𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 22 | chensung

37

"Are you still going on the trip?" Renjun asked in surprise. All heads turned to look at him, that being the two other omegas and four alphas. "Aren't you worried?"

The sun at the Crazy Duck Pond blinded Chenle as he opened his mouth to reply with 'yes' to the first question, but then faltered at the second. He kicked his feet out and leaned over to make eye contact with the omega seated two down from him on the bench. "Worried? What for?"

"You're irregular now, right? I mean, I was for a while last year... after the incident."

Chenle had to admit that this was something that had never crossed his mind. He opened his mouth again for a suitable response but ended up just closing it shut and tilting his head. He should have seen that this could be an outcome. After all, a triggered heat would obviously not bow down to the regular cycle afterwards. His normal heat had been a good few days off beginning when he was triggered. Now he couldn't be sure when it would strike again.

"It's been two weeks, but you can't say for certain that it'll definitely arrive in another two weeks' time."

Donghyuck nodded. "I don't think you should go on the trip, Le. Just in case."

"No way, I'm not missing out. I'll just bring extra suppressants or something. I'll figure it out. Plus, there's a possibility that it might not arrive at all."

Jisung, who was standing opposite the three omegas as there was no room for him and the other alphas on the bench, unwound his folded arms. "It'd be for the best."

"You too, Ji?" Chenle could absolutely see where they were coming from. If it was Donghyuck or Renjun in his situation, he'd be arguing the case as well, but he knew himself and he knew he could look after it. "It'll be the first time we do something all together..."

Jaemin and Jeno, mostly quiet throughout this leg of the conversation, made a funny little act of eye contact before Jeno spoke up. "Chenle, it's not really for us to decide. It's your trip, your cycle, your decision. But just know that if shit hits the fan, I'll do everything I can to protect you. I think Jaemin feels the same."

Mark stepped in with a silent nod to Jisung and cleared his throat. "That goes for all of you. If anything unexpected happens, like one of you is targeted again by the alphas, the four of us will be there. I'll be there, Jisung will be there, Jaemin and Jeno said so too."

Renjun and Donghyuck both felt like they could cry. Especially Renjun, who had so little faith in alphas. It truly was the first time he'd heard such earnest from any alpha, let alone four of them.

Chenle stood up from the bench and moved behind it, leaning down so that he was between the two omegas with his arms over their shoulders. "Thanks, guys. I trust that. I trust all of you much further than I can throw you. And I have to go with my judgement that tells me to enjoy the trip. We're all eighteen. We'll be in college next year, this is our last school trip and the first one together, and I'll make sure to keep a close eye on my cycle for the next two weeks. If shit does hit the fan then I know we have you guys."

Jisung smiled fondly at him. Little spitfire. "You still need to beat me to finish line, and I told you I'm good at obstacle courses."

Chenle threw his head in Jisung's direction with a sly grin. "Eat my dust."

"Hmm, well I'll need nutrition after the exercise of kicking up enough dust in your face, so no thanks."

"Nutrition, you say? How about a knuckle sandwich?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of chicken sandwich."

"So basic."

Donghyuck stood up and gave Chenle his arm back, interrupting what could have gone on for a while without a victor. "Guys, the sun is making me loopy. Can we go indoors? The café should be open and I was hoping to drop my resumé down this evening anyway."

Chenle snapped his head up and felt around in his pockets. "I printed mine out at the library yesterday. It should still be in my jacket." And voilà, he produced the piece of paper, albeit rather folded and crumpled. A smile took up his face. "Let's do this thing."

•・•・•

Now that it was all out of the way, they found themselves at Mark's famed house. Well, famed by Chenle that it wasn't so nice. The outside was a bit derelict but it certainly ticked all the boxes of a home on the inside.

Donghyuck was sitting beside said alpha on a two-person couch, Jaemin was sitting on Jeno's lap (they had done so to make the group laugh, succeeded in their endeavours, but didn't move to sit separately afterwards), Chenle and Jisung were sitting on the carpeted floor in front of the empty fireplace and Renjun sat alone on a club chair.

Mark found this to be good team building since he felt he didn't have much of a relationship with Jeno, Jaemin and Renjun.

"Your house is actually respectable," Chenle smiled. "My faith was waning, but now it's restored."

"Let's get real; you never had faith in me."

"...Aaaanyway," Chenle whistled, but couldn't find a topic to switch to, which left an awkward moment where he was grasping at the air. Mark was unimpressed.

Jisung came to his rescue. "I can't believe the school year is almost over."

Chenle turned to him and smiled in thanks, then shuffled closer and linked their arms jokingly to make a statement that they were partners in crime, much to Mark's sourness. He hadn't linked arms with Jisung in a while. He used to do it sometimes subconsciously, back when he first began to react to Jisung's scent and pheromones in the way that an omega should. The alpha's touch was so right and like a requirement.

"And exams," Renjun mentioned, demanding the attention of everyone in the room because he spoke to the entire group so infrequently.

"Don't remind me," Jeno sighed, feeling airless under Jaemin's light but ever-present weight. "And then we have the summer, at least."

Jisung glanced down at Chenle, observing his happy expression as he made a comment about savouring the summer. He could have kissed the omega at that moment without Chenle doing anything out of the ordinary. He wasn't even looking a Jisung. But yet, the alpha didn't need to see him do something cute or special to want to kiss him right now.

He simply wanted to.