.

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Its been so long that i have to re-read my own story to make sure what i have written and what was just ideas i had planned 💀 hopefully I'll have a chapter by monday, but ill have to once again split it up in two considering how long its getting

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Chapter 12

OT8 Straykids x reader, ABO AU

Masterlist |

The meeting with the rest of the staff was strangely the least stressful event of the day. You arrived a little bit late, having made a quick stop to your room to reapply scent blockers and put on your pheromone perfume, but nobody even looked your way when you arrived. In fact, nobody looked in your direction during the entire meeting.

The gist of it was just the manager giving everyone a heads up on Minho’s situation, and surprisingly you were made aware that he would remain in Japan with Jisung, Seungmin, and another manager until his rut was over.

The meeting ended shortly before noon.

You wished that you could talk to Chan, but the rest of the day was spent packing and avoiding your roommate (who thankfully also seemed to be avoiding you). You found yourself tempted at random points - your omega scratching at the walls of your brain - to head down a few floors and see Minho again. His scent lingered, not physically, but mentally. You tried your best to ignore it.

You also tried to ignore the staff gossip about what had happened in the elevator. You were lucky enough to be seated next to Maya on the plane trip - she didn’t seem interested in talking about rumors. But even as the two of you chatted about tourist attractions you wanted to visit and food you wanted to try, you could hear the girls behind you talking just a little too loud.

“The hotel staff talked about a woman being in the elevator with him,” one of them said.

Your body felt cold with shock.

“Do they think he has a girlfriend?”

“Who knows.”

The second woman let out a laugh. “I bet the kid’s going to get in trouble. Probably hooked up with some fan.”

Maya also heard the whispering, nose wrinkling as she leaned in closer to actually whisper to you. “It was probably just some random stranger who got stuck in the elevator with him.”

You didn’t even know what to say, trying not to let your panic show. Either you were successful, or Maya really was just chill enough not to mention it, because she continued the conversation on photo’s she wanted to take when you arrived in Australia. You tried to distract yourself with your own enthusiasm.

Australia was as amazing as you hoped. It was warm, even with the tail end of the summer transitioning into fall. And the amount of water in the city air made it humid, the heat and moisture clinging to your skin as you stepped off the plane. You were one of the last of the staff to get off the plane, so you didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the views as you rushed through the airport, getting to the suitcase carousel and grabbing your bags before anybody else could.

You had sent your bag in the cargo this time, to avoid having to hide your perfume like you had before, and it was both easier and more nerve wracking for you; on one hand, you didn’t have to worry about it getting taken away in security. But you also had to worry about it breaking or spilling along the way.

In comparison to the last time, checking in and getting settled into the hotel in Australia was easy and worry free. You were paired off with Maya this time around, and when she invited you to go sightseeing with her, you took it. There would be interviews planned for tomorrow, so you wanted to enjoy the free time you had before you would find yourself busy once again.

It seemed like some of the boys had similar ideas.

You ended up running into Changbin and Jeongin, literally, on your way into the elevator. You had been so excited to get going that you didn’t even think about the fact that someone else might be on the other side of the door, and you ended up bumping into Changbin before you could stop your momentum.

“Oh, sorry,” You mumbled, even as he took a step back.

Arms were raised, almost as if he had been planning to reach out and steady you, but Changbin dropped them and instead took a step back, clearing his throat. He then nodded his head at you nonchalantly, looking away.

From the corner of the elevator, leaning against the wall, Jeongin hid a smile behind his hand. Similarly, you had to glare at Maya discreetly as she began to giggle at you, following you into the elevator. Unlike you, trying your hardest not to think about the last time you had talked to the boys, Maya seemed very keen to start up a conversation with them.

“So, you guys going to do some sightseeing?”

Jeongin nodded his head eagerly. “Yeah, we’re meeting up with Chan-Hyung in the lobby. He offered to show us some of his favorite places.”

“Cool!” Maya paused for a second, giving you a look. You frowned in confusion at whatever message she was trying to signal to you, not getting the message. She rolled her eyes slightly, turning around to give the maknae a blinding smile. “Maybe he can give us some recommendations!”

Jeongin didn’t say anything at first, and you glanced behind you again to catch sight of him nodding his head in agreement. Maya caught your eyes again and winked.

You wanted to hide your face in your hands, but at the same time, you didn’t want to show your embarrassment. And in trying to avoid Maya’s look, you caught Changbin’s instead.

He smiled at you shyly, and your stomach did a flip. As the elevator arrived, standing close enough to the entrance, you found yourself shuffling out first and then moving to the side to wait for maya. As he passed, Changbin sent gave you one more look, Jeongin instead choosing to shuffle past with a half bow like movement. Maya grabbed your arm with a wicked smile.

“Come on, let’s go get some sightseeing recommendations,” she says loudly, leading you behind the rapper and the maknae as they walk through the lobby.

She then leans closer to whisper to you. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“The way Changbin was looking at you.”

You rolled your eyes, both at her assumption, but also at the teasing tilt to her voice. “Oh no, a man looked at me. Whatever am I to do.”

She giggled. “Yeah, yeah. I’m just curious. You know, ever since he met you on that first day, he’s always asked me about you. I think he likes you.”

You don’t know what to answer at that, mostly because the part of your brain that craved attention perked up at the idea that someone was talking about you. But the other part of you that was full of worst-case scenarios shivered at the idea of your secret being held by someone who thought that much about you.

“I think you’ve been watching too many dramas,” You told her.

She just hummed as the two of you reached the small group waiting in the lobby. Changbin, Jeongin, and now Chan stood near the corner of the room, all gathered in a circle. You were pretty sure you weren’t interrupting their conversation, both because Changbin and Jeongin had just arrived literally a few seconds ago, but you did find it slightly unsettling that all of them were just staring at you in silence as you approached.

Chan was the first to speak the moment you and Maya stopped. “Hey.”

You raised your hand awkwardly, but Maya squeezed your arm. “Hey Chan. Heard you were giving the boys a bit of a tour?”

The alpha smiled shyly. “It’s not really much of a tour. I was just going to take them to this restaurant I know nearby. It’s pretty good.”

“Oh?” Maya looked at you, but you forced yourself not to meet her eye. “We were just about to go look for something to eat. Do you mind if we join you.”

You gave Chan a wide-eyed look, almost begging him to say no, but of course he wouldn’t. He was too nice for that. Instead, he looked at his own members for any objections (once again, your silent pleading was ignored) and then turned back with a genuine smile that normally you loved, but right now you were cursing.

“The more, the merrier, right?”

-0-0-

Surprisingly, you had little to worry about.

Despite Maya’s teasing glances every time Changbin so much as looked at you, and the one split second that Chan had instinctively grabbed your waist when walking on the street, lunch had been completely normal. You felt almost at ease, eating and sharing stories and laughing.

Chan paid for the whole table’s meal, and you found your protest dying on your lips when Jeongin thanked him, and you could see how the leader’s face seemed to light up.

It was cute.

The rest of the day was just you and Maya, walking around Australia, visiting landmarks and enjoying the sun. By the time you had made it back to the hotel, you had almost forgotten about Japan and what had been left behind, but you were faced with a stark reminder when you received an email from the boy’s manager talking about the interview you had tomorrow.

Still dealing with Minho’s rut, neither Minho, Jisung nor Seungmin would be there. You had to coordinate with the interviewer around that.

Maya looked up at your sigh. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” you lied, giving her a smile.

You guessed it would be fine, after all. Members had scheduling problems all the time, so that was the excuse you gave the interviewer when explaining the situation to her the next morning. There was no reason to assume otherwise.

But you could feel it in the whispers that went on behind your back, the prick of paranoia itching at the back of your neck.

Nobody knew, you tried to reassure yourself. Everything would be okay.

When it came to translation, it seemed like Chan and Felix were more than happy to take over the conversation while in their home country, and you were pleasantly surprised to see the others talking more than they had in Japan. Their speaking and listening skills were far more advanced in English than in Japanese. You supposed living with the two Australians for so long definitely provided some advantage.

Not having to worry too much about translating also meant that during the concert, you could concentrate more on the show than usual.

Even with the missing 3 members, the first day in Australia was somehow even more energetic that Japan. The crowd was louder, the members were wilder, and the energy in the room was overpowering.

You were tucked near the stage, close enough to see them, but at an angle that meant you didn’t really have a good view of the screens littered around the stadium. You had to trust in your recognition of voices for the closing comments, where Jeongin and Changbin specifically chose to say something heartfelt in Korean. But at the very end, you faltered when Felix, the closest to where you were sitting, suddenly turned to you with a smile.

“And thank you to our lovely translator.”

There were cheers, both for you and for Felix, and Chan quickly wrapped the show up with his own final message. Still, Felix kept glancing at you with a smile.

You felt your heart pounding, but for all the wrong reasons.

He was waiting for you when you made your way backstage, skin glistening with sweat and his arms hanging with exhaustion, but still his smile was blindingly beautiful when he saw you. You wrinkled your nose when he tried to hug you.

“You need a shower,” You joked, and Felix just laughed. You pat his arm instead. “You did great out there.”

“Thanks.” He tilts his head to the side. “We’re ordering pizza, do you want some?”

It was such a simple offer, but you hesitated. Because ‘we’ implied the company but also could mean ‘stray kids’. And you were already feeling worried of rumors spreading, that somehow someone might have recognized you that day in the elevator with Minho, and you didn’t need to be caught in the boy’s hotel room after hours. You weren’t sure how to ask this however, especially not when Felix looked at you with such expectancy.

So instead, you took the cowards way out. “I actually ate before the concert, so I’m not really that hungry. Plus, don’t want to eat too soon before bed. I’ll get a stomachache.”

And Felix’s face fell slightly, but he seemed to shake it off quickly enough. “That’s fine. Maybe next time.”

Hyunjin called for him then, and the two of you went our separate ways. On the way home, while scrolling through TikTok, you saw clips from the concert, and a few of them made you antsy. Especially the comments.

‘Felix thanked the translator. He’s so kind’

‘He was staring at her a lot at the end there. Do you guys think he has a crush on her?’

‘I think Felix was staring in that direction a lot during the whole concert, actually. I have clips I can share later. He definitely likes her.’

‘no way, it’s just a coincidence. The sound director is also in that direction, he might just be checking in with them from time to time. Chan also did it in Japan, we could see him asking for the mic’s sound to be raised.’

‘I miss Seungmin. So sad they got sick before the concert. Hopefully they make it for day 2!’

By the time you arrived back to the hotel, you were too anxious to be tired. You eyes the hotel bar, but your past experiences just made you even more antsy, and you followed behind some of the other staff like a lost puppy, desperate to avoid more scandals. If Maya noticed anything as you got settled in for bed that night, she didn’t say it.

You waited until she was sleeping before you snuck out of bed, pulling the bathroom door as quietly as you could until it clicked closed. In the silence, you washed your scent glands and carefully dried them with a paper towel, slapping on some scent blockers that would keep your scent hidden during the night. You would have to be careful Maya didn’t see them in the morning, but they were skin colored and should blend in at a distance, so you weren’t too worried.

You got a text on your way back to bed, and you snuck under the covers, using the blankets to hide the light from your screen.

It was from Felix, wishing you a good night.

You closed your eyes, letting out a sigh. You wondered what it would have been like if you had accepted his offer for Pizza. Would he have walked you back to your room afterwards? Would he have hugged you goodbye, whispered good night in your ear instead of sending a text?

Would he have pulled you close, maybe dropped his head into the crook of your neck? Maybe he would have scented you, letting cinnamon coat your skin for the rest of your night, content in the thought of you being his.

You blinked your eyes open, muted dots slowly turning into shapes in the dark. Realistically, you would have to wash his scent off before Maya caught a whiff, because that would give away your closeness to the boys.

Realistically, you probably wouldn’t have let him scent you to begin with.

You closed your eyes again, and with a soft groan, you rolled over and tried to get some sleep.

You never answered Felix’s text.

-0-0-

Taglist:

@3rachasninja @lilyuwon @brojustfknkillm3 @yukichan67 @mallielovssyou @mintchip17 @iweirdthingsblog @maisyyyyyy @neivivenaj @jc003 @skz-ot8-stay @passionandsuga @ms-flowergirl @kayleefriedchicken @seungmonggg @luvvvash @galaxy4489 @quokkahannie4 @joyofbebbanburg @xxeiraxx @lemonn015 @dazzlingjade @tenshimara @danceonmyheyday @staytinyluv @mamaj-right @dessianna1 @sillyhal @minh0scat @iris-iiridescent @fackeraccount @bumblebeebeebumble @hanniesbubuwife @bowsnbang @just-a-blackthorn-cookie @k-pop-luv04 @stopstaring4455 @mbioooo0000 @bby-boo4u @yumuramma @juju-227592 @idiotmaterial @channieismylove @kpetts @headfirstfortoro @iknow-uknow-leeknow @velvetmoonlght @skzlover24 @zayn-210 @iamwritteninyourstars @katsukis1wife

[strayklds]

(250823) STRAY KIDS / 'CEREMONY' ENDING FAIRIES

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

OMG!!! OMG!!!!!! OUT OF NO WHERE HELLO POOKIE!!! 🧸

Yeah, i had the day off work and thought, eh, why not, ill edit a new chapter. There's a few more scenes that I originally wanted to be in this update, but knew it would be at least another month of school before i could finish it and figured i might as well post what I already had.

Also, good luck on your seminar work! Hope you enjoy the chapter ^^

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Chapter 12

OT8 Straykids x reader, ABO AU

Masterlist |

The meeting with the rest of the staff was strangely the least stressful event of the day. You arrived a little bit late, having made a quick stop to your room to reapply scent blockers and put on your pheromone perfume, but nobody even looked your way when you arrived. In fact, nobody looked in your direction during the entire meeting.

The gist of it was just the manager giving everyone a heads up on Minho’s situation, and surprisingly you were made aware that he would remain in Japan with Jisung, Seungmin, and another manager until his rut was over.

The meeting ended shortly before noon.

You wished that you could talk to Chan, but the rest of the day was spent packing and avoiding your roommate (who thankfully also seemed to be avoiding you). You found yourself tempted at random points - your omega scratching at the walls of your brain - to head down a few floors and see Minho again. His scent lingered, not physically, but mentally. You tried your best to ignore it.

You also tried to ignore the staff gossip about what had happened in the elevator. You were lucky enough to be seated next to Maya on the plane trip - she didn’t seem interested in talking about rumors. But even as the two of you chatted about tourist attractions you wanted to visit and food you wanted to try, you could hear the girls behind you talking just a little too loud.

“The hotel staff talked about a woman being in the elevator with him,” one of them said.

Your body felt cold with shock.

“Do they think he has a girlfriend?”

“Who knows.”

The second woman let out a laugh. “I bet the kid’s going to get in trouble. Probably hooked up with some fan.”

Maya also heard the whispering, nose wrinkling as she leaned in closer to actually whisper to you. “It was probably just some random stranger who got stuck in the elevator with him.”

You didn’t even know what to say, trying not to let your panic show. Either you were successful, or Maya really was just chill enough not to mention it, because she continued the conversation on photo’s she wanted to take when you arrived in Australia. You tried to distract yourself with your own enthusiasm.

Australia was as amazing as you hoped. It was warm, even with the tail end of the summer transitioning into fall. And the amount of water in the city air made it humid, the heat and moisture clinging to your skin as you stepped off the plane. You were one of the last of the staff to get off the plane, so you didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the views as you rushed through the airport, getting to the suitcase carousel and grabbing your bags before anybody else could.

You had sent your bag in the cargo this time, to avoid having to hide your perfume like you had before, and it was both easier and more nerve wracking for you; on one hand, you didn’t have to worry about it getting taken away in security. But you also had to worry about it breaking or spilling along the way.

In comparison to the last time, checking in and getting settled into the hotel in Australia was easy and worry free. You were paired off with Maya this time around, and when she invited you to go sightseeing with her, you took it. There would be interviews planned for tomorrow, so you wanted to enjoy the free time you had before you would find yourself busy once again.

It seemed like some of the boys had similar ideas.

You ended up running into Changbin and Jeongin, literally, on your way into the elevator. You had been so excited to get going that you didn’t even think about the fact that someone else might be on the other side of the door, and you ended up bumping into Changbin before you could stop your momentum.

“Oh, sorry,” You mumbled, even as he took a step back.

Arms were raised, almost as if he had been planning to reach out and steady you, but Changbin dropped them and instead took a step back, clearing his throat. He then nodded his head at you nonchalantly, looking away.

From the corner of the elevator, leaning against the wall, Jeongin hid a smile behind his hand. Similarly, you had to glare at Maya discreetly as she began to giggle at you, following you into the elevator. Unlike you, trying your hardest not to think about the last time you had talked to the boys, Maya seemed very keen to start up a conversation with them.

“So, you guys going to do some sightseeing?”

Jeongin nodded his head eagerly. “Yeah, we’re meeting up with Chan-Hyung in the lobby. He offered to show us some of his favorite places.”

“Cool!” Maya paused for a second, giving you a look. You frowned in confusion at whatever message she was trying to signal to you, not getting the message. She rolled her eyes slightly, turning around to give the maknae a blinding smile. “Maybe he can give us some recommendations!”

Jeongin didn’t say anything at first, and you glanced behind you again to catch sight of him nodding his head in agreement. Maya caught your eyes again and winked.

You wanted to hide your face in your hands, but at the same time, you didn’t want to show your embarrassment. And in trying to avoid Maya’s look, you caught Changbin’s instead.

He smiled at you shyly, and your stomach did a flip. As the elevator arrived, standing close enough to the entrance, you found yourself shuffling out first and then moving to the side to wait for maya. As he passed, Changbin sent gave you one more look, Jeongin instead choosing to shuffle past with a half bow like movement. Maya grabbed your arm with a wicked smile.

“Come on, let’s go get some sightseeing recommendations,” she says loudly, leading you behind the rapper and the maknae as they walk through the lobby.

She then leans closer to whisper to you. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“The way Changbin was looking at you.”

You rolled your eyes, both at her assumption, but also at the teasing tilt to her voice. “Oh no, a man looked at me. Whatever am I to do.”

She giggled. “Yeah, yeah. I’m just curious. You know, ever since he met you on that first day, he’s always asked me about you. I think he likes you.”

You don’t know what to answer at that, mostly because the part of your brain that craved attention perked up at the idea that someone was talking about you. But the other part of you that was full of worst-case scenarios shivered at the idea of your secret being held by someone who thought that much about you.

“I think you’ve been watching too many dramas,” You told her.

She just hummed as the two of you reached the small group waiting in the lobby. Changbin, Jeongin, and now Chan stood near the corner of the room, all gathered in a circle. You were pretty sure you weren’t interrupting their conversation, both because Changbin and Jeongin had just arrived literally a few seconds ago, but you did find it slightly unsettling that all of them were just staring at you in silence as you approached.

Chan was the first to speak the moment you and Maya stopped. “Hey.”

You raised your hand awkwardly, but Maya squeezed your arm. “Hey Chan. Heard you were giving the boys a bit of a tour?”

The alpha smiled shyly. “It’s not really much of a tour. I was just going to take them to this restaurant I know nearby. It’s pretty good.”

“Oh?” Maya looked at you, but you forced yourself not to meet her eye. “We were just about to go look for something to eat. Do you mind if we join you.”

You gave Chan a wide-eyed look, almost begging him to say no, but of course he wouldn’t. He was too nice for that. Instead, he looked at his own members for any objections (once again, your silent pleading was ignored) and then turned back with a genuine smile that normally you loved, but right now you were cursing.

“The more, the merrier, right?”

-0-0-

Surprisingly, you had little to worry about.

Despite Maya’s teasing glances every time Changbin so much as looked at you, and the one split second that Chan had instinctively grabbed your waist when walking on the street, lunch had been completely normal. You felt almost at ease, eating and sharing stories and laughing.

Chan paid for the whole table’s meal, and you found your protest dying on your lips when Jeongin thanked him, and you could see how the leader’s face seemed to light up.

It was cute.

The rest of the day was just you and Maya, walking around Australia, visiting landmarks and enjoying the sun. By the time you had made it back to the hotel, you had almost forgotten about Japan and what had been left behind, but you were faced with a stark reminder when you received an email from the boy’s manager talking about the interview you had tomorrow.

Still dealing with Minho’s rut, neither Minho, Jisung nor Seungmin would be there. You had to coordinate with the interviewer around that.

Maya looked up at your sigh. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” you lied, giving her a smile.

You guessed it would be fine, after all. Members had scheduling problems all the time, so that was the excuse you gave the interviewer when explaining the situation to her the next morning. There was no reason to assume otherwise.

But you could feel it in the whispers that went on behind your back, the prick of paranoia itching at the back of your neck.

Nobody knew, you tried to reassure yourself. Everything would be okay.

When it came to translation, it seemed like Chan and Felix were more than happy to take over the conversation while in their home country, and you were pleasantly surprised to see the others talking more than they had in Japan. Their speaking and listening skills were far more advanced in English than in Japanese. You supposed living with the two Australians for so long definitely provided some advantage.

Not having to worry too much about translating also meant that during the concert, you could concentrate more on the show than usual.

Even with the missing 3 members, the first day in Australia was somehow even more energetic that Japan. The crowd was louder, the members were wilder, and the energy in the room was overpowering.

You were tucked near the stage, close enough to see them, but at an angle that meant you didn’t really have a good view of the screens littered around the stadium. You had to trust in your recognition of voices for the closing comments, where Jeongin and Changbin specifically chose to say something heartfelt in Korean. But at the very end, you faltered when Felix, the closest to where you were sitting, suddenly turned to you with a smile.

“And thank you to our lovely translator.”

There were cheers, both for you and for Felix, and Chan quickly wrapped the show up with his own final message. Still, Felix kept glancing at you with a smile.

You felt your heart pounding, but for all the wrong reasons.

He was waiting for you when you made your way backstage, skin glistening with sweat and his arms hanging with exhaustion, but still his smile was blindingly beautiful when he saw you. You wrinkled your nose when he tried to hug you.

“You need a shower,” You joked, and Felix just laughed. You pat his arm instead. “You did great out there.”

“Thanks.” He tilts his head to the side. “We’re ordering pizza, do you want some?”

It was such a simple offer, but you hesitated. Because ‘we’ implied the company but also could mean ‘stray kids’. And you were already feeling worried of rumors spreading, that somehow someone might have recognized you that day in the elevator with Minho, and you didn’t need to be caught in the boy’s hotel room after hours. You weren’t sure how to ask this however, especially not when Felix looked at you with such expectancy.

So instead, you took the cowards way out. “I actually ate before the concert, so I’m not really that hungry. Plus, don’t want to eat too soon before bed. I’ll get a stomachache.”

And Felix’s face fell slightly, but he seemed to shake it off quickly enough. “That’s fine. Maybe next time.”

Hyunjin called for him then, and the two of you went our separate ways. On the way home, while scrolling through TikTok, you saw clips from the concert, and a few of them made you antsy. Especially the comments.

‘Felix thanked the translator. He’s so kind’

‘He was staring at her a lot at the end there. Do you guys think he has a crush on her?’

‘I think Felix was staring in that direction a lot during the whole concert, actually. I have clips I can share later. He definitely likes her.’

‘no way, it’s just a coincidence. The sound director is also in that direction, he might just be checking in with them from time to time. Chan also did it in Japan, we could see him asking for the mic’s sound to be raised.’

‘I miss Seungmin. So sad they got sick before the concert. Hopefully they make it for day 2!’

By the time you arrived back to the hotel, you were too anxious to be tired. You eyes the hotel bar, but your past experiences just made you even more antsy, and you followed behind some of the other staff like a lost puppy, desperate to avoid more scandals. If Maya noticed anything as you got settled in for bed that night, she didn’t say it.

You waited until she was sleeping before you snuck out of bed, pulling the bathroom door as quietly as you could until it clicked closed. In the silence, you washed your scent glands and carefully dried them with a paper towel, slapping on some scent blockers that would keep your scent hidden during the night. You would have to be careful Maya didn’t see them in the morning, but they were skin colored and should blend in at a distance, so you weren’t too worried.

You got a text on your way back to bed, and you snuck under the covers, using the blankets to hide the light from your screen.

It was from Felix, wishing you a good night.

You closed your eyes, letting out a sigh. You wondered what it would have been like if you had accepted his offer for Pizza. Would he have walked you back to your room afterwards? Would he have hugged you goodbye, whispered good night in your ear instead of sending a text?

Would he have pulled you close, maybe dropped his head into the crook of your neck? Maybe he would have scented you, letting cinnamon coat your skin for the rest of your night, content in the thought of you being his.

You blinked your eyes open, muted dots slowly turning into shapes in the dark. Realistically, you would have to wash his scent off before Maya caught a whiff, because that would give away your closeness to the boys.

Realistically, you probably wouldn’t have let him scent you to begin with.

You closed your eyes again, and with a soft groan, you rolled over and tried to get some sleep.

You never answered Felix’s text.

-0-0-

Taglist:

@3rachasninja @lilyuwon @brojustfknkillm3 @yukichan67 @mallielovssyou @mintchip17 @iweirdthingsblog @maisyyyyyy @neivivenaj @jc003 @skz-ot8-stay @passionandsuga @ms-flowergirl @kayleefriedchicken @seungmonggg @luvvvash @galaxy4489 @quokkahannie4 @joyofbebbanburg @xxeiraxx @lemonn015 @dazzlingjade @tenshimara @danceonmyheyday @staytinyluv @mamaj-right @dessianna1 @sillyhal @minh0scat @iris-iiridescent @fackeraccount @bumblebeebeebumble @hanniesbubuwife @bowsnbang @just-a-blackthorn-cookie @k-pop-luv04 @stopstaring4455 @mbioooo0000 @bby-boo4u @yumuramma @juju-227592 @idiotmaterial @channieismylove @kpetts @headfirstfortoro @iknow-uknow-leeknow @velvetmoonlght @skzlover24 @zayn-210 @iamwritteninyourstars @katsukis1wife

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

taglist (continued): @beppybeesnuggets @bbokarismeow @thatgirlangelb @vinylphwoar @upsidedownchaire @shellybee456 @jisuperboard @getthefuckoutofhereidiot @ihaveaproblem98 @kde13

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

Chapter 12

OT8 Straykids x reader, ABO AU

Masterlist | Next Chapter

The meeting with the rest of the staff was strangely the least stressful event of the day. You arrived a little bit late, having made a quick stop to your room to reapply scent blockers and put on your pheromone perfume, but nobody even looked your way when you arrived. In fact, nobody looked in your direction during the entire meeting.

The gist of it was just the manager giving everyone a heads up on Minho’s situation, and surprisingly you were made aware that he would remain in Japan with Jisung, Seungmin, and another manager until his rut was over.

The meeting ended shortly before noon.

You wished that you could talk to Chan, but the rest of the day was spent packing and avoiding your roommate (who thankfully also seemed to be avoiding you). You found yourself tempted at random points - your omega scratching at the walls of your brain - to head down a few floors and see Minho again. His scent lingered, not physically, but mentally. You tried your best to ignore it.

You also tried to ignore the staff gossip about what had happened in the elevator. You were lucky enough to be seated next to Maya on the plane trip - she didn’t seem interested in talking about rumors. But even as the two of you chatted about tourist attractions you wanted to visit and food you wanted to try, you could hear the girls behind you talking just a little too loud.

“The hotel staff talked about a woman being in the elevator with him,” one of them said.

Your body felt cold with shock.

“Do they think he has a girlfriend?”

“Who knows.”

The second woman let out a laugh. “I bet the kid’s going to get in trouble. Probably hooked up with some fan.”

Maya also heard the whispering, nose wrinkling as she leaned in closer to actually whisper to you. “It was probably just some random stranger who got stuck in the elevator with him.”

You didn’t even know what to say, trying not to let your panic show. Either you were successful, or Maya really was just chill enough not to mention it, because she continued the conversation on photo’s she wanted to take when you arrived in Australia. You tried to distract yourself with your own enthusiasm.

Australia was as amazing as you hoped. It was warm, even with the tail end of the summer transitioning into fall. And the amount of water in the city air made it humid, the heat and moisture clinging to your skin as you stepped off the plane. You were one of the last of the staff to get off the plane, so you didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the views as you rushed through the airport, getting to the suitcase carousel and grabbing your bags before anybody else could.

You had sent your bag in the cargo this time, to avoid having to hide your perfume like you had before, and it was both easier and more nerve wracking for you; on one hand, you didn’t have to worry about it getting taken away in security. But you also had to worry about it breaking or spilling along the way.

In comparison to the last time, checking in and getting settled into the hotel in Australia was easy and worry free. You were paired off with Maya this time around, and when she invited you to go sightseeing with her, you took it. There would be interviews planned for tomorrow, so you wanted to enjoy the free time you had before you would find yourself busy once again.

It seemed like some of the boys had similar ideas.

You ended up running into Changbin and Jeongin, literally, on your way into the elevator. You had been so excited to get going that you didn’t even think about the fact that someone else might be on the other side of the door, and you ended up bumping into Changbin before you could stop your momentum.

“Oh, sorry,” You mumbled, even as he took a step back.

Arms were raised, almost as if he had been planning to reach out and steady you, but Changbin dropped them and instead took a step back, clearing his throat. He then nodded his head at you nonchalantly, looking away.

From the corner of the elevator, leaning against the wall, Jeongin hid a smile behind his hand. Similarly, you had to glare at Maya discreetly as she began to giggle at you, following you into the elevator. Unlike you, trying your hardest not to think about the last time you had talked to the boys, Maya seemed very keen to start up a conversation with them.

“So, you guys going to do some sightseeing?”

Jeongin nodded his head eagerly. “Yeah, we’re meeting up with Chan-Hyung in the lobby. He offered to show us some of his favorite places.”

“Cool!” Maya paused for a second, giving you a look. You frowned in confusion at whatever message she was trying to signal to you, not getting the message. She rolled her eyes slightly, turning around to give the maknae a blinding smile. “Maybe he can give us some recommendations!”

Jeongin didn’t say anything at first, and you glanced behind you again to catch sight of him nodding his head in agreement. Maya caught your eyes again and winked.

You wanted to hide your face in your hands, but at the same time, you didn’t want to show your embarrassment. And in trying to avoid Maya’s look, you caught Changbin’s instead.

He smiled at you shyly, and your stomach did a flip. As the elevator arrived, standing close enough to the entrance, you found yourself shuffling out first and then moving to the side to wait for maya. As he passed, Changbin sent gave you one more look, Jeongin instead choosing to shuffle past with a half bow like movement. Maya grabbed your arm with a wicked smile.

“Come on, let’s go get some sightseeing recommendations,” she says loudly, leading you behind the rapper and the maknae as they walk through the lobby.

She then leans closer to whisper to you. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“The way Changbin was looking at you.”

You rolled your eyes, both at her assumption, but also at the teasing tilt to her voice. “Oh no, a man looked at me. Whatever am I to do.”

She giggled. “Yeah, yeah. I’m just curious. You know, ever since he met you on that first day, he’s always asked me about you. I think he likes you.”

You don’t know what to answer at that, mostly because the part of your brain that craved attention perked up at the idea that someone was talking about you. But the other part of you that was full of worst-case scenarios shivered at the idea of your secret being held by someone who thought that much about you.

“I think you’ve been watching too many dramas,” You told her.

She just hummed as the two of you reached the small group waiting in the lobby. Changbin, Jeongin, and now Chan stood near the corner of the room, all gathered in a circle. You were pretty sure you weren’t interrupting their conversation, both because Changbin and Jeongin had just arrived literally a few seconds ago, but you did find it slightly unsettling that all of them were just staring at you in silence as you approached.

Chan was the first to speak the moment you and Maya stopped. “Hey.”

You raised your hand awkwardly, but Maya squeezed your arm. “Hey Chan. Heard you were giving the boys a bit of a tour?”

The alpha smiled shyly. “It’s not really much of a tour. I was just going to take them to this restaurant I know nearby. It’s pretty good.”

“Oh?” Maya looked at you, but you forced yourself not to meet her eye. “We were just about to go look for something to eat. Do you mind if we join you.”

You gave Chan a wide-eyed look, almost begging him to say no, but of course he wouldn’t. He was too nice for that. Instead, he looked at his own members for any objections (once again, your silent pleading was ignored) and then turned back with a genuine smile that normally you loved, but right now you were cursing.

“The more, the merrier, right?”

-0-0-

Surprisingly, you had little to worry about.

Despite Maya’s teasing glances every time Changbin so much as looked at you, and the one split second that Chan had instinctively grabbed your waist when walking on the street, lunch had been completely normal. You felt almost at ease, eating and sharing stories and laughing.

Chan paid for the whole table’s meal, and you found your protest dying on your lips when Jeongin thanked him, and you could see how the leader’s face seemed to light up.

It was cute.

The rest of the day was just you and Maya, walking around Australia, visiting landmarks and enjoying the sun. By the time you had made it back to the hotel, you had almost forgotten about Japan and what had been left behind, but you were faced with a stark reminder when you received an email from the boy’s manager talking about the interview you had tomorrow.

Still dealing with Minho’s rut, neither Minho, Jisung nor Seungmin would be there. You had to coordinate with the interviewer around that.

Maya looked up at your sigh. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” you lied, giving her a smile.

You guessed it would be fine, after all. Members had scheduling problems all the time, so that was the excuse you gave the interviewer when explaining the situation to her the next morning. There was no reason to assume otherwise.

But you could feel it in the whispers that went on behind your back, the prick of paranoia itching at the back of your neck.

Nobody knew, you tried to reassure yourself. Everything would be okay.

When it came to translation, it seemed like Chan and Felix were more than happy to take over the conversation while in their home country, and you were pleasantly surprised to see the others talking more than they had in Japan. Their speaking and listening skills were far more advanced in English than in Japanese. You supposed living with the two Australians for so long definitely provided some advantage.

Not having to worry too much about translating also meant that during the concert, you could concentrate more on the show than usual.

Even with the missing 3 members, the first day in Australia was somehow even more energetic that Japan. The crowd was louder, the members were wilder, and the energy in the room was overpowering.

You were tucked near the stage, close enough to see them, but at an angle that meant you didn’t really have a good view of the screens littered around the stadium. You had to trust in your recognition of voices for the closing comments, where Jeongin and Changbin specifically chose to say something heartfelt in Korean. But at the very end, you faltered when Felix, the closest to where you were sitting, suddenly turned to you with a smile.

“And thank you to our lovely translator.”

There were cheers, both for you and for Felix, and Chan quickly wrapped the show up with his own final message. Still, Felix kept glancing at you with a smile.

You felt your heart pounding, but for all the wrong reasons.

He was waiting for you when you made your way backstage, skin glistening with sweat and his arms hanging with exhaustion, but still his smile was blindingly beautiful when he saw you. You wrinkled your nose when he tried to hug you.

“You need a shower,” You joked, and Felix just laughed. You pat his arm instead. “You did great out there.”

“Thanks.” He tilts his head to the side. “We’re ordering pizza, do you want some?”

It was such a simple offer, but you hesitated. Because ‘we’ implied the company but also could mean ‘stray kids’. And you were already feeling worried of rumors spreading, that somehow someone might have recognized you that day in the elevator with Minho, and you didn’t need to be caught in the boy’s hotel room after hours. You weren’t sure how to ask this however, especially not when Felix looked at you with such expectancy.

So instead, you took the cowards way out. “I actually ate before the concert, so I’m not really that hungry. Plus, don’t want to eat too soon before bed. I’ll get a stomachache.”

And Felix’s face fell slightly, but he seemed to shake it off quickly enough. “That’s fine. Maybe next time.”

Hyunjin called for him then, and the two of you went our separate ways. On the way home, while scrolling through TikTok, you saw clips from the concert, and a few of them made you antsy. Especially the comments.

‘Felix thanked the translator. He’s so kind’

‘He was staring at her a lot at the end there. Do you guys think he has a crush on her?’

‘I think Felix was staring in that direction a lot during the whole concert, actually. I have clips I can share later. He definitely likes her.’

‘no way, it’s just a coincidence. The sound director is also in that direction, he might just be checking in with them from time to time. Chan also did it in Japan, we could see him asking for the mic’s sound to be raised.’

‘I miss Seungmin. So sad they got sick before the concert. Hopefully they make it for day 2!’

By the time you arrived back to the hotel, you were too anxious to be tired. You eyes the hotel bar, but your past experiences just made you even more antsy, and you followed behind some of the other staff like a lost puppy, desperate to avoid more scandals. If Maya noticed anything as you got settled in for bed that night, she didn’t say it.

You waited until she was sleeping before you snuck out of bed, pulling the bathroom door as quietly as you could until it clicked closed. In the silence, you washed your scent glands and carefully dried them with a paper towel, slapping on some scent blockers that would keep your scent hidden during the night. You would have to be careful Maya didn’t see them in the morning, but they were skin colored and should blend in at a distance, so you weren’t too worried.

You got a text on your way back to bed, and you snuck under the covers, using the blankets to hide the light from your screen.

It was from Felix, wishing you a good night.

You closed your eyes, letting out a sigh. You wondered what it would have been like if you had accepted his offer for Pizza. Would he have walked you back to your room afterwards? Would he have hugged you goodbye, whispered good night in your ear instead of sending a text?

Would he have pulled you close, maybe dropped his head into the crook of your neck? Maybe he would have scented you, letting cinnamon coat your skin for the rest of your night, content in the thought of you being his.

You blinked your eyes open, muted dots slowly turning into shapes in the dark. Realistically, you would have to wash his scent off before Maya caught a whiff, because that would give away your closeness to the boys.

Realistically, you probably wouldn’t have let him scent you to begin with.

You closed your eyes again, and with a soft groan, you rolled over and tried to get some sleep.

You never answered Felix’s text.

-0-0-

Taglist:

@3rachasninja @lilyuwon @brojustfknkillm3 @yukichan67 @mallielovssyou @mintchip17 @iweirdthingsblog @maisyyyyyy @neivivenaj @jc003 @skz-ot8-stay @passionandsuga @ms-flowergirl @kayleefriedchicken @seungmonggg @luvvvash @galaxy4489 @quokkahannie4 @joyofbebbanburg @xxeiraxx @lemonn015 @dazzlingjade @tenshimara @danceonmyheyday @staytinyluv @mamaj-right @dessianna1 @sillyhal @minh0scat @iris-iiridescent @fackeraccount @bumblebeebeebumble @hanniesbubuwife @bowsnbang @just-a-blackthorn-cookie @k-pop-luv04 @stopstaring4455 @mbioooo0000 @bby-boo4u @yumuramma @juju-227592 @idiotmaterial @channieismylove @kpetts @headfirstfortoro @iknow-uknow-leeknow @velvetmoonlght @skzlover24 @zayn-210 @iamwritteninyourstars @katsukis1wife

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

take care of yourself! i’m in a similar boat with my head stuck in textbooks, but remember to look up and enjoy life every once and a while! fighting! 🧸

💕

[hornyfor-redacted-onmain]

are you reading skzophreniics new series southpaw?? i think you might like it ! 🧸

Unfortunately i have not been reading anything skz related recently, just history textbooks 😭 but ill make sure to check it out soon, thank you for the rec!