Making A Pack

Four

Luke woke up to a familiar dull ache in his abdomen. It made him whimper and curl into himself. He wanted to stay put for as long as possible, though, because for some reason his bunk wasn't feeling as cramped as it normally did. He wanted to savor the feeling of somewhat comfort he was experiencing. Testing the waters, he began to fidget around, but he found that instead of the usual wall he would be pressed up against, there was a cushion. Suddenly, the events leading up to falling asleep came back to him. He snapped his eyes open quickly only to see an even more  familiar face staring at him. He blinked blearily, double checking if his eyes were tricking him. 

"Michael?"

"You're up!" he said, sounding far too excited to match how Luke felt. He was sitting on the ground right next the the couch where Luke had been sleeping. Luke wondered how long he'd been there or how long he'd been asleep at all. "That's great!" he continued to say. As Luke rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, his eyes focused past Michael and then widened in shock as he saw piles and piles of blankets in every material and color ever made. "I wasn't sure what kind of blankets you normally like–"

"Michael."

"–so I had them bring all sorts, so you can choose which ones you want–"

"Michael."

"–and then I hope this didn't overstep, but we got the mattress from your bunk and brought it out here that way that couch won't hurt your back, and–"

"Michael!"

"Oh sorry, what is it?" Michael asked.

"I um," Luke said, not quite sure how to say what he needed to say. Michael had gone to do much trouble after all. "Well, it's just..."

"What is it? Do you need more painkillers? I didn't mean to spring on you right after waking up. I'm so sorry–"

"No, Mike, it's not that. It's just–"

"Oh, you poor thing, you're probably starving."

"Well yes, but–"

"You stay right there. I'll get you something to eat," Michael insisted while running off into the kitchenette, tripping over a pile of blanket around the way.

Luke stared at him in disbelief. Surely, he was still dreaming. He'd never seen Michael act so strange.

Suddenly, Luke felt a pair of arms wrap around him, making him jump. He turned his head to see Calum standing behind him. He leaned down and whispered in Luke's ear, "you know, they always say omegas get crazy before their heat, but I think it's the alphas who get really weird."

Luke flushed at the implication. "Oh, I um..." Luke couldn't think of what to say to that, especially considering that Michael was less than 20 feet away. A new thought occurred to him, though. "Where did you come from?" he asked. 

"Been here the whole time," he said. "None of us could leave you while you slept. Look, back here."

Luke strained his neck to see past Calum. Behind the couch, Ashton was curled up on the ground with a bunch of blankets and pillow surrounding him. There was a clear Calum sized whole, though, in the space, and Ashton looked like he was stirring because of it. Luke felt his heart swell. His pack – band he meant band – stayed out here just for him.

"Speaking of which, sleep looks good on you. Your color is better already." Calum placed a sweet kiss on Luke's cheek. Luke didn't feel much better, but he was glad that Calum seemed positive. It made him feel optimistic. "I can't imagine what eating a sandwich will do. At this rate, you'll be in heat before you even start nesting."