Chapter Text
“Here,” Minho insists as he hands over the seaweed soup. He’s portioning out the dishes the waitress had delivered. “This will be good for you.”
Jeongin accepts the bowl, while still merrily chewing on the bossam that Minho had only moments ago wrapped up and offered to him.
Seeing Jeongin is still mid-mouthful, Minho turns to his own food and fills his mouth before picking up the bowl of rice, spooning some onto Jeongin’s plate and adding a thick slice of kimchi beside it.
Jeongin’s eyes widen and he holds his large hand over his mouth. “Hyung,” he protests, hoping his palm covers his blush, “I can feed myself.”
Minho glares at him. “If Chan were here, he’d insist you eat first.” This is the only friend group he has where that is true. Usually the youngest serves the elders, and then eats, but for the eight of them, Jeongin has always been served and eaten first. Chan had made that decision early in their friendship, based on his own family, where the youngest were to be protected and cared for; they are the ones least able to do so for themselves. While they are all grown adults now, the mindset hasn’t changed. In the beginning, Jeongin had been pampered, but never spoiled. Now,it's the youngest who continues to indulge the rest of them by permitting their continued care.
Swallowing, Jeongin smirks at him. “He’d also be insisting you eat, because you’re also younger. So, eat.”
Minho grunts and grumbles as he eats a few more bites. “Have you seen him or Felix lately?”
“Not since just after my heat. They brought me home after the procedure. Felix made me a batch of cookies and brought me some herbal teas.” Jeongin has a spoonful of soup. “Why? Have you heard something?”
Minho shakes his head. “No, nothing like that. I’m a little surprised I’ve not seen them lurking around the apartment building to check in on you.”
That pronouncement summons a chuckle from Jeongin. “They have been texting me regularly, and they call me most nights just after dinner. It’s still too early to know anything. The soonest we can test is next week.”
“Hmm.” Minho glances at Jeongin’s plate, and then makes another bossam to feed to him. “How are you feeling?”
Jeongin looks down his nose at Minho, his mouth full as he chews through the large portion he’d just been fed. It takes a while before he swallows and can answer. “I haven’t noticed any changes. At least, nothing different from when I first started taking the pills. Maybe a little tender here and there, but even if I’m going to be sick in the mornings, it’s a little too soon for that.”
Minho cocks his head to the side in contemplation. Jeongin appears remarkably calm, not that he’d expected him to be otherwise. Jeongin has always carried this aura of competency to him; that if he sets his mind to something it isn’t a matter of if, but when he would accomplish his goal. It has been worrisome to watch him struggle with his relationships of late, knowing how much having a family means to him.
Since they’d met up in the apartment lobby to head to lunch today, Minho had thought something was off. Just a little odd, but he’s not able to determine what it is. As the host of the restaurant walks by with a family and seats them nearby, the combined scents of the group registers and he manages to figure out what is missing. “Are you wearing scent blockers?”
Jeongin blinks at him as if the question is the strangest thing to ask. “Uh, no.”
Minho shrugs, not wanting to alarm him. “Your scent seems a little subdued. If you hadn’t told me otherwise, I’d have thought you’d seen Chan and Felix recently. I thought I caught a trace of them on you earlier.”
“Oh. That could be a good thing,” Jeongin smiles as he uses some kimchi to help pile rice onto his chopsticks.
Furrowing his brows, Minho tries to figure out exactly what that means while Jeongin finishes chewing. As an only child, he has limited experience around pregnant people, most of it in the later months when the pregnancy is already visually evident. He suspects he’ll need to start doing some research. “Explain.”
“While pregnant, a person can often exhibit scent notes of their partner. I didn’t know that would be possible, or that I might end up with both their scents.” Jeongin shrugs. “It could be nothing though. Could just be I haven’t worn this scarf since I saw them last, or something like that.”
Minho wonders if he looks into early pregnancy signs he’d find that piece of information for himself. What else could he be missing? As the hyung in closest proximity, he takes his duty to be there for Jeongin seriously. Besides, he needs to keep his favourite hyung title. He isn’t going to let anyone just swoop in and steal it. “You’ve been working out with Jisung and Changbin lately, right?”
“Yeah. It’s not always easy to meet up with them, but it’s been good for me.” Jeongin’s happy mood declines into a frown. “I guess I’ll have to give that up too.”
“Maybe. You should talk to the doctor about it when you meet next, and pass on any fitness recommendations to Changbin,” Minho advises, while piling more food onto Jeongin’s plate. “You know how he is about fitness plans. He’ll figure out a new rotation for you. Ask about food restrictions and nutrition too.”
The smile reappears on Jeongin’s face. “I’m not giving Changbin my food and nutrition list. He’ll make me put it all in a shake. Eww.”
Minho chuckles. “No, that list is for me. I’ll make sure you and the pup stay healthy.”
Jeongin ducks his head, but that doesn’t hide the dusty pink of his cheeks. “I can take care of myself, hyung.”
“I’m not saying you can’t, Iyen-ah.” Minho looks at him fondly, feeling the tips of his ears turning a similar shade. “But you can let me help.”
Jeongin looks at him, his expression wry and his words dry. “As if I could prevent you.”
Minho smirks. “Best not to even try.”
The official appointment with the doctor isn’t for another week, but Jeongin is impatient. It’s been two and a half weeks, and that is soon enough for some tests to be able to tell, so he stops off at the pharmacy on the way home and picks up a few to try. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if they give conflicting results, but he figures he’ll be no worse off than he is now, just more impatient for the appointment with Doctor Park.
He’d planned on purchasing a large bottle of water to promptly drink on the bus ride so he’d be ready to pee once he got home, but the cashier said that it would dilute the tests. It is best to just wait. With chagrin, he knows he has a lot of peeing in his future if he makes use of the tests he’d bought. Feeling excited, with a side of anxiousness, his body jitters as he sits on the bus. He keeps having to pull his fingers out of his mouth when he realises he is once again chewing at them.
It’s impulsive to pick up the tests, but he’s also seeing Chan and Felix for dinner that night, and he wants to have some good news to share with them. They’ve been patient with him, and careful in their questions. He hasn’t felt pressed or pressured, but he can still tell they are hopeful and anticipating while also scared to let themselves hope. Jeongin wants to set them at ease, and having test results that are positive would do that for them. It is progress, still much too early to know that everything would go well, but it is something. A little something he can offer them. He knows the odds at this point. Twenty percent of pregnancies result in miscarriage, most during the first trimester. Given how miscarriages tend to be treated with shame, there are odds that some people don’t even report their miscarriages. There is also the possibility that some people don’t even realise they were pregnant when they do miscarry. So, Jeongin figures the odds are a little worse than what is stated.
Even with those odds, and knowing the heartbreak Chan and Felix have faced in the past, he’s hopeful. Even knowing that nothing indicates that he is pregnant and the pup has caught yet, he believes. He still has this feeling, one he can’t explain but feels nonetheless, that this is meant to happen. He is meant to carry this pup.
While waiting for the need to urinate, he opens the packages and reads the instructions. They are all simple: just pee on the stick. Should be easy for him, he figures. Being a male omega has its advantages. Point and shoot. The instructions recommend collecting urine in a disposable cup, and then pouring onto the stick. He imagines he could skip that step, but then remembers how clumsy he can be, and imagines trying to juggle the different tests while peeing, and goes to fetch one. He just needs to wait until he has to go, pour urine on the sticks, and then wait another five minutes and hope for the appropriate results.
It occurs to Jeongin that this is the first time he’s ever waited around to pee. It’s boring. It’s right up there with watching a kettle boil or paint dry. He could try to distract himself, but his thoughts are too wrapped up in this, that even if he tries, he doesn’t think it will work very well. May as well try to play games on his phone, read a book, watch a show. So he does. He tries all of that, and all his brain wants to think about is how much he wants to pee, even if he doesn’t really need to at that very moment.
A little ridiculous. That’s how it feels. He wants to reach out and talk to a friend, but he figures the first people to know what he is up to should be Chan and Felix, and he isn’t going to tell them about this if the tests don’t prove positive. They could be false negatives, and he doesn’t want to worry them for nothing, so he just sits, and tries not to chew on his fingers until he finally feels the need to pee.
Holding the test in one hand, and his dick in the other makes it reasonably easy to catch the stream of urine in the paper cup. Just carefully pour until all three tests are used. He finishes up, washes his hands, and sets a timer and once again he waits. At least this time, he knows just how long it is going to take. Though, he still spends most of that time refusing to chew on his fingers, and pulling them back out of his mouth when he fails.
He’s startled when the timer starts blaring loudly, and he reaches over to swipe at his phone to turn it off. His heart beats faster than normal, not just from the shock of the alarm going off, but also from the trepidation of looking at the results. With a sigh, he looks over at the tests. Not looking wouldn’t change anything, and he does want to know. There is no point in avoiding the results. He looks over to find a cross, two lines, and a yes. He cheers, his fist raised in the air as he jumps around in his bathroom until he catches his reflection in the mirror.
Smiling, he puts all the results into ziploc bags and puts them on the table by the door to his apartment. He’ll bring them with him to dinner.
First, he has to get ready.
A shower and a change of clothes later, and he has roughly five minutes to get himself downstairs before Chan and Felix arrive to pick him up. He grabs his jacket out of the closet, shoves the ziploc baggies into its pocket, and then slings his feet into his shoes before he races out the door. Jeongin takes the elevator down, because he refuses to be sweaty and winded when he gets into their car.
He is waiting outside when the sedan pulls up. Felix rolls down the window, a smile on his lips. “Ready for a good meal? Channie says it’s his treat.”
Jeongin grins as he opens the back door and slides into the car. “Are we celebrating?”
“Of course.” Chan glances up at the rear view mirror and waits for Jeongin to put on his seat belt before he drives away from the apartment. “What do you want to eat, Innie?”
“Food!” Jeongin says to give himself a few moments to think. Sushi is out. Even if he didn’t know the results, it would still be out. Raw fish is not on the menu. He is going to eat so much of it afterwards, drag Minho and Jisung with him. They’ll get so sick of it. “Hmm. Barbeque?”
Felix nods and turns to Chan. “There’s that place nearby? It was good, right? Just a few blocks from here.”
“Yeah, we’ll go there. Good choice, Jeongin-ah.”
Jeongin hums along with the tune on the radio as Chan drives, Felix leans over the centre console to rest his head upon Chan’s shoulder. “Jisung-hyung mentioned you were having some trouble with the bridge of your new song the other day. Did you get it sorted out?”
“Oh, yeah. We got that figured out. I can send you the demo for it later, if you want,” Chan offers freely.
“Course I want it, hyung.” While Jeongin does enjoy listening to what 3RACHA is working on, he also knows that Chan loves sharing his music. It’s the reason why he continues to create and produce, hoping that his music will hold meaning for those who listen.
Chan pulls up to the curb at the restaurant, letting Felix and Jeongin out so they can get a table while he parks the car. Soon they are all sitting around the table, all of them drinking soda out of solidarity with Jeongin, who can’t drink. Chan insists on grilling the meat when it arrives. The table is cluttered with side dishes which they all pick at while waiting for the meat to be done.
“Hyung, you’ll have to cook mine well done,” Jeongin sighs. It’s for a good cause. He can handle his beef less pink than he’d like. “I’m glad we all got together today. I have news for you.”
Felix leans closer. “You’ve discovered a new musical prodigy?”
Jeongin laughs. “No, not that. You know how impatient I am.”
Chan grins and shakes his head. “Did you break something rushing out the door?” He glances at Felix. “I told you we were never getting your brownie container back.”
Jeongin groans, “No, that’s not it either. I’m sorry I forgot to bring it down.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “Maybe I won’t tell you.”
Felix whines cutely, and Jeongin hears his feet kicking against the rung of his chair. “No. Don’t be mean to me because Chan-hyung was teasing.”
Giggling, Jeongin pulls the ziploc bags from his jacket pocket and hands them over to Felix. “You can share that with Chan-hyung if you think he should be forgiven for teasing me so ruthlessly. It’s not my fault I’m so clumsy. The world conspires against me!”
He can sense the moment that Felix recognizes what he’s holding. The gasp of his inhale, the sudden tense stillness to his body and then the nervous tremble of his fingers as he turns the tests within the bag to see the results. All this followed with the hint of wetness to his waterline as he angles the tests towards Chan to share the results. “Jeongin-ah, the appointment is next week.”
“I said I was impatient!”
Abandoning the tests upon the table, Felix rises from his seat to crouch beside Jeongin, pulling him into a tight hug. There are some sniffling noises, which Jeongin chooses to ignore, along with the increasing dampness of his shirt collar. His own arms encircle Felix, and pat his back. The tears are happy ones, the sweetness of fudge and brownies surrounds him.
“Oh, I shouldn’t be hugging you so tightly!” Felix pulls back and sniffles back some more tears. He then blinks and tilts his head. “You, Jeongin, you smell like us. Just a little, and it’s not just cause you were in our car.”
He nods. “Yup. Minho-hyung told me the other day that I smelt a little off, subdued, and asked if I’d see you both recently. He didn’t know that could happen during pregnancy.”
Chan clears his throat before he speaks, and he still sounds rough, “Ah, well, this is better than a musical prodigy. If we never get that brownie container back, I don’t care. What brownie container?”
Jeongin giggles as Felix releases him to wipe at his tears and retake his seat. Chan pulls Jeongin’s attention with a sound of dismay. The meat from the grill has accidentally seared longer than ideal, the edges adhering to the hot metal. Jeongin covers his mouth with his hand as he giggles again, eyes closed in mirth.
From there, dinner progresses as it normally does. Chan feeds Jeongin first, then Felix. They speak of their days, how work is treating them, the new brand deal that Felix’s agent is working on, the new tracks Chan is putting together with Changbin and Jisung, and the struggles of Jeongin’s students.
It is only after all the meat was cooked, and consumed, as Jeongin leans back in his chair, his hand over his distended stomach feeling ever so full that the underlying scent tickles his nose. The brownie smell seems too sweet, the edges crisp to the point of being burnt. For all that Felix is wearing his usual sunny smile, something is flawed.
Leaning closer, Jeongin offers his hand to Felix on the table. “Is everything okay, hyung?”
Only because Jeongin is paying close attention does he see the moment where Felix’s smile slips before he plasters it back on his face like a mask. It is as if Felix is locking down his emotions; even his omega scent becomes self contained, no longer emanating from him. “Yeah. Everything’s fine, Jeongin-ah. I couldn’t be happier.”
Chan gets up from the table, if the chair legs moving over the floor make any sound, it is lost amidst the chatter from the other patrons. “I’m going to go pay, then we’ll head home, yeah? It’s getting late.”
Jeongin smiles up at Chan, and once he’s out of earshot, he turns to Felix again, his expression full of concern. “Felix-hyung, what’s going on? I…you’re happy?”
Felix doesn’t look at him and his low tone is snippy when he says, “I am happy.” The words are staccato, with the way they are bitten off as they leave his mouth.
Jeongin curls in on himself, “Did I do something to upset you?”
“No. We’re fine.” There is no change in Felix’s tone, and Jeongin feels that pushing won’t help, so he hides a sigh, keeping it to himself, and waits for Chan to return.
When Chan walks up to the table, he picks up his jacket and puts it around Jeongin’s shoulders. “The breeze from the door was a little cold. It’s getting chilly out.”
Felix reaches over, snatches the jacket from around Jeongin’s shoulders and holds it close to his chest, pressing his face into the collar, before he glares with anger at Jeongin. There is a fierce nip to his tone. “Mine.”
Chan moves closer to Felix, holding out his hand as if to place it on his mate’s shoulder, only for Felix to hiss at him.
In shock, Jeongin stumbles as he pushes away from the table, his chair clattering against the floor as it falls over.
He needs to get away.
“Um.I’m just going to call a taxi,” Jeongin says, voice shaking.“I’ll see you both later.” He can hear Chan trying to object, and Felix growls in response. Raising his hand, Jeongin waves Chan off. “Just…It’s fine. I’ll be fine.”
His hands fumble as he pulls his phone out of his pocket, and it bounces between his hands until he gets a firm white knuckled grip on it. He puts in the taxi order and waits outside, downwind from the parking lot, where he knows Chan and Felix will be going to collect their car.
The weather isn’t particularly cold on that autumn evening, but Jeongin shivers regardless. He’d thought this would have been a joyful and fun evening out with his friends. He didn’t imagine that it would be anything else, but Felix doesn’t seem particularly happy. Even though this is what his friend wants, it upset him, or at least, upset his wolf. He scowls, pulling his finger from his mouth. He really needs to quit doing that.
He tries to figure out what might have caused Felix to be upset. He knows emotions can be complex, and often illogical. That it doesn’t need to make sense and that it is just what it is. He blinks a few times as he waits at the curb. He refuses to cry over this. This is just an obstacle. It is something they’ll work through together. He knows Chan will figure it out. That’s the alpha, the person Chan is. He fixes things, even when it doesn’t seem possible, he finds some way to make things work. He’ll get Felix home and sort out what happened, and then they’ll figure out how to move forward.
The concerns gnawing at his thoughts makes him poor company when the taxi arrives. He slides into the backseat and he does a dismal job of managing small talk. After a few stilted exchanges, the driver leaves him to his own thoughts while they drive the rest of the way to the apartment. Jeongin pays the driver, provides him with a good tip and walks into his home.
As desperately as Jeongin wants to talk to someone about what happened, he doesn’t want to breach Chan and Felix’s privacy, and he doesn’t want to tell anyone else he is pregnant until they sort things out. He can’t recall the last time he felt this isolated and alone.
It is late in the evening. Minho lays in bed, not yet asleep. His phone is set up to only let certain contacts reach him at this hour, so he knows that whatever is causing it to ring, is important. Setting aside his book, he picks up the phone, looks at the display and answers. “Hyung, what’s going on?”
“Hey Minho-yah,” Chan’s voice is quiet, and Minho checks his phone’s volume, but it is at its normal setting. “I think we’re going to need your help.”
“What’s wrong? Is it Felix?” Minho remembers how frantic Chan was the last time he’d received such a call. Rushing to the hospital afterwards to sit beside Chan while the doctors worked to save Felix after his last miscarriage. It had been devastating to see Chan breakdown, to watch Chan suffer as he knew there was nothing he could do to help his mate. Minho never wants to experience anything like that again.
“No, not like that,” Chan’s voice raises, and the hurried words swiftly set aside Minho’s concerns. “No, it’s… Jeongin’s pregnant, and Felix reacted in a way none of us expected.”
Feeling his heart rate spike, Minho knows his words are sharp, “What happened?”
“We were at dinner and Jeongin shared the news. You know how impatient he is; couldn’t even wait to see the doctor for the test next week. We were all happy, ready to celebrate, but at the end of the evening, Felix hissed at him, and then snarled at me after I offered Jeongin my jacket because it was getting colder.”
Minho can tell Chan is trying to keep everything under control, attempting to keep things normal. “Where’s Jeongin now?”
“Home, I hope. He called a taxi. I was going to make arrangements to get him home, but Felix was upset and he walked off before I could stop him.”
“You hope?” Minho’s voice is a lash. “Hyung, you can’t just hope he made it home!”
Chan sighs sharply, and Minho envisions the slump of his shoulders that followed that sound. “I just got Felix calmed down. He’s sleeping. I had to hold him and scent him. I–” his voice breaks and Minho can hear his anguish, “He thought he was losing me. That he wasn’t good enough, that Jeongin would take his place and I’d set him aside. I thought I was going to have to go alpha and order him to settle. That I’d have to scruff him to get him out of it. Minho, I’ve never had to do that. Never want to.”
“Yeah.” Minho rubs at his forehead and then pushes his fingers through his hair. “Okay, but this needs to be fixed. You can’t do this to yourselves, to Jeongin, for the next nine months, hyung.”
“I know.” Chan takes a deep breath and his exhale hisses over the connection. “I know. I’ll call the therapist Dr. Park recommended first thing tomorrow and make an appointment. I can’t let this drive us apart, but I’m worried that means I won’t be able to support Jeongin like he needs. But, I’ll figure it out. We’ll work it out.”
“You will.” Minho has faith in Chan. In all the years he’s known him, Chan has never let any of them down, and he’s always found a way to keep his word. He trusts Chan to make this right. “Anything you need, just tell me.”
“Yeah, thanks. Thank you. Good night Minho-yah.”
“Mhmm.” Minho disconnects the call, then swipes to his contacts, finding Jeongin’s and sends him a text.
Movie night at mine tomorrow, starts at 6. Your pick. Don’t be late. You know I hate when the food gets cold.
The tension from the last few days has not done Jeongin any favours. He’s been sleeping poorly, daydreaming, though he likens it more to daymaring. The movie night with Minho helped. A home cooked meal with his favourite hyung.
Knowing Chan already reached out to Minho with the news means that Jeongin feels secure in telling him what had happened. Jeongin is still trying to make sense of it, and what he’d done to upset Felix, even if Minho has told him it isn’t anything he’d done, it’s just the situation. Felix’s reaction is instinctive, rather than logical. There is nothing he could have done differently, which doesn’t make it better, but doesn’t make it worse either.
At least Jeongin doesn’t feel alone. Last night, Minho had been beside him, leaning his head back with a high pitched cackle filling the room as they watched the silly movie Jeongin selected, and things felt better. He has someone to help carry the pain of this with him, and while neither of them can explain what happened, it still helps.
Minho also told him that Chan mentioned contacting the therapist when he’d spoken with him. It is a wise choice, in Jeongin’s mind. If Felix fears he is losing his mate, and that someone else is taking his place, that needs to be straightened out. The last thing Jeongin wants is Chan. As good an alpha as he is, he isn’t the right alpha for Jeongin, nor does he want to cause Felix that sort of pain. All he wants to do is make them happier and give them the dream they thought they’d lost forever. The plans have gone completely awry. It is upsetting, but it’s still early days. Minho advised him to be patient and to trust Chan. Solid advice, from Jeongin’s experience.
Felix messaged him that morning, letting him know their first therapy appointment is this afternoon, and that he and Chan would call afterwards so they could discuss what they’d do together. It makes Jeongin feel antsy, like he can’t settle. He is wandering around his apartment, cleaning, and fussing, mostly to prevent himself from making a horror show of his finger beds. He picks at his lunch, not feeling hungry, but knowing he should eat to provide nutrients for the embryo. The remains of it rests on his plate, sitting on the table waiting for him to finish it later. He knows the salad wouldn’t go bad if it sits out, and maybe he’ll have more of an appetite after the call.
The ring tone catches him off guard and he rushes to the coffee table to answer the phone and sits on his couch, tucking his feet under his legs and pulling a blanket over himself. “Hello.” He hopes he doesn’t sound as uncertain as he feels.
“Hey Innie. I’ve got you on speaker and Chan-hyung’s with me.” Felix sounds a little distant, but calm. “We just got home from the appointment. Are you able to talk now?”
“Yeah, I don’t have plans this afternoon. I didn’t want to rush us.” While Jeongin wishes he could see their expressions and get a sense of their dispositions from their scents, he knows the phone call is the best way to approach their situation right now. He suspects it was his own scent, clouded as it was by the pregnancy, that had set Felix off.
“That’s good, Jeongin-ah,” Chan’s voice comes through clearly and he sounds grounded, solid. “We want to apologise again for the whole situation at dinner. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, what happened. Today’s session helped us understand, and we’ll do what we can, together, to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Felix chirps his agreement. “I’m really sorry Innie. You didn’t deserve to have me growling at you. I’m so grateful for what you’re doing for us.”
Jeongin can sense their sincerity, and he slumps back against his couch. He was concerned and worried that things had changed, and he isn’t certain where that would leave him if that became the case. “I’m glad you talked to Minho-hyung about it. I needed to talk to someone, and I didn’t want to tell anyone your news. It didn’t seem right.”
“I’m glad he could help you,” Chan replies, “actually, that’s part of what we wanted to discuss. With instincts being what they are, Felix and I are going to continue with therapy so we both behave more thoughtfully when we’re around you. That means we’re not going to be able to spend time with you for a while, but we know that you still need to be supported during the pregnancy.”
Felix clears his throat, and his voice sounds rough, as if it’s difficult for him to speak, “I know we’d planned on Chan being there for you, and I’m sorry that’s not possible right now. It’s my fault.” He is interrupted by Chan insisting it isn’t his fault from the background, barely heard over the call. “We were thinking maybe one of the other alphas could help you out? Like Minho or Changbin or Hyunjin?”
“Oh. Yeah. That makes sense.” Jeongin isn’t sure how he feels about that, but he knows any of his hyungs would do their best to help him.
“Minho or Changbin would likely be the better choices, seeing as how they’re single,” Chan comments. “Not sure Hyunjin and Jisung have really figured out their situationship yet, but you know what they’re like. Or, if you’d be more comfortable with Seungmin, Dr. Park did say having an alpha was best, but not more important than having someone you trust.”
“Mhmm.” It isn’t Jeongin’s place to reveal to them that Changbin and Seungmin have been seeing each other for the past year. They are private people, and have reasons of their own not to go public, but keeping it from their friends as well seems a little much to him. Everyone in the group would be happy for them, but Jeongin had only found out by accident, and Seungmin had made him promise to keep their secret. Either of them would be great, but he isn’t about to test their relationship that way.
As for Hyunjin, the last thing Jeongin wants to do is get in the middle of that. Whatever it is Hyunjin has going on with Jisung is fraught with drama. It seems the two of them like it that way, but Jeongin needs something stable and comforting right now.
Which leaves Minho. A little old fashioned, but still open-minded. Strong, resourceful, stoic, while still warm and caring. He doesn’t say how he feels often, but he shows his emotions in everything he does. You just have to look to see it. By proximity alone, Minho is the preferred choice.
“I think Minho-hyung would be best. He’s closest anyway, which will make it easier for both of us, right?” Jeongin doesn’t want to sound excited about this, but he can feel the way his heart is pounding in his chest. “Assuming he’d be willing to help.”
“Right. It should make things easier.” Chan sounds relieved. “When we spoke, he told me to let him know what he could do to help, so I think he’ll accept. I’ll reach out to him when we’re done talking.”
He can tell Felix has leaned closer to the phone, because his voice is clearer. “How are you feeling, Innie?”
“Better, hyung. I’m feeling better. I hope you are too.” Jeongin does feel better. He’s relieved to hear the session had gone well. He’s comforted to know there is a plan on how to move forward.
“Yeah, I am. I know this isn’t exactly what you’d signed up for,” Felix says, sounding apologetic.
“I signed up for a nine month adventure,” Jeongin tries to reassure him. “Please don’t apologise again. It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s biology and instincts and we’ll out smart them.”
Chan chuckles. “Right. Let us know if you need anything, alright? I’m gonna let you go, and call Minho. Okay?”
“Yeah, hyung. That sounds good. Talk later.” Jeongin disconnects the call. He knows he’s tightly wound up, but only realises just how exhausted he is now that he’s starting to relax. He feels better, but rather than finish his salad, he slides down on the couch and takes a nap.